The Florida Ag Expo is the perfect place for vegetable and specialty crop growers to come together in one central spot. The event is held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). Growers will have the opportunity to learn the newest research during seminars, as well as network with exhibitors and fellow growers during the tailgate-style trade show.

Michael Schadler, manager of the Florida Tomato Committee and executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, speaks on why it is beneficial for tomato growers to attend the Expo.

“The Ag Expo is in a convenient location for much of the Florida tomato industry and allows attendees to get a lot of bang for their buck in just one day,” says Schadler. “They can learn about the research happening at the GCREC while also catching up with existing and prospective vendors, as well as other growers.” 

The GCREC began as a tomato research center and has grown to become the home for research of several different commodities. The Florida Ag Expo invites growers to learn and connect at the GCREC on Nov. 9

“The GCREC is a huge benefit to the Florida tomato industry. The grower groups I represent — the Florida Tomato Committee and the Florida Tomato Exchange — have a very close relationship with the faculty and researchers at the center. In fact, we hold many of our board meetings there because of the central location for so many tomato growers. We use the center as a testing ground for new technologies and depend on the faculty there to keep our industry on the cutting edge of tomato production when it comes to breeding new varieties, disease and pest management, and soil science, to name a few areas,” says Schadler.

He says he is looking forward to the seminars to hear about both new and ongoing research, as well as catching up with fellow industry members and exhibitors.

Register now for the 2023 Florida Ag Expo. Registration is complimentary for commercial growers. All preregistered growers are eligible for a chance to win a John Deere gun safe, courtesy of Everglades Equipment Group.

Looking to get in front of the industry’s top growers? Don’t miss the chance to exhibit at the new and improved Florida Ag Expo. If you would like to exhibit at the event, please fill out a registration form.

A complete seminar program will be available soon. To learn more, visit FloridaAgExpo.net.