MT. VERNON, Mo. — The Missouri Tomato School will be Thursday and Friday, May 20 and 21, at the University of Missouri Southwest Research Center, 14548 Highway H, Mt. Vernon, MO 65712. Day 1 will also be live-streamed for persons unable to attend in person.
This state-wide tomato school brings together top experts in the field with regional experts and successful local tomato farmers to teach growers and serious hobbyists how to better grow Missouri’s top selling vegetable.
Day 1 begins at 8:45 and will be in a socially distanced lecture format at the Research Center. Day 1 presentations include:
- Growing Tomatoes in Protective Structures
- Plasticulture, Fertigation, & Irrigation of Field and High Tunnel Tomatoes
- Bacterial, Virus, and Fungal Disease Management
- Recent Developments in Tomato Grafting
- The Farmer Experience
- Keeping ‘Em Fresh – Optimizing Shelf Life for Tomatoes
Day 2 consists of farm tours and on-site education at two Springfield area farms with innovative tomato practices from 9 am to 12:30 pm.
This conference features national and regional presenters including:
Dr. Rick Snyder, Extension/Research Professor at the Truck Crops Experiment Station, Crystal Springs, Mississippi. His areas of specialty include greenhouse tomatoes and other vegetables, field vegetables, and mushrooms. Dr. Snyder hosts the well-known Mississippi Green-house Tomato Short Course, now in its 28th year, and is a highly sought speaker on all aspects of greenhouse tomato production. He has been a greenhouse columnist for American Vegetable Grower Magazine for 27 years, and also a monthly columnist for Mississippi Gardener Magazine.
Dr. Joe Kemble, Extension Vegetable Specialist & Professor at Auburn University, Alabama. He is the senior editor of the annual Vegetable Crop Handbook for the Southeastern US, and works extensively with all aspects of tomato production. Dr. Kemble’s research program focuses on use of cover crops and reduced tillage for vegetable production, nutrient management, and double cropping using plasticulture.
Registration for the in person program is $30. Registration includes lunch on day 1, all presentations and handouts, farm tours on day 2 and the Greenhouse Tomato Handbook by Dr. Snyder (1 per family or farm).
Registration for the live-streamed Day 1 program is free. Day 2 will be videotaped and placed on line. All registered attendees, whether in person or virtual, will be notified when the recorded versions of both days are available.
Complete conference information and a registration form are available at http://www.
The Missouri Tomato Conference is sponsored by the Webb City Farmers Market, University of Missouri Extension, and Lincoln University Co-operative Extension. It is underwritten by a specialty crops grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
This is the fourth Missouri Tomato School organized by the Webb City Farmers Market in collaboration with Extension.
— Webb City Farmers Market
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