Minnesota Apple Growers Association Winter Educational Seminar

he Minnesota Apple Growers Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce the 2026 Winter Educational Seminar, which will be held at the La Crescent Area Event Center in La Crescent, MN, on Wednesday, January 7-8, 2026.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the exciting sessions planned:

• Uncertainty and Opportunity in the Orchard – Chris Gerlach, Vice President, Insights and Analytics, US Apple

• Superior Fruit Innovation: SweeTango® Update – Matt Clark, Director of Research, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Adam Bolton, Technology Licensing officer, UMN

• New UMN Apple Varieties –Sarah Kostick, Researcher, UMN, and Jack Tillman, Researcher, UMN

• Fruit Breeding Program Overview – Matt Clark, Director of Research, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Kate Scapanski, Researcher, UMN

• Best Practices for Cultivating Pollinator Habitat & IPM Strategies – Madeline Wimmer, Extension Educator, Food Systems & Fruit Production, UMN

• Trellis & Exclusion Netting: Benefits, Insights, and What Growers Can Expect – Dustin Lopez, Owner, Pioneer Hill Orchard & Ranch, and Gene Thompson, Owner, Thompsons' Hillcrest Orchard  

• Rootstock Innovations, and Crop Load – Lee Kalcsits, Endowed Chair of Tree Fruit Environmental Physiology and Management, WSU

• Know Your Audience, Tell Your Story: Using Market Insights and Media to Grow Your Local Brand – Mallory Forseth, Sr State Program Administrator - Minnesota Grown, MDA

• Getting the Most Out of Grants – USDA

• And much more!

Please note:  these sessions and topics are in the works so they may be subject to change.