World Ag Expo
2023 World Ag Expo (Photo by Brian Milne)

By Valley Ag Voice Staff

With the new year, California’s diverse agricultural landscape will host several events for farmers, industry professionals, and stakeholders, ranging from educational sessions to commodity-specific conferences. The next two months’ line-up of events introduce technological innovations, networking opportunities, and industry insights that will help shape the trajectory of California agriculture this year.  

ENTERTAINMENT 

On Sat. Jan 6, The California Bluegrass Association is hosting Earl Scruggs’ 100th birthday at Buck Owen’s Crystal Palace, honoring the bluegrass legend and his partner Lester Flatt through a special tribute. Scruggs was born on Jan 6, 1924, and became an inspiration and innovator of bluegrass music, manipulating the music language with the help of his banjo. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. 

This centenary event is part of CBA’s annual Great 48 — a four-day music gathering with workshops, concerts, and showcases at the Bakersfield Marriot Convention Center on Jan 4 – 7.  

EDUCATION 

The Kern County Farm Bureau’s 18th annual Spray Safe Event will reach over 700 agriculture industry professionals. Spray Safe will be held on Jan 19 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with opportunities to receive Continuing Education credits.  

On Feb 6, the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources is hosting the 2024 Plant and Soil Conference in Fresno to provide insight into new scientific knowledge for plants, soil, and the environment. Certified crop and pest control advisers may attend to earn continuing education units. This year, the event will occur over two days, Feb 6-7, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Convention Center on 2233 Ventura Street, Fresno, CA 93721. 

The 2024 North Valley Nut Conference is dedicated to tree nut growers and will take place Jan 31 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, California. Attendees can attend for free and have an opportunity to earn up to two hours of continuing education through DPR and four hours of Certified Crop Advisor Credits.  

CONFERENCES AND TRADE SHOWS  

Registration for the much-anticipated World Ag Expo is open for Feb 13-15 at the International Agri-Center in Tulare. The Ag Expo is one of the largest agricultural trade shows, featuring over 1,200 exhibitors on 2.6 million square feet of space. The multi-day event will feature demonstrations, new products, seminars, and agricultural tours. 

Agriculture industry leaders interested in artificial intelligence are invited to attend the Smart Harvesting Summit at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego from Feb 21-22. Attendees will learn how to lower costs while maximizing output, yields, and profits. 

Pistachio growers will meet for the 2024 Pistachio Industry Annual Conference hosted by the American Pistachio Growers on Feb 26-28 in Monterey. The conference partnered with hotels for the annual conference, and reservations are available after registering for the conference.

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