Workshop
The Thrill of the Hunt: Engineering Solutions for Specialty Crops
Three Rivers Convention Center
Kennewick, Washington
July 28-29, 2008
Globalization and changing food preferences are dramatically changing U.S. agriculture. Specialty crops are the most rapidly growing agricultural sector in the US and a multi-billion dollar component of the Pacific Northwest economy. Our region’s producers and processors are competing successfully right now, but face intense challenges: dependence on manual labor, regulatory pressures, resource base, input costs, and market acceptability. Meeting these challenges and maintaining our competitive edge requires constant innovation, based on strong research and extension activities.
This workshop highlights potential engineering approaches to address these challenges to specialty crop producers in the Pacific Northwest. It brings together a cross-section, both public and private, of the region’s specialty crop industries to consider the development and implementation of engineering solutions to specialty crop problems. The workshop offers participants a review of dynamic, on-going, national research and extension initiatives in berries, grapes, hops, nursery, nuts, tree fruits, and vegetable crops, while highlighting recent engineering successes --- and their bottom line impact on producers and processors.
In addition, the workshop is designed to create a consensus on current research and extension priorities and develop a realistic, regionally-focused strategic plan to guide public and private efforts in the area. The new Farm Bill focus on specialty crops emphasizes the immediate importance of building consensus for research and extension specific to specialty crop needs in the Pacific Northwest.
We are designing the conference to include key components of the Pacific Northwest specialty crop industry: producers, processors, land grant universities, the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, and technology providers from the public and private sector. Approximately 125 people will participate in this workshop, based on their knowledge of their respective specialty crop industry, their expertise in research and technology transfer, and/or their leadership role supporting public or private research and extension. The attendance is limited to allow all participants the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the workshop process.
Supporting Documents
Printable version of Agenda
You can also contact Fran Pierce at fjpierce@wsu.edu or Clark Seavert at clark.seavert@oregonstate.edu for more details.
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