Florida Growers Invited to Olive Field Day

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension in Lake County will be hosting the Florida Olive Field Day on April 7. The event will be held at Florida Olive Farms & Mill in Live Oak.

Karen Stauderman, UF/IFAS commercial horticulture agent, says the event is open to commercial, new and potential growers. “We’re putting on this 2017 Florida Olive Field Day and inviting all commercial growers to look at olives as a potential alternative crop for Florida,” says Stauderman.”At the field day, we will be looking at how the grove is in production, using water tools, and the ongoing University of Florida entomology field trial.”

The field day will include several speakers covering a variety of topics pertaining to olives. The agenda is as follows:

9:15 a.m. – Registration ($15 includes lunch)

9:30 a.m. – Welcome by Karen Stauderman, chair, UF/IFAS commercial horticulture agent, Volusia County, and Bob Hochmuth, host, director of the UF/IFAS Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center and vegetables and small farms Extension agent

9:35 a.m. – Walking tour of Florida Olive Farms & Mill, Jonathan and Stephen Carter, co-owners, Florida Olive Farms & Mill

10:15 a.m. – Grove/nursery layout considerations, Thomas Yeager, UF/IFAS professor, environmental horticulture

10:45 a.m. – HOBO climate monitoring demonstration in groves, Karen Stauderman

11:00 a.m. – Nutritional requirements and testing, Michael Mulvaney, UF/IFAS assistant professor, cropping systems specialist

11:40 a.m. – Lunch

12:25 p.m. – Research field trials of insect pest control, Jennifer Gillett, UF/IFAS ‎associate Extension scientist, integrated pest management

1:00 p.m. – Diversity of olive oils taste testing, Juanita Popenoe, UF/IFAS multi-county small fruits agent

1:40 p.m. – Q & A to grower and specialist panel

2:00 p.m. – Survey

2:15 p.m. – Adjourn

Please register at EventBrite to reserve your seat.

For more information, contact Karen Stauderman at kstauderman@ufl.edu or (386) 822-5778.

About the Author

Kelsey Fry

Reporter / Writer / Digital Services Assistant for AgNet Media

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Sep / 2023