KENNEWICK — The Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association Annual Conference and Trade Show is set to welcome participants this Nov. 13 and 14 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Washington.  

“If you need CCA or pesticide credits, it’s a good place to come.” James Zahand, President of the PNVA said. “If you’re just looking for a good education, come. If you just want to network with people and see what’s going on in the industry, come. It is really open to anyone who is interested.”  

Zahand, a veteran in the field with over 40 years of involvement, emphasized the uniqueness of the event. He said the conference is known for its comprehensive exploration of diverse vegetable production, the conference stands out for including myriad crops and topics that transcend traditional narrow-focus agricultural gatherings.  

“We cover a wide range of crops, unlike other conferences that may focus solely on a specific type,” Zahand said. “We represent growers from various production genres, including carrots, onions, beans, peas, melons, and asparagus—just to name a few.” 

Washington grows over 300 different crops and the conference covers a lot of those minor crops such as the rutabaga, where Washington grows 70% of the national rutabaga crops, according to Zahand.  

This year’s event promises a robust lineup of educational sessions designed to address key challenges in vegetable production. Participants will benefit from expert insights on diagnosing plant problems, pest management, weed control, and the impact of weather on agricultural outcomes, according to Zahand. 

“The association exists to educate, both internally for the growers and externally for the wider agricultural community,” Zahand said.  

In previous years, Zahand said they had around 800 attendees from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, predominantly came but people travel from across the nation for the conference.  

This year it is $125 for an individual person to attend the conference. However, it goes down to $85 if five or more registrations are made at the same time.  

The conference features four main sessions, including a general session, sessions focused on onions, pest management and organic agriculture.  

The general session, which begins Wednesday Nov. 13, has talks such as “Seed Corn Maggot Management in Vegetable Crops,” with Dr. Carrie Wohleb from Washington State University. Another discussion is “Trends in Pacific Northwest Vegetable Production,” with Dr. Alan Schreiber from the Agriculture Development Group.  

There will also be other discussions on pests, fertilizers and more specific vegetables such as sweet corn, carrot seeds and beans during the general session.  

The onion session, which is the second session Nov. 13, comprises talks such as “What’s Wrong With My Onions? Diagnosing Onion Problems in the Field” led by Dr. Carrie Wohleb from Washington State University. Another anticipated discussion is titled “Stop the Rot: Overview of the National Onion Bacterial Project,” which will provide crucial information on managing one of the industry’s significant challenges. 

There will be other sessions regarding bacteria, economics, thrips and dry bulb onions, pink root management and pest control discussions.  

The pest management session begins Thursday Nov. 14 with a discussion led by Dr. Carrie Wohleb from Washington State University titled “What Have We Learned from 35 Years of Sweet Corn Seed Treatment Trials?” Later in the afternoon there will also be a discussion titled “Endangered Species Effects on Pesticide Use – WSDA Prospective” led by Timothy Stein from Washington State Department of Agriculture.  

“Then we have a pest management session, and this just focuses on pest problems and their control, pest diseases and weeds,” Zahand said. “As you know, a lot of people in the industry who apply pesticides must maintain a license. And to maintain a license, you must have continuing education. We provide that continuing education and give credits for people in the various states.” 

Also on Thursday, the organic grower’s session will have discussions including “Leaf Sap Analysis – A Tool for Nutrient Management in Vegetables,” led by David Knaus, CEO of Apical Crop Science. There will also be a discussion led by Dr. Amin Nouri, Monty’s Plant Food about “Novel Approaches to Stimulating Carbon Sequestration and its Impact on Nutrient Availability.” 

“Organic production is very important to a significant number of growers and organic production has its own issues or problems, and we address those problems and opportunities in the organic session,” Zahand said.  

Zahand said this diversity and depth of discussion are integral to the conference’s appeal.  

“It’s not only about the numbers. The variety of topics allows growers and crop advisors to gain a holistic view of vegetable production,” Zahand said. “Attendees leave equipped with new information and strategies they can implement on their farms.” 

Apart from educational sessions, the trade show component of the conference plays a critical role in fostering networking opportunities.  

“The people that show up are what make this event so special,” Zahand said. “They come to learn, yes, but also to connect with everyone in the industry and that’s how we all learn, by networking with others that do similar jobs, or maybe even very different jobs, but we can learn from them.”  

Approximately 100 exhibitors will showcase their products and services, providing an invaluable opportunity for participants to interact directly with industry representatives.  

“These are businesses that come in, set up booths, and they explain their offering to our participants, and that’s very important for a number of reasons, one, from an educational standpoint,” Zahand said. “Two – these vendors support our conference. I mean, it costs a lot of money to put on a conference, and these vendors and sponsors pick up a big portion of that bill.” 

For exhibitors interested in participating, an exhibit space is $525, an exhibit space and and ad is $695.  

Zahand also emphasized the importance of continuing education credits provided during the conference, especially for licensed pesticide applicators and certified crop advisors. There is an opportunity to get at least 0.5 of a credit up to 6.5 credits. 

“If you need pesticide credits or just want to expand your understanding of the industry, this is the show to attend,” he said.  

Reflecting on the event’s evolution, Zahand noted significant changes over the years.  

“When the association first started, it was primarily a grower’s organization. Now, we have a more diverse range of participants, including industry suppliers and agricultural advisors. This inclusiveness enhances the learning experience.”  

Moreover, Zahand expressed pride in the dedication of the PNVA team, particularly highlighting Sheri Nolan, the association’s Executive Associate.  

“Sheri has been with us for many years, and her efforts are essential to the conference’s success. It’s a team effort that I’m very proud of,” Zahand said. 

The PNVA Annual Conference and Trade Show does not just celebrate the successes and innovations within vegetable production; it serves as a critical point of connection for experts and stakeholders across the industry, according to Zahand. 

“We have a unique opportunity for people to learn,” Zahand said. “There are many conferences out there, but none quite like this.”

For more information, visit www.pnva.org.

2024 PNVA Exhibitors

A&B Packing Equipment Inc. 

A.V. Labs, Inc. 

Advancing Eco Agriculture 

AFCO | A ZEP Company 

AgWest Farm Credit 

Ag Engineering & Dev. Co. 

Ag Enterprise 

AgPro Systems, Inc. 

Agri Sciences Biologicals 

AgroLiquid 

Ag Spray Equipment 

AgWorld Support Systems 

AMVT LLC 

American Power Brush 

American Radiator Inc. 

AquaTech Irrigation Supply 

BASF Agricultural Solutions 

BASF | Nunhems 

Bayer Crop Science 

Blacksmith Bioscience 

Carbon 375 

Carbon Robotics 

Cascade Agronomics 

Central Machinery Sales 

Certis Biologicals 

Clearwater Supply 

CNG Solar Shrink 

Columbia River Carbonates 

Corteva AgriScience 

Crookham Company 

CropX 

Cutting Edge - Cutco Cutlery 

Diamond K Gypsum, Inc. 

Dragon Line, Mobile Drip Irrigation 

Ecorobotix Inc. 

G.S. Long Co., Inc. 

Gearmore 

Germains Seed Technology 

Gowan Seed Company 

Gowan SeedTech 

Gowan USA 

Green Lightning 

Hazera Seeds USA 

Innovak Global 

IPL Macro Plastics 

Irritec 

IRZ Consulting 

Keithly Williams Seeds 

Kemin Crop Technologies 

Koppert 

Lad Irrigation 

Leafguard of Spokane 

Lemken USA 

Matrix Science Laboratories 

Miller Chemical and Fertilizer 

Modern Ag Products, LLC 

Monosem 

Monty’s Plant Food Company 

Nichino 

Northwest Transplants 

Onion World/Carrot Country 

OXBO 

Pacific Calcium, Inc. 

Perfect Blend, LLC 

PhycoTerra 

Premier Tech 

ProFarm 

Rascho Farm Supply 

Redox Bio-Nutrients 

RegenAg Nation 

Renewal by Andersen 

Republic Services 

Rivulis 

SAN Agrow 

Simplot Grower Solutions 

Soilcraft 

Soiltech Wireless 

Solid Structures 

Soucy International 

SQM North America 

Starpoint Ag 

Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc.  

Sym-Agro 

Syngenta 

Systems West  

Teleos Ag Solutions 

Terramera 

Tessenderlo Kerley 

Third Day Creations LLC 

Thunderbird Plastics 

Tidal Grow AgriScience 

Toro Ag 

Total Employment and Management 

Trident Ag Products 

TS&L Seeds 

Tyco Inc./Schaeffer Mfg. Company 

Unitec USA 

USDA Farm Service Agency 

USDA/NASS 

Valent 

Valley Wide Cooperative 

Vive Crop Protection 

WA Dept. of Natural Resources 

Water Treatment Resources 

Wave Group LLC 

Western Laboratories 

WSDA Produce Safety Program 

WSDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program 

Yakima Valley College 

Yara North America 

Zero Emissions Northwest 

    Different types of onions sit displayed for the 2023 Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association Annual Conference and Trade Show. The conference is returning this year on Nov. 13 and 14 in Kennewick, Washington.
 COURTESY PHOTO/PACIFIC NORTHWEST VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION   

    Information on various agriculture aspects is organized on a table at the Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association Annual Conference and Trade Show. President of the PNVA, James Zahand said that there is a lot of valuable information shared throughout the entire two-day conference.
 COURTESY PHOTO/PACIFIC NORTHWEST VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION