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Plan to join 1,500 fruit and vegetable growers and direct agricultural marketers for the Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers Congress and Ohio Roadside Marketing Conference scheduled for Feb. 6 to 8 at the Toledo SeaGate Centre and Radisson Hotel.

The meetings feature nearly 130 educational presentations and a trade show with more than 100 exhibitors. The event is co-sponsored by the Ohio Fruit Growers Society (OFGS), Ohio Vegetable & Potato Growers Association (OVPGA), Direct Agricultural Marketing Association (DAMA) and The Ohio State University (OSU).

The conference will also offer an opportunity for Ohio producers and direct marketers to meet the new executive director of OFGS and OVPGA. Tom Sachs was named director of specialty crops for Ohio Farm Bureau Federation near the end of 2001. In that capacity, he will act as executive director for the two producer organizations.

Sachs is a life-long producer of processing vegetables and grain. Before joining Farm Bureau, he directed the Farm Labor Relations Program for Ohio State University Extension.

"I’m excited about coming into this great opportunity at a time when I’ll be able to meet many of Ohio’s fruit and vegetable growers during our annual Congress," Sachs said. "I encourage specialty crop growers and direct agricultural marketers of all levels of experience to attend the Congress. There will be something for everyone."

Because of the timing of Sachs’ hiring and the approaching Congress, former specialty crops director and current OFBF Director of Labor Services John Wargowsky is acting as this year’s conference coordinator.

Production sessions in the areas of processing vegetables, potatoes, truck crops, greenhouse vegetables, tree fruit, apple cider and small fruit all feature out-of-state experts as well as in state expertise from The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Numerous grower and marketer panels allow sharing of practical knowledge learned from experiences of the past growing and marketing season.

The trade show starts at 3 p.m. Feb. 6 and is open daily until Feb. 8 when the show wraps up at 1:30 p.m. Door prize drawings and special refreshment periods will be featured. OSU faculty and staff will present research and educational displays.

OFGS, OVPGA and DAMA will have a combined Awards Breakfast on Feb. 7 to be immediately followed by association annual meetings. Berry growers will have a special luncheon on Feb. 7.

For more information, contact the Ohio Fruit and Vegetable Growers office at 614-249-2424, P.O. Box 479, Columbus 43216-0479 or e-mail growohio@ofbf.org to receive complete conference information and registration materials.