Arkansas’ Faulkner County Extension Service will host the first annual tree and small fruit workshop for commercial producers at the Natural Resource Center in Conway, Ark., on Feb. 16.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. and presentations will begin at 8:30 a.m. The Natural Resource Center is located at 110 South Amity Road.

The statewide workshop will provide producers on the latest information on new pesticides, varieties, services provided by the University of Arkansas system, and an open discussion with a panel of experts plus much more.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication of program information (large print, audiotapes, etc.), should call the Faulkner County Extension Office at (501) 329-8344 as soon as possible prior to the activity.

A fee of $25 dollars will be charged to cover food and educational materials. Checks should be made payable to Faulkner County Extension Service and mailed to the above address.

Many state specialists, area producers and educators will address day-to-day decisions and tough challenges producers may be facing. Among the speakers — from both the University of Arkansas and Louisiana State University — and topics to be covered:

• Terry Kirkpatrick: Update on new fungicides and rotation of products.

• Curt Rom: Apples and brambles and production practices.

• Elena Garcia: Overview of Arkansas fruit, U of A services available and sustainability.

• Jon Zawislak: Bees in the process.

• Ron Rainey: Market Maker.

• Nathan Slaton: Cultural Practices and soil fertility.

• Donn Johnson: Update on new insecticides and rotation of products.

• Sherri Smith: Information and resources available.

• Dan Chapman: Real world applications.

• Charles Graham: Strawberries and pecans.

If you have questions, contact Kami Marsh at the Faulkner County office at (501) 329-8344 or [email protected].

Directions to get to the workshop: The Natural Resource center in Conway is located on the Amity access road off of interstate 40 between exit 129 and exit 127.

From Little Rock on I-40, take Exit 129A on Dave Ward Road East on right. Bear right on Business US-65 (AR 286/Dave Ward Drive/Industrial Blvd). Turn left on South Amity Road.

From Fort Smith on I-40, take Exit 129 and turn left at the end of the exit ramp and cross back over I-40 to the traffic light (Immediately after crossing the interstate). At the traffic light, turn left onto South Amity Road. Continue west on Amity Road pass a mobile home sales lot, the school bus and Star Concert plants.

Coming from hwy 64 from Vilonia, simply turn left at Chili’s Restaurant onto Amity Rd. Once on Amity Road, the center is located between the Antioch Baptist church and the Star Concrete plant. A new landscape project construction is located in the front yard.