The last week of February will be a busy time for the western vegetable industry as two major conferences – the Southwest Agriculture Summit and the International Spinach Conference – are conducted over three-days, Feb. 24-26, in Yuma, Ariz.

Yuma Ag Week will kick off with the academic Spinach Conference on Feb. 24-25, and will then roll into the Southwest Ag Summit, Feb. 25-26. The Summit will conclude with the annual Harvest Dinner (sold out), a celebration of Yuma agriculture and the partnerships with other agricultural communities.

The Southwest Agriculture Summit is an industry show including keynote speakers, exhibitor booths, educational seminars, a field demonstration, networking, golf, and more.

A keynote panel of specialists will discuss water issues in the desert southwest, including: Charles Hoppin, California water specialist; Roger Patterson, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Tom Davis, Yuma County Water Users Association; and David Roberts, Salt River Project.

The Summit’s keynote speaker Lori Taylor of ‘The Produce Mom’ blog will share the importance of everyone’s ‘story’ in the specialty crop industry.

Breakout session topics will include pest and disease management, desert alfalfa production, a fresh produce safety update, marketing and technology, crop management and fertility, marketing, and others.

www.swagsummit.com