MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – For the first time ever, the annual International Spinach Conference will be held in northwestern Washington, the largest spinach seed production region in the United States. It promises to be the largest conference to date with more than 100 participants already registered, including some from as far away as Denmark, Holland, Japan and New Zealand.
The conference will be held July 13 and 14 at Maple Hall, 108 Commercial Road in La Conner, Wash. The Thursday, July 13, session will begin at 8:30 am with oral presentations and discussion. On Friday, July 14, participants will board tour buses to visit local seed processing facilities and tour local seed fields.
Presentations and discussion will cover topics of general production, weed control, horticulture and plant pathology in spinach and spinach seed production. Conference participants will include spinach growers, researchers, breeders, consultants, seed dealers, field representatives and extension educators.
Washington state is the leading producer of spinach seed in the United States. The mild climate and long summer days of northwestern Washington are ideal for seed production. Combined with No. 2 producer, Oregon, the region produces 50 percent of the nation’s spinach seed and 25 percent of the world’s supply.
Washington State University’s Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center is coordinating the conference, which is sponsored by 13 seed companies and services based in Washington and California.
More information and conference registration is available by visiting http://capps.wsu.edu/conferences/spinach/ or by contacting Lindsey du Toit at the NWREC at (360) 848-6140 or dutoit@wsu.edu.
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