In a combined meeting on Monday May 22, 2023, the North Carolina Apple Growers Association and the Blue Ridge Apple Growers agreed to merge their respective meetings into one event for 2024. For many years, the Southeastern Apple Growers Conference and the Winter Apple School events have been held separately with one in Asheville in January and the other in Hendersonville in February.
While both meetings had drawn good crowds over the years and served the growers of the southeast and western North Carolina in their respective ways, as costs have risen it made more sense to combine resources and offer one meeting to serve all growers.
The initial Southeastern Winter Apple School sponsored by the Blue Ridge Apple Growers and the NC Apple Growers Association will be held Feb 6-7, 2024 at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. Mark you calendars now for this event as it promises to be better than ever with both associations working together to serve the industry.
NCAGA President Harley Pruitt commented that "we just want to do what is best for the growers." NCAGA member Ty Lowe echoed those comments. "We need to meet the needs of the growers,' he said. "We need to have just one meeting."
The format for the meeting and other details are still being worked out, but the die has been cast to move forward with one meeting. Stay tuned for further details as the plans for the meeting unfold.
