OFA Grow & Sell Profit Conference to visit Metrolina Greenhouses

The OFA Grow & Sell for Profit Conference is going on location on Thursday, Nov. 8 to Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville, N.C. Metrolina Greenhouses is the largest single-site heated greenhouse in the United States with 162 acres under roof. Growers and retailers will take part in a tour of the company, where they will see one of the most automated greenhouses in the country.

In addition to a tour of Metrolina, the growers and retailers will get practical classroom, demonstration and workshop learning opportunities covering a range of production and retailing topics.

Growers will attend learning labs in the morning, followed by the tour with demonstrations in the afternoon. Learning labs include:
-The Value of Shade & Effective Shading Systems for “Big & Small” – Kurt Parbst, Ludvig Svennson
-Integrated Crop Management Programs with Conventional and Biological Controls – Marla Faver, Syngenta
-Effective Biocontrol Strategies and Agents for Managing Top Insect Issues – Jeremy Webber and Ryan Hill, Koppert Biological Systems
-Effective Biocontrol Strategies and Agents for Managing Top Disease Issues – Steve Parker, Natural Industries

Retailers will spend the morning touring Metrolina and viewing demonstrations, then spend the afternoon in the learning labs. The learning labs for retailers include:
-You Can Increase Revenue by 10 Percent – Carol Miller, Today’s Garden Center
-Garden Center Signage: From Roadside to Pot Labels – Timothy Howard, Clarity Connect
-Cross Merchandising – Ann Greve and Lisa Gilstrap, Plant Partners
-Connecting Printed Products & Digital Media – Kristi Huffman and Natasha Marback, The John Henry Company – A Multi Packaging Solutions Company

Registration is $50; $20 for students. Full event details can be found at www.ofa.org/gsp.