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MINNESOTA APPLE GROWERS Association

Representing the state's apple industry

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2026 Winter Educational Seminar

  • 7 Jan 2026
  • 7:30 AM
  • 8 Jan 2026
  • 3:00 PM
  • La Crescent Area Event Center
  • 178
  • Be the first

Registration

  • This is early registration for members.
  • This is early registration for non-members
  • This registration is for our honored speakers.

    To help prepare for materials, please email the following to mnapplegrower@gmail.com:

    - Session Title
    - Your name and title (based on how you want it printed in the agenda)
    - Short Bio
    - Picture (if possible)
    - Presentation - if you are willing and able to share. Please note: this can be sent at a later time.
    - Also, if you'd like to bring any materials or goodies for the SWAG bag, please let us know. We would like it ahead of time so we could coordinate a handoff to one of the Board Members.

    If you are also interested in registering for a table/booth, please email us and we will reduce your fee by $125 (prior to payment).
  • This is for vendors who are unable to attend the actual event however would like to provide materials for the event. This could be brochures on the registration table or in SWAG bags. Benefits include:

    - We will share in Brochure stand
    - Logo on event web page with URL Link for 6 months
    - Logo included on agenda
    - Ability to include flyer in SWAG bag

    PLEASE SEND THE FOLLOWING to mnapplegrower@gmail.com

    - Business Name
    - Business Logo
    - Business Tagline or very short description

    Also, send all brochures or other materials to:
    Angie Litchy, MAGA Secretary
    5605 N. Koering Rd
    Brainerd, MN 56401

    Questions, please email us at mnapplegrower@gmail.com
  • This is for vendors who are unable to attend the actual event however would like to provide materials for the event. This could be brochures on the registration table or in SWAG bags.

    Benefits include:

    - We will share in Brochure stand
    - Logo on event web page with URL Link for 6 months
    - Logo included on agenda
    - Ability to include flyer in SWAG bag

    PLEASE SEND THE FOLLOWING to mnapplegrower@gmail.com

    - Business Name
    - Business Logo
    - Business Tagline or very short description

    Also, send all brochures or other materials to:
    Angie Litchy, MAGA Secretary
    5605 N. Koering Rd
    Brainerd, MN 56401

    Questions, please email us at mnapplegrower@gmail.com
  • This is for vendors who will be in attendance and would like to have visibility to the attendees with a table setup.

    Benefits include:

    - We will share in Brochure stand
    - Logo on event web page with URL Link for 6 months
    - Logo included on agenda
    - Ability to include flyer in SWAG bag
    - 1 - 8' Table in meeting space
    - 5 minutes to showcase product/s on day 2

    If interested in further sponsoring the event, please reach out to discuss options. This could be sponsoring a break or a meal. This would include additional benefits such an honorable mentions and signage.

    PLEASE SEND THE FOLLOWING to mnapplegrower@gmail.com

    - Business Name
    - Business Logo
    - Business Tagline or very short description

    Questions, please email us at mnapplegrower@gmail.com
  • This is for vendors who will be in attendance and would like to have visibility to the attendees with a table setup.

    Benefits include:

    - We will share in Brochure stand
    - Logo on event web page with URL Link for 6 months
    - Logo included on agenda
    - Ability to include flyer in SWAG bag
    - 1 - 8' Table in meeting space
    - 5 minutes to showcase product/s on day 2

    If interested in further sponsoring the event, please reach out to discuss options. This could be sponsoring a break or a meal. This would include additional benefits such an honorable mentions and signage.

    PLEASE SEND THE FOLLOWING to mnapplegrower@gmail.com

    - Business Name
    - Business Logo
    - Business Tagline or very short description

    Questions, please email us at mnapplegrower@gmail.com
Register

The Minnesota Apple Growers Association (MAGA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the 2026 Winter Educational Seminar, which will be held at the La Crescent Area Event Center in La Crescent, MN, on Wednesday, January 7, and Thursday, January 8.

We’ve put together another engaging and informative agenda, incorporating your feedback and focusing on the most relevant topics in our industry. While the final agenda will be released soon, here’s a sneak peek at some of the exciting sessions planned:

  • Uncertainty and Opportunity in the Orchard – Chris Gerlach, Vice President, Insights and Analytics, US Apple

  • Superior Fruit Innovation: SweeTango® Update – Matt Clark, Director of Research, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Adam Bolton, Technology Licensing officer, UMN

  • New UMN Apple Varieties –Sarah Kostick, Researcher, UMN, and Jack Tillman, Researcher, UMN

  • Fruit Breeding Program Overview – Matt Clark, Director of Research, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and Kate Scapanski, Researcher, UMN

  • Best Practices for Cultivating Pollinator Habitat & IPM Strategies – Madeline Wimmer, Extension Educator, Food Systems & Fruit Production, UMN

  • Trellis & Exclusion Netting: Benefits, Insights, and What Growers Can Expect – Dustin Lopez, Owner, Pioneer Hill Orchard & Ranch, and Gene Thompson, Owner, Thompsons' Hillcrest Orchard  

  • Rootstock Innovations, and Crop Load – Lee Kalcsits, Endowed Chair of Tree Fruit Environmental Physiology and Management, WSU

  • Know Your Audience, Tell Your Story: Using Market Insights and Media to Grow Your Local Brand – Mallory Forseth, Sr State Program Administrator - Minnesota Grown, MDA

  • Getting the Most Out of Grants – AURI, USDA

  • And much more!

Please note:  these sessions and topics are in the works so they may be subject to change.

We’ll also be hosting another Growers Roundtable, so if you have burning questions or hot topics you'd like to see addressed, please send them our way!

Registration is open now!
We're also kicking off our 2026 annual membership renewal. You can register for the event and renew your membership by either paying by credit card or mailing in your payment.

Please note: There will be a $125 flat fee per additional guest, which includes all meals, the banquet, entry into prize drawings, and a swag bag.

Lodging is available on-site at the Best Western Plus at the La Crescent Area Event Center:

Best Western Plus
595 Veterans Pkwy
La Crescent, MN
(507) 895-1001

A special room block will be available soon. In the meantime, here is the link to general hotel reservations.

We look forward to seeing you in January for another fantastic seminar filled with learning, networking, and innovation in apple growing!

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