ANKENY, Iowa – Small fruit and veggie crop growers, winemakers and other specialty crop producers will have the opportunity to gather, learn and network once again as the Iowa Specialty Producers Conference is back in person at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa February 9th and 10th, 2022. This is the third annual event geared toward Iowa specialty producers, with the Iowa Wine Growers Association and Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association collaborating to host the annual conference, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

The two-day event will feature keynote messages by John Kennedy, founder of agritourism.life, along with educational breakout sessions both days.

“We are thrilled to be back in person this year and to be able to bring John Kennedy to our conference to share with our attendees,” said Nicole Eilers with the Iowa Wine Growers Association. “Our conference is very unique in that our content is tailored toward not only grape growers and winemakers/wineries, but also offers a full selection of sessions and topics for small fruit/veggie growers and other specialty crop producers. John's expertise and real world experience in both the wine and small crop industries should be very well received.”

Kennedy is an international speaker, author and strategist who will speak about “the why” of sales and service, and “creating an opportunity to buy,” during his 9 a.m. opening session to kick off the conference on February 9th.

He will also present a breakout session on “the what” involved with “driving employee engagement and motivation.” On Feb. 10, he will address “the how,” a 90-minute strategic plan: Vision, Values and Volition.

Nearly 40 breakout sessions are packed into the conference, with topics to include viticulture, enology, fruits and vegetables, floraculture, business and marketing.

“We are excited for the opportunity to network and engage with specialty producers in person again this year,” said Kendra Meyer, with the Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association. “We have a wide variety of sessions relating to specialty crops, business and marketing to provide valuable information for all those who attend.”

Early bird registration before January 11th is encouraged to receive the best rates. Single day and full conference registration is available, as well as tickets to the highly anticipated Iowa Wine Social event on Wednesday evening. Reduced conference rates are available for members of the Iowa Wine Growers Association and the Iowa Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

Register at https://www.iowaspecialtyproducers.com/ispc-registration.

For more information, contact Nicole Eilers with the Iowa Wine Growers Association or Kendra Meyer with the Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association.