The following educational opportunity came across from the RICTGA website:

Christmas Tree Management Short Course Scheduled Ricky M. Bates Associate Professor of Horticulture Department of Horticulture, Penn State
Penn State’s 2010 Christmas Tree Management Short Course will be held at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in State College, PA, Wednesday February 10 and Thursday February 11. Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Horticulture, the course attracts Christmas tree growers from over 12 states and Canada.
The course is designed to help growers adopt the latest pest control, production and business management practices. Core and Category pesticide re-certification credits from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will be available to those attending the course. This year’s program represents a broad range of topics and highlights conifer pest and cultural management and farm business management.
A sampling of this year’s speakers and topics include:
• Mel Koelling (Michigan State Univ.) - Fraser fir management, Tips for managing a successful farm
• John Ahrens (Conn. Agric. Experiment Station) – Vegetation management update
• Rich Cowles (Conn. Agric. Experiment Station) – Controlling scales on Christmas trees
• Tracey Olson, Cathy Thomas, Sarah Pickle, Sandy Gardosik, Rayanne Lehman (PDA) – Hands-on, intensive pest management workshops
• Rick Bates (Penn State) – Best Management Practices (BMP’s) for Christmas tree farms, Nordmann fir research update
• Eric Lorenz & Kerry Hoffman Richards (Penn State) – Worker protection standards
• Tracey Harpster (Penn State) – Pesticide safety
• Andy Beck (Penn State) – Christmas tree information resources
Plus several other speakers and topics.
A registration fee of $185 includes all educational sessions, instructional materials, breaks and lunches for Feb 10 and 11. Registration for one day is $105. A complete agenda and registration forms will be mailed shortly after Christmas. Registration deadline is Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. If you do not receive a registration form or need additional information, please call the Christmas Tree Management Short Course office at (814) 863-7713 or e-mail Rick Bates at rmb30@psu.edu. A block of rooms have been reserved at The Ramada Inn and Conference Center at a special rate of $61. Reserve a room at a by calling (814) 238-3001, and indicate you are attending the Christmas Tree Short Course. Room reservations should be made by January 11, 2010 to receive the reduced rate.
Thanks,
Dave Despot