Iowa Specialty Producers Conference to be Held in Ankeny

 Iowa specialty crop producers are invited to attend the 2026 Iowa Specialty Producers Conference on Feb. 24 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach serves as a partnering organization for the event, where two extension specialty crop specialists will present their insights.

“The Iowa Specialty Producers Conference has something for everyone,” said Christa Hartsook, small farms program manager with ISU Extension and Outreach. “With five tracks of breakout sessions, producers are able to dig in on information relevant to their farming enterprise. Our keynote address covers farm transition and concepts to deal with the stress associated with farming, something that applies to everyone.”

The conference will kick off with registration and breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by the welcome address by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig at 8:30. Keynote speaker Jason Haglund of Rural Policy Partners will address stress and well-being in rural communities and agricultural producers.

Conference attendees can then choose to learn from breakout session topics that best fit their operational needs and specific interests: fruit, vegetable, floriculture, business/marketing and specialty agriculture.

Dan Fillius, horticulture field specialist for commercial vegetables with ISU Extension and Outreach, will present “The Best and the Worst of 2025 – Weather and Vegetables.” Randall Vos, horticulture field specialist for commercial fruit crops, will share “Not Dirt as Usual: Managing pH, EC and Fertility in Potting Media and Container-Grown Plants” in the specialty agriculture breakout session. A full agenda is available on the Iowa Specialty Producers Conference website.

The Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association (formerly known as the Iowa Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association) is a membership organization for producers of fruits, vegetables and specialty crops in Iowa. The organization supports its grower members with information and education on production and marketing, especially through the annual Iowa Specialty Producers Conference.

The cost to register for Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association members is $99. For non-members, the cost to register is $120. On-site registration will be available for an increased fee. Lunch will be provided to conference attendees.

For more information, visit 2026 Iowa Specialty Producers Conference or contact Kendra Meyer at ksmeyer@iastate.edu.

This conference is hosted by the Iowa Specialty Crop Growers Association and made possible through grant funding from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

–Iowa State University Extension & Outreach