Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawai`i to Host 2012 Hawai`i Agriculture Conference

The 2012 Hawai`i Agricultural Conference will be at the Hawai`i Convention Center September 20-21, 2012.

The Agricultural Leadership Foundation of Hawai`i will host the 2012 Hawai`i Agriculture Conference at the Hawai`i Convention Center on September 20 & 21, 2012.

Inspired by the United Nations “Year of the Cooperative,” this year’s theme will be Leveraging Partnerships for Profit. Through lessons and tools focusing on working together, the conference aims to ignite collaboration amongst local businesses within the community with encouragement from examples of successful partnerships.

This year’s conference will feature several nationally acclaimed speakers, including Larry Yee, co-founder and director of the Food Commons; Sarah Stokes Alexander of the Keystone Center in Colorado; and also Lauren Anderson of Collaborative Lab. All well known and respected, they will open minds to new ways of thinking as we Leverage Partnerships for Profit. Additionally there will be over two dozen Hawai`i based producers and agriculture professionals speaking throughout the two days.

A highlight of the event will be the all-Hawai`i products luncheon featuring the Monty Richards Leadership Award presented to Donna Ching in appreciation for her decades of service to the agriculture sector. Later that evening at the Pau Hana Reception, join the agriculture professionals to celebrate the bounty of our food and farming culture. Cooking and food growing demonstrations will feature farmers, urban gardeners, and chefs providing attendees with easy “how to’s” and recipe ideas to be used at home. The trade show is expected to gather over fifty vendors who will host demos and provide samples of their products.

Registration to exhibit at the Trade Show and network with nearly 500 farmers, managers, and agricultural industry professionals is open through September 1, 2012. Click here for more information on exhibiting at the conference.

Online registration to attend the conference is also open now. Two-Day Passes including all sessions, meals, the trade show, and the reception is $225 for the early bird special (before August 15, 2012; $275 after). A Foodie Pass is available for $100 for those who only want to attend the Awards Luncheon and Pau Hana Reception.

For more information, visit www.hawaiiagconference.org or contact Allyson Turner at conference@agleaderhi.org.