Registrations are now open for the Tenth International Spinach Conference, which will be held in the Victorian seaside town of Lakes Entrance on Wednesday 6 May. It will be the first time that this event – hosted by the 2020 East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days – has been staged in the Southern Hemisphere. Following the conference, delegates of the International Spinach Conference are encouraged to attend the East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days, which will be held over 7-8 May.

Since 2000, the International Spinach Conference has been organised by the University of Arkansas. Two decades later, the event heads to Australia where delegates are expected to converge on Lakes Entrance in far-east Victoria for a day of networking and learning from international spinach superstars.

The Tenth International Spinach Conference will take place on Wednesday 6 May 2020 with pre- and post-conference activities the evening prior, and at the Innovation Days on Thursday 7 May 2020.

Planting the seed

In 2018, the East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days (EGVID) team took a diverse group of Australian spinach producers and influencers to attend the 2018 International Spinach Conference in Murcia, Spain, to listen, learn and ask questions of some of the best spinach minds in the business.

Speaking to these delegates, International Spinach Conference founder Dr Jim Correll realised the importance of spinach production in Australia, and he was invited to bring the conference ‘down-under’.

Although spinach is a major crop for the Australian vegetable industry, local production has many challenges. As it is quite a delicate crop, others around the world think it is crazy to be producing it in local adverse weather and growing conditions!

Key details

Headlining the conference is Dr Correll from the University of Arkansas, who will be presenting about downy mildew in spinach, race evolutions and emerging pathogens of spinach crops.

Meanwhile, Washington State University’s Dr Lindsey du Tiot will focus on Fusarium oxysporum in spinach seed production and soil treatments.

Other presentations will cover:

  • Value chain, market trends, food safety.
  • Organic farming and good practices.
  • Research efforts.
  • Climate change.
  • Technology and agriculture.

Cruisy start to conference

The Tenth International Spinach Conference will commence with a sunset cruise on Gippsland Lakes. This will take place on Tuesday 5 May. It is recommended to book accommodation from the vast array on offer in Lakes Entrance from Tuesday night.

Find out more

Please contact VegNET Extension Support Officer Bonnie Dawson from Food and Fibre Gippsland on 0407 683 938 or email info@egvid.com.au. Click here to register.

East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days and Tenth International Spinach Conference is a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund. This project has been funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.

Project Number: VG19001