2020 NC Muscadine Grape Association Conference

Preregistration for the NC Muscadine Conference is closed. You can still register at the door. As of Thursday evening, one or two spaces in the “Getting Started in Muscadines” workshop are still open.

The conference will offer many opportunities to learn about both production and marketing and to network with growers, researchers, suppliers, buyers, and others involved in the muscadine industry. We are excited to have Dr. Patricia Gallagher of Wake Forest School of Medicine as our keynote speaker to talk about the exciting results of her group’s five-year project researching muscadine health benefits.

Quick Links:
Online Registration
2020 Conference Schedule AND Registration Form
Printable Registration Form Only (pdf)
Becoming a Sponsor or Exhibitor
Conference Flyer

January 17

1:00-4:30 WORKSHOP: “Getting Started in Muscadines”
Location: James Sprunt Community College, Williams Bldg Room 100, 133 James Sprunt Dr, Kenansville, NC 28349
Fee: $35 members, $50 non-members. Registration is limited to no more than 50 people
This workshop will be oriented towards growers getting into production or thinking about it and those in their first years.
Topics will include:
• What’s your plan? How will you sell and to whom? How will you harvest? Labor and equipment needs?
• Getting started—soils, location, varieties, land prep, trellising
• Pest/disease and production basics, activities through the year
• Discussion with experienced vineyard managers: “What I know now that I wish I had known then”
• Pruning Training. Demonstration and Practice (in the community college’s on-site vineyard)
The workshop will be led by Dr. Mark Hoffman, NCSU Small Fruit Extension Specialist.

5:00-6:00 WINERY TOUR
Location: Duplin Winery, 505 N Sycamore St, Rose Hill, NC 28458
Fee: None,but preregistration is requested.
Duplin Winery is North Carolina’s oldest operating winery, established in 1975. The winery produces 450,000 cases per year of primarily for muscadine wines. We will tour their production facilities.

6:00-7:00 RECEPTION
Location: Duplin Winery, 505 N Sycamore St, Rose Hill, NC 28458
Fee: None,but preregistration is requested.
Enjoy networking and socializing with other conference participants, see Duplin’s retail/tasting room area, all completely remodeled in 2019, and take the opportunity to purchase some of their products.

7:00 DUTCH TREAT DINNER
Join other conference participants for dinner at the nearby Mad Boar restaurant in Wallace. Order what you want and pay your own bill. (Menu may be limited due to group size)

While there is no registration charge for the Duplin Winery Tour or Reception (and the dinner is Dutch treat),we urge you to pre-register your plan to attend so our hosts can plan for our visit.

January 18: Main Conference

Location: Duplin County Extension Center, 165 Agriculture Dr, Kenansville, NC 28349 (across the street from James Sprunt Community College)
Fee: $50/members, $75/non-member. Includes lunch.
This schedule is subject to change.

8:00-9:00 Registration, visit with exhibitors
9:00-10:45 Production Topics
• How to Manage Crop Load in Muscadines – Greg Ison, Ison’s Nursery
• Cultivar Trends for Fresh Market and Wine – Greg Ison, Ison’s Nursery
• Disease Update and Results of Our Vineyard Nematode Survey – Bill Cline, NCSU
• Developing a Clean Plants Program for Muscadines – Christie Almeyda, Micropropagation and Repository Unit, NCSU
• What Information Do We Need to Make Insect Management Decisions in Muscadines? – Hannah Burrack, NCSU
• Winter and Spring Production Chores – Mark Hoffmann, NCSU
11:00 Marketing Muscadines
• Selling Grapes for Processing and Wine – Mark Friszlowski, Childress Winery
• The Basics of Marketing Muscadines as Fresh Produce – Lonnie Kelly, Local Produce Sourcing Specialist, Food Lion
• Food Safety: What Muscadine Growers Really Need to Know – Chloe Johnson, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
12:15-1:30 Lunch, visit with exhibitors. Lunch will feature several muscadine recipes. Lunch is included in all registrations.
1:30-2:30 Keynote Presentation: “The Therapeutic Potential of a Muscadine Grape Extract” — Dr. Patricia Gallagher, Wake Forest School of Medicine. Learn about this exciting new health benefits research at Wake Forest! Funded by a $20 million donation over the past five years, this research has shown very promising results in the areas of cancer treatment and more.
2:30 Health Messages of Muscadines: How, When and Where to Share – Angela Jamison, Communicopia Marketing
3:00 Muscadine Challenges and Opportunities – multiple speakers; discussion
3:45-4:30 NCMGA Annual Meeting

Print a Conference Program Schedule

Registration

Download and print a registration form here, or register online. All persons from a member farm or business qualify for the member discount. The registration fee will increase by $10 per person for registrations received after January 13 and at-the-door registrations.
Online Registration
Printable Registration Form (pdf)
Becoming a Sponsor or Exhibitor

Accommodations & Dining

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Wallace-Hwy 41 for January 17 and 18
Location: 131 River Village Pl, Wallace, NC, 28466 It is the closest hotel to Duplin Winery (about 10 minutes) and about 15 minutes from the Agriculture Center in Kenansville.
To make reservations: Call (910) 285-9200 and mention “NC Muscadine Association” The group rate is $110. The cut-off date has been extended to January 10.

Other nearby hotel options:

Americas Best Value Inn & Suites Warsaw, 2679 Highway 24 W, Warsaw, NC, 28398 (910) 293-2525
Quality Inn Warsaw I-40 2676 W Nc 24, Warsaw, NC, 28398, (910) 293-2800

Restaurants

Mad Boar 111 River Village Place,Wallace. (910) 285-8888 Next door to the Holiday Inn Express. Irish pub decor, varied menu, live music in pub section on weekends. (We are planning a “Dutch Treat” dinner here on January 17. Please indicate your intention to attend in your registration.)
Rose Hill Restaurant 312 N Sycamore St, Rose Hill. (910) 289-2151 About a block from Duplin Winery. Closes at 8:00 pm Reservations are suggested for groups.
Wallace has a number of other restaurants in, include Mexican, Chinese, seafood, and fast food.
In Warsaw, there are many fast food restaurants and a Smithfield BBQ restaurant.