The Gulf Coast will get a first-rate opportunity to showcase its agricultural assets this summer when the National Association of County Agricultural Agents convenes in Mobile for an annual meeting.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension Service serves as host for the 99th gathering, July 20-24 at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. More than 2, 000 agriculture and natural resource extension educators, their spouses and children, life members and guests are expected to attend.
The meeting has landed before in New Orleans and Orlando, but hosting it is a first for Alabama, according to Jim Todd, a county extension coordinator in Mobile and event co-chair.
Organizers won’t miss an opportunity to show off the state’s agricultural prowess, Todd says. On July 23, attendees will head out in every direction on 27 professional development tours in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. The tours will explore coastal plains agronomy, livestock, horticulture and alternative crops. Some will examine marine and delta habitats while others will take visitors back in time to a period when life was a little slower. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians will offer insight into their culture, historical landmarks and economic development projects on the reservation.
Each tour will have four to five stops. “We like for folks to get out and give our state a chance to showcase our food or fiber production, including Gulf of Mexico aquaculture, ” Todd says.
For more information on the conference, visit www.aces.edu/aacaa/nacaa2014.
Text by Dave Helms
