MSU CEAHerb announces registration for annual stakeholder meeting in Iowa

The Michigan State University Controlled Environment Agriculture Herb Extension & Research Base (CEAHerb) project is hosting its annual stakeholder meeting to discuss and share results from the project.

The meeting will be hosted by Christopher Currey at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, from Sept. 11-13, 2024, at Reiman Gardens. The event hotel is The Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, and the closest airport is the Des Moines (Iowa) International Airport.

Space is limited to 75 attendees, so register as soon as possible.

In 2022, CEAHerb received a 4-year grant from the USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) to evaluate the profitability and environmental sustainability of fresh-cut and potted culinary herbs produced in controlled environments (greenhouses and indoor farms).

During the meeting, the CEAHerb team will share results of its experiments and outreach efforts and seek feedback and input for future work. For those on the Advisory Committee, team members will seek specific feedback on accomplishments and activities to date and suggestions for future research and outreach activities.

The project is led by Roberto Lopez in the Michigan State University Department of Horticulture. Other participating MSU researchers are Bridget Behe and Erik Runkle, professors in the Department of Horticulture, and Mary Hausbeck, a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences.

Other researchers and extension specialists include Kellie Walters in the Department of Plant Sciences and Alicia Rihn in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Tennessee; Brian Whipker in the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University; Christopher Currey in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University; Angela Shaw in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University; and Jennifer Boldt in the Application Technology Research Unit at USDA-ARS.

Tentative itinerary

Sept. 11: Check into hotel, dinner on your own

Sept. 12: Breakfast at hotel on your own; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Research and outreach reports by team personnel. Lunch and morning/afternoon refreshments provided. 6 p.m.: Group dinner at your expense.

Tentative topics:

• Nutrient disorders of culinary herbs, Brian Whipker
• Tools for managing diseases on herbs, Mary Hausbeck
• Managing pH in recirculating hydroponic systems, Christopher Currey
• Non-chemical height control strategies for potted herbs, Roberto Lopez
• The value of carbon dioxide injection, Jennifer Boldt
• Indoor young plant culinary herb production, Erik Runkle
• Tips for germinating culinary herbs, Kellie Walters
• Food safety regulations for potted and fresh cut herbs, Angela Shaw
• Adding value to domestically grown culinary herbs, Alica Rihn and Bridget Behe