36th Annual
Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers
Conference
Oct 2, 3, & 4 2026
Growing Fruits, Growing Markets
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Growing Fruits, Growing Markets...
Over three days, attendees will participate in presentations, farm tours, networking, and our famous tropical fruit tasting event, with speakers from the USDA, Hawaii Department of Agriculture, University of Hawaii, and industry experts.
Featured speakers include keynote Jared Rydelek, the Weird Fruit Explorer, Steven Murray Jr. of Murray Family Farms, and Will Lydgate of Lydgate Farms. Also featured is Danny Rubenstein, who serves on Board of Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii and the Board of Hawai’i Pacific Export Council, who will lead a panel focused on expanding markets to grow our industry individually and as a whole.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Jared Rydelek
Jared, the Weird Fruit Explorer, undertook the impossible task of eating and reviewing every edible fruit in existence. Jared's hunt for exotic fruits has taken him all around the world. His reviews are all available on the YouTube Channel Weird Explorer.
Additional Featured Speakers Include
Steven Murray Jr
Steven Murray, travels the world collecting rare produce to naturalize some of the most delicious and unique flavors spanning the globe. Currently, he manages one of the largest collections of rare fruit in North America.
Also, Steven is spearheading the development of Che Fruit in California, a small but delicious berry with a flavor akin to watermelon and seeds with an almond-like reminiscence. Through his diligence, he’s grown the distribution of produce nationwide and continues to bring new and amazing varieties of produce from the edges of the earth.
Will Lydgate
Will Lydgate, owner of Lydgate Farms, is the fifth-generation of the family in Hawaii. The Lydgate family has deep history in agriculture in Hawaii. Today, Will runs Lydgate farms following the belief that an important key to the future of agriculture in Hawaii lies in creating high-quality products from specialty crops, such as cacao, cultivated in sustainable ways that work with the land.
Danny serves on Board of Agriculture Stewardship Hawaii and the Board of Hawai’i Pacific Export Council, and will lead a panel focused on expanding markets to grow our industry individually and as a whole.
Conference Venue
OUTRIGGER Kauaʻi Beach Resort & Spa
The 36th Annual HTFG Conference is being held at the Kauai Outrigger Resort on the beautiful island of Kauai, beginning Friday October 2th at 8:00 am with registration, and ending on Sunday October 4th with farm tours around Kauai.
This Conference is made possible with funding from:
Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Hawaii Institute For Public Affairs, Kauai Irrigation, North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership, Hawaii 'Ulu Cooperative, East and West Kauai SWCD, & HTFG Members around the state.
Growing Fruits, Growing Markets
Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers 2026 Annual Convention Agenda
Day 1 - Friday, October 2nd 2026
7:30 AM - 8:00 AM // Registration
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM // Aloha - Intro Speech - Ken Love - HTFG Executive Director
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM // Mayor's Office Address - Niki Kunioka-Volz - Agriculture Specialist @ Kauai OED
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM // Presentation - Sharon Hurd - Chairperson @ Department of Agriculture & Biosecurity
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM // Presentation - Dr. Qingyi — USDA Agricultural Research Service
9:15 AM - 9:45 AM // Presentation - Roxana — USDA Agricultural Research Service
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM // Coffee & Networking Break
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM // The Federal Quarantine on Hawaii's Produce: Regulatory History and Impacts
- Cameron Deptula — Hawaiʻi Institute of Public Affairs
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM // Presentation - Roshan — CTAHR
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM // Presentation - Kauaʻi Invasive Species Committee
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM // Lunch & Networking
12:30 PM - 1:00 PM // Day 1 Lecture 1
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM // Day 1 Lecture 2
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM // Presentation - Will Lydgate
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM // Awards & Recognition
3:15 PM - 5:15 PM // HTFG Board Meeting
5:15 PM - 6:30 PM // Break / Preparation for Evening Program
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM // Keynote Speech & Heavy Pupu
Day 2 - Saturday, October 3rd 2026
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM // Registration
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM // Welcome & President's Message - Mark Suiso - HTFG President
8:15 AM - 8:30 AM // HTFG Update - Ken Love - HTFG Executive Director
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM // Presentation - Darren David
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM // Presentation - Umi Martin
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM // Advanced Grafting Techniques and Tools - Dr. Nat Bletter
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM // Lokoea Farms Citrus Production - Noe Neumann
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM // Networking Break
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM // Lessons in Agroforestry - Paul Massey — Kauaʻi Food Forest
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM // Presentation - Chris Kaiakapu — ʻUlu Cooperative
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM // Lunch - Know Your Vendors
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM // Growing Fruits, Growing Markets - Featured Program / Panel
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM // Networking Break
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM // Break & Networking
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM // Panel: Production Practices
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM // Fruit Tasting by HTFG
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM // Conference Dinner
Day 3 - Sunday, October 4th, 2026
ALL DAY // Farm Tours
Featured Tour Stops:
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Kauaʻi Food Forest
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Moloaʻa Organicaa
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Kīlauea Ag Center