36th Annual
Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers
Conference
Oct 2, 3, & 4 2026
Growing Fruits, Growing Markets
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
We have been actively monitoring the situation in Kauai with regards to the effects of the hurricane and the potential impact to our annual conference.
The conference is still happening as-scheduled. This decision was made in coordination with the hotel management who have advised us that they while they were slightly impacted by the hurricane, they quickly resumed full operational capability and can host the conference as originally planned.
They have also informed us that holding the conference will not negatively affect recovery efforts. We look forward to seeing everyone at the conference.
However, we must ask of our attendees from other islands, to please bring what fruit you can with you for the display and tasting, as much of the on island crops on Kauai were damaged by the hurricane.
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, Lydgate Farms, Commodity Forwarders Inc, Nutrien Solutions, USDA NRCS, USDA ARS, USDA FSA, American AgCredit, Oceanit, Kauai Invasive Species Committee, Hawaii Ant Lab, CRB Response Hawaii, Aloha Fertilizer, UH CTAHR, M. Kawamura Farms Enterprises, & HTFG Members around the state.
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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 // Niki Kunioka-Volz - Agriculture Specialist, County of Kauaʻi
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM // Sharon Hurd - Chairperson HDAB “Production Agriculture - Next Big Thing”
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM // PDr. Mike Bosch — “The effects of avocado lace bug infestation on Sharwil avocado fruit yield in Hawaii”
9:15 AM - 9:30 AM // Dr. Roxana Myers — “Queensland long-horned beetle management in tropical fruit orchards”
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM // Dr. Ryan Domingo — “A Sneak Peek into the USDA ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository Collection in Hilo Hawaii”
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM // Dr. Qingyi Yu — “Genomic Characterization of Tropical Fruit Germplasm”
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM // Dr. Lisa Keith — “The Curious Case of Annona Leaf Curl and Other Pathology Mysteries”
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM // Coffee & Networking Break
10:45 AM - 11:30 AM // Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs — “The Federal Quarantine on Hawaii's Produce: Regulatory History and Impacts”
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM // Roshan Manandhar, CTAHR — “Holes caused by bark beetles in Fruit trees and their control strategies.”
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM // Lisa Rhoden, Hawaii GroupGAP — “Love You Like a Mango: GAP, Markets, and the Fruit of Opportunity”
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM // Lunch & Networking
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM // Will Lydgate, Lydgate Farms — “A Vision for Cacao in Hawaii”
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM // Awards & Recognition
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM // Break for Day
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 — Jared Rydelek, The Weird Fruit Explorer — “Eat The Whole Damn Thing”
Featured Guest: Steven Murray, Murray Family Farm
Day 2 - Saturday, October 3rd 2026
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM // Registration
8:00 AM - 8:15 AM // Mark Suiso, HTFG President — President’s Message
8:15 AM - 8:45 AM // Ken Love — “HTFG Import Replacement Project Update”
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM // Darren David — “What Only You Can Do: Creative technology for Hawaii's small farms”
9:15 AM - 9:45 AM // Aloha Carbon / Noe N.
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM // Nat Bletter — “Innovations from 30 years of grafting fruit trees”
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM // Networking Break
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM // Aletha Thomas, Monkeypod Jam — “Beyond the Harvest: Adding Value, Creating Opportunity, Growing Community”
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM // Paul Massey, Kauai Food Forest — “Lessons in Agroforestry”
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM // Umi Martin — “Planting High Density Low Bearing Trees”
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM // Lunch - Know Your Vendors
1:15 PM - 2:45 PM // Growing Fruits, Growing Markets - Featured Program / Panel
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM // Networking Break
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM // Panel: Production Practices
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM // Fruit Tasting by HTFG
7:00 PM - 9:00 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