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, Kauai Irrigation, North Shore Economic Vitality Partnership, & 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 - 8:30 AM // Registration
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM // Aloha - Intro Speech
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM // Keynote speech:
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM // Networking
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM // Day 1 Lecture 1
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM // Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM // Day 1 Lecture 2
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM // Day 1 Lecture 3
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM // Day 1 Lecture 4
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM // Day 1 Lecture 5
3:30 PM - 4:10 PM // Day 1 Lecture 6
4:10 PM - 5:00 PM // Day 1 Lecture 7
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM // Fruit Tasting by HTFG
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM // Pupu Party
Day 2 - Saturday, October 3rd 2026
7:00 AM - 7:10 AM // Welcome: Day 2 Introductions
7:10 AM - 8:00 AM // Day 2 Lecture 1
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM // HTFG Board Introduction
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM // Day 2 Lecture 2
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM // Day 2 Lecture 3
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM // Day 2 Lecture 4
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM // Day 2 Lecture 5
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM // Lunch - Know Your Vendors
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM // Legislative Updates - By State Legislators
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM // Day 2 Lecture 6
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM // Break & Networking
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM // Day 2 Lecture 7
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM // HTFG Board Members - HTFG's Updated Strategic Plan & Volunteer Recruitment
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM // Fruit Tasting by HTFG
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM // Fine Dining Dinner
Day 3 - Sunday, October 4th, 2026
ALL DAY // Farm Tours