Organic Gardening Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2009

Organic Gardening Day 2009 has been scheduled for Saturday, November 21, from 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., at the Hawthorn Hotel and Suites, 101 Trade Center Drive, Champaign, IL. (217) 398-3400. The Hawthorn Suites is just south of Kirby and lies between State and Neil Streets.

Organic gardening experts from around the world will present five educational sessions to inspire herb gardening and use in the coming year. They include:

Dr. John Biernbaum, Michigan State University, Soil Building Techniques and Year-Round Production in Unheated Greenhouses.

Anne Patterson, Living Earth Farm, on Real Health Care Reform – From Your Garden! Eat.

Niall and Kristie Campbell, Firefly Grill in Effingham, Illinois, will co-resent From Garden to Table: Savoring the Fruits of Your Labors.

Jim Schmidt, UIUC, will speak about Pest-Free Posies.

There will be a retail area selling a broad spectrum of gardening products. Get a jump-start on the 2010 gardening season by shopping now. Morning coffee, tea, and rolls will be available near the exhibit area, and an organic-themed lunch buffet will be served. The capacity of the lecture room at this location is limited to no more than 150 registrants, so be sure to send in your reservations right away.

Attendees may register and reserve lunch at any time through November 13, as long as space remains available. Registrations will be allotted on a first come, first served basis, so reserve now. Once the available spaces are filled, any additional registrations will be returned. On-site registration will only be available if all seats are not filled by pre-registration. On-site registration does not include lunch.

Cost of registration, including lunch, is $59 per person. This includes seating in the lectures, coffee, tea, and rolls during morning registration, an organic theme lunch buffet (including vegetarian options), and access to the retail area. A vegan plate is available, but only if requested on the registration form. Reservations must be received by November 13, 2009, to guarantee lunch. Those interested in attending should mail checks, payable to the University of Illinois, to: Organic Gardening Day 2009, Attn: Tracey Malkovich, AW-101, Turner Hall, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61801-4730 (see enclosed return envelope) to reserve registration and lunch. For more information, call (217) 333-3420 and mention Organic Gardening Day 2009. Sorry, credit card orders cannot be accepted, and cancellations will not be refunded. Registrations may be transferred to another individual, as long as Tracey Malkovich is notified of the name change by November 13.

No confirmation of registration will be sent. To confirm receipt of registration, please phone (217) 333-3420 or e-mail malkovic@illinois.edu.