2022 Themes: Industry Success in Virginia’s Cul de Sac and
                        Water: It’s Everyone’s Business

Download the Program

The 2022 Come to the Bay is scheduled for February 15 and 16 (Tuesday and Wednesday) with a service project on February 14. We are once again going to be at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Sheraton Hotel.

Sponsors:
Presenting: Agronomic Lawn ManagementLawn & Gardens PlusTruGreen
Vendor: McGill Compost

Registration
Come to the Bay registration form.

Sponsorship (download the form or else scroll down this page)
Come to the Bay sponsorship form. 

 

Monday, February 14 

The Service Project is expanding in three areas (Number of Participants is Limited):
PARTNERS, ACTIVITIES, and NUMBER OF PLANTS.
PARTNERS: We are working with the City of Virginia Beach, Tidewater Community College, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and others.
ACTIVITIES: After the planting, attendees will travel to the Brock Center for lunch and for presentations (by students).
PLANTS: We provided and planted 6,000 plants last year. This year we are doing 15,000!
DATE: Monday, February 14 (yes, this is Valentine’s Day – we will be finished by early afternoon)
SITE: Lynnhaven Boat Ramp and Lesner Bridge (Shore Drive in Virginia Beach)

SCHEDULE:
8:30 – Gather at Lynnhaven Boat Ramp and Opening Program
– Moderator: Wes Bray
– Welcome: Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer
– Welcome and Brief Overview: VTC Environmental Institute: Wes Bray, Ray          Funkhouser
– Welcome and Brief Overview: Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Katie McCarter
– Welcome and Brief Overview: Lynnhaven River Now: Helen Kuhns
– Logistics of Planting: Michael Moore

9:00 AM – 11:00AM – Plant 15,000 American Beach Grass Plants
11:00AM – 1:00PM – Lunch and Program at the  Brock Environmental Center
1:00PM End

Tuesday, February 15

MODERATOR: Guy Mussey, Virginia Cooperative Extension
INDUSTRY SUCCESS IN VIRGINIA’S CUL-DE-SAC
8:00 AM Welcome (David Trimmer, City of Virginia Beach) and VTC-EI (Wes Bray, Lawns and Gardens Plus, Ray Funkhouser, PBI Gordon, Retired)
8:30 AM Recognizing the Good Insects (Alejandro Del Pozo, Virginia Tech)
9:00 AM State of the Chesapeake Bay (Chesapeake Bay Foundation)
9:30 AM Trees and Water: The Use of Shrubs and Trees for Riparian Purposes. Keep Waterways Free of Run Off (Joel Koci, VCE)
10:15 AM BREAK
10:30 AM The Elizabeth River, Its Importance to Virginia, Its Current Status, and Industry Patnerships (Barbara Gavin, Elizabeth River Project)
11:00 AM We Are in This Together (Tom Tracy, VTC)
11:15 AM Ticks (Holly Gaff, Old Dominion University)
12:00 PM LUNCH
1:00 PM Riparian buffer maintenance needs and business opportunities for the turfgrass and landscape indus-
tries (Sherren Hughes, CBLP and Wetlands Watch)
1:30 PM Identify Snakes You Encounter in Eastern VA (Meredith King, Virginia Aquarium)
2:15 PM BREAK
2:30 PM Professional & Personal Branding for the Industry (Julie Holt, Leading Edge Communications)
3:15 PM Legislative Issues (Tom Tracy, VTC)
3:45 PM SOCIAL

Wednesday, February 16

WEDNESDAY IS FREE FOR VTC MEMBERS: TWO OPTIONS

Option One

PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION (8:00 AM – 2:00 PM)*
Categories 3A, 3B, 5A, 6, 8, 10, and 60
Alejandro Del Pozo, Jeff Derr, Frank Walker, Mike Goatley, Barbara Gavin, etc.
* Some categories stay longer
PESTICIDE CERTIFICATION (8:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
CORE TRAINING and TESTING* (Local VCE Agents and VDACS)
      * Must have written permission from VDACS to take the exam 
FERTILIZER RECERTIFICATION (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Karen Carter, VCE Retired
FERTILIZER CERTIFICATION (9:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Karen Carter, VCE Retired

Option Two

INDUSTRY SUCCESS IN VIRGINIA’S CUL-DE-SAC
MODERATOR: Wes Bray, Lawns and Gardens Plus
8:00 AM Welcome
8:05 AM  The VTC Enviromental Institute: A Game Changer (Wes Bray, Lawns and Gardens Plus, Ray Funkhouser, PBI Gordon, Retired)
8:15 AM We Are in This Together (Tom Tracy, VTC)
8:30 AM National Issues that Affect Us All
9:15 AM Good Housekeeping (Tara Copeland, City of Virginia Beach)
9:45 AM Stormwater Systems (Tara Copeland, City of Virginia Beach)
10:15 AM BREAK
10:30 AM Special Needs – Grass Selection / Fertilizers /Mowing (Mike Goatley, Virginia Tech)
11:15 AM Elizabeth River Project: Its History, Accomplishments, and Future (Joe Rieger, Elizabeth River Project)
11:45 AM Incorporating Wetlands into Your BMP Systems (Shereen Hughes, CBLP and Wetlands Watch)
12:15 PM LUNCH
1:15 PM Turfgrass Diseases in the Cul-de-Sac (David McCall, Virginia Tech)
2:00 PM Fertilizing Non-Turfgrass Areas (Laurie Fox, Virginia Tech)
2:30 PM Turfgrass and Water (Adam Nichols, Virginia Tech)
3:15 PM Are You a Beekeeper? (Frank Walker, Master Beekeeper)
4:00 PM END