UPCOMING SPEAKER
Dr. Mike Evans
May 6
Join us Wednesday for our weekly meeting in Charter Hall on the third floor of the City Market Building; networking and lunch begin at 12:00PM. We will listen to Dr. Mike Evans, Professor of Controlled Environment Agriculture at Virginia Tech, talk about what exactly Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is, its history, its current state, as well as what the future for CEA appears to be in the US and Virginia.
Dr. Evans has been involved in CEA research and education for more than 30 years. He began his career in agriculture working on farms and at a local retail nursery/garden center in Pittsylvania County. After earning is Ph.D., he served on the faculties of the University of Arkansas, Iowa State University and University of Florida. In 2018, he returned to Virginia to serve as Director of the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech. He serves as Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center operated by Virginia Tech and the Institute for Advance Learning and Research, and conducts research on crop production in controlled agriculture environments with an emphasis on the production of crops such as lettuce, herbs, micro-tomatoes, strawberries and watercress in various systems with an emphasis on efficient production, quality and flavor.