Harvest Day 2024 Speaker Information

Kevin Marini
Community Education Specialist: Home Horticulture and Defensible Space
UCCE Placer and Nevada Counties

8:30 - 9:15 AM

Nurturing Soils and Bagged Mixes for Better Plants

Kevin Marini, has experience in a variety of garden activities. He worked on urban school gardens and learned to farm in Italy. 

Kevin has worked for over 20 years at the University of California Placer and Nevada Counties Cooperative Extension.  He has trained over two thousand Master Gardener volunteers across California. Kevin gives public presentations and workshops on plant problem diagnosis, soils, vegetable gardening, composting, fruit trees, and, as a Certified Arborist, pruning and tree care.

Ed Laivo
Fruit tree specialist, Ed Able Solutions

9:45 - 10:30 AM

Container Grown Fruit Trees: Pros and Cons

Ed Laivo has over 4 decades of experience in edible landscaping and a focus on growing in small spaces.  He has spent years amending and refining his growing and pruning techniques, both on his own and while working at Dave Wilson Nursery, Four Winds Growers, the Urban Tree Farm in Santa Rosa and Burchell Nurseries.

He will share lessons learned and best practices to help ensure your fruit tree growing success.

Greg Gayton
Marketing and Community Outreach
Green Acres Nursery and Supply

11:00 - 11:45 AM

Plants that Grow Well in Zone 9B

Greg Gayton is a California Certified Nursery Professional with over 40 years of experience in the Sacramento area.  He takes his knowledge on the road to educate and connect with local gardeners.  Greg produces the popular Green Acres Garden Podcast. 

A self-proclaimed garden nerd, he promotes environmentally appropriate plants and techniques that work well in our climate.