Business
BUSINESS CATEGORIES
2023 Western NY Fruit Conference Materials
Conference presentations can be found in pdf format here, pending publication permission from author.
February 28 will Feature Attorney Joshua Viau of Fisher & Phillips LLP
Western NY Fruit Conference "State of the Industry" - Feb 27-8, RIT Inn & Conference Center, Henrietta, NY
Full info and registration here: https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=1729
February 28 will Feature Attorney Joshua Viau of Fisher & Phillips LLP, presenting and answering questions about New York Farm Unions & Collective Bargaining
Local Fruit Industry Employment Opportunities
The Lake Ontario Fruit Program would like to offer this space on our website to help the local fruit industry bring future employers and employees together. If you are looking for a local fruit industry job click on more details to see what is available.
Wayne County is Accepting Farmworker housing replacement grant applications by M
Wayne County, NY is accepting applications for a Farmworker Mobile-Manufactured Housing Replacement program. The program is designed to improve the quality of farmworker housing, specifically with the goal of creating safer housing conditions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
H2a Employment, Health Benefits & Readmission
CCA Credits for 2022 Cornell NYS Tree Fruit Conference
Craig Kahlke, Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
2021 Cornell Tree Fruit Conference Agenda at a Glance
Craig Kahlke, Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Position Open, Business Management Specialist
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Many farms across the US are experiencing COVID outbreaks as harvest workers arrive from other places. It is easy to get complacent about COVID-19 in New York, our numbers of new cases have been going down and testing has improved. But unfortunately, we are not out of the woods yet.
COVID-19 Testing of Farm Employees Begins in Wayne County
Position Open, Business Management Specialist
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Now that workers are arriving for the apple harvest, growers in Wayne County are using the state program for free, on-farm COVID-19 testing of farmworkers. Here is a video and collection of photos from on-farm testing at Teeple Farms on September 1st, 2020. In the video, Frank Teeple explains why he chose to get his workers tested early for COVID-19.
Lake Ontario Fruit Webinar Recording & Video Links
LOF Fruit Bites
See details to check out quick "how to" videos on a variety of fruit and orchard topics.
COVID 19 Resources
New Tree Fruit Business Blog
New Tree Fruit Business Blog. This site is a place to organize resources for the business of growing tree fruit.
Reflective Ground Cover For Coloring Apples At Harvest: Could Yield Revenue
Position Open, Business Management Specialist
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Reflective ground cover has been used in fruit-growing regions for a number of years now. The Lake Ontario Fruit Team conducted a field trial in 2018 of reflective ground cover at two Wayne County farms. The infographic contains information about reflective groundcovers including the quality and economic benefits found in the study and additional information on types of groundcovers and suppliers.
Supplemental Coverage Option for Apples
Supplemental Coverage Option for Apples - Should you add this endorsement to your apple crop insurance policy?
Elizabeth Higgins, Ag Business Management Specialist, ENYCH
Apple growers in New York are starting to see a new crop insurance option in some counties, Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO). I had a couple of questions about it in Ulster County last fall. Now that we are nearing time to sign up for crop insurance again, let's dig in a little deeper - what is SCO and why might you consider it?
Find Out How Your Employee Compensation Compares with the Benchmark Survey
Find Out How Your Employee Compensation Compares by Participating in the Farm Employee Compensation Benchmark Survey
Would you like to know more about farm worker compensation trends? Do you want to compare and manage your compensation strategy with accurate, up-to-date, and relevant information? Then participate in the Farm Employee Compensation Benchmark survey!
By participating in the survey you can find out how your employee compensation compares to benchmark data in your farm industry and across the state.
How can you participate?: click on view details below
Organizations Offering Respirator Fit Testing
Partial list of organizations offering respirator fit testing compiled by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH)
When inquiring, ask these organizations about their fee structure, whether or not they will come to you, and if they can test the brand and model of your mask(s). Note that this list is evolving and may change over time.
Working with a Spanish Speaking Workforce
Building Campus County Connections: Working with a Spanish Speaking Workforce - view details for link to this youtube video discussion.
Agricultural Labor Survey!
Agricultural Labor Survey: Help Us to Help You!
Do you manage employees on a farm? Do you need help recruiting and retaining good staff? Please take a brief survey and share important feedback that will help CCE develop improved resources for farm managers. The Cornell Small Farms Program, Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Team, the Lake Ontario Fruit Program and the Cornell Farmworker Program are partners in this initiative.
For more information & link view details.
Labor Ready Farmer Website & Videos
LRF offers a team-based approach to address the challenge of being prepared to hire, manage and retain skilled employees by building skills of new farmers and Latino agricultural employees wanting to climb the ladder from labor to management.
Countdown to Census: What You Need To Know
Now under 3 weeks until producers start to receive the 2017 Census of Agriculture
USDA-NASS, Sue King (202) 690-8122 or Teresa White (202) 690-8123
WASHINGTON - Sept. 25, 2017 - In just a couple months, farmers and ranchers across the nation will start receiving the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Producers can mail in their completed census form, or respond online via the improved web questionnaire. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service has extensively revised the online questionnaire to make it more convenient for producers.
2017 Champlain and Vermont Young Grower Trip
"The 2017 Champlain and Vermont Study trip was a great success and NY growers had again an excellent educational experience.
In addition, the friendships and professional relationships they made will be useful for their careers as orchardists in the near future.
Many thanks to all our sponsors, grower hosts, and to Matt Wells for organizing this successful event!"
Platform Payback Tool
This financial tool will assist growers in determining the annual savings by investing in a platform for pruning, hand thinning and harvest. Platforms eliminate the use of ladders and create a consistent work flow that improves labor productivity for labor intensive tasks in orchard systems.
2017 CCE LOF Winter Fruit Schools
Update on Special Permit Training 2017
Discussions are in process between CCE and DEC to obtain approval for Special Permit training in 2017. Please stay tuned for the latest updates, and (we hope) the eventual announcement of training dates and registration information. Regarding possible dates, please contact us if you foresee a repetition of last spring's delays in the approval of H2A applications, as we will take these delays into consideration in setting dates.
For more information please click on Details below.
Apple System Payback Calculator
Down load this spreadsheet to help you calculate the return on investment for an orchard system you are considering to plant or invest in.
Revisions in EPA WPS comment period open until Dec. 23, 2015
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
EPA is finalizing changes to the WPS. The WPS is a regulation primarily intended to reduce the risks of injury or illness resulting from agricultural workers' and handlers' use and contact with pesticides on farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses. The rule primarily seeks to protect workers (those who perform hand-labor tasks in pesticide-treated crops, such as harvesting, thinning, pruning) and handlers (those who mix, load and apply pesticides). The rule does not cover persons working with livestock. The existing regulation has provisions requiring employers to provide workers and handlers with pesticide safety training, posting and notification of treated areas, and information on entry restrictions, as well as PPE for workers who enter treated areas after pesticide application to perform crop-related tasks and handlers who mix, load, and apply pesticides. The full content if you want to review and comment can be found at http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0184-2510.
A summary chart of major cahnges between the new revisions and the current standard can be found here.
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/comparison-chart-wps.pdf
Apple IPM for Beginners
Deborah Breth, Integrated Pest Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Pest management can be a complex system in perennial crops such as apples and other tree fruits. "Apple IPM (Integrated Pest managment) for Beginners" is an excellent guide for new growers who want to grow apples, or want to be more familiar with managing pests in apple plantings. Even growers who have been farming all their lives may know someone coming into the business that can learn from this guide and improve the quality of apples produced. This 42-page guide will help new apple growers protect apple orchards from pests, in fact sheet format. This series of fact sheets is available in printed color format (see order form below), or in .pdfs https://blogs.cornell.edu/treefruit/ipm/apple-ipm-for-beginners/ It will help you address the major apple pests, but does not guarantee perfect fruit. These fact sheets and scouting guides are a compromise between the most accurate, complex information researchers have to offer and the amount of information a beginner can take in. Read the first four chapters carefully to start this new venture. Then follow the Scouting Calendar as apple stage of growth advances week-by-week. "Apple IPM for Beginners" was partially funded by Federal Smith Lever Funds. Additional full color printed copies can be ordered from CCE-Lake Ontario Fruit Program.
New York Apples and Hard Cider Classifieds
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
A new on-line classifieds has been launched to help apple growers and hard cider producers "connect" and conduct business.
Apple Harvest Preparation Checklist
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Utilize this pre-harvest checklist to ensure you have a successful harvest. You can modify the checklist to suit your specific business.
Labor Cost Calculator for Platform Activities
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Download this spreadsheet to help calculate acres covered per day and labor cost per acre utilizing platforms.
Excel Spreadsheet: Calculator for Economic Loss of a Lost Tree(s)
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Pruning Labor Cost Calculator
Excel Spreadsheet to Estimate the Cost of Installing A Deer Fence
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Excel Spreadsheet: Partial Budget for Orchard Platform
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Partial Budget Template for Analyzing the Change in Cash for a Farm Considering an Orchard Platform Purchase
Excel Workbook for Analyzing A Fruit or Vegetable Farm
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Excel Workbook for Net Present Value Analysis of High Density Gala Apples
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
An Excel Workbook to assist growers in analyzing the potential net present value of a new high density apple planting of tall spindle gala apples
Excel Workbook for Weekly H-2A Paystubs and Records
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Labor and Recordkeeping Forms Part 1
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Labor and record keeping forms needed for farms. Pdf files for DOL Seasonal & Migrant workers Terms of Employment Form (english & spanish) and Pay Notice & Work Agreement for Farm Workers are included.
Labor and Recordkeeping Forms Part 2
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Labor and record keeping forms needed for farms. Pdf files for Daily Record of Crew and Emergency Contact Form are included.
Labor and Recordkeeping Forms Part 3
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Labor and recordkeeping forms for farms. Pdf files for Today's Picker Record Blank, Weekly Picker Sheet (horizontal), and Weekly Picker Sheet (vertical).
Labor and Recordkeeping Forms Part 4
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Labor and recordkeeping forms for farm. Pfd files for Delivery Sheet & Driver Information Sheet For Storage.
Labor and Recordkeeping Forms Part 5
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Labor and recordkeeping forms make it easier to keep track of all the important details on your farm. These forms are available in .pdf format below.
Regulations, forms, and posters for Agriculture Employers
Regulations, forms, and posters required for growers can be found in the following links.
Brief Overview of Labor Regulations & Recordkeeping for Farm Businesses
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
This document provides a brief overview of state & federal labor regulations that apply to many fruit farms in N.Y.S., as well as examples of record keeping forms that assist growers in meeting these regulations.
Labor Efficiency Economics in Apple Planting Systems
Matthew Wells, Production Economics & Business Management
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
NYS apple growers are investing in new high density apple planting systems which allow for increases in labor efficiency through various levels of mechanization. Various types of orchard platforms (reducing ladder usuage for handthinning, tree training, trellis installation and perhaps harvest) and tractor mounted shearers (replacing summer pruning) reportedly increase labor efficiency from 10-90%.
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
Upcoming Events
2024 Statewide Virtual Pink Meeting
April 22, 2024
CCE Annual Pink Meeting join CCE LOFP & CCE ENYCHP in reviewing horticulture and IPM strategies & recommendations for apples during the pink fruit growth stage. Please click details & use the link provided to join the zoom meeting.
2024 Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings
April 25, 2024 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 1 of 4
Newark, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Osatuke, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
May 30, 2024 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 2 of 4
Lockport, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Osatuke, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
June 27, 2024 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 3 of 4
Penn Yan, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Osatuke, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
July 25, 2024 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 4 of 4
Mexico, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Osatuke, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
2nd Annual WNY Fruit Grower Tour
August 13, 2024
We are excited to announce the second annual Western New York Fruit Grower Tour, the premier fruit tour of the northeast brought to you by Cornell Cooperative Extension's Lake Ontario Fruit Program and Lake Ontario Ag Consulting, LLC! Located in Orleans County, this orchard field day will highlight new and existing products, chemistries, practices, technologies & equipment that shape the orchard industry today. The Western NY Fruit Grower Tour will again combine two past orchard tour events, the LOF Summer Fruit Tour and the Wayne County Fruit Grower Tour, giving industry members the opportunity to conveniently showcase their product offerings to ONE unified group at ONE time and place!