Come hear from those involved in buying from and selling to institutions in New York State. Those involved work with institutions as large as New York State down to individual schools, hospitals,and nursing homes. Breakout sessions, trade show, and networking time will help you meet and build networks with everyone along the institutional food chain from farmers to the largest buyers in the system.

Mark your calendars, detailed program and registration are now available.

This show combines the major fruit, flower, vegetable, and direct marketing associations of New York State in order to provide a comprehensive trade show and educational conference for the fruit and vegetable growers of this state, as well as the surrounding states and Eastern Canada.

The LOF Winter School is an opportunity to provide updates on recent research results, new pest issues, disease control, new technologies, and fruit supply topics to help growers continue to compete and produce high quality fruit. There are several guest speakers from Cornell faculty, and the team. This is a duplicate school held in Wayne County on Feb. 3, 2015. There is also a concurrent session  for Spanish speaking employees at the same locations.  Lunch is included in the cost of registration. Please click here for complete schedule.  To register by mail, click here.  To register online, click here.  To sponsor winter fruit schools online, click "Sponsorship."

The LOF Winter School is an opportunity to provide updates on recent research results, new pest issues, disease control, new technologies, and fruit supply topics to help growers continue to compete and produce high quality fruit. There are several guest speakers from Cornell faculty, and the team. This is a duplicate school held in Niagara County on Feb. 2, 2015. There is also a concurrent session for Spanish speaking employees at the same locations. Lunch is included in the cost of registration. Please click here for complete schedule. To register by mail, click here. To register online, click here. To sponsor winter fruit schools online, click "Sponsorship."

Are you a farmer interested in produce safety? Are your markets asking for food safety plans or third party verification? Do you want to understand produce safety issues and Good Agricultural Practices as well as the FSMA proposed Produce Rule and third party audits? If so, join us for this multi-day workshop on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and leave with a farm food safety plan for YOUR farm!

Farm Food Safety Training with GAPs
• Tuesday, February 10, 8:30 AM - Wednesday, February 11@ 3:30 PM
Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Cornell Vegetable Program, the Lake Ontario Fruit Team, the Produce Safety Alliance, and the Cornell National GAPs program, with assistance from the New York Department of Agriculture & Markets, will be hosting a training for farm food safety or Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), including Harmonized GAPs.
In recent years, several food borne illness outbreaks in produce have made national news. Both the produce industry and the federal government have stepped up demands for fruit and vegetable farms to meet food safety practice standards. These standards are known as GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices).
A new program, Harmonized GAPs, has been developed to combine several food safety certifications into one program. New York's retail produce buyers are asking growers to adopt Harmonized GAPs certification in many cases. In response, Cornell National GAPs Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension have developed a multi-day workshop.
Tuesday, February 10
• What is GAPs?
• How does GAPs work?
• What does it mean for my farming operation?
Wednesday, February 11
• Write a farm food safety plan for your farm*

*A laptop computer is required for the second day. If you are not computer savvy, please bring a person with you that has computer knowledge and skills. If you need to borrow a computer please indicate so on the registration form.
Optional supplemental session
• Mock audit (at a participant's farm during the growing season)

Learn on-site the concept of precision pruning and get new orchard mechanization ideas for your farm this winter. This second “Winter Pruning and Orchard Mechanization Tour” is an educational activity sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University. 

Capital District Commercial Vegetable Growers' School and Mini Trade Show!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 8:00 am to 4:15 pm  (PLEASE NOTE NEW LOCATION)
Best Western Sovereign Hotel
1228 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203

Hudson Valley Garlic School
March 10, 2015
9:30 am to 2:30 pm (includes lunch)
Hudson Valley Research Lab
3357 US Highway 9W
Highland, NY 12528

This full-day meeting will include updates on diseases including fusarium and botrytis from Cornell University's new pathologist, Dr. Sarah Pethybridge, an update on weed control options from Christy Hoepting of the Cornell Vegetable Program and from Crystal Stewart of the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program; updates on diseases to look for including Aster Yellows and insects to look for including Leek Moth; and industry updates from David Stern.

Wayne County Pre-Exam Training to Become a Certified Pesticide Applicator Offered by LOF and NWNY teams, Wayne CCE, and DEC.
Training Classes:
When: Tues., March 17 & Thur., March 19, 2015
           12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
           Registration begins at 12:00 pm
Where: 1581 Rt 88N, Newark, NY 14513
The Certification Exam is tentatively scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2015 @12:30- 4:00pm. Register directly with DEC to take the exam.

THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR MARCH 24, 2014.  It will be rescheduled for mid-summer. Please watch newsletters for rescheduled date. This two-day training will walk growers through the basics of food safety during day one and will help them write a food safety plan during day two. 

This workshop will cover the various grape vine training systems available for cold hardy varieties including vertical shoot positioning (VSP), top wire cordon (TWC), and umbrella kniffin (UK). Pros and cons of each of these systems will be discussed. Workshop will include a vine pruning demonstration.