If you have any employees who will need Special Permit training and authorization to apply pesticides this year please register online now. The deadline to pre-register for 2020 SPT is Friday April 3rd. Note that your spray operators do not have to be in-country in order to pre-register.

Many thanks to the NYS DEC, CALS and CCE administration, and other CCE staff for their prompt action on this very critical program for NYS agriculture. Special thanks to Dan Donahue of CCE-ENYCHP for being the key liaison to make this work for our stakeholders.

Check Back for Additional Revised Program Details

Interim Guidance for Horticulture and Nursery Operations, from NYS Ag & Markets

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets on March 24, 2020 released "Interim Guidance for Horticulture," you can find a PDF available at Ag Workforce Development. 

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM OUR TEAM:
Cornell Cooperative Extension's Lake Ontario Fruit Program prioritizes the health, safety, and well-being of our staff, constituents, and community members. Given the uncertainty surrounding the rapidly-changing COVID-19 situation, many of our upcoming events have been cancelled or postponed for the next 30 days. This includes on-site farm visits and consultations. Our specialists are working from home and will still be available to help you via phone, zoom or email and we will resume our regular programming as soon as we can. Stay up to date on all of our program offerings by visiting our website or contacting any of our team's specialists. We look forward to helping you manage your farm business during this time and hope that you and your family stay safe and healthy!

Quick contact guide:
Craig Kahlke, Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management
Cell 585-735-5448, cjk37@cornell.edu

Mario Miranda Sazo, Cultural Practices
Cell 315-719-1318, mrm67@cornell.edu

Janet van Zoeren, Integrated Pest Management
Cell 585-797-8368, jev67@cornell.edu

Mark Wiltberger, Business Management
Cell 315-272-8530, mw883@cornell.edu

Rapidly Changing Developments with Coronavirus

Events are changing rapidly with the coronavirus. Some of the information presented in this newsletter is subject to change. For up-to-date developments at the federal level, check the CDC website frequently:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/

For the latest news at the New York State level, including Governor Cuomo's most recent executive actions for citizens, employees, and employers, check the New York State Department of Health Coronavirus website frequently:
https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/


Novel Coronavirus Prevention & Control for Farms from Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development
Richard Stup of Cornell Cooperative Extension's Agricultural Workforce Development program shares tips for farm employers in light of the COVID-19 crisis. Originally published here. Farm Businesses should be prepared to handle any possible health or staffing issues and continue best management practices to ensure farm biosecurity.


Building Farm Resilience in this Crisis from Cornell Small Farms Program
Anu Rangarajan, Director of the Cornell Small Farms Program, shares an important message for agricultural producers and ideas for caring for yourself, your farm, and your local community. "In times like these — when uncertainty upsets the daily rhythms of our communities — we agriculturists have the opportunity to tap into timeless rhythms of a new season and deliver on a call to action". Originally published here. 

To support you in this trying time, the Cornell Small Farms Program would like to offer you free access for any two of our online courses through the end of April. These learning opportunities can help build local food security during the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond. They have set up a farm resilience resource page that brings together information and resources from our partners in CCE and other agencies, as well as learning opportunities to help you adapt for this season. They will also be hosting some themed farmer-to-farmer discussions starting next week. Stay tuned by ensuring you subscribe to our emails, or check their website and social channels often! Learn more: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2020/03/offering-you-free-online-course-access/

Protecting Yourself & Loved Ones Financially from COVID-19

The Consumer Financial Protection Board has information ranging from what to do if you have trouble paying your bills, are facing income loss, or have a problem with a financial service.  The Attorney General of New York State has detailed information on Coronavirus resources and warnings on current consumer scams: https://ag.ny.gov/

FDA Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Briefing for Foods Stakeholders
March 17, 2020

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a stakeholder call on Wednesday, March 18th at 3:45 p.m. ET to discuss food safety and food supply questions related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). FDA will provide an overview of current activities, respond to stakeholders' concerns identified in recent days, and highlight important FDA resources in response to COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Food Policy and Response; Mr. Michael Rogers, Assistant Commissioner for Human and Animal Food Operations, Office of Regulatory Affairs; and Dr. Susan Mayne, Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, will provide remarks on this topic.

Registration for the stakeholder call is not necessary.

The call will be recorded and posted online.

Please find details below:

Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Time: 3:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. ET (please call-in by 3:40 p.m.)
Call-in Information: 888-989-8141, passcode: 3001967

If you have questions about the stakeholder call, please reach out to Janesia Robbs at janesia.robbs@fda.hhs.gov.

Additional Information: Click on the links below:

• Food Safety and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Questions & Answers
• Guidance for Industry: Temporary Policy Regarding Preventive Controls and FSVP Food Supplier Verification Onsite Audit Requirements During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
• FDA's Food and Cosmetics Information Center

Interim Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfection of Food Manufacturing Facilities or Food Retail Stores for COVID-19.
The following link will take you to a DRAFT pdf released by the NY Department of Health and NYS Ag & Markets regarding cleaning and disinfecting facilities and stores. Please take a moment to review this information. We will forward additional information as it become available.

Below is information from the NYSDEC on pesticides for COVID-19 in New York State.

In addition to the protections the DEC lists, it should also be included that disinfectants must not be used on people; they are to be used only on the objects or items specified on the product label. Always follow the label directions when using any pesticide.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pesticide Information
Pesticide Use. Did You Know:

• Pesticide products used to disinfect surfaces or objects must first be registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and then by DEC.
• EPA has activated its Emerging Viral Pathogens Guidance for Antimicrobial Products in order to enable the use of certain EPA-registered disinfectant products against COVID-19.
• DEC has created a list of products registered in New York State that correspond to the list of products identified by EPA. This list is subject to change, so refer back.

Protection. Protect yourself and others by following label directions for product use information including:

• Allowing the product to remain in contact on the surface for the prescribed length of time
• Adhering to the requirements by wearing the appropriate personal protection equipment that may be listed on the product label

Prevention. Arm yourself with knowledge. For more information related to COVID-19, please visit the following webpages:

• New York State Department of Health Coronavirus webpage
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus webpage

Direct questions about pesticide products used in relation to COVID-19 to DEC's Pesticide Product Registration Section at 518-402-8768 or ppr@dec.ny.gov.


Other valuable websites for coronavirus education and updates:
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides excellent resources at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ and the New York State Department of Health is communicating via their dedicated site at https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/.

CCE NY EDEN (New York Extension Disaster Education Network) resources can be found at https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/home/coronavirus-response/.

Are you a direct marketing farmer? The Farmers' Market Federation of New York (https://www.facebook.com/FMFNY/) has provided helpful information as NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets as this continues to develop. New York State has not imposed any travel restrictions and all industries essential to the food supply chain, including grocery stores, gas stations, retail food stores, food processors and related food businesses, etc., are exempt from the workforce reduction guidance issued today. Please see the guidance and exemptions here: https://agriculture.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/03/essentialservicesexception.pdf. Please note that the mass gathering guidance does not apply to private businesses and retail food stores are also exempt from this guidance.

Eligible small businesses may now apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) online at: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela Businesses can take advantage of free assistance offered by SBA's network of Resource Partners for help with preparing their loan applications. They may visit: www.sba.gov/local-assistance to find local help. The NYS Small Business Development Center network recommends submitting a request for assistance online at http://nyssbdc.org/appointment.html

NY FarmNet: https://www.nyfarmnet.org/
NY FarmNet Hotline : 1-800-547-3276 (24 hr service)
New York State Department of Health: https://www.health.ny.gov/
New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH): www.nycamh.org
Farm Partners (part of Bassett Health Care system and NYCAMH): 1-800-343-7527
NYS Agricultural Mediation Program: https://www.nysamp.com/
Prevent Worker Exposure to Coronavirus (OSHA): https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3989.pdf
Center for Disease Control COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

Labor Concerns:
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development: https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/
NY Farm Bureau: https://www.nyfb.org/
NY Department of Labor: https://www.labor.ny.gov/home/

Agricultural Support Organizations:
USDA: https://www.usda.gov/
USDA (Farm Service Agency): https://www.fsa.usda.gov/
NYS Ag and Markets: https://agriculture.ny.gov/
Empire State Development: https://esd.ny.gov/
What to know about Income Tax Extension: https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/taxes/articles/tax-deadline-extension-what-you-need-to-know

CCE prioritizes the health, safety and well-being of the communities we serve. Given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, and due to an abundance of caution, the Pruning Workshops at both locations on March 23rd and 25th have been cancelled. However, the content will be videoed and the recording will be made available to all of our enrollees shortly thereafter. Look for an email with the information later next week or early the week of March 30.

In the next two weeks, we will start a new educational effort specifically designed to manage Honeycrisp in a critical year with a heavier bloom, such as this one. The first meetings, which will be run by Dr. Robinson (March 23 in Wayne County and March 25 in Orleans County) will show growers and orchard employees how to implement precision pruning. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to learn to differentiate a vegetative bud from a floral bud by dissecting buds with a microscope.

Register Now for the pruning meeting.

2020 Events - for details and registration info click on the event title of interest:

17 Mar -CANCELLED- "Wash Pack School" Cleaning, Sanitation, and Hygienic Design Workshop - CANCELLED due to low registration numbers- to be rescheduled at a later date

18 & 20 Mar -CANCELLED - specific test areas of concern can be discussed via phone click event for more details- DEC Pesticide Applicator Pre-exam Coaching - Orleans County CCE, 12690 Rt 31, Albion - 8:30am-12:30pm - check back for more details

19 Mar - CANCELLED- to be rescheduled, possibly in June - Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Courses - CCE Wayne - 8am Registration; Program begins promptly at 8:30am - 5:30pm, lunch included

23 & 25 Mar - CANCELLED - Winter Pruning Meetings - Wayne Co. 23 Mar & Orleans Co. 25 Mar - 1:30-3:30pm

24 Mar - CANCLLED - DEC Pesticide Applicators Exam - Orleans County CCE, 12690 Rt 31, Albion - starting at 8:30am

24-26 Mar- POSTPONED: new date to be announced as soon as possible. click here for more information. - Northeastern Cider Conference - Hilton Albany, 40 Lodge Street, Albany, NY, 12207, 2 full days, followed by a half day

1 & 9 Apr - OSHA Compliant Fit Testing and Training in Pultneyville - Pultneyville Lodge, 4035 Lake Rd, Pultneyville, NY, 14589 

Check out the following article & photos that cover highlights of the annual IFTA meeting such as Mario Miranda Sazo receiving the Outstanding Extension Educator award.

For the full article click the link below.