About Program
We partner with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne, Orleans, Niagara, Monroe, and Oswego Counties, Cornell University Cooperative Extension and faculty to provide educational programs for the commercial fruit industry, using research-based information to help the tree fruit and berry industries in New York compete in the world market and provide safe, high-quality produce for consumers.
Objectives:
- Maintain competitiveness and profitability of NY fruit farms in a global market.
- Evaluate new technology for potential increases in efficiency through applied research.
- Assist in the adoption and implementation of appropriate technologies.
- Reduce financial, legal, labor, environmental, and health risks.
- Improve production and delivery of high quality fruit to consumers.
The Lake Ontario Fruit Program is supported, in part, by
5 county Cornell Cooperative Extensions in the Lake Ontario Region
of New York: Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego and Wayne Counties.
To visit one of these Cornell Cooperative Extension's web sites,
simply click on a county within the map.
Upcoming Events
Farm Grant Literacy Workshop
January 16, 2025 : Session 1: Understanding Farm Grant Opportunities
GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!
January 23, 2025 : Session 2: Identifying Farm Grant Opportunities
GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!
January 30, 2025 : Session 3: How To Read and Interpret Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!
February 13, 2025 : Session 4: Panelists
GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!
February 20, 2025 : Session 5: Panelists
GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!
February 27, 2025 : Session 6: Panelists
GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!
Cornell Fruit Winter Webinars
January 17, 2025 : Week 1: Digging into Pruning and Soil Health
Speakers: Mario Miranda Sazo (CCE LOFP) and Dr. Debbie Aller (Cornell CALS)
January 31, 2025 : Week 2: Cider Apples - Mechanized Harvesting and Sweet Cider Food Safety
Speakers: Dr. Greg Peck (Cornell CALS) and Dr. Randy Worobo (Cornell CALS)
February 14, 2025 : Week 3: The Value of "Eco-Friendly" Marketing - OMRI Certification, Red Tomato, EcoApple, NYS Grown
Speakers: Liz Higgins (CCE ENYCHP), Josh Morgenthau (Fish Kill Farms), Jim Bittner (Bittner-Singer Orchard, and Kevin Clark (Rose Hill Farm)
February 28, 2025 : Week 4: Biopesticides and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for Berries
Speaker(s): McKenzie Schessl (Cornell AgriTech) and Samantha Willden (Cornell AgriTech)
March 14, 2025 : Week 5: St. Peachtrick's Day: Stone Fruit Insect and Disease Management
Speakers: Dr. George Sundin (Michigan State University) and Brett Blaauw (University of Georgia)
From Seed to Success: Turn Your Idea into an Actionable Plan
January 7, 2025 : Session 1: The 30,000-foot view, what are you trying to accomplish? What resources do you have?
Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)
- Session 1: The 30,000-foot view, what are you trying to accomplish? What resources do you have?
January 14, 2025 : Session 2: Introduction to Project Management
Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)
- Session 2: Introduction to Project Management
January 21, 2025 : Session 3: How Business Planning Becomes a Business Plan
Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)
- Session 3: How Business Planning Becomes a Business Plan
January 28, 2025 : Session 4: Your Market and Your Competition
Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)
Session 4: Your Market and Your Competition
February 4, 2025 : Session 5: Revenue and Product Mix to Achieve Your Goals
Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)
- Session 5: Revenue and Product Mix to Achieve Your Goals
February 11, 2025 : Session 6: Marketing Plan and Evaluation of Marketing Efforts
Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)
- Session 6: Marketing Plan and Evaluation of Marketing Efforts
February 18, 2025 : Session 7: The Basics of Financial Statements
Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)
- Session 7: The Basics of Financial Statements
February 25, 2025 : Session 8: Enhancing Confidence in Your Numbers
Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)
- Session 8: Enhancing Confidence in Your Numbers
March 4, 2025 : Session 9: Using Financial Statements and Financial Information to Plan and Evaluate an Enterprise
Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)
- Session 9: Using Financial Statements and Financial Information to Plan and Evaluate an Enterprise