Navigating Solar Lease Agreements and the Solar Development Process: A Program for NY Farmers and Rural Landowners
Event Details
Date
October 26, 2021
Time
9:30am to ? (varies by county)
Location
Varies by County
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramCCE County Associations (contact your local CCE office to register)
You have the opportunity to lease your farmland to a solar energy company! It sounds like a sweet deal, and you are interested, but you are not sure just how it works...
Join your local participating county CCE association on October 26 at an in-person meeting for farmers and rural landowners to get answers to your solar leasing questions. This program will feature several live webinars presented by industry experts to help you navigate the solar development process, make informed decisions, and negotiate solar lease agreements.
Schedule
Webinar 1 (9:30-11:30)
9:30-10:15am: Understanding the Solar Development Process and What Solar Companies are Looking For. Presented by Loren Pruskowski, Owner, Ecolegacy Values. Loren is also the general contractor installing a solar array on his Guilderland, New York farm.
10:15-11:00am: Understanding Solar Lease Agreements and Tips for Negotiating a Contract. Presented by Scott Kurkoski, Assistant Managing Partner, Levene, Gouldin & Thompson, LLP. Scott got his start representing landowners in the fracking industry and has spent years assisting farmers and rural landowners in negotiating contracts with Solar companies.
11:00-11:30am: Q&A with Morning Presenters
Break (11:30-12:30)
11:30am-12:30pm: The program for this time will vary by county.
Webinar 2 (12:30-1:30)
12:30-1:30pm: How Municipal Regulations Affect Solar Development Opportunities at the Local Level. Presented by Jeffrey Kehoe, NYS Department of Ag and Markets. Learn how local communities can best prepare for managing the huge influx of solar company demand for land.
Local Program (1:30-?)
The afternoon program will vary by county office.
Location Options for Lake Ontario Fruit Program Enrollees
Wayne County CCE Program
Wayne County CCE is now offering the program online only. Email Mark Wiltberger at mw883@cornell.edu and he will set you up with the Zoom link. The program is here:
Other Options for Attending
This program is a collaboration between county CCE associations and the statewide Cornell Farm Business Management group. You are welcome to attend another county CCE association that is conducting the program. In addition, some CCE associations will provide a virtual option for attendees that would like to participate in the meeting from a remote location.
Listed below are some counties near the LOF region with a link to their event information and registration page and whether they are offering a virtual option for attendees:
| Genesee County CCE Program Virtual Option: No
|
| Erie County CCE Program http://erie.cce.cornell.edu/events/2021/10/26/solar-lease-meeting Virtual Option: Yes
|
| Ontario County CCE Program http://cceontario.org/events/2021/10/26/navigating-solar-lease-agreements Virtual Option: Yes
|
| Cayuga County CCE Program Virtual Option: Yes
|
| You can register for the program through the following participating CCE County Offices: Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, Onondaga, Ontario, Otsego, Renssalear, Saratoga, Schoharie, Senaca, St Lawrence, Suffolk, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming, Yates. Don't know the website address for your county office? Go to: https://cals.cornell.edu/cornell-cooperative-extension/local-offices. |
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
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Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Stansell, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
June 26, 2025 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 3 of 4
Ithica, NY
Join specialists Anya Stansell and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month. This meeting will include Spanish Interpretation. Este mes en Español También.
July 31, 2025 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 4 of 4
Webster, NY
Join specialists Janet Van Zoeren, Anya Stansell, and Anna Wallis for a conversation about fruit and berry phenology and pest management, at a new location each month.
2025 Cornell In-Depth Fruit School Recordings
April 8, 2025
July 31, 2025
: Recording Available for 2025 Cornell In-Depth Fruit School
Access to the 2025 Cornell In-Depth Fruit School recordings are now available for purchase.
3rd Annual Western NY Fruit Growers Tour, Featuring Wayne County
July 31, 2025
We are excited to announce the 3rd 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 Wayne 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!
Stay tuned for more info as we get into the summer!