Lake Ontario Fruit Program Enrollment

Program Areas

  • Food Safety
  • Variety Evaluation
  • Market Development
  • Pest Management
  • Cultural Practices

Enrollment Benefits

  • Telephone / Email Consultations
  • Fruit Newsletter?
  • Direct Mailings
  • Educational Meetings & Conferences
  • In-Field Educational Opportunities
  • On-Farm Research Trials

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  • Helpful Diagnostic Tool:
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2024 Western NY Fruit Conference - Meeting the Challenges Ahead




Event Details

Date

February 8 - February 9, 2024

Time

Thursday - Full Day; Friday - Half Day

Location

DoubleTree by Hilton
1111 Jefferson Rd
Rochester, NY 14623

Cost

Full Conference after January 31st : $175.00

(addl attendee $175.00 ea.)

Thursday included AM, PM breaks and Lunch, Dinner on own. Friday included AM break & Lunch

Thursday only (full day 8th Feb) after January 31st : $105.00

(addl attendee $105.00 ea.)

Thursday included AM, PM breaks and Lunch, Dinner on own.

Friday only (1/2 day, morning only 9th Feb) after January 31st : $60.00

(addl attendee $60.00 ea.)

Friday included AM break & Lunch

Full Conference - Early Bird by January 31st : $160.00

(addl attendee $160.00 ea.)

Thursday included AM, PM breaks and Lunch, Dinner on own. Friday included AM break & Lunch

Thursday only (full day, 8th Feb) - Early Bird by January 31st : $95.00

(addl attendee $95.00 ea.)

Thursday included AM, PM breaks and Lunch, Dinner on own

Friday only (1/2 day, morning only 9th Feb) - Early Bird by January 31st : $55.00

(addl attendee $55.00 ea.)

Friday included AM break & Lunch

Host

Lake Ontario Fruit Program



Past Conference Meeting Materials Available Here

We are looking forward to bringing you another multi-day tree fruit conference this winter! Again, this replaces our traditional "LOF Fruit Schools" and our participation in the Empire Producers Expo in Syracuse. The program will run all day on Thursday (Feb 8) and Friday morning (Feb 9).

DEC Credit Eligible Sessions are on Thursday- 1.5 credits in the late morning session, and 0.25 in the early afternoon session.


Thursday, early AM, Session 1 - "Current Status of US Production & Grower Challenges",

Chaired by Craig Kahlke

 

7:30-8:30 AM Registration

 8:30 Welcome & Housekeeping, Craig (5min)

 8:35  Sponsor Spots (10mins)

 8:45  Chris Gerlach, US Apple Association (45 minutes)

- talk on production trends, holdings, etc.  

9:30 Grower Challenges Panel (40 minutes)

            Jim Bittner, Bittner-Singer Orchards & NYS Hort Society

            John Teeple, Executive Director, Premier Apple Co-op

            Mike Zingler, Zingler Farms


10:10-10:30 Break (20 minutes), DEC Credit Sign-in


Thursday, late AM, Session 2 - "IPM",

Chaired by Janet van Zoeren

 

10:30 Welcome, DEC reminder, Sponsor Spots  (10 minutes)

10:40 Adjuvants in agriculture. A black box of chemicals that we need to use more effectively - Christophe Duplais (25 minutes)

11:05 Fire blight and other updates - Kerik Cox (25 minutes)

11:30 Refining IPM Programs for woolly apple aphid management - Monique Rivera (25 minutes)

11:55 Tree Fruit IPM Monitoring and Scouting:  Upcoming Opportunities - Anna Wallis (10 minutes)


12:05-1:15 PM  Lunch & Visit Sponsors, DEC Credit Sign-in (70 minutes)

   

Thursday, early PM, Session 3 - "IPM/Horticulture",

Chaired by Mario Miranda Sazo

 

1:15  Welcome, Sponsor Spots  (10 minutes)

1:25 The EPA's Draft Herbicide Strategy: What it Means for You - Lynn Sosnoskie (20 minutes)

1:45pm Hort talks (60 minutes)

           Trends for Orchard Mechanization & Adoption of Precision Ag Technologies

                 Mark Hermenet, Hermenet Farms

                 Kristen DeMarree, Donald DeMarree Fruit Farm
                  

2:45-3:15 Break (30 minutes)

 

Thursday, late PM, Session 4 - "Labor & PGRs",

Chaired by Craig Kahlke

 

3:15  Welcome, Sponsor Spots (10 minutes)

3:25    Labor Update - Bonnie Nelsen (15 minutes)

3:40    TracCrops upgrade of TracApple Software - Julie Carroll (20 minutes)

4:00    Plant Growth Regulator Panel

          Options for Use of ReTain and Harvista with an eye to improved post-storage results-Terence Robinson (15 minutes)

 

           Panel of growers & consultants  (40 minutes)

                 Kevin Bittner, Bittner-Singer Orchards

                 Bobby Brown, Orchard Dale Fruit Farm

                 Jim Eve, Jim Eve Consulting

                 Brett Kast, Kast Farms

                 John King, Niagara Fresh Fruit Company

 

    4:55 PM ADJOURN, Hotel Check-in, Informal Cocktail Hour, Dinner Own Your Own

 

 

Friday, early AM, Session 5 - "Marketing & Fruit Quality",

Chaired by Bonnie Nelsen

 

8:30  Welcome (5 minutes)

8:35  NY Apple Association Update - Cynthia Haskins (20 minutes)

8:55  Harvest Maturity of High-Value Varieties for CA storage, Craig Kahlke (35 minutes)

9:30  Packer Panel - Bonnie moderating (45 minutes)

                    Brett Baker - HH Dobbins & United Apple Sales

                    Scott Henning - Lake Ontario Fruit Inc. & New York Apple Sales

                    Tim Mansfield - Sun Orchard Fruit Company

                    Doug Ricketts - Northeastern Juice Cooperative, Inc.

 

10:15-10:35 Break (20 minutes)

 

 

Friday, late AM, Session 6 - "Putting it All Together",

Chaired by the Lake Ontario Fruit Team

 

10:35-11:15    Panel of experts, summarizing what we've learned next steps, and suggestions and Q & A from the audience

 

11:40 AM - Lunch & Adjourn  

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!      


Look for conference registration, room reservation, and more session details in January at https://blogs.cornell.edu/nystreefruitconference/.

A block of rooms has been reserved for this event, be sure to ask for the "Cornell Cooperative rate" when making reservations using the link or phone number below:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Rochester
1111 Jefferson Road
Rochester, NY 14623
Booking Link: https://group.doubletree.com/tq8yn7
Ph: 585-475-1510 press (1) for reservations, ask for the "Cornell Cooperative rate"


Reserve by January 28 for discount rate,



Program (PDF; 4935KB)

more crops
Apples

Apples

Apricots

Apricots

Asian Pears

Asian Pears

Blueberries

Blueberries

Cherries

Cherries

Currants

Currants

Gooseberries

Gooseberries

Nectarines

Nectarines

Peaches

Peaches

Pears

Pears

Plums

Plums

Raspberries / Blackberries

Raspberries / Blackberries

Strawberries

Strawberries

Unusual Fruit

Unusual Fruit

more crops

Upcoming Events

Save the Date - Western NY Fruit Conference - February 4-5, 2025

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 4 - February 5, 2025 : Western NY Fruit Conference
Rochester, NY

For the 2nd year in a row, we'll be having the Western NY Fruit Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Rochester!  It will be another 1 1/2 day conference. Stay tuned for program and registration info as we get closer.

Announcements

Scaffolds podcast

Many of you probably read Art Agnello's statewide tree fruit updates and recommendations newsletter, "Scaffolds". Dr. Monique Rivera is bringing it back, but in a new audio version. Episode one was recorded this week, and is now available for free online at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scaffolds


NYS Tree Decline Survey

Your answers could help find the solution to tree decline in the orchard.

Save the Date! - Scroll down for Upcoming Events

Have you missed a meeting recently? Scroll down for available recordings or pdf links or visits our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/LakeOntarioFruitProgram

2024 Events:

24 Jul - AEWR Update + Progressive Discipline Overview Webinar - 1PM, Free Zoom, Register Now

25 Jul - Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 4_4 - 6:30pm-8:30PM, Mexico

31 Jul - Apple Social - 6-9 PM, VanAcker Farms, Williamson.

13 Aug - 2nd Annual WNY Fruit Grower Tour - Orleans County

17 Aug - Annual Hispanic Summer Tour - Orleans County, Register Now, Space is Limited for this Free event! 

22 Aug - WNY Bilingual Soil Health & Beneficial Fungi Meeting - Register Now, Space Limited for this Free event!

Feb 4-5, 2025 - Western NY Fruit Conference - DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Rochester



Food Safety Virtual Office Hours

Cornell Institute of Food Safety "Virtual Office Hours", Tuesdays Noon to 1pm https://cals.cornell.edu/institute-for-food-safety/resources/virtual-office-hours

Past recorded virtual office hours can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZJs5b7KUuvfcquH3ZtQHo5dSmF2m5MdQ


Webinar Recordings & Additional Meeting Materials

Check out the recordings of some recent webinars and/or conference materials from in person events: Recordings and Playlists are available at https://www.youtube.com/c/LakeOntarioFruitProgram

Recording of Precision Apple Cropload MANagement PACMAN technologies at the 2nd Annual WNY Fruit Grower Tour. https://youtu.be/yE6thvf4z0E

2024 Virtual Orchard Meetup Series - Water Wisdom: 






2024 Winter Fruit Webinars playlist on the NYS IPM Program YouTube Channel


PACMAN Details and Resources, Meeting Recording Links below:




Pollinator Resouces

Now available Pollinator Resource Links


Meeting Recordings Now Available

Did you miss the recent meeting?  Check and see if we recorded it and added it to our website or Lake Ontario Fruit Program YouTube Channel.

Honeycrisp Meetup recordings available here.

Why are my trees growing so poorly? recording available here.

Additional Recorded Webinars listing with recording and resource link are available at



New Publication on Growing Pawpaws

Are you a fan of pawpaws? These custardy fruits can be hard to come across, so this guide provides information on how to grow your own pawpaw from seed, and how to care for grafted seedlings. Pdf on growing now available.​ https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=799&crumb=crops|crops|unusual_fruit|crop*50

New Weed Management Technology Survey

Want to move away from herbicide reliance? Are you using novel technologies to manage weeds? We want to know about it to inform our weed science research. A team of weed scientists from University of California Davis, Oregon State University, and Cornell University are asking berry, tree fruit, tree nut, and vine crop growers to take 5 to 10 minutes and answer this short and anonymous survey. Weed Technology Survey link: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEpfAijoP7puQDP

For more information on this survey please visit http://blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/2020/12/02/new-weed-management-technology/


Pollinator Webinar Series - Summer 2020

The Pollinator Webinar Series presented by Penn State cover bee health and pollination services.



Bloom Pesticides for Pollinator Health

A reference table created by Janet van Zoeren and Anna Wallis, is now available at https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=711&crumb=pests|pests.