2nd Annual WNY Fruit Grower Tour
Event Details
Date
August 13, 2024
Time
8:30am - 4:30pm
Location
Starting Location Toussaint Farms Ledge Rock Farm
4362 S. Gravel Rd.
Medina, NY 14103
Cost
Registration by August 6th : $5.00
(addl attendee $5.00 ea.)
At The Door Price
Registration after August 9th : $10.00
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramWe are excited to announce the second 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 Orleans 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!

Tour Stops:
- Toussaint Farms, at their Ledge Rock Farm Location, 4362 S. Gravel Rd., Medina, NY 14103
- 8:30-9 AM - Check in
- Program 9-9:50 AM - Stop Leader - Dr. Bonnie Nelsen, CCE-LOF
- Welcome & Intros - Craig Kahlke, CCE-LOF
- Farm Leasing, Multi-generation, Growing field crops, Hispanic Farm Manager from Ledge Rock transition to Toussaint Farms leasing, Managing multiple farms for efficiency Jeff Toussaint, Jeff Smith, Kenny, Sergio, Jose
- 2-3 sponsor spots
- 9:55-10:20AM - travel to Zingler Farms (25 minutes)
- Zingler Farms, 16603 Skillington Rd., Holley 14470
- 10:30-11:15 AM - Stop Leader - Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE-LOF
- Narrow, 2D plantings with limb tying, and training personnel to grasp detailed horticulture - Mike and Jimmy Zingler
- 2-3 sponsor spots
- 11:20-11:45 AM - Travel to Circle R Farm Market (25 minutes)
- 10:30-11:15 AM - Stop Leader - Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE-LOF
- Circle R Farm Market, 13485 Roosevelt Hwy, Waterport, NY 14571
- 11:55 AM - 1:30 PM - Lunch Stop/Visit with Sponsors/rest of sponsor spots - Lunch Stop Leader - Craig Kahlke, CCE-LOF
- During Lunch, Check-in for NYS attendees seeking recertification credits
- 1:30-3:10 PM - Educational Stop Leader - Janet van Zoeren, CCE-LOF
- Final check-in for NYS DEC credits
- Welcome, sponsor speaking spots, Marketing, Peaches - Bernie Heberle
- 'The fungus formerly known as Marssonina and other emerging diseases in NYS, Vaughn Gingerich, Lake Ontario Ag Consulting, Inc.
- 'Identifying Novel Genetic Resistance to Apple Scab: A Promising Path to Increased Orchard Profitability and Sustainability', Dr. Awais Khan, Cornell University
- 'Wet seasons and managing stone fruit and strawberry diseases with an emphasis on root rots' - Kerik Cox, Cornell University
- pdf available at https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/su...
- 'Optimizing installations of mating disruption for lepidopteran pests, and insecticide applications for woolly apple aphid', Dr. Monique Rivera, Cornell University
- 3:10-3:15 PM - Travel to Orchard Dale Fruit Farm (5 minutes)
- Orchard Dale Fruit Farm - ~1494 Oak Orchard River Rd., Waterport, NY 14571
- 3:25-4:30 PM - Stop Leader Craig Kahlke, CCE-LOF
- Farm Intro - Bobby Brown, Orchard Dale Fruit Farm
- Precision Crop Load Management for Apples SCRI Update & Overview, Dr. Terence Robinson, Cornell University
- Variable Rate Sprayer Technologies with Legasse/Munckhof/Aurea, Ross Gansz, Legasse Fabrication
- Outfield & Vivid Scans for Thinning Potential and Yield/Size Prediction , Dr. Brian Lawrence, Cornell University
- Ground-truthing and the MSU Fruit Size Distribution Model, Mario & Craig, CCE-LOF
- 3:25-4:30 PM - Stop Leader Craig Kahlke, CCE-LOF
4:30 PM ADJOURN & SAFE TRAVELS!
* Schedule is subject to change slightly
Upcoming Events
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January 12, 2026
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January 12, 2026
Join nationally recognized scientists and extension specialists for a nationwide PACMAN webinar presenting five years of research findings and outlining emerging directions and collaborative opportunities for the next phase of the project.
2026 Cornell Winter Fruit Webinars
January 22, 2026 : Blueberry Pruning and Soil Health to Minimize Pests and Maximize Yield
Week 1: Blueberry Pruning and Soil Health to Minimize Pests and Maximize Yield
January 29, 2026 : Cost of Production for Fruit Crops
Week 2: Cost of Production for Fruit Crops - A new tool for tree fruit, updates on berry production in NY, and strategies for tracking and using expense data.
February 12, 2026 : Fire Blight Management Updates
Week 3: Fire Blight Management Updates - Pathogen Biology, Defense Inducers, Biopesticides, and Pruning Therapies
February 19, 2026 : Pink and Petal Fall Insecticides - Can We Strike the Right Balance?
Week 4: Pink and Petal Fall Insecticides - Can We Strike the Right Balance?
March 12, 2026 : Inoculating Orchards with Mycorrhizal Fungi
Week 5: Inoculating Orchards with Mycorrhizal Fungi
March 19, 2026 : St. Peachtrick's Day - Cherry Pruning Strategies and Plum Varieties for the Northeast
Week 6: St. Peachtrick's Day - Cherry Pruning Strategies and Plum Varieties for the Northeast
