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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Western NY Fruit Conference




Event Details

Western NY Fruit Conference
Event Offers DEC Credits

Date

February 4 - February 5, 2025

Time

1 1/2 days

Location

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Rochester
111 Jefferson Rd.
Rochester, NY 14623

Cost

Full Conference - Early Bird by January 24th : $160.00

(addl attendee $160.00 ea.)

Tuesday only (full day) - Early Bird by January 24th : $95.00

(addl attendee $95.00 ea.)

Wednesday only (1/2 day, morning only) - Early Bird by January 24th : $55.00

(addl attendee $55.00 ea.)

Full Conference after January 24th : $175.00

(addl attendee $175.00 ea.)

Tuesday only (full day) after January 24th : $105.00

(addl attendee $105.00 ea.)

Wednesday only (1/2 day, morning only) after January 24th : $60.00

(addl attendee $60.00 ea.)

Host

Lake Ontario Fruit Program


Western NY Fruit Conference



                                           Western NY Fruit Conference    

                                February 4-5, DoubleTree by Hilton Rochester

Published Conference Materials

TUESDAY early AM

Session 1 - "IPM I" Chaired by Janet van Zoeren

   7:30-8:30 AM - Registration

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

    8:35  Sponsor Spots (10 min)

    8:45  Refining the Apple IPM Program for Internal Lepidopterans with Mating Disruption and Woolly Apple

   Aphid by Comparing New and Soft Insecticides" - Dr. Monique Rivera, Cornell University  (25 min)

    9:10 Evaluating the Push- Pull Management Strategy for Ambrosia Beetles in Eastern Apple Orchards - Dr. Kelsey Tobin , Cornell University (15 min) 

   9:25 Using UV-C: How Close are We to Implementing it and What We Need to Move Forward - Dr Kerik Cox, Cornell University (20 min)

   9:45 Taming the Beast: Managing Perennial Weeds - Janet van Zoeren, CCE-LOF (15 min)

   10 AM  SESSION ADJOURN

10:00  Break:  (~25 minutes)

Sign-in DEC credit sign-in

TUESDAY late AM

Session 2 - "IPM II", Chaired by Janet van Zoeren

   10:25 Welcome, DEC reminder, Sponsor Spots Weeds - Janet van Zoeren, CCE-LOF (10 min)

   10:35 Preliminary Apple Tree, Weed, and Soil Biological Responses to Zasso Electrical Weeding - Aleah Butler Jones, Cornell University (20 min)

   10:55 Meeting the Challenges of Losing Mancozeb and Captan: Past and Present and Future Research - Dr Kerik Cox, Cornell University (20 min)

    11:15 Advancements in Stink Bug Management in Tree Fruit - Dr. Brett Blaauw, University of Georgia and Clemson University (45 min)

    12:00 SESSION ADJOURN

LUNCH and visit Sponsors

~12 PM - ~1:15 PM  

 

TUESDAY, early PM

        Session 3, "Business" ,  Chaired by Bonnie Nelsen

   1:15  Welcome, Sponsor Spots -  Bonnie Nelsen, CCE-LOF   (10 min)

   1:25 Using Hectare Orchard Management Software on Bittner-Singer Farm - David Bittner, Bittner-Singer Farms (20 min)

   1:45  Knowing Your Consumer -   Evan Schutt, owner, Schutt's Apple Mill

    2:05  Talking To Your Workers About Unions, Intro -Bonnie Nelsen (10 min)

    2:15  Talking with Workers About Unions: Our Experience at Cherry Lawn Farm- Todd & Debbie Furber, Cherry Lawn

              Farms  (30 min)

    2:45 PM  SESSION ADJOURN

Break:  (~20-30 minutes)

TUESDAY, late PM

        Session 4  'Building Soils for Better Orchards Chaired by Mario Miranda Sazo  

 3:15  Welcome, Sponsor Spots, Introduction -  Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE LOF (10 min)

 3:25   Root architecture and function of apple roots - Professor Emeritus Dr. David Eissenstat, Penn State (35 min)

 4:00   Soil health in New York State Orchards - Dr. Deborah Aller, Cornell (35 min)

 4:35 Questions & Answers (15 min)            

~5 PM SESSION ADJOURN

         

WEDNESDAY early AM

Session 5 - "Fruit Quality/Marketing Updates", chaired by Craig Kahlke    

 

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

   8:35      Updates from the New York Apple Association - Cynthia Haskins, NYAA (35 min)

   9:10      Color Improvement of "Premier" Honeycrisp with the use of sprayable products and reflective fabric - Brian Lawrence, Cornell Agritech (25 min)

    9:35       Sustainable Pre- and Postharvest Approaches for Mitigating Stem-end Flesh Browning in 'Gala' Apples - Dr, Yosef Al Shoffe, Cornell University (25 min)

    10:00 AM  SESSION ADJOURN        

                                                                              10:00 -10:20     Break

WEDNESDAY late AM

Session 6 - "Precision  Agriculture", chaired by Mario Miranda Sazo

  10:20   Welcome/Introduction - Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE-LOF (5 min)

  10:25   Why it has been so Difficult to Adopt Digital Ag-Technologies?  - Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE-LOF (15 min)

   10:40   Accuracy of Two Precision Sprayers for Single-Tree Application - Dr. Brian Lawrence, Cornell U. (15min)

   10:55   Options for growers considering current GPS accuracy limitations - Dr. Yu Jiang, Cornell U. (15 min)

   11:10   Precision irrigation - Dr. Terence Robinson, Cornell U. (15 min)

   11:25   New advances on precision crop load management - Dr. Terence Robinson, Cornell U. (15 min)

   11:40   Q&A, Conference Wrap-up (20 min)               

~12 PM - Boxed Lunch & Conference Adjourn

 

DEC credits will be available.

Cornell Employees, Students, and Speakers at this conference please contact us regarding registration to this event.

More details and event survey are available at: https://blogs.cornell.edu/nyst..



Meeting the Challenges of Losing Mancozeb and Captan (PDF; 3122KB)

Using UV-C (PDF; 1964KB)

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Gooseberries

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Nectarines

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Peaches

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Plums

Plums

Raspberries / Blackberries

Raspberries / Blackberries

Strawberries

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Upcoming Events

Petal Fall Thinning Meetings

May 15, 2025 : Wayne County Petal Fall Thinning Meeting
Sodus, NY

Join LOF team  members, in Wayne County to hear updates and petal fall thinning recommendations by Terence Robinson.


May 16, 2025 : Orleans County Petal Fall Thinning Meeting
Waterport, NY

Join LOF team  members, in Orleans County to hear updates and petal fall thinning recommendations by Terence Robinson. 

Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings

Event Offers DEC Credits

April 24, 2025 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 1 of 4
Hilton, 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.


May 29, 2025 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings 2 of 4
Holley, 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.


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. 

Announcements

3rd Annual Western NY Fruit Growers Tour, July 31

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!

Stat tunes for more info as we get into the summer!

2025 Cornell Winter Fruit Webinar Recordings

Recordings now available on the NYIPM YouTube Channel 2025 Cornell Winter Webinar playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ccj8IT-8eI&list=PLoNb8lODb49u16HwAqx7Y_TS5S3vdkrON

SPARC Survey

Interested in strengthening pome fruit resilience to climate? Check out what 22 scientists from six states are joining forces to accomplish. Learn more and help support this effort by taking a quick survey at https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=948&crumb=crops|crops|apples|crop*38

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

2025 Events:

15 May - Petal Fall Thinning Meeting - Cherry Lawn Fruit Farms - 2pm

16 May - Petal Fall Thinning Meeting - Lamont Fruit Farms - 2pm

29 May - Tree Fruit and Berry Twilight Meeting 2 of 4 - Hurd Orchards - 6:45 DEC Sign-In; 7-8:30PM

26 Jun - Tree Fruit and Berry Twilight Meeting 3 of 4 - Cornell Orchards - 6:45 DEC Sign-In; 7-8:30PM

31 Jul - Tree Fruit and Berry Twilight Meeting 4 of 4 - Schutts Apple Mill - 6:45 DEC Sign-In; 7-8:30PM

31 Jul - 3rd Annual Western NY Fruit Growers Tour - Featuring Wayne County - Stay tuned for more info!


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:




Business Updates



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.

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


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.