2026 Virtual Orchard Meetup Series
Please join Kristy Grigg-McGuffin (OMAFRA), Sonia Hall (WSU), Lindsay Hainstock (BC-AF), Katelyn Hengel (BC-AF), Lee Kalcsits (WSU), Emily Lavely (MSU), Bernardita Sallato (WSU), Mario Miranda Sazo (CCE LOF), and Daniel E. Weber (PSU), for our fifth season of International Virtual Orchard Meetups. This year the 2026 series is sponsored by a national team of researchers and extension agents that are working on a multi-year USDA SCRI project (https://sparcscri.com/) to evaluate different management practices to reduce crop loss from severe cold and heat. This large project is known as SPARC: Strengthening Pear and Apple Resilience to Climate.
Since 2021, the International Virtual Orchard Meetup program has brought together growers, researchers, and government and Extension agents to have an international conversation about important tree fruit topics, connecting industry leaders across North America. This year the virtual orchard meetups will provide an opportunity to discuss challenges related to heat stress in summer and fall, identify opportunities to improve fruit quality, and remain profitable. They will be led by a panel of SPARC scientists and tree fruit growers from across the United States and Canada. Please plan to attend and join the conversation.
The 2026 Series is sponsored by SPARC: Strengthening Pear and Apple Resilience to Climate sparcscri.com
Scroll down for event registration.
Event Details
Date
February 27, 2026
Time
10:30 AM (PST) / 1:30 PM (EST)
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Meetup 1 - The Impacts of Weather on Pome Fruit Quality and Storability: Lessons Learned
Recording:
Registration link: https://wsu.zoom.us/meeting/re...
Agenda: 1:30pm-3:00pm EST
Dr. Lee Kalscits, Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Principal Investigator and Main Lead for SPARC, will provide an overview of the SPARC project, a US$6.75 million project that will run until 2028 and is funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI). Among research goals, the team is focusing on extreme cold and heat, studying a variety of issues including cold hardiness patterns for new apple and pear cultivars; flowering and the emergence from dormancy during spring; and how to mitigate sunburn and enhance red color during extreme heat. During his presentation, Dr. Kalcsits will share some of the experiments and analyses the team has focused on since the project started in late September of 2024.
Dr. Sonia Hall, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University, will summarize some of the results of a recent SPARC grower survey to help understand how heat and cold are affecting orchards and the strategies that growers are adopting (or might want to use) to minimize losses. The survey responses will help prioritize the research and extension goals over the course of the SPARC project
Grower panelists from across North America:
A group of invited packer/grower panelists from across multiple regions (WA, OR, MI, PA, NY, BC, and Ontario) will provide a brief "state of the fruit" update, describing what they are seeing in fruit coming out of storage and how those outcomes relate to conditions during the 2025 growing season.
Garrett Henry, Douglas Fruit, WA
David Machial, Fairview Orchards, BC
Kirk Kemp, Algoma Orchards, Ontario
Scott Henning, Lake Ontario Fruit, NY
Leighton Rice, Rice Fruit Company, PA
Chad Wimmers, Mount Adams Orchards, OR
Whether you are a fruit grower with ample experience, one that has modest experience, or one that is just getting started, the 2026 International Virtual Orchard Meetups will be the right setting for you to ask questions and find alternative solutions. We hope you will be able to join us on Friday February 27!
Event Details
Date
June 11, 2026
Time
4-5:30pm PT/7-8:30pm ET
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Meetup 2 - Physiological Impacts, Forecasting, and Monitoring Tools
Watch recording on YouTube https://youtu.be/JkbB-IItews
Invited Speakers
- Physiology of sun and heat stress on apple - Emily Lavely, MSU
- Trends in sunburn risk - Kirti Rajagopalan, WSU, SPARC
- Smart monitoring tools - Lav Khot, Professor and Director of AgWeatherNet, Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University
- Seasonal outlook, Midwest - Jeff Andresen, MSU
- Seasonal outlook, Northeast - Samantha Borisoff, Cornell
Since 2021, the International Virtual Orchard Meetup program has brought together growers, researchers, and government and Extension agents to have an international conversation about important tree fruit topics, connecting industry leaders across North America. This year the virtual orchard meetups will provide an opportunity to discuss challenges related to heat stress in summer and fall, identify opportunities to improve fruit quality, and remain profitable. They will be led by scientists and tree fruit growers from across the United States and Canada.
Please plan to attend and join the conversation. The first meetup follows on our previous meetup in February. The format will include brief presentations by scientists, followed by a packer/grower panel of industry leaders across North America. The meetup will conclude with an open discussion in a very inclusive virtual format. Viewers are invited to share solutions, ask questions, and interact with scientists and panelists. The program is free of charge. It will be recorded and released on our YouTube Channel at a later date.
Event Details
Date
June 18, 2026
Time
4-5:30pm PT/7-8:30pm ET
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Meetup 3 - Mitigation Strategies, Timing, and Tradeoffs
Recording now on YouTube
Event Details
Date
June 25, 2026
Time
4-5:30pm PT/7-8:30pm ET
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Meetup 4 - Managing Fruit After Heat Exposure: Maturity, Storage, and Disorders
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
Upcoming Events
2026 Western NY Apple Storage Workshop
August 18, 2026 : 2026 Western NY Apple Storage Workshop
Spencerport, NY
Join Cornell's Dr. Yosef Al Shoffe and CCE-LOF's Craig Kahlke for this preharvest meeting that covers harvest maturity updates and Yosef's latest postharvest research.
The meeting is free, and snacks and beverages will be served.
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August 12, 2026
September 15, 2026
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