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
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramSession 1 - The Impacts of Weather on Pome Fruit Quality and Storability: Lessons Learned
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
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramSession 2
Details to follow.
Event Details
Date
June 18, 2026
Time
4-5:30pm PT/7-8:30pm ET
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramDetails to follow.
Event Details
Date
June 25, 2026
Time
4-5:30pm PT/7-8:30pm ET
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Lake Ontario Fruit ProgramSession 4
Details to follow.
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
Upcoming Events
2026 Orleans County - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Pre-Exam Training
March 9, 2026 : DEC Certified Applicator Pre-Exam Training Day 1
Albion, NY
This training is only for those with experience and does not qualify for the 30-hour official DEC training - you are exempt from the 30 hour training (and eligible for this coaching session) if you have pesticide application experience, either through working on your own farm or through employment on another farm.
March 13, 2026 : DEC Certified Applicator Pre-Exam Training Day 2
Albion, NY
This training is only for those with experience and does not qualify for the 30-hour official DEC training - you are exempt from the 30 hour training (and eligible for this coaching session) if you have pesticide application experience, either through working on your own farm or through employment on another farm.
2026 Orleans County - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Exam
March 16, 2026
Albion, NY
A Certification Exam will be administered on March 16th by the DEC to Qualified Applicants. Plan to arrive by 8:30am. The fee for the exam is $100: bring a check payable to NYSDEC the day of the exam. You must register with DEC to take the exam. To register for the exam or if you have questions regarding the Certification Process, please contact Justin Schoff at the Bath DEC office (607) 622-8290.
Postharvest Water Management, Sanitation, and Traceability Workshop
March 18, 2026
Albion, NY
Cornell University personnel from the National GAPs Program and the Produce Safety Alliance are presenting a workshop on postharvest water management, sanitation, and traceability. This workshop will include a mix of short talks and hands-on activities to provide attendees with applied experience with sanitation, postharvest water, and traceability topics.
2.75 NYSDEC CEU's in categories 10, 1a, 22, and 23 available.