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

Enrollee Login

Password:

Log In To Access:

  • Issues of Fruit Newletters
  • Helpful Diagnostic Tool:
      What's wrong with my crop?

Event Details

Date

March 8, 2018

Time

5-7:30 pm

Location

Highland Research Lab
3357 US Hwy 9W
Highland, NY 12528

Cost

$20.00 Per Class
(additional attendee $20.00 ea.)

$60.00 For all 4 sessions (Weekly, March 1-22)
(additional attendee $60.00 ea.)

Host

Lake Ontario Fruit Program

Elizabeth Higgins
(518) 949-3722

Pre-Registration Deadline: March 5, 2018

EVENT HAS PASSED

What is my job? Hiring, training and evaluating farm employees effectively

March 8, 2018

What is my job?  Hiring, training and evaluating farm employees effectively

How well do your employees understand their jobs?


Everyone wants farm employees who know what to do without being told. Unfortunately most people you hire or manage can't read minds. This workshop will help you develop effective tools for training and evaluating new employees or employees moving into new positions. You will learn to develop clear job descriptions, learn techniques in hiring, and training new staff and how to use "just in time" feedback and performance appraisal to both correct problems and motivate your staff.

Agenda


Hiring employees
Developing Job Descriptions
Purpose of job descriptions
Map organizational structure
Task Identification
Job Description Development and Resources

Interviewing and Hiring
Interviewing and Reference Checks â€" effective techniques
Making the Offer

On-boarding/training new employees
Effective Orientations
Standard Operating Procedures
Training Techniques

Effective Performance Evaluation
Tools for Motivating Employees

This is the second of four workshops on Human Resource Management on the Farm. Sign up for the full series of workshops in Highland at a discounted price of only $15 per class

March 1 - Marketing your farm as a great place to work (5:00-7:30pm)
March 8 - What's My Job? Hiring, training and evaluating employees effectively (5:00-7:30pm)
March 15 - Keeping good staff when money is tight & managing conflict in the workplace(5:00-7:30pm)
March 22 - The compliance and safety workshop. Are you managing your risks as an employer? (1:00pm-4:00pm)




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

Advisory Committee Meeting - Winter Meeting Planning Session

December 3, 2025
Spencerport, NY

Please join us for our winter advisory meeting, join the team and provide input for the 2026 LOF Winter Meetings. Please pre-register by November 26th.

2026 Dyson Agricultural Food

January 12, 2026
Ithaca, NY

Announcements

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

NYCAMH Fit Testing Requirements

Considering NYCAMH for your respirator fit testing?

Here are some key facts and helpful tips about medical clearance:

Medical Clearance ? Fit Testing (They are not the same!)

Before you can wear a respirator or be fit tested, OSHA requires a medical evaluation under the Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134). This evaluation must be conducted by a licensed healthcare provider to determine if you are physically able to use a respirator safely.

read details

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:

for more details click on event title

3 Nov - 8 Dec - Annie's Project: Risk Management for Farm Women - Zoom, 1-3:30pm, $50


12 Nov - Dec 23 - ASL105: Employee Development and Training - registration open

1-22 Dec - Labor Roadshow IX - registration now open, 2 webinars & 4 in-person meetings 

2026:

12 Jan - Dyson Agricultural Food & Business Outlook Conference - Cornell University

23-25 Feb - NY Farm to School Summit - Saratoga Springs, Register Now!


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.