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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  • Helpful Diagnostic Tool:
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Apple Growers - Please Help a Grad Student by Filling out a Short Online Survey on Climate Change

November 30, -0001

My name is Michael Borrelli and I am a Masters of Arts candidate at Buffalo State College in the Great Lakes Ecosystem Science Program and I am conducting research on how climate change is impacting the apple industry in Western and Central New York. Having grown up on a family farm near Rochester, I have always had an interest in how changes in the environment and climate impact the natural and agricultural world.

In order to identify these impacts I need to reach out to apple growers, like yourselves, who are experiencing these impacts and challenges first hand. Your observations, stories and experiences are essential to this project. Working with Craig Kahlke from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, I have identified key questions for analysis that I would like your help in answering in the form of a 10 to 15 minute web survey located at :
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/orchard_survey

If you would prefer to do the survey on paper, face to face, or over the phone; my contact information is at the end of this email and we can set up a time. The data collected from the survey will be kept confidential and be used to complete my graduate thesis. Any results will be shared with the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
The goal of this research will be to identify what climate impacts apple growers have experienced in their orchards over time. Another secondary goal will be to identify what measures orchardists are taking to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of a changing climate going forward and how apple growers view its impact on their businesses and lively hood.

I would like to thank you for your interest in my research and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns via email at borrelm01@mail.buffalostate.edu or my cell phone at 585-503-7546. I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Michael Borrelli

Apple Growers - Please Help a Grad Student by Filling out a Short Online Survey on Climate Change

November 30, -0001

My name is Michael Borrelli and I am a Masters of Arts candidate at Buffalo State College in the Great Lakes Ecosystem Science Program and I am conducting research on how climate change is impacting the apple industry in Western and Central New York. Having grown up on a family farm near Rochester, I have always had an interest in how changes in the environment and climate impact the natural and agricultural world.

In order to identify these impacts I need to reach out to apple growers, like yourselves, who are experiencing these impacts and challenges first hand. Your observations, stories and experiences are essential to this project. Working with Craig Kahlke from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, I have identified key questions for analysis that I would like your help in answering in the form of a 10 to 15 minute web survey located at :
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/orchard_survey

If you would prefer to do the survey on paper, face to face, or over the phone; my contact information is at the end of this email and we can set up a time. The data collected from the survey will be kept confidential and be used to complete my graduate thesis. Any results will be shared with the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
The goal of this research will be to identify what climate impacts apple growers have experienced in their orchards over time. Another secondary goal will be to identify what measures orchardists are taking to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of a changing climate going forward and how apple growers view its impact on their businesses and lively hood.

I would like to thank you for your interest in my research and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns via email at borrelm01@mail.buffalostate.edu or my cell phone at 585-503-7546. I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Michael Borrelli

Subscribe Now for Harvest Maturity Reports

November 30, -0001

Now is the time to renew your subscriptions to the Harvest Maturity Reports if you have not done so. Your $60 subscription (if in the Lake Ontario Fruit Program counties of Niagara, Monroe, Orleans, Oswego and Wayne) gets you critical information on a weekly basis during apple and pear harvest. Fruit samples are collected early in the week from across the region and sampled for internal ethylene concentration, firmness, starch/iodine, and total soluble solids. Results are summarized and recommendations for harvest windows of major apple and pear varieties are either faxed or emailed to subscribers late in the week. Satellite subscribers outside of the four county regions can receive reports as well, for $100.

January 0000

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Asian Pears

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Cherries

Currants

Currants

Gooseberries

Gooseberries

Nectarines

Nectarines

Peaches

Peaches

Pears

Pears

Plums

Plums

Raspberries / Blackberries

Raspberries / Blackberries

Strawberries

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Unusual Fruit

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Upcoming Events

From Seed to Success: Turn Your Idea into an Actionable Plan

January 7, 2025 : Session 1: The 30,000-foot view, what are you trying to accomplish? What resources do you have?

Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)

  • Session 1: The 30,000-foot view, what are you trying to accomplish? What resources do you have?

January 14, 2025 : Session 2: Introduction to Project Management

Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)

  • Session 2: Introduction to Project Management

January 21, 2025 : Session 3: How Business Planning Becomes a Business Plan

Unit 1: Introduction to Business Planning and the Business Plan (Liz Higgins)

  • Session 3: How Business Planning Becomes a Business Plan

January 28, 2025 : Session 4: Your Market and Your Competition

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)

 Session 4: Your Market and Your Competition


February 4, 2025 : Session 5: Revenue and Product Mix to Achieve Your Goals

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)

  • Session 5:  Revenue and Product Mix to Achieve Your Goals

February 11, 2025 : Session 6: Marketing Plan and Evaluation of Marketing Efforts

Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Farm (Bonnie Nelsen)

  • Session 6: Marketing Plan and Evaluation of Marketing Efforts

February 18, 2025 : Session 7: The Basics of Financial Statements

Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)

  • Session 7: The Basics of Financial Statements


February 25, 2025 : Session 8: Enhancing Confidence in Your Numbers

Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)

  • Session 8: Enhancing Confidence in Your Numbers



March 4, 2025 : Session 9: Using Financial Statements and Financial Information to Plan and Evaluate an Enterprise

Unit 3: Developing a Financial Plan for Your Farm Business (Steve Hadcock)

  • Session 9: Using Financial Statements and Financial Information to Plan and Evaluate an Enterprise

Farm Grant Literacy Workshop

January 16, 2025 : Session 1: Understanding Farm Grant Opportunities

GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!


January 23, 2025 : Session 2: Identifying Farm Grant Opportunities

GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!


January 30, 2025 : Session 3: How To Read and Interpret Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!


February 13, 2025 : Session 4: Panelists

GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!


February 20, 2025 : Session 5: Panelists

GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!


February 27, 2025 : Session 6: Panelists

GRANT MONEY FOR YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! THIS WORKSHOP WILL SHOW YOU HOW!

Cornell Fruit Winter Webinars

January 17, 2025 : Week 1: Digging into Pruning and Soil Health

Speakers: Mario Miranda Sazo (CCE LOFP) and Dr. Debbie Aller (Cornell CALS) 


January 31, 2025 : Week 2: Cider Apples - Mechanized Harvesting and Sweet Cider Food Safety

Speakers: Dr. Greg Peck (Cornell CALS) and Dr. Randy Worobo (Cornell CALS)


Event Offers DEC Credits

February 14, 2025 : Week 3: The Value of "Eco-Friendly" Marketing - OMRI Certification, Red Tomato, EcoApple, NYS Grown

Speakers: Liz Higgins (CCE ENYCHP), Josh Morgenthau (Fish Kill Farms), Jim Bittner (Bittner-Singer Orchard, and Kevin Clark (Rose Hill Farm)


Event Offers DEC Credits

February 28, 2025 : Week 4: Biopesticides and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for Berries

Speaker(s): McKenzie Schessl (Cornell AgriTech) and Samantha Willden (Cornell AgriTech)


Event Offers DEC Credits

March 14, 2025 : Week 5: St. Peachtrick's Day: Stone Fruit Insect and Disease Management

Speakers: Dr. George Sundin (Michigan State University) and Brett Blaauw (University of Georgia)

Announcements

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:


23 Jan - Farm Grant Literacy Workshop - Webinar, 12pm

30 Jan - Farm Grant Literacy Workshop - Webinar, 12pm

31 Jan - Cornell Fruit Winter Webinars: Week 2 - 11am-12:30pm, Free, Register Now!

Feb 4-5, 2025 - Western NY Fruit Conference - Rochester, Register Now!


13 Feb - Farm Grant Literacy Workshop - Webinar, 12pm

14 Feb - Cornell Winter Fruit Webinars: Week 3 - 11am-12:30pm, Free, Register Now!

20 Feb - Farm Grant Literacy Workshop - Webinar, 12pm

26 Feb - Advisory Committee Meeting - 10-3pm, Ogden, Free, Register Now!

27 Feb - Farm Grant Literacy Workshop - Webinar, 12pm

28 Feb - Cornell Winter Fruit Webinars: Week 3 - 11am-12:30pm, Free, Register Now!

13 Mar - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Pre-Exam Training - 12:45-5pm, Wayne CCE, Register Now

14 Mar - Cornell Winter Fruit Webinars: Week 3 - 11am-12:30pm, Free, Register Now!

17 Mar - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Pre-Exam Training - 1-5pm, Wayne CCE, Register Now

7 & 8 May - 2025 Respirator Fit Testing Clinics - CCE Orleans


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.