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

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

Events - month view

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December 2017

No Events Scheduled at this Time

January 2018

2018 Becker Forum: Farm Employment Practices - Planning for the Future

January 15, 2018
8:30 AM registration, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Syracuse, NY

2018 Becker Forum: Farm Employment Practices - Planning for the Future
The 2018 Becker Forum will take place on Monday, January 15, one day prior to the opening of the Empire State Producers Expo. The forum will focus on agricultural workforce issues with three general themes: securing a legal agricultural workforce, labor law compliance and H-2A program topics.

2018 Empire State Producers EXPO

Event Offers DEC Credits

January 16 - January 18, 2018
1.25 hr sessions throughout each day
Syracuse, NY

2018 Empire State Producers EXPO
The 2018 Empire State Producers Expo combines the major fruit, flower and vegetable associations of New York State in order to provide a comprehensive trade show and educational conference for New York producers, as well as the surrounding states and Eastern Canada. 

FSMA Grower Training Courses

January 16 - January 20, 2018

Who Should Attend? Click here for FSMA Produce Safety Rule Timeline. Commercial fruit & vegetable growers who gross more than 500K/yr need to be in compliance for most produce by this January, January 2019 for >250K-500K, and January 2020 for >25K-250K.

Click view details for more info and registration links.

Produce Grower Food Safety Training - FSMA and GAPs/HGAPs

January 30, 2018 : FSMA and GAPs/HGAPs Produce Safety Alliance Training Course

January 31, 2018 : Workshop on Farm Food Safety Plan Writing

FSMA and GAPs/HGAPs Produce Safety Alliance Training Course
This program is for fruit and vegetable growers who need Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) certification or GAPs/HGAPs (Good Agricultural Practices/ Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices) training required by buyers (i.e. 3rd-party food safety audits based on a written food safety plan) or if you are just interested in learning about produce safety.

Over the course of the training, certified Produce Safety Alliance trainers will cover content contained in these seven modules:
  • Introduction to Produce Safety
  • Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training
  • Soil Amendments
  • Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use 
  • Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water) 
  • Postharvest Handling and Sanitation 
  • How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan
An optional farm food safety plan writing workshop is offered on January 31. Separate registration required.

February 2018

2018 Lake Ontario Winter Fruit School Lockport

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 5, 2018
8am - 4:30pm
Lockport, NY

2018 Lake Ontario Winter Fruit School Lockport
Regional winter education meetings for commercial tree fruit & small fruit industries in Western NY.

2.75 DEC credits available.
Bring your DEC Applicator ID. If you need DEC credits, please arrive on time to sign the roster and plan to stay all day. DEC will not allow partial credit.

Click details for registration.

2018 Lake Ontario Winter Fruit School

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 5, 2018 : Winter Fruit School Lockport

February 6, 2018 : Winter Fruit School Newark

2.75 DEC re-certification credits available the exact number is being determined

Bring your DEC Applicator ID. If you need DEC credits, please arrive on time to sign the roster and plan to stay all day. DEC will not allow partial credit.

Program (speakers & topics confirmed, order of presentations differs by day see agendas below)

  • Protected Culture: Low Tunnels, High Tunnels, Exclusion Netting and How to Control SWD in These Situations - Laura McDermott, CCE-ENYCHP
  • Cherry Fruit Fly - Margaret Kelly, NYS Dept. of Ag & Mkts
  • Launch of the New Precision Smart App - Poliana Francescatto & Jaume Lordan, Cornell
  • IPM update - Tess Grasswitz, CCE-LOF
  • FSMA Update/Requirements - Craig Kahlke, CCE-LOF
  • Building a Fruiting Wall for Future Technology - Mario Miranda Sazo, CCE-LOF
  • Orchard Soil Health - David Granatstein, WSU
  • New York Apple Association—Marketing New York Apples (summary of promotional activities for 2017 crop year and NYAA's strategic work plan) - Cynthia Haskins, NYAA
  • Labor Update - Brett Kast (Niagara County) & Liz Madison (Wayne County)
  • Using Whole-Farm Revenue Protection with Yield Insurance for Fruit Production - Jenny Ifft, Cornell
  • Importance of Bacterial Strains in Cultivar Response to Fire Blight - Awais Khan, Cornell
  • Hail Netting: Is it Right for Your Farm? - Liz Higgins, CCE-ENYCHP
  • Hispanic Worker Training - Kat McCarthy (Niagara County) & Anu Rangarajan (Wayne County), Cornell
  • Orchard Weed Mgmt - Davis Granatstein, WSU
  • Round Table Unanswered questions/discussion any of the day's talks

2018 Lake Ontario Winter Fruit School Newark

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 6, 2018
8am - 4:30pm
Newark, NY

Regional winter education meetings for commercial tree fruit & small fruit industries in Western NY.

2.75 DEC credits available.
Bring your DEC Applicator ID. If you need DEC credits, please arrive on time to sign the roster and plan to stay all day. DEC will not allow partial credit.

Check details for registration.

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention

February 21 - February 22, 2018
Niagara Falls, ON

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention is an annual gathering of horticultural crop producers involved in the production of fruits and vegetables.

Postponed - Lake Ontario Fruit Team Communications Focus Group

February 27, 2018
AM - details TBA
Hilton, NY

This event has been postponed - registration will reopen when a new date is set.

Please join us and share your thoughts on how the Lake Ontario Fruit Team should best communicate with you, the stakeholders!  Technology information overload is upon us - the Lake Ontario Fruit Team wants to use the platforms that best serve you best.  We need your feedback and ideas!

Cider Tasting & Sensory Education for Apple Growers

February 27, 2018
Lunch - 12PM; Meeting - 1:00PM - 2:30PM (Communications Focus Group Meeting -AM)
Hilton, NY

This tasting, led by grower-cider makers from the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario, will give an overview of the components of orchard-based cider, and illustrate why older varieties and cider apples are prized in fermentation.
Register by February 9, 2018.


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

2024 LOF Advisory Committee Meeting - WNY Winter Fruit Conference Topics

December 6, 2024
Rochester, NY

Please join us for our winter advisory meeting, join the team and provide input for the 3rd Annual WNY Tree Fruit Conference on February 4-5 in Rochester. Please pre-register by December 2th.

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course Yates County

December 18, 2024
Penn Yan, NY

Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety as well as growers who are covered by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule or who anticipate being covered in the future should consider taking this course.

The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires 'At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.'

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

Announcements

Fire blight management survey

Understanding your perspective on fire blight management systems.

Your input on fire blight management systems is crucial for guiding future research efforts - please help us out by completing a quick survey at https://opinion.wsu.edu/AppleManagement/

Hearing your views and experience from the field will be very valuable in making our research and recommendations realistic and actionable. PLUS you will receive an electronic gift card for $25. The survey will only take 20 min of your time.

Your opinions are important to us, even if you did not have issues with fire blight control and antibiotic resistance in your orchard.


Business Updates



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

2024 Events:

6 Dec - Lake Ontario Fruit Program Advisory Committee Meeting - 10am -2pm, Gates Public Library, register now 


2025 Events:



Feb 4-5, 2025 - Western NY Fruit Conference - DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Rochester

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:




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.