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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Events - month view

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December 2022

Farm Food Safety Meeting

December 5, 2022
9am - 4pm
Wayne CCE Building
Newark, NY

Farm Food Safety Meeting

This meeting will focus on updates and key considerations in farm food safety. Topics to be covered include agricultural water quality assessments, traceability procedures, tips for improving flow and efficiency in wash/pack facilities, cleaning and sanitation updates, plus plenty of discussion to answer your questions. 

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? Zoom Series

December 5, 2022 : Looking at the Big Financial Picture for Your Farm
12:30 - 1:30pm
Online, Registration Required for this Free Webinar Series

Your farm's big-3 financial records (balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flow) and how to use them to assess your overall financial situation. This information will help you assess what types of investments are likely to be viable for your farm business and whether or not you are likely to be able to use credit to finance that investment.  We will specifically cover Farm Profitability, Cash Flow, and Key Financial Ratios.

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? Zoom Series

December 6, 2022 : Business Strategy and the Farm Business Value Chain
12:30 - 1:30pm
Webinar

How do you create value?  How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?  In other words - what is your farm's business strategy?  Your investments should be in line with your strategy.  Different business strategies will result in investments in different parts of the Farm Business Value Chain.  Farm Business Value Chain - full range of activities needed to create a product or service.

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? Zoom Series

December 7, 2022 : Using Your Farm's Financial Data to Make Management Decisions
12:30 - 1:30pm
Webinar

Identifying the Enterprises in Your Value Chain.  Your Profit Centers and Cost Centers.  We will cover: Direct vs Indirect Costs and Cost Allocation and Variable vs Fixed Costs and Relevant Range (when does a fixed cost become a variable cost?)

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? Zoom Series

December 8, 2022 : Operating Budgets and Strategic Planning
12:30 - 1:30pm
Webinar

Operating budgets are the overall financial plan for the business.  You can use a budget based on your current situation as the base to model new scenarios.

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? Zoom Series

December 12, 2022 : Enterprise Budgets
12:30 - 1:30pm
Webinar

It is more time-consuming to develop detailed budgets for your enterprises, but it is worthwhile to do this for areas where you are considering making major investments.  We will demonstrate how to move from an operating budget to an enterprise budget to model specific scenarios within that enterprise. 

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? Zoom Series

December 13, 2022 : 5 Step Decision-making Process for Capital Projects and Long-term Investments
12:30 - 1:30pm
Webinar

Introduces a structured process for a manager to go through to decide among options for long-term investments, projects or changes to the farm business.

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? Zoom Series

December 14, 2022 : Cost Volume Profit Analysis and Sensitivity Analysis
12:30 - 1:30pm
Webinar

As you change your prices, volume of sales or costs of production how does your profit change?  What is your break-even point and what output level do you need to achieve a target income? We will also cover sensitivity analysis that will help you see how your results will vary over a range of likely scenarios from best case to worst case.  This will help you assess the riskiness of your plan.

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? Zoom Series

December 15, 2022 : Capital Budgeting Tools - Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, and Payback Period
12:30 - 1:30pm
Webinar

Capital budgeting is defined as the process used to determine whether capital assets are worth investing in. it's the process of asking: is an asset worth the resources it requires?  Capital assets are usually long-term investments like new equipment, facilities, and other infrastructure upgrades. By incorporating strategically planned capital budgeting into their financial processes, companies can more effectively determine and prioritize which projects, programs and other investment assets could be most financially beneficial in the long-term.

Annual LOF Advisory Committee Meeting

December 16, 2022
10am - 3pm
Ogden Town Hall
Spencerport, NY

Annual LOF Advisory Committee Meeting

Please join us in-person for our annual winter advisory meeting where you can spend time with the team reviewing the team's educational programs and most importantly providing us feedback. Please pre-registration by December 14th at 1 PM.

January 2023

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? 1-day, hands-on skills class

January 11, 2023
9am - 4pm
Orleans CCE
Albion, NY

The Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team and the Lake Ontario Fruit Team are offering a 1-day, hands-on course at 5 locations in NYS in January and February for tree fruit farms on using farm financial information and other resources to make decisions about long-term investments or changes to their business.  We will apply the techniques covered in the 8-part webinar series in December to scenarios using sample financial data from fruit farms in NYS.

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? 1-day, hands-on skills class

January 20, 2023
9am - 4pm
CCE Wayne County - Note New Date!
Newark, NY

The Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team and the Lake Ontario Fruit Team are offering a 1-day, hands-on course at 5 locations in NYS in January and February for tree fruit farms on using farm financial information and other resources to make decisions about long-term investments or changes to their business.  We will apply the techniques covered in the 8-part webinar series in December to scenarios using sample financial data from fruit farms in NYS.

February 2023

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Training & Food Safety Plan-Writing Workshop

February 2 - February 3, 2023
8:45AM-~4:30PM on February 2, 8:45AM-~2PM on February 3
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County
Newark, NY

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Training & Food Safety Plan-Writing Workshop

Goals of this workshop:

  • Understand how GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices) impact produce safety, and how you can improve practices on your farm to reduce the risk of microbial contamination
  • Learn the difference between a FSMA Inspection and a GAPs audit, and learn what is needed to have a USDA GAP/GHP audit and the 2 types (Basic & Harmonized)
  • Begin writing a farm food safety plan that complies with a USDA GAP/GHP Audit
  •  

This workshop is targeted at Mott's growers who need to have a successful GAP audit for the 2023 harvest. However, all farms and organizations are invited to attend.  

We will have several breaks, including a lunch break, scattered throughout the day, but feel free to step away whenever you need to. Lunch and snacks provided. Note: All times are approximate. Time spent on each topic varies depending on audience and questions/discussion. There will be time for questions at the end of each section and a final opportunity for questions when we close for the day.  

Instructors Confirmed: Craig Kahlke (CCE-LOF), Robert Hadad (CCE-CVP), Caroline Boutard-Hunt (CCE-Yates), Judy Wright (CCE-Seneca), and Representatives from NYS Dept. of Ag & Mkts.

How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? 1-day, hands-on skills class

February 7, 2023
9am - 4pm
Cornell Hudson Valley Lab
Highland, NY

The Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team and the Lake Ontario Fruit Team are offering a 1-day, hands-on course at 5 locations in NYS in January and February for tree fruit farms on using farm financial information and other resources to make decisions about long-term investments or changes to their business.  We will apply the techniques covered in the 8-part webinar series in December to scenarios using sample financial data from fruit farms in NYS.

Apple Leafcurling Midge IPM - Webinar

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 16, 2023
1:30pm - 2:35pm

In recent years, the apple leafcurling midge (ALCM) has become an increasingly problematic pest in many orchards across the northeast.

LOF's Business Management Specialist Position Evaluations

February 17, 2023
Please arrive 5 minutes early 10:15pm - 11am & 1pm - 1:45pm
Irondequoit Public Library
Rochester, NY

Please join us in this very important process of participating in the evaluation of our 2 finalists for our Business Management Specialist position. 

Western NY Fruit Conference - "State of the Industry"

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 27 - February 28, 2023
Monday 12 PM-5PM, with optional banquet dinner. Tuesday 8AM-5PM
RIT Inn & Conference Center
Henrietta, NY

Apologies, but we are at capacity for the program on Tuesday, Feb 28. There are only Monday (half day) registrations available. If you want to register one or more from your organization for the half day program on Monday, Feb 27, please contact Natalie Mrzywka at 585-798-4265, ext. 122 or nlm53@cornell.edu ASAP.

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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

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 ยง 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

Electric Weeding in Organic Perennial Crops

January 14, 2025

Join us for a free webinar on electric weeding in organic perennial crops.

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 

11 Dec - Labor Roadshow VIII - Hudson Valley Community College, $75, Register Now

13 Dec - Labor Roadshow VIII - Jordan Hall, Cornell AgriTech, $75, Register Now

17 Dec - Labor Roadshow VIII additional topics - Webinar, 12pm - 2pm, $75, Register now


18 Dec - Labor Roadshow VIII additional topics - Webinar, 12pm - 2pm,  $75, Register now

2025 Events:



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

17 Jan - 27 Feb - Ag Supervisory Leadership Course 104 - Register Now

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

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

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


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

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

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