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?

Not an Enrollee? Enroll Now!

Online Enrollment Form

Not an Enrollee? Enroll Now!

Online Enrollment Form

19 Events - year view

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January 19

2019 Becker Forum - Registration now open - follow the link

January 14, 2019
8:30am - 5pm
Liverpool, NY

Farm Labor: Planning for the Future

2019 Empire State Producers EXPO

Event Offers DEC Credits

January 15 - January 17, 2019
1.25 hr sessions throughout each day
Syracuse, NY

2019 Empire State Producers EXPO
The 2019 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. 

Pre-Exam Training & Test to Become A Certified Pesticide Applicator

January 15, 2019
12pm - 4:30pm
Newark, NY

Cornell Cooperative Extension Wayne County & DEC are proud to offer a Pre-Exam Training and Test to Become A Certified Pesticide Applicator

Agriculture Specialists Mike Stanyard and Tess Grasswitz will review core concepts and commodity specific items in preparation for the exam.
Manual orders due by February 11.
Pre-register by March 4.

All participants must have experience working on their own farm, or throught employment on another farm. Participants must register directly with DEC to take the Exam and have any questions on exam eligibility answered by DEC representatives.

click on more details for registration & order info.

Ag Workforce Development Council's Labor Road Show II

January 28 - January 31, 2019
9am - 4pm

Postponed: Labor Road Show II today January 31 in Canandaigua is postponed due to dangerous weather

Experts from farms, private industry and the university will focus on critical topics that affect all farm employers including: employee housing, onboarding, sexual harassment prevention, employee engagement, safety, wage and hour laws, and worker care.



February 19

2019 Lake Ontario Winter Fruit School - registration extended

February 4, 2019 : Winter Fruit School Lockport

February 5, 2019 : Winter Fruit School Newark

Winter Fruit School Lockport
1.5 DEC re-certification credits available
     Category                        Category                   Credits
     Research/Demo                10                             1.50
     Agricultural Plant               1a                             1.50
     Fruit                                   22                             1.50
     Regulatory                         9                               1.50

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.

Presentations (order of presentations differs by day see agendas pdf below)

  • Managing of Grafted Apple Trees to One-, Two-, or More Leaders/Tree - Mario Miranda Sazo
  • Hailnetting and Reflective Fabrics - CCE - LOF Team
  • Labor update - NYS Hort Society
  • The Next Step in Precision Chemical Thinning - Terence Robinson
  • New York Apple Association - Marketing New York Apples - Cynthia Haskins
  • Progress on developing management strategies for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and Spotted Wing Drosophila - Peter Jentsch
  • The occurrence of an endemic Nosema pathogen in Brown Marmorated Stink Bug populations in NY and surrounding states - Carrie Preston
  • LOF mission, purpose, & impact - Craig Kahlke
  • Nutrient Management in Berry Crops - Marvin Pritts
  • Introduction to New Berry Specialist, Harvest NY Team - Esther Kibbe
  • IPM update - Tess Grasswitz
  • Update on new invasive species: European cherry Fruit Fly and Spotted Lanternfly - Margaret Kelly
  • From the Soil Up: Integrated Nutritional Management for Quality and Bitter Pit Resistance in Apple Production - John Kempf
  • Panel on Retail Trends from Apple Wholesalers

If your farm is not enrolled in fruit through CCE of Wayne, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, or as "Satellite" enrollee, the pre-registration fee is $100, or $145 at the door for In region (you farm in one of the above counties) or $185 or $230 at the door for Satellite (farms from county different from above listed).

Check with your county CCE for enrollment status; enrollment forms can be found at
https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/enrollment.php .

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course

February 13, 2019
8:00 AM registration/refreshments, 8:30 AM starts - 5:30 PM adjourns
Albion, NY

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course
Who Should Attend

Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. 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.'

Registration/refreshments at 8am
Program starts promptly at 8:30am
Adjourns at 5:30pm

62nd IFTA Annual Conference

February 24 - February 28, 2019
Rochester, NY

62nd IFTA Annual Conference

Spotted Lanternfly Webinars

February 26 - March 4, 2019

Spotted Lanternfly Webinars
The Northeaster IPM Center, in conjunction with the New York State IPM Program and NY Department of Agriculture and Markets, is hosting a series of commodity-specific webinars on the Spotted Lanternfly.



March 19

Pre-Exam Training & Test to Become A Certified Pesticide Applicator

March 13 - March 15, 2019
12pm - 4:30pm
Newark, NY

Cornell Cooperative Extension Wayne County & DEC are proud to offer a Pre-Exam Training and Test to Become A Certified Pesticide Applicator

Agriculture Specialists Mike Stanyard and Tess Grasswitz will review core concepts and commodity specific items in preparation for the exam.
Manual orders due by February 11.
Pre-register by March 4.

All participants must have experience working on their own farm, or throught employment on another farm. Participants must register directly with DEC to take the Exam and have any questions on exam eligibility answered by DEC representatives.

click on view details for registration & order info.

Lake Ontario Fruit Advisory Meeting

March 19, 2019
9:30am - 3:30pm
Spencerport, NY

Please join us for our annual winter advisory meeting where you can spend time with the Lake Ontario Fruit Program team reviewing the team's educational programs and most importantly providing us feedback. Advisory meetings are important for the team to ensure that our programs and research are aligned with the industry's needs.

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course

March 21, 2019
8:00 AM registration/refreshments, 8:30 AM starts - 5:30 PM adjourns
Newark, NY

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course
Who Should Attend

Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. 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.'

Registration/refreshments at 8am
Program starts promptly at 8:30am
Adjourns at 5:30pm

Labor Road Show II

March 21, 2019
8:30am - 4:00pm
Warsaw, NY

If you have employees, then you need to be at the New York Labor Road Show II. Experts from farms, private industry and the university will focus on critical topics that affect all farm employers including: employee housing, onboarding, sexual harassment prevention, employee engagement, safety, wage and hour laws, and worker care.

Finger Lakes Craft Beverage Conference, Trade Show, and Field Trip

March 26 - March 27, 2019
See program for details

Finger Lakes Craft Beverage Conference, Trade Show, and Field Trip
Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension, offers breweries and cideries timely educational topics with a focus on marketing, breakout tracks for topics specific to breweries and cideries, and plenty of opportunity to network with others in their industry from across New York and the Northeast.

In-depth School on Precision Crop Load Management and Plant Growth Regulator Use in Apples

March 26 - March 27, 2019
Tue - 8:30am - 6:30pm, Wed - 8:30am - 5pm
Syracuse, NY

This in-depth school for tree fruit growers, extension educators, and crop consultants is a two-day school focusing on crop load management and the use of plant growth regulators.  In addition to Cornell speakers, the meeting will feature invited scientists from Washington State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Michigan State University. Industry representatives from MOOG, Valent BioSciences, and AgroFresh will participate on March 26 and 27.

Tree Fruit Nutrition Training with John Kempf

March 5, 2019 : Webinar: Integrated Nutritional Management for Pome Fruit Production

March 30, 2019 : Orchard Walk with John Kempf

Webinar: Integrated Nutritional Management for Pome Fruit Production
Based on the positive feedback we received from several growers who attended John Kempf's talks at the recent 2019 CCE LOF Winter Fruit Schools, we plan to offer two additional educational opportunities to continue learning about tree fruit nutrition and much more in March 5 and 30. There will be a video conference group discussion (webinar type titled "Integrated Nutritional Management for Pome Fruit Production with John Kempf") to answer some of the questions John didn't have time for. The webinar will be conducted on Tuesday March 5 at 2pm Eastern Time.


April 19

Respirator Fit Testing Clinics in WNY/Finger Lakes 2019

April 2 - May 16, 2019
Appointment by schedule only; SCHEDULING BEGINS 4-5 wks before the clinic date

During the clinics NYCAMH will provide medical evaluations; respirator fit tests; and WPS compliant trainings on how to properly inspect, put on, take off, fit, seal check, use, clean, maintain, and store respirators. Clinic appointments are one hour long, and groups of 4 workers can be seen at a time.

2019 Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training (Wayne County)

April 9, 2019
8:30 AM - 12:30 PM English Session / 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Spanish Session
Newark, NY

2019 Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training (Wayne County)
Just like last year, Special Permits (SP) will only be issued for 11 specific pesticide labels and SP trainees will have to pass a test. This will relieve the certified pesticide applicator from "on-site within voice contact" supervision of non-certified pesticide applicators when they are handling federally-restricted-use pesticides for which they hold a Special Permit. The labels that will be covered include Lorsban Advanced, Endigo ZC, Warrior II with Zeon Technology, Agri-Mek SC, Beseige, Gramoxone SL 2.0, Leverage 360, Danitol 2.4EC, Mustang Maxx, Asana XL, and Lannate LV.

Workers requiring general pesticide training/Agricultural Worker Protection Standard Handler training who do not need special permits are welcome to take the class; they will not be tested and will receive a course participation certificate.

2019 Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training (Orleans County)

April 10, 2019
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM English & Spanish sessions
Albion, NY

2019 Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training (Orleans County)
Just like last year, Special Permits (SP) will only be issued for 11 specific pesticide labels and SP trainees will have to pass a test. This will relieve the certified pesticide applicator from "on-site within voice contact" supervision of non-certified pesticide applicators when they are handling federally-restricted-use pesticides for which they hold a Special Permit. The labels that will be covered include Lorsban Advanced, Endigo ZC, Warrior II with Zeon Technology, Agri-Mek SC, Beseige, Gramoxone SL 2.0, Leverage 360, Danitol 2.4EC, Mustang Maxx, Asana XL, and Lannate LV.

Workers requiring general pesticide training/Agricultural Worker Protection Standard Handler training who do not need special permits are welcome to take the class; they will not be tested and will receive a course participation certificate.

Cornell Organic Symposium

April 24, 2019
1pm - 5pm
Ithaca, NY

Cornell Organic Symposium
This year the Symposium will have a weed management theme and feature weed ecologist Chuck Mohler as keynote speaker. Similar to last year, the Symposium will include a poster session (with snacks!).

CleanSweepNY Spring 2019 - NYSDEC Region 9

April 30 - May 2, 2019
Call to Schedule
Multiple Locations, NY

CleanSweepNY Spring 2019 - NYSDEC Region 9
Spring 2019 CleanSweepNY collection event that will target the following counties within NYSDEC's Region 9: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara and Wyoming.

The deadline for registration is Friday, April 12th so please request and send in the completed registration form quickly.



May 19

No Events Scheduled at this Time



June 19

Indoor Horticultural Training for Hispanic Employees & Middle Managers

June 20, 2019
Wayne Co - 8:30am-11am; Orleans Co - 1pm-3:30pm

This free training will consist of an intensive two and a half hours training for Hispanic employees and middle managers in Wayne and Orleans County next week (same program at boths locations, am and pm, same day). The program is intended to continue improving technical, human resource, and leadership skills of Western NY Hispanic orchard employees.


July 19

5th CCE LOF Hispanic Summer Fruit Tour

July 13, 2019
2pm - 6:30pm

5th CCE LOF Hispanic Summer Fruit Tour
This tour (including food, cake, and beverages to be offered at the end of the tour) is FREE thanks to funds and support provided by the Cornell Small Farms Program and by Orchard Dale Fruit Farm. Pre-registration is not required for the tour. For additional questions, contact Mario Miranda Sazo mrm67@cornell.edu, (315) 719-1318.

Click Details for Tour Agenda

Drone Demo Sponsored by the Cornell Khan Pathology Lab, Apple Leaf LLC, & Lake Ontario Fruit Team

July 15, 2019
8:30am Registration, 9am - 3:45pm Program
Alton, NY

On July 15th the Cornell Khan Pathology Lab, in association with Apple Leaf, will be hosting an orchard Drone Demonstration at the VanDeWalle Sharps Farm in Alton NY.

The Khan Lab has been gathering orchard data and developing interpretive programs for tree stresses and they'd like to share and showcase the new technologies and discuss its practical applications.

2019 Lake Ontario Fruit Summer Fruit Tour

July 18, 2019
All day - see pdf for detailed program
Youngstown, NY

2019 Lake Ontario Fruit Summer Fruit Tour
The Cornell Cooperative Extension Lake Ontario Summer Fruit Tour in Western NY will be held on July 18. We will feature tree fruit production technology and grower innovations on cutting edge farms in Niagara County.

LOF IPM Specialist Interview - NOTE ADJUSTED TIMES!

July 25, 2019
11AM-1PM
Rochester, NY

Please join us Thursday, July 25 for the LOF IPM specialist interview.  We have one finalist candidate who will give a one hour seminar open to all at 11 AM.  Following the seminar, lunch will be provided.  Please register for this free event.

Preventing Sexual Harassment on Farms - Tools for Employers - Orleans County

July 29, 2019
9:30am - 1pm
Albion, NY

Preventing Sexual Harassment on Farms - Tools for Employers:
Updates and Resources for the NYS Sexual Harassment Regulations.


All New York employers are required to have a sexual harassment prevention training policy in place since October 2018 and they are required to train all employees by October 9, 2019.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators are planning a series of meetings and webinars to help farm employers learn about the requirements and resources they can use to get into compliance.

We have prepared new, farm-friendly training materials for farm employers to use. These materials will meet the state's training requirements. Please join the meeting to learn more.

In the Lake Ontario Fruit region, meetings will take place at the Orleans County CCE office on Monday, July 29th and at the Wayne County CCE office on Tuesday, July 30th. Click "View Details" for more information and to register.


Preventing Sexual Harassment on Farms - Tools for Employers - Wayne County

July 30, 2019
9:30am - 1pm
Newark, NY

Preventing Sexual Harassment on Farms - Tools for Employers:
Updates and Resources for the NYS Sexual Harassment Regulations.


All New York employers are required to have a sexual harassment prevention training policy in place since October 2018 and they are required to train all employees by October 9, 2019.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators are planning a series of meetings and webinars to help farm employers learn about the requirements and resources they can use to get into compliance.

We have prepared new, farm-friendly training materials for farm employers to use. These materials will meet the state's training requirements. Please join the meeting to learn more.

In the Lake Ontario Fruit region, meetings will take place at the Orleans County CCE office on Monday, July 29th and at the Wayne County CCE office on Tuesday, July 30th. Click "View Details" for more information and to register.




August 19

2019 Young Fruit Growers Study Trip

August 5 - August 7, 2019
3 Days

2019 Young Fruit Growers Study Trip
Online Registration is Now Open for NextGen Young Fruit Grower Study Trip to Hudson Valley, NY!

Hotel group rates final extension until Wednesday July 17th.

The 4th annual Young Fruit Grower Study Trip will be held in the Hudson Valley region of New York August 5th-7th.

The Young Fruit Growers of WNY, in partnership with the LOF Program, have organized an excellent itinerary. Stops will include innovative grower orchards, farm markets, and packing houses in the Hudson Valley. Participants will learn about grafting, hail netting, balancing new varieties, handling a transition, and more.

The study tour is focused on helping next generation growers develop the knowledge and skills needed to take their family farms into the future.

Online registration is now open! Click "View Details" for more information about the event and to register!

Crop Insurance Webinar: Types of Crop Insurance Available for Apple Growers

August 22, 2019
12:00PM - 12:30PM

Join Mark Wiltberger from the CCE LOFP for a discussion about crop insurance and risk management topics for fruit growers.

1st Pre-Harvest Meeting - Wayne County

August 28, 2019
4:30pm - 6:00pm
North Rose, NY

Our 1st Pre-Harvest Meeting will take place in Wayne County on August 28 at Smith Bros. Farms in North Rose, NY.


September 19

2nd Pre-Harvest Meeting - Orleans County

September 4, 2019
4:30pm - 6:00pm
Medina, NY

Our 2nd Pre-Harvest Meeting will take place in Orleans County on September 4 at Ledge Rock Farms in Medina, NY.

Crop Insurance Webinar: Record-Keeping and Preparing Your Farm for Apple Crop Insurance

September 5, 2019
12:00PM - 12:30PM

Join Mark Wiltberger from the CCE LOFP for a discussion about crop insurance and risk management topics for fruit growers.


October 19

No Events Scheduled at this Time



November 19

2019 WNY Master Class for Bilingual Orchard Crew Members

November 9 - December 13, 2019
TBA

WNY Master Class Schedule

Labor Road Show III

November 18 - November 22, 2019
8:30am-4pm

Labor Road Show III
All New York farm employers are affected by new laws that take effect beginning January 1, 2020! New York Labor Road Show III is your opportunity to learn about the changes and position your business for compliance and success in a very different environment.

Farm Transition Planning - Preserving Your Legacy: Workshop November 19 in Monroe County

November 19, 2019
8:30am-12:30pm
East Rochester, NY

Agriculture is a vital piece of the New York State economy. Our farmers continue to provide jobs and fresh, locally-grown food while helping preserve our land on approximately 7 million acres - nearly a quarter of the state's area. As an economic sector, agriculture contributes over $2.4 billion to the state's gross domestic product and, despite challenges such as fluctuating prices, seasonality, climate or labor issues that are so characteristic to this industry, our farms remain strong.


December 19

Effective Management of Farm Employees: Two-Day Master Class December 9-10 in Orleans County

December 9 - December 10, 2019
10am-4pm
Albion, NY

The Effective Management of Farm Employees Master Class is for you if you are a new farm owner or farm manager or you want to improve your skills in HR management. This program will give you the skills you need to effectively hire, train and supervise your farm's employees. The class will be conducted at the Orleans County CCE office on December 9th & 10th.

2019 Lake Ontario Fruit Advisory Meeting

December 12, 2019
tentatively 9:30am-3:30pm
Spencerport, NY

Please join us for our annual winter advisory meeting where you can spend time with the Lake Ontario Fruit Program team reviewing the team's educational programs and most importantly providing us feedback. Advisory meetings are important for the team to ensure that our programs and research are aligned with the industry's needs.


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

2026 Virtual Orchard Meetup Series

February 27, 2026 : Session 1 - The Impacts of Weather on Pome Fruit Quality and Storability: Lessons Learned

The Impacts of Weather on Pome Fruit Quality and Storability: Lessons from 2025 -  The first meetup will be conducted live on Friday, February 27, 2026, at 10:30pm (PST)/1:30pm (EST).  The webinar will last 90 minutes.  The format will include brief presentations by two SPARC scientists, followed by a packer/grower panel of industry leaders across North America.  The meetup will conclude with an open discussion in a very inclusive virtual format.  Viewers are invited to share solutions, ask questions, and interact with scientists and panelists.  The program is free of charge.


June 11, 2026 : Session 2

Details to follow.


June 18, 2026

Details to follow.


June 25, 2026 : Session 4

Details to follow.

Cornell Fruit Field Day

July 30, 2026
Geneva, NY

Join Cornell researchers in Geneva for Fruit Field Day, returning after 10 years, to tour research plots, learn from experts—including Terence Robinson with 40+ years in tree fruit research—and explore the latest orchard technologies and practices.

Announcements

2026 NY Apple Pathology Season: Apple Scab Updates

Apple Scab 2026 Updates Text for news letters and videos:
https://blogs.cornell.edu/coxlab/


2026 Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program

2026 Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program
$1.7 Million Available for New York Beginning Farmers
New York Farm Viability Institute is pleased to announce that the 2026 NYS Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program (BFCG) is now open as of March 16. The BFCG is a competitive funding opportunity administered in partnership with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The program will provide 1.7 million to support beginning farmers in building financially sustainable, independent, commercial agricultural enterprises throughout New York State. RFP closes on June 14, 2026.
Additional details on the project including applicant eligibility, supported project activities, and upcoming informational webinars can be found here: 2026 Beginning Farmer Competitive Grant Program - NYFVI.ORG https://nyfvi.org/grant-programs/producer-grants/beginning-farmer/2026-bf/


SPARC Orchard Roundup Podcast

Check out the first SPARC Orchard Roundup episode. In less than 15 minutes you'll get a sense for what we are seeing across regions in terms of bud stage, flower bud phenology, return bloom, and bud survival. You'll also hear about how phenology varies north to south within each state, and some tips on what weather patterns this winter (past for some, still occurring for others) and spring contributed to what we are seeing.

Find and follow the SPARC Orchard Roundup podcast on your preferred platform. We are on Spotify, Apple, Podcast Index, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, Pocket Casts, Listen Notes, and Player FM.

For links to more ways to listen and the full article visit https://treefruit.wsu.edu/article/whats-budding-across-the-country/

Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines

Cornell Integrated Pest Management has announced a pause in Crop and Pest Management Guideline production for 2026 to allow time to restructure and modernize the program for the future.

The 2025 editions will remain available through the Cornell Store (print while supplies last; online versions available until 2027). https://www.cornellstore.com/books/cornell-cooperative-ext-pmep-guidelines?page=1

An exception is the 2026-2027 New York/New England Greenhouse/Herbaceous Ornamentals Guidelines, which will be published as planned.

Updates will be shared as progress continues.

2026 Respirator Fit Testing!

2026 Respirator Fit Testing Opportunities:

To help ensure a comfortable and well-coordinated clinic for all participants, event time and location details will be provided at the time of registration.

April 2026 - Wayne County - is full for additional testing opportunities contact URMC or NYCAMH

May 2026 - Orleans County - Registration Open Now - https://www.nycamh.org/services/training/respirator-fit-testing/



Clean Sweep NY

The Spring 2026 collection will take place from May 5-8, 2026, in Western, New York. For more information about CleanSweepNY or to request a registration form for the Spring 2026 collection, please email (cleansweep@dec.ny.gov) or call 518-225-8146.

Tuesday, May 5 - Depew (Erie County)
Wednesday, May 6 - Lockport (Niagara County)
Thursday, May 7 - Spencerport (Monroe County)
Friday, May 8 - Waterloo (Seneca County)

More information about CleanSweepNY can be found at https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/pesticides/special-initiatives


Now Hiring!

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension's Lake Ontario Fruit Program -- a full-time, hybrid role supporting commercial fruit growers through education, applied research, and industry collaboration in western New York. See more details to determine if this role is right for you.

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

2026 Events:

for more details click on event title

2 Apr - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Exam - 9am, CCE Wayne, Register Now!

30 July - 2026  Cornell Fruit Field Day, Geneva.  Stay tuned for updates.




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

2026 Recordings & Materials


2025 Recordings & Materials




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:




In Memory of Robert Brown II

With Deep Sadness, We Honor the Memory of Robert Brown II: A Cherished Friend, an Influential Leader in the Western NY Apple Industry, and a Remarkable Contributor to the Core Mission of CCE (May 23, 1955 -- November 23, 2025) see details https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=976&crumb=crops|crops|apples|crop*38

NEWA weather stations moving to a new dashboard!

NEWA weather stations purchased through Rainwise (now owned by KestrelMet) are moving to a new dashboard!



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

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

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.