Lake Ontario Fruit Program Enrollment

Program Areas

  • Food Safety
  • Variety Evaluation
  • Market Development
  • Pest Management
  • Cultural Practices

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  • Direct Mailings
  • Educational Meetings & Conferences
  • In-Field Educational Opportunities
  • On-Farm Research Trials

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Events - month view

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March 2015

Hudson Valley Garlic School HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR MARCH 10th

March 10, 2015
9:30 am -2:30 pm
Highland, NY

Hudson Valley Garlic School
March 10, 2015
9:30 am to 2:30 pm (includes lunch)
Hudson Valley Research Lab
3357 US Highway 9W
Highland, NY 12528


This full-day meeting will include updates on diseases including fusarium and botrytis from Cornell University's new pathologist, Dr. Sarah Pethybridge, an update on weed control options from Christy Hoepting of the Cornell Vegetable Program and from Crystal Stewart of the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program; updates on diseases to look for including Aster Yellows and insects to look for including Leek Moth; and industry updates from David Stern.

Pesticide Certification Training & Exam

March 17 - March 20, 2015
Newark, NY

Wayne County Pre-Exam Training to Become a Certified Pesticide Applicator Offered by LOF and NWNY teams, Wayne CCE, and DEC.
Training Classes:
When: Tues., March 17 & Thur., March 19, 2015
           12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
           Registration begins at 12:00 pm
Where: 1581 Rt 88N, Newark, NY 14513
The Certification Exam is tentatively scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2015 @12:30- 4:00pm. Register directly with DEC to take the exam.

Two-Day GAPS training in Plattsburgh, NY

March 24 - March 25, 2015
Tuesday 8:00 am-4:00pm, Wednesday 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Plattsburgh, NY

THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR MARCH 24, 2014.  It will be rescheduled for mid-summer. Please watch newsletters for rescheduled date. This two-day training will walk growers through the basics of food safety during day one and will help them write a food safety plan during day two. 

The cost of registration includes lunch and refreshments. 

Northeastern NY Vineyard Workshop 1 - Vine Training and Pruning, Champlain Valley

March 28, 2015
1:00 - 3:00 PM
Morrisonville, NY

This workshop will cover the various grape vine training systems available for cold hardy varieties including vertical shoot positioning (VSP), top wire cordon (TWC), and umbrella kniffin (UK). Pros and cons of each of these systems will be discussed. Workshop will include a vine pruning demonstration.

April 2015

Special Permit Training for Pesticide Handlers - Kingston

April 3 - April 4, 2015
9:00 am - Noon
Kingston, NY

This training is for TREE FRUIT FARMS ONLY

We will again be offering this 3-hr training to provide "special permits" to non-certified pesticide applicators.  This will enable trained applicators to apply restricted-use pesticides during the 2015 season without "direct, on-site supervision." 

Training will be offered in English and Spanish!

Special permits issued will be for the 2015 season ONLY.  Those issued in 2014 are no longer valid.



Grape Pruning Workshp

April 3, 2015
Friday 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Highland, NY

Join Jim O'Connell, Small Fruit/Grape Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County and ENYCHP for a grape pruning demonstration on Friday April 3, 2015 at the Hudson Valley Research Lab (HVRL) at 3357 Route 9W in Highland, NY. We will start at 2:00 pm and end around 3:30 or 4:00 pm.

Northeastern NY Vineyard Workshop 1 - Vine Training and Pruning, Upper Hudson Valley

April 4, 2015
1:00 - 3:00 PM
Schaghticoke,, NY

This workshop will cover the various grape vine training systems available for cold hardy varieties including vertical shoot positioning (VSP), top wire cordon (TWC), and umbrella kniffin (UK). Pros and cons of each of these systems will be discussed. Workshop will include a vine pruning demonstration.

DEC Special Permit Training in Wayne Co.

April 8, 2015
8:30 AM - 12 PM English Session & 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM Spanish Session
Newark, NY

DEC Special Permit Training in Wayne Co.
DEC Special Permit allows non-certified workers to apply and handle federally restricted use pesticides.
A DEC Special Permit is valid for one year and needs to be renewed every year unless the pesticide applicator becomes certified.

A DEC Special Permit is valid for one year and needs to be renewed every year unless the pesticide applicator becomes certified.  Please bring green "WPS Handler" cards.
  Please pre-register your non-certified applicators for this training by April 3 using the registration form (click here)

2015 Spring Berry Workshops

April 9, 2015
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Guilderland, NY

These workshops will cover pruning efficiency and protocol; spring pest management including scouting for pests and optimizing control strategies. Join us for one of these workshops to learn more about berry culture and how you can minimize the impact of berry pests.

DEC Special Permit Training in Orleans Co.

April 9, 2015
8:30 AM - 12 PM English Session & 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM Spanish Session
Albion, NY

DEC Special Permit Training in Orleans Co.
DEC Special Permit allows non-certified workers to apply and handle federally restricted use pesticides.
A DEC Special Permit is valid for one year and needs to be renewed every year unless the pesticide applicator becomes certified.

A DEC Special Permit is valid for one year and needs to be renewed every year unless the pesticide applicator becomes certified.  Please bring green "WPS Handler" cards.
Please pre-register your non-certified applicators for this training by April 3 using the registration form (click here)

Special Permit Training for Pesticide Handlers - Peru

April 10, 2015
9:00 am - Noon
Peru, NY

THE DATE FOR THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CHANGED. It will now be held FRIDAY APRIL 10TH.

This training is for TREE FRUIT FARMS ONLY

We will again be offering this 3-hr training to provide "special permits" to non-certified pesticide applicators.  This will enable trained applicators to apply restricted-use pesticides during the 2015 season without "direct, on-site supervision." 

Special permits issued will be for the 2015 season ONLY.  Those issued in 2014 are no longer valid.



2015 Spring Berry Workshops

April 13, 2015
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Kerhonkson, NY

These workshops will cover pruning efficiency and protocol; spring pest management including scouting for pests and optimizing control strategies. Join us for one of these workshops to learn more about berry culture and how you can minimize the impact of berry pests.

2015 Spring Berry Workshops

April 14, 2015
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Newburgh, NY

These workshops will cover pruning efficiency and protocol; spring pest management including scouting for pests and optimizing control strategies. Join us for one of these workshops to learn more about berry culture and how you can minimize the impact of berry pests.

2015 Spring Berry Workshops

April 16, 2015
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Crown Point, NY

These workshops will cover pruning efficiency and protocol; spring pest management including scouting for pests and optimizing control strategies. Join us for one of these workshops to learn more about berry culture and how you can minimize the impact of berry pests.

2015 Spring Berry Workshops

April 21, 2015
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Fort Plain, NY

These workshops will cover pruning efficiency and protocol; spring pest management including scouting for pests and optimizing control strategies. Join us for one of these workshops to learn more about berry culture and how you can minimize the impact of berry pests.

Apple IPM Training - Champlain Valley

April 21, 2015
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Plattsburgh, NY

This training will provide a review of the basics of Integrated Pest Management in a classroom setting. Multiple presentations will cover the theory of IPM, major pests requiring management in commercial orchards, resources available to make management decisions (including NEWA), and an example IPM plan.  

NYS DEC Credits have been applied for.

Apple IPM Training - Capital District

April 22, 2015
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Ballston Spa, NY

This training will provide a review of the basics of Integrated Pest Management in a classroom setting. Multiple presentations will cover the theory of IPM, major pests requiring management in commercial orchards, resources available to make management decisions (including NEWA), and an example IPM plan.  

NYS DEC Credits have been applied for.

Northeastern NY Vineyard Workshop 3 - Site Evaluation and Establishment, Upper Hudson Valley

April 25, 2015
1:00 - 3:00 PM
Greenfield, NY

This workshop will cover the basic considerations for selecting a site for your future vineyard and how to establish a new planting. Mike Spiak of The Fossil Stone Vineyard will describe his experiences selecting property, preparing land, and planning their vineyards. The Champlain Valley location will include a hands-on planting workshop.

2015 NY State Wide Precision Chemical Thinning Training

April 29, 2015
2pm-4pm
Geneva, NY

2015 NY State Wide Precision Chemical Thinning Training

This year we want to educate and help more growers to be as stress-free as possible during the chemical thinning season. This training - the last one conducted by Dr. Robinson before his sabbatical leave- will be conducted at the Agricultural Research Station in Geneva on Wednesday April 29 from 2pm until 4pm (Jordan Hall staff room).

The training will also be broadcasted via WebEx to the CCE Orleans office and to remote users this year.


Internal Use only- Guideline purchase

April 30 - May 29, 2015

internal use only

May 2015

CANCELED: Northeastern NY Vineyard Workshop 2 - Vineyard Pest Management, Champlain Valley

May 6, 2015
Willsboro, NY

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED
This workshop will cover essential vineyard pest management practices. We will cover major vineyard pests, IPM strategies, and resources available to help guide you. Andrew Landers, pesticide application technology specialist from Cornell, will provide information about effective pesticide application, including sprayer calibration. Bring your sprayer if you'd like to learn how to calibrate your own equipment.

Northeastern NY Vineyard Workshop 2 - Vineyard Pest Management, Upper Hudson Valley

May 7, 2015
4:30 - 7:00 PM
Schaghticoke, NY

This workshop will cover essential vineyard pest management practices. We will cover major vineyard pests, IPM strategies, and resources available to help guide you. Andrew Landers, pesticide application technology specialist from Cornell, will provide information about effective pesticide application, including sprayer calibration. Bring your sprayer if you'd like to learn how to calibrate your own equipment.

RESCHEDULED: Vineyard Pest Management, Champlain Valley - WEBINAR

May 13, 2015
Plattsburgh, NY

THIS EVENT IS RESCHEDULED (original date: Wednesday 5/6)
This webinar will cover essential vineyard pest management practices. Wayne Wilcox will cover major vineyard pests, IPM strategies, and resources available to help guide you. Andrew Landers will provide information about effective pesticide application, including sprayer calibration. 

The webinar will also be available remotely! 

CANCELED - Northeastern NY Vineyard Workshop 3 - Site Evaluation and Establishment, Champlain Valley

May 16, 2015
1:00 - 3:00 PM
Essex, NY

THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELED

This workshop will cover the basic considerations for selecting a site for your future vineyard and how to establish a new planting. Jay White of Essex, NY and Mike Spiak of The Fossil Stone Vineyard will describe their experiences selecting property, preparing land, and planning their vineyards. The Champlain Valley location will include a hands-on planting workshop.

Northeastern NY Vineyard Workshop 4 - Business Management, Upper Hudson Valley

May 20, 2015
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saratoga County, NY

This workshop will cover the basics of business management for vineyards and wineries. Bob Weybright, CCE business and marketing specialist, will provide business planning guidance for establishing a vineyard. He will also discuss considerations for obtaining a winery license and marketing your wine. Sarah Johnston will provide information on risk management, and how to obtain insurance for your valuable investment.

Produce Wash Station Set up **CANCELLED**

May 27, 2015
10:30 am-1 pm
Palatine Bridge, NY, NY

**THIS PROGRAM IS BEING RESCHEDULED. A NEW DATE WILL BE ANNOUNCED.**Join the Cornell Vegetable Program's Robert Hadad to learn how to design, build, and operate a small-scale, DIY post-harvest handling system! This great workshop will focus on the trifecta of good washing and handling—food safety, maintaining high quality and efficiency, and affordability for new and small growers. The session starts with a discussion and hands-on demonstration of how to design and set-up your wash line, tables, and packing shed, with a focus on safe and efficient product flow to separate 'dirty' field harvested produce from the washed and “clean” final product. Next, we'll look at setting up standard operating practices covering a range of methods of washing produce, including dunking, spraying, and aerating, as well as the why and how of using organic sanitizers. This session finishes with an examination of clean-up procedures and post-harvest handling considerations, including re-cooling, packing, and storage. If you want to build or upgrade your wash lines and post-harvest handling techniques and produce a safer, longer storing product, this workshop is for you!

Northeastern NY Vineyard Workshop 4 - Business Management, Champlain Valley

May 27, 2015
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Plattsburgh, NY

This workshop will cover the basics of business management for vineyards and wineries. Bob Weybright, CCE business and marketing specialist, will provide business planning guidance for establishing a vineyard. He will also discuss considerations for obtaining a winery license and marketing your wine. Sarah Johnston will provide information on risk management, and how to obtain insurance for your valuable investment.
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.