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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April 2017

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course: Capital Region (Day One)

April 4, 2017
8:30am -4:30pm
Albany, NY

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course: Capital Region (Day One)

Please note:  Day one is mandatory to receive certification.  Day two is an optional day for those growers interested in assistance in creating a farm food safety plan.  Please pre-register for day two here.

Day one topics to be covered include, 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


In addition to learning about produce safety best practices, key parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements are outlined within each module.  There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.


Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training Class

April 4, 2017 : Wayne County Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training Class

April 5, 2017 : Orleans County Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training Class

Wayne County Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training Class
Worker Protection Standard Training & DEC Special Permit Training Class for Non-Certified Applicators and Handlers of Federally Restricted-Use Pesticides.

Pre-Registration is Required by March 31, 2017.

Certified Supervisors are required to attend the first 30 minutes of training!


New York DEC notes that the Special Permit process is intended for farm workers with English language skills that are not adequate to pass the DEC private applicators exam.  All others are encouraged to apply for their private applicators license via taking the certification exam.

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.

Please click on details for more information and registration form.

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course: Capital Region (Optional Day Two)

April 5, 2017
8:30am -4:30pm
Albany, NY

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course: Capital Region (Optional Day Two)

Please note:  Day one is mandatory to receive certification.  Day two is an optional day for those growers interested in assistance in creating a farm food safety plan. 

 


Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course + Optional Food Safety Plan Writing Workshop

April 5 - April 6, 2017
April 5: 8am-5pm; April 6: 8AM - 3PM
Batavia, NY

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course + Optional Food Safety Plan Writing Workshop
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.'

2017 Prune Smarter Not Harder Workshops presented by CCE - LOF

April 11, 2017 : 2017 Oswego County Winter Pruning

Please Note Pruning Meeting in Oswego County April 11!

This pruning season the Lake Ontario Fruit Program will have 4 meetings across the Western NY fruit region.  As always, all growers and employees are welcome to attend (including Spanish-speaking employees).

Grape Grower Pot Luck Dinners

April 5, 2017 : Capital Region Potluck Dinner

April 17, 2017 : Hudson Valley Potluck

Grape Grower Potluck Dinners - April 2017

Please join us for the last in our series of educational pot luck dinners. Jim O'Connell and Anna Wallis are reaching out to growers, trying to get to know them in a less formal setting. Jim and Anna are regional fruit educators with Cornell Cooperative Extension's (CCE) Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program (ENYCHP).


May 2017

Hands-on Tomato Pruning Workshop

May 3, 2017
4-6pm
Fort Plain, NY

Hands-on Tomato Pruning Workshop
Join High Tunnel Specialist Amy Ivy and Crystal Stewart for a hands-on tomato pruning demonstration in the high tunnel. We'll talk about when to prune, how to prune for earliness and yield, and how to prune both determinate and indeterminate varieties

*DEC credit has been applied for

Bramble Pruning Workshop - Rulf's Orchard

May 4, 2017
3:00pm-5pm
Peru, NY

Bramble Pruning Workshop - Rulf's Orchard
Focus will be on pruning to increase production and help control Spotted Wing Drosophila. General pest management and culture will also be discussed. There is no charge for these workshops, but we would like folks to register so that we know how to contact you. Please register here or call Marcie at 518-272-4210.

Bramble Pruning Workshop - Cashin's Farm

May 9, 2017
3:00pm-5pm
Fultonville, NY

Bramble Pruning Workshop - Cashin's Farm
Focus will be on pruning to increase production and help control Spotted Wing Drosophila. General pest management and culture will also be discussed. There is no charge for these workshops, but we would like folks to register so that we know how to contact you. Please register here or call Marcie at 518-272-4210.

Southern Hudson Valley Thinning Meeting

May 11, 2017
2:30pm-4:30pm
Hudson, NY

Please join our cadre of experienced pomologists as we review and discuss the tree fruit season to date in the Hudson Valley. Dr. Poliana Francescatto, Win Cowgill, and I will be touring Ulster, Orange, Dutchess, and Columbia County orchards all day on the 10th, and will report on our observations of fruit set and thinning strategies for this season. To start, it's been so far so good this season as return bloom was generally excellent throughout the region, pollination was fast and furious last Thursday through Saturday, and again Monday, and we dodged a an ENY region-wide frost bullet early this morning. 

Bramble Pruning Workshop - Bowman's Orchard

May 11, 2017
3:00pm-5pm
Rexford, NY

Bramble Pruning Workshop - Bowman's Orchard
Focus will be on pruning to increase production and help control Spotted Wing Drosophila. General pest management and culture will also be discussed. There is no charge for these workshops, but we would like folks to register so that we know how to contact you. Please register here or call Marcie at 518-272-4210.

Southern Hudson Valley Thinning Meeting

May 11, 2017
9:30am-11:30am
Highland, NY

Please join our cadre of experienced pomologists as we review and discuss the tree fruit season to date in the Hudson Valley. Dr. Poliana Francescatto, Win Cowgill, and I will be touring Ulster, Orange, Dutchess, and Columbia County orchards all day on the 10th, and will report on our observations of fruit set and thinning strategies for this season. To start, it's been so far so good this season as return bloom was generally excellent throughout the region, pollination was fast and furious last Thursday through Saturday, and again Monday, and we dodged a an ENY region-wide frost bullet early this morning.

Ag Business Tuesdays - Dutchess County

May 16, 2017
1.5 hour appts between 9:00am to 5:00pm
Millbrook, NY

Are you a farmer in Eastern New York with a question about the management side of your farm business? The Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, in collaboration with CCE County offices, is offering free farm business technical assistance appointments this summer on Tuesdays at various locations in our service region. On Tuesday, May 16 from 9:00am-5:00pm we will be at CCE Dutchess County

Bramble Pruning Workshop - Story Farms

May 16, 2017
3:00pm-5pm
Catskill, NY

Bramble Pruning Workshop - Story Farms
Focus will be on pruning to increase production and help control Spotted Wing Drosophila. General pest management and culture will also be discussed. There is no charge for these workshops, but we would like folks to register so that we know how to contact you. Please register here or call Marcie at 518-272-4210.

Ag Business Tuesdays - Schoharie County

May 30, 2017
1.5 hour appts between 9:00am to 5:00pm

Are you a farmer in Eastern New York with a question about the management side of your farm business? The Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, in collaboration with CCE County offices, is offering free farm business technical assistance appointments this summer on Tuesdays at various locations in our service region. On Tuesday, May 30 from 9:00am-5:00pm we will be at CCE Schoharie County.

June 2017

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course

June 13, 2017
8am-5:15pm
Newark, NY

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.'

Ag Business Tuesdays - Orange County

June 20, 2017
1.5 hour appts between 9:00am to 5:00pm
Middletown, NY

Are you a farmer in Eastern New York with a question about the management side of your farm business? The Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, in collaboration with CCE County offices, is offering free farm business technical assistance appointments this summer on Tuesdays at various locations in our service region. On Tuesday, June 20 from 9:00am-5:00pm we will be at CCE Orange County.

Garlic Twilight Meeting

Event Offers DEC Credits

June 21, 2017
5 pm-7pm, Potluck 7 pm-8 pm
Hurley, NY

Garlic Twilight Meeting
The field meeting will start and end at the Farm Hub office with a trip to the field to view the garlic research plots. Wear appropriate shoes and bring any samples in sealable bags. Potluck dinner to follow.

Ag Business Tuesdays - Essex County

June 27, 2017
1.5 hour appts between 9:00am to 5:00pm
Westport, NY

Are you a farmer in Eastern New York with a question about the management side of your farm business? The Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, in collaboration with CCE County offices, is offering free farm business technical assistance appointments this summer on Tuesdays at various locations in our service region. On Tuesday, June 27 from 9:00am-5:00pm we will be at CCE Essex County.

Grower Input Needed on Apple Tree Insurance Program

June 27, 2017
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Newark, NY

AgriLogic Consulting LLC is working with US Apple Association and other industry groups on the development of an apple tree insurance program in addition to the existing fruit insurance program. AgriLogic is very experienced in developing other tree insurance programs as well as a wide range of other risk management tools. This project is being developed in cooperation with the USDA Risk Management Agency and once approved the policy will be available to apple growers in a similar way to other RMA supported crop insurance programs. Initially the program will be offered in New York, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Virginia. The preliminary design for the apple tree insurance program would cover weather-related perils that damage trees, with fire blight coverage available as an option. The high cost of new plantings is a major reason for grower interest in this new risk management tool.


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.

Save the Date - Western NY Fruit Conference - February 4-5, 2025

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 4 - February 5, 2025 : Western NY Fruit Conference
Rochester, NY

For the 2nd year in a row, we'll be having the Western NY Fruit Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Rochester!  It will be another 1 1/2 day conference. Stay tuned for program and registration info as we get closer.

Announcements

NERME Farm Grant Interest Survey - HMR & Audit/UL

NEED FREE HELP WITH HRM AND AUDIT/ULP COMPLIANCE ON YOUR FARM? IT'S POSSIBLE! Just take click the link and fill out the survey.
https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7WFe9dfU4dfct8y

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:

22-23 Oct - Farm & Food Workers Relief Program Application - Online & In Person, Apply Now

6 Dec - Lake Ontario Fruit Program Advisory Committee Meeting - more details to come 

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



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.