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

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Events - month view

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May 2018

FSMA 7 Hour Grower Training Course Plus optional 2nd Day Farm Food Safety Plan Writing Workshop

May 2, 2018 : FSMA 7 Hour Grower Training Course

May 3, 2018 : Optional Farm Food Safety Plan Writing Workshop

FSMA 7 Hour Grower 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 May 3. Separate registration required.

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Basic Farm Finances

May 15, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Basic Farm Finances
Setting Up Your Farm's Accounts in Your Financial System

Part of a 20 minute lunchtime webinar series held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.  

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Basic Farm Finances (Pt.II)

May 22, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Basic Farm Finances (Pt.II)
Understanding Depreciation

Part of a 20 minute lunchtime webinar series held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics. 

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Basic Farm Finances (Pt.III)

May 29, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Basic Farm Finances (Pt.III)
Understanding Assets and Liabilities vs Income and Expenses

Part of a 20 minute lunchtime webinar series held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.  

June 2018

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: NYS Ag Assessment 101

June 5, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: NYS Ag Assessment 101
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Local Zoning 101

June 12, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Local Zoning 101
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.  

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: NYS Ag Districts 101

June 19, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: NYS Ag Districts 101
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.  

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Using On-line Data and Maps to Assess a Property Remotely

June 26, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Using On-line Data and Maps to Assess a Property Remotely
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

Garlic Twilight Meeting

June 28, 2018
5pm-7pm
Hurley, NY

Garlic Twilight Meeting
During this field meeting see various cultural techniques to minimize fusarium demonstrated on a field level, including black plastic and white plastic mulches compared to straw and bare ground. We will also have a discussion of allium leaf miner management!

This event is free thanks to the generous support of Northeast SARE, but registration is appreciated.

Controlling Listeria in Apple Packinghouses

June 28, 2018
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Highland, NY

The program has been developed by Ms. Genevieve Sullivan, a Ph.D. student with Dr. Martin Wiedmann's Food Safety Lab at Cornell University. Topics covered will include: FSMA as it relates to fruit packing facilities; The biology of Listeria monocytogenes, including impacts and risk factors; and the practical aspects of packing house sanitation.

Attention Champlain Growers:  We will be hosting a similar event in the northern part of the region in late July.  More details to come! 

Controlling Listeria in Apple Packinghouses: Champlain Valley

June 28, 2018
8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Highland, NY

The program has been developed by Ms. Genevieve Sullivan, a Ph.D. student with Dr. Martin Wiedmann's Food Safety Lab at Cornell University. Topics covered will include: FSMA as it relates to fruit packing facilities; The biology of Listeria monocytogenes, including impacts and risk factors; and the practical aspects of packing house sanitation.

Attention Champlain Growers:  We will be hosting a similar event in the northern part of the region in late July.  More details to come! 

2018 CCE LOF PGR Orchard Tour

June 29, 2018
8am - 1:30pm; lunch & celebration 2-5pm
Geneva, NY

We invite you to attend the talk titled "Understanding the Use of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) on Growth and Development of Fruit Trees" (Poliana Francescatto, NYSAES, Geneva), followed by a tour of her research plots at the NYSAES on Friday June 29, from 8am until 1:30pm. Following the tour, there will be a lunch buffet and a grower celebration to honor Poliana's work accomplishments at the Ramada Lakefront Hotel in Geneva from 2-5pm. Pre-register by 25 June 2018
View Details for more information and registration.

July 2018

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Budgeting 101

July 3, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Budgeting 101
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Assessing a Capitol Investment

July 10, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Assessing a Capitol Investment
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

LOF Summer Fruit Tour 2018

July 12, 2018
All Day

LOF Summer Fruit Tour 2018
Register now for this free annual tour featuring cutting edge farms. Annual tour featuring the following cutting edge farms: Smith Brothers, VanDeWalle Fruit Farm, and Cherry Lawn Farms. Attendees will see tree decline on NY-1, a successful On-farm nursery, large new tall spindle plantings of high-value varieties, the economics of new high density plantings, hail-netting, soil health, and more!

Register by July 10th!

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Relevant Information and Sensitivity Analysis

July 17, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Relevant Information and Sensitivity Analysis
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

Berry Field Meeting: Exclusion Netting & SWD Monitoring

July 19, 2018
5-7pm
Poughkeepsie, NY

Join us at Poughkeepsie Farm Project, host site for our CCE SWD exclusion netting trial in raspberries. Peter Jentsch of the Hudson Valley Research Lab will discuss the netting trial, and the use of attract and kill baits in a U-Pick raspberry planting. A low tunnel over strawberries will be available for viewing. Bring a fruit sample for salt flotation testing, or a plant sample if you have other berry questions.

Attendees can enter for a chance to win free SWD monitoring traps!

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Pricing for Profit

July 24, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Pricing for Profit
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

Controlling Listeria in Apple Packinghouses: Champlain Valley

July 24, 2018
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Chazy, NY

The program has been developed by Ms. Genevieve Sullivan, a Ph.D. student with Dr. Martin Wiedmann's Food Safety Lab at Cornell University. Topics covered will include: FSMA as it relates to fruit packing facilities; The biology of Listeria monocytogenes, including impacts and risk factors; and the practical aspects of packing house sanitation.



20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Know When to Hold'em, Know When to Fold'em (assessing performance)

July 31, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Know When to Hold'em, Know When to Fold'em (assessing performance)
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

Reduced Tillage in Organic Systems Field Day

Event Offers DEC Credits

July 31, 2018
9:00am - 3:00pm
Willsboro, NY

Reduced Tillage in Organic Systems Field Day
A Field Day for Reduced Tillage in Organic Systems is being held July 31st at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, NY. It will featurein-field demonstrations of equipment and discussions with speakers and growers. Rotate between 3 demonstration/discussionstations in the morning, 3 more in the afternoon.

Topics include: roller-crimping, zone tillage in high residue, in-row cultivation tools, stale seedbed and weed seed bank management strategies with an overall focus on soil health.

Check out more information below. It is free to the public. 

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
view calendar of events

Upcoming Events

2026 Tree Fruit Scouting Online Course

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 25, 2026 : Week 1 - IPM Fundamentals + Tools

This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season.  Register by February 18th.

Event Offers DEC Credits

March 4, 2026 : Week 2 - Insects: Part 1

This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season.  Register by February 18th.

Event Offers DEC Credits

March 11, 2026 : Week 3 - Insects: Part 2

This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season.  Register by February 18th.

Event Offers DEC Credits

March 18, 2026 : Week 4 - Diseases

This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season.  Register by February 18th.

Event Offers DEC Credits

March 25, 2026 : Week 5 - Weeds, Wildlife, + Wrap-Up

This course trains tree fruit growers, orchard employees, industry professionals and interested students on the biology, identification and monitoring of major economically significant orchard pests, using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. This course is FREE and provides an annual opportunity for growers to refresh their knowledge in advance of the growing season.  Register by February 18th.

Northeast Fruit Consortium Winter Webinar Series

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 4, 2026 : Management of Up and Coming Strawberry Diseases in the Northeastern United States

February 11, 2026 : Kiwiberry Production in the Northeast

February 18, 2026 : Apple Color and Sunburn

Event Offers DEC Credits

February 25, 2026 : The Dating Game; Updates in Lepidopteran Mating Disruption

Event Offers DEC Credits

March 4, 2026 : Update: USEPA Endangered Species Act and Implications for Pesticide Use

March 11, 2026 : Practical Drought Management for Fruit Growers

2026 Orleans County - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Pre-Exam Training

March 9, 2026 : DEC Certified Applicator Pre-Exam Training Day 1
Albion, NY

This training is only for those with experience and does not qualify for the 30-hour official DEC training - you are exempt from the 30 hour training (and eligible for this coaching session) if you have pesticide application experience, either through working on your own farm or through employment on another farm.

March 13, 2026 : DEC Certified Applicator Pre-Exam Training Day 2
Albion, NY

This training is only for those with experience and does not qualify for the 30-hour official DEC training - you are exempt from the 30 hour training (and eligible for this coaching session) if you have pesticide application experience, either through working on your own farm or through employment on another farm.

Announcements

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.

2026 Winter Fruit School Survey Link

2026 Winter Fruit School Survey

If you attended the 2026 Winter Fruit School. Please take a moment and let us know what you liked and how you think we can improve this event.

Event Survey Link https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Otvd7ylJ106HLo

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

4 Mar - Tree Fruit Scouting Online Course: Week 2 - 4:30 - 6pm, Online, Free

9 Mar - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Pre-Exam Training Day 1 - 8:15am - 12:30pm, CCE Orleans, Reserve by March 1!


11 Mar - 2026 USDA-SCRI SPARC Heat School - 11:30am - 5:40pm, Wenatchee, WA, In-person learning hub in Waterport, NY, & Virtual.

11 Mar - Tree Fruit Scouting Online Course: Week 3 - 4:30 - 6pm, Online, Free

12 Mar - 2026 Cornell Winter Fruit Webinars: Inoculating Orchards with Mycorrhizal Fungi - 11am - 12:30pm, Online, Register Now!


16 Mar - DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Exam - 8:30am, CCE Orleans, Register with DEC by March 1st!

18 Mar - Postharvest Water Management, Sanitation, and Traceability Workshop - 9am - 4pm, CCE Orleans, Register Now! 2.75 DEC Credits available in 10,1a,22,23.

18 Mar - Tree Fruit Scouting Online Course: Week 4 - 4:30 - 6pm, Online, Free

19 Mar - 2026 Cornell Winter Fruit Webinars: St. Peachtrick's Day - Cherry Pruning Strategies and Plum Varieties for the Northeast - 11am - 12:30pm, Online, Register Now!

20 Mar - Harmonized GAP Plus+ Plan Writing Session - 7:30am Sign-in, CCE Wayne, Register Now!

24 Mar - Pesticide Applicators Review Course & Exam - Day 1 - 9am - 1pm, CCE Wayne, Register Now!

25 Mar - Tree Fruit Scouting Online Course: Week 5 - 4:30 - 6pm, Online, Free


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

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.