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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July 2014

Vegetable Grower Twilight Meeting

Event Offers DEC Credits

July 10, 2014
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Hurley, NY

Guest Speaker, Thomas Bjorkman of Cornell University will cover use of cover crops for soil health and weed control. Updates from ENYCHP educators on insect and diseases in vegetables this season. DEC Pesticide Applicator Credits have been applied for.

*Hurley Bridge on Wynkoop Road is closed. Use alternate route to access Hurley Mountain Road from 28 West (Kenco on corner) or Tongore Road off Route 209 in Stone Ridge.

For more information: Teresa 845-389-3562 or email mailto:tr28@cornell.edu


Control of SWD in Berries- Newburgh

Event Offers DEC Credits

July 15, 2014
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Newburgh, NY

These workshops will cover Spotted Wing Drosophila control strategies, foliar nutrition monitoring, and proper sprayer calibration and optimization as part of an effective pest management program. Join us for one of these three workshops to learn more about berry culture and how you can minimize the impact of SWD.

Control of SWD in Berries- Peru

Event Offers DEC Credits

July 21, 2014
4:00pm - 6:00pm
Peru, NY

These workshops will cover Spotted Wing Drosophila control strategies, foliar nutrition monitoring, and proper sprayer calibration and optimization as part of an effective pest management program. Join us for one of these three workshops to learn more about berry culture and how you can minimize the impact of SWD.

Control of SWD in Berries- Middleburgh

Event Offers DEC Credits

July 23, 2014
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Middleburgh, NY

These workshops will cover Spotted Wing Drosophila control strategies, foliar nutrition monitoring, and proper sprayer calibration and optimization as part of an effective pest management program. Join us for one of these three workshops to learn more about berry culture and how you can minimize the impact of SWD.

Retirement Celebration Registration

July 24, 2014
5 PM - 8:00 PM
Medina, NY

Retirement celebration for Stephen A. Hoying & Alison DeMarree following the summer tour.  Please join us following the CCE-LOF Summer Tour around 5 PM at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery for the retirement celebration of 2 of our colleagues, Stephen A. Hoying, and Alison DeMarree who have each dedicated more than 30 years to the NY fruit industry. Both Alison and Steve helped to lead the industry into planting more profitable plantings with impact across NY state, U.S., and internationally. We hope you will come and celebrate their careers and recognize them for their contributions to the fruit industry and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Bring your stories to tell. We will have a projector if you have pictures to show.
Please click "view details" below for more information and pre-registration form.

Lake Ontario Summer Fruit Tour

July 24, 2014
Registration at 8:00 -8:30 AM; 1st stop at 8:30; 5 stops; will end 4:15 PM
Albion, 1.34 mi south of Rt 104, NY

Lake Ontario Summer Fruit Tour

The Cornell Cooperative Extension - Lake Ontario Summer Fruit Tour in western NY will be held Thursday, July 24, 2014. We will feature tree fruit production technology and grower innovations in Orleans and Niagara County. The CCE-LOF team, with Cornell University faculty, and the growers in the region will present a day of show-and-tell and networking with the fruit industry. At the regional tours we typically reach 250 growers from across the state.

Please pre-register by July 18 so we have a count for lunches and handouts.

We have filled the 15 3-minute time slots for sponsorship for the tour but if you would like to be a donor, you can contribute at this link.   https://lof.cce.cornell.edu/sponsor_event.php?event_id=228

North Country Grower Field Meeting and Picnic Supper

July 28, 2014
5:00pm - 8:00pm
Willsboro, NY

North Country Grower Field Meeting and Picnic Supper
Grower Field Meeting and Picnic Supper. View ongoing research projects and talk with Cornell and regional specialists.

What Does the Crystal Ball Say?

July 31, 2014
6:15 PM
Hudson, NY

“Is there any information on historical pricing?” “What, if any, changes has happened to prices this summer?” “What should I charge for crops I still have to sell?”

Are these questions you wonder about? On July 31 at 6:30 P.M. Steve Hadcock Extension Educator with Capital Area Agricultural and Horticultural Program (CAAHP) and Bob Weybright, Business Development Specialist with the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program (ENYCHP) will be at Holmquest Farm (516 Spook Rock Rd, Hudson, NY 12534 https://goo.gl/maps/xbPpc).



Future Fruit Growers Meeting

July 31, 2014
6PM-8PM
Barker, NY

Come see Donovan Orchards/Blackbird Cider Works. Scott Donovan has worked on value added production and direct marketing of his apples. He has a NOFA certified organic orchard and the cider works has been open since 2011.

August 2014

Open House for Spotted Wing Drosophila Netting Exclusion and Fixed Spray System Farm Trials

August 13, 2014
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Stephentown, NY

Open House for Spotted Wing Drosophila Netting Exclusion and Fixed Spray System Farm Trials
Spotted Wing Drosophila research continues in our ongoing effort to better understand and control this new pest. This meeting will focus on a SARE Farmer grant funded project looking at different grades of exclusion netting and its efficacy on eliminating SWD from blueberries.

We will also look at a high tunnel raspberry planting that has a NYFVI funded grant project examining the efficacy and labor saving attributes of a fixed spray system in the tunnel.

Owner Dale Ila Riggs has been a leader in the campaign to secure research funding for SWD. The Berry Patch at Stonewall Hill Farm produces all kinds of berries and vegetables for local retail markets.

Cold climate grapes: Determining an Appropriate Training System for Improved Yield

August 24, 2014
2:00 pm
Morrisonville, NY

Richard Lamoy along with the Lake Champlain Grape Growers Association is pleased to announce a summer workshop for Sunday, August 24, 2014 starting at 2:00 PM

September 2014

Enology Planning Workshop

September 5, 2014
1:30
Highland, NY

If you are a wine maker or if you grow grapes to make wine, Anna Katharine Mansfield and Chris Gerling would like to hear from you. Come to the Hudson Valley Lab on September 5 2014 at 1:30 pm
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 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 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.