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:
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Events - month view

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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. 

August 2018

LOF NextGen Young Fruit Farmer Study Tour 2018

August 2 - August 4, 2018
Thursday August 2 morning through Saturday August 4 evening
Gettysburg, PA

LOF NextGen Young Fruit Farmer Study Tour 2018

Online Registration is Now Open for NextGen Young Fruit Grower Study Tour in PA, August 2-4!


The 3rd annual NextGen Young Fruit Farmer Study Tour will be held in the Adams County region of Pennsylvania August 2nd-4th.

The Young Growers Alliance (YGA) of Pennsylvania, the LOF team, the Future Fruit Growers of Lake Ontario, along with Matt Wells (New York Apple Sales), have organized an excellent itinerary.

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!

If you do not receive a confirmation email after submitting the registration form, please contact Mark at mw883@cornell.edu or 315-272-8530!

Northern Berry Field Meeting

August 6, 2018
5:00pm-7:00pm
Peru, NY

Topics will include general berry culture, foliar sampling, and pest management including cranberry fruitworm and SWD.  Growers are encouraged to bring their questions!

Western NY Hard Cider Tour - Online Registration is Closed

August 6, 2018
9am-3pm; 3:30pm Optional cider tasting at Mullers Cider House
Wolcott, NY

Limited walk-ins accepted.  Please call Craig at 585-735-5448.
Come visit the orchards of the first NY growers of European and American Hard Cider varieties.
Tour will include 2 farms and 1 nursery in Wayne County, ending (optional) with a tasting at Mullers Cider House, Rochester. The tour & lunch are $5 with registration has been extended to Aug 2nd.

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Crop Insurance 101

August 7, 2018
12-12:30 PM

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

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Crop Insurance for Diverse Farms

August 14, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Crop Insurance for Diverse Farms
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Flood Insurance and Other Disaster Programs

August 21, 2018
12-12:30 PM

20 Minute Ag Manager Webinars: Flood Insurance and Other Disaster Programs
20 minute lunchtime webinars will be held on Tuesdays this summer covering farm business management topics.

Berry Field Meeting: Using Hummingbirds to Help Control SWD

August 22, 2018
5-7pm
Salem, NY

Berry Field Meeting: Using Hummingbirds to Help Control SWD
Biological and Cultural controls of SWD are possible. Come learn about ongoing research into encouraging hummingbird predation on SWD adults.  Dr. Juliet Carroll of NYS IPM will also discuss new research into better thresholds for monitoring SWD and how those thresholds will more accurately inform spray decisions. Managing crop canopy and weeds are also critical for SWD control. 

If you don't want to spray we will have current information on exclusion netting work.


2018 CCE LOF Hispanic Summer Fruit Tour - Registration Period Extended!

August 25, 2018
1:30pm - 5:30pm

Preregistration is required for this FREE event.  This tour of 2 Wanye County orchards will include horticultural stops hosted by Adan Aguilera form VanDeWalle Fruit Farm and Hormisa Bellona and Ignacio "Nacho" Onofre form Teeple Fruit Farm.

Powdery Mildew Biofungicide Trial Meeting

Event Offers DEC Credits

August 29, 2018
4-6PM with light refreshments after
Amsterdam, NY

Powdery Mildew Biofungicide Trial Meeting
Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Vegetable Specialist Crystal Stewart and New York State Integrated Pest Management Biocontrol Specialist Dr. Amara Dunn for a field walk through the biocontrol trial field, cover powdery mildew control trials with biopesticides, and discuss how biopesticides fit into a regular integrated pest management program.

September 2018

Cornell Fruit Pest Control Field Days & Networking Lunch with Industry

September 6 - September 7, 2018
8:30am - Registration

The Cornell Fruit Pest Control Field Days will take place during Labor Day week on Sept. 6-7 this year, with the Geneva portion taking place on Thursday Sept. 6, and the Hudson Valley installment on the second day, Friday, Sept. 7.

Annies Project: Business Education for Farm Women

September 6, 2018
9:00am to 2:00pm
Kingston, NY

Women are increasingly taking on management and ownership roles in farm businesses.  Annie's Project - Education for Farm Women is designed to strengthen women's roles in the modern farm enterprise. Annie's Project program fosters problem solving, networking, and decision-making skills in farm women. A four session program is offered this fall and winter at CCE Ulster County.

USDA-ARS Apple, Grape, and Tart Cherry Germplasm Collection Tour

September 15, 2018
9 AM - 11 AM
Geneva, NY

A tour through the orchard and vineyard discussing the fruit germplasm collection.
Click view details for more information.

Rear Your Own Entomopathogenic Nematode Demonstration

September 27, 2018
4:00pm- 6:00pm
Hurley, NY

Rear Your Own Entomopathogenic Nematode Demonstration
The upcoming EPN workshop is an opportunity for interested growers to learn hands on how to successfully rear and/or apply nematodes to their farm fields. Growers will also learn about EPN biology and the various crop pests that EPNs can help manage.

With Speakers: Elson Shields and Tony Testa of Cornell University; Teresa Rusinek and Charles Bornt of the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program 

This event is rain or shine. You can register by clicking here

For more information, you can call Teresa Rusinek at 845 392-6776.

Grow a Successful Agritourism Business! Assessing and Managing Your Financial Risk from Agritourism

September 28, 2018
10:00am - 2:30pm
Highland, NY

Bringing visitors to your farm can create new income streams but agritourism can also be a source of risk to your farm business. Five lunchtime seminars will teach how to assess and manage different risks to help develop a successful agritourism business. The seminars will be followed by a panel of successful agritourism operators. In-between each seminar, participants will build on their knowledge to develop their own risk management plan. This 5-county program will be offered simultaneously in Delaware (the host county), and by Zoom technology in Otsego/Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster Counties. The Ulster County site, hosted by Liz Higgins of the Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, will be at the Hudson Valley Lab
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.