Specialists

Janet van Zoeren
Integrated Pest Management
Areas of Interest: IPM of tree fruit and berry pests, biological control, and pollinators.
Crops: Blueberries, Raspberries / Blackberries, Strawberries, Apples, Apricots, Asian Pears, Cherries, Currants, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Unusual Fruit

Mark Wiltberger
Business Management Specialist
Areas of Interest: Business Management & Planning, Production Economics, Risk Management, Production Technologies
Crops: Apples, Cherries, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums

Craig Kahlke
Team Leader, Fruit Quality Management
Areas of Interest: Fruit Quality and factors that affect fruit quality before, during, and after storage,
Crops: Blueberries, Raspberries / Blackberries, Strawberries, Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums

Mario Miranda Sazo
Cultural Practices
Crops: Blueberries, Raspberries / Blackberries, Strawberries, Apples, Apricots, Asian Pears, Cherries, Currants, Gooseberries, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums
Upcoming Events
2022 Virtual Orchard Meetup webinar series - Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology.
June 2, 2022 : Part 1 Labor - Grower Experiences
2022 Virtual Orchard Meetup webinar series. Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology.
A four-part webinar series on Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology.
Part 1 Labor - Grower Experiences
June 16, 2022 : Part 2 Labor - Specialist Panel
2022 Virtual Orchard Meetup webinar series. Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology.
A four-part webinar series on Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology.
Part 2 Labor - Specialist Panel
June 30, 2022 : Part 3 Technology - Grower Experiences
2022 Virtual Orchard Meetup webinar series. Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology. A four-part webinar series on Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology.
Part 3 Technology - Grower Experiences
July 14, 2022 : Part 4 Technology - Specialist Panel
2022 Virtual Orchard Meetup webinar series. Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology. A four-part webinar series on Orchard Efficiency: Labor and Technology.
Part 4 Technology - Specialist Panel
2022 SAP Analysis
July 15, 2022
Peel sap sampling/collection ended for Western NY/Finger Lakes regions on July.
LOF Summer Tour 2022

August 9, 2022
Please join us for the 2022 LOF Summer Tour on Tuesday, August 9th!
Stop 1: Kast Farms, Inc. Hosted by Brett Kast and family. Topics include herbicide trial updates, soil health, fire blight, mating disruption, and comparison of NY1 on G.41 vs. M.9-337 rootstocks. Stop 2: Fish Creek Orchards, LLC. Hosted by Jose Iniguez and Jason Woodworth. Topics include an introduction of the SCRI "Precision Orchard Management for Apple" project, and overviews by 3 companies working with us and growers under this umbrella - Moog, Vivid, and Dropcopter, who are working with Green Atlas for the cartography. Stop 3: Lunch at the Carleton Fire Hall & Rec Center. Lunch will be provided by Frank Penna Catering. Growers and other tree fruit industry folks will have the opportunity to visit with sponsors and likely view several demonstrations of new precision crop load management technology. Stop 4: Orchard Dale Fruit Farm. Hosted by the Brown family and employees. LOF's precision pruning work with our SCRI grant, and crop load management research with Farm Vision and Fruit Scout will be featured. Stop 5: Nesbitt Fruit Farms. Hosted by Shane Nesbitt and family. Topics include bloom thinning results on Honeycrisp with the use of the Pollen Tube Growth model, and grow-through on-farm nursery production. Note: There may be some minor changes to the itinerary.
1.75 NYSDEC Credits will be offered in categories 22, 10, and 1A.