Agricultural Labor Survey!
Available on-line at: https://tinyurl.com/farmlabormanagement
Agricultural Labor Survey: Help Us to Help You!
Do you manage employees on a farm? Do you need help recruiting and retaining good staff? Please take a brief survey and share important feedback that will help CCE develop improved resources for farm managers. The Cornell Small Farms Program, Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Team, the Lake Ontario Fruit Program and the Cornell Farmworker Program are partners in this initiative.
Participants can enter to win either a $100 gift certificate for Tractor Supply or a free Cornell Small Farms on-line agricultural course of their choice in the coming year. One winner will be selected for every 50 participants.
Growing a great workforce can result in long-term benefits for your business. Share your management challenges and successes to help us develop effective management tools, such as on-line courses and videos, plain language guides, and workshops.
Learn about other programs and events, including the Improving Ag Labor Management Workshop series, at the Labor Ready Farmer webpage: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/labor-ready-farmer/
For more information, contact: Kat McCarthy (kmm485@cornell.edu. Or 607-255-9911) or Anu Rangarajan (ar47@cornell.edu).
Thanks so much for your input!
The Labor Ready Farmer Project Team
Agricultural Labor Survey Flyer (pdf; 210KB)
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
Upcoming Events
2026 Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meetings
April 30, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 1
Webster, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
May 28, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 2
Oswego, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
June 25, 2026 : Tree Fruit & Small Fruit Twilight Meeting 3
Medina, NY
The Twilight Meetings are a series of monthly meetings, where we examine seasonal changes in tree fruit and berry crop phenology, discuss and demonstrate scouting and monitoring for insects and diseases, and provide integrated pest management solutions to maximize the health and productivity of berry and tree fruit plantings.
Please arrive at 6pm for pizza and soda. This year Twilight meetings will begin and end 30minutes earlier than last year!
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 Dr. Terence Robinson with 40+ years in tree fruit research—and explore the latest orchard technologies and practices.