COVID-19 Testing of Farm Employees Begins in Wayne County
Open Position, Business Management Specialist
Lake Ontario Fruit Program
Now that workers are arriving for the apple harvest, growers in Wayne County are using the state program for free, on-farm COVID-19 testing of farmworkers. Here is a video and collection of photos from on-farm testing at Teeple Farms on September 1st, 2020. In the video, Frank Teeple explains why he chose to get his workers tested early for COVID-19.
Frank Teeple shares his reasons for testing workers early:
Photos from on-farm testing at Teeple Farms on September 1st, 2020:
Finger Lakes Community Health sets up the testing site at the old Empire Farm.
Finger Lakes Community health staff prepare to begin testing.
Workers wait in line to be tested. Approximately seventy employees were tested in about two hours.
Workers get registered and tested.
Frank Teeple gets tested.
Workers get registered and tested.
Duke Mitchell and Frank Teeple converse after getting tested.
Frank Teeple decided to get the workers tested now right after they arrived from Mexico. "If we find that somebody's sick right now, we have time to deal with that, and get them healthy so they're ready to pick in the peak of our season."
Links to register for On-Farm Testing:
- Registration link for the free NYS Covid-19 testing program available to farms in Wayne and Orleans Counties, click here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/78fd67f98e104d1c95f533cb8ac9c200
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pears
Blueberries
Cherries
Currants
Gooseberries
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Raspberries / Blackberries
Strawberries
Unusual Fruit
Upcoming Events
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Training & Food Safety Plan-Writing Workshop
February 2 - February 3, 2023
Newark, NY
Goals of this workshop:
- Understand how GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices) impact produce safety, and how you can improve practices on your farm to reduce the risk of microbial contamination
- Learn the difference between a FSMA Inspection and a GAPs audit, and learn what is needed to have a USDA GAP/GHP audit and the 2 types (Basic & Harmonized)
- Begin writing a farm food safety plan that complies with a USDA GAP/GHP Audit
This workshop is targeted at Mott's growers who need to have a successful GAP audit for the 2023 harvest. However, all farms and organizations are invited to attend.
We will have several breaks, including a lunch break, scattered throughout the day, but feel free to step away whenever you need to. Lunch and snacks provided. Note: All times are approximate. Time spent on each topic varies depending on audience and questions/discussion. There will be time for questions at the end of each section and a final opportunity for questions when we close for the day.
Instructors Confirmed: Craig Kahlke (CCE-LOF), Robert Hadad (CCE-CVP), Caroline Boutard-Hunt (CCE-Yates), Judy Wright (CCE-Seneca), and Representatives from NYS Dept. of Ag & Mkts.
How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? 1-day, hands-on skills class
February 7, 2023
Highland, NY
The Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team and the Lake Ontario Fruit Team are offering a 1-day, hands-on course at 5 locations in NYS in January and February for tree fruit farms on using farm financial information and other resources to make decisions about long-term investments or changes to their business. We will apply the techniques covered in the 8-part webinar series in December to scenarios using sample financial data from fruit farms in NYS.
Apple Leafcurling Midge IPM - Webinar
February 16, 2023
In recent years, the apple leafcurling midge (ALCM) has become an increasingly problematic pest in many orchards across the northeast.