Potatoes are grown all across NYS, though the largest farms tend to be located in Western NY, the Finger Lakes Region and on Long Island, on deep, fertile, light- to medium-textured mineral soils, and on muck (organic) soils. Potatoes are grown on small, medium and large farms, for retail, wholesale (east of the Mississippi) and organic markets, for both fresh market and processing into chips, and for certified seed potatoes. Most growers store some of their crop for winter sales. Varieties include round whites, red-skinned potatoes, yellows, and a smaller acreage of a wide variety of specialty types, such as those with blue or red skin and flesh, fingerlings, etc. Potatoes are one of the highest value vegetables in NY, grown on about 17,100 acres, with an average value of about $74.4 million recently.

Potatoes have many serious insect and disease pests. Late blight can be a devastating disease, capable of completely destroying an unprotected crop within 3 weeks in wet weather, and rotting the tubers. Late blight was the major cause of the Irish Potato Famine. It also affects tomatoes. New, more virulent strains of late blight fungus began showing up 20 years ago and the disease has been harder to predict and control ever since. Early blight is a common fungal disease on both potatoes and tomatoes which survives over-winter in the soil. Colorado potato beetles can cause serious defoliation if crops are not rotated up to a quarter mile from where they, tomatoes or eggplant were previously planted. They can rapidly become resistant to commonly used insecticides. Tiny, sucking leafhoppers move up from the south each June on weather systems, and can cause severe leaf burn and yield reduction. Aphids can also be a production problem as well as carrying viral diseases that can affect potatoes grown from saved seed. 

Income Tax Planning for Farms that File a Schedule F

October 13, 2021 : Session 1: Tax Planning, Goals, and Foundations

Our first session will provide an overview of tax planning, the management of tax liability, and assessing your record keeping system. 

October 20, 2021 : Session 2: Understanding the Schedule F, Depreciation, Profit/Loss Determinations

The second session will delve into everything Schedule F - depreciation and classifying revenues and expenses. 

October 27, 2021 : Session 3: Income Tax Planning Strategies and Timelines

The final session will be led by a professional tax-preparer who will introduce tax planning strategies and the timeline for implementation with ample time for questions and discussion.

Wholesale Market Readiness for Vegetable and Produce Farms

October 28, 2021

Join Elizabeth Higgins and Extension Specialist with the Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, and Michelle Proscia, Agriculture Educator with CCE Sullivan, for a lunchtime discussion about how farms can prepare for selling on the wholesale market and the benefits of scaling up. Topics include: labeling, recordkeeping, grading standardization of product, and post harvest handling. 

This program is supported by the USDA, NIFA Award #: 2019-70020-30347

Design Your Succession Plan

November 2, 2021 : Starting Your Succession Plan

Farmers and next generation farmers will receive an opportunity to develop and design a succession plan with sessions led by experts across the field. Attendees will learn through scenario-based learning how to relate real-life experiences to the farm transition process. This webinar series will utilize a "flipped classroom" which requires that attendees complete pre-work prior to each session. This could include watching videos, visiting websites, or completing a handout/worksheet. This pre-work should not take more than 15-20 mins each week, but will enrich your experience during each of the weekly webinars.

November 9, 2021 : Family Meetings and Conversations

Farmers and next generation farmers will receive an opportunity to develop and design a succession plan with sessions led by experts across the field. Attendees will learn through scenario-based learning how to relate real-life experiences to the farm transition process. This webinar series will utilize a "flipped classroom" which requires that attendees complete pre-work prior to each session. This could include watching videos, visiting websites, or completing a handout/worksheet. This pre-work should not take more than 15-20 mins each week, but will enrich your experience during each of the weekly webinars.

November 16, 2021 : Determining What You Want

Farmers and next generation farmers will receive an opportunity to develop and design a succession plan with sessions led by experts across the field. Attendees will learn through scenario-based learning how to relate real-life experiences to the farm transition process. This webinar series will utilize a "flipped classroom" which requires that attendees complete pre-work prior to each session. This could include watching videos, visiting websites, or completing a handout/worksheet. This pre-work should not take more than 15-20 mins each week, but will enrich your experience during each of the weekly webinars.

November 23, 2021 : The Next Generation & Your Legacy

Farmers and next generation farmers will receive an opportunity to develop and design a succession plan with sessions led by experts across the field. Attendees will learn through scenario-based learning how to relate real-life experiences to the farm transition process. This webinar series will utilize a "flipped classroom" which requires that attendees complete pre-work prior to each session. This could include watching videos, visiting websites, or completing a handout/worksheet. This pre-work should not take more than 15-20 mins each week, but will enrich your experience during each of the weekly webinars.