New York State has a little more than 700 acres of blueberries in production yielding about 2 million pounds of blueberries annually making it the 9th most important blueberry production state in the nation.  Increased consumer interest in dark colored fruit containing high amounts of healthful antioxidants has resulted in many more acres being planted over the past several years. This is despite the soil pH requirement of 4.5 that blueberries, a member of the acid-loving Ericaceae family require.

It takes nearly 8 years for blueberries to reach their mature production, but a well maintained planting can remain economically viable for up to 40 years or more yielding in excess of 10,000 lbs/acre. Ninety-five percent of this production is hand-picked and sold as fresh fruit with the remaining 5% going to value added products.

Highbush blueberries are grown throughout the majority of the state, but in northern NY and the Adirondacks, cultivars that are crosses between the Maine low-bush and northern high-bush blueberries result in a smaller bush that is much more winter hardy. The threat from late spring frosts remains a challenge to blueberry growers throughout the state. Blueberries have a relatively small pest complex making it a favorite berry for organic production.

For more information about blueberry production, visit the Cornell Berry website.


More Blueberries Content

PSA Grower Training Course

February 19, 2019
8:00am- 5:15pm
Albany, NY

The course will provide a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management information, FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and details on how to develop a farm food safety plan.

The Course is designed for fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in 112.22(c) that requires at least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.

Registration is mandatory for this event.   Hosted by CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program during our 2019 Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Note: You do NOT need to register for the Fruit and Vegetable Conference to attend this training. 

2019 Eastern New York Fruit and Vegetable Conference

February 19, 2019 : Day 1: Tree Fruit, Small Fruit & Business Management

February 20, 2019 : Day 2: General, Vegetable, Tree Fruit

February 21, 2019 : Day 3: Fertility, CSA, Irrigation, Grapes

Join us for the 2nd Annual Eastern NY Fruit and Vegetable Conference! This year we will be expanding our conference to include a third day and many exciting new sessions. Preliminary agenda is now available. Mark your calendars, and don't miss this great line-up!

Last Monday Grant Webinar for Fruit and Vegetable Growers - February

February 25, 2019
12:00-1:00

To help disseminate information on grants on a more consistent basis, we will be offering a "current grants" webinar on the last Monday of every month at noon

In order to help focus the program, the webinars will be limited to grants that are relevant to fruit and vegetable farmers in Eastern New York.

There is a possibility of webinars related to grants for experimental crops (i.e. hops and hemp) if it is likely that fruit and vegetable growers would be interested.

ENYCHP Fruit and Vegetable Conference Feb 19-21

Join us for the 2nd Annual Eastern NY Fruit and Vegetable Conference! This year we will be expanding our conference to include a third day and many exciting new sessions. Speakers, topic details, and registration information currently available. Mark your calendars, and don't miss this great line-up!

NYSBGA & CCE Blueberry Intensive Workshop

The New York State Berry Growers Association (NYSBGA) has partnered with Cornell Cooperative Extension to bring growers a pair of winter Blueberry Intensive Workshops. An in-depth look at growing and management techniques, pest and diseases, profitability tools, and more, the Blueberry Intensive Workshops will feature 10 expert speakers from Cornell University, Cornell CCE, New York State IPM, Rutgers University, and Pennsylvania State University, as well as owners of successful area farms. The workshops will be held in Ellicottville, New York on March 5, 2019, and in Millbrook, New York on March 14, 2019. The cost to attend is $35 for current NYSBGA members and $45 for non-members.  To register, click here.

Growers who attend the workshops will learn about:
• Choosing and preparing a site for blueberry production
• Blueberry diseases and management strategies
• Blueberry insect pest management
• Using the NEWA blueberry pest and disease models to best advantage
• Alternative options for markets
• Using a new berry crops profitability tool
• How area farms have ensured success in their blueberry growing program
• Nutrition for blueberries
• Post-harvest handling to reduce pest damage and improve fruit quality
• Correct pruning techniques, with a live, hands-on demonstration
• Pest scouting and weed management

Resources from CCE ENYCHP!

We are developing new ways to connect with the CCE ENYCHP team this year! We have a Youtube page located at this link. Check out videos on Table Grape Production, Pest Updates and the 20 Minute Ag Manager - in 4 Minutes series. 
The text alerts will be reserved for important crop alerts that could impact management decisions immediately. For instance, if there were an outbreak of Late Blight in the area, this would be transmitted to vegetable growers.

Farmers can choose the crop for which they wish to receive updates. Additionally they can request that Ag Business Alerts be sent to them. These alerts might include due dates for crop insurance deadlines, market opportunities etc.