Small Fruit Opportunities for Small Farms
Event Details

Date
July 11, 2023
Time
1:00pm - 5:00pm
Location
Cornell Willsboro Research Farm
48 Sayward Ln
Willsboro, NY 12996
Cost
Pre-Register : $10.00
Host
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture$10 per farm
Pre register by Monday, July 10th at 9 am
Join us for a field afternoon at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm and Juniper Hill Farm in Essex County to learn about growing small fruit crops in northern New York. We'll discuss considerations for site selection, varieties, pruning, integrated pest management, marketing, and more. In addition to strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, we'll cover novelty small fruits and nuts for specialty markets and hear from local producers who grow them.
1.75 DEC credits approved in categories 1A, 10, and 22
Rain date: This event will be held at the same time on Thursday, July 13th if thunderstorms and/or significant rain are predicted on the 11th
Agenda:
12:50 pm: Arrive early if signing in for DEC credits
1 pm: Welcome & Introductions, refreshments (Elisabeth Hodgdon, CCE ENYCHP)
1:10 pm: Strawberry systems overview and overwintering material evaluation (Elisabeth Hodgdon, CCE ENYCHP)
1:30 pm: Growing hazelnuts in northern New York (Mike Davis, Cornell Willsboro Research Farm)
1:45 pm: Managing spotted wing drosophila in berry crops: trap options and research results, checking fruit for larvae, IPM overview (Laura McDermott, CCE ENYCHP)
2:05 pm: Juneberries, honeyberries, and Aronia variety evaluation (Mike Davis, Cornell Willsboro Research Farm)
2:35 pm: Specialty fruit grower panel discussion (Jenna Mulbury, Northern Orchard and Duane Smith, Seaway Coldhardy Grapes, others TBD)
3:00 pm: Climate change mitigation opportunities with perennial crops, funding opportunities (Jenna Walczak, CCE Harvest NY)
3:30 pm: Services available to commercial fruit growers from Essex County Soil & Water Conservation District (Alice Halloran, Essex Co SWCD)
3:40 pm: Depart for Juniper Hill Farm (drive on your own or carpool, meet at blueberry field on Stowersville Rd, Lewis at 44°17'52.9"N 73°30'09.1"W)
4:10 pm: Organic blueberry establishment at Juniper Hill Farm
5 pm: Adjourn, collect DEC credit certificates


Upcoming Events
Cornell Winter Fruit Webinar Series 2025

January 17, 2025
January 31, 2025
February 14, 2025
February 28, 2025
March 14, 2025
: Cornell Winter Fruit Webinar Series 2025
Week 1: Digging Into Pruning and Soil Health
Week 2: Cider Apples - Mechanized Harvesting and Patulin Food Safety
Week 3: The Value of "Eco-Friendly" Marketing - OMRI, Red Tomato, EcoApple, NYS Grown and Certified
Week 4: Biopesticides and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) for Berries
Week 5: St. Peachtrick's Day - Stone Fruit Insect and Disease Management
Remote Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course
February 17 - February 18, 2025
REMOTE Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course
Monday, Feb. 17 and Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025
8 am - 12:30 PM
Held remotely via Zoom (online)
Registration: $10 per person, open to NY state participants only
Includes printed course manual ($60 value), certificate of course completion ($35 value) and online food safety resources.
All produce growers are encouraged to attend this course to learn more about food safety practices recommended for all farms. This course contains NEW information contained in the finalized Subpart E rule on agricultural water. 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.' If you've already earned your PSA certificate, retaking this course is a great way to refresh your memory and learn about the new water requirements!
After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course.
From Seed to Success: Turn Your Idea into an Actionable Plan
January 7, 2025
January 14, 2025
January 21, 2025
January 28, 2025
February 4, 2025
February 11, 2025
February 18, 2025
February 25, 2025
March 4, 2025
: From Seed to Success: Turn Your Idea into an Actionable Plan
Do you need a business plan for your farm? Do you have an idea for a new venture, but aren't sure if it will work? This program is for you!
This course is designed for existing farm businesses or those planning to undertake a new farm business venture. Students will work with their farm's data, and the goal of the class is for participants to have a draft of a written business plan for a specific business venture.
During the course, you will learn to:
- Assess whether or not a business idea is a good fit for you.
- Develop a marketing strategy to make a profit
- Use financial tools to evaluate if your business has the potential to be profitable
This online course meets from January 7-March 4, 2025. All course content is available online so you can work on it at your own pace. There will be weekly webinars where you can meet other students and interact directly with the instructor on the content. These webinars will be recorded.