The Cornell Fruit Team is pleased to announce a nationwide SCRI Apple Root to Fruit (R2F) webinar for apple growers, extension educators, and crop consultants on Tuesday March 1st,2022, 11am-4pm (Eastern Time). This free webinar will provide an opportunity to learn new findings on rootstock and nutrition for managing 'Honeycrisp' and other high value varieties in the Pacific Northwest and Eastern U.S.

Cornell Cooperative Extension ENYCHP tree fruit specialists are pleased to offer three in-person pruning workshops at our region's orchards in March.  Dr. Terence Robinson will be joining us to demonstrate how to prune young and mature tall spindle trees, and will walk us through his precision pruning protocol to reduce crop load early in biennial bearing varieties like 'Honeycrisp' and 'Fuji'.

Cornell Cooperative Extension ENYCHP tree fruit specialists are pleased to offer three in-person pruning workshops at our region's orchards in March.  Dr. Terence Robinson will be joining us to demonstrate how to prune young and mature tall spindle trees, and will walk us through his precision pruning protocol to reduce crop load early in biennial bearing varieties like 'Honeycrisp' and 'Fuji'.

Previously known as DEC Certified Pesticide Applicator License Pre-Exam Training.

This training is only for those with experience and does not qualify for the 30-hour official DEC training - you are exempt from the 30 hour training (and eligible for this coaching session) if you have pesticide application experience, either through working on your own farm or through employment on another farm.

If you have an interest in using hummingbirds as a management technique to help control SWD in your crops, this seminar is for you!  

Join us on March 10th for the 2022 Onion School.  We will be discussing several subjects including Managing Onion and Seedcorn Maggot without Lorsban, Fungicide and Insecticide Seed Treatment Options for 2023 and Beyond, Glyphosate-Resistant Palmer Amaranth Management, and much more!

Cornell Cooperative Extension ENYCHP tree fruit specialists are pleased to offer three in-person pruning workshops at our region's orchards in March.  Dr. Terence Robinson will be joining us to demonstrate how to prune young and mature tall spindle trees, and will walk us through his precision pruning protocol to reduce crop load early in biennial bearing varieties like 'Honeycrisp' and 'Fuji'.

Cornell Cooperative Extension ENYCHP and LOFP are presenting a webinar on biological orchard IPM tactics. Julianna Wilson of MSU Extension will present on mating disruption and biological insecticide options, while Dr. Kerik Cox will review what's available for biological control of diseases.

Cornell Cooperative Extension ENYCHP and LOFP are presenting a webinar on biological orchard IPM tactics. Julianna Wilson of MSU Extension will present on mating disruption and biological insecticide options, while Dr. Kerik Cox will review what's available for biological control of diseases.  

This training is only for those with experience and does not qualify for the 30-hour official DEC training - you are exempt from the 30 hour training (and eligible for this coaching session) if you have pesticide application experience, either through working on your own farm or through employment on another farm.

NYCAMH will be offering respirator fit testing clinics across the state this year.  For more information, contact NYCAMH at 800-343-7527 or fittest@bassett.org.

Join Dr. Terence Robinson and Mario Miranda Sazo for this pruning demonstration presented in English.

Join for an overview of a newly created guide to tarping for the Northeast, presented by one of the guide's authors.

This resource is the product of a Northeastern IPM Center-funded working group on tarping and soil solarization. Working group member and presenter Sonja Birthisel, along with her colleagues, sought to create a thorough and application-oriented guide that identifies best practices and fills key knowledge gaps. It covers many uses of tarps, including stale seedbed preparation, cover-crop termination, and application in perennial systems.

Join Mario Miranda Sazo for this pruning demonstration presented in Spanish.

The NYS Dry Bean Meeting will be back online again this year, with presentations covering the latest research in NY dry beans. Topic areas include market updates, white mold management, western bean cutworm and soybean cyst nematode management, dry bean variety testing, and incorporating NY dry beans into schools. This event will be held virtually via Zoom, and 1.5 DEC credits will be available. 

Cornell Cooperative Extension ENYCHP and LOFP are presenting a webinar on what's new in crop load management. Speakers will be joining us from NYSIPM, Cornell University, Michigan State University, and Valent USA. Topics will include NEWA crop load management tools, including the Pollen Tube Growth Model, the Carbohydrate Thinning Model, and the Fruit Growth Rate Model.  We will also discuss the future of precision crop load management with computer vision technologies, and new materials you will soon be able to incorporate into your apple thinning programs.  For those growing peaches, Dr. Anna Wallis will present on thinning with ACC, the first chemical thinner commercially available for stone fruits.

Cornell Cooperative Extension ENYCHP and LOFP are presenting a webinar on what's new in crop load management. Speakers will be joining us from NYSIPM, Cornell University, Michigan State University, and Valent USA. Topics will include NEWA crop load management tools, including the Pollen Tube Growth Model, the Carbohydrate Thinning Model, and the Fruit Growth Rate Model.  We will also discuss the future of precision crop load management with computer vision technologies, and new materials you will soon be able to incorporate into your apple thinning programs.  For those growing peaches, Dr. Anna Wallis will present on thinning with ACC, the first chemical thinner commercially available for stone fruits.

This workshop will share research results from two fusarium management studies: one focused on field management of fusarium in garlic and the other focused on post-harvest handling's affects. Speakers are Chris Callahan, Agriculture Engineer at the University of Vermont, and Crystal Stewart Courtens, ENYCHP. This workshop is funded through the generous support of Northeast SARE. 

Frustrated with bird control on your farm? Curious about what laser scarecrows are or how to optimize their set up? The University of Rhode Island and Cornell Cooperative Extension have teamed up to share their research and on-farm experiences using the University of Rhode Island laser scarecrow which utilizes a constantly moving green laser beam to scare birds away from fields. This workshop will feature a presentation by Rebecca Nelson Brown and David Brown of the University of Rhode Island about the laser scarecrow and what improvements have been made for 2022. Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators Chuck Bornt and Julie Kikkert will share their experiences testing the devices on New York farms. This online event is FREE!

A Certification Exam will be administered on March 22 at 8:30am by the DEC to Qualified Applicants. The fee for the exam is $100: bring a check payable to NYSDEC the day of the exam.  You must register with DEC to take the exam. To register for the exam or if you have questions regarding the Certification Process, please contact Justin Schoff at the Avon DEC office (607) 622-8264.

Newly improved laser scarecrow kits will again be available for 2022 for those who wish to partner with our research.  This workshop will feature a presentation by Rebecca Nelson Brown and David Brown of the University of Rhode Island about the laser scarecrow and what improvements have been made for 2022.  Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators Chuck Bornt and Julie Kikkert will share their experiences testing the devices on New York farms.  We will also open the floor to cooperating growers to share their tips for success on the farm.

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) is a voluntary food safety audit program requiring minimum standards for production, handling, packing, and storing of fresh fruits and vegetables. Many wholesale buyers, including grocery stores, schools, and other institutions, require GAPs certification from farms in order to purchase their produce. 

It is time to out-smart the critters! 

Dr. Paul Curtis, Cornell University, Natural Resources & Environment - Learn the behavior and control of deer, groundhogs, raccoons, turkey, geese, and crows.  Dr. Curtis will cover problems in the field, in crop storages, and around barns and facilities. 

This workshop will cover the principles and practices of farm food safety for fresh produce farmers. Whether a buyer is asking for you to have a GAPs audit/certification or you just want to learn about improving food safety practices, this workshop is for you.

Topics are broken down into sections covering assessing situations where risk of microbial contamination could and would be a problem. These include land use, appraising adjacent land issues, handling manure/compost, wildlife and domestic animals, water sources/quality, pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest operations, wash/pack procedures, facility hygiene and sanitation, and worker training.

B.E.V. NY is New York's annual conference for the grape and wine industry, combining the resources of Cornell's Extension Enology Lab, the Finger Lakes Grape Program, and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. The conference invites academic and industry experts to present information that addresses important issues for the industry, and to do so in a way that provides practical information to those who attend.

This year's conference will be fully virtual. This is a great opportunity for wineries and growers from across the state, and beyond, to take advantage of the great material presented. Seminars will take place over the course of the 3-day conference, with time each day dedicated to Business, Enology, and Viticulture topics. Your registration fee allows you to participate in as much of the conference as you choose.

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension's Lake Ontario Fruit Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County, and the CCE-Eastern NY Horticulture Team on April 4th for a remote GAPs training. Instructors will walk growers thru how to conduct a risk assessment on their farm utilizing the seven areas of farm food safety. Participants will gain hands-on experience in creating a traceability system for their farm, as well as learn about packing house design with food safety principles guiding placement of equipment and suggested materials. Students will also learn about how to train their employees related to food safety and understand what they will need to implement on their farm in order to pass a third-party food safety audit, such as GAPs.

This is a basic Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) training, followed by a second (optional) farm food safety writing workshop.

Dr. Betsy Lamb, NYS IPM, will be presenting about integrated pest management in greenhouses and about the use of biologicals to control greenhouse pests. Chris Stoltzfus will provide a tour of the greenhouses and discuss their best practices for transplant production. 

The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and
Health (NYCAMH) and Cornell Cooperative Extension
of Orleans County are pleased to provide respirator fit
testing clinics for agricultural businesses in your region
on April 7.

NYCAMH will be offering respirator fit testing clinics across the state this year.  For more information, contact NYCAMH at 800-343-7527 or fittest@bassett.org.

Special Permit Training (SPT) for 2022 will be offered again this year in a virtual format. It will be the responsibility of the Supervisor/Certified Pesticide Applicator(s) on each farm to administer the pre-recorded training modules and written exam to their Special Permit trainees.   

Join Mario Miranda Sazo for this bilingual pruning demonstration.

Join Mario Miranda Sazo for this pruning demonstration presented in Spanish.

Hands-on tunnel production meeting centered on early tomato and flower basket production. Topics include biological and IPM aphid control, tomato fertility management, cultural practices for raising flower baskets, and other IPM topics. Guest speakers are Betsy Lamb of the NYS IPM Program and Jeff Werner. Free to attend! 

Join Mario Miranda Sazo for this pruning demonstration in English.

Registration Extended

Independent Virtual Training Format
Special Permit Training (SPT) for 2022 will be offered again this year in a virtual format. It will be the responsibility of the Supervisor/Certified Pesticide Applicator(s) on each farm to administer the pre-recorded training modules and written exam to their Special Permit trainees.   

For those who registered emails containing training materials will be sent out the week of April 11, you will then have until May 16 to complete the training and mail the tests back.  For more information click view details.

Join Mario for a demonstration and discuss on how to adjust bud load targets for 'Honeycrisp' trees on Geneva rootstocks with grower hosts and participants. English and Spanish languages will be used during instruction.

Microgreens represent a rapidly growing segment of the food industry. They require only a small production area. Compared to other crops they mature fast and can be harvested soon after seeding. They can be grown year-round and provide farmers with income out of season. In this virtual workshop hosted by CCE Monroe County, speakers from the CCE Cornell Vegetable Program, Johnny's Selected Seeds, the University of Rochester, and SCORE will share their expertise on the subject.

CCE Annual Pink Meeting join CCE LOFP & CCE ENYCHP in reviewing horticulture and IPM strategies & recommendations for apples during the pink fruit growth stage. 

NYCAMH will be offering respirator fit testing clinics across the state this year.  For more information, contact NYCAMH at 800-343-7527 or fittest@bassett.org.

A review of precision thinning, the carbohydrate model, and region specific thinning strategies, along with pest and
disease management recommendations will be provided by Cornell University faculty. Hosted by CCE LOF and ENYCHP.
Note that Dr Robinson will be providing information on region-specific thinning recommendations for the Champlain
Valley beginning at 3pm, so please sign on by 3:30 to be sure to catch all the material that is relevant to our region.