Got commercial vegetable questions? Get LIVE answers every Thursday night from 7:00-8:00pm! Join us for farmer-driven production conversations, dynamic troubleshooting with CCE Specialists, and photo diagnostics of crop issues and pests. Learn how to identify the pests affecting your crops.

Got commercial vegetable questions? Get LIVE answers every Thursday night from 7:00-8:00pm! This event is hosted on Zoom or you can call in for farmer-driven production conversations, dynamic troubleshooting with CCE Specialists, and photo diagnostics of crop issues and pests. Learn how to identify the pests affecting your crops.

Join the us for the first virtual CCE LOF 'Spring Pink Meeting' via Zoom.  Monday May 11 from Noon -1pm.  Be sure to preregister for this free Zoom webinar.

Pre-registration for this free webinar is required.

CFAP, authorized in the CARES Act will provide $16 billion in direct support to agricultural producers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Direct support for farmers and ranchers available via CFAP will include direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers where prices and market supply chains have been impacted and will assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19. For example if you had to dispose of produce because you lost sales, you may be eligible for a payment.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions on public meetings, a series of three, short, weekly Zoom Webinar on-line thinning meetings will be held instead.

The format is designed to be brief and focused, with an opportunity for grower interaction with the presenters.

The three-meeting format will be repeated separately for the Capital District and the Champlain Valley.

You will be able to submit questions during the meeting. If you'd prefer to submit your question(s) prior, email to Dan Donahue djd13@cornell.edu.

There is no cost to attend, but pre-registration is required. Pre-registration is simple, just your name, business name, and email address, and can be done up to a few moments before the Zoom webinar.

Got commercial vegetable questions? Get LIVE answers every Thursday night from 7:00-8:00pm! Join us for farmer-driven production conversations, dynamic troubleshooting with CCE Specialists, and photo diagnostics of crop issues and pests. Learn how to identify the pests affecting your crops.

View Details for Update on Annual Fit Testing Requirements and Temporary Exemptions here https://www.nycamh.org/programs-and-services/respirator-fit-test-clinics.php

Late Registration Now Available for Special Permit Training - for those who were unable to register by April 3rd, there is still time.  If you have already registered please do not re-register you will be contacted in the near future with detailed instructions.

UPDATE: NYS DEC has approved a revised Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Special Permit Training (SPT) Program for 2020 that accommodates current restrictions on public meetings, recommendations for social distancing, and projected delays in H2A guest worker processing.  Our previously announced SPT in-person training sessions scheduled in Wayne and Orleans counties for April 7 and 8 have been cancelled.  However, a recorded webinar is being developed that will satisfy the requirements. Registration deadline for this Revised Special Permit Training is April 3rd.

View Details for more info.

Special Permits (SP) will only be issued for specific pesticide labels and SP trainees will have to pass a test. This will relieve the certified pesticide applicator from "on-site within voice contact" supervision of non-certified pesticide applicators when they are handling federally-restricted-use pesticides for which they hold a Special Permit.

Workers requiring general pesticide training/Agricultural Worker Protection Standard Handler training who do not need special permits are welcome to take the class; they will not be tested and will receive a course participation certificate

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County (CCE Erie) is hosting an online workshop for anyone looking for a place to start an urban farm or market garden in the City of Buffalo. Selecting a suitable property is critical to the success of an urban farm. Size, soils, site history, infrastructure, neighborhood, and zoning are all factors that need to be considered. Caitlin Tucker with the CCE Cornell Vegetable Program will talk about these factors on Saturday, May 16.

Dr. Terence Robinson & Mario Miranda Sazo will be providing recommendations for bloom thinning in biennial varieties (plus Gala), with up-to-date information based on assessments of freeze damage across the region. This meeting will be recorded.

Got commercial vegetable questions? Get LIVE answers every Thursday night from 7:00-8:00pm! Join us for farmer-driven production conversations, dynamic troubleshooting with CCE Specialists, and photo diagnostics of crop issues and pests. Learn how to identify the pests affecting your crops.

Description: A fairly short meeting. Terence Robinson and Mario Miranda Sazo will be making early thinning recommendations based on assessments over the past several days. There will be plenty of time for Q&A, and the webinar will be recorded and posted to our website soon after.

"Annual" Spring Petal Fall Thinning Meeting Part 2-

Please register through Zoom link by clicking on view  details below and scrolling down to the May 29 Webinar.

This will be a more comprehensive webinar that will be similar to the field meetings we had Pre-COVID, which will include IPM/pest management updates from Cornell faculty, pollination information, a labor update, COVID-19 information, a national crop update, and an update on thinning recommendations from Mario. There will be time for Q&A. It will be recorded and posted on our website later as well.

Weekly Berry Office Hours held on Thursdays at 12:30pm via Zoom or on your phone.  Format will be a short, in-depth presentation about a production issue and then Q&A.

Dr. Terence Robinson will present his recommendations for the all-important 10-13 mm thinning sprays. This will be based on overall response to thinners though petal fall, and the carbohydrate model predictions with the current weather forecasts. Terence and Mario will be available after to answer your questions.

Please register through Zoom link by clicking on view  details below and scrolling down to the June 5 Webinar.

As New York "Reopens" business during the COVID-19 crisis, business owners are evaluating what actions they need to take to protect themselves, their employees, and their customers.

Join a panel of experts for a Question and Answer lunchtime session on June 9th, 2020 at noon that will address common questions that apple growers and other producers have about managing their field crew.

As New York "Reopens" business during the COVID-19 crisis, business owners are evaluating what actions they need to take to protect themselves, their employees, and their customers.

Join a panel of experts for a Question and Answer lunchtime session that will address common questions that apple growers and other producers have about managing their field crew.

Join us for office hours - Thursday, June 11 at 12:30pm.  Bring questions about SWD management, ID, etc.  There will be a short presentation first - yes, about SWD! - and then we'll try and touch on highlights for management. 

Click the link below to join

https://cornell.zoom.us/j/9551...

Password: 4FyY8D

Or dial by phone: 1-646-518-9805

Meeting ID: 955 1458 6018

This virtual training will help farmers and workers understand the concepts of food safety from harvest to packing. This training will also cover facility design, operation for washing produce and cleaning/sanitizing to minimize the risk of possible microbial contamination.

As New York "Reopens" business during the COVID-19 crisis, business owners are evaluating what actions they need to take to protect themselves, their employees, and their customers, and to help public officials contain the spread of COVID-19.

Join a panel of Cornell ag specialists for a Question and Answer session on June 24th, 2020, at 7pm, that will address common questions that fruit and vegetable growers have about managing their farms during COVID-19.

Please join us for a webinar to learn about managing spotted wing drosophila and fruit flies in cherries this summer! 

The Cornell Vegetable Program is receiving many requests for a summer meeting schedule. Traditionally these meetings are held on a cooperating farm and feature peer learning, crop demonstrations and insights from Cornell specialists, often with pesticide license re-certification credits. They are great opportunities to hear research updates and learn from other farmers. They go by many names: Twilight, Field Walk, Coffee Pots, Muck Donut…We look forward to them as much as you do.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic guidance from NYS Department of Ag & Markets, NYS Department of Health, and Cornell University, we do not have dates for meetings right now. But keep reading, as we are working towards hosting meetings by the end of the growing season. 

Topic: Renovating June-bearing strawberries - this can help control SWD population growth and also help keep perennial berry patches healthy, but there are challenges to the approach.

Join us for irrigation presentations and Q&A with Mario Miranda Sazo and Dr. Terence Robinson.

Join the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program  as Dr. Srdjan Acimovic of the Hudson Valley Research Lab discusses the basic biology and his recommended management approaches for multiple summer diseases.

Join us as Dr. Srdjan Acimovic of the Hudson Valley Research Lab discusses the basic biology and his recommended management approaches for multiple summer diseases.

See detials for meeting registration link and instructions for online meeting.

Peel samples can be collected & delivered/picked up by LOF between now &...  Please click details & fill out registration form for each block you intend to have peel SAP analysis run on.  Please use the provided protocol for fruit and peel collection and preservation.

Join us for a review of peel SAP analysis and how it could help in your orchard.  Presentations and Q&A session with Dr. Cheng & Dr. Robinson.

A one-hour, 15 minute  Q&A Zoom session to answer questions about your farm business response to the COVID-19 crisis. How can I reduce risk at my apple packing facility? You can submit questions ahead of time if you wish.

Register here: https://cornell.zoom.us/webina... 

Join the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program the afternoon of July 20th to learn what's new in orchard precision spraying technology. We'll be joined by Dr. Jason Deveau, Dr. Heping Zhu, and Steve Booher.  After their presentations, we will open up the meeting for all three presenters to field questions and comments. 

Join us the afternoon of July 20th to learn what's new in orchard precision spraying technology. We'll be joined by Dr. Jason Deveau, Dr. Heping Zhu, and Steve Booher. 

After their presentations, we will open up the meeting for all three presenters to field questions and comments. 

Medical guidance for producers, service providers, farmworkers, and community members.

 The Cornell Farmworker Program and Finger Lakes Community Health (the clinic) present a free English presentation with Dr. Jose Canario, M.D. In this one hour webinar, Dr. Canario will give an update on COVID-19 research, discuss safe ways to go out under "reopening", and appropriate behavior during social settings. Attendees are required to register and are encouraged to submit questions in advance or raise them during the call. The English webinar will provide important information for producers, service providers, and community members. All welcome.

Since we can't gather on the Cornell campus this year, we're taking your favorite IPM workshop virtual!

July 28 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Please join us for a virtual twilight meeting on how to manage humidity and condensation in coolers to increase shelf life and prevent food-borne illness.

NYFB is pleased to partner once again with the law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King to present a complimentary webinar to members on the farm labor regulations that went into effect January 1, 2020.

In a webinar late last year, these attorneys informed our members about overtime pay, the mandatory day of rest, the right to organize and negotiate a Collective Bargaining Agreement, and other topics. Join us on Thursday, July 30 at 12 p.m. to learn about guidance on these regulations just issued by New York including which employees are excluded from the day of rest provision, who is covered by the over-60 hour overtime provision, the definition of immediate family, and more. Check future FB Alerts for more information.