Food Safety
Farm food safety begins with Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs): the basic environmental and operational conditions that are necessary for the production of safe fruits and vegetables.
Farmers need to take steps to minimize pathogen contamination during production and harvest of their fresh produce. They should avoid side-dressing with manure, exclude animals near fields, promote proper worker hygiene in the field, test irrigation water quality, select irrigation methods that minimize crop wetting or allows for leaves to dry quickly, clean and sanitize harvest bins, promote cleanliness at U-Pick, and keep produce cool.
As consumers demand safer food, a growing number of retailers are requiring farmers to have independent, 3rd-party inspections of farms, certifying that their fruits and vegetables are being grown, harvested and packaged using Good Agricultural Practices.
More Food Safety Content
Farmers need to take steps to minimize pathogen contamination during production and harvest of their fresh produce. They should avoid side-dressing with manure, exclude animals near fields, promote proper worker hygiene in the field, test irrigation water quality, select irrigation methods that minimize crop wetting or allows for leaves to dry quickly, clean and sanitize harvest bins, promote cleanliness at U-Pick, and keep produce cool.
As consumers demand safer food, a growing number of retailers are requiring farmers to have independent, 3rd-party inspections of farms, certifying that their fruits and vegetables are being grown, harvested and packaged using Good Agricultural Practices.
Most Recent Food Safety Content
Anna Wallis, Tree Fruit and Grape Specialist
Presentations given at the 2017 Eastern NY Commercial Tree Fruit Schools are available by clicking on the following links.
Looking for more information about Food Safety? Follow the links below to find more valuable resources:
Sarah Rohwer, Field Technician
Presentations given at the 2016 Commercial Tree Fruit Schools in Lake George (LG) and Kingston in the Hudson Valley (HV) are available by clicking on the following links.
2017 Winter Tree Fruit School Presentations
Anna Wallis, Tree Fruit and Grape Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Last Modified: February 16, 2017
Presentations given at the 2017 Eastern NY Commercial Tree Fruit Schools are available by clicking on the following links.
Valuable Resources for Food Safety Information
Last Modified: April 29, 2016
Looking for more information about Food Safety? Follow the links below to find more valuable resources:
Presentations - 2016 Winter Tree Fruit Schools
Sarah Rohwer, Field Technician
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Last Modified: February 22, 2016
Presentations given at the 2016 Commercial Tree Fruit Schools in Lake George (LG) and Kingston in the Hudson Valley (HV) are available by clicking on the following links.
More Food Safety Content
Apples
Apricots
Asparagus
Beets
Blueberries
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cherries
Cucumbers
Dry Beans
Eggplant
Ethnic Vegetables
Garlic
Grapes
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce / Leafy Greens
Melons
Nectarines
Onions
Parsnips
Peaches
Pears
Peas
Peppers
Plums
Potatoes
Pumpkins / Gourds
Radishes
Raspberries / Blackberries
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Snap Beans
Squash - Summer
Squash- Winter
Strawberries
Sweet Corn
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnips
Upcoming Events
Ag Business Tuesdays - Clinton County
July 11, 2017
1.5 hour appts between 9:00am to 5:00pm
Plattsburgh, NY
Are you a farmer in Eastern New York with a question about the management side of your farm business? The Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, in collaboration with CCE County offices, is offering free farm business technical assistance appointments this summer on Tuesdays at various locations in our service region. On Tuesday, July 11 from 9:00am-5:00pm we will be at CCE Clinton County.High Tunnel Field Meeting
July 12, 2017
5:00-7:00pm
Arygle, NY
Join us for a discussion of ongoing high tunnel fertility management for summer tomato crops, high tunnel soil health, as well as other summer high tunnel crop options including cucumbers and basil.In addition there will be an update on leek moth in allium crops, a discussion of downy mildew in basil, and a
demonstration of an in-row flame weeder.
Ag Business Tuesdays - Warren County
July 25, 2017
1.5 hour appts between 9:00am to 4:00pm
Warrensburgh, NY
Are you a farmer in Eastern New York with a question about the management side of your farm business? The Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, in collaboration with CCE County offices, is offering free farm business technical assistance appointments this summer on Tuesdays at various locations in our service region. On Tuesday, July 25 from 9:00am-4:00pm we will be at CCE Warren County.Announcements
New Resources for Berry Crops
Berry Crop Diagnostics Tool - Much information exists on controlling plant pests and problems, but one must first identify the cause before intervention can occur. This diagnostic tool was developed to assist the student, grower, and extension educator in identifying potential causes of plant problems in berry crops
Cornell Berries YouTube Channel - Webinars and other videos that support our commercial berry production Extension and outreach
Coming soon: New NEWA berry pest forecasting tools
White Rot Update
NOW AVAILABLE: White Rot Fact Sheet: Click Here
White Rot, Sclerotinia cepivorum, decimated the onion industry in New York in the 1930's before being eradicated through careful management. More recently, in 2003, it infected 10,000 acres of garlic in California, leading to the abandonment of some garlic fields and adoption of strict containment rules. White rot has been confirmed in Northeastern states over the last decade as well, with New York being one of the last to discover the disease.
The primary reason that White Rot is such a concern is because the sclerotia, or reproductive structures, can remain dormant in the soil for up to 40 years, attacking any allium crop planted into the soil under favorable conditions. This spring was ideal for infection due to the period of cool, moist weather we had. Optimal temperature for infection is 60-65 degrees F, but infection can occur anywhere from 50-75 degrees F.
Once garlic has white rot, it generally declines rapidly. Leaves will yellow and the plant will wilt, not unlike a severe fusarium infection. However, unlike with fusarium, white rot infected bulbs are covered in black sclerotia and white fungus. To add to the confusion, another disease CAN look similar. Botrytis also causes black sclerotia and white fungal growth. However, Botrytis sclerotia are quite large, often larger than a pencil eraser.
So, what do we do now? We're still working on long-term management strategies, but the most important steps to take now are vigilance when culling (look at the plants you are pulling for symptoms like you see in this article, and if they are present, call us to take a sample and have the disease verified) and, if you see anything suspicious, reduction of movement of inoculum. The main ways diseases get moved around are by dumping culls (compost, field edges, etc) and my moving soil on equipment. Throw away your culls, and wash equipment that may have come in contact with suspicious garlic or the soil it is growing in. Everything from cultivation equipment to harvest bins should be cleaned.
We will keep learning about this disease and will keep sending out information, particularly to help you make decisions about what to sell and buy. For now, remember that the west coast has learned to manage the disease, and we will too. -Crystal Stewart, ENYCHP
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture - Cornell Cooperative Extension
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