Resources
COVID-19 RESOURCES
Important! State Guidance for Farms to Prevent/Respond to COVID-19
New York state has released official guidance specific to farms addressing COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus). You can find the document titled "Interim Guidance for Prevention and Response
of COVID-19 at Farms" at this link: https://agriculture.ny.gov/interim-guidance-prevention-and-response-covid-19-farms. The document covers: cleaning and disinfection, face coverings, social distancing, high-risk locations, coordination with local health departments, employee health screening, quarantine/isolation, and farm-provided employee housing.
A companion document is a helpful checklist for farms to be sure they have covered every required item: https://agriculture.ny.gov/covid-19-operator-checklist-farms.
Also included is a tipsheet intended for farm workers (https://agriculture.ny.gov/covid-19-prevention-tips-farmworkers). This document is presently in English but should be available in more languages soon, and I recommend that you distribute it to all employees. Please carefully read the last section of the document titled "Empower Yourself," this section informs workers about how to file complaints. Make sure that your business is in full compliance with all federal and state COVID-19-related sick leave and paid family leave requirements and that you are communicating this information to employees, see this post (https://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/2020/04/01/covid-19-employee-leave-and-farm-employers/) for more information.
_________________________________________________________________________________
By Richard Stup, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post State Guidance for Farms to Prevent/Respond to COVID-19 appeared first in The Ag Workforce Journal
USDA Issues First Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Payments
(Washington, D.C., June 4, 2020) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has already approved more than $545 million in payments to producers who have applied for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. FSA began taking applications May 26, and the agency has received over 86,000 applications for this important relief program.
"The coronavirus has hurt America's farmers, ranchers, and producers, and these payments directed by President Trump will help this critical industry weather the current pandemic so they can continue to plant and harvest a safe, nutritious, and affordable crop for the American people," said Secretary Perdue. "We have tools and resources available to help producers understand the program and enable them to work with Farm Service Agency staff to complete applications as smoothly and efficiently as possible and get payments into the pockets of our patriotic farmers."
In the first six days of the application period, FSA has already made payments to more than 35,000 producers. Out of the gate, the top five states for CFAP payments are Illinois, Kansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and South Dakota. USDA has released data on application progress and program payments and will release further updates each Monday at 2:00pm ET. The report can be viewed at farmers.gov/cfap.
FSA will accept applications through August 28, 2020. Through CFAP, USDA is making available $16 billion in financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.
In order to do this, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date nationwide, as funds remain available.
Getting Help from FSA
New customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.
Producers can download the CFAP application and other eligibility forms from farmers.gov/cfap. Also, on that webpage, producers can find a payment calculator to help producers identify sales and inventory records needed to apply and calculate potential payments. Producers self-certify their records when applying for CFAP and that documentation is not submitted with the application. However, producers may be asked for their documentation to support the certification of eligible commodities, so producers should retain the information used to complete their application.
Those who use the online calculator tool will be able to print a pre-filled CFAP application, sign it, and submit it to your local FSA office either electronically or via hand delivery through an office drop box. Please contact your local office to determine the preferred delivery method for your local office. Team members at FSA county offices will be able to answer detailed questions and help producers apply quickly and efficiently through phone and online tools. Find contact information for your local office at farmers.gov/cfap.
Policy Clarifications
FSA has been working with stakeholder groups to provide further clarification to producers on the CFAP program. For example, the agency has published a matrix of common marketing contracts that impact eligibility for non-specialty crops and has provided a table that crosswalks common livestock terms to CFAP cattle categories. Updated information can be found in the frequently asked questions section of the CFAP website.
More Information
To find the latest information on CFAP, visit farmers.gov/CFAP or call 877-508-8364.
USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus
Resources for COVID Testing Farm Employees
Assortment of articles and a fact sheet to be used as a resource for communicating with farmers and farm employees regarding testing initiatives.
https://enych.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=738&crumb=business|business
How to Talk about COVID-19 Vaccination with Your Employees
The decision to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is a highly personal one, yet each individual's decision has profound implications for public health. At the farm level, that makes farmer and farm worker vaccination an important risk management issue. The more people on your farm who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the lower your risk of experiencing a COVID outbreak with consequences for employee health and farm operations.
As a manager, your words and actions have the potential to influence employee attitudes about the vaccine. How can you communicate effectively about COVID-19 vaccination with your family members and employees? Here is a list of Do's and Don'ts to help you have productive conversations that lead to more vaccinations.
How to Talk about COVID (PDF; 453 KB)
Getting Your Employees Vaccinated
Right now everyone who is a NYS resident or who works or attends school in NYS and is over the age of 16 is eligible for the COVID vaccination. The vaccine is always free and in most cases documentation of insurance coverage is not required.
So I did a quick search for COVID Immunizations today (April 19th) and found that there was very good availability of appointments across the region within a few days. In come cases I could have gotten an appointment today. If you need to get someone vaccinated quickly, anecdotally I am hearing that if you go to a site at the end of the clinic, even if you don't have an appointment, there may be doses available due to no-shows.
COVID Vaccine - April 2021 (PDF; 214 KB)
GENERAL
Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)
The Cornell Cooperative Extension website provides an overview of CCE programs across New York State.
Cornell Fruit
Cornell University fruit site including berry news.
Winter Storage Resource Guide - Vegetables
Topics include: Growing a healthy Crop and keeping it that way in storage, storage conditions, construction of coolers, controls and thermostats, monitoring and more advanced controls
https://enych.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=509&crumb=current_projects|
New York Berry News
New York Berry News is a monthly online publication that provides a statewide perspective on the production of berry crops in New York.
http://blogs.cornell.edu/fruit/category/berry-news/
Growing for Wholesale, Grading and Packing Guide
New York Fruit Quarterly
The New York Fruit Quarterly is printed 4 times a year providing fruit and technology updates.
http://nyshs.org/fruit-quarterly/past-issues/
Agricultural Worker Protection Standard-WPS Guide
Do you need clarification on the WPS (Worker Protection Standard) regulations? Please view this useful resource from the US EPA. Click here for the chart
Scaffold Fruit Journal
Scaffolds Fruit Journal provides weekly update on pest management and crop development.
http://www.scaffolds.entomology.cornell.edu/
BUSINESS
Cornell Cooperative Extension Ag Exchange
http://moodle.cce.cornell.edu/
Cornell Small Farms Program
http://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu
Small Farms Online Courses
GUIDELINES
Cornell Veg Crop & Pest Management Guidelines
Integrated Crop and Pest Management Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable provides up-to-date vegetable crop production information for New York State. Included are cultural and pest management strategies for the major vegetable crops grown in New York State. It has been designed as a practical guide for vegetable crop producers, crop consultants, ag chemical dealers, and others who advise vegetable crop producers.
Guidelines may be purchased from The Cornell Store. You may purchase a print copy, online access, or a "bundle" which will get you a print copy and online access.
https://store.cornell.edu/c-875-pmep-guidelines.aspx
Cornell Pest Management Guidelines
Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for Commercial Tree Fruit & Berry Crops can be purchased here.
https://store.cornell.edu/c-875-pmep-guidelines.aspx
Organic Production Guides
Organic Integrated Pest Management for 8 vegetable groups, tree & small fruit, and grapes, and more
http://nysipm.cornell.edu/organic_guide/
GREENHOUSE & TUNNELS
Cornell University High Tunnel
This site provides growers with more information from Cornell's high tunnel team: types of structures, business and marketing resources, and crops that grow particularly well in the tunnel environment.
http://hightunnels.cals.cornell.edu/
SARE Season Extension Topic Room
A section of the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) website, the season extension topic room provides nationwide research in the areas of variety trials, fertility management, pest management, water management, energy, and marketing and economics.
http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Topic-Rooms/Season-Extension-Topic-Room
PESTS
How to Take a Photo fro Crop Diagnostics
Capturing diagnostically useful images is not as simple as snapping a picture of cute children or animals.
With the current push to work remotely, using pictures to quickly address production questions has a lot of appeal and utility. I love the idea of using grower-captured photos to hasten the trouble-shooting process, especially since it isn't always possible to make prompt farm visits. But in practice it can be quite tough to work out a problem using photos because of poor image quality. Smart phones make remote diagnosis of insect pests, diseases, and weeds in the field easier than ever if you know how to do it! How can we make the most of our phones' cameras to capture important characteristics needed to make a positive diagnosis? Click this link to learn how to optimize your camera's settings, avoid blurry images, and identify which features we need to look at in order to identify a pest for you by text or email:
How to Take a Photo of Crop Diagnostics (PDF; 675 KB)
2021 SWD Insecticide Quick Guides
SWD insecticides for berries
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/fruit/pdfs/swd/berry-insecticides.pdf
Labeled Insecticides for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila
A Quick Guide to Labeled Insecticides for Control of Spotted Wing Drosophila in New York Berry Crops
Compiled by Greg Loeb, Laura McDermott, Peter Jentsch, Tess Grasswitz, & Juliet Carroll, Cornell University. Updated regularly.
https://rvpadmin.cce.cornell.edu/uploads/doc_578.pdf
Network for Environment & Weather Awareness (NEWA)
Awareness for disease, insect and weather forecasts.
The following links provide information and learning resources for NEWANEWA apple tools - learning resourcesNEWA Blog - updatesNEWA Get Help - FAQs and weather station resources
NYS IPM Program
Developing sustainable ways to manage pests and help people to use methods that minimize environmental, health, and economic risks.
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/
SOIL HEALTH
SARE Cover Crop Topic Room
A section of the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) website, the cover crop topic room provides educational materials developed from cover crop research. Topics include selection and management, economics, establishment, rotations, soil and fertility management, water management, pest management, and no-till.
http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Topic-Rooms/Cover-Crop-Topic-Room
Cornell Soil Health
Information to help you return your soil to a healthy state or keep an already good soil productive.
http://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu
The Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory
Provide accurate and cost effective analysis of soil (Cornell Soil Health Test, Illinois Soil Nutrient Test, other specialized soil tests), plant and water samples.
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
SAVE THE DATES
December 13 - December 15, 2022February 2 - February 8, 2023February 21 - February 23, 2023
Save the Dates for the following Winter Meetings:
- NOFA NY Virtual Winter Conference, February 2-5, 2023
- Empire State Expo, Oncenter Syracuse, February 6-7 2023
- Becker Forum, Oncenter Syracuse, February 8, 2023
- Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program Regional Winter Meeting, The Desmond Hotel, Albany, February 21-23, 2023
How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? 1-day, hands-on skills class in the Hudson Valley
February 7, 2023
Highland, NY
The Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team and the Lake Ontario Fruit Team are offering a 1-day, hands-on course for tree fruit farms on using farm financial information and other resources to make decisions about long-term investments or changes to their business. We will apply the techniques covered in the 8-part webinar series in December to scenarios using sample financial data from fruit farms in NYS. You will work with others in a group through a series of problems and leave with a better sense of how you can organize and interpret your own financial information to make better long-term investment decisions about your farm business. THIS SESSION IS AT THE CORNELL HUDSON VALLEY LAB
How Profitable Will My New Orchard Investment Be? 1-day, hands-on skills class in Northern NY
February 9, 2023
Plattsburgh, NY
The Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team and the Lake Ontario Fruit Team are offering a 1-day, hands-on course for tree fruit farms on using farm financial information and other resources to make decisions about long-term investments or changes to their business. We will apply the techniques covered in the 8-part webinar series in December to scenarios using sample financial data from fruit farms in NYS. You will work with others in a group through a series of problems and leave with a better sense of how you can organize and interpret your own financial information to make better long-term investment decisions about your farm business. THIS SESSION IS AT THE CCE CLINTON COUNTY OFFICE