The State of Today's Wholesale Apple Industry in the Hudson Valley
Dan Donahue, Tree Fruit Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
During our winter fruit conference program in February 2020, just prior to covid shutting down our in-person meetings, Mike Basedow and I devoted the entire second day to the question of "What apple variety should I plant?". After a full day of listening to growers, marketers, nursery producers, and academics tackle the question from different angles, the path towards future success remained fuzzy at best. The question has remained foremost in the minds of our Eastern New York producers and the answer continues to elude us. Today, for the first time in many years, nurseries have trees available for purchase without prior contracts and many producers have slowed or even delayed their replanting plans. With establishment costs heading north of 25K $$$ per acre and faced with the task of top-working young blocks of the last, but now past, new variety star to more reliable options begs the question: "What variety do I plant" or perhaps more telling, "should I be planting anything at all?"
The State of Today’s Wholesale Apple Industry in the Hudson Valley (pdf; 165KB)


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Cover Crop Field Meeting

October 21, 2025 : Cover Crop Field Meeting
Willsboro, NY
Thinking about upping your farm's cover cropping game? New technology for seeding and crop tracking, research-driven recommendations for high tunnel cover cropping, cold tolerant varieties for North Country climates, and farmer expertise will be shared at this field event.
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November 10 - November 11, 2025 : New York State Agritourism Conference
Saratoga Springs, NY
The first-ever New York State Agritourism Conference, hosted by the CCE Agritourism Program Work Team, is designed to support farms in growing successful visitor experiences. This statewide gathering will feature expert-led sessions, peer networking, and practical tools to help farms expand direct sales, education, hospitality, and entertainment offerings.
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ASL 104sp Seleccion y organizacion del personal (Staffing and Organizing Your Team) taught in Spanish
November 12, 2025 : ASL 104sp Selección y organización del personal (Staffing and Organizing Your Team) in Spanish
ASL104-SP: Selección y organización del personal (Staffing and Organizing Your Team - impartido en español) ¡Inscripciones abiertas!
En este curso identificamos cómo escribir descripciones de puestos disponibles en el trabajo para atraer a los mejores candidatos. Aprenderá a encontrar empleados con un perfil deseado, cómo entrevistar y seleccionar a las personas adecuadas. Descubrirá cómo completar la documentación de nuevos empleados, la autorización de empleo y la contratación de personal (on-boarding): es decir, cómo efectivamente incorporar nuevos empleados al rancho en una manera exitosa y productiva.
Los temas incluyen:
- Convertirse en un lugar de trabajar preferido
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- Cómo evitar favoritismos y discriminación
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Inicio del curso: miércoles, 12 de noviembre de 2025
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