CCE Steuben's First Farm Trail Day Was A Success!

Farm Trail Day was enjoyed by the community and the feedback we received from the farmers was fantastic. Farm participants stated that they have never been so busy and would like to participate every year! 

Please contact smw272@cornell.edu if you would like to participate in the 2023 Farm Trail Day or have a suggestion on how CCE can enhance the day for the community visitors!

Congratulations to our Farm Trail Day basket winners!! Melissa Brayman won the food basket and Madilyn Meyers won the 4-H basket! Stay tuned for next year's Farm Trail Day!!

View some of the photos from the day here.

The Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops team is working to build a service provider directory to help foster future collaborations and support farmers across the region. They are looking to learn more about the various providers in the following categories:

• Veterinarian/Practice
• Lime and/or Fertilizer Supplier
• Tax Preparer and/or Accountant
• Feed Mill and/or Grain Supplier

Please consider completing their survey using the provided link, Complete our survey here.  

SWNYDLFC Annual Report

The SWNY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops program is excited to share their program’s 2022 Annual Report. They sincerely appreciate your continued support and encouragement. Thank you to Amy, Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Camila Lage, Katelyn Miller, and Kelly Bourne for all of their hard work and dedication this past year!

View the Annual Report here

Haverling Street Community Park Officially Open

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County is pleased to announce that the ribbon cutting for the new community park on Haverling Street in Bath was held on Tuesday, November 1 at the site of the new dog park, teaching pavilion, and food garden. CCE Steuben raised over $15,680 for their FLXGives campaign in November 2021 – Betty’s Dream. Betty Langendorfer was a Master Gardener at CCE Steuben for many years. The Village of Bath placed the park on Betty’s former property along Haverling Street to include the dog park and a parking lot. CCE Steuben’s funds built a teaching pavilion, and a permaculture garden is planned for the spring of 2023.

The planned food forest garden project is a planting method that takes advantage of beneficial relationships between plants, resulting in a beautiful highly productive garden that doesn’t require a lot of space and is a virtually self-sustaining ecosystem. A food forest garden attracts beneficial insects, deters wildlife and repels pests, suppresses grass and weeds, and creates living mulch, compost and fertilizer among other benefits. The Haverling Street garden area will include a root zone planter where children will be able to look through the plexiglass exterior to observe the soil layers and see how roots grow. The teaching pavilion will be a place where Master Gardeners and 4-H members can learn about gardening.

For more information on this FLXGives project or other gardening topics, please contact CCE Steuben at 607-664-2300 or visit PutKnowledgeToWork.org.

Join CCE and PRO-DAIRY for a Feeder School on November 9^{th for a One Day On-Farm Training for Dairy Farms Feeders}

This hands-on in-person program will bring Cornell and Industry experts to cover essential cow nutrition and ingredient management, on-farm sampling, and dry matter testing, among others. Everyone is welcome to participate, and this program will focus on skills for managers or employees that work directly with farm feed management. We will offer English & Spanish stations so we can accommodate everyone in one training! We are waiting for you there!

• This training will have a $50 fee/per person that will cover all materials for the training and lunch.
• Scholarships are available for those who need them. Contact Camila Lage for more information (607-422-6788)

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Those who are currently feeding dairy cows and want to learn more about the how and why of what they're doing.
• Those interested in becoming a cow feeder want to increase their knowledge of cow feeding.
• Anyone interested in learning more about how to improve the feeding process on their farm.

TOPICS COVERED DURING FEEDER SCHOOL

• Importance of feed analysis and economics
• Dry Matter and Feeder Math-basics
• Feed Consistency-TMR audits
• Trouble Shooting Mixer Wagons
• Bunker Management, drone demonstration/map out bunk, bunk silo management, packing
• Density & Preservation
• Safety

Register Online Here.

New York's Ag Workforce Development Council (AWDC) Labor Roadshow VI heads back on the road

*Three in person sites and one online option for 2022. 

The program will run from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Registration is required, and payment of $65 per person is collected on site. Agenda, registration, and more details are available HERE. 

• November 9: Genesee Community College-Batavia Campus, One College Road, Batavia, NY 14020-9704. Room T119 Lecture Hall, Conable Technology Building.
• November 10: Cayuga‐Onondaga BOCES, 1879 West Genesee Street Rd, Auburn, NY 13021. Conference Room 1, 2, 3.
• Online Option: on November 10, 2022 only, the event will be broadcast for remote audiences and recorded for paid registrants to view later.
• November 22: CCE Saratoga Auditorium, 50 West High Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020.

Labor continues to be the primary challenge for many farm businesses and Labor Roadshow VI tackles those challenges head-on with topics:

• Attracting and retaining your farm workforce
• Management strategies in a union eligible work environment
• TN Visas: Introduction to the program and best practices for using
• The H-2A Program: Accessing guest workers for all types of farms
• Producer's real-world experiences with H-2A
• Farm Safety: Real world tips for building a strong safety culture
• Farm-provided employee housing management and development

Ag Workforce Development Council member organizations include: NEDPA, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development, Cayuga Marketing, AgriMark, Upstate Niagara, New York Farm Bureau, New York Vegetable Growers Association, New York Animal Ag Coalition, Agri-Placement Services, New York Horticultural Society, Dairy Farmers of America, Farm Credit East, Gray & Oscar LLC.

New Improved MeatSuite is Live!

The Cornell Program on Agribusiness and Rural Development is pleased to announce that a NEW and improved version of MeatSuite is live. While live, the site is also still getting upgrades and improvements.

A MeatSuite Orientation Webinar will be held Wednesday, November 16th at 7:00 PM.  During this webinar you will learn how to create an account and products on the new MeatSuite. Learn about new features and marketing tips that help you take full advantage of this free resource. 

Registration: Please register in advance HERE. 

Some upgrades to the site include: 

• A new format that allows consumers to search by product (halves/ quarters/ bundles), price range, and product traits (heritage breed/pasture raised/etc.). 
• We've added a "check availability" button on products so that consumers can send your farm a message directly through the site instead of having to go through other means such as email or calling (they can still do those if they prefer). 
• Optional text alert feature, so you know when you have an inquiry to reply to. 
• A place to upload your farm logo as well as one picture.

Are your MeatSuite profile, products, and prices up to date?  

Beginning January 1, 2023, MeatSuite will ONLY display farm products that have been updated in the past year. If a profile has not been updated in a year, it is not visible to potential customers. Here’s how to access your account on the new site:  

Step 1: Visit www.meatsuite.com and click on “for farmers” in the upper left-hand corner.  

Step 2: Use your MeatSuite log-in information (use the email address you used when you set up the account). If you forgot your password, you can use the “forgot password” function. 

Step 3: Update your products and prices. Upload a logo or a picture. Take a look at your farm description, etc..

Please note: Only farms with products and prices will be listed on the new version, so make sure you have a bulk meat product and price set before you log-in. 

It is best to work on your farm description, product description, and prices offline on a document on your computer. When you have it all set and edited, then log-in to MeatSuite to paste the information onto your profile.  

If you have any questions, please contact Matt LeRoux, mnl28@cornell.edu. 

Webinar: Raising and Managing Cows for Automatic Milking Systems (AMS)

November 16, 2022

12 to 1:30 p.m. ET

Live webinar

Automatic milking systems are being adopted worldwide by dairy farms. The increased wage rates and the declining labor force participation rates across the US are driving higher adoptions of automation in all farm sizes. However, in addition to the investment cost and the unknowns of the transitioning process, the required adaptations to the new management and culling rates due to the lack of adaptation of some animals to the new system often make the farmers second guess the decision to adopt AMS.

To talk with us and share the most recent high-quality research information on calf and heifer raising and cow management and behavior traits and their applicability for AMS, we invited Dr. Joao Costa, and Dr. Trevor Devries, for a webinar on Nov. 16, 2022, at noon (ET).

Each speaker will give a 25-minute presentation about raising heifers and cows' management and behavior traits in automated milking systems; after that, we will have an open space for attendees to share their experiences and questions to learn more about this important topic during a 20-minute Q&A section.

The webinar is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about raising and managing cows for AMS. Registration is required and will be accepted until November 15th at 11:59 p.m. ET. Participants will receive the Zoom webinar URL after their registration is confirmed. A recording of the webinar will be made available to registered participants.

COST: FREE

Register HERE.

The webinar: Raising and managing cows for automated milking systems (AMS) is a collaborative extension program of Michigan State University Extension and the Cornell Cooperative Extension SWNY Dairy, livestock, and field crops program.

2022 New York Soil Health Summit

November 17, 2022 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Join virtually (free) on Thursday, November 17th, from 9 am-12 pm, with an additional breakout session from 1-2 pm.

Policymakers, researchers, agricultural nonprofits, extension educators, and farmers will join together to share current soil health activities and discuss future opportunities in New York State.

Read more here.

Cornell Professional Sheep Shearing School at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Friday, November 11^th, 2022 & Saturday, November 12^th, 2022

Daily Class 8:30am-4:00pm

A two-day sheep shearing school will be held at Cornell University Ithaca, NY on November 11-12, 2022.

• Instruction will include the shearing pattern, blade sharpening techniques, physical fitness, hand piece maintenance, shearing resources from the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI), and more.
• This school is focused on shearers with prior experience that are looking to make shearing a profession.

The school is sponsored by the Cornell University Sheep and Goat Program

Instructors:

• Primary Instructor: Doug Rathke -Lambshoppe LLC, Minnesota. Rathke is one of the top shearers and shearing instructors in the United States and has had extensive training from the New Zealand Wools. Rathke is skilled at both machine and blade shearing. Rathke has represented the USA Shearing Team for the Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing Championships in 1996, 1998, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2019. In addition to competing in hand blade shearing, machine shearing, and wool handling Doug also serves as a USA representative to the Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing Council.
• Aaron Loux - Aaron Loux's Professional Sheep Shearing, Massachusetts. Professional Sheep Shearer for over 15 years, trained in New Zealand, Australia, and Wales.
• Jim Baldwin - Foxfire farms, Ithaca, NY. Professional Sheep Shearer for over 24 years. Raising Merino Sheep for 30 years.

The registration cost is $225 per person. The class will be limited to the first 12 registrants to ensure a quality training experience for all.

Shearing Equipment: Bring your own gear. It is recommended that you have a minimum of 3 medium-beveled combs and 9 cutters (3 cutters per comb). If you need gear or have any questions If you need gear or have any questions regarding shearing equipment, contact Doug at 320-583-7281

RESEARCH REPORT: How New York Farmers Adapted to 60-hour Overtime

New York farmers are putting much thought into adapting their businesses in response to the state’s farm labor overtime requirements. Cornell researchers are studying how farms adapted and continue to adapt to changing regulatory requirements and to an overall tight and competitive labor market. A multi-year project called “New York Farm Workforce in Transition” is currently underway with objectives to help farm employers adapt in ways that will support farm profitability, increase employee productivity, and encourage employee retention.

A new report is available that focuses on how New York farms adapted in 2020 as the first 60-hour overtime threshold was implemented for farm labor in the state. The report “How New York Farmers Adapted to New Farm Labor Overtime Requirements” explores the strategies that specialty crop and dairy farms used to respond to the regulation, and employer perceptions about how overtime affected employee recruiting and retention. Access the report here: How New York Farmers Adapted to New Farm Labor Overtime Requirements

More data and analysis from this research project will be published as it becomes available. Be sure to subscribe to the Ag Workforce Journal to get the latest updates, click the blue subscribe button near the bottom of the screen.

Original article found HERE.

Free Mental Health First Aid Trainings for Ag Communities of New York State

Did you know that farmers are more likely than the general population to die by suicide?

NY FarmNet is collaborating with county Cornell Cooperative Extension offices this fall to offer free, full day, in person Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses. Farmers, agribusiness workers, and anyone who interacts with the agricultural community in New York is encouraged to attend.

Trainings run from 8 am to 5 pm, and lunch will be provided from a local eatery with a one hour break.

Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults. You’ll build skills and confidence you need to reach out and provide initial support to those who are struggling. You’ll also learn how to help connect them to appropriate support.

After the course, you will be able to:

• Recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

• Understand how to interact with a person in crisis and connect them with help.

• Use self-care tools and techniques.

The instructors for these courses are part of a recently trained cohort that work within the NY agricultural community. They include representatives from NY FarmNet, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau, Young Farmers Coalition, NY Center for Ag Medicine and Health (NYCAMH), and Black Farmers United NYS. 

The remaining scheduled full day MHFA trainings for this fall include:

Wednesday, November 2^nd in Binghamton/Broome County

Monday, November 7^th in Lockport/Niagara County

Tuesday, November 8^th in Fonda/Montgomery County

To register, go to www.nyfarmnet.org/trainings. If we don’t yet have a training scheduled in your area, check back soon, or contact NY FarmNet at 1-800-547-3276 or nyfarmnet@cornell.edu.

These free trainings are made possible by funding from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food & Agriculture. They have invested nearly $25 million in addressing farmer behavioral health on a state by state basis as part of the Farm and Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) through state Departments of Agriculture.

This work is supported by 7 U.S.C. 5936, Section 7522 of FCEA of 2008, Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN), Grant No. 2021-70035-35550, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Remember NYS Agriculture and Markets is your go-to for information about Home Processing 

Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Business Management Specialist SWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team

Making and selling goods from your home kitchen can be a great way to diversity your farm business. Farms looking to do this will need to register with the state and are limited on what they can produce without a commercial kitchen license.  If you plan to make foods such as certain baked goods, jellies, or snack mixes, you may qualify for a Home Processor Exemption. This will allow you to prepare food in your home kitchen for wholesale or retail sale at agricultural farm venues. You will be exempt from Article 20-C licensing.

Read more about the process and the details on labeling requirements, approved and prohibited foods HERE.

Finger Lakes Farm Country has a new app! 

Visit Finger Lakes Farm Country to download it today!

Fall 2022 Update on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in New York

The USDA provided an update on HPAI and the webinar recording can be accessed HERE.

As the HPAI outbreak continues to evolve, updates will be shared regularly through Cornell’s New York Extension Disaster Education Network (NY-EDEN) and through your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office.

As a reminder, please report any suspicious illness or deaths in your flock.

Sick domestic birds can be reported to:

• NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets: 518-457-3502
• USDA: 866-536-7593

Unusual illness and deaths of wild birds can be reported to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). This map shares the office contact information by region: 

If you have questions about this presentation, please feel free to reach out to Amy Barkley, Livestock and Beginning Farm Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension SWNY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops, amb544@cornell.edu, 716.640.0844.

2022 Field Crop Dealer Meeting*

Wednesday, November 30th

8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Syracuse, NY

The Field Crop Dealer Meeting will feature four topics relevant to field crop growers, dealers, advisers, and agronomists in New York and the Northeast:

• Understanding yield stability zones and on-farm testing of management alternatives for increased yield, return on investment and environmental footprint - Quirine Ketterings, Manuel Marcaida and Sunoj Shajahan
• Field Crop Disease Update - Gary Bergstrom
• Twenty Years of Soil Health at Cornell University: What We Have Learned and Where We Are Going - Harold van Es, Joseph Amsili and Debbie Aller
• Northeast Regional Climate Center Observed Climate Trends and Weather Tools - Art Degaetano and Jessica Spaccio

Registration is $95 for 1-day Training (earn up to 8 CCA CEU) lunch is included

Visit the conference website for full details and agenda.

Location

Double Tree Hotel, East Syracuse, NY

*Part of the larger annual Certified Crop Adviser Conference. Use this link to read about the entire conference agenda.

Attention : Steuben County Farmers Interested in Participating in the Arkport Central School District Farm to School Program

Arkport Central School District is exploring ways to incorporate more locally grown and raised foods in their school meal programs. The district’s Farm to School program aims to serve fresh, local, and high-quality products to students. To support Arkport CSD in these efforts, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County and Cornell Cooperative Extension – Harvest NY are reaching out to area farmers to learn more about what is available right in our community.

The purpose of this Request for Information is to solicit information from farmers, growers, and producers in the region who are interested in selling to Arkport CSD in the 2022-2023 school year and beyond. The RFI outlines the types of products the district is looking for and seeks information from potential suppliers. We ask that you complete RFI Response Form to help the district gather information about the products they can procure locally. The RFI Response Form asks for information about product availability and distribution/delivery options. You can access the Form Here.

Completed forms can be emailed, mailed, or directly delivered to the CCE Steuben office.

Email forms to: Becky O’Connor, Farm to Institution Coordinator, rao84@cornell.edu

Mail or deliver forms to: CCE STEUBEN at 20 East Morris Street Bath, NY 14810

CCE Harvest NY’s Regional Farm to School Coordinator Program is working with NYS Department of Education to support schools participating in the USDA Agriculture and Marketing Services Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. Local Foods for Schools is a USDA funded program intended to help schools deal with the challenges of supply chain disruptions brought on by the pandemic. The program is designed to strengthen the food system for schools by helping to build a fair, competitive, and resilient local food chain, and expand local and regional markets with an emphasis on purchasing from historically underserved producers and processors. Schools must use funds received through this program to purchase unprocessed or minimally processed domestic, locally grown foods from local producers, small businesses, and socially disadvantaged farmers/producers for use in the school meals programs. In NY State the program is administered by NYS Department of Education. Cornell Cooperative Extension - Harvest NY is the technical assistance provider.

If you would like your farm or food business information shared with schools, please complete the survey linked below by Monday, November 14th. The survey asks about your business, the products you grow, raise, produce, or distribute, and what part(s) of the state your products are available, and should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Complete the Survey Here

Fert, Dirt, and Squirt!

This portal is designed to assist growers of floriculture crops with nutritional monitoring.  

Check out more HERE to find factsheets on many annual and perennial nutritional disorders, nutritional monitoring methods, and crop search tool. 

This portal is created and maintained through the University of Kentucky, NC State University, Electronic Growers Resources Online, and American Floral Endowment

Grazing Sheep Under Solar Arrays - Farmer Survey

Can a business owned by multiple persons assist farmers to graze sheep under solar arrays? Strengthen the industry? Sheep farmers can derive added income being paid to control plant growth under solar arrays by grazing sheep. This presents new business opportunities for current sheep farmers to expand flocks and future farmers to enter the sheep sector. Such opportunities include challenges, i.e., contracting with array operators, transportation, and managing the flock at the grazing site, etc. More sheep may call for more markets and more processing capacity. A cooperative or other business owned by multiple persons could provide solutions at scale, given sufficient farmer interest.

The Cornell University Cooperative Enterprise Program in collaboration with the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) and through support of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Federal State Marketing Improvement Program is examining the need for one or more such enterprises. The first step is a survey of farmers to identify and quantify the need for a cooperative or other business owned by multiple farmers to provide logistical, transport, marketing, and/or processing services for both farmers grazing and not grazing sheep beneath solar arrays. The survey is intended for existing sheep farmers (solar grazing or not), other farmers considering sheep production, and new or beginning farmers. The survey should take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete. Persons completing the survey and sharing their name and email address at the end of the survey will be eligible for one of three $100 Amazon gift cards (one survey per farmer only).

Complete the web-based survey here.  (one survey per IP address)

A paper survey is avalable upon request.

Ag Energy NY – A CCE Program for Farm Energy Efficiency

Would you like to save on your farm energy bills? There are many opportunities to reduce energy use through efficiency improvements that save money, labor, and maintenance costs. Energy efficiency also has co-benefits, buffering farms from high costs in energy market fluctuations and making it easier to transition to electric power and renewable energy.

Ag Energy NY is a program by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, offering a smartphone-friendly website and factsheets describing farm energy efficiency technologies, techniques, and incentives. Ag Energy NY focuses on the following farm sectors: crops and vegetables, beef, swine, poultry, grain drying, maple, orchards, berries, and vineyards. Ag Energy NY is part of a broader NYSERDA program, Energy Best Practices in Agriculture, which also provides support for dairies and greenhouses.

After reviewing energy efficiency measures online, you can reach out to the Ag Energy NY team with questions and to connect with a NYSERDA FlexTech Consultant for farm-specific advising. NYSERDA offers no-cost, no-commitment energy assessments to help farmers prioritize areas for improvements and identify incentives to help with implementation. For more information, visit www.agenergyny.org.

Interested in finding out more? Click HERE to fill out the survey.

USDA Accepting Applications for the 2023 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program 

Monday, October 17, 2022 - December 9, 2022

This sign-up period enables producers to get coverage through this important safety-net program for another year as well as get additional assistance through the Supplemental DMC. See News Release for more information. 

The Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program, an important program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that helps producers manage changes in milk and feed prices. To determine the appropriate level of DMC coverage for a specific dairy operation, producers can use the online dairy decision tool.

Are you thinking about starting a small farm? Do you already have a farm that you're looking to expand? Invest in your professional development and you'll see the returns in your business. Cornell Small offers in-person trainings, workshops, and online courses for aspiring, new and experienced farmers.

Check out some of the upcoming opportunities below.

Introduction to Sheep Farming, is it for me? (Virtual Seminar)

 Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 7:00pm to 8:30pm

This is the first of three virtual seminars on sheep. Longtime Livestock Educator and fellow veteran, Rich Taber, of CCE Chenango will present on general sheep management principles that you need to know to succeed in this enterprise.

Contact Rich Taber for more information; rbt44@cornell.edu, 607-334-5841, Ext 1121

Register HERE.. 

Lambing Management (Virtual Seminar)

 Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Final of three in the series on Let's Learn about a Sheep Enterprise. Betsy Hodge, recently retired Educator from CCE St. Lawrence, will present on lambing management, one of the most critical and important management skills to have.

Contact Rich Taber for more information; rbt44@cornell.edu, 607-334-5841, Ext 1121

Register HERE..

Growing Figs in NYS

Monday, November 14th, 5:30-7:30pm

Ort Family Farm

2761 Yorksi Rd, Bradford, NY

Join the Farm Ops program at Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County at Ort Family Farm. Roger Ort, a retired CCE educator, and son of a Thunderbolt (11th armored division during WW2), will give a tour of their fig growing operation utilizing high tunnels and teach how to grow, propagate, fertilize, harvest, winterize, and store figs based on his experience growing them here in NY for the past 8 years. As part of this class, participants will be able to take home their own 1-gal potted fig tree from a selection that Roger will have on-hand.

This live workshop is for veterans specifically residing in NY or NJ. Attendees should already have a home orchard, or be looking to purchase, and a few years of fruit tree production experience.

The funding supporting this workshop comes from the FarmOps program at Cornell University and targets active service members & military veterans only who reside in NY or NJ. Registration is limited to 20 and will fill up quickly. Questions and follow-up by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County will help us determine final eligibility to attend and participate in this workshop.

Register HERE. Contact Laura Biasillo with questions, 607-772-8953, lw257@cornell.edu

GAPs Training - Understanding Food Safety on the Farm

December 9, 2022

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Join the Cornell Vegetable Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension for a workshop that will provide you with the why's behind food safety recommendations along with practical, farm-based ideas to improve food safety on your farm. 

We'll cover manure management, packing house cleaning and sanitizing, water testing, and other topics which have big impacts on produce quality and safety. 

Going through a GAPs Audit? This class will provide you with a food safety training course!

Cost: $5 (a pizza lunch is included). 

Registration: Contact CCE Yates at 315-536-5123.

For more information about the topics of the meeting, contact Robert Hadad.

CCE Yates County and Cornell Vegetable Program

Robert Hadad

585-739-4065

Location:

CCE Yates County, Yates County Office Building

417 Liberty St

Penn Yan, NY 14527

Farm Survey on Urban IPM Needs

Please help us assess pest management needs of the greater NYS urban agriculture community through this brief survey. This survey is anonymous, and it will take around 20 minutes to complete.

This survey is part of a research project with the CCE Cornell Vegetable Program and Harvest New York exploring non-spray pest management options that are economically and environmentally sustainable for urban farmers.

Take the survey!

Empire State Native Pollinator Survey - Results Published

Transerve Flower Fly - Flickr, Creative Commons

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation led a four-year field effort to determine the current distribution and conservation status of selected pollinators. Surveys were conducted statewide following a study design and sampling protocol for each target group identified by an Advisory Committee of experts convened during the planning phase of the project (see Pollinator Study, August 2016 - September 2017). The statewide survey had a citizen science component that involved training volunteers who used iNaturalist to record locations and photographs of pollinators observed around the state.

Read more about what the NYS DEC has determined about Native pollinators here and access The Empire State Native Pollinator Survey HERE.

The Northeast Greenhouse Conference

The 1-hour webinars have been approved for pesticide applicator recertification credits in New York (1a, 3a, 24) and New England. Each webinar is $25 each.

​Wednesday, November 2, 2022 | 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM ET

Developing a pesticide rotation program for bedding plants in greenhouses

Speaker: Juang Horng “JC” Chong, Clemson University

​Wednesday, November 9, 2022 | 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM ET

Managing Disease Caused by Fungi, Bacteria, Nematodes and Viruses in the Greenhouse

Speaker: Margery Daughtrey, Cornell University

More information at: https://www.negreenhouse.org/virtual-series-schedule.html

How to Grow Lavender: A Curriculum for Farmers

This self-paced online course provides a comprehensive introduction to lavender production for beginning growers and extends the opportunity for existing growers to learn from nationally recognized experts with respect to regional diversity.

Course Fee: $30.00

Registration Instructions (Follow Steps 1-3 Below)

To register for this course you will need to create an account, sign in with your email/password, and complete the registration process. To watch a video tutorial, demonstrating an overview of the registration process, click on the following link: Online Course Registration Video Tutorial. Step-by-step instructions are below.

1. Step #1: Create your MSU Guest Account and Password: Create Your Account. (For detailed, step-by-step instructions visit the following page: Account Creation Instructions.)
2. Step #2: Login to the registration system with your Community ID and Password: Growing Lavender: A Curriculum for Growers.
3. Step #3: Follow the instructions to register for the course. Upon registration, you will receive a receipt and instructions for accessing the course.

Note: If you need to reset your password at any time go to https://auth.msu.edu/ and select the option for "Need help Signing in."

More Information

For more information, please contact Wynne Wright at wrigh325@msu.edu.

Interested in the Cut Flower Industry?

Learn more about starting a cut flower business with Janet Kramka from Backyard Blooms featured on Debra Prinzing's Slow Flowers Podcast. Janet is a small-scale farmer-florist and Slow Flowers member.

The podcast can be accessed using this link:

Building a home-based cut flower business with Backyard Blooms’ Janet Kramka

Alternatives to Ornamental Invasive Plants: A Sustainable Solution for New York State 

Ever wonder what to plant instead of invasive species? 

Access NYS IPM's alternatives to invasive regulated and invasive prohibited plants HERE.

Smoke Bush in NYC - Flickr Creative Commons



Additional resources on ornamental invasive alternatives can be read from the University of Massachusetts Amherst HERE.

Join the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) "What's Bugging You? First Friday" Webinar

Repellents, Fencing, and other IPM Approaches for Managing Deer Damage

November 4, 2022

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm 

with Paul Curtis Professor and Department Extension Leader, Natural Resources and the Environment

Register HERE.

Also featured is the IPM Minute—Where you chuck your pumpkins matters with Amara Dunn, Biocontrol Specialist with New York State Integrated Pest Management. This will be a brief discussion of P. capsici and disposing of pumpkins.

NY Invasive Species Speaker Series Webinar

November 30th 11 AM

Carrie Brown-Lima – Director, New York Invasive Species Research Institute, Cornell University discusses Spotted Lanternfly & Detection Dogs

To join the presentation, go to this Zoom link (password: invasive) and follow the on-screen call-in details. If you cannot make the call, recordings of all past presentations can be found on the NY Invasive YouTube Channel. General agenda for these calls: 11:00 – 11:15 News from around the state. A time for PRISMs to share any new information 11:15 – 11:45 Topical discussion (see above for specific topic) 11:45 – 12:00 Upcoming activities, next call and other comment.

Click here to access the zoom link for the webinar as well as the full calendar of webinars from now through November.

All past presentations are available here.

 Spotted Lanternfly and the Potential Impacts on the Maple Syrup Industry

Free webinar- November 16, 2022 at 10:00 AM

Extension Educator Brian Walsh will discuss what is known about the spotted lanternfly and observations about maple trees that provide insight as to the impact the insect could have on the industry.

Ever since the spotted lanternfly was found in Southeast Pennsylvania, it has been causing damage to agricultural plants as well as non-agricultural plants. As the insect continues to expand its range, more is being learned about the insect's lifecycle and its feeding habitats. Since the spotted lanternfly can feed very heavily upon certain tree species, the insect can potentially impact the maple syrup industry.

Click HERE to register.

Spotted Lantern Fly 2022 PRISM Public Service Announcement Video

Jennifer Phillips Russo,

Lake Erie Regional Grape Program Team Leader and Viticulture Specialist

Lycorma delicatula, or Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), is an invasive plant hopper from Asia and is an agricultural pest. In the United States, it was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014. Spotted Lanternfly has been found in New York State on Staten Island, all New York City boroughs, Long Island, Port Jervis, Sloatsburg, Orangeburg, Ithaca, Binghamton, Middletown, Newburgh, Highland, and the Buffalo area. SLF threatens the agriculture and forestry industries, and is also a nuisance pest. The nymphs and adults feed on over 70 different plants, but is especially detrimental to grapes, a black walnut, hops, maple trees and apples.  New York State Agriculture and Markets supported CCE efforts to help bring awareness to communities and we developed this Public Service Announcement. View the PSA video using the provided link, https://youtu.be/ehbox8CHWEY . 

DEC Finds New Exotic Pest Affecting Elm Trees in St. Lawrence County

Surveys Underway to Determine Extent of Insect Populations and Potential Impact to Native Elms

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that the elm zigzag sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) was detected for the first time in New York State at three locations in St. Lawrence County, including Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area, Brasher State Forest, and Lost Nation State Forest. This exotic pest feeds exclusively on elm trees and can cause severe defoliation, branch dieback, and crown thinning. Although the sawfly has not yet been shown to cause tree mortality, repeated defoliation by established sawfly populations would put added stress on native elm trees already heavily impacted by Dutch elm disease.

Read the full article HERE.

DEC encourages the public to report sightings of the elm zigzag sawfly through NY iMapInvasives' online reporting system (leaves DEC website). The Saint Lawrence and Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership in Regional Invasive Species Management (SLELO PRISM) also has opportunities for the public to get involved in their volunteer surveillance network (leaves DEC website).

For more information about the elm zigzag sawfly, visit the Invasive Species Centre website (leaves DEC website). For more information about terrestrial invasive species in New York State and how to help prevent their spread, visit DEC's website. Find the factsheet HERE.