Cauliflower
About 500 acres of cauliflower are planted in New York annually. Cauliflower is a member of the Brassicaceae family which includes cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. All of these crops do well in the climate of New York, but cauliflower is produced as a fall crop to avoid summer heat which can cause heads to become soft and over-mature quickly. Heads maturing in hot weather (over 80 degrees F) can exhibit riciness, leafy heads, off color, loose heads or poor wrapper leaf development. Cauliflower is typically harvested from August through November in New York. Most cruciferous crops have similar cultural requirements and are susceptible to a common set of insects and diseases.Recently, orange and purple varieties are becoming more common along with the traditional white forms.
Relevant Event
2019 Empire State Producers EXPO
January 15 - January 17, 2019
1.25 hr sessions throughout each day
Syracuse, NY
Most Recent Cauliflower Content
Currently, there are 8 produce auctions in New York State. These auctions are aggregation points that allow local farmers to sell their produce in wholesale lots to buyers from across the region. To document the economic impact of produce auctions on agriculture, local businesses, family farms, and produce buyers, the Cornell Vegetable Program worked with Harvest New York to survey top sellers and buyers.
A new Cornell Vegetable Program video shares general information about produce auctions, how buyers and sellers use the auctions to expand their businesses, and how local communities benefit from them.
Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
To further assist farmers looking to sell into the wholesale markets, the Cornell Vegetable Program has put together some helpful tools. The tools provided here consist of a color photo guide highlighting the grades of some of the most common vegetables grown for wholesale market in WNY. To aid in the visualization of the grading sizes, the templates are available here for you to print off. These are scaled to size and can be used to create sizing templates to be used by workers on the wash and pack lines.
Growing for Wholesale: Grading and Packing Guidelines by Crop
Last Modified: August 7, 2018
Grading and packing guidelines are now available for 17 commonly grown specialty crops in NYS: acorn squash, broccoli crowns, Brussels sprouts, corn, green peppers, cucumbers, green cabbage, red cabbage, savory cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, jalapenos, poblanos, Hungarian hot peppers, summer squash, and zucchini.
Video: New York State Produce Auctions
Last Modified: March 8, 2018
Currently, there are 8 produce auctions in New York State. These auctions are aggregation points that allow local farmers to sell their produce in wholesale lots to buyers from across the region. To document the economic impact of produce auctions on agriculture, local businesses, family farms, and produce buyers, the Cornell Vegetable Program worked with Harvest New York to survey top sellers and buyers.
A new Cornell Vegetable Program video shares general information about produce auctions, how buyers and sellers use the auctions to expand their businesses, and how local communities benefit from them.
Growing for Wholesale: Vegetable Grading Templates
Robert Hadad, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
Last Modified: February 21, 2018
To further assist farmers looking to sell into the wholesale markets, the Cornell Vegetable Program has put together some helpful tools. The tools provided here consist of a color photo guide highlighting the grades of some of the most common vegetables grown for wholesale market in WNY. To aid in the visualization of the grading sizes, the templates are available here for you to print off. These are scaled to size and can be used to create sizing templates to be used by workers on the wash and pack lines.
More Cauliflower Content
Organic Production Guides
Video: Swede Midge
Video: Flea Beetles
Cold Storage Chart and Reference Guide to Commercial Vegetable Storage
How to Sign the Waiver for the Indemnified Dual Magnum Label
Video: Produce Washing Stations - How to Use a Germicidal Bleach
Video: Farm Food Safety as if Someone's Life Depended On It
Extending the Harvest Season with Fall Production
Swede Midge Website
Video: Swede Midge
Video: Flea Beetles
Cold Storage Chart and Reference Guide to Commercial Vegetable Storage
How to Sign the Waiver for the Indemnified Dual Magnum Label
Video: Produce Washing Stations - How to Use a Germicidal Bleach
Video: Farm Food Safety as if Someone's Life Depended On It
Extending the Harvest Season with Fall Production
Swede Midge Website
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Upcoming Events
2018 Processing Snap Bean Advisory Meeting
December 4, 2018
10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Canandaigua, NY
Discuss the 2018 snap bean growing season and management concerns. Reports and discussion of the 2018 Snap Bean Research Projects funded by the Association. Review priorities and the role of the advisory group in applications for state and federal grants. Give your input on the format of future advisory meetings and future educational programs.2018 Processing Vegetable Crops Advisory Meeting
December 12, 2018
9:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Batavia, NY
Sweet corn, pea, beet, and carrot processing growers and industry members are invited to attend. Discuss the 2018 growing season and management concerns. Reports and discussion of the 2018 Projects funded by the New York Vegetable Research Council/Association. Review priorities and the role of the advisory group in applications for state and federal grants. Give your input on the format of future advisory meetings and future educational programs. 2019 Empire State Producers EXPO
January 15 - January 17, 2019
1.25 hr sessions throughout each day
Syracuse, NY
The 2019 Empire State Producers Expo combines the major fruit, flower and vegetable associations of New York State in order to provide a comprehensive trade show and educational conference for New York producers, as well as the surrounding states and Eastern Canada. Announcements
Vegetable Sizing Templates Available
To assist farmers looking to sell into wholesale markets, vegetable sizing templates are now available for bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash. The crop templates are scaled to size (8.5 x 11 paper). They can be printed and used to create sizing templates to be used by workers on the wash and pack lines. Additional grading resources are available too.Empire State Producers EXPO Proceedings
Proceedings from the Empire State Producers EXPO conference from 2011-2018 are available online.Cornell Vegetable Program - Cornell Cooperative Extension
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