Peas are one of the first crops planted and harvested in New York. Fresh market, edible pod and processing peas are all produced. In fact, the state has a long history of processed pea production with a 10-year average of 17,689 acres grown. Processed peas are grown in fields ranging in size from 20 to 100 acres. Processors select the varieties to ensure consistent supply to the plants. The peas are machine harvested and shelled right in the field and taken to the plant for sorting, cleaning, freezing and packaging.

Fresh edible pod peas or podded peas which are shelled by the consumer are a delight in early season markets. These markets are more concerned with blemishes on the pods.

Peas are very sensitive to excess soil moisture and are susceptible to numerous soil pathogens. Weeds can quickly out-compete peas and are a special problem in late-April and May plantings when temperatures are favorable to annual weed seed germination.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators and Cornell faculty work together annually to conduct research on many aspects of pea production in the state. Below you will find educational information and results of our research trials.


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CANCELLED: Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) / Harmonized GAPs Farm Food Safety Training

September 26 - September 27, 2017
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Salamanca, NY

This event has been cancelled due to low registration numbers. Farm food safety is common-sense practices organized to assist farmers to improve their skill set to continue to grow safe and healthy food.

Day One of this training will be an educational training on farm food safety principles and practices to provide the background and information for farmers to understand how to minimize the risk of food born disease contamination. Day Two will be for those who want help with writing a farm food safety plan.

Pickle Variety Twilight Meeting

September 26, 2017
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Ransomville, NY

Vegetable growers are invited to tour an on-farm plot of early generation Cornell downy mildew resistant pickle breeding lines. Dr. Michael Mazourek, Professor of Plant Breeding, and lab members, will be on site to walk growers through the plot and review plant selections. All growers that attend will be an integral part of helping make selections for the next generation of pickle varieties released!

Season Extension - Stretching Tomato Season and Winter Greens

October 4, 2017
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Allegany, NY

What do you need to do to stretch out your high tunnel tomato season or establish a profitable crop of winter greens? Meeting the full season's nutritional demands of tomatoes under organic management is challenging. Juggling diverse succession crops and keeping the tunnel profitable year round adds an extra level of difficulty. 

Produce Donations for Hurricane Relief

The ENY Commercial Horticulture Program is leading an effort to collect pallets of produce to send down to TX and FL for hurricane relief. Feeding American is handling the transportation. "Hard" crops accepted:

• apples
• onions
• cabbage
• potatoes
• winter squash
• any other crop that withstand no refrigeration for a week

Empire State Producers EXPO Proceedings Available

Proceedings from the Empire State Producers EXPO conference from 2011-2017 are available online.