Assess and Prevent Food Safety Risks in Leafy Greens Production
Event Details
Date
March 18, 2021
Time
6:30 - 9:00pm
Location
Online via Zoom
Host
Cornell Vegetable Program, CCE Broome County, and CCE Yates CountyRobert Hadad
585-739-4065
email Robert Hadad

E. coli outbreaks in lettuce grown in the Southwest have made headlines numerous times over the last several growing seasons. In many instances, these outbreaks have led to recalls from coast to coast. Ultimately, the health and financial impacts of these outbreaks have resulted in more attention being paid by buyers and regulators on the leafy greens industry. What do the problems in the Southwest have to do with growers in NY? As leafy greens are a highly susceptible crop to contamination, precautionary lessons can be learned. This training will provide an overview of possible sources of contamination related to soil amendments, wildlife, water, post-harvest handling, transportation and more. This training will emphasize specific risks that leafy greens growers may experience, identify tangible corrective actions that can be taken, and provide participants the opportunity to work through example scenarios as a group.
Leafy greens growers, with the exclusion of those growing sprouts and microgreens, who sell through any of the following market channels: farmers market, CSA, produce auction, or wholesale, will find this workshop informative in offering real world examples and solutions to all aspects of growing, harvesting and storage of leafy greens grown in NYS.
COST AND REGISTRATION
A basic knowledge of food safety is recommended, but not required, for participation in this remote training opportunity. The cost to attend this virtual training is $10/farm and payment is required at the time of registration. The zoom link will be sent the morning of March 18th to the email used in the registration. Registration is required by March 16th. Register online
This event is hosted by CCE Cornell Vegetable Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County. For more information, please email Robert Hadad or call 585-739-4065.
NOTE: This is a new date for the meeting. Originally scheduled for March 9, the event was pushed back to March 18, beginning at 6:30pm.

Upcoming Events
African Eggplant Participatory Breeding Kick-Off
March 5, 2026
Join us to learn about the Cornell African Eggplant Research Project and learn how you can participate! African eggplant, also known as Bitterball, Garden Egg, Kittley and other names, is an important crop for many members of our community with heritage from regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Brazil. Since 2024, the Cornell African Eggplant Research Project has been collaborating with growers and community partners across New York to develop high-quality varieties adapted to the Northeast U.S. In this meeting, we will share information about growing and preparing African eggplant, highlight our research to date, and invite partners to collaborate with us in our 2026 participatory breeding and variety selection efforts.
COST: FREE! You must pre-register to receive the Zoom link.
Managing the Invasive Swede Midge Webinar
March 6, 2026
Swede midge is an invasive fly that causes serious economic losses to brassica crops. Due to its small size and hidden feeding habits, swede midge is often called an "invisible pest" and damage may be misdiagnosed. In this webinar, we will review the swede midge life cycle and crop damage symptoms, current management recommendations, new research findings, and highlights from on-farm case studies with a focus on organic management.
1.75 DEC pesticide recertification credits in categories 1a, 10, and 23.
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Food Safety Training
March 10, 2026
Newark, NY
Learn about food safety on the farm! This event hosted by the Cornell Vegetable Program, Cornell Lake Ontario Fruit Team, CCE Wayne County, and the NYS Department of Agriculture, will cover good agricultural practices (GAPs) to help reduce the risk of microbial contamination on the farm, keeping food and consumers safe.