Soil Health for Vegetable Growers Workshop
Event Details
Date
November 1, 2023
Time
9:30am - 2:30pm
Location
Whallonsburg Grange
1610 Route 22
Essex, NY 12936
Cost
Registration : $30.00
(addl attendee $30.00 ea.)
Host
Eastern New York Commercial HorticultureWednesday, Nov. 1, 2023
9:30 am - 2:30 pm
Whallonsburg Grange (1610 Route 22, Essex, NY 12936)
Cost: $30 per person
Join us for presentations, discussions, and hands-on demonstrations focusing on soil health concepts and best management practices for vegetable growers. Topics include tarping, maintaining soil health in high tunnels, cover cropping, reduced tillage, compost microbiology, and more.
1.75 DEC pesticide recertification credits available in categories 1A, 10, and 23.
Register by Oct. 27
For more information, contact Elisabeth Hodgdon (eh528@cornell.edu or 518-650-5323).
Agenda:
9:30 am: Welcome & introductions, coffee & refreshments
9:45 am: Soil health concepts and the effects of soil type, cropping system, and management on soil health (Joseph Amsili, Cornell Soil Health Initiative)
10:15 am: Explore the intricate world of the soil food web (John Culpepper and Jennifer Perry, Compost for Good)
11 am: Tarping research updates (Crystal Stewart-Courtens, CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program and Philia Farm)
11:30 am: Cover cropping in reduced tillage systems (Jean-Paul Courtens, Philia Farm)
12 pm: Grower panel and discussion: How we maintain soil health using tarps, reduced tillage, and other practices (Lissa Goldstein, Wild Work Farm; Adam Reed, Tangleroot Farm; TBD)
12:30 Lunch
1 pm: Maintaining soil health in high tunnels (Jud Reid, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program and Harvest NY)
1:45 pm: Tying together soil health and climate change resiliency (Kitty O'Neil, CCE North Country Regional Ag Team)
2:15 pm: Overview of services offered by the Essex County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Lake Champlain Basin Program
2:30 pm: End program
This workshop is sponsored in part by the Northern NY Agricultural Development Program and the New York Farm Viability Institute
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cucumbers
Dry Beans
Eggplant
Ethnic Vegetables
Garlic
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce / Leafy Greens
Melons
Mushrooms
Onions
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers
Potatoes
Pumpkins / Gourds
Radishes
Rhubarb
Rutabaga
Snap Beans
Squash - Summer
Squash- Winter
Sweet Corn
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Turnips
Upcoming Events
Small Vegetable Workshop
August 13, 2026
Fulton, NY
Identify vegetables that make sense to grow on small acreage, including under high and low tunnel season extension. Bill Ingersoll, owner of Ingersoll Farms, will provide a short tour and discuss other important factors of running a mixed vegetable farm, including a farm stand and selling at farmers' markets.
Chipping Potato and Field Crops Twilight Meeting
August 27, 2026
Dansville, NY
This year, our field meeting is bringing together field crops and chipping potatoes. SWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Specialist Katelyn Miller will lead a field crops management discussion. Hear the latest updates in potato disease control and see the Cornell chipping potato variety trial run by Walter De Jong. Dinner follows the educational event.
1.5 DEC credits available in 10, 1a, 21, and 23.
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September 10, 2026
Buffalo, NY
Join us for a hands-on field day exploring integrated pest management and season extension tools for urban growing spaces and the opportunity to build community with local growers!
This event will focus on best practices for using row covers and rat mitigation. Check out our CCE demonstration trial using insect exclusion netting to manage swede midge, an invasive fly that causes damage to brassica crops. Explore how to identify rat activity, reduce attractants, and strengthen site management. Hear from local growers on how they manage pests with a focus on organic management and how they extend the season on their farms and gardens.