At this vegetable grower-focused meeting, ag industry experts will discuss food safety, disease management in strawberries, the benefits of using cover crops, plus more. Two grower panel discussions will focus on pest management techniques and irrigation.

DEC recertification credits offered: 

• 2.75 in categories 10 and 1a
• 1.0 in categories 21 and 24
• 2.0 in category 23
• 0.75 in category 22

FREE to attend. No pre-registration required.

AGENDA

8:30 AM Coffee, Re-certification Credit sign-in, visit vendors

9:00 Welcome and Auction Updates -- Ray Hoover, Chair Finger Lakes Produce Auction

9:15 Food safety: 3 practices to implement now: a farmer's experience and common sense approach -- Caroline Boutard-Hunt, Cornell Cooperative Extension Yates County

9:45 Strawberries: Disease management updates and proper varieties -- Anya Stansell, CCE Harvest NY Berry Specialist

10:00 Cover Crops to reduce soil borne disease and insects, prevent erosion and improve soil health -- Todd Anderson and Tom Eskildson, Yates County Soil and Water Conservation District

11:00 Coffee Break

11:15 Programmable Plant Systems -- Margaret Frank, Associate Professor, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

11:45 Updates from Sponsors and Vendors -- Seed and ag input companies will have 5 minutes to share product news.

12:00 PM Lunch

1:15 Grower Panel -- Saint Lawrence Valley Produce Auction growers, moderated with NYS specific pest control from Judson Reid, Cornell Vegetable Program

2:00 Irrigation Panel -- local growers and vendors will share experiences on irrigation for produce crops: how to set up a system, how often and how much water to optimize yield and crop health.

3:00 Credit distribution and Adjourn