Best Practices for Onboarding Seasonal Workers is a 1.5-hour, on-line program that reviews best practices for bringing on (aka onboarding) a group of seasonal workers.  This program will go over the onboarding planning guide for seasonal farm employees and discuss the key things you should have in place in 2021 when your seasonal employees arrive.  

When you enroll in this program you will also receive a hard copy of the planning guide by mail, have access to additional resources and information and an on-line community of other farms that are also working on their 2021 onboarding plans. 

Best Practices for Onboarding Seasonal Workers is a 1.5-hour, on-line program that reviews best practices for bringing on (aka onboarding) a group of seasonal workers.  This program will go over the onboarding planning guide for seasonal farm employees and discuss the key things you should have in place in 2021 when your seasonal employees arrive.  

When you enroll in this program you will also receive a hard copy of the planning guide by mail, have access to additional resources and information and an on-line community of other farms that are also working on their 2021 onboarding plans. 

Best Practices for Onboarding Seasonal Workers is a 1.5-hour, on-line program that reviews best practices for bringing on (aka onboarding) a group of seasonal workers.  This program will go over the onboarding planning guide for seasonal farm employees and discuss the key things you should have in place in 2021 when your seasonal employees arrive.  

When you enroll in this program you will also receive a hard copy of the planning guide by mail, have access to additional resources and information and an on-line community of other farms that are also working on their 2021 onboarding plans. 

Best Practices for Onboarding Seasonal Workers is a 1.5-hour, on-line program that reviews best practices for bringing on (aka onboarding) a group of seasonal workers.  This program will go over the onboarding planning guide for seasonal farm employees and discuss the key things you should have in place in 2021 when your seasonal employees arrive.  

When you enroll in this program you will also receive a hard copy of the planning guide by mail, have access to additional resources and information and an on-line community of other farms that are also working on their 2021 onboarding plans. 

Thinking about becoming a certified pesticide applicator in New York? This online program will cover the basics of who needs a pesticide license, license types, examination procedures, and important information to know for the test. We will incorporate interactive practice questions and activities within the program to test participant knowledge in preparation for the exam.

CCE Ag Business Educators are offering online farm financial management education programs this winter!

On January 12, from 12:30-1:30, Join CCE CAAHP Ag Business Educator, Dayton Maxwell, for a one hour program on how to effectively apply for and use credit in your farm business.  Dayton was a former Farm Credit East loan officer and now serves as the Farm Business Management specialist for the Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program.  

This program is the first of three Farm Business Management Tuesdays planned for this winter.

Following much consideration, the New York State Vegetable Growers Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension announced the annual Becker Forum and Empire State Producers Expo will be a virtual conference scheduled for January 11-15, 2021.

There's still time to register for NOFA-NY's Virtual Winter Conference! One registration gives you access to more than 90 workshops presented by farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, and advocates to learn from.

CCE Ag Business Educators are offering online farm financial management education programs this winter!

On January 19, from 12:30-1:30, Join CCE CNY Dairy and Field Crops Ag Business Educator, Nicole Tommell and Gabe Gurley of NY FarmNet, for a one hour program on managing your input costs in your farm business.   Managing your costs is a key aspect of being profitable.  

This program is the second of three Farm Business Management Tuesdays planned for this winter.

Farmers and anyone interested in learning more about precision agriculture and how it can be implemented on the farm is invited to attend a 3-part virtual series. The series will feature Dr. Ali Nafchi, Precision Agriculture Specialist with CCE's NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team and the Cornell Vegetable Program. Topics will begin with an introduction to precision agriculture and why any producer of an agricultural product should be interested in precision agriculture. 

CCE Ag Business Educators are offering online farm financial management education programs this winter!

On January 26, from 12:30-1:30, Join CCE ENYCH Ag Business Educator, Elizabeth Higgins, for a one hour program on cash flow management and the annual operating cycle. Lack of cash is one of the primary reasons why small businesses fail.  Put together the knowledge you learned in the first two sessions to think about how to use various tools and strategies like loans, lines of credit, managing timing of payments, budgeting and forecasting, and timing of major purchases to better manage your farm's cash flow.

This program is the third of three Farm Business Management Tuesdays planned for this winter.

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension on January 27th for a remote GAPs training. Instructors will walk growers through how to conduct a risk assessment on their farm utilizing the seven areas of farm food safety. Participants will gain hands-on experience in creating a traceability system for their farm, as well as learn about packing house design with food safety principles guiding placement of equipment and suggested materials. Students will also learn about how to train their employees related to food safety and understand what they will need to implement on their farm in order to pass a third-party food safety audit, such as GAPs. 

On January 28th growers can join us for a day focused on writing their farm food safety plan. Trainers will be joined by NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets Farm Products inspectors to give guidance and input for farms in creating their farm food safety plans to meet the needs for a potential audit. At the conclusion of day two growers will have all components of their farm food safety plans outlined with the most critical pieces.

Interested in learning more about the GAPs certification process? Do you need help writing your farm food safety plan?

Join CCE educators for a day-long workshop on Day 1 delving into what is required to pass a GAPs audit, including worker hygiene, wash/pack sanitation, water quality, record keeping, and more. On the second day, we will split into small groups on Zoom to discuss the different parts of a farm food safety plan required for GAPs, some schools and other buyers, and recommended for FSMA. Educators will be accompanied by NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets representatives on Day 2 to help address questions on audits from participants. Participants will work on their plans concurrently within their groups and will have ample opportunity to ask questions and seek advice. 

The CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Team is happy to invite vegetable and berry growers to our virtual series of production and business management webinars held this February! 

Sessions include:

• sweet potatoes
• three berry workshops
• transplant production
• a farm stand virtual tour
• sweet corn
• and several other exciting topics! 

Join us for a four-session mini course to help guide you in starting your business.  Tune in February evenings to hear tips on planning, finance, sales/pricing, marketing and grant/resource opportunities. 

For 2021, the CCE's NY Tree Fruit Conference sponsored by the CCE Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program and the CCE Lake Ontario Fruit Program will replace CCE-LOF's Winter Fruit Schools and CCE-ENYCHP's Fruit & Vegetable Conference, DEC Credits are being applied for at multiple sessions.

Session titles & times now available!

If you are considering applying for a Value Added Producer Grant. How do you fill out the application? How do you make your application as appealing as possible to the person who will review it? These three sessions will outline the process of writing and submitting a successful Value Added Producer Grant.

Farmers and anyone interested in learning more about precision agriculture and how it can be implemented on the farm is invited to attend a 3-part virtual series. The series will feature Dr. Ali Nafchi, Precision Agriculture Specialist with CCE's NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team and the Cornell Vegetable Program. Topics will begin with an introduction to precision agriculture and why any producer of an agricultural product should be interested in precision agriculture. 

Join Liz Higgins (Eastern NY Hort Team Ag Business Specialist), Myron Thurston (CCE Madison AED & Marketing Specialist) and Nicole Tommell (Farm Business Specialist, CNYDLFC) for an update on the COVID-19 Assistance Programs for Farmers.

The Cornell Climate Smart Farming Program is pleased to host five winter webinars for farmers, Extension specialists, and agriculture consultants. Registration is required, but events are free and open to the public.  Please join us!

During the course of four sessions, horticultural experts and farmers will describe the possibilities and challenges associated with growing these lesser known crops.  Specifics include site selection, production systems, pest issues, post-harvest requirements, recommended cultivars, and market considerations.

The first session will focus on understanding crop attributes that make commercialization possible followed by a site selection discussion.  After that we will delve directly into the plants which will include Ribes, Elderberry, Aronia, Hardy Kiwi, Hascap, Amelanchier, Ericaceae, Shisandra, Sea Buckthorn, Paw paw, Persimmon, Figs.

If you are considering applying for a Value Added Producer Grant. How do you fill out the application? How do you make your application as appealing as possible to the person who will review it? These three sessions will outline the process of writing and submitting a successful Value Added Producer Grant.

To meet the year-round demand for locally produced food, vegetable farmers have embraced protected agriculture to extend their growing season, improve yields, and enhance crop quality. However, a statewide survey found that after several growing seasons, farmers struggle to maintain productivity due to challenges in long term soil health and fertility management. Cornell Cooperative Extension is exploring practices that high tunnel growers can adopt to better manage soil fertility and improve soil health.

Grab your lunch and join us for a virtual conversation on Friday, March 5, 2021 from 12:00pm - 1:30pm to hear our project updates and research results.

The Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University, UVM Extension Ag Engineering, and CCE Orange County, CCE Dutchess County, and CCE ENYCHP are hosting a workshop on Cleaning and Sanitizing on Produce Farms and in Packing Facilities. This remote 3.5 hour webinar will provide:

• A brief review of microbial risks in produce farms and packing facilities
• Conducting a Sanitation Operational Assessment
• Presentations focused on the: o Basics of wet and dry cleaning and sanitizing o Value and importance of sanitation SOPs
• A hands-on exercise writing a sanitation SOP

While yields of stone fruits planted to traditional orchard systems have been lagging behind our modern apple plantings in the northeast, research is actively being conducted to utilize improved rootstocks and modern, narrow training systems to increase productivity and reduce labor costs in peach and cherry systems. 

In this webinar, we will be joined by Dr. Jim Schupp, Dr. Greg Lang, and Dr. Terence Robinson, as they discuss improved strategies for growing peaches and cherries in the northeast.

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.

Join the us for the annual Dry Bean Meeting! There will be presentations covering the latest research in NY dry beans. Topic areas include market updates, white mold management, Western bean cutworm and soybean cyst nematode management, herbicide resistance management, dry bean variety testing, and incorporating NY dry beans into schools. This meeting is sponsored by Genesee Valley Bean Company, and Bayer CropScience.

Thinking about becoming a certified pesticide applicator in New York?  This online program will cover the basics of who needs a pesticide license, license types, examination procedures, and important information to know for the test.  We will incorporate interactive practice questions and activities within the program to test participant knowledge in preparation for the exam.

This program will be focusing on putting farm food safety into daily production practices. Besides some classroom presentations, there will be demos and hands-on activities with produce wash equipment. Participants will learn the why and how behind designing, cleaning, sanitizing, and drying produce handling equipment and buildings. And much more!