SYRACUSE, N.Y. — As dramatic weather events increase, pest pressure intensifies, and local markets vitalize, New York berry growers are looking for ways to protect their crop and lengthen their season. Growers and educators are evaluating techniques for growing berries under cover.
The NYS Berry Growers Association Workshop at the 2017 Empire State Producers Expo on Tuesday, January 17 is a day-long session that will feature multiple short presentations, hands-on or interactive activities, words from growers, and a NYS Berry Grower Association Annual meeting discussing the newest research in tunnels and exclusion netting.
Courtney Weber from Cornell University will present on cultivars of strawberries and raspberries that thrive in tunnels. We’ll look at what kinds of innovative types of plastics are available, how they work differently, and how to dispose of them thoughtfully and affordably with experts Kathy Demchak and Lois Levitan. Greg Loeb and Kerik Cox from Cornell University will help us understand what sorts of pest and diseases are specific to tunnel environments and how to manage them. Greg Loeb and Stephen Hessler will present on using lures within exclusion netting systems. Juliet Carroll, NYS IPM, and Jonathan Lambert, Cornell Institute for Climate Smart Solutions, will discuss apps and tools farmers can employ to manage climate change. With Miguel Gomez, we’ll look at the ways that SWD has impacted farmers’ profits. Join us to learn how you can push your strawberries into November, grow blueberries without spray in the post SWD era, use apps to best predict the weather you’re trying to protect against, and more!
This Expo session was organized by Laura McDermott, Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program, and Cara Fraver, New York State Berry Growers Association. DEC credits will be available to those that attend the entire workshop.
NYS Berry Growers Association Workshop – Uncovering the Secrets of Growing Berries Under Cover
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Pre-registration is required to receive workshop materials – Free to NYS Berry Growers Association members and $20 for non-members.
The 2017 Empire State Producers Expo is January 17-19 at the OnCenter Convention Center in Syracuse, NY. This annual show combines the major fruit, flower, vegetable, and direct marketing associations of New York State in order to provide a comprehensive trade show and educational conference for New York and neighboring producers. Attendees can expect presentations by Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel and highly regarded speakers from across the country. Panel discussions feature some of the top industry experts and growers in New York. Between educational sessions, attendees can visit the trade show featuring over 150 commercial vendors and non-profit exhibitors.
Educational sessions offered at the 2017 Empire State Producers Expo include commodity specific programs in berries, cabbage, processing vegetables, hops, grains, cut flowers, tree fruit, sweet corn, tomato, onion, potato, Cole crops, root crops and specialty crops; and focused programs in water management and irrigation, weed management, wildlife management, soil health, post-harvest handling, biopesticides, beginning farmer, marketing using social media and apps, transplant and greenhouse production, climate and forecast models, GAPS, labor, and hard cider production. DEC pesticide recertification credits and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits will be offered during the appropriate educational sessions.
For more information about the Expo and to register, visit the NYS Vegetable Growers Association website at nysvga.org/expo.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension
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