Two speakers will give a presentation regarding value-added processing on the farm this Thursday, Feb. 17.

Presented by the Montgomery County Agriculture Economic Development Project, the Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation District, Cornell University and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Value Added Processing on the Farm will cover making a to-do list before getting started, small scale dairy processing, processing basics, business planning and marketing. Time for discussion and questions is also on the agenda.

The speakers are Robert D. Ralyea, a senior Extension associate with Cornell University’s Department of Food Science, and Bill Fredericks with the state Department of Agriculture & Markets Bureau of Milk Control.

The presentation begins at 10 a.m. and runs to 1 p.m. in room 111 in the Annex Building, 20 Park St. in Fonda.

To learn more download the flyer below.

The North American Strawberry Growers’ Association is sponsoring a winter webinar series Feb. 18 – March 25.

Co-hosted by the Cornell University Department of Horticulture and Cornell Cooperative Extension, the webinars will focus on day neutral strawberries and identification and management of emerging pests.

Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis for the first 100 participants. To register visit the North American Strawberry Growers’ website. Participation is free. All you need is a home or office computer and high speed internet access.

Webinars topics:

Feb. 18, 2011 - Strawberry Physiology & Day Neutral Strawberry Varieties

Feb. 25, 2011 - Growing Systems and Fertility/Fertigation

March 4, 2011 – Diseases and Insect and Mite Management for Day Neutral Strawberries

March 11, 2011 - Brown Marmorated Stinkbug and Fusarium and Charcoal Crown Rots

The Capital District Vegetable and Small Fruit Team is hosting a reduced tillage videoconference next Friday, Feb. 11, at the Columbia County Cooperative Extension Center in Hudson.

Registration is requested by Wednesday. The videoconference will cover:

>         DZT Equipment and Attachments – Grower Evaluation

>         Perennial Weed Management and Killing Cover Crops

>         Fertility Management – Growers Experiences

>         LUNCH provided and discussion at each site

>         Local Discussion and evaluation across sites

If you’re interested in attending contact Chuck Bornt at 272-4210 ext. 125 or 859-6213. For more information download the flyer below.

Cornell University Cooperative Extension Capital District Vegetable & Small Fruit Program is holding its Vegetable Growers Winter Meeting Tuesday, Feb. 15 at the Best Western Albany Airport Inn, 200 Wolf Road in Albany.

Enrolled members of the CDVSFP can register for $30/person, $20 for each additional person from same farm. Non-enrollees will be charged $50/person. Registration includes lunch, breaks and DEC and CCA credits. Registration is due by Feb. 11.

Presentations on the day-long agenda include:

>Bloat Nematode: A Risk for Onions and Garlic

>Efficiency Practices to Improve Post-harvest Quality

>How to Control Birds in Vegetable and Small Fruit Crops

>USDA Federal Programs Available for Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers

>Sweet Corn Insect Control: Efficacy Problems, Insecticide Options and Bt Hybrids

>Post Harvest Heat Removal

Cornell Cooperative Extension in Columbia County is hosting a planter tune-up seminar Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. Presented by Hudson River Tractor and Precision Planting, the seminar will cover finding/fixing meter errors, finding/ fixing planter errors, planter management for peak performance, planter tune-up and downforce management.

For more information download the flyer below or call Hudson River Tractor at 518-392-2505.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension Capital District Vegetable and Small Fruit is also planning a similar planter workshop to take place in early March 2011. More information regarding that workshop will be available in the future.

A 30-hour pesticide technician/applicator training course will begin Feb. 8 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Rensselaer County office in Troy. The $350 course is for those looking to become certified as a pesticide technician in category 3a (turf and ornamentals) or certified as a private applicator in category 23 (vegetable).

The course runs Feb. 8-10, 15-17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Topics covered in this training include: Becoming a Certified Pesticide Applicator; History of Pesticide Use; Introduction to Pests; Pesticide Labels; IPM; Pesticide Application and Equipment; Mixing and Filling; the Worker Protection Standard; Calibration; Pesticide Storage and Disposal; Toxicity of Pesticides; Pesticide Safety; Pesticide Information Resources; Category Specific Topics.

The registration deadline is Feb. 2 or when the class is full. Call 518-272-4210 for more information.

The Cornell Horticulture Blog recently highlighted an upcoming organic gardening course available online. The Cornell University Department of Horticulture is offering an online organic gardening distance learning course beginning Jan. 31. The eight-week course is $300 and covers vegetables, fruits, flowers and ornamentals, and lawns.

For more information visit the Department of Horticulture’s horticulture distance learning courses website.

The 2011 Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners in New York State is now available. From asparagus to watermelon, the annual guide lists vegetable varieties well adapted for New York State home garden use. The guide also includes a list of new vegetable varieties. Cornell University’s Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners citizen science project is looking for feedback from gardeners on how these new varieties grow.  

For more information on home gardening visit Cornell’s Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners website.

The Central New York Dairy and Field Crops Team is sponsoring the 2011 Corn Day Feb. 8 at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown.

Presentations on the agenda include: 

>How to utilize resistant/stacked hybrids effectively for insect control -- Dr. Elson J. Shields, Department of Entomology, Cornell University

>Corn weed control updates -- Dr. Russell R. Hahn, Crop and Soil Sciences Cornell University

>Overcoming the challenges of notill and cover crops in corn production -- Dr. Sjoerd Duiker Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State University

>Making notill and cover crops work on our farm by doing business differently -- John Kemmeren Angelrose Dairy, Bainbridge, NY

>Optimizing corn management practices for profitability -- Dr. William Cox, Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University

Registration is $30 per person and includes lunch. Click below for more information and the registration form.

A farmer’s direct marketing conference is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 19 at Hudson Valley Community College. The conference will include a presentation on farm market stand design, merchandising and improving customer relations. The conference will also feature a farmer panel discussion on local direct marketing and a presentation regarding advertising strategies.

The conference is $35 if you register before Jan. 12 and $45 if you register after Jan. 12.

For more information contact Sharon LaPier of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Saratoga County at 518-885-8995.

Download a flyer advertising the event by clicking below.