Late Blight on Tomaotes Confirmed at a Commercial Farm In Yates County



Be Alert for Signs of Late Blight here in Steuben

Late Blight is a serious disease of tomatoes and potatoes. Please check out the links provided, the more you know, the more you can take steps to keep this deadly disease in check.

To learn more about late blight disease, click here

To manage late blight, check out this factsheet: Click here

To find late blight resistant tomato varieties, click here



To find where late blight is in the United States, check out usablight.org/map/ and report it HERE.

CCE Southwest Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team, CCE Steuben, along with the National Grazing Lands Coalition held an interactive pasture walk in July in Steuben County. The event was held at Heaven Scent Farm. Thank you, Jerry Stewart, for all your hard work, time, and patience as we prepared for this event!

We look forward to having farmers gather together to learn at in-person events in the future.

Mastering Pasture Management with Grazing Stick: A Pro Farmer's Tool for Success

Camila Lage, Dairy Management Specialist

Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program

The grazing stick is a valuable tool for farmers to measure pasture dry matter and estimate the available forage for their livestock. Its importance lies in providing a quick, practical, and calibrated measurement system to assess the grazing potential of a pasture. While using the grazing stick, it's essential to take multiple samples from various areas to ensure a representative value of the pasture's dry matter. This helps account for variations in the pasture's growth and grazing potential.

How to Use a Grazing Stick:

Measure Total Forage Height: Use the ruler on the grazing stick to measure the total height of the forage. Subtract 3 inches from the total height to account for residual forage that should not be considered grazable material. To accurately gauge the average leaf height of the grass in trampled vegetation, hold the foliage upright in one hand, excluding stems and seed heads of tall grasses from the measurement for precise results. A good rule of thumb for large pastures is that grazing stick measurements should be taken at least 15-to-20 locations within a pasture. In smaller pastures, 7-10 measurements may give you an accurate measurement.

Measure Density: 

Slide the grazing stick through the plants, keeping it flat on the ground at the soil surface. Observe the number of dots visible on the stick, which corresponds to the pounds of dry matter per inch of height.

Calculate Estimated Harvest: 

Multiply the number of inches from step one (total height minus 3 inches) by the pounds of dry matter per acre inch. This calculation estimates how many pounds per acre the livestock can harvest.



Using the grazing stick help farmers have an accurate understanding of the available dry matter in their pastures. This knowledge is crucial for proper pasture management, preventing wastage of feed, and avoiding situations where the livestock may suffer from insufficient forage. By implementing short grazing and adequate recovery periods, farmers can successfully maintain a healthy grazing system that benefits both the livestock and the pasture's overall health.

For assistance and guidance on how to get and use grazing sticks effectively, contact Camila Lage at 607-422-6788 or cd546@cornell.edu.

You can also contact your local NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) office for a grazing stick. They also provide resources and support to farmers for sustainable pasture management and grazing practices.

Agronomic Weed Management and Cover Crop Field Session

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

3:30 PM - 7:15 PM

Organized by the Cornell Weed Ecology Lab

When: Tuesday, August 15th, 2023 at 3:30PM – 7:15PM

Location: Property across from 5701 Burton Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Cost: $10

Program followed by dinner.

NYS DEC Pesticide Recertification Credits in Application!

Free print copy of “Weeds of the Northeast” to the first 10 registrants.

REGISTER HERE

Presentations on:

- Weed ID & Management

- Cover Crop Demonstrations

- Herbicide Efficacy and more!

Speakers From:

- Cornell University

- Cornell Vegetable Program

- Erie County SWCD

- Southwestern NY Dairy & Livestock Team

- USDA NRCS

Register by Aug 11th at: 

https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/WeedCoverCropFieldSession_214

Fee: $10.00

Can Mutton Make Money?

by Amy Barkley, Livestock Specialist

Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program

Mutton is a historically low-value animal. When not considering major holidays, prices tend to be around $0.75 - $1.00 per pound live weight. This is a far cry from the $2.00 - $3.00/lb that many producers get for lamb. Mutton is a natural by-product of a sheep farm, and this article makes the argument that there is potential for it to become a valuable co-product.

While mutton may be taboo in the US, residents of England and other countries consume mutton regularly. In England, mutton refers to animals that are over 2 years of age. In the United States, sheep that are over 14 months of age are considered mutton. As sheep age, they become more flavorful, which is highly desirable in many cultures and countries, though this meat is too strongly flavored for many typical American palates. That said, consumers' tastes for more uniquely flavored and robust tasting meats is growing in some markets. It may be time for mutton to make a comeback!

According to research, animals younger than a year of age have the most consistent, mild flavor, regardless of breed. As those animals age, there is a diversification in the intensity of flavors caused by both by age and breed. This comes from fatty acid accumulation, which creates the mutton-y and pastoral (grassy) flavors, which many consumers are not used to. While animals over 2 years of age accumulate the muttony flavor, lush pastures made of a high proportion of legumes contribute to the higher concentrations of grassy notes than pastures with high grass populations.

Read the full article here.

Lean 5S: Making the Physical Workplace Work

by: Richard Stup, published in Progressive Dairy

Farm employers are constantly looking for ways to get work done better, faster, and more consistently. In this era of ever-increasing labor costs and decreasing availability of employees, it’s even more important to focus on labor productivity and efficiency. Lean management philosophy holds the promise to improve labor productivity and efficiency, but it’s much more than that. Lean is an approach that can also involve employee teams in continuous improvement of quality and performance, thereby engaging employees in a positive way.

Click HERE for the full article.

Strategies for Hay Crops 2023

by Joe Lawrence and Kirsten Workman

The 2023 season has been a roller coaster for producing dairy quality hay crops across NYS. With widespread dry conditions throughout much of May, many experienced below average first cutting yields, though there were pockets with reports of average or better yields. There was better news on the quality front, with reports of average to above average forage quality for timely harvested first cutting being fairly uniform across the state.  

With continued dry conditions through May for many, second cutting presented more frustration in decision making as yields were quite low but the crop had stagnated and was losing quality, and decisions about second cutting timing were then interrupted by rain. And while the rain was much needed, the patterns in which it was forecasted and came, created a great deal of uncertainty around windows of opportunity for cutting.  

While there are always unknowns, guidelines were to "cut your losses" and harvest the second cutting to allow for the third cut regrowth to capitalize on the new moisture, as the rain would benefit the regrowth more than the stagnant second cutting. At this point, hopefully most have had an opportunity to harvest second cutting. If not, it should be taken as soon as possible.  

While yields varied for both first and second cutting, for many the combined total yield is lower than desired and presents concerns about adequate inventories. With potential challenges to inventories, it is worth thinking about strategies for the remainder of the season. 

Read the full article here.

Saturday, August 26, 2023, 10am-3pm

FREE, self-guided, featuring more than 16 Urban Farms

Follow Gardens Buffalo Niagara page on Facebook for the latest updates!

Come enjoy our 3rd annual Urban Farm Day. Share and make memories as you discover our region’s blossoming urban agricultural community and food system partners. Hear the stories of local growers and the groups that help bolster our local food community. Learn the history of their spaces and the inspiration for their work. Fill your senses with the medley of midsummer’s bounty. Attend talks and tours. Visit markets. There’s something for everyone.

Read more here.

Christmas Tree Field Day

August 16, 2023

4:30-7:30 p.m.

This is year three for our Christmas tree establishment research project on weed and root disease management. Come and see how are trees are doing and bring your ideas for how this information could affect your operation. Do you have suggestions for the next set of research projects on the established trees? How can we help you manage pests on your own farms?

Cost: $30/person inlcudes dinner

Location: Vegetable Research Farm at Cornell AgriTech.

The farm entrance is located at 1097 County Rd 4, Geneva, NY. From there, follow the signs to our field and nearby parking.

County Rd 4 may be closed west of the farm entrance. 

Diagnostic session: For 2023, we have added a diagnostic session so bring your samples of weeds, insects or diseases,

(Bagged please as we don’t want to share) for Brian, Amara, Betsy, Bryan and Lynn to help with. We’ll have some additional pests to discuss, too.

What's New: An emphasis on what factors affect the success of your herbicide application other than choice of chemical. See our mulch application equipment! Compare the success of different weed management techniques on different types of weeds.

DEC pesticide recertification credits: 1.75 for categories 10, 1a, 3a, and 25.

2.5 CNLP credits

Register Online

Regional Agriculture Opportunities for

Veterans

In-Person and Virtual Broiler Field Days in August and September

Join the Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Fieldcrops Program for multiple field days to explore broiler production, processing, and finances. These events are free, and will be hosted across the state at HLW Acres (Attica, NY), Sunny Cove Farm (Alfred, NY), Laughing Earth Farm (Cropseyville, NY), Majestic Farm (Mountaindale, NY), and online over Zoom. Details and registration links can be found HERE.

Hummingbirds may help control invasive berry pests

by: Mike Hibbard

Ten years ago, Juliett Carroll was intrigued when a New York state berry grower asked if hummingbirds could be used to prey on spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), a pest species new to the region but quickly wreaking havoc on the state’s $20 million berry industry.



Now, a Cornell study by Carroll, who is a senior extension associate for New York State Integrated Pest Management at Cornell AgriTech, entomology professor Greg Loeb and others recently published in ScienceDirect shows hummingbirds reduced SWD fruit infestation levels by up to 64% in field trials.

Read the full article HERE.

Cornell Maple Camp is back! This year’s immersive maple course will take place September 15th through the 19th, in beautiful Lake Placid, NY with an introductory kick-off and social time Friday evening followed by 4 days of diving into the science and art of maple production. Maple camp provides a hands-on experience for learning the basics of making and selling syrup, including an introduction to maple confections.

There are no prerequisites for Maple Camp.

Registration is limited to create a more personalized training. Sign up before all the spots fill!

Camp will be held at the Cornell University Uihlein Maple Research Forest and Heaven Hill Farm with lakeside lodging at the Rock-E House. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the camp registration. The camp curriculum is designed to balance comprehensive instruction, with free time to network and enjoy the splendor of the Adirondack Mountains. More information regarding camp logistics and supplemental reading materials will be sent by email upon submission of registration materials.

Please contact Adam Wild (adw94@cornell.edu or (518) 523-9337) with questions.

For more information and to register, click HERE.

Are you thinking about starting a small farm? Do you already have a farm that you're looking to expand? Invest in your professional development and you'll see the returns in your business. Cornell Small Farms Program offers in-person trainings, workshops, and online courses for aspiring, new and experienced farmers.

Check out some of the upcoming opportunities for August HERE.

Be On The Lookout - NYSDEC Seeking Citizen Scientists to Report Their Wild Turkey Observations This Summer

While you are out exploring New York State this summer, be sure to keep an eye out for wild turkeys and report your observations to NYSDEC! 

Since 1996, DEC has conducted the Summer Wild Turkey Sighting Survey to track wild turkey productivity (the proportion of young of the year to adult hens) statewide. Weather, habitat conditions, and predators during breeding and brood-rearing seasons can significantly impact nest success, hen survival, and poult survival. This index allows DEC to gauge reproductive success and predict future turkey populations and harvest opportunities. Reproductive success (as measured by this survey) remains significantly lower than it was in the early 2000s. The estimated number of poults/hen in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022 were four of the six lowest productivity estimates since the survey began in 1996. Results of last year’s survey.

How to participate:

• Keep an eye out for wild turkeys as you’re out and about.
• When you observe a flock, either jot down the number of adult females, adult males, and poults (young of the year) that you see. 
• When you’re at a computer or on your phone, please enter your observation online
• If you happen to see what you believe to be the same flock later in the month, please do not double report the group. 
• Observing and counting wildlife can be challenging. In order to not bias the results, we ask that you only report flocks when you’re confident you observed the entire group. Partial flock observations can bias the poult per hen estimates. Using binoculars can greatly improve the odds you’re able to observe an entire flock.



Thank you for your participation. 

Box Tree Moth Found in Nearby Counties

Box tree moth has been newly reported from Monroe, Wayne, and Cayuga counties. There is already a quarantine in Niagara, Erie and Orleans counties. Ag and Markets inspectors will be looking in Cayuga, Oswego and Jefferson counties. Box tree moth is a serious pest of boxwoods. If you think you have found some, report it at: https://agriculture.ny.gov/reportBTM

For more information and identification assistance - Click NYS IPM

RISK Management for Cut Flowers Growers Summer Intensive

August 14, 2023

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Birdsong Farm Community Garden

38480 State Hwy 10, Delhi, NY

Join us for a day of hands-on workshops, demonstrations, tours, networking, and more!

Schedule:

9:00 a.m. - Registration Opens. Enjoy coffee, pastries, and mingling in the garden.

10:00 a.m. - Welcome and introductions.

10:15 a.m. - Field Demonstrations. We will split into two groups, spend 40-45 minutes with each presenter, then switch.

• Betsy Lamb, Cornell IPM - Topic: Scouting for Pests and Diseases. Walk the cutting garden with an IPM expert! Learn how to develop a routine for identifying pests and diseases so control decisions can be made before your crop is impacted.
• Carla Crim, CCE Delaware County - Topic: Materials for Weed Suppression and Season Extension. We will discuss the pros and cons of various ag plastics, row covers, and plant supports used in cut flower production.

Noon - Lunchtime Speaker/Discussion: Lindsey Pashow, Harvest New York. Topic: Evaluating Cut Flower Markets. Determining where to sell flowers can sometimes be an easy or difficult task. What works today may not work tomorrow for an operation. As a group we will discuss different markets, how to evaluate markets, and which markets have worked and have not worked.

1:00 p.m. - Jess Beretz, Farmhouse Floral Design - Topic: Proper Harvest Stages for Extended Vase Life, Storage and Sales to Florists. Most growers second guess themselves when it's time to harvest. How do you know when your crop is ready? This workshop is step by step harvest time, processing, and presentation for sales to wholesale accounts and florists.

2:00 p.m. - Arranging activity. Participants will be divided in small groups for a fun and friendly "Iron Chef" style competition using buckets of Birdsong Blooms!

Registration Fee: $30 includes lunch, snacks, flowers, seeds, and printed materials.

Space is limited to 40 participants.

Register HERE.

Greenhouse IPM In-depth Hands-on Workshop

Thursday, August 10, 2023

11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Location: Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

• DEC and CNLP credits applied for.
• Cost: $75. If registration fee is cost-prohibitive, please contact Betsy Lamb: eml38@cornell.edu
• Online registration coming soon. Check out more information HERE.

Questions?

Contact Betsy Lamb: eml38@cornell.edu

Program

• Registration (10:30-11:00)
• Introductions (11:00-11:15)
• Diagnosis & Control (11:15-12:15) –  In this session we’ll look at plant problems from samples that participants bring in. We’ll use microscopes and references to determine the problems then we’ll discuss the appropriate management techniques and effective pesticide options.  All presenters
• Lunch Break (12:15-12:50)
• Afternoon modules. See descriptions below.
• Module 1 (1:00-2:00): Integrated Weed Management Based on Species
• Module 2 (2:05-3:05): CSI: Fertilizer Edition
• Module 3 (3:10-4:10): Be prepared: Scouting as the basis for good insect management
• Evaluation and wrap up (4:15-4:30)

NYS

NYS Integrated Pest Management

Beneficial Insect Habitat Open House

August 17, 2023

3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

For the past six years, we’ve been cultivating perennial grasses and wildflowers that feed and attract beneficial insects. All of these plants came from seeds—whether sown by us or by others—and we’ll focus this year’s annual open house on these wonderful seeds.

Located at our field on the Vegetable Research Farm at Cornell AgriTech. The farm entrance is at 1097 County Rd 4, Geneva, NY. From there, follow the signs to our field and nearby parking. Note: County Rd 4 may be closed west of the farm entrance. 

This event is free. 

We will have a portable restroom facility as well as a few chairs and a small tent available in case it is hot and you need to rest. The ground is relatively even with a gentle slope but it is a field, and closed-toed comfortable footwear is recommended.

Water and snacks will be available.

Guided Explorations with Petra Page-Mann from Fruition Seeds

Guided explorations of established plots of perennial wildflowers and grasses with Petra Page-Mann from Fruition Seeds in Naples, NY.

• 3:45 p.m.
• 4:45 p.m.
• 5:45 p.m.



More information is available Here.

Save the Date:

Insectapalooza

September 23, 2023

9AM - 3 PM Stocking Hall Ithaca Campus

Come see the bizarre, bad, and beneficial of the insect world.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 9am to 3pm. Stocking Hall. 

Check out the annual, one-day Insect Festival hosted by the Department of Entomology at Cornell University. Insectapalooza is an interactive, hands-on experience that features hundreds of live insects, spiders, and other fascinating arthropods. Popular favorites include the live Butterfly Room and Arthropod Zoo. Exhibits explore the extraordinary Cornell University Insect Collection, pollination, plant-insect interactions, biodiversity of ants, bees, and soil insects, and how bugs work. Learn how to combat arthropod pests like the spotted lantern fly, ticks, and mosquitos. New this year, there are short workshops on careers in entomology, beekeeping, pollinator gardens, macrophotography, and reducing the impacts of lantern flies and ticks. Numerous kid-friendly crafts. And much, much more.

Read more Here and the schedule of events is provided below.

What's Bugging You?

Join Live, on the first Friday of every month from Noon to 12:30 EST on Zoom.

Each month, experts will share practical information and answer questions on using integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. We’ll end with an IPM Minute and cover a specific action you can take in the next few days to help you avoid pest problems.

2023 Schedule:

• August 4: Groundhog management | Bat exclusion
• September 1: Right plant, right place | Transplanting trees/shrubs
• October 6: Jumping worms | Roof gutter pests
• November 3: Winter Garden prep | Tick check reminder
• December 1: Houseplant IPM | Firewood pests

Register for 2023 Events Here. Watch the past Event presentations Here.

Participate in the 2023 NY Invasive Species Expo

Save the date:

September 24-26th, 2023



The Expo will be a unique invasive species conference combining classic presentations and creative use of outdoor space hosted within the historic architecture of Saratoga Spa State Park and will be open to the public with no cost for general attendance. Sessions will be centered around the overall theme: Reflect, Adapt, Evolve. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on what’s been accomplished so far in the field of invasive species management, learn about the innovative ways we can adapt in unprecedented times, and discuss how we can evolve to confront challenges moving into the future.