Join Us for the 2022 Berry Session at the Empire State Producers EXPO

The Empire State Producers EXPO, January 11-13, is right around the corner. Due to the surge in covid cases, the 2022 Berry Session have been moved online. This session is scheduled for Wednesday, January 12, and will run from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A mix of researchers, growers, and business owners will share their findings over the course of four sessions.

Visit the Producers EXPO website to see registration and pricing information. To register for the Berry Sessions only, fill out the form and pay via PayPal ($55) here.

8:45–10:15 a.m.

The first Berry Session of the day focuses on containerized berry production. Dr. Neil Mattson (Cornell University) will go over the trends in commercially-grown greenhouse strawberries, and their applicability to Northeastern farms. Senior Extension Associate Kathy Demchak (Penn State University) will review her research on container-growing strawberries and caneberries.  

10:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

The second Berry Session reviews blueberry production. Researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture will present on the latest breeding efforts, and Dr. Thierry Bescanon (Rutgers University) will discuss the best approaches to manage weeds in blueberry plantings. Liz Machoff (Empire Drip Supply, and the NYSBGA board president) will explain the principles of water acidification in drip irrigation. The session will close with a meeting hosted by the New York State Berry Growers Association.  

1:30–2:15 p.m.

The third Berry Session is dedicated to the economics and sustainability of berry crop production. Business owner David Duda (Dudas Blues, and an NYSBGA board member) will discuss the role of value-added products in his business. Dr. Kris Park (Cornell University) will review a New York State pricing survey of berry growers, and provide economic insights. Dr. Heather Grab (Cornell University) will share her findings on balancing pollinator care and weed management in strawberries.  

2:45–4:00 p.m

The fourth Berry Session explores lesser-known berries and nut crops that are suitable for the Northeast. Ph.D. Candidate Samantha Bosco (Cornell University) will share her knowledge of nuts as a crop and food source. Dr. Iago Hale (University of New Hampshire) will discuss the characteristics of hardy kiwifruit when grown as a commercial crop. Coming down from Northern NY, Dr. Mike Davis will present on juneberries, and grower Duane Smith will provide a summary of his experience growing honeyberries.

View the rest of the EXPO sessions below.

Berry Disease Snapshot: Mycosphaerella Leaf Spot of Strawberry

By David Strickland and Kerik Cox

Cornell AgriTech

Disease Snapshot: Mycosphaerella Leaf Spot of Strawberry (Bird’s Eye Spot, White Spot)

Causal Pathogen: Mycosphaerella fragariae

When to watch for it: Year round

First line of defense: Plant disease-free nursery stock

Summary:

Infections can occur on fruit (black seed), petioles, stolons, and leaves. Foliar lesions first appear as irregular purple spots on both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf. Lesions develop a brown to white center as they mature, with a rusty brown border surrounding the necrotic area of the lesion. Severe infection on a susceptible cultivar will kill the leaf as lesions coalesce over the entire surface. Symptom expression varies by cultivar, temperature, and strain of M. fragariae. M. fragariae can overwinter as lesions on living leaves under snow cover, as conidia from overwintering dense masses of mycelia (sclerotia), and as sexually recombinant ascospores. Conidia from sclerotia are rain-dispersed from dead leaves in the field in the early spring, and ascospores are disseminated by wind. Virtually all parts of the plant are susceptible regardless of age, but lesions are most severe on middle-aged leaves. Severely infected plants are less likely to survive the winter, and those that do will have a reduced number of flowers in the spring.

Resistance reports have varied by state, and resistant cultivars may or may not be an effective means of disease control. Removing dead plant matter before winter will reduce inoculum carry over between seasons.  Fungicide applications are recommended for plantings with susceptible varieties in the early season to eliminate overwintering inoculum.

New York State Berry Industry Competitive Analysis

This document research group of Dr. Miguel Gómez at Cornell University’s Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, in collaboration with the New York State Berry Growers Association, presents this bulleted analysis of the berry industries in New York State, as well as detailed figures supporting the analysis.

Member Spotlight: Abbott Farms

Member Spotlight: Abbott Farms

Ask most farmers what they grow and sell, and they’ll enumerate a list of fruits and vegetables. Ask Warren Abbott of Abbott Farms, and the answer is “Fun.”

Of course, the farm also sells other products, and lots of them—including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, rhubarb, asparagus, sweet corn, pumpkins, Italian prunes, and apples, as well as beef, hard cider, and wine. But what Abbott Farms—located in Baldwinsville and in operation, in the same family, since 1866—focuses on most of all is the customer. “We really sell an experience,” Warren explains, noting that the farm has up to 85 employees seasonally each year, most of them in customer service–related roles. 

Prior to 1964, Abbott Farms was a small subsistence dairy. They added grain and potatoes at that time, and a small store for some retail sales by the early ’70s. In 1993, with the addition of a new store, they shifted their focus toward retail, and by 2007 had left the grain market entirely. These days, under the management of their fifth generation of farmers, they sell wholesale only if there’s extra supply. Recently, they added hard cider and wine, to satisfy the customer demand for quality local products and the in-person touch.

Over the years, the Abbotts have found that in order to sell in volume, customers require that the products be grown right on the farm. “Every time we decide to grow an item we sell, we triple sales of that item instantly,” Warren says. “I would have never guessed it would be so dramatic. We would have made that change sooner [if we had known].”

Crop losses from SWD encouraged the Abbotts to walk away from growing fall raspberries and day-neutral strawberries, though Warren says they may restart those crops “if control methods are available and economical.” As a business, Abbott Farms’ bigger challenges have been expanding frequently to maintain income; labor rates and regulation; and finding, training, and keeping good employees in seasonal positions.

For now, they’re focusing on frequent shake-ups to their strategy to maintain consumer interest. “The cidery will take some time to dial in, but it’s the most exciting and promising change since 2007,” Warren says, adding that they’ll be introducing a hard-cider tasting room soon. Besides the many varieties of fruit and sweet ciders available for tasting, they also offer happy-making products like 10 flavors of fudge and more than 20 flavors of ice cream. And they try to emphasize to customers that they select berry varieties for flavor, and pick for flavor and sugar content—not shipping and storage hardiness—to bring audience back week after week.

On-farm events—such as foot races, berry festivals, pancake breakfasts, a weekly festival in the fall, weekly farmers’ markets, and birthday parties—have been a big success. These events keep Abbott Farms top of mind—and tops in word-of-mouth referrals—for customers, as does maintaining a regular e-mail and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter presence. They also advertise on billboards and in family and leisure guides in season.

Even though Abbott Farms is tech- and marketing-savvy, they still make sure the personal touch comes across in everything they do. Warren says, “We will continue to offer educational, family fun, while picking fruit and relaxing around the farm.” Maybe even for another 150 years.