Your success is our success! We host a variety of educational workshops and Field Days to give berry growers like you the tools you need to protect and improve your crops, learn the latest in farming techniques, and market your business. We also keep you up-to-date on other industry events.

Other Events

January 9

Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference

Delhi

More info to come on this event, at SUNY Delhi.

January 9, 2025

New York State Agricultural Society Annual Meeting and Forum

Syracuse

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball encourages members of the agricultural community to join the 193rd Annual Meeting and Agricultural Forum, hosted by the New York State Agricultural Society. Held at the OnCenter in Syracuse, this year’s forum offers an opportunity for farmers and other key partners to examine how emerging trends and technological advancements are helping shape the future of agriculture. Commissioner Ball will also deliver the 2025 State of Agriculture Address and provide an update on New York State’s ongoing efforts to support New York farmers and agricultural businesses. Learn more and register at nysagsociety.org

January 23-24, 2025

Empire State Expo

This year will be a bit different from the usual full version of the Expo, according to director Brian Reeves, and may be turned into a one-day meeting, with vegetable programming on another day. Stay tuned for updates at nysvga.org/expo/information.

February 3-6

NARBA 2025 Conference

Kona, Hawai’i

The 2025 NARBA Conference will take place on the Island of Hawai’i! It will offer premium opportunities to network, learn about latest advancements in research, and hear about emerging technologies in the caneberry and strawberry industries across North America. Learn more and register at raspberryblackberry.com. Learn more and register here.

February 4-5, 2025

Western NY Fruit Conference

Rochester

For the 2nd year in a row, we'll be having the Western NY Fruit Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Rochester! It will be another 1.5-day conference. Stay tuned for program and registration info at enych.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=1923.

February 6-10, 2025

NAFDMA Agritourism Convention & Expo

Lexington, KY

The premier event for anyone in the agritourism industry, including operators, owners, and managers. The conference features dozens of spectacular speakers and seminars, inspiring site visits, and fun excursions, hands-on learning opportunities, and a wide variety of industry-focused exhibitors. Connect with hundreds of your peers from all corners of the agritourism industry, including orchards, corn mazes, berry farms, retail markets, wedding venues, family fun farms and so many more! This is the annual event to attend where inspired farmers discuss and share ideas about connecting their communities with agriculture. More info and register at nafdmaconvention.com.

February 19-21, 2025

Eastern New York Fruit and Vegetable Conference

Albany

New updates have been released for this annual event, including the preconference Food Safety Training workshop on February 18, and the conference and trade show on 19-20. The Small Fruit Track is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on February 19.

February 25-April 1

Cornell Small Farms Courses BF 123: Growing Uncommon Fruit

Virtual

Do you want to learn more about lesser-known fruit? This 6-week course will help you determine whether incorporating uncommon fruit into your operation is the right decision for you. We’ll walk you through all aspects of this decision, from possible fruits and appropriate site selection to marketing and profit potential, plus the advantages to including woody perennials into your farm plan. Many of these fruits can be successful in a forest farming setting, so are attractive to people with an interest in agroforestry. Expand your understanding of these promising crops and how they could improve your farm’s ecosystem while possibly also supporting your bottom line. Live attendance is encouraged, so you have the opportunity to engage with presenters and ask questions, but all webinars are recorded and posted in the online classroom to watch anytime. Learn more and register at smallfarmcourses.com/p/bf-123-growing-uncommon-fruit.

Ongoing

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America

Virtual

Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and NY FarmNet, in partnership with Rural Minds, has launched a free online course, “Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Rural America,” designed to give learners practical support strategies and resources to navigate mental health challenges in rural communities. Tailored for veterinarians, students, and agribusiness professionals, the course reviews specific mental health issues, including suicide, in rural America and provides information to mitigate them. Take the class at ecornell.cornell.edu/custom/rural-mental-health.

On demand

NAFDMA Virtual Agritourism Workshop

Helene’s Hilltop Orchard transitioned a family dairy farm into an orchard in 1979 and added a bakery in 1992. As the apples grew, so did their business. Today, the orchard is owned by Mark and Olivia Telschow. Olivia shares her knowledge of the bakery as she learned it working hands-on in the kitchen, adding the commercial bakery operation to their agritourism farm. Everything from production tips to equipment to operational checklists will be shared. Register here.

On demand

Employee Engagement Virtual Workshop

Regardless of size or seasonality, every agritourism business seeks to create a culture that attracts, nurtures, and keeps employees engaged in their operation from year to year. This Virtual Workshop highlights three farms that illustrate a level of successful employee culture that we can all take lessons from to emulate in our own operations. More info & register here.

Mondays, throughout the season

Tree Fruit Pest Management discussions

Hudson Valley Research Laboratory entomologist Peter Jentsch, friends, and guests invite you to join in discussions on Tree Fruit Pest Management from 6:00-7:00 a.m. each Monday morning through the season via Zoom. The Zoom meeting will open at 5:45 a.m. for you to link into the meeting and get your coffee. More information at https://tinyurl.com/2vebwmnu.

On demand

Pruning & Training of Berries, Kiwifruit, and Grapes

Webinar series

Join Bernadine Strik, professor of horticulture at Oregon State University, for this multicourse, on-demand series. Designed to provide all the information you need to prune and train berry crops, the series includes 4 to 8 self-paced narrated lectures totaling up to 2.5 hours on table grapes, kiwifruit, and berries—including raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Register for just one module or get a discount on the series.