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.
NYSBGA Events
Other Events
April 5 & 18
UNH 2025 Pruning Demonstrations
New Hampshire
The UNH Extension Fruit and Vegetable Team is gearing up for this year's pruning demonstrations. The focus of these demos will be tree fruit, small fruit and ornamentals. Each event will highlight a different mix of crops based on what is grown at the demonstration host's site.
Additional events are still being finalized and pesticide recertification credits are pending at this time. Please check our website for the most current information. There is no fee for these workshops. Suggested donation, $5.
April 5 | 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Ornamental Pruning Demonstration in Keene
April 18 | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Blueberry Pruning Demonstration in Stratham
April 23
Heat Illness Prevention Webinar for the Hispanic Workforce (Spanish-language only)
Virtual
Join our webinar on heat illness prevention, designed specifically for Hispanic farm employees. With potential changes in New York State laws, it is essential to understand best practices for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment. Learn key strategies to prevent heat-related illnesses and keep everyone protected in the field. The webinar will be hosted by María Bess Lewis from Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development and Anna Meyerhoff from the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH). Zoom link: bit.ly/3DMYVGY.
May 5 & 7
Unlocking Opportunities in Farm to School
Join us for two targeted online trainings designed to help producers, distributors, manufacturers, and growers tap into the school food market and expand their reach. Whether you're just starting or already selling to schools, the Harvest NY Team will guide you through the necessary steps to grow your presence in the school food market. More info and register at tinyurl.com/3y9hhr4e.
May 6
Small Berry, Elderberry & Blueberry 101
Acra
Join us for a workshop filled with education and hands-on learning, where the focus will be on Elderberry and Blueberry. We will cover pre and post planting tasks, site considerations, pests and disease, pruning, and how to interpret a soil test taken from the site. Learn how to propagate Elderberry. Attendees will get to experience hands-on planting. This workshop will take place outside so please dress appropriately. More info & register at tinyurl.com/5ddwbt2b.
May 13, Kingston; May 14, Fishkill; May 15, Middletown; May 16, Valhalla
CleanSweepNY
The primary goal of CleanSweepNY is to help farmers, owners of former farms, and commercial pesticide applicators dispose of unwanted or unusable pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals in a safe and legal manner at no cost to them. DEC’s CleanSweepNY team administers two collections per year (spring and fall), each consisting of multiple drop-off sites. Participants must pre-register to bring materials to a CleanSweepNY drop-off. For more information visit dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/pesticides/special-initiatives.
May 21 & 22
Respirator Fit Testing Clinics
Register early as these slots will fill up! Call 1-800-343-7527 or email fittest@bassett.org
May 21,12:30 PM-4 PM- Pine Island Fire House,684 County Route 1,Pine Island, 10969
May 22, 8 AM -12 PM- Pine Island Fire House,684 County Route 1,Pine Island, 10969
October 8-10
The Blueberry Convention 2025
Seattle
The Blueberry Convention provides blueberry growers, marketers, suppliers and stakeholders with the information and products they need to succeed. The blueberry industry has never been more dynamic: high consumer demand, strong pricing and robust industry innovation. Learn more about the event at nabc.blueberry.org/events/the-blueberry-convention-2025.
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.