The New York Farm Viability Institute announced the award of $1.24 million in funding for 18 projects to improve farm profitability and sustainability in New York State. Funded projects represent a cross section of New York agriculture, including dairy, field crops, apples, vegetables, berries, and Christmas trees. Economic development projects will develop business and marketing plans for farmers, support dairy farmer discussion groups, assist young farmers, and provide support for grower cooperatives.
Some projects of horticultural interest (with project leader and institution) include:
- Prediction of soft scald in Honeycrisp apples to manage storage and marketing – Chris Watkins, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University
- Precision Orchard Management to Increase Apple Orchard Profitability – Terence Robinson, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University
- Increasing High Tunnel Profitability with Improved Soil Management – Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist, Cornell Vegetable Program/CCE Yates County
- Expanding Use of Reduced Tillage Systems, Controlled Release Nitrogen Fertilizer and Cover Crops on Sweet Corn, Field Corn and Cucurbit Farms – Rebecca Wiseman, Cornell Cooperative Extension – Suffolk County
- Detecting variability in apple harvest maturity between different planting systems using a DA meter – Craig Kahlke, in Fruit Quality Management Extension Specialist, Lake Ontario Fruit Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension
- Biological Control of the Black Vine-Strawberry root weevil complex: The whole farm approach – Elson Shields, Department of Entomology, Cornell University
- Marketing plan development and evaluation for farmers’ market producers – Challey Comer, GrowNYC
- Business Planning for Western New York Food Hub Value-Added Products – David Walczak, Eden Valley Growers, Inc.