Harvest of fall crops is in full swing on farms across the region this week. Consider these tips from vegetable specialists Chuck Bornt (ENYCHP) and Julie Kikkert (CVP) for identifying issues impacting storage and ensuring quality for the winter. Reminders and Tips for Harvesting Sweet and Irish Potatoes for Storage Chuck Bornt, Cornell Cooperative Extension Read More…

Vegetable Pest Updates 9/28/23 Upcoming events: Soil Health Workshop for Vegetable Growers Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 9:30 am – 2:30 pm Whallonsburg Grange (1610 Route 22, Essex, NY) Join us for presentations, discussions, and hands-on demonstrations focusing on soil health concepts and best management practices for vegetable growers. Topics include tarping, maintaining soil health in Read More…

Pest Updates 9/21/2023 As the season winds down, we will no longer release weekly scouting reports. Instead, we will report sweet corn trap counts and pest alerts as they arise. Upcoming events: Soil Health Workshop for Vegetable Growers Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm Whallonsburg Grange (1610 Route 22, Essex, NY) Join Read More…

Pest Updates 9/14/2023 As the season winds down, we will no longer release weekly scouting reports. Instead, we will report sweet corn trap counts and pest alerts as they arise. Upcoming events: Save the Date! Soil Health Workshop for Vegetable Growers Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 9:30 am – 2:30 pm Whallonsburg Grange (1610 Route 22, Read More…

All/multiple crops: Intense heat, sun, and humidity this week are certainly a break from all the rain we’ve had this season. We hope that this stretch of weather will promote ripening in crops where development was delayed due to cooler weather earlier this summer.  Alliums:  Leek moth damage from caterpillar offspring of the third flight Read More…

Alliums:  Embellesia skin blotch of garlic has been a common sight this season. Common symptoms are dark discoloration of wrapper leaves and, occasionally, the center scape. The disease is widespread and affected bulbs can be saved for seed and sold so long as the lesions are superficial. Garlic cloves can be surface sanitized by submerging Read More…

All/multiple crops: Wet conditions in many parts of the ENY region continue to create conditions favorable to disease. Electronic Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, such as the commonly used Square app, present farmers market vendors with an opportunity to gather data and learn from customer shopping habits. In turn, this data can be analyzed to reveal growth Read More…

  All/multiple crops: Rainy conditions continue to cause problems around the region, including delayed ripening, increased disease pressure, poor weed control, and inability to get into fields to plant fall crops.  Alliums:  Rainy conditions are favoring foliar disease in alliums, including purple blotch and likely Stemphylium in the north. Bacterial bulb rots are common this Read More…