Join in with other garden lovers!
Two virtual half days: Tuesday, April 27, and Wednesday, April 28, 2021. REGISTER TODAY. Registration closes April 21
Open to the public via Zoom. Registered participants will receive a USB flash-drive containing all resources mentioned during the conference upon completing an evaluation after the meeting.
DAY TWO: WELCOME MESSAGE- Alejandro Calixto, Director of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program. Alejandro’s extension and outreach efforts focus on developing decision-support systems for selected pests in production agriculture. These efforts rely on web based Information Technology to process large amounts of information (simulations, statistical and mathematical models) to deliver knowledge for use by producers. The decision support systems are useful to producers as they are able to decide if and when to take management actions for selected pests. The systems provide a decision window that recommends treating for that pest only when needed, thus reducing the risks on the environment and humans, as well the costs associated for managing these pests.
Conference Session 5 – Scouting, Monitoring – How to ID Insect and Disease Pests – Marion Zuefle, Vegetable IPM Educator, NYSIPM Program. Marion’s work includes the sweet corn pheromone trap network, predicting weed germination, developing degree-day models, updating and improving the IPM website for vegetables, and the expanding hemp crop across New York.
Conference Session 6 – Watering, Weather, Irrigation and Weather Stations – Dan Olmstead, NYSIPM Program. Dan develops real-time insect pest and plant disease risk assessment models and tools throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper-Midwest United States. Dan is responsible for management of the NEWA open-access online decision aide system at newa.cornell.edu.
Virtual Table x 2: Cornell-based Learning: Using Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Online Resources, and… Permaculture Design Resources- Ashley Helmholdt. Extension Associate, School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section, and she is the Adult Program Leader for Cornell Garden-Based Learning. She has a background in local government sustainability, urban planning and environmental education, and has a particular passion for community gardening and urban food forest design that promotes environmental services and public health. Ashley will be discussing the extensive resources available through Cornell Garden-Based Learning for the Master Gardener Volunteer program, as well as our Distance Learning Permaculture Courses.
Conference Session 7: Weeding Smarter, Not Harder – Bryan Brown, Integrated Weed Specialist, NYSIPM Program. Bryan works with growers, extension educators, industry leaders, and researchers to address knowledge gaps in weed IPM and develop programming to improve adoption of effective weed management practices. His work covers all agricultural crops throughout New York.
Conference Session 8: Beneficial Bug Basics – Amara Dunn, Biocontrol Specialist, NYSIPM Program. Amara’s goal is to support the effective use of biological control across New York by identifying and filling knowledge gaps, and helping stakeholders implement biocontrol solutions to pest problems as part of an integrated management strategy. This includes sharing information through digital or print resources and in-person presentations, and conducting demonstrations and efficacy trials for biocontrol pest solutions. She works with stakeholders in all agricultural crops and commodities, as well as community settings (where people live, work, play, and learn). You can learn more about her ongoing projects and how to use biocontrol effectively by visiting her blog, Biocontrol Bytes.
Virtual Table: Paying for Home Gardening Installations? – Leigh McGonagle, CNLP/Owner and Designer at Poplar Point Studio. Leigh is the owner of Poplar Point Studio, a landscape design & fine gardening company outside of Ithaca, NY. As a graduate of the Cornell Landscape Architecture program, she was inspired to focus on residential design and horticulture in her practice. Her team strives to be good stewards of all the properties they maintain, and integrates IPM strategies when possible.
Conference Session #9: Non-Traditional Gardening: Urban Settings, Imported Soils, and Container Options – Yolanda Gonzalez, Urban Agriculture Specialist, CCE Harvest New York. Yolanda Gonzalez is an Urban Agriculture Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension. She holds a dual degree in Master of Science in Environmental and Community Land Planning from SUNY ESF and Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish Literature from SUNY Geneseo. Yolanda’s most recent experience as an Excelsior Fellow at the NYS Office of General Services in the Organizational and Workforce Development Unit has given her process improvement skills that will help urban growers maximize efficiency and profitability in limited spaces. Her background is mostly in small-scale production, working on a number of small farms in Maine, Pennsylvania, and Long Island.
And thank you to our Cornell Collaborators for their assistance in holding this year’s IPM Conference: Gemma Osbourne, Kim Paul, Elizabeth Lamb, Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, Mary McKeller, Jen Lerner, Karen J English, Debra Marvin, Amanda Grace.