August 17, 2020

GDD update 8.14.20

What a lovely day!  Need to sneak out and appreciate it soon.

 

Another question for you all!  We are about to put together a committee looking at Best Management Practices for Agritourism in the time of COVID.  I have some ideas of the things you do that count as Agritourism or Agritainment with fall crops and with Christmas trees but I want to have as complete a list as I can so we have recommendations for them all.  Can you send a list of what you do or where people tend to congregate?  Here are some things I thought of –  wagon rides, fire pits or warming areas like barns, candy canes and cookies/cocoa, corn mazes (the maze itself and the entrance/exit area), pumpkins in fields, check in/out areas where you pay for trees or pumpkins, haybale piles or ‘castles’, animal petting, face painting, haunted houses, Santa visits, Christmas cutouts, playground equipment, entertainment events.  I’m sure I have forgotten some….

 

GDD                       Aug 14                  Aug 19

Champlain           1797                      1892

Geneva                 1934                      2035

Riverhead            2367                      2482

 

Anyone noticing more bagworms than usual?  The CCE offices in the southeast part of the state are reporting more.  And on Long Island, the hurricane blew some off the trees!

 

A blog post on bagworms from CCE Orange County – https://blogs.cornell.edu/master-gardeners-cce-oc/2020/06/15/pest-watch-update-bagworms/  And a bagworm forecast system – too late for this year – https://www.usanpn.org/data/forecasts/Bagworm(notice that the GDD is on the same basis we use – Base temp of 50F and starting March 1)

 

Spruce spider mite – the second time around – GDD 2375-2806

 

That’s it for this week.   Have a great week coming up!

August 17, 2020

NYS Announces Confirmed Finding of Spotted lanternfly on Staten Island 8.14.20

This is an FYI to keep a sharp eye out for Spotted lanternfly in other areas of NYS.  Not a pest of greenhouses that we know of but it will lay eggs on Christmas trees.

 

Photos of all the stages at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly

What to do if you think you find a spotted lanternfly?  There’s a new reporting form here https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63 And an excellent IPM blog post with  lots of SLF information at https://blogs.cornell.edu/nysipm/

Betsy

 

 

Contact:

Jola Szubielski, AGM | Jola.Szubielski@agriculture.ny.gov | 518-457-0752
Lori Severino, DEC | lori.severino@dec.ny.gov I 518-402-8000

Dan Keefe, Parks I News@parks.ny.gov I 518-486-1868

 

For Immediate Release:  August 14, 2020

 

NEW YORK STATE ANNOUNCES CONFIRMED FINDING OF SPOTTED LANTERNFLY ON STATEN ISLAND

 

State Agencies Encourage Public to Report Findings of Invasive Pest

 

The New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets (AGM), Environmental Conservation (DEC), and Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today confirmed that Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), an invasive pest from Asia, has been found on Staten Island.  Several live, adult insects were discovered by OPRHP staff in Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve.  SLF (see photo below) is a destructive pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species, including tree-of-heaven, and plants and crops that are critical to New York’s agricultural economy, such as maple trees, apple trees, grapevine, and hops.

 

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The Department is working closely with its partners at the Department of Environmental Conservation, the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to mitigate the impacts of this destructive pest, which can weaken plants and have a devastating impact on agriculture.  While this find on Staten Island is concerning, New York State has taken strong actions to combat the establishment of SLF since 2017.  We will continue our work to survey and inspect high-risk areas and implement targeted management plans.  We also urge the public to be vigilant and report any suspected sightings of SLF to help slow the spread of this invasive.”

 

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “Since Spotted Lanternfly was first discovered in neighboring states, DEC has worked aggressively with the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, USDA and other partners to educate New Yorkers and take steps to prevent this invasive species from establishing itself in New York State. This invasive pest has the potential to severely impact and stress New York’s forests, agricultural crops, and tourism industries. The first live find on Staten Island is concerning, but our goal remains to find Spotted Lanternfly early and prevent it from further entering New York State and limiting any serious threats to our natural resources.”

 

State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said, “Spotted Lanternfly poses a troubling threat to the environment and agriculture of New York State but also to the quality of recreational opportunities and experiences we offer in our State Parks and public lands. I applaud our Parks’ environmental stewardship staff for identifying this pest, so New York State can quickly begin taking steps to slow its spread. Park visitors across the state can help in identifying and reporting this destructive pest, and I urge them to familiarize themselves with its signs.”

 

Following the finding by OPRHP, AGM, working with DEC, OPRHP, and the USDA, immediately began extensive surveys throughout the area.  Crews will continue to survey areas on Staten Island, develop management plans to slow SLF’s spread, and minimize the damage and impact from this invasive species.  AGM urges New Yorkers to report potential sightings using the web reporting tool found here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63

 

SLF feedings can stress plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. SLF also excretes large amounts of sticky “honeydew,” which attracts sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants, and impacting forest health. SLF also has the potential to significantly hinder quality of life and recreational activities due to the honeydew and the swarms of insects it attracts.

 

First discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, SLF has since been found in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia. Given the proximity to the Pennsylvania and New Jersey infestations, New York State is at high risk for infestation.

 

Since 2017, AGM, DEC, and OPRHP have taken an aggressive approach to keeping SLF from establishing in New York State, conducting surveys of high-risk areas across the State; inspecting nursery stock, stone shipments, and commercial transports from quarantine areas; and launching a comprehensive education and outreach campaign to enlist the public’s help in reporting SLF.

 

While these insects can jump and fly short distances, they spread primarily through human activity. SLF can lay their eggs on any number of surfaces, such as vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture, and firewood. Adult SLF can hitch rides in vehicles, on any outdoor item, or cling to clothing or hats, and be easily transported into and throughout New York.

 

The public is encouraged to thoroughly inspect vehicles, luggage and gear, and all outdoor items for egg masses and adult SLF before leaving areas with SLF, particularly in the counties of states in the quarantine area—Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia.   If SLF adults are found, residents should remove them and scrape off all egg masses.

 

Residents can also help by allowing surveyors access to properties where SLF may be present.  Surveyors will be uniformed and will always provide identification.

 

Identifying SLF

Adult SLF are active from July to December. They are approximately one-inch long and half an inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings. Adults begin laying eggs in September. Signs of an SLF infestation may include:

 

  • Sap oozing or weeping from open wounds on tree trunks, which appear wet and give off fermented odors.

 

  • One-inch-long egg masses that are brownish-gray, waxy and mud-like when new. Old egg masses are brown and scaly.

 

  • Massive honeydew build-up under plants, sometimes with black sooty mold developing.

 

For more information on Spotted Lanternfly, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/spottedlanternfly.

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

 

August 12, 2020

More info on the CFAP for nursery crops and cut flowers 8.12.20

Thanks to questions from some list members, I went looking for more information.

 

Specific information is at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap/nursery

 

Here are the definitions that this program is using – slightly different from what I sent before:

  • Nursery crops means decorative or non-decorative plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale.
  • Cut flowers includes cut flowers and cut greenery from annual and perennial flowering plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale.

Nursery crop and cut flower producers can begin submitting CFAP applications the week of August 17.

There are 2 types of losses considered.  Also note the dates.

  1. CARES Act Payments: For nursery crop and cut flower inventory that was shipped but subsequently spoiled or is unpaid due to loss of marketing channels between January 15, 2020, and April 15, 2020, the wholesale value of the inventory that was shipped that spoiled or is unpaid, multiplied by 15.55 percent; and
  2. CCC Payments: For nursery crop and cut flower inventory that did not leave the farm between January 15, 2020, and April 15, 2020, due to a complete loss of marketing channel, the wholesale value of the inventory ready for sale that did not leave the farm by April 15, 2020, and that will not be sold due to lack of markets, multiplied by 13.45 percent.

Nursery crop and cut flower inventory that may be sold after April 15, 2020, is not eligible for CFAP.

Betsy

 

August 12, 2020

Nursery crops and cut flowers now eligible for CFAP payments – Deadline Sept 11, 2020 – 8.12.20

Did you have losses this spring?  The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program has expanded the crops it covers – and in part that is because you sent in information on losses you had.

 

USDA definition of Nursery Crop:

Nursery production involves growing plants under intensive management for use in another location. Nurseries are defined in a variety of ways: a)the type of plant grown, such as fruit tree, turf or Christmas tree nurseries; b)the function of the nursery, such as production, wholesale, retail, mail-order or landscape nurseries; and c)the production system, such as field-grown or container-grown.

 

Let me know if you need additional information!  Links and phone numbers below.

 

Betsy

 

USDA Announces More Specialty Crops, Nursery Crops, Cut Flowers Eligible for CFAP Payments

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that additional specialty crops, including nursery crops and cut flowers, are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and that the deadline to apply for the program is extended to September 11th. Additionally, producers with approved applications will receive their final payment. The full news release is available at https://www.ams.usda.gov/press-release/usda-announces-more-eligible-commodities-cfap.

USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22, 2020. The following commodities are now eligible for CFAP:

  • Specialty Crops – aloe leaves, bananas, batatas, bok choy, carambola (star fruit), cherimoya, chervil (french parsley), citron, curry leaves, daikon, dates, dill, donqua (winter melon), dragon fruit (red pitaya), endive, escarole, filberts, frisee, horseradish, kohlrabi, kumquats, leeks, mamey sapote, maple sap (for maple syrup), mesculin mix, microgreens, nectarines, parsley, persimmons, plantains, pomegranates, pummelos, pumpkins, rutabagas, shallots, tangelos, turnips/celeriac, turmeric, upland/winter cress, water cress, yautia/malanga, and yuca/cassava.
  • Nursery Crops and Flowers – nursery crops and cut flowers.

Other changes to CFAP include:

  • Seven commodities – onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spearmint, walnuts and watermelons – are now eligible for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act funding for sales losses. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for payments on marketing adjustments.
  • Correcting payment rates for onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spearmint, walnuts, and watermelons.

Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availabilityand Final Rule Correction and at www.farmers.gov/cfap/specialty.

Producers Who Have Applied:

To ensure availability of funding, producers with approved applications initially received 80 percent of their payments. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will automatically issue the remaining 20 percent of the calculated payment to eligible producers. Going forward, producers who apply for CFAP will receive 100 percent of their total payment, not to exceed the payment limit, when their applications are approved.

Applying for CFAP:

Producers, especially those who have not worked with FSA previously, are recommended to call 877-508-8364 to begin the application process. An FSA staff member can help producers start their application during the phone call.

On farmers.gov/cfap, producers can:

  • Download the AD-3114 application form and manually complete the form to submit to their local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to their local office or office drop box.
  • Complete the application form using the CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center.
  • If producers have login credentials known as eAuthentication, they can use the online CFAP Application Portal to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center.

All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file.

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Program delivery staff will be in the office and will work with producers in the office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

 

August 12, 2020

GDD update 8.7.20

Back on schedule!  For a week at least….. Off to look for sweet corn and waiting for NYS peaches (as a peach breeder’s daughter I think I should support the local crop!)

 

Were you in the heavy rain zone?  Very localized but the Hudson Valley got whomped.   Northern NY really needed it, but coming all at once isn’t good.  http://blogs.cornell.edu/nysipm/2020/08/05/isaias-dumps-rain-in-eastern-and-northern-new-york/

 

GDD                                       8.7.20                                    8.12.20

Champlain                           1627                                      1756

Geneva                                 1763                                      1890

Riverhead                            2156                                      2286

 

Michigan has a GDD list, too. They note:

 

Zimmerman pine moth adult flight  – GDD 1700

Arborvitae leaf miner 3rd generation – GDD 1700-2100

 

Nothing to add from my list.  Is that good or bad?  I hear the heat is coming back….

August 12, 2020

Not really IPM update 8.7.20

Not as much fun as disease poetry but hopefully of use…

 

What if you need a loan and your PPP is almost up?  An article in Forbes – https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaredhecht/2020/07/24/your-ppp-loan-is-almost-up-whats-next/#410c98b916e4

 

Flexibility – deadlines, interest accrual – in crop insurance: https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus – Scroll down to Crop Insurance Flexibilities

 

Producing in an urban area?  Cornell Small Farms Program is one of the partners in a survey on Urban Agriculture – https://udc.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3t0bgrmjwRG0WTH

Surveys always help us serve you better.

 

Are there things you can learn from dealing with the pandemic that will make your business stronger even in ‘normal’ times or a different type of challenge?  That’s the concept of building resilience and Cornell Small Farms has quite a few resources on building resilience at https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/resources/farm-resilience/

 

Have a great week!