resources for growers

Apply to take part in FreshConnect CSA for SNAP Grant Program

–By New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced that New York organizations may now apply for the latest round of the FreshConnect CSA for SNAP program. This program will help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants in New York gain increased access to weekly shares of fresh, locally grown produce through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives by covering up to half the cost for recipients, while encouraging purchase of local product that supports New York’s farmers and producers. FreshConnect CSA for SNAP is one component of Governor Kathy Hochul’s goal to boost demand for New York agricultural products, bolster New York’s food supply chain, and ensure all New Yorkers have access to fresh, local foods.

Commissioner Ball said, “All New Yorkers deserve access to fresh, nutritious foods, grown right here in New York State. The FreshConnect CSA for SNAP program is a great example of connecting the dots between our farmers and our consumers, helping to ensure that New Yorkers using SNAP can access CSA shares full of delicious locally grown produce. This program feeds our families and supports our farmers, and I encourage eligible organizations to consider applying.”

The FreshConnect CSA for SNAP program helps SNAP participants working with awarded organizations better access CSA shares. Funding provided to eligible applicants, such as not-for-profit organizations, Indian tribal organizations, public educational institutions, and local or municipal governments will partially subsidize the cost of weekly CSA shares sold to SNAP participants, lowering the cost to consumers while still purchasing the food from the farmer at full price. Up to 50% of the cost of a weekly share purchased by a SNAP recipient with their SNAP benefits may be paid by awarded organizations through this program.

Awards for this opportunity will be made on a rolling basis until funds are depleted. A total of $250,000 in funding is available through this Request for Applications. Applications may request a minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $50,000 for the project to be considered.

Applications must be submitted by 3:00 pm on July 22, 2025. To provide an overview of the program for potential applicants, a webinar was held on March 18, 2025. A recording of the webinar is available at meetny-gov.webex.com/meetny-gov/ldr.php?RCID=355d6897dfbdedfc540bc9b2972269f7.

Learn more at agriculture.ny.gov/rfa-0367-freshconnect-csa-snap-program-2025.

Download Your Agritourism Checklists to Help Manage Liability for On-Farm Visits

By Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Agritourism can be a fun and rewarding experience for landowners. With some careful planning and foresight, agritourism can provide supplemental revenue to a farm or become its main source of revenue.

Whatever your plans may be, make sure to do your homework. The excitement of a new idea or a new enterprise should not take the place of careful planning.

Kendra Meyer, a program specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Farm, Food and Enterprise Development program, recently published two fact sheets that help guide owners of agritourism enterprises through critical decisions that must be made.

“Getting Started in Agritourism” is a three-page checklist that covers basic considerations such as legal issues, food regulations, visitor accommodations, farm emergency preparedness, biosecurity, pesticide safety, public play area safety, employee management and marketing practices.

“Iowa Agritourism Business Start-up and Licensing Guide” is a two-page checklist that covers the legal and regulatory requirements of starting and licensing a business in Iowa.

[Editor’s note: although these guidelines were developed with Iowa businesses in mind, they still have helpful information for agritourism operations in all states.]

“These checklists help agritourism destination owners and workers take a look at simple but important tasks when creating or reviewing an enterprise,” said Meyer. “It is critical for the business and its success to make sure liability and regulatory requirements are met.”

Both documents are focused on risk management, according to Meyer, and are intended to simplify the process. Both also contain hyperlinks to state and federal entities involved with agritourism.

Meyer formed the checklists in response to comments shared from participating farmers, as well as the agritourism bus tours held the last two summers. The tour, as well as the checklists, are all part of a grant she received from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

Both publications are available for free on the ISU Extension Store. For more information, Meyer can be reached at ksmeyer@iastate.edu or 515-294-9483.

Discoloration in blueberry leaves: what does it mean?

Photo by Western Arctic National Parklands, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Adapted from Cornell’s Berry Diagnostic Tool

 

If you’ve noticed unusual colors, mottling, or spots on your blueberry leaves, chances are the plant is suffering from one of these common issues or pathogens.

 

Pale green leaves

This may indicate a nitrogen deficiency, which is common in blueberries. The uniform light coloring may be accompanied by a reduction in shoot growth, number of new canes, and yield. Nitrogen-deficient leaves may develop early fall color and drop.

 

Yellow leaves

If the yellow is interveinal, and there isn’t browning, this indicates iron deficiency. It begins in young leaves, and caused by high soil pH (greater than 5.2), which results in the blueberry plant’s inability to use iron and subsequently produce chlorophyll.

 

Yellow leaves with browning

If the leaves show interveinal yellowing and browning, it may indicate cane death or dieback. If the canes are not dying, it may be related to herbicide injury, Botrytis stem and leaf blight, mummyberry shoot blight, potassium deficiency, overfertilization, or drought stress.

 

Splotchy yellow leaves, possibly accompanied by pink and pale green

This patchwork pattern is most often caused by ophiovirus. The leaves may appear crinkled, and the discoloration can vary from branch to branch.

 

Reddish-purple or maroon leaves

As a response to cooling temperatures, blueberry leaves turn maroon in the fall. But they may develop a reddish-purple color in the spring if the weather is cold. The discoloration usually disappears as the weather warms up. A darker purple hue is attributed to phosphorous deficiency, but this is rarely observed in the field, as blueberries have a low phosphorus requirement.

 

Red leaves

If the reddening is interveinal, suspect magnesium deficiency, which is common in acidic soils, or viral diseases like blueberry scorch and Sheep Pen Hill disease (SPHD). The latter are more common on the West Coast and in New Jersey, but are typically observed in the spring following blossom blight.

 

Red spots on the upper leaf surface

Red ringspot virus is the culprit when the leaves appear to have red spots on the upper surface and only on young shoots.

 

Purple-brown leaves and stems

Gleosporeum infection causes twig dieback and canker. The fungus can also cause necrotic lesions on leaves and succulent stems.

 

Purple-brown mottling, with crinkled leaves

Ringspot viruses, such as tomato ringspot and tobacco ringspot virus may cause crinkling, without obvious discoloration. Before suspecting a virus, confirm that other causes of leaf discoloration are not to blame. Viruses can only be definitively confirmed with a lab test.


Purple-brown at margins and unusually narrow

This “straplike” leaf shape, accompanied by purple-brown discoloration, usually means blueberry shoestring virus. Before suspecting a virus, confirm that other causes of leaf discoloration and deformation are not to blame. Viruses can only be definitively confirmed with a lab test.

 

Whitish leaves

More common on the undersides of leaves, powdery mildew can also form a whitish film on the tops. More commonly, it will cause red or brown spots on the upper surface.

 

For more information and photos of each of these blueberry plant ailments, visit Cornell’s Berry Diagnostic Tool.

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2024 Empire State Expo Berry Session Presentations

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2024 Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for Berry Crops Now Available

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The Cornell Cooperative Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program (CCE-PSEP), part of the New York State IPM program, is pleased to announce the availability of the 2024 Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for Berry Crops.

Written by Cornell University specialists, this publication is designed to offer producers, horticultural and chemical dealers, and crop consultants practical information on growing and managing berry crops in New York State. In addition to providing updated pesticide options for 2024, topics include general culture, nutrient management, harvesting and handling guidelines, spray application technology information, and ways to manage common berry crop pest concerns. A preview of the Berry Crops Guidelines can be seen online here.

Cornell Crop and Pest Management Guidelines are available as a print copy, online-only access, or a package combining print and online access. The print edition of the 2024 Berry Crop Guideline costs $35 plus shipping. Online-only access is $35. A combination of print and online access costs $49.00 plus shipping costs for the printed book.

Cornell Guidelines can be obtained through your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or from the Cornell Store at Cornell University. To order from the Cornell Store, call (844) 688-7620 or order online here.

Have You Renovated Your Strawberries?

How to renovate strawberries NY State Berry Growers Association

The early strawberry season has ended, and although we might have been a little disappointed with the size—Cornell researchers theorize that this was because of frost and a very dry spring—most of our member farms were satisfied with their crop yields, if not the profusion of SWD that came on strong after a brief delay.

If you grow June-bearing strawberries, crop renovation is an essential, yet often overlooked, task—especially with the population of SWD still. Remember to remove leftover fruit, which can be a breeding ground for the pest, cut back on mowing if the hot temperatures persist, and cover the crowns with ½ inch of soil.

For a step-by-step guide to renovating strawberries, visit the Cornell blog.

 

The Opioid Epidemic and Agriculture

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The truth about opioids in the United States is sobering: no corner of the country remains untouched by the epidemic. With access to prevention, treatment, and support services sorely lacking in rural areas, these regions are now surpassing cities in rates of death from opioid overdose. Suzanne Flaum, Gleaning Assistant for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County writes, “Recent reports show that those who work in occupations with higher rates of injury (farming, construction, roofing, etc.) where workers are less able to take time off to heal are more likely to medicate acute or chronic pain symptoms with opioids, leading to increased likelihood of addiction.”

The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union conducted a study in 2017. They found that 74 percent of farmers and farm workers report having been affected by opioid abuse, either by taking (and developing addictions to) these medications themselves, or by knowing someone who has dealt with an addiction. And only 38 percent of those people believe that local care would be effective, affordable, or covered by their health insurance.

If you, a friend, or family member is struggling with opioid use or addiction, CCE Orange County has collected these resources for finding necessary, life-saving help: