2024 Cornell High-Cannabinoid Hemp Cannabis sativa Field Day

September 13, 2024


Join us for a full day of learning and discussion, connecting and having fun! The Cornell Cannabis sativa L. (Hemp) Field Day features interactive workshops, demonstrations, and panel discussions on the latest industry advancements for New York growers and other stakeholders. Topics include:

• economics and good manufacturing practices
• controlled environment agriculture
• soil health and composting
• disease management and tissue culture
• post-harvest, drying, and curing
• USDA field updates
• NYS Office of Cannabis Management fireside chat

DEC credits available. Peer-based learning encouraged! Field Day will happen rain or shine. Be prepared for the weather and outdoor walking. No consumption of cannabis products on campus.

COST: $35 per person, includes lunch.

REGISTRATION: Pre-registration requested by Monday, September 9, 2024. REGISTER online! Registrations also accepted at the door but lunch cannot be guaranteed.

8:30 am Welcome and overview of the day (presentation) -- Daniela Vergara, Emerging Crops Specialist, CCE Harvest NY

8:55 KEYNOTE address: Light Quantity and Quality Impacts on High-Cannabinoid Cannabis sativa in CEA Production (presentation) -- Neil Mattson, Professor, School of Integrated Plant Science Horticulture Section, Cornell

9:40 Introduction to Cannabis Tissue Culture and Micropropogation (handout) (presentation) -- Kevin Hernandez and Corbin Lay, Master's of Professional Studies (MPS) students, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell

10:05 Food Safety Regulatory Requirements: Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) (handout) (presentation) -- Beth Demmings, Program Coordinator, Institute for Food Safety, Cornell

10:30 Break

10:50 Economics of High Cannabinoid Cannabis sativa Cultivation in NYS, 2024 (handout) -- John Hanchar, Farm Business Management Specialist, CCE NWNY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops

11:15 CBD Flowers Postharvest Drying and Curing (handout) (presentation) -- Yousoon Baek, Lecturer, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell, and Chang Chen, Assistant Professor, Food Science, Cornell AgriTech

11:40  Panel Discussion: CBD cultivation, regulations, processing, market, supply, and demand --

• Ashley Baron, Snowbelt Cannabis
  
• Sylvia Bengochea, Sylvia's Salud
  
• Glenna Colaprete, Glenna's CBD
  
• Melissa Gibson, Hemp and Humanity
  
• Patrick Weinert, Jane's Garden

12:30 pm Meet the sponsors

12:50 Lunch and networking

Outdoor Afternoon Sessions

Three sessions offered (2 concurrent). Choose Session 1 or Session 2, and then all attend Session 3.

Session 1

Held at McCarthy Field 1

4:20 - 5:50 pm at Jordan Auditorium

This event is sponsored by LPC Naturals - Prime Superior, Tap Root Fields, New York Farm Bureau, Cirona Labs, Rimol Greenhouses, Crystal Creek Organics, IPM Labs, Bristol Extracts, Cannabis Farmers Alliance

How to Grow Edible Mushrooms on Logs

April 12, 2025
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Upper Manhattan, NY

Join Cornell's network of Community Mushroom Educators and the NYRP Urban Ag team to learn how to grow Shiitake mushrooms on logs. This hands-on workshop will include plenty of opportunity to practice drilling and filling logs with shiitake mushroom spawn. In addition to experiential learning, we'll explore the benefits of mushroom cultivation and tour the NYRP log yard, discussing best practices for maintaining a successful outdoor mushroom-growing system.

NOTE: THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. Waitlist registrations being accepted.

Compost Café: BioChar

April 16, 2025
12:00 noon EDT

At this virtual event, Karen Guzman, Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist, will discuss biochar in urban agriculture. Hear about the the history of biochar, explore some of its environmental benefits, and learn how this innovative solution can transform urban growing spaces. Learn how biochar can be used to creatively manage organic waste and enhance sustainability in your own community. 

Community Gardens Soil Testing Program Accepting Applications

Soil testing supports the growth and expansion of community gardens by protecting the health and safety of the food produced in these gardens. CCE Harvest NY, in partnership with the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets (AGM) and the Cornell Soil Health Lab, is offering eligible, food-producing gardens in New York State the opportunity to send soil samples for testing without charge.

The soil test will analyze samples for heavy metals and nutrient levels. Test results help gardeners make appropriate plans to produce high quality fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Technical support and education for participating growers will be provided by the CCE Harvest New York team. Learn more about the 2025 Community Gardens Soil Testing Program.

New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series

Cornell Cooperative Extension has partnered with dozens of urban farms across New York State to demonstrate and evaluate sustainable pest management strategies. Together with farmers, we found success using control methods that prevent or reduce crop losses through exclusion strategies, crop timing, host resistance, the introduction of beneficial organisms, and more. Regardless of management strategy used, common requirements for success include a knowledge of the pest and disease complex, preventative deployment and commitment to the process. The New York Urban Farms Sustainable Pest Management Fact Sheet Series includes case studies highlighting pest management techniques that New York urban farms have found valuable.

NYS Urban Growers Pest Management Needs Assessment

As part of a multi-year project exploring non-spray pest management options that are economically and environmentally sustainable for urban farms, we conducted a needs assessment with urban growers across New York State. The New York State Urban Growers Pest Management Needs Assessment presents findings on current pest management practices, challenges, and topics of future interest.