The Science of Cheese Making (Basic Level) and Vat Pasteurization Workshop

October 23 - October 24, 2018


This workshop is designed for cheese manufacturers or others interested in the basic concepts of cheese making and is a required part of the Dairy Extension Basic Cheese Making Certificate Program. The course may also be taken as a stand-alone Basic Cheese Making training. The course begins with an online lecture component covering the key areas related to vat pasteurization and basic cheese making techniques, cheese culture basics, milk defects, cheese defects and cheese marketing. The course will also include 2 days of hands-on pasteurization and cheese making activities.

Learning Outcomes:

• Foodborne pathogens resulting from unpasteurized milk
• Components of vat pasteurization
• Thermometer requirements
• Chart recorders and chart requirements
• Milk quality which impacts cheese making
• Cheese culture and chemistry and microbiology
• Cheese-making unit operations and techniques and hands-on cheese making
• Cheese marketing for small scale producers & key performance indicators for large scale producers

Registrants can sign up for Vat Pasteurization (online lectures and 1/2 day on campus), The Science of Cheese Making (online lectures and 1 1/2 days on campus), or the combination class Vat Pasteurization AND The Science of Cheese Making (online lectures and 2 days on campus - required for The Science of Cheese Making Certificate). Costs vary depending on selection.

The course is limited to the first 20 registrants.

2025 Agroforestry Field Day Series -- Agroforestry Implementation and Management

October 23, 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Highland, NY

Interested in incorporating agroforestry practices into your farm? Join us for a series of workshops co-hosted by CCE Ulster, Orange, and Harvest NY with Mastwood Farms, Black Creek Farm and Nursery and Scenic Hudson. 

On October 23, we'll return to Erik Schellenberg's farm, Black Creek Farm and Nursery, for a Fall tour of their agroforestry plantings. Erik will talk about harvesting and managing plantings while we see some seasonal crops and installations of different ages and types. There will be time for questions and discussion as we wrap up the series. covered.

Soil Health 101 for Community Gardens -- A Bilingual Workshop

October 24, 2025
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Staten Island, NY

Join Urban Agriculture Specialists, Karen Guzman and Yolanda Gonzalez, as they discuss the importance of soil health and testing your soil as you prepare for the incoming growing season. They will go into strategies for best practices when it comes to soil health management and highlight the current soil testing program through NYSDAM and CCE. This workshop will be in both Spanish and English.

Biochar 101 for Community Gardens (Upper Manhattan)

October 25, 2025
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Upper Manhattan, NY

Join Karen Guzman and Dr. Rebecca Nelson of Cornell University, Bill Hilgendorf of White Feather Farm, and the NYRP Urban Ag team for a deep dive into biochar as a tool for waste management, carbon storage, and soil health in a community garden context. During this hands-on workshop, participants will have the chance to make biochar using garden waste and learn about best practices when applying it to a garden bed. Workshop attendees will all receive a small amount of biochar to take back to their garden.

Space is limited. Pre-registration required.

New Produce Auctions in NYS!

With the opening of the new Augusta Produce Auction on August 19th, New York State now has 11 produce auctions! See the new map of produce auction locations across the state and contact information.

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.