2021 Virtual Empire State Producers Expo

NYS growers to gain Cornell expertise at Virtual Empire State Producers Expo

Despite the pandemic, New York state fruit and vegetable growers will have access to expert educational resources spanning many different agricultural topics at the upcoming Empire State Producers Expo from Jan. 12-15.  All sessions will be virtual on Zoom, which will allow attendees to view the presentations from the comfort and safety of their own homes.  The event will feature educational sessions led by regional and national experts from Cornell University and beyond.

“Our Expo organizers really stepped up this year in terms of sessions and topics”, explained Expo organizer Steve Reiners, Professor and Chair in the Horticulture section at Cornell. In addition to traditional sessions focused on commodities like berries, sweet corn, snap beans, onions and hemp, there will be sessions on high tunnels, soil health and greenhouse crops. This year the Expo will offer six sessions focused on IPM for vine crops and cole crops. Also new are two sessions aimed at the latest in weed control techniques along with a session focused solely on white mold disease. 

Obviously, a virtual experience can’t match the excitement of in-person meeting.  But the quality and quantity of educational resources has been maintained.  “With speakers unable to travel, it has given us the ability to bring in experts from around the country, who can share their expertise,” said Reiners.  “In some cases, we have speakers that we have tried to get for years but were unavailable as they could not commit to the travel.  This year we have them.”

Access to this year's Empire State Producers Expo can be gained by registering online at http://nysvga.org/expo/information/ .

The Empire State Producers Expo is sponsored by the New York State Vegetable Growers Association, Inc. (NYSVGA). Founded in 1911, the association is one of the oldest agricultural organizations in New York State. NYSVGA serves commercial fresh market, storage and processing vegetable growers. It is guided by a fifteen member Board of Directors who represent the major commodities produced throughout New York State.