gardening
Dear Aggie
Tell me about the CCE Crop Congress Events!
It has been three years since Cornell Cooperative Extension hosted a Crop Congress event in the North County and the Tri-County Ag Team is excited to announce that the Crop Congress is back! The two events have been approved for 2.0 DEC pesticide applicator credits and 3.5 CEUs for certified crop advisors. The first will be held on January 28th, at the Canton Fire Station, 77 Riverside Dr in Canton, NY and the second event will be on January 29th at the Cartage Elks Lodge, 511 Fulton St. in Carthage, NY. Registration for these events is $25.00, includes lunch, and closes on January 26th. Attendees will be provided with cutting-edge research and field crop management strategies from experts at Cornell University. Joe Lawrence, the Dairy Forage Systems Management Specialist w/ Pro Dairy will be giving a timely presentation on Silage Management & Managing Forages after Drought Season. Dr. Quirine M. Ketterings, who leads the Nutrient Management Spear Program at Cornell, will be sharing research on the Value/Power of Manure and how manure applications can increase yields and reduce fertilizer inputs. Dr. Vipan Kumar, the Associate Professor/Extension Weed Specialist w/ School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University will be providing an Update on Integrated Weed Management in Field Crops and highlight strategies for corn and soybean pre- and post-emergence herbicide applications to help mitigate the increasing herbicide resistance occurring in important weed species in New York. Mike Hunter, the Field Crops IPM Coordinator w/ Cornell Integrated Pest Management, will be giving an Update on Insect Pests in Field Crops and cover scouting protocols and economic thresholds for important insect pests to help growers understand when applying insecticides will provide an economic return and avoid ineffective “revenge sprays”.
More About the Tri-County Ag Team
The CCE Tri-County Ag Team was launched in 2025 to respond to the needs of commercial agriculture producers and the larger agricultural community in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. They offer technical expertise in dairy management systems, farm business management and crop production, serving as a conduit of information between farmers in the region and Cornell University. Their goal is to provide resources and education through one-on-one consultation, group programming, applied research and demonstration, and serve as a resource to industry, community and governmental organizations.
The team consists of Colin Hostetter, the Farm Business Management Specialist, Frans Vokey, the Dairy Specialist, and Eric Antrim, the Crop and Soil Specialist. They are using a boot on the ground approach, visiting farms across the region and are actively involved in assisting producers improve farm business management strategies, promoting dairy herd health and encouraging practices that increase crop yields and soil health. This year they have helped farms complete Cornell Dairy Farm Business Summaries, improve the conditions of their dairy facilities and conduct on-farm research. If you would like assistance from the Tri-County Ag Team, please reach out to your county’s Cornell Cooperative Extension office to schedule a field visit.
Last updated January 20, 2026