SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Without a viable labor force agriculture as we know it may cease to exist. The Labor session at the 2017 Empire State Producers Expo on January 18 has been developed to encourage conversation about the labor sources that we have and what information and services are available to farmers seeking farm labor.

Mary Jo Dudley, Director of the Cornell Farmworker Program, will be giving an overview of a collaborative project between Cornell, farmers and their workers, to develop culturally appropriate training tools that can bridge differences between cultures and strengthen the workforce. In addition, Laura Cardoso and Belen Ledzema, agriculture labor specialists for the NYS Department of Labor, will give an introduction to the NYS Department of Labor Employment Services and programs they have in place for agriculture producers. Topics will include the H-2A Program, recruiting assistance and referrals to the NYS Career Centers, supplementing your labor, and time available to answer any questions related to agricultural labor in New York State.

This Expo session was organized by Megan Burley, CCE Erie County.

Labor Session
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
1:15 pm – 2:30 pm

The 2017 Empire State Producers Expo is January 17-19 at the OnCenter Convention Center in Syracuse, NY. This annual show combines the major fruit, flower, vegetable, and direct marketing associations of New York State in order to provide a comprehensive trade show and educational conference for New York and neighboring producers. Attendees can expect presentations by Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel and highly regarded speakers from across the country. Panel discussions feature some of the top industry experts and growers in New York. Between educational sessions, attendees can visit the trade show featuring over 150 commercial vendors and non-profit exhibitors.

Educational sessions offered at the 2017 Empire State Producers Expo include commodity specific programs in berries, cabbage, processing vegetables, hops, grains, cut flowers, tree fruit, sweet corn, tomato, onion, potato, Cole crops, root crops and specialty crops; and focused programs in water management and irrigation, weed management, wildlife management, soil health, post-harvest handling, biopesticides, beginning farmer, marketing using social media and apps, transplant and greenhouse production, climate and forecast models, GAPS, labor, and hard cider production. DEC pesticide recertification credits and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits will be offered during the appropriate educational sessions.

For more information about the Expo and to register, visit the NYS Vegetable Growers Association website at nysvga.org/expo.

—Cornell Cooperative Extension

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