Bittner-Singer Orchards, a 400-acre farm in Niagara County along the shores of Lake Ontario, has been growing fruit for over a century.
Bittner-Singer Orchards, a 400-acre farm in Niagara County along the shores of Lake Ontario, has been growing fruit for over a century. But what looks like your average orchard is also a site of cutting-edge Cornell research.
The orchard is owned by Jim Bittner ’80, a first-generation farmer who works closely with Cornell researchers who visit the farm weekly and collaborate with him on testing new varieties, integrated pest management, weather modeling, water potential and more.
With so much commercial attention on row crops, Bittner said he and other fruit and vegetable farmers depend on university-led research for everything from combatting pests and disease to designing their farms for optimal yields and crop health.
Read More: Cornell University
Jim Bittner ’80 owns Bittner-Singer Orchards, a 400-acre farm in Niagara County along the shores of Lake Ontario (Photo Credit: Jacob Pucci)
