The Hort Society also serves as a forum for industry ad hoc committees like the Apple Variety Committee. The members of this committee are vitally interested in the development and promotion of new varieties of apples adapted to NY State. This leads to collaboration with the Apple Breeding Program at the Geneva Experiment Station of Cornell University. The NYSHS is also the leader of an effort for an improved and revitalized Cornell Cooperative Extension Program for all the major fruit regions of the State.

As more of a fruit grower's income became determined by what happened off the farm, the Hort Society became more involved in "public affairs". This involves working with government and legislators at both the State and National level. Much of this is done at the State level in collaboration with the New York Farm Bureau. The Hort Society is also one of the leading members of the Council of Agricultural Organizations (CAO), which is an association of 25 New York farm organizations who work together to determine and carry out programs beneficial to NY agriculture. At the national level the NYSHS works in collaboration with the US Apple Association, which represents all the apple growers of the country. It also cooperates with other organizations such as the National Grape Growers Coop., which represents the majority of juice grape growers across the country.

No one knows what the next 150 years will bring for the New York State fruit industry in this fast changing world, but the New York State Horticultural Society stands ready to serve the needs of the industry, whatever they may be.