April 2024 | Vol. 16 Issue 4

Agriculture Literacy Week Celebrated

New York State Assemblyman Phil Palmesano read the 2024 Agriculture Literacy book, I Love Strawberries by Shannon Anderson during New York Agricultural Literacy Week March 18-22, 2024 to a classroom of 2^nd graders. Along with reading the book, an activity on the sequence of the strawberry life cycle was completed.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County delivers the annual agriculture-themed book to Steuben County school and community libraries each year in celebration of New York agriculture.

Volunteers throughout the county, like Assemblyman Palmesano, read the book to elementary students, with a focus on second grade classrooms. The Bath & Corning Rotaries read to different classrooms along with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County Staff. The students were excited to have guests in the classroom to partake in the reading and activity.

In this year’s book it talks about how Jolie LOVES strawberries - and she’s on an unstoppable (and hilarious) mission to grow her own food from seedling to table in this colorful introduction to the joy of growing the popular perennial.

Through Jolie's comical scrapbook-style journal entries, young readers will learn how she convinces the "old people" (aka her parents) to let her grow her own strawberries. Growing strawberries is a lot of work and responsibility, but Jolie is ready with the help of her faithful rabbit Munchy! Together they find out just how delicious, rewarding, and sometimes complicated it can be to grow your own food.

Creating a garden calendar and notebook, how strawberries grow, what pests to look out for in a garden, why ladybugs are helpful, and how a good gardener takes care of strawberry plants are all explained in this fun and educational story.

New York Agriculture in the Classroom is a partnership between NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, NYS Education Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell University, and the New York Farm Bureau. They promote Agriculture Literacy Week to help elementary school children learn about the importance of agriculture in our daily lives and the significance of farming and farmworkers across all genre of agribusinesses.

Agricultural literacy is understanding and being able to communicate the source and value of agriculture and how it affects our daily lives. Over 20% of our nation’s workforce is in some way involved in food processing, marketing, distribution, and sales – and all of us eat. Over 50% of the land in Steuben County is considered agricultural as we are considered a leading county with more farms than most.

For more information about this program, call CCE Steuben at 607-664-2300 or visit PutKnowledgeToWork.org.

Volunteer Appreciation week is April 21st - 27th and we here at CCE have some AMAZING volunteers. If you are one of our AMAZING volunteers don't forget to RSVP and join us in celebrating you at our Volunteer Appreciation Night. As a volunteer you deserve to be recognized for all that you do.

Not a volunteer? Want to become a volunteer? Reach out and become one today. Make an impact and touch a life. Click the link below to learn more.

Visit our Website

RSVP Here

Join Our Team!

Learn More Here

Mark your calendars & tell your friends!

The 10th Southern Tier Women's Financial Conference is coming.

Support your local 4-H!

New Shirts Available to Order

Order By April 5th

The annual Animal Crackers program provides New York youth with fun, hands-on, science-oriented learning experiences on Animal Science topics. This workshop is for 4-H members interested in learning more about their favorite livestock, companion or pet animal species; emphasis on different species groupings and activities varies annually. Participants will learn about different aspects of animal care, interact and exchange information with faculty, staff, students, professional producers, industry experts, and more, utilizing the unique facilities of Cornell University. Hands-on workshops are planned for each species group.

If you are interested in attending contact Michelle at mlc353@cornell.edu

Click Here to Register

Gardening: Grow For It During National Garden Month in April

Spring is in the air! And nothing says springtime more than the sprouts and shoots of a garden. April is National Garden Month, a time to celebrate the joys of gardening and the many benefits it provides.

Gardening offers many physical and mental health benefits, such as lowering stress levels and boosting mood. Gardening can also provide a low-impact form of exercise, building strength and endurance.

In addition to its health benefits, gardening can also be a source of fresh, nutritious produce. Homegrown fruits and vegetables are often more flavorful and nutrient-dense than store-bought varieties, making them a terrific addition to any diet. Growing your own fruits and vegetables can increase intake and save money. And did you know SNAP funds cover seeds and fruit and vegetable plants?

Gardens can be large or small, depending on how much space you have available. In-ground gardens, raised bed gardens, and garden containers are all great options. Check out the tips below to grow your own container garden and/or indoor herbs!

Try these recipes made with easy to grow ingredients:

· Magenta Root Slaw

· Basil Pesto

· Grilled Vegetable Packets

What's Bugging You?

Join Live, on the first Friday of every month from Noon to 12:30 EST on Zoom.

Each month, experts will share practical information and answer questions on using integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. We’ll end with an IPM Minute and cover a specific action you can take in the next few days to help you avoid pest problems.

April 5: Weed ID - Rats in Vegetable Gardens

May 3: No-Mow May - What to do with Grass Clippings

June 7: Tick Mosquito Yard Treatments - Myth: Mosquito Repellent Plants

July 5: Japanese Beetle Management - Aphid-Eating Insects

August 2: Spotted Lanternfly Update - Box Tree Moth Update

September 6: Back to School: Bed Bugs - Head Lice

October 4: Identifying Pests in Your Home

November 1: 2024 Tick Blitz Results - No Spray Needed

December 6: Feed the Birds - Repurposing a Holiday Tree

Agritourism Workshops Monthly!

Are you thinking of starting an agritourism business or are you currently operating one?

Join the monthly lunch-hour, workshop virtual series and learn how to grow your agritourism business!

Each session will focus on specific topic to help aspiring agritourism entrepreneurs grow their knowledge and profit through this exciting on-farm business.

Pre-registration Required: Register for the Zoom Webinar here!

Price: Free

All workshops will be recorded and links shared. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Sponsor: Cornell Cooperative Extension Agritourism Program Work Team

Past topics and recordings

2024 Schedule:

April 9: Working with your Local Tourism Office

May 14: Overview of Agritourism Business Plan in AgPlan

June 11: How To's: Livestock Operations (not a petting zoo)

July 9: Urban Agritourism

August 13: TBA

September 10: Handling Difficult Customers

October 8: Creating Value-Added Items/Experiences

November 12: Implementing Outdoor Recreation on the Farm

Please contact Lindsey Pashow lep67@cornell.edu or 518-569-3073 with any questions.

USDA Asks Residents to Look for Invasive Egg Masses

Help the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stomp out invasive pests this spring! Challenge your detection prowess: Look for spotted lanternfly and spongy moth egg masses on vehicles, trees, and other outdoor surfaces during the winter and early spring. If you find them, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recommends smashing and scraping the invasive egg masses off into a plastic bag, sealing it, and disposing of them in the municipal trash. Pressure washing is also an effective way of removing egg masses from hard, outdoor surfaces.

The spotted lanternfly and spongy moth are economically and environmentally destructive invasive insects. Together, they attack or defoliate hundreds of tree and plant species. Both the spotted lanternfly and the spongy moth are able hitchhikers in their egg mass life stage.

Continue reading the full article here.

Contacts:

Cecilia Sequeira, (301) 851-4054

K.Cecilia.Sequeira@usda.gov

Suzanne Bond, (301) 851-4070

Suzanne.M.Bond@aphis.usda.gov

Learn more about becoming a Showcase Sponsor Here!

Hendershot Haflingers

LeChase Construction

Beth Walter Honadle & George Honadle

Bluebird Trail Farm
Empire Livestock
Finger Lakes Dumpster Services
Hornell Moose Lodge 210
Law Office of Calvin Weaver
Lowery Family Farms
Taggart Insurance

Bath Elks Lodge #1547
Saltsman Trucking
Smith Stock Farms, Inc.

Useful Links

Check out all of our publications here!

County Enrollment, Subscription, and Support

The Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program with Cornell Cooperative Extension offers educational programming and research based information to agricultural producers, growers, and agribusinesses in the five county region of Southwestern New York.

Our specialists work with Cornell Faculty and Extension Educators statewide to address the issues that impact the agricultural industry and provide services to farms of all sizes and production techniques. The educational programming and support that we offer ranges from workshops to on-farm events, and includes one-on-one consultations. Our program is designed to meet the rapidly changing needs of our region's diverse agricultural community.

For more information, contact any of the specialists.

Please support CCE Steuben by signing up for their enrollment programs.

Reach out to CCE-Steuben at 607-664-2300 and ask about enrollment.

The enrollment form can be found online, here.

The Cornell Vegetable Program works with Cornell faculty and Extension educators to address the issues that impact the New York vegetable industry. The team offers educational programs and information to growers, processors, and agribusiness professionals in pest management, variety evaluation, cultural practices, market development, and farm food safety.

Cornell Vegetable Program Specialists expertise includes processing vegetables, fresh market vegetables, weed science, soil health, food safety, organic, marketing, greenhouses and high tunnels.

To read the Vegetable Programs 2022 Year in Review, click HERE. Learn more about the specialists HERE.

To enroll click here.

The Finger Lakes Grape Program (FLGP) is a regional extension program of Cornell Cooperative Extension serving the grape and wine industry of the Finger Lakes.

The staff of the Finger Lakes Grape Program is committed to providing grape growers in the Finger Lakes and beyond with cutting edge, research-based information to help them improve the productivity and sustainability of their vineyards and the quality of the fruit that they produce. We work with researchers and extension staff from Cornell and other institutions to create informative extension materials and programs that help to keep grape growing a viable and profitable industry that enhances the communities of the Finger Lakes and upstate New York.

Learn more about the specialist HERE.

To enroll click here.