December 2025 | Vol. 17 Issue 12 | | Thank you to everyone who attended our annual dinner in November! | | MORE PROCESSORS ARE NEEDED! If you have a NYS Article 20-C Food Processing Establishment license, you can apply to be a venison donation processor. Reimbursement rate is $3.50 per pound, provided by your local food bank. | | |
Healthy Holiday Celebrations: Simple Tips for Delicious, Nutritious Gatherings
Enjoy the holiday season with delicious food and simple habits that support good health. These quick tips, smart swaps, and fun ways to stay active can help you create festive meals that nourish family and friends.
-
Create MyPlate makeovers. Makeover your favorite holidays using recipes from https://snapedny.org/
-
Enjoy all the food groups. Create a colorful buffet table that includes a variety of foods from all the food groups
-
Make sure your protein is lean. Choose turkey, roast beef, or fresh ham. Trim visible fat before cooking. Try baking or broiling instead of frying. Go easy on sauces and gravies
-
Cheers to good health. Serve water or unsweetened iced tea with lemon or lime slices. Offer seltzer water with a splash of 100% fruit juice
-
Make activity part of the fun. Laugh, mingle, dance, and play games. Have fun walking and talking with family and friends after a holiday meal
-
Try a twist on your favorite dish. Substitute unsweetened applesauce or mashed ripe bananas instead of butter when baking. Replace cream with low-fat milk. Experiment with herbs and spices
-
Tweak the sweet. For dessert, try baked apples with cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar. Invite your guests to make their own parfait with colorful sliced fruit and low-fat yogurt
-
Reduce food waste. Manage leftovers by packing them for guests to take home, adding them to soups or salads, and including extra veggies in omelets, sandwiches, and stews.
| This holiday season, put a healthy and low-cost spin on some of these favorite traditional recipes! | | Last day for farmers to submit a response to our Veggie Van RFP Survey! | |
The Holidays are Approaching...
The Finger Lakes Region has so many local sources for Christmas trees, wreaths, decor, and holiday gifts! Remember to shop local!
Finger Lakes Farm Country (FLFC) also makes it easy to locate farm experiences, farm stays, and trip ideas so you can enjoy time with family during the holiday season.
Christmas Trees | Finger Lakes Farm Country shows a map highlighting some sources for trees from locally owned tree farms.
From family gatherings at a restaurant offering farm-to-table options to various on farm experiences, you can plan a fun holiday break centered around Steuben County Agriculture right from Finger Lakes Farm Country.
Farm producers and agritourism business owners, don't forget to list your events with FLFC! If you aren't a listed producer/farm and would like to be,
Complete The Participation Form
Or if you have questions about Finger Lakes Farm Country, please contact Kevin Peterson at kpeterson@corningfingerlakes.com or call 607-936-6544.
|
2025 New York Small Farms Summit: Stronger Together
December 5, 2025
9am - 3:30pm
Alfred State College Farm 1254 State Route 244 Alfred, NY 14806
We hope you will join us on December 5th for the 2025 New York Small Farms Summit! This is an opportunity to meet other farmers and ag supporters, learn about research and education projects, and set priorities for future efforts to grow small farm success.
This one-day Summit will bring together farmers, extension educators, university faculty, and other service providers at multiple sites across the state. The Alfred, NY event will focus on Agroforestry. Each summit site will connect virtually in the morning to hear from agricultural leaders in the state. Subsequent in-person conversations will explore topics on small farm entrepreneurship, resilience, support networks, and priorities moving forward.
Join us for conversations focused on how we can be strong together as we build small farm success.
This Summit is free to attend, with lunch provided and refreshments served throughout the day. Therefore, seating will be limited, and pre-registration required. Click here for online registration with Cornell Small Farms. Some topics may include: giving trees a chance and how trees build resiliency on small farms. Click here for full agenda. Learn more.
| | |
Pumpkin Centerpiece Workshops
On Saturday, November 22 Steuben County Master Gardener Volunteers hosted a Pumpkin Centerpiece Workshop. Those in attendance designed their own floral pumpkin centerpieces with the help of Master Gardeners.
| | |
The next day, on Sunday, November 23 the Master Gardener Volunteers hosted another pumpkin centerpiece workshop for youth in the Steuben County 4-H program. 15 youth attended the workshop where they were able to practice their flower arranging skills and create seasonal centerpieces for Thanksgiving.
| | Pumpkins for both workshops were generously donated by Lowery Family Farms in Savona, NY | | |
Agriculture in the Classroom Program Expands to Every School District in the County!
What began in 2023 with seven school districts and one educator has now, just two years later, grown to a program that is in all 13 school districts in Steuben County and operates with one part-time and two full-time educators. Each month of the school year, Agriculture in the Classroom educators visit classrooms around the county providing lessons to students in grades pre-K through 7th that teach to New York State Education Standards that include science, social studies, and ELA. In addition to classroom visits, Steuben County Agriculture in the Classroom reaches youth through summer school enrichment programs, libraries, and other community-based programs. Last year in 2024, the program served over 3,000 unduplicated youth and it is on target to reach even more this year.
| |
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.
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 specialists HERE.
To enroll click here.
| | | Thank you to our advertising sponsors | | Your feedback matters to us! | | | |
We use your feedback to improve our services. We will not ask for your name or personal information.
| |
Cornell Cooperative Extension puts knowledge to work in pursuit of economic vitality,
ecological sustainability and social well-being. We bring local experience and
research based solutions together, helping New York State families and
communities thrive in our rapidly changing world.
Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.
CCE does not endorse or recommend any specific product or service.
This newsletter is solely intended to educate consumers about their choices.
| | | | |
