Visit to United Way of Long Island E3 SmartBuild Training Center

Thank you United Way of LI for the tour of the E3 SmartBuild Training Center in Deer Park!

This state-of-the-art lab, the only one of its kind on the east coast, provides students a space to learn building science, energy efficiency, and green construction, providing tomorrow’s workforce with the skills needed to build a more energy-conscious Long Island.

Learn more

"Save the Bay" Event by the

Moriches Bay Project

Congratulations to The Moriches Bay Project on a fantastic “Save the Bay” fundraising event!

Founded in 2012, The Moriches Bay Project is dedicated to improving the quality of the water in Moriches Bay and restoring a natural state of health. They accomplish this goal through oyster farming: one oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day!

Learn more about The Moriches Bay Project

Honoring Mark J. Grossman

Congratulations to Mark Grossman on receiving the Jack Rettaliata Lifetime Achievement Award from the Public Relations Professionals of Long Island!

Mark is the founder of Mark Grossman Public Relations, an award-winning public and government relations firm that has worked closely with CCE Suffolk on a number of projects. His invaluable guidance, strategic insights, and remarkable storytelling abilities are instrumental in helping us share the work we do with the communities we serve.

Congratulations Mark, and thank you for all the work you do!

Riverhead Chamber of Commerce

Legislative Breakfast

I represented the organization at a Legislative Breakfast held by the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, hearing updates from local officials and the New York State Climate Action Council.

Special thanks to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney for an excellent discussion about collaborative efforts with CCE Suffolk!

More info on the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce

Meetings with Town of Brookhaven & Town of Riverhead

Myself and CCE Suffolk program leaders held meetings with Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar, PHD and Town of Brookhaven Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico.

We are so grateful to our local leaders for continuing to be open to collaboration and discussion on how our programs can help their communities!

Hofstra University Entrepreneurship Assistance Center Program

I was honored to serve as a judge for the final pitch presentations of the Hofstra University Entrepreneurship Assistance Center Program!

The EAC Program is a 10-week course teaching budding entrepreneurs skills for growing a business and providing mentorship from the EAC’s experienced network of entrepreneurs, staff, and instructors.

Congratulations to all participants, and thank you EAC Director Kenia Nunez for organizing such a powerful program!

Learn more

Sears Bellows County Park with Legislator Kara Hahn

I joined Legislator Kara Hahn for her "A Park a Day in May" series, exploring the great parks of Suffolk County.

Legislator Hahn and I enjoyed the scenery while we discussed mental health, environmental initiatives, and more!

Volunteering at the

Riverhead Rotary Plant Sale

I spent some time ringing up customers at the Riverhead Rotary Plant Sale as part of the 2023 Garden Festival!

Thank you to the Rotary for having me!

Pride Month

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated each year in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.

Celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, celebrating LGBTQ pride and memorializing those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. Pride month recognizes the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.

Celebrate Pride this year with your friends and family at the Suffolk County Farm on June 10th! Visit the farm animals, take a wagon ride around the fields, enjoy fun crafts, music, trivia, rainbow treats, unicorn story time, and more!

The event will run from 5:00pm - 7:00pm, and is free to come and enjoy.

Learn more here

Final Latina Mentoring Initiative Session for the

2023 School Year

ED Vanessa Lockel attended the final session of the school year for the Latina Mentoring Initiative at Brentwood High School!

In partnership with the New York State Mentoring Program, the Latina Mentoring Program pairs Latina government, community, and corporate leaders with student mentees. Vanessa is a proud mentor and committee member.

2023 Farm Stand List

Check out the 2023 Farm Stand List for all of your farm-fresh produce! Whether you're looking for fruit, vegetables, dairy, or baked goods, there's sure to be a location that has what you need!

Read here

Self-Guided Garden Tours for

National Pollinators Month

Take advantage of the self-guided garden tours organized by Master Gardeners in the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators (SAP)! With gardens of various sizes and stages of maturity, these tours provide very good examples of incorporating natives and pollinators in your home garden and public Master Gardener sites. Although self-guided, gardeners will be at each destination to answer questions. Special thanks to Master Gardeners Alicia Whitaker, Joan DiMonda and Hope Kranidis for putting this initiative together.

Tuesday, June 20th 

9:00am - 12:00pm

Quogue, East Quogue, Westhampton Pollinator Tour

See native and pollinator plants incorporated in three public gardens and two private homes. Begin at 9AM at the first garden on the grounds of the Quogue Library.

Thursday, June 22nd

9:30am - 12:30PM

Southampton-Water Mill Pollinator Tour

Five residential native gardens will be featured. Sign-in at 11 Lake Drive, Bay View Oaks, Southampton from 9:30-10am. The tour ends in Water Mill.

Tuesday, June 27th 

1:30PM - 4:30PM

Huntington Garden Crawl Tour

Join Huntington SAP members in a Garden Crawl of local native pollinator gardens. Tour begins at 1:30 at 20 Cider Mill Lane, Huntington. 

More about the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators

New York’s Invasive Species

Awareness Week 2023

June 5th - June 11th

The mission of New York Invasive Species Awareness Week (NYISAW) is to promote knowledge and understanding of invasive species and the harm they can cause, empowering YOU to stop the spread of invasive species!

Organizations across all of New York State are offering a variety of engaging events. By participating in NYISAW, you can help protect your community’s natural spaces, learn about the emerging invasive species, meet your neighbors, and get outdoors!

CCE Suffolk collaborator Julie Sullivan will be holding a workshop at the Harborfields Public Library covering invasive plants on Long Island: the threats they pose to our native plant species, and how to identify and control them. "Invasive Vines - Get Them Out!" will be held on June 8th at 2:00pm.

Register here

Find more NYISAW events on Long Island here

Healthy School Week at

Sonderling High School

For Healthy School Week, seniors at Sonderling High School of Brentwood School District participated in a taste test of hummus with carrots and celery, as well as edamame.

Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program Sees Success

The Fruit & Veggie Prescription Program has been featured in Newsday, Long Island Business News, the Long Island Times, and more!

A partnership among healthcare providers, local produce suppliers, nutritionists, and educators, the Fruit & Veggie Prescription Program helps bridge the gap between low-income diabetes patients in Suffolk County and the wholesome food needed for successful treatment. The workshops, presented in English & Spanish, include an interactive, aisle-by-aisle tour at Gala Foods Supermarket. Over 30 participants learned first hand how to make the healthiest food choices to better control their diabetes!

Learn more

Presentation at

Suffolk County Legislature

Seniors & Human Services Committee

Members of the Community Education team presented to the Senior & Human Services Committee of the Suffolk County Legislature, outlining how our services can help in the committee's mission of serving senior citizens, uninsured people, and underinsured people.

Thank you to the committee members for your time!

Tune in to Community Education Podcasts

Check out the latest podcasts from the Community Education team!

Parenting Tips provides current research-based information from Cornell University and other American land grant institutions.

Listen here

Family Wellness Tips uses evidence-based information to support people in the important, but sometimes difficult, job of staying well and healthy.

Listen here

Ask the Family Educator

by Maxine Cohen, Parent Educator

Can Vacations Help to Reduce Stress?

This is the time of year that many families look forward to enjoying a summer vacation. It’s most interesting that anticipating a vacation provides a strong psychological benefit.

The weeks leading up to the actual vacation aids mental and physical health. Planning the vacation boosts happiness and mood. A 2016 study, published by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, surveyed more than 800 travelers to determine whether vacations relieve stress and/or improve life satisfaction. The findings show that people who perceive that they have control over their travel plans are more likely to feel less stressed after their vacation. Those who mastered a new skill during the vacation or completely detached themselves from their work during the vacation noticed that their stress levels decreased too. The longer the length of the vacation, the greater the benefit! Do not fret if you don’t have much time as another study found that vacations do not have to be long to provide a greater sense of well-being. Merely getting away for a weekend relieved stress levels as well.

These positive benefits can be long-lasting. Recalling happiness one felt during a particular vacation can provide a psychological boost. Taking a vacation can help to build or improve personal relationships. Spending time bonding with a friend or loved one improves psychological resilience!

Try to carve out some time for a vacation. You will feel happy as you make your plans. You’ll look forward to quality time with significant others during it. And, you’ll make lifelong memories to sustain you and boost your spirit during challenging times in the future.

Bloom 2023

Thank you to everyone that visited Suffolk County Farm for Bloom 2023!

This year’s event was especially meaningful, as we welcomed a partnership with 100 Hispanic Women Long Island Program to bring Spanish-language resources and activities. The health of our communities is a main priority of CCE Suffolk, and we love it when Long Islanders come together at events like Bloom to recognize and celebrate the importance of wellness!

Baby Animal Day

This year's Baby Animal Day was a huge success!

This event is the farm's biggest and most exciting fundraiser of the year, and it would not have been possible without the hard work of all of our departments. Thank you in particular to some of our special guests:

• Legislator Sarah Anker
• CCE Suffolk Marine Program
• Suffolk County Sheriffs Department

We are so grateful for not only the support for this event, but for your support of the farm year-round. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Annual Horseshoe Crab Survey

in Full Swing

The New York Horseshoe Crab Monitoring Network hosted 40 volunteers & staff at Pikes Beach, where 300 horseshoe crabs were tagged under the New Moon!

Volunteers joined the team from the Mastic Beach Conservancy, as well as after hearing one of our Brewery Lecture Series presentations at Ubergeek Brewing Co.

Volunteer with the New York Horseshoe Crab Monitoring Network

6th Graders Visit

Tiana Bayside Facility

6th graders for Hampton Bays Middle School got up close & personal with some shellfish at the Tiana Bayside Facility!

Shell Bagging at Shelter Island

Thank you to the volunteers who helped with oyster shell bagging! These bags will be used for our spat-on-shell oyster reef restoration project in Shelter Island’s Coecles Harbor.

Check out more volunteer opportunities with the Marine Program

Peconic Estuary Partnership

Biennial Conference

Thank you to the Peconic Estuary Partnership for inviting us to their Biennial Conference!



To celebrate 30 years of the PEP, the organization held a series of discussions that examine resiliency efforts in the Peconic Bay amidst climate change concerns. Among the speakers were the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program's Dr. Matt Sclafani, Dr. Stephen Tettelbach, and Stephen Schott.

Learn more about the PEP

Sea Stars Marine Camp

Open for Registration

Sea Stars Marine Camp, held at the Fuchs Pond Preserve Cranberry Hill Environmental Center, is packed with hands-on activities, outdoor games, exciting arts & crafts and fun educational lessons about the environment! Whether your child is passionate about marine biology or just wants to know more about Long Island’s fascinating marine wildlife, this camp is the perfect experience.

Available sessions include:

• June 26th - June 30th: Sea Trekkers (Grades 3-5)
• June 26th - June 30th: Aquatic Investigators (Grades 6-9)
• July 10th - July 14th: Shark Week (Grades 4-7)
• July 17th - July 21st: Shark Week (Grades 4-7)
• July 24th - July 28th: Marine Ecosystems (Grades 1-3 and 6-9)
• July 31st - August 4th: Marine Ecosystems (Grades K-2 and 3-5)
• August 7th - August 11th: Naturalist Week (Grades K-2 and 3-5)

Learn more/Register

Happy Retirement

Meg McGrath!

Please join us in congratulating Meg McGrath on her retirement from the Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center!

Meg began at LIHREC in 1988 as the Vegetable Plant Pathologist. For over 35 years since, she has brought exceptional service to the Long Island farming community and to Cornell University. Meg’s dedication and hard work, as well as her focus on applied research addressing real-time grower issues, have left a lasting impression on the industry. Her work has shaped the recommendations for vegetable disease management on a local, regional, and even international level.

Congratulations Meg, we wish you the best in retirement!

Jennifer Carpenter Low brings three decades of experience in the nonprofit sector serving in program, fund development, and executive roles with local, national, and international organizations, spanning the realms of advocacy, disaster relief, and education.

Over the course of her career, Jennifer has raised more than $4.5 million in 14 months for emergency response activities at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, directed operations for a $10 million research center at the Anti-Defamation League, and launched a nationally-recognized social and emotional learning program at Long Island University, which reached 76,000 students in over 2,700 classrooms in its first two years. She has also led several successful fundraising initiatives and events, and expanded award-winning K-12 anti-bias education programs into seven European countries, Japan, and Israel.

Jennifer has held notable positions in communications, marketing, and brand management at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County and Long Island University. At LIU, Jennifer also supported the University's enrollment goals and strategies, increasing social media engagement by 35 percent and achieving 51 million impressions in target enrollment areas. She is currently the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at United Way of Long Island.

In 2022, Jennifer was elected to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County's Board of Directors. She is a Founding Board Member and past Vice Chair of Mondays at Racine Cancer Care Foundation. Jennifer volunteers with multiple organizations, including the Lions Club International service network, New York State Retriever Rescue, Inc., and Canine Companions. She holds a bachelor's degree from the State University College at Oneonta, NY and is a 2020 Alumni of Distinction Honoree.

Recently, Jennifer introduced members of the CCE Suffolk Community Education program with United Way of Long Island program leaders, opening an exciting discussion centered on future collaboration!

Cook a Fish, Give a Fish with

Stefanie Sacks of WTFork

Friday, June 2, 2023, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

The next Cook a Fish, Give a Fish cooking class will be held in-person at the East End Food Institute!

The class will be led by Stefanie Sacks, acclaimed Culinary Nutritionist, founder of WTFork, the no B.S. roadmap to healthier choices, and author of “What The Fork Are You Eating?” Stefanie will be teaching guests how to prepare “Reinvented Lobster Rolls” made with monkfish and sea robin.

Harvested right off the coast of Long Island, monkfish is known as "poor man's lobster" since the meat is firm and similar in texture to lobster. Sea robins are abundant on Long Island and many people have caught them, but never tried them. They are a surprisingly delicious, local fish that are gaining popularity. Both monkfish and sea robins are smart seafood choices because they are sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under strict U.S. regulations.

Space is limited, don’t wait to get your tickets! Plus, every ticket purchased provides 25 local seafood meals to community members in need.

Get tickets here

Volunteer with the

NY Horseshoe Crab

Monitoring Network

Saturday, June 3, 2023, 12:00 PM - 12:00 PM

Monday, June 5, 2023, 12:00 PM - 12:00 PM

Friday, June 16, 2023, 12:00 PM - 12:00 PM

Sunday, June 18, 2023, 12:00 PM - 12:00 PM

Tuesday, June 20, 2023, 12:00 PM - 12:00 PM

Want to be a citizen scientist?

Volunteers participating in this horseshoe crab survey will be helping to collect data on spawning abundance, size, sex and tag returns around full and new moon events in May and June. Trained site coordinators will be present to teach you how to help with the survey. Sites are throughout Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.

Horseshoe crabs play a vital role in the biomedical industry. The blood of the horseshoe crab contains a protein called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) and is used by pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to test their products for the presence of endotoxins and bacterial substances that can cause fevers and even be fatal to humans. This is critical to maintaining the safety of many drugs and devices used in medical care.

Learn More/Register

Goat Yoga

Saturday, June 3, 2023, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Saturday, June 17, 2023, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Saturday, July 1, 2023, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

+more

Enjoy yoga on the farm with our friendly goats. Goat yoga is a fun twist to the more traditional flow. End your day in downward dog while having some laughs. All levels are welcome to goat yoga, but best for ages 8 and up. Taught by certified instructors.

Please bring your own:

• Yoga mat
• Water bottle

Learn More/Register

Private Sunset Wagon Rides at the Suffolk County Farm

Sunday, June 4, 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Monday, June 5, 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Thursday, June 8, 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Friday, June 9, 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sunday, June 11, 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

+ more

Experience the farm all to yourself with a private group sunset tour!

The experience includes personal farm tour guides, wagon ride, animal visit, and campfire! Close toed shoes are required to enter goat pens so please dress accordingly. You are more than welcome to bring your own s’mores supplies and non-alcoholic beverages.

$350 per group-Up to 20 participants Children under 3 are free and do not count towards head count. Additional wagon can be purchased for $175.

Please register at least two weeks prior to schedule your group. Don’t wait, dates fill fast!

Register Here

The Parent Cafe

Selden: Mondays, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | May 8th - May 22nd

Bayshore: Wednesdays, 9:45 AM - 11:45 AM | May 10th - June 28th

Riverhead: Thursdays, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | May 11th - June 22nd

Free classes covering a different topic each week, paired with a light breakfast! Meet with Parent Educators, Nutrition Educators, and Lactation Consultants at three participating locations:

Bayshore

Family Service League | 1444 Fifth Avenue, Bayshore 11706

Learn More/Register

Riverhead

CCE Suffolk Offices, First Floor Meeting Rm | 423 Griffing Avenue, Riverhead 11901

Learn More/Register

Selden

Middle Country Library | 575 Middle Country Road, Selden 11784

Learn More/Register

The Rotary Club of Huntington and

CCE Suffolk Marine Present:

Oyster Reef Project

Speakers Forum

Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

In Part 3 of this forum, CCE Marine experts will discuss how cutting-edge shellfish research allows us to better understand the value of these amazing animals. How will they aid in our efforts to restore and enhance our local marine environment?

Learn More

Unpacking Gender

Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Reframe traditional understandings of gender, build a deeper understanding of gender-diverse individuals and the LGBTQIA+ community, and offer everyday skills to navigate a gender-expansive world.



Learn More/Register

Fuel Your Family

Thursday, June 8, 2023, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Thursday, June 29, 2023, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

This free class will show you how to keep you and your family healthy! Learn all about how to make well balanced meals, while on a budget.



Zoom Link

Password: JUNE

También en español

Pride at the Farm

Saturday, June 10, 2023, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Celebrate Pride this year with your friends and family at the Suffolk County Farm!

Farm animals to visit and enjoy, wagon rides around our fields, fun crafts, music and dancing, trivia, rainbow treats, unicorn story time, and more!

We're happy to be teaming up with Stony Brook Medicine to provide educational resources for both youth and adults.

This event is FREE to come and enjoy!

Learn More

Brewery Lecture Series

Thursday, June 15, 2023, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Wednesday, July 26, 2023, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Meet the CCE Marine team for casual and fun presentations about our work and learn how you can give Back to the Bays!

June 15 | Kidd Squid, 11 Spring Street, Sag Harbor NY

Marine Team expert Kim Manzo will talk about habitat restoration with Eelgrass + Marine Meadows! 

More information here

July 26 | Greenport Harbor Brewery, 42155 Main Road, Peconic NY

Marine Team Expert Harrison Tobi will host this evening's presentation on Bay Scallop Research.

More information here

Agritourism Workshop Series

Monday, June 19, 2023, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Monday, July 17, 2023, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

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

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

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

Register Here

Caring for Yourself in Stressful Times: Preventing Burnout

Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Caring for oneself means taking time to do things for our own mental, emotional, and physical health.

Often, we forget about self-care as we become stressed or overwhelmed, just when we need it most. Caring for oneself allows us to be more resilient and better manage stress allowing us to do a better job of meeting our responsibilities. During this program we will introduce strategies for stress management, discuss signs and causes of burnout and offer suggestions for self-care.

Learn More/Register

Recipes in a SNAP

Thursday, June 22, 2023, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Free! Follow along with our very own Nutritionists to learn how to make healthy and delicious meals in a SNAP!

Zoom Link

Password: JUNE

También en español

Mud Day at the Farm

Saturday, June 24, 2023, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Start the summer off with a day of messy fun!

Ticket Includes unlimited wagon rides, a visit to the butterfly house and all the mud you can wear!

Activities include: 

• messy play
• puddle jumping
• muddy car wash
• sprinkler play
• kids crafts
• mud paintings
• mud kitchen and more!

Food will be sold in Barnyard Bites by Tashana's Kitchen as well as an ice cream truck.

All guests ages 3 and up are required to have a ticket.

Only the name you're registered under will be required at check in the day of the event. 

Parking is FREE

Last entry at 2:00PM

OPEN TOED SHOES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN ANIMAL/MUD AREAS SO PLEASE DRESS ACCORDINGLY.

This event will run rain or shine. No refunds.

Learn More/Register