Using Gardens to Build Community

Educational gardens serve as a natural context for connecting with others and promoting dignity and the joy of meaningful collaborative work. Through the critical lenses of social justice, equity, and inclusion, we will focus on the ways we can use gardens to promote the development of positive social skills, emotional regulation, and friendship. In addition, we will provide examples of how to use history and literature related to food and farming to demonstrate how young people can create positive change in their communities.

Learn to use your educational garden to:

• Develop a learning community 
• Prevent bullying and biased behavior
• Celebrate diversity in its many forms
• Advocate for inclusion and social justice
• Enhance instruction in academic subjects

This program is suitable for classroom teachers, community educators, and youth workers. Join us for three days of hands-on learning!

DATES
August 15-17, 2017
8:30-4 on the first day and 9-4 on subsequent days

LOCATION
Poughkeepsie Farm Project
51 Vassar Farm Lane, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

FEE
$200 (Grant funds keep the price of this training low.)

Lunch will be provided.

CREDIT
This 21-hour program is CTLE approved.

More information and registration

Composting Workshop on Saturday

The Local Living Venture is running a workshop, "Composting Made Simple for Garden and Home" on Saturday, May 20 from 3:00 to 5:00 in Potsdam.

More information and registration details on the LLV website.

Online Community Food Systems class starts soon

UMass ONLINE summer class, STOCKSCH 385 - Community Food Systems, will start on May 22.  This 6-week class examines the movement of food from seed to table.  

For more information, see: 

https://sustfoodfarm.org/online-classes/community-food-systems/

Participants in the course explore local and global food systems, and specific food related issues that impact health of communities. Among the topics we’ll cover are: 

• examining the economic and political decisions that frame our food chain, 
• direct marketing, 
• commercial agriculture, 
• processing, 
• food justice, 
• hunger, 
• health, 
• food security, 
• school food systems and school gardens, 
• Community Supported Agriculture, 
• farmers’ markets, 
• small scale farming and homesteading.  

At the center of this course is the examination of the opportunities and challenges required in making community food projects that create real lasting systems change.

All UMass Sustainable Food and Farming classes cost $482/credit and transfer to other colleges and universities

Webinars for farmers

Three new webinars coming up soon. All of them are free and open to the public, and advance registration is required. They all take place at 2:00 PM.


March 30, 2017: Using Biofungicides, Biostimulants and Biofertilizers to Boost Crop Productivity and help Manage Vegetable Diseases<http://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6332950960916838915>

Effectively managing diseases is one of the biggest challenges facing organic vegetable growers. A wide range of biologically based products are now available on the market that claim to boost crop growth and help plants withstand many plant diseases. However, there are few independent, scientifically-based studies to validate the efficacy of some of these products, and instructions detailing how and when to apply these products to achieve the best results are unclear. In this webinar, participants will describe the different types of products available in the marketplace today, provide an overview of recent studies evaluating their efficacy, and discuss strategies for identifying the most effective products and application practices. Presenters: Giuseppe Colla of Tuscia University in Viterbo Italy, MariaTeresa Cardarelli at the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Rome, Italy, and Dan Egel and Lori Hoagland of Purdue University. Register<https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6332950960916838915>


April 6, 2017: Taking Stock of Organic Research Investments<http://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6702579283953605122>

This webinar will present the findings from the report by the Organic Farming Research Foundation:Taking Stock: Analyzing and Reporting Organic Research Investments: 2002-2014<http://ofrf.org/sites/ofrf.org/files/staff/WholeTakingStockReport_V5.11_Web.pdf>. This report provides information on the progress USDA funded organic research projects have made in addressing critical research needs. We will describe the types, locations, and impacts of USDA funded research, as well as research gaps and topics that require greater attention. The webinar will conclude with a set of recommendations for strengthening organic research in the US to best support the needs of organic farmers. Presenters are Diana Jerkins, Joanna Ory and Mark Schonbeck. Register<https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6702579283953605122>


April 11, 2017: Use of High Glucosinolate Mustard as an Organic Biofumigant in Vegetable Crops<http://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8878799766349704962>

Brassica plants, including mustards, contain glucosinolates that, when broken down, produce compounds that can reduce weed pressure, insect pests, populations of parasitic nematodes, and soil-borne pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Sclerotinia, Verticillium, and Phytophthora. In this webinar, we’ll address the use of mustard cover crops that have been bred specifically to have high glucosinolate concentrations and act as a biofumigant in crops like potatoes, peppers, carrots, black beans, and strawberries.Webinar presenters include Heather Darby and Abha Gupta, University of Vermont Extension; and Katie Campbell-Nelson, University of Massachusetts. Register<https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8878799766349704962>
Find all upcoming and archived eOrganic webinars at http://articles.extension.org/pages/25242/webinars-by-eorganic

Master Food Preserver Training

The workshop is designed as a train-the-trainer program for educators and volunteers to enable them to offer food preservation classes in their community.

Future service required to become a recognized MFP Volunteer.

The Program Includes:
• Scientific Basis of Home Food Preservation
• Hands-on Experience in Traditional Canning & Pressure Canning
• Making Jams & Jellies
• Pickling & Fermentation
• Demonstrations in Freezing & Drying
• Discussion of Other Methods of Preservation

The 3-day course is appropriate for the experienced and novice food enthusiast alike. Training includes lunch each day and a food preservation notebook. Class limit 25.

This training is made possible by the Canton Community Fund.

Shiitake mushroom workshop coming up

The Cornell Small Farms Program is offering a one-day workshop on Sunday, January 29 titled, "Log-Grown Shiitake: Viability for Small Farms" at the Paul Smith's College VIC in Paul Smiths, NY, co-sponsored by Franklin County Cooperative Extension.

The cultivation of shiitake offers farmers and woodlot owners a good opportunity to utilize their forested lands while turning a profit.

Anyone who a resident of New York State and growing commercially, starting up, or considering commercial production is welcome to attend. The workshop content will cover post-production aspects including safety, sanitation, marketing, and regulations.

NOTE: Participants should be versed in the basics of how to produce log-grown shiitake mushrooms prior to attending the workshop. Take a class, or view our free online resources.

On the day following the workshop, current and prospective farmers can schedule FREE one-on-one consultations with extension educators to review their farm goals, resources, and discuss challenges and opportunities for their own production.

 To see the Schedule and Register: visit www.cornellmushrooms.org/viability

Cost: $30/person

Funding for this project is provided by the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant  and administered through the New York Farm Viability Institute.

Upcoming webinars on IPM in Greenhouse/High Tunnel

Save the Dates!

We will be holding a series of short webinars on Greenhouse/High Tunnel Vegetable IPM on Thursdays from 12-1 in February and March.  The intent is for each topic to be briefly covered and then followed by discussion:

Feb 2                  Introduction to the project
Feb 9 & Feb 16    Basics of light, water fertility, media as they relate to pest management
Feb 23                Vegetable crop production in gh/ht
Mar 2                  Disease management in gh/ht
Mar 9                  Insect management in gh/ht
Mar 16                Weed management in gh/ht (lamb)  especially in winter production
Mar 23                How to write/use an IPM plan

Zoom information for each webinar will be coming soon.   All webinars will be recorded in case you can’t attend in person.

During the week of April 24 there will be a training session in Geneva to follow up on these webinars. More information to follow on that, too.

Contact Cornell Cooperative Extension for more information.

Workshop on cover crops coming up

Working Cover Crops into Vegetable Production

A discussion-based program for commercial vegetable growers

Tuesday, Nov 29          6:30-8:00 pm

At the CCE Learning Farm

2043B State Highway 68, Canton NY   

Wednesday, Dec 14    6:30-8:00 pm

At the AARCH Building

1745 Main St., Keeseville, NY

Cover crops are a key component to building soil health but many vegetable growers find it difficult to fit them into their crop rotations. This involves long range planning to allow enough space and strategic timing for one crop to follow another.

Growers are invited to join a discussion on timings and choices with Kitty O’Neil, Regional Agronomy Specialist with the Northern NY Ag Program and Amy Ivy, Regional Vegetable Specialist with the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program.  Michael Davis, Manager of the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm will join the discussion in Keeseville. Growers are encouraged to bring questions and share their experiences at these discussions.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information contact Amy Ivy atadi2@cornell.edu or (518)570-5991. Registration is not required but appreciated in case of last minute changes due to weather or other issues.

Sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension with support from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Scholarships for Young Farmers Conference

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture  is offering a limited number of farmer scholarships to the 2016 Young Farmers Conference on December 7, 8 and 9. Scholarships cover the cost of conference registration only; recipients are expected to cover the cost of lodging and travel expenses to and from the conference.

For more info and an application, please click here. Applications are due by 5PM EST on Saturday, August 20, 2016. 

Summer grower meeting next week

Summer Grower Meeting

Wednesday, August 3, 2016   

6:30-8:00 pm

Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm

2043B Rte 68, Canton, NY

Featured Topics:

Training and Pruning High Tunnel Cherry Tomatoes

Leaf Mold Resistant Cherry Tomato Variety Trial

This Year’s Disease Challenges

Summer Cover Crops

Speakers:           Christine Smart, Cornell University Plant Pathology

                             Judson Reid, Cornell Vegetable Program

                             Amy Ivy, Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture

                             Kitty O’Neil, Northern NY Ag Program

Free and open to the public. For more information contact Amy Ivy at adi2@cornell.edu or 518-570-5991.

Sponsored in part by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Learn more at www.nnyagdev.org.
And by the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture through a grant from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Extending Your School Gardening Season: High Tunnels in Schools Conference

The school calendar and the growing season in New York do not necessarily overlap. School gardens are excellent tools learning but students often miss prime growing conditions and experiences because of how late the outdoor school garden has to be planted in our state - and summer vacation does not allow interaction with growth, blossoms, tending, and even harvesting. Whether you have a strong school gardening program and are looking to increase your garden's impact, or are just beginning your garden connections, this conference will give you insight into best practices, challenges, and curriculum integration. As a culmination of the High Tunnels in Schools grant program, learn from teachers who have been using this tool to extend the gardening season and student learning. All participants will receive 16 hours of professional development credit, curriculum, books, and classroom resources. Date: August 9-10, 2016 Location: Edmeston Central School, Edmeston, NY Fee: $30 registration fee, includes meals Click here to learn more and register by August 1, 2016!

Free Webinar on How to Evaluate Economic Benefits of Local Food Systems

Local and regional food systems are helping revitalize rural and urban communities across the country.  The authors of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture guide to evaluate the economic impacts of investing in farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), food hubs, and other local food systems will discuss the toolkit during a free webinar on Thursday, April 28, 2016, at 3 p.m. E.T.

The Economics of Local Food Systems: A Toolkit to Guide Community Discussions, Assessments and Choices, developed by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) in cooperation with Colorado State University (CSU), uses real-world projects, experiences, and applied research to help community leaders, planners, economic development specialists, public agencies, and private businesses or foundations evaluate the economic benefits of local and regional food systems.

Audience:       Community leaders, planners, economic development specialists, public agencies, and private businesses or foundations

What:              Free webinar on how to use The Economics of Local Food Systems: A Toolkit to Guide Community Discussions, Assessments and Choices. The webinar will last approximately 90- minutes.

When:             3 p.m. E.T., Thursday, April 28, 2016

Speakers:        Debra Tropp, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

Alfonso Morales, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Becca Jablonski, Colorado State University

Dave Swenson, Iowa State University

Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University

To register for the webinar, please use this link: http://goo.gl/forms/JIOrvfQiMM

If you have any questions, please email: becca.jablonski@colostate.edu

Vets Growing Berries workshop

Vets Growing BerriesSaturday, April 23^rd, 9am-2pm
Apple Hills, 131 Brooks Rd, Binghamton, NY

Calling All Veterans: 
Do you have an interest in growing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or other small fruits? Maybe you’d like to start a U-pick, or sell at your local Farmers Market?

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County (Binghamton, NY) will be hosting a workshop with Cornell University faculty to teach about growing and marketing berries, and then will host an on-farm hands-on component at a local farm to see some techniques in action.

Register online here: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/vetsgrowingberries_203. $15 per person includes all materials and lunch.

Priority for spots will be given to veterans in the New York State, but others are welcome to attend as space permits.

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2015-70017-22882.

BEGINNING FARMER WORKSHOPS

The Growing Farmers Initiative at the Stone Barns Center for Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, NY holds beginning farmer workshops on Thursday afternoons. Workshops are free and open to the public.  To register and for more more info, visit the Virtual Grange.

Soils 101 | March 17 

Russ Briggs, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Propagation | March 24

Jack Algiere, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

Soil Food Webs | March 31

Janice Thies, Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Soil Testing and Fertility Management | April 7

Zach Wolf, Hawthorne Valley Farm; Locusts on the Hudson  

Botany | April 14 

Matthew Palmer, Columbia University Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department

Compost | April 21

Jack Algiere, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

Land Assessment | April 28

Crystal Stewart, Cornell Cooperative Extension

POULTRY SCHOOL

A 2 day intensive on March 19 and 20.  Poultry School is the place to be for learning a whole lot about running pastured poultry operations of any size. For more info check out the Virtual Grange.  Only a few tickets left – be sure to register soon to reserve a spot!

2016 Food Tank Summit

April 20-21 // Washington, DC

Food Tank, in partnership with American University, is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Washington, D.C. Food Tank Summit. This two-day event will feature more than 70 different speakers from the food and agriculture field. Researchers, farmers, chefs, policy makers, government officials, and students will come together for panels on topics including; nourishing the planet, improving nutrient density, the future of organic, investing in the food movement, legislating change in the food system, and more. Learn more and register here. 

Northern Veg School

March 15, 2016


Cost of $25 includes lunch and resource materials.

DEC pesticide recertification credits will be available for morning session and afternoon session
separately.

Speakers: Crystal Stewart, Chuck Bornt, Amy Ivy from the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program
Special Guest Speaker: Paul Arnold from Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, NY will speak on: Growing Salad
Greens Spring through Fall at Pleasant Valley Farm.

• 8:30‐9:00 Registration and coffee
• 9:00‐9:45 Root Vegetables, carrots, beets, parsnips - Crystal Stewart
• 9:45‐10:00 Making the most of soil testing - Amy Ivy
• 10:00‐10:15 Ginger and Edamame market possibilities - Amy Ivy
• 10:15‐10:45 Garlic - Crystal Stewart
• 10:45‐11:00 Break
• 11:00‐12:00 Growing Salad Greens Spring ‐ Fall at Pleasant Valley Farm - Paul Arnold
• 12:00‐12:15 Whole Farm Revenue Protection - Anita Deming
• 12:15‐1:00 Lunch from Clover Mead Cafe

Afternoon sessions include organic and conventional control options
Speakers are Chuck Bornt and Amy Ivy

• 1:00‐1:45 Disease control strategies for sweet corn, pumpkins, field grown vegs
• 1:45‐2:20 Insect control strategies for sweet corn, pumpkins, field grown vegs
• 2:20‐3:00 Weed control strategies in sweet corn, pumpkins, field grown vegs

A CONFERENCE EXPLORING LAND AND THE FOOD SYSTEM

This year's Just Food? conference will examine the relationship between people and land, primarily through agriculture and food. Conference events will explore the legal, moral, policy, health, historic and environmental aspects of our modern domestic and international food system, with a focus on the intersection of land and justice. The conference will bring together scholars, farmers, activists, practitioners, and other authorities to discuss the growing concerns about who has access to land, how agriculture changes land, and who is marginalized or dispossessed by our current system. Our goal is to educate attendees, empower them to make changes, and engage them in a larger dialogue about food.

WHEN

Friday, March 25, 2016 at 3:00 PM - Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 4:30 PM (EDT)

WHERE

Harvard Law School - Cambridge, MA 02138

More information

Save the date for New York State anti-hunger conference

Mark your calendars – Hunger Solutions New York will be holding a New York State Anti-Hunger Conference on Thursday, May 7th, 2015. This one-day conference will take place at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, New York, and will feature discussions and workshops on anti-hunger efforts in New York State. Please join us for this informative day!