cornellcooperativeextension

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October 2017 ELC – Pushing the Boundaries with Innovation

This autumn’s conference kicked off with Director Chris Watkins sharing the big-picture vision of what has been happening in Extension as he addressed the room of Association Executive Directors and leaders, CCE Administration staff, CCE partners, and faculty who gathered at the Marriott Ithaca on October 11 – 12. From recent attendance at national conference with his Extension peers, it is clear that the challenges we face across the country are similar, but the possibility of forging ahead with creative solutions is driving terrific collaboration and sharing on the national, state, and local level.

Illustrating some successful partnerships in programming were Dr. Chris Smart (CALS School of Integrative Plant Sciences) and Janice Degni (Southern Tier Dairy & Field Crops Team), who shared the evolution of the hemp initiative, and a collaborative approach on watershed quality issues on Owasco Lake by CCE Cayuga Executive Director Doug Ververs and Senior Extension Associate Karl Cyzmmek. There were also several representatives from our Program Work Teams on hand to share some of their latest projects and to engage in informal conversation with the audience.

 The evening of the first day capped off with the Internship Reception that highlighted the exciting work done by student interns throughout CCE during the summer. Dean Boor, Dean Mathios, and Vice Provost Judith Appleton lauded the enthusiasm, passion and impact expressed through the students’ projects. Dean Boor later joined the ELC attendees for dinner and inspired us with the college initiatives that will position Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension well to continue being leaders in our fields.

 Day two provided an opportunity to focus on broader organizational goals and to reflect upon civil rights from the “letter” to the “spirit” of the law. Basil Safi of the Office of Engaged Initiatives spoke about the ways in which CCE Associations partner with the University on student internships and faculty research proposals. Eskedar Getahun led us through highlights from the survey data and connected these to earlier themes in the strategic planning process. Sarah Dayton previewed some areas within civil rights where we will be focusing in the coming weeks and months.

 Eduardo Gonzalez opened a dialogue on how to engage people in discussions on diversity through lessons learned from the 4-H Diversity Inclusion Cohort, which led perfectly into our keynote speaker, Angela Winfield who is the Director of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity at Cornell University. Angela challenged our assumptions and urged us to be vulnerable and to be students of diversity, as this openness will help move us forward.

 As always, Julie Suarez brought her experience and energy to cap off our 2-day conference with timely advice and guidance on how to take our mission and translate it into practical action through our 224 increase initiative.

 The overarching theme of the conference was to push the boundaries of innovation and to continue to make meaningful connections with individuals in our communities, as well as with partners on campus.  Our organization will continue to explore all of these with the unveiling of our Strategic Plan at the ELC on December 7 – 8 in Ithaca.

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Sea Grant assists hurricane prep in NYC Communities

By Paul C. Focazio, NYSG Interim Communications Manager

Five years post-Sandy, Helen Cheng says the superstorm “still looms in the memories of our stakeholders, but I’m looking forward to working with groups to help them prepare for coastal hazards and to be resilient for the next big storm.” Her next opportunity will be next week (Wednesday, September 27th, 2017), when the fourth in a series of New York City-based “Climate Forums” – each co-sponsored by New York Sea Grant (NYSG) and the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay (SRI@JB) – will focus on hurricane preparedness.

The topic is an ever-so timely one, as forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Sea Grant's federal parent agency, announced their revised predictions in early August for the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1st to November 30th. This included a higher likelihood of an above-normal season and thereby an increase in the predicted number of named storms and major hurricanes. At the time, NOAA reported that “the season has the potential to be extremely active, and could be the most active since 2010.”

According to inflation-adjusted estimates from NOAA, 20 storms causing a billion dollars or more in damage have taken place since 2010 (up through mid-August 2017’s Hurricane Harvey), compared with nine billion-dollar floods in the full decade of the 1980s. Seven have hit since 2016, including October’s Hurricane Matthew and February’s California flooding.

Cheng’s most recent forum will be held at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island, Brooklyn, which itself was closed for seven months after late-October 2012’s Superstorm Sandy hit. During that closure, the Aquarium’s 12,000 animals needed tending to, the power was restored and the buildings were secured and cleaned.  The Aquarium, which is within NOAA’s Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center Network, will see a major part of its $151+ million rebuild – a new section called Ocean Wonders: Sharks – completed next summer.

In addition to NYSG and SRI@JB, presenters at this month’s forum will include the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN), NOAA’s National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center, NYC’s Office of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The night’s discussions will be followed by a "tools cafe," where in speakers and community residents will have an opportunity to interact, sharing resources and asking and answering questions.

Cheng says the overall objective of these forums is to establish a platform for dialogue and raise awareness by bringing scientists, decision-makers and community members together. “Our aim is to highlight climate change concerns and offer resources and tools that can help develop policies, strategies, programs and practices linked to flooding and other storm-related issues that these local communities in New York City face.”

Conversations will center on: How the current climate fuels the development of hurricanes; Updates on this year’s hurricane outlook; and how people respond to storm warnings. In regards to that last point, Cheng says it will be important to provide attendees with a step-by-step process of what to do when there is a hurricane warning, which was a hallmark of the recently-completed NOAA and Sea Grant-supported social science studies funded under the Coastal Storm Awareness Program.

In addition to starting up the climate forums in Fall 2016 – a series with seasonal topical shifts – Cheng is helping NYC coastal communities grapple with the risks of coastal living and collaborating on restoration programs that aim to improve water quality and decrease erosion. Her podcast series, which provides an auditory perspective of Jamaica Bay, can be heard at www.srijb.org/jbpodcast or www.nyseagrant.org/jamaicabay.

Photo: Helen Cheng, NYSG’s Jamaica Bay Coastal Resilience Specialist at SRIatJB. Credit: Jason Koski, Cornell University Photography

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Cornell Garden-Based Learning Leadership Certificate & Mini-Grant Program

This year Cornell Garden-Based Learning (CGBL) facilitated its first Leadership Certificate with a mini-grant to follow, for Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators throughout the state. The six-month experience was led by educator enrichment specialist Fiona Doherty and senior extension associate Marcia Eames-Sheavly.

After a call for proposals, we selected four teams from an impressive pool of applicants. The inaugural cohort includes teams from Albany, Oneida, Putnam and Steuben counties. These teams were composed of educators from at least two program areas.

Above: Educators Jennifer Stengle and Katherine Everitt work with youth to build raised beds at Camp Herrlich in Putnam County.

About the leadership development approach…

The leadership group met once a month via Zoom, engaging in program development and leadership exercises.  With their $1,000 mini-grant, individuals from different program areas have worked together to strategically plan and implement garden-based learning projects in their communities.

We introduced a variety of tools, from program development tools such as Hart’s Ladder of Young People’s Participation, the ADDIE Model, the CGBL Evaluation Toolkit and the CGBL Logic Model, to more personal and team development approaches, including the MBTI, Hartman’s drama triangle, and diverse reflective questions to explore as a team between meeting times.

Reflection was integrated throughout the six months, a practice that participants found to be incredibly – perhaps even surprisingly – valuable.

What did participants have to say about impacts?

“Going through the program development and planning portion together helped us identify our goals for both our organization and our participants. Those goals provided a target to aim for as we developed activities and worked with partners. They also provided a framework for evaluation. So even in the midst of a crazy busy time, we could refer back to those goals to develop evaluation questions, saving us lots of time.” –Jennifer Stengle and Katherine Everitt, CCE Putnam

“This project helped us understand the importance of short term and long term planning. It also emphasized the importance of evaluation and reflection. Both facilitators became more fully aware of the impact of utilizing a logic model and purposefully planning programming. We’ve learned that sometimes less is more and free time to explore and discover is essential.” –Jenny Groen and Stephanie Mehlenbacher, CCE Steuben

“Not having much experience with youth education, I have found this very rewarding to be a part of. To see the youth make the connections and learn has been very meaningful.” –Stephanie Mehlenbacher, CCE Steuben

“The leadership certificate helped us distinguish the leadership style of each team member. It also allowed us to understand our part in leading youth and how we can be most effective communicating and working.” –Holly Wise, Alexandrea Samoray and Debra Richardson, CCE Oneida

The time we were able to spend reflecting on our projects was invaluable and made us “think outside the box” when it comes to planning new, innovative activities and evaluating program participation. –Sean Taylor and Barb Stevens, CCE Albany

Visit the Cornell Garden-Based Learning website or Facebook page for updates on the 2017 projects. Interested in participating in the 2018 cohort? Contact Fiona Doherty at fcd9@cornell.edu and stay tuned for the call for proposals in the next few months. 

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June ELC Highlights Coalitions and a Look to the Future

“With the right organization, groups are remarkably intelligent, often smarter than the smartest individual in them.” -James Surowiecki, The Wisdom of Crowds

On June 14-15, Association Executive Directors, Board members, faculty, and Extension Administration staff in attendance at the June 2017 Executive Leadership Conference (ELC) joined together to learn and network. They explored shared organizational goals through the lens of our strategic planning process, examined leadership skills through StrengthsFinders and gleaned lessons from the democratic, balanced decision-making process of bees.

Conference attendees were updated on 4-H statewide initiatives, funding and investment opportunities at the 4-H Foundation, and the statewide Agriculture in the Classroom program. Breakout sessions relevant to board development were designed to support both Executive Directors and boards in creating effective Associations as well as internal and external partnerships.  

Keynote speaker Dr. Thomas Seeley’s extensive research on the democracy of bees dovetailed with the conference theme of Clever Coalitions. The keynote and the conference theme highlight CCE’s interdependence and underscores the need for us to align our efforts through a shared vision of the future. Our hope is to build a series of linked learning, sharing networking experiences to promote the goal of strong, vibrant local Associations. 

Save the Date! The next ELC will be held in Ithaca on October 11-12, 2017.

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Summer Railroad Excursion

Back by popular demand! The CCE Adirondack Summer Excursion on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad...Saturday, August 26, 2017.

9:30 AM  Train departs Utica Union Station (Boehlert Transportation Center) 7:00 PM  Trains returns to Utica

Open to all county, regional and campus CCE employees and their families, the summer adventure is hosted by the New York State Association of County Agricultural Agents. 

REGISTER at the NWNY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crop Team website Find event details, on-line registration by credit card and mail-in payment by check info (necessary for children). 

CCE will have two train cars for exclusive use on the regularly scheduled run to Thendara (Old Forge) and Big Moose. Travelers will also have access to the rest of the train including the sightseeing baggage car and café car offering adult beverages.

 ·        Morning trip includes coffee, tea, juices and pastries ·         Return trip includes snacks, juices, water, soft drinks, coffee ·         Wine and beer will be available for purchase ·         No carry-on adult beverages are permitted by the railroad ·         You may carry on your own food and soft drinks

OPTION 1: Basic Package

Adults $45, children (12 & under) $30

Detrain in Thendara at 11:45 AM, take free shuttle for an afternoon in Old Forge. Departure for the return to Utica is at 4:30 PM.

Take a side trip to McCauley Mountain on the free shuttle to ride the chairlift to the top ($6 adults, $5 kids). Pay at McCauley. No reservations necessary.

OR, After a short layover in Thendara, continue north at 12:00 PM for another 11 miles to Big Moose. Experience some real mountain railroading with S-curves, heavy grades and rock cuts!

Note: Lunch buffet at the Big Moose Station Restaurant is not available to railroad passengers this summer. Train returns to Thendara around 2:00 PM. If time permits, take a shuttle ride and make a quick visit to Old Forge.

OR Take a 2-hour cruise on the Fulton Chain of Lakes out of Old Forge starting at 1:00 PM. Time for lunch in Old Forge prior to boarding the boat cannot be guaranteed. Opt for the box lunch option or pack your own.

Due to website limitations, reservations for the Old Forge Lake Cruise cannot be processed online by us.

Go to www.oldforgelakecruises.com or call 315-369-6473 for reservations. Additional adult fare $20; children (12 & under) $13.

OPTION 2: Basic Package + Lunch

Adults $55, children (12 & under) $35

Make-your-own box lunch sandwich with sides and drinks on the train! Take it with you into Old Forge, to McCauley Mountain, on the lake cruise or eat it on board while traveling to Big Moose.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy a day full of great scenery, camaraderie and networking with other CCE folks from around the state.

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Many thanks to the executive directors and association board presidents who patiently posed for yesterday's group photo at the CCE Executive Leadership Conference hosted on the beautiful Cornell University campus. Pictured is nearly every CCE association executive director and board president from across New York State along with representatives from CCE administration. Rumor has it that this photo represents the first time they've all been photographed at the same time in the same place ... Quite a collection of leaders.

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NYC Family & Youth Development Program Leader Receives National Urban Extension Award

Jacqueline Davis-Manigaulte (second from left) was presented the National Urban Extension Leadership Award at the 2017 National Urban Extension Conference: Engaging in Collective Purpose held in Bloomington, Minnesota last month. Davis-Manigaulte is the Family and Youth Development Program leader and the Director of Community Relations for Cornell University Cooperative Extension’s NYC programs (CUCE-NYC).

Cornell Cooperative Extension Director Chris Watkins said, “I am delighted that Jackie has received the National Urban Extension Leadership Award, as it is such well-deserved recognition of her outstanding contributions to urban extension in NYC. Working in any urban setting, let alone NYC, presents great challenges. Jackie has successfully turned these into opportunities to engage youth and the community in healthy eating and active living programs. I am proud of her work on behalf of Cornell University.” 

Jennifer Tiffany, CUCE-NYC’s Executive Director and BCTR’s Director of Outreach and Community Engagement said that Jackie had a vision of being a transformational educator when she was a Cornell undergraduate student, and she has lived by – and lived up to – that vision. 

“This biennial award shows national appreciation of Jackie’s achievements and work on behalf of children, families and communities in New York,” said Tiffany.

Davis-Manigaulte said, “It is a pleasure to collaborate with colleagues throughout the city, state and country to create initiatives designed to enhance the knowledge and perspectives of youth, families and communities based on the research and resources of Cornell University and the Cooperative Extension System. Our youth are our future, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to their positive development. I truly appreciate this recognition of my efforts.”

Jackie holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University, a master’s degree in Home Economics from New York University and a doctorate in Adult Education from Columbia University and has worked with a wide range of NYC, state and national organizations to provide programs for youth and families. 

Her programs promote experiential learning, leadership development and educational attainment, and encourage healthy eating and active living for youth, families, parents, caregivers and professional youth workers throughout New York City. Jackie is a Principal Investigator for the National 4-H Youth Mentoring Program/4-H Tech Wizards Program, a national initiative focused on youth mentoring, community service and projects that incorporate science and technology. 

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NY Sea Grant, Cornell to Survey high water impact

New York Sea Grant has awarded rapid response funding to Cornell University to develop and conduct a standardized high water impact survey in the areas along southern and eastern Lake Ontario. 

This effort is in response to stakeholder requests for a standardized method to collect data on the impacts of high water levels on waterfront properties.

The information collected will be used to identify areas that are most vulnerable to high water levels in the future and to inform future community flood risk planning.

The survey was pilot tested in the Sodus Bay area of Wayne County, NY, and will be made available through municipality email lists and New York Sea Grant social media to property owners in communities along southern and eastern Lake Ontario. Survey responses will be accepted through August 31, 2017.

The project leaders are New York Sea Grant Coastal Community Development Specialist Mary Austerman, Cornell University Assistant Professor of Biological and Environmental Engineering Dr. Scott Steinschneider, and Cornell University Professor of Natural Resources Dr. Richard C. Stedman. Anyone interested in taking the survey may access it at https://cornell.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6RNKD5WAM0hz3U1 or contact Mary Austerman at 315-331-8415 or mp357@cornell.edu.

New York Sea Grant is also developing a specific survey for the St. Lawrence River region.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, and one of 3 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes regional offices in Buffalo, Newark and Oswego. For updates on New York Sea Grant activities statewide, www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube links.

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New Climate Forum series bridges gap between science and NYC coastal communities

By Paul C. Focazio, New York Sea Grant

In an effort to improve the coordination and delivery of climate, weather and preparedness-related information to critically-affected sectors and vulnerable communities in New York City (NYC), New York Sea Grant (NYSG) partnered with the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay (SRIatJB) in November 2016 to launch a Climate Forum Series.

The objective of these forums – the third of which, “Beat the Heat,” will be held in the evening of Wednesday, May 24th at the Rockaway Institute for a Sustainable Environment (RISE) Center in Far Rockaway, NY – is to enhance the public’s awareness of climate-related coastal events and how they link to short-term weather threats.

“We’re finding that bringing the diverse perspective and expertise of scientists, weather forecasters, emergency managers, local decision-makers and community leaders into one room with city residents makes these forums unique and powerful," says Adam Parris, SRIatJB’s Executive Director.

“These communities value access to resources and the strength of social ties that arise when different groups come together,” says forum host and facilitator Helen Cheng, SRIatJB’s New York Sea Grant Coastal Resilience Specialist. “Their members know that there is a lot of information available, but it may not be easily accessible or even understandable. So, sharing information and perspectives with each other through the series’ peer-to-peer interaction is helping to create awareness, appreciation and care for shared goals of preparedness and resilience. "

Just in time for summer, this most recent forum focuses on how warm heat waves can get in New York City, how heat affects the human body, and how residents can prepare themselves for extreme heat situations. It’s a topic of major concern, as heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the U.S. In New York City, more than 80% of heat stroke deaths involved victims who were exposed to heat in homes without air conditioning.

Presenters include the Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast (CCRUN), the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, the NYC Department of Health and NYC’s Office of Emergency Management. These talks will be followed by a "tools cafe," where in speakers and community residents will have an opportunity to interact, sharing resources and asking and answering questions.

Though the first two climate forums— November 2016’s “From Hurricanes to Snow Storms (Nor’easters)” and March 2017’s “Rising Above the Flood”—occurred in, respectively, Brighton Beach/Coney Island and Canarsie, Brooklyn, many who attended came from coastal communities throughout New York City, including Staten Island and Harlem. And while sources for receiving weather and severe-weather events varied, a majority expressed an affinity for The Weather Channel, followed by Television and Radio.

For more on the Climate Forum Series, visit NYSG at www.nyseagrant.org/jamaicabay. Also featured is a newly-launched podcast series. Each story is from one of the nearly three million people who live and work in the estuary’s watershed, most of which is situated in the City’s boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, with portions in the east falling within Long Island’s Nassau County.

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CCE graduates two from LEAD New York

On April 21, Marie Anselm, Agriculture Economic Development Specialist, CCE Ontario and Cheryl Thayer, Local Food Distribution & Marketing Specialist, Harvest New York, graduated from LEAD New York, a two-year leadership development program for professionals in the food, agriculture and natural resource industries of the Northeast.

In the first year, monthly meetings are held at different locations throughout New York State, focusing on self-awareness and leadership skills. Successful completion of year one leads to a certificate that positions participants to serve in a variety of local leadership roles.

Participants reapply for the second year of the program, which involves 30 days of commitment and involves out-of-state and international travel, including a two-week study tour. Those who successfully complete the second year of the program become LEAD Fellows.

Newly-minted Lead Fellow Anselm said that LEAD New York gave her the opportunity to expand professionally and personally and that exposure to numerous agricultural sectors and personalities from all across New York State was incredibly valuable.

“As a CCE employee, I interact regularly with many diverse communities and I can honestly say that my experience in LEAD New York gave me the tools to more confidently and professionally engage with the stakeholders I encounter in my job. I’m thankful to LEAD NY, and to my CCE association, for my time in the program,” said Anselm Thayer echoed Anselm’s sentiment saying that the program exposed her to all facets of the food system, from a local, national and international perspective, and greatly improved her skills in public speaking, effective group facilitation and the ability to motivate others.  She said her experiences provided her with the knowledge and confidence to bring together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds with a shared goal of building stronger regional food systems.  

“The network of high-caliber individuals and organizations that I met through LEAD New York will undoubtedly serve as a tremendous asset as I continue my career in agriculture and food systems development," said Thayer.  

LEAD New York Executive Director Larry Van De Valk says the program is an “excellent professional development opportunity for virtually any CCE staff member.”

For more information, contact Van De Valk at ljv4@cornell.edu or check the LEAD New York website.

Cheryl Thayer, Local Food Distribution & Marketing Specialist, Harvest New York, Beth Claypoole, CCE Wayne Executive Director and LEAD New York Fellow, Marie Anselm, Agriculture Economic Development Specialist, CCE Ontario. Thayer and Anselm graduated from the LEAD New York program in April.

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Growing Eastern NY grape industry spurs marketing & employment opportunities

The “October 2016 Grape Production in the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Region” report by Elizabeth Higgins, business management specialist, Hudson Valley Lab, Highland, NY, quantifies industry growth as:

a 34 percent increase in the number of grape-growing operations 2007-2012 with a 50 percent increase in grape acres,

the 2001-2012 doubling of grape production acres in Ulster, Columbia,   Dutchess and Orange counties,2001-2012 growth from nearly zero to 100-plus grape acres in Clinton, Essex, Saratoga and Washington counties,

and 108 wineries affiliated with local grape production; with new wineries expected.

 “We have seen a proliferation of vineyards, along with hops, cheese and fiber niche industries, able to take advantage of the infrastructure built by our local dairy industry. The wineries have really taken off and not only contribute to our economy, but help keep our communities strong and maintain our agrarian landbase and the rural quality of life our business owners and employees want,” says Town Supervisor Sara S. Idleman, Town of Greenwich, Washington County.

In “The Northern Grapes Baseline and Economic Impact Study" by Cornell Horticulture Professor Tim Martinson and University of Minnesota Senior Economic Impact Analyst Brigid Tuck for a 12-state region that includes NY, Tuck notes, “Growth is measured in terms of both new vineyards coming into existence and existing vineyards expanding acreage as well as adding winery operations to take in agritourism dollars.”

Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association President Michael Migliore points out that 11.5 million people live within a 90-minute drive and notes the Shawangunk Wine Trail, with 15 members from Warwick north to New Paltz, makes a sizeable investment in attracting thousands of visitors with tours and events.

“Seventy-five percent of Trail member wines are sold at the best profit margin at the vineyard-level. That opportunity is prompting next-gen apple growers to consider a return to Eastern New York’s historic grape roots in the heyday before Prohibition,” Migliore says.

Mary Kay Vrba, president of Dutchess Tourism.com, cites modern day legislation with a positive impact. She notes, “The Farm Winery Bill passed in 1976, paving the way for rapid growth of the Hudson Valley wine industry. Today, we see this industry adding to the entire craft beverage movement and local wines play a major role in branding not only Dutchess County but the Hudson Valley.”

To capitalize on consumer interest in diversified beverage experiences, Migliore has developed a visit-all-three package with a cidery, a distillery, and his own Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery in Gardiner, in Ulster County.

Doug Glorie of Glorie Farm Winery, Marlboro, NY, is spearheading the one-year-old Hudson Valley Cabernet Franc Coalition, LLC, creating excitement around a single signature variety.

“Every year I plant more Cabernet Franc vines with different clones to add complexity to our wines. Growers are rallying ‘round to draw tasters to Cabernet Franc and then discover our many wines. I expect in 5 to 10 years this region will be recognized as the best Cabernet Franc region in the state,” Glorie says.

Meeting the quality standards of the paid-membership Coalition allows vintners to brand their wines with a unique logo that signals they were made with Hudson Valley-grown or sourced grapes.

Glorie is pleased that the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program (ENYCHP) of Cornell University Cooperative Extension, serving a 17-county area spanning the Hudson Valley, Champlain Valley, and Capital regions, is hiring a new viticulture specialist to begin work this spring.

“Cornell resources provide a tremendous conduit of knowledge supporting grape production, winemaking, and farm business management. Their support is critical for new growers and growers adding wineries,” Glorie says.

“From site evaluation for planting our first vines and best management production practices to winemaking techniques and the business of tasting rooms, the assistance of the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program has directly benefitted our farm business,” says Gerry Barnhart, owner-operator of 3.5 acre Victory View Vineyard in Easton in Washington County.

Barnhart harvests 15 tons of grapes annually to make 600-800 cases of wine sold at the vineyard tasting room and through marketing outreach that includes wine services to bridal showers, office parties, cheese tours and other local events

“Thanks to the ‘northern’ grape varieties developed by Cornell and in Minnesota, we have seen significant growth in smaller vineyards since we began in 2008,” Barnhart adds.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming a grapes specialist to help maximize learning opportunities to support vineyard and wine industry growth throughout Eastern New York,” says ENYCHP Small Fruit and Vegetable Team Leader Laura McDermott.

The newly-hired specialist will work with growers throughout the 17-county region and oversee new varieties planting at the cold-hardy grape research nursery at the Willsboro Research Farm along Lake Champlain in Willsboro, NY. Growers, private grape breeders, and representatives of the Cornell-USDA and University of Minnesota grape breeding programs helped develop a list of 21 potential new cold-hardy varieties for evaluation at the nursery established and now being refreshed with grant funding from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program.

Migliore credits the advent of grape varieties that tolerate NY winters well as a positive force in overcoming the Euro-centric wine preferences dominating the metropolitan mindset in Northeastern cities.

To access ENYCHP educational resources, newsletters, and pest alerts, grape and horticultural crop growers in Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Dutchess, Essex, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Ulster, Warren, and Washington counties can enroll in the ENYCHP at https://enych.cce.cornell.edu/enrollment.php. Those outside the 17- county region may enroll as satellite members. Learn more at www.enychp.cce.cornell.edu.

Photo: Hudson Valley Wine and Grape Association President Michael Migliore at his Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery in Gardiner, NY, Ulster County. Photo courtesy of Whitecliff Vineyard and Winery.

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Extension helps North Country grow grapes, wine community

Growing grapes in northeastern New York and Vermont requires a hardy vine and a committed hand. Offering wineries a helping hand with the agriculture, viticulture and commercial challenges of growing grapes in a rugged climate are researchers and extension educators from Cornell and the University of Vermont.

The green and red partnership was on display at the 2017 Northeastern New York and Vermont Grape School, held March 9 in Lake George, New York. Co-hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s (CCE) Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture (ENYCH) program and the University of Vermont Grape Program, the one-day workshop brought together 47 current and potential vineyard and winery owners from the region.

“Cornell’s role is an important one in this region because the cold climate grape and wine industry in the North Country of New York and Vermont is very young,” said Anna Wallis, grape and tree fruit specialist with ENYCH who also oversees planting of cold-hardy grape varieties at Cornell’s Willsboro Research Farm. “And it is undergoing significant growth in terms of the number of producers, acreage planted, employment and development of growers’ expertise.

“The community aspect is also still a work in progress,” she continued. “We’re working to develop relationships between all the industry players.”

Lindsay Campagna, a winery owner in New York’s Champlain Valley appreciated the opportunity to connect with experts and peers as well as the broad variety of topics covered. “We look forward to networking with individuals who ‘have been there and done that’ to get some firsthand knowledge of specific hurdles we are facing,” she said. “The vineyards in the Champlain Valley recognize that we need to work together to grow our industry and increase tourism. Since the Champlain Valley hasn’t been formally seen as a wine region, we are the pioneers in this voyage and have to work especially hard to brand our wines.”

Supplying expertise at the Grape School were CCE business management, fruit and viticulture specialists, along with a UVM fruit specialist and officials from the New York Grape and Wine Association.

Many of the presenters are members of the Northern Grapes Project, a multistate team providing viticulture, enology and marketing guidance to rural vineyards and wineries in the northeast and upper midwest. Plants developed through the Northern Grape Project inhabit many of the North Country vineyards and can withstand temperatures as low as minus 30 Fahrenheit.

Tim Martinson, Cornell viticulture specialist and senior extension associate is the team’s project director. Specializing in crop-load management and training systems in commercial vineyards in northern New York, Martinson’s Grape School presentation updated attendees on weed and floor management best practices.

Highlighting the event was an afternoon program on using olfactory receptors to identify wine faults presented by Anna Katharine Mansfield, Cornell associate professor of enology, and extension associate Chris Gerling. Both are members of the Northern Grape Project and under their tutelage attendees used their noses to identify wine traits consumers find favorable and flaws that rate as unfavorable.

“Based on the post-event feedback, attendees appreciated learning about elements that affect wine quality,” said Lindsey Pashow, agriculture business development and marketing specialist with CCE’s Harvest New York regional agriculture team. “In order for the cold-climate wine industry to have an economic impact, gain recognition and expand, our wineries need to continually strive to improve wine quality – just like our counterparts in more established regions such as the Finger Lakes and Long Island have done.”

Campagna said the Grape School epitomizes CCE’s commitment to that growth – both regionally and with her operation. “Extension has been such a huge help in getting us where we are today and they are always our first call when we encounter a problem or have questions,” she said. “Anna and Lindsey have been great at guiding us through things or steering us in the right direction on who to ask. I think the North Country is truly an exciting place right now, just being recognized as a wine region, and I’m excited about seeing our region grow in the coming years.”

View more photos from the event

R.J. Anderson is a writer/communications specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension.

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'Meat and Greet' fair brings farmers to local tables

When it comes to shopping for meat, more consumers are looking for products raised locally. Many of those consumers, however, have trouble connecting with nearby farms to satisfy their buying preferences. Looking to break down that barrier in upstate New York was the inaugural Meat & Greet Farmer and Chef Fair.

Held March 11 at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, the event was a collaboration between Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ Finger Lakes Institute. Also sponsored by the Meat Suite Project and Finger Lakes Culinary Bounty, the event brought together more than 20 farms and well over 100 consumers, including home cooks, professional chefs, restaurateurs and food distributors.

When Kyli Knickerbocker, co-owner of Firestone Farms in Livonia, New York, first heard about the Meat & Greet Fair, she was quick to sign on as vendor. In taking advantage of the networking opportunity – both with consumers and fellow farmers – she and her partner, Jake Stevens, appreciated having a much-needed forum to explain and promote their farm’s value-added agricultural practices.

“I think communities do a great job supporting local vegetable farmers,” said Knickerbocker, who raises beef, poultry and heritage breed hogs along with vegetables and herbs. “However, for whatever reason, consumers aren’t quite as confident taking the plunge to buy meat from local farms.”

Having a positive story and access to an audience, she said, is essential for overcoming that barrier.

“At our booth, we saw a steady stream of consumers from the area who wanted to hear about our pasture-raised livestock and our farm,” said Knickerbocker, also a high school math teacher. “It goes a long way when we’re able to explain and show the care we put into our animals and the sustainable practices we use, such as supplementing feed with scratched or bruised produce from our fields and local grocery stores, and how we work with local breweries and distilleries to reuse their spent brewer’s grain for cattle and pig feed.”

Event organizer Nancy Glazier, small farms specialist with CCE’s Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops agriculture team, has worked with Firestone Farms on a variety of projects, including sustainability measures and obtaining quality assurance certifications. She said the challenges Firestone faces are hardly unique.

“Producers do a great job of taking care of their animals and the day-to-day things, but marketing often does not always come naturally to those folks,” said Glazier. “But it is so important that farmers get out and let consumers get to know them. There is no one better positioned to tell an animal’s and farm’s story than the farmers themselves.”

In addition to the display booths manned by farmers from around the region, the Meat & Greet Fair featured cooking demonstrations from four local chefs using products provided by event vendors. Scott Riesenberger, chef at Ravinous Kitchen at Ravines Wine Cellars in Geneva, who prepared fried duck and waffles using fowl from Ox Creek Farm in Canandaigua, New York, recently moved back to the area after 17 years cooking in and around New York City. He told the crowd that in culinary circles, duck from the Finger Lakes region is recognized as the best in the northeast.

That day marked the first time he had cooked with a duck from Ox Creek Farms. “It was a great opportunity for chefs like me to get exposed to new producers from around the area that we otherwise might not,” Riesenberger said. “My restaurant focuses on incorporating local ingredients into our menu, so making these connections is ideal.”

Despite being held on a snowy, bitter-cold day, organizers said the Meat & Greet exceeded all expectations. “Attendance was great and we got tremendous feedback on the networking aspect,” said Glazier, who spearheaded CCE’s efforts along with Marie Anselm, agriculture economic development specialist. “Driving the event’s success was the collaborative effort between CCE and the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. We at extension have the farmer connections and my co-organizer Sarah Meyer from the Finger Lakes Institute has a rich network of restaurants that she called on. It was a successful recipe.”

R.J. Anderson is a writer/communications specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension.

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Training Capital District farmers to be 'Market Ready’ for institutions

By Regina M. Tillman

Partnerships developed by American Farmland Trust /Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS) are allowing farmers to learn about the expanding opportunities for selling their locally grown and produced foods to local institutions, as in school districts, hospitals and daycare centers. One of the first of these opportunities occurring in NYS was on Monday, March 6 with the support of SUNY Adirondack, Capital District Child Care Council, Cornell Cooperative Extension Offices of Saratoga and Schoharie/Otsego Counties, and the Agricultural Stewardship Association. Their combined efforts resulted in a “Market Ready” Workshop being brought to the Capital Region.

Both large and small-scale farmers in the region could find benefits from attending this full day program that was conducted in several venues in Troy NY. It began with the fundamentals of servicing a wholesale market, still a new subject to many farmers. Covered were subjects like establishing a line of communication that benefited all involved, the how-to of pricing for this market along with packaging, invoicing, and quality assurance, presented by  Jared Woodcock, Agriculture Coordinator, SUNY Adirondack. CCE Saratoga County’s Jennifer Koval followed with several tips specific to schools.

 After the provided lunch, tours began which allowed the points made throughout the morning to be seen within the environments of wholesale and institutional buyers. Starting out with a location within Capital Roots, which also served as meeting host, staff member Will Malcolm, Food Access Manager, serving as a guide to their Food Hub. This was followed by a visit a few blocks away to the Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO), where the head cook, Michael Barker, and Morgan Storms, Director of Early Childhood Services, spoke of their needs when preparing hundreds of meals every day for their clientele.

The strongest impression from these tours for the farmers, as well as from participating buyers, may have been that these organizations were taking the purchase and preparation of local foods very seriously. Their diligence showed within discussions of what they needed to consider under limiting factors such as client knowledge and experience with using whole, raw foods, or the additional time required to prepare the farm fresh items for a quantity meal production operation that is generally run on a shoestring budget.

The day closed with yet another rewarding option provided to all workshop attendees. Market Ready Workshop participants had also been invited to a Buyer-Seller Mixer at no extra charge, conducted at Revolution Hall in Troy. The Mixer had been scheduled through a separate Baskets to Pallets program, offered through Cornell Small Farms along with other partners, but with a similar focus. Workshop attendees joined with other farmers to make the rounds to various buyer tables, initiating contact and establishing connections to develop for future sales. This included local sellers Kenyon Parsons of Parson's Vegetable Farm (Sharon Springs) and Carolyn Wellington of Wellington Herbs and Spices (Schoharie), and buyers Barbara Moore and Terry Gillooley of Middleburgh CSD.

“More and more people of various organizations, institutions and vocations are realizing the immense benefits of supporting a local food supply system, for the health of their constituents and their own families, as well as for the economic wellbeing of the community,” says Regina Tillman, a Market Ready workshop partner and Farm to School Educator, CCE Schoharie & Otsego Counties. “We are now at a point in time that requires that finally all of the dots are connected so that small farmers can scale up sufficiently enough to meet the expanding consumer and institutional demands for locally grown, farm fresh foods.”

Regina Tillman is project director for the Schoharie Valley Farm to School Project.

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CCE Livestock Educator looks back at his first year

I’ve been at this job for a year now.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was walking in the door and nervously sitting at my empty desk. I was so excited. I worked so hard on my own farm to gain an understanding of what drives both man and beast and now it was my opportunity to apply this in a practical manner. I expected to be challenged (thank you 4-H), I expected to be supported (thank you Elizabeth), I expected to have fun (thank you all of the staff who make me laugh everyday), and I expected to make and miss deadlines (thank you Livestock Weekly Update). 

What I didn’t see coming was that I would be inspired. Every day I have the privilege of interacting with the hardest working men and women in the world.  In one of the most difficult seasons for my own farm, I found solace in my peers, in their kind words, and in our shared tears and struggles.  Sharing teaching duties with my mentors (think cowboy hat) and rubbing shoulders with some of the most progressive educators in the country (who may or may not capitalize their first name), this job allowed me to both be who I am and do what I do. Over the years I’ve said a lot of things while working those acres. Some of them, well most of them, can’t be reprinted here, but of all the phrases I have uttered there is one that stands out: “I couldn’t have done it without you.”  After a difficult calving, or needing someone to hold a nut while I fire up the torch, or when I’m assisted by those rare souls who have the foolish tenacity to help me herd animals, this phrase means more to me than anything in the world.  So to all the people who helped me this year, whether it was in finding the stapler (thanks Carrie) to moving my hay multiple times because I can’t make up my mind (thanks Brian), I want to say thank you and I couldn’t have done it without you.  Here’s to rain, and grass, and many births, and lots of squash, to the sun being out with just enough rain to keep the irrigation equipment in the shed, to full CSA lists, to good cell counts, to twins, to new businesses and sales, to better beer, and thick honey.  I wish the best for all of you, but just in case you need something, please don’t forget to hit me up.  It’s my job..

Jason Detzel, Livestock Educator, Ulster County

Photo Marc Suffern