Upcoming Events & Information
February 9: Pesticide Applicator Training Session
9:30 - Noon New York State Dept. of Environemntal Conservation Office, Bath
Participate in a pesticide applicator training session on February 9th from 9:30 AM until noon at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation office on Coon Rd. in Bath. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County and the Bath office of the NYS DEC are partnering to provide a review of topics such as the worker protection standards and regulatory issues, as well as the core manual one week prior to the pesticide applicator certification exam. This class does not qualify you to take the exam. You must contact Chris Wainwright with the NYS DEC to set up the exam. The core manual and most category manuals can be purchased through the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in Bath. To register contact Christopher Wainwright at 607-776-2165 ext. 23.
February 10: Local Food Festival
4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Union Hall, Corning
February 11, March 10: Corning Winter Farmers' Market
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 1 West Market St., Corning (Information Center)
Purchase local vegetables, fruits, meats, breads, preserves, wreaths …& more! For more information Contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at 607-664-2300
February 14: Farm Transfer/Transition Workshop
11:00 - 2:00 p.m. Civil Defense Center, Bath
NY FarmNet will discuss farm business arrangements, transferring your farm, bringing in the next generation, transitioning to another enterprise or exiting farming. Attorney Patrick Roth from Corning will discuss Estate Planning, Using Trusts in your estate plan, and Medicaid Planning and eligibility including gifting (things you should know before giving away the farm).
There is $10.00 charge to cover lunch and materials, $5.00 for a second person from the same farm. Registration is needed by Friday, February 10th.
February 16: Beginning Hyrdroponics "Grow with the Flow"
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. CCE-Schuyler
What is hydroponics? From the Greek "working water", hydroponics simply means growing plants without soil by supplying all needednutrients in the plant's water supply. Come join Bryson Clark from Upstate Hydroponics and Garden Supply for an interesting session. Pre-registration is required by calling 607-535-7161 by Feb. 10. There is a $5 fee for this event.
2012 Sustainability Workshop Series
Register online here
C
CE-Steuben will be offering a series of workshops this winter each developed for individuals interested in sustainable living. The workshops will all be held at the Civil Defense Center on Route 54 in Bath. Two workshops are offered on each date. You may choose to attend only one or both workshops on a given date. Cost is $10 per class unless otherwise noted. To register for any of the classes please call CCE at 607-664-2300.
February 18
10:00am – Small Scale Solar for home & Garden
Participants will learn the basics of utilizing solar power. They will learn how to size and buy solar panels for various uses. Participants will also learn how to buy and/or build a small solar unit for home and garden uses. These uses include running a water pump to irrigate gardens, running exhaust fans, lighting applications, and other small electric motors.
Contact person Tom Tomsa, tnt5@cornell.edu1:00pm – Rainbarrels and Rain Gardens
Learn how to build your own inexpensive rain barrel. Rain barrels collect rain to be used during dry periods cutting your irrigation costs. Rain barrels are perfect for flower and vegetable garden enthusiasts. We will also discuss the site selection and design of rain gardens. Rain Gardens are used to slow down and collect runoff that may potentially contaminate waterways.
Contact person: Stephanie Mehlenbacher, sms64@cornell.eduMarch 24
9:00am – Establishing a Home Vineyard
Learn the keys to successful grape production at the sub-commercial level. This introductory level course will be taught by Mike Colizzi of the Finger Lakes Grape Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Contact person: Kerri Bartlett, ksb29@cornell.edu1:00pm – Growing Mushrooms at Home
Mushrooms are an amazing source of food and medicine that have been cultivated and wild-crafted by humans for thousands of years. Join Steve Gabriel of the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute to explore ways you can grow mushrooms easily at home or on the farm. Steve Gabriel will demonstrate the inoculation of shiitake, oyster, stropharia, and lions mane mushrooms. There will be mushroom kits for sale at the class. Cost of class - $20.00.
Contact person Stephanie Mehlenbacher, sms64@cornell.edu
February 21: Crop Symposium
10:30 - 2:30 p.m. Civil Defense Center, Bath
Topics include: Variety Selection, pest resistance and plant population effects on corn, soybeans and wheat, A practical look at field crop insect management, and Drainage systems for improved crop health & environment quality.
This program has been approved for 2 NYS-DEC recertification credits in categories 1a, 10 and 21; and 1.75 credits in category 23. Fee: $10 per person, register by Feb 17th.
February 28: Southern Tier Field Crop Workshop
10:30 - 2:30 p.m. Holiday Inn Express, Horseheads
Variety Selection, pest resistance and plant population effects on corn, soybeans and wheat, New Challenges with field crop diseases, and Drainage systems for improved crop health & environment quality.
This program has been approved for 2 NYS-DEC recertification credits in categories 1a, 10 and 21; and 1.5 credits in category 23. Those who attend the Bath Crop Symposium will only be eligible for 1 credit in 1a, 10 and 21; and 0.5 credits in category 23. Fee: $10 per person, register by Feb 24th.
February 29: Baby Calf Care: Raise Them Right!
10:30 - 2:30 p.m. Club 57, Hornell
Group housing and ad libitum feeding of baby calves is a hot topic amongst dairy farmers right now. Get the highlights from Pro-Dairy’s Group housing Symposium without the travel! We will have an advanced dairy systems “warm box” for those in attendance to look at and determine if buying or building your own unit is a good fit for your farm. Along with advances in nutrition, learn about the latest in calf barn design & construction, with a focus on ventilation for young calves. And finally learn how current calf feeding practices affects lifetime cow performance.
Fee is $30 per person, includes lunch & handouts.
March 3: 20th Annual Rural Landowner Workshop
9:00 - 3:00 Yorkshire, NY
On Saturday, March 3, 2012 Cornell University Cooperative Extension will be sponsoring the 20th Annual Rural Landowner Workshop. The program will begin at 9:00 AM and end at 3:00 PM. There will be three concurrent sessions with approximately four classes per session and you must choose one class per session.
The Rural Landowner Workshop is a regional program involving several agencies that provide educational information and outreach to landowners. Presenters are brought in from both private and public sectors to provide participants with up-to-date information. Some of this year’s topic highlights are: Wild Apple Trees for Wildlife, Oil & Gas Landowner Coalitions in the Utica and Marcellus shale formation Areas, The Woods in your Backyard, Small-scale Woodlot Logging and Management, Protecting your Timber and Wildlife Resources During Natural Gas Operations, Bats of New York, Best Management Practices for Timber Production, Safety in the Woodlots and many more.
The program will be held at Pioneer Central School located on County Line Road in Yorkshire, NY. There is a cost for this program and pre-registration is required. The deadline for registration is Friday, February 17th. For more information or to register contact Cornell University Cooperative Extension at 585-268-7644 ext. 18.
March 17: Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop
9:00 - Noon Reisinger's Apple Country, Watkins Glen
Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop will be held March 17 from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Reisinger's Apple Country, 2750 Apple Lane, Watkins Glen.
Topics will include bud grafting an apple tree, pruning stone fruits, nuts and berries, pruning new trees up to mature trees, and renovating an older tree for fruit production. No tools are needed for this workshop. Light refreshments will be provided, and remember to dress for the weather!
Rick Reisinger owns and operates Reisinger's Apple Country, a 50-acre orchard and u-pick with over 10,000 apple trees. Rick and his family began planting the orchards in 1994. They grow apples, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, nuts and berries.
Pre-registration is required at this website by March 9. There is a $20 fee for this workshop. ($35 per couple). For questions or more infomration contact Roger Ort, CCE-Schulyer County Horticulture Program Educator or call 607-535-7161.
March 22: Grafting Workshop
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. CCE-Schuyler
Fruit trees cannot be reproduced "true" to the original cultivar from seed. They can only be reproduced by grafting. Grafting describes any of a number of techniques in which a section of a stem with leaf buds is inserted into the root stock of a tree. Grafting is also used to repair injured fruit trees or for changing an established tree to one or more different cultivars.
John Reynolds, owner of Daring Drake Farms, will discuss the history of grafting and will give a hands on demonstration on how to graft. You will take two grafted trees home! 15-20 varieities to choose from - or - bring your own scion wood. Class limited to 12 so register early.
John Reynolds is the owner of Daring Drake Farms, a family owned orchard with a flock of free range ducks for egg production. Over 125 varieties of large and small fruits are grown on the farm. Pre registeration (along with payment) is required by March 9, 2012. There is a $20 fee for this workshop. Call 535-7161. For questions or more information, contact Roger Ort, CCE-Schuyler County Horticulture Program Educators at rlo28@cornell.edu or call 607-535-7161.
March 24: Backyard Fruit Production at Home
9:00 - Noon Reisinger's Apple Country, Watkins Glen
Backyard Fruit Production at Home will be offered March 24 from 9:00 a.m. to noon at Reisigner's Apple Country. See location and details above.
Growing fruit at home can be fun and provide your family with fresh, flavorful and nutritious food. This class will teach the basics you need to succeed. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. From 9:00-10:00 a.m. will be site selection and preparation including soil testing and fertilizing and small scale irrigation technqiues. From 10:00 a.m. to noon will be planting, pruning, pest control, disease, and other growing practices. Also variety selection, critter control, plant establishment, tips on timing and harvest. The first hour will focus on tree fruit and the second hour on berries. From noon to 1:00 p.m. will be basic storage, canning, and preservation methods.
Cost is $20 per person or $35 per couple. Pre registration is required at this link by March 9. For questions call 607-535-7161.
Late Blight Update
According to Abby Seaman, NYS IPM Program and Late Blight Network Coordinator, Late Blight has not been identified in New York State or neighboring States in the past week. However, with the high humidity levels and the increased frequency of rain this season, gardeners should be vigilant about monitoring for late blight in their tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant. When there is a risk of late blight occurring and fungicide applications are going to be used as a component of management, apply them on a regular preventive schedule. Late blight is difficult to control, and can be impossible when fungicides are not applied before disease onset. Thorough spray coverage is critical. Contact Stephanie at 607-664-2307 or sms64@cornell.edu with any questions.
Archives:
Managing Late Blight in Tomato and Potato – An Essential Part of Gardening
Meg McGrath, Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University
Late blight is a unique disease. It is arguably the most destructive plant disease. Due to the quantity of spores easily dispersed by wind, a planting with late blight that is not managed, even a small garden, can have devastating impact on other plantings. This was well documented in 2009. Therefore, unlike other diseases, late blight needs to be treated as a “Community Disease”. Anyone growing susceptible plants needs to take responsibility and implement a good management program to ensure they don’t become a ‘typhoid Mary’.
Management practices include:
• Using disease-free tomato transplants and seed potatoes,
• Selecting resistant varieties,
• Regularly checking the web for reports of late blight,
• Controlling solanaceous weeds (in particular hairy nightshade and bittersweet
nightshade),
• Applying fungicides preventively,
• Using practices that minimize humidity and leaf wetness,
• A least weekly inspecting plants for symptoms,
• Informing extension staff plus neighbors when late blight develops,
• Removing affected foliage, and
• Promptly destroying plants when management is not successful.
• Additionally, share information about late blight with other gardeners.
For more information on late blight, including symptoms, management, and occurrence
in 2010:
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/lateblight
Cornell Cooperative Extension offers information on Marcellus Shale exploration
The Marcellus Shale Team, a core group of Cornell faculty and staff, is researching expected impacts of natural gas exploration in the region, as well as possible mitigation strategies. CCE maintains an online Natural Gas Leasing Resource Center with a wealth of information and studies about the ramifications of drilling at http://gasleasing.cce.cornell.edu/. The site also contains more details about the planned public information sessions.
Cornell’s Community and Rural Development Institute recently issued a research and policy brief on “Emerging Trends in the Marcellus Shale,” which is available for download here.
CCE will also continue to promote cross-collaboration of outreach and education among the educational and research institutions throughout the Marcellus Shale region..
Learn More about Gas and Oil Leasing
Due to market forces and new knowledge about the Trenton-Black River and Marcellus
Shale gas plays, leasing activity is once againon the upswing in much of New
York And Pennsylvania. Before signing any proposed gas and oil lease, first
become as informed as you can and then seek legal advice from an attorney who
is knowledgeable about this complex issue. The following websites compiled courtesy
of Cornell Cooperative Extension can help you learn more about gas and oil leasing:
CCE Gas Leasing and Exploration
http://gasleasing.cce.cornell.edu
New York Farm Bureau
http://www.nyfb.org
New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation
http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/205.html
New York Water Resources Institute
http://wri.eas.cornell.edu
Penn State Natural Gas Exploration
and Leasing
http://naturalgaslease.pbwiki.com
Advanced Order Discount For Wine Grape Production Guide For Eastern North America
Dr. Tony Wolf, viticulturist for Virginia Tech, and 16 co-authors (including Terry Bates, Andrew Landers, Tim Martinson, and Wayne Wilcox of Cornell) have put together a comprehensive Wine Grape Production Guide for Eastern North America, to be printed this fall by NRAES (Northeast Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service). This 300+ page guide has 16 chapters, and is by far the largest commodity-based production guide produced by NRAES. It will likely become the new standard grape production guide for the Northeast, and has a lot of material (e.g., Terry Bates' nutrition chapter) directly applicable to Labrusca and juice grape growers as well. Advance pre-print orders are being accepted at $44 per copy until September 5. After publication, the cost will be substantially greater. To order online go to www.nraes.org/nra_winegrapecontent.html
NRAES is also looking for sponsors from industry, who will be acknowledged and/or featured in display ads at the front of the book (including a web link to your business). Details are available at www.nraes.org. Deadline for pre-print orders and sponsorships is September 5, 2008.