Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County

This year, over 2,500 Chautauqua County elementary students will celebrate the week by having the opportunity to learn about tomatoes with an agricultural book and activity.

This year’s book selection is “Tomatoes for Neela” by Padma Lakshmi.

Ag Literacy Week is promoted and organized by staff at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. Local businesses, farmers, and community members donate the necessary funds to purchase books and materials for the program. They also volunteer their time as readers, providing agriculturally involved readers for students across the county.

For more information about Ag Literacy Week, please contact Molly Brown at 716-664-9502 ext. 216 or mrb287@cornell.edu.

(Left to Right) James Galbato, Brigiotta’s Farmland Produce; Luke Fodor, St. Luke’s Rector; Cassandra Skal and Emily Reynolds, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County; Linnea Haskin, Jamestown Public Market; Vince DeJoy, City of Dunkirk Director of Planning and Development.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County has applied for a grant to expand local food access.

CCE submitted a proposal in January for the NY Food for NY Families program, aiming to bring significant dollars to Chautauqua County focused on expanding healthy food access and economic development for local agricultural growers and producers.

Food insecurity is a high concern for Chautauqua County, with 17% of residents living below the poverty line.

Their proposal includes the implementation of several distribution sites and events across Chautauqua County, which, if funded, would begin this summer. CCE hopes to hire a coordinator who would oversee the project, working with county and regional farmers, dairy producers, and other state Agriculture producers to procure produce, dairy products, meat products, baked goods, and other local foods.

Over $500,000 would be invested in state products. Partner organizations include Brigiotta’s Farmland Produce who would be the lead partner in packaging state procured foods into up to 500 individual boxes per week. Distribution events will include collaborative sites with the Office of the Aging’s Local Roots Program, aimed at servicing senior citizens in areas such as Brocton, Cassadaga, and Fredonia; St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the Jamestown Public Market’s Mobile Market program, aimed at low-income and minority communities; Rural Ministries of Dunkirk, aimed at servicing food insecure individuals; and Five Loaves + 20 Fish Ministries, servicing the ‘food desert’ area of Sherman/Clymer, specifically youth and families.

If awarded funds, the food boxes would be distributed at no cost to community members.

For more information on the NYS Food for NYS Families initiative visit: https://agriculture.ny.gov/news/state-department-agriculture-accepting-applications-nearly-26-million-new-york-food-new-york.

Master Gardeners in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties

The newsletter, called The Optimistic Gardener, will have gardening articles, upcoming events, featured Master Gardeners, advice column, children’s garden activity, book reviews, and more.

View the newsletter online at: https://chautauqua.cce.cornell.edu/gardening and https://cattaraugus.cce.cornell.edu

The Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Master Gardener Program is a Cornell Cooperative Extension Program with the mission to provide support and guidance to the public and community gardens free of charge. Volunteers undergo a 50-hour training program, and volunteer 35 hours per year to maintain their certification as a Master Gardener.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program said that purchasing locally sourced goods for your holiday needs is a way to help support local producers in the winter months.

The Chautauqua Grown directory has information about where you can purchase pre-cut and cut-your-own trees. It also has information about local producers who sell locally raised meat.

You can view this information by visiting https://chautauqua.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua-grown.

For more information, contact Cassandra Skal by calling 716-664-9502 ext. 202 or emailing cks83@cornell.edu.

Cornell Cooperative Extension

The all ages event will take place at Brehm Farms Inc. on 3456 Dry Brook Road.

Guided walking tours of the farm will be held from 11:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. The tour will include informational and interactive stations that provide opportunities to learn about caring for baby calves, feeding, and housing for dairy cows, farm equipment, crops, and how cows are milked at Brehm Farms.

Additional educational displays will be available to visit which will highlight other areas of agriculture, including grapes and livestock.

There will be free samples of milk, string cheese, and grape juice. Admission and parking are free, and the event will occur rain or shine.

For more information, call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County at 716-664-9502 x 209.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Master Gardener Volunteer Pat Martonis will present the program from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Carnahan Center.

She will help participants explore a variety of ways to build an environment for the wildlife you want to attract in the setting in which you live, work or play. Attracting native pollinators increases vegetable and fruit production and birds and other small mammals can help control pests.

Pre-registration is required and can be done online at: http://chautauqua.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture/2022-l-e-a-f-workshop-series. You can also register by calling 716-664-9502 ext. 209.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, a highly contagious, fatal, flu-like disease of poultry, has been spreading across the state since February. Cornell Cooperative Extension said in a release that as of April 19, New York has seen the disease in 8 domestic flocks: One commercial, one captive wild birds, and the remainder were backyard flocks. Over 10,000 birds have died or have been euthanized.

These positive cases started in the eastern region of the state but have moved westward over the spring season.

In March, the State Ag Department announced the state would proactively ban all live fowl shows and exhibitions. This meant that fairs, public hatching events, fowl shows, and other events like them would not be allowed until further notice. This ban was expanded April 14 to include all fowl auctions and other events where people can purchase, sell, swap, or trade fowl. The reasoning behind this update was the same as the original notice from March: to limit the congregation of poultry from different farms and homesteads to reduce the spread of disease. At this time, the ban does not include individual farms selling poultry, farm supply stores, chicks being shipped into the state from hatcheries, poultry processors that operate under a 5A or USDA Exemption, or live bird markets.

While both bans are in place until further notice, the situation will be re-evaluated at the end of May.
In the meantime, it’s important that poultry owners remain on high alert for any unusual illness or deaths in their poultry flocks.

Any suspicious illness can be reported to the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets by calling 518-457-3502 or contacting the Cornell Cooperative Extension Office in Chautauqua County at 716-664-9502.

Lindsey Crisanti

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County has announced Lindsey Crisanti has been hired as the new 4-H Youth Development Educator.

Crisanti is a former Pine Valley Central School student and a graduate of Alfred State College agricultural technology program and a SUNY Cobleskill Animal Science Program. Lindsey was previously employed by Premier Select Sires as a reproductive specialist.

She will work with current staff and volunteers to continue to develop the 4-H Youth Development Program at CCE Chautauqua, which currently reaches over 2,500 youth through short term special interest programming, and year long animal science programs.

Shannon Rinnow

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties have partnered together to bolster the Master Gardener Volunteer program in each county.

Program Coordinator Shannon Rinnow has been hired to oversee the volunteer program.

Rinnow co-owns and operates Bee Happy Farm & Apothecary where she is a beekeeper and raises livestock. She is in the process of relocating to Ashville from Amherst, New York.

Mrs. Rinow will begin her work with Cornell Cooperative Extension in February.

CCE Pollinator Workshop

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agricultural Program is holding a “Native Pollinators in Your Garden” workshop this Thursday.

The LEAF (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Series is open to beginning farmers, established farms looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiasts, and homesteaders.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener volunteer Patricia Martonis will teach how to create a habitat for native pollinators to enhance growing food and flowers. This presentation will focus on the importance of native pollinators in vegetable and flower gardens. Participants will learn how to attract, retain, and support the natural balance for native pollinators in your home gardens. Learn what plants will create a positive environment, how to provide nesting sites and maintain your garden to encourage pollinators to visit.

The course takes place Thursday, October 28th from 6 to 8pm at Jamestown Community College’s Carnahan Center. The cost is $5 per person with registration requested. You can register by calling (716) 664-9502, extension 209. Masks are required and CDC COVID guidelines will be followed.