October 2023 | Vol. 15 Issue 10

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Healthy Halloween

Wondering how to get through another Halloween season without eating ALL the candy? We have some tips to help you stay healthy through this scary season!

Stay active, regular physical activity can help control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers, improve mental health and mood, and increase your chance of living longer.

Eat well, fruits and vegetables are part of a well-balanced and healthy eating plan. Fruits and vegetables also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber and other substances that are important for good health.

Stay hydrated! Keeping yourself hydrated with water can help control your sweet cravings.

Buy candy at the last minute and choose options you aren’t crazy about or choose healthy alternatives.

Don’t deprive yourself, it is okay to enjoy 1-2 pieces of candy.

Check out the American Heart Association for tips on healthy and non-edible treats for those dressed up friends coming to your door! Here are some other great ideas for fall:

Pumpkin Pudding

Apple Sandwiches

Roasted Delicata Squash Smiles

Pumpkin and Bean Soup

Source: CDC.gov

Visit www.snapedny.org for more tips and resources to help you and your family save time, save money, and eat healthy!

Click the Basic Training Course Document above to access the details and registration form.

Contact Susan Walker, smw272@cornell.edu, 607-664-2574 for more information.

Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project

These events are free for veterans of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. The Veterans One-stop Center is a non profit that services all Veterans. The Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project is one of the programs available to Veterans through the Veterans-One stop Center. The Dwyer Project brings Veterans in the community together in order to reduce Veteran loneliness, and also to reintegrate Veterans back into the community after military service. Learn more about the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Here.

Mud Creek Bison Ranch

Veteran Plus One

October 8, 2023

12:00 PM

Location: Mud Creek Bison Ranch

6130 Robie Road

Savona, NY 14879

This event is free for veterans of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Steuben County Breakfast with Goats

for US Armed Service Veterans

October 12, 2023

9:30 AM

Location: ZiegenVine Homestead

8469 Oak Hill Rd, Savona, NY 14879, USA

This event is free for veterans of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.

We are so pleased to announce this event will include a light breakfast provided by the Dwyer Program!

Regional Agriculture Opportunities for Veterans

Protecting Against Murphy's Law: A FREE Live Seminar for Veterans.

Wednesday, October 4th, 2023

6 pm – 7:30 pm ET

Virtual zoom webinar

What Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong! Good ole’ Murphy’s Law is probably the best description of what it’s like to be a farmer that there is! Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Farm Business Management Specialist, Katelyn Walley-Stoll, to learn more about the 5 areas of risk on farms and how to develop strategies to manage those risks. Participants will have the opportunity to identify areas of risk on their own farms and brainstorm ways to (try to) prevent the inevitable!

Make a Farm Business Plan that Works for You: A FREE Live Seminar for Veterans.

Wednesday, November 1st, 2023

6 pm – 7:30 pm ET

Virtual zoom webinar

Without a plan, how will you know where you’re going?

Business plans for farms are often viewed as yet another chore to do and usually result in dusty binders taking up space on the office shelf. This discussion based workshop will walk you through the mental exercise of planning your future agricultural adventures. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the use of a business plan, the essential components, and a “to-do” list of things to think about to inform future planning efforts. Additional opportunities for one-on-one follow up will also be offered. FSA Borrower credits may be made available for your attendance.

It's Soil Sampling Season

Katelyn Miller, Field Crops and Forage Specialist

Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program

Soil testing is the building block of any fertilizer management program. Testing allows you to evaluate your pH, organic matter, and various macronutrient and micronutrient levels in your soil. When paired with crop trial data, the soil test results can be used to determine specific, crop based, nutrient applications that are profitable and environmentally sound. Fall is a popular time of year to take soil samples, so let's discuss how to get your soil from the field and into the lab for analysis.

First, you must decide where you are going to send your soil samples. In New York State, the most reliable extraction method based on our soil types is Morgan, and all fertility recommendations are based on this. In New York State, the most common lab is Dairy One, and all samples submitted contain recommendations derived from Cornell fertility guidelines. Regardless of if you decide to send samples to Dairy One or a different provider, always send samples to the same lab to receive consistent results. All the information in this article is based on submitting samples to this lab; for more information visit https://dairyone.com/services/agronomy-services/soil-analysis/.

Once you decide which lab you will send your samples to, you must take the sample. To do so, there are a couple different factors involved: Using the right tools: Soil probes are often the best tools to use for sampling because they can collect soil in a continuous core and create minimal soil disturbance. If you have rocky soil, an auger may work better as rocks can lodge inside the probe. These tools can be expensive, so a spade or shovel can also be used to take samples, but additional care is needed to avoid over/under sampling. Ensure that your equipment is clean and collect all cores into a bucket.

Read the full article here.

What's Bugging You?

Join Live, on the first Friday of every month from Noon to 12:30 EST on Zoom.

Each month, experts will share practical information and answer questions on using integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. We’ll end with an IPM Minute and cover a specific action you can take in the next few days to help you avoid pest problems.

2023 Schedule:

October 6: Jumping worms | Roof gutter pests
November 3: Winter Garden prep | Tick check reminder
December 1: Houseplant IPM | Firewood pests

Box Tree Moth Webinar

October 18, 2023

12:00 -1:00 PM

Cornell Garden-Based Learning and the Sustainable Landscapes Program Work Team are pleased to announce a Box Tree Moth webinar. This pest is new to the US and has already spread to several NY counties killing boxwoods along the way. The program will be held on Wednesday, October 18 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm and will help you answer questions from home gardeners, landscape professionals/arborists and nursery growers.

Dan Gilrein, an Entomologist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, will share information on box tree moth life cycle, signs of infestation, as well as management options. Thom Allgaier, Invasive Species Coordinator with NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets Division of Plant Industry, will share where box tree moth is found across NY and the status of quarantines & regulations, and Brian Eshenaur, Sr. Extension Associate with Cornell’s NYS IPM Program will outline resources available through New York State Integrated Pest Management along with reporting protocols. Please join us with your questions and concerns at the end for a Q & A panel discussion.

Time: October 18th, 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Registration Link: https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yDPAApLvTUWqadrbm1iX7w

Click Here for Sponsorship Form

Useful Links

Check out all of our publications here!

County Enrollment, Subscription, and Support

The Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program with Cornell Cooperative Extension offers educational programming and research based information to agricultural producers, growers, and agribusinesses in the five county region of Southwestern New York.

Our specialists work with Cornell Faculty and Extension Educators statewide to address the issues that impact the agricultural industry and provide services to farms of all sizes and production techniques. The educational programming and support that we offer ranges from workshops to on-farm events, and includes one-on-one consultations. Our program is designed to meet the rapidly changing needs of our region's diverse agricultural community.

For more information, contact any of the specialists.

Please support CCE Steuben by signing up for their enrollment programs.

Reach out to CCE-Steuben at 607-664-2300 and ask about enrollment.

The enrollment form can be found online, here.

The Cornell Vegetable Program works with Cornell faculty and Extension educators to address the issues that impact the New York vegetable industry. The team offers educational programs and information to growers, processors, and agribusiness professionals in pest management, variety evaluation, cultural practices, market development, and farm food safety.

Cornell Vegetable Program Specialists expertise includes processing vegetables, fresh market vegetables, weed science, soil health, food safety, organic, marketing, greenhouses and high tunnels.

To read the Vegetable Programs 2022 Year in Review, click HERE. Learn more about the specialists HERE.

To enroll click here.

The Finger Lakes Grape Program (FLGP) is a regional extension program of Cornell Cooperative Extension serving the grape and wine industry of the Finger Lakes.

The staff of the Finger Lakes Grape Program is committed to providing grape growers in the Finger Lakes and beyond with cutting edge, research-based information to help them improve the productivity and sustainability of their vineyards and the quality of the fruit that they produce. We work with researchers and extension staff from Cornell and other institutions to create informative extension materials and programs that help to keep grape growing a viable and profitable industry that enhances the communities of the Finger Lakes and upstate New York.

Learn more about the specialist HERE.

To enroll click here.