Grasstravaganza Friday, June 30, 2017 8:00 am - 3:00 pm Alfred Sate College Farm (State Route 244 Alfred , NY 14802) Show Me the Money: Grazing Strategies for Farm ProfitabilityFriday, June 30th – 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Held at Alfred State College in the Central Dining Hall - Allegany RoomThis day-long conference, which is a follow-up to last year’s Grasstravaganza, will highlight the use of cover crops for grazing and improving soil health. The agenda will kick off with Russ Wilson of Forest County, PA, who with his wife and children operates Wilson Land & Cattle Co on 220 acres. They raise cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, and honey bees and custom graze for other producers. Russ will discuss “Adaptive Grazing Management and Using Multi-Species Covers as part of a Grazing System.  Also, Dave Hartman from Penn State Extension in Lycoming County, PA will follow with “Using Annual Forage Species to Improve Grazing Systems” focusing on how diverse mixtures can serve the purpose of improving soil health, holding soil, and providing cheap forage. After lunch (provided) the conference will move to Alfred State College’s organic dairy farm pastures, where Fay Benson of Cornell Cooperative Extension will conduct a “show and tell” with the NYCG Soil Health Trailer, and Jonathan Barter from the Steuben County SWCD will discuss cover crop mixtures that have been planted at the farm as a demonstration of how mixtures can be beneficial. Cost is $15/person if registered before June 23rd and is $20/person for walk-ins. Click here to print Registration BrochurePrintable campus map: Alfred State Campus Maps. Sponsored by Alfred State College, USDA-NRCS, New York Grazing Coalition, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Lynn Bliven, lao3@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 18 ========================================= Baskets or Pallets - . Log Grown Mushroom Production, Harvest & Marketing Saturday, July 8, 2017 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Toad Song Mushrooms (2320 Centerline Rd Varysburg, NY 14167) Cornell Cooperative Extension will be offering a series of field days to aide in understanding how to determine quality and grade of agricultural products. These sessions are designed to prepare farms in NY, both beginning and experienced, to enter new markets. We will be at Toad Song Mushrooms 2320 Centerline Rd. Varysburg, NY 14167. on Saturday, July 8, 2017 from 9am-noon. Learning how shiitake mushrooms grow, from selection of logs to sustainable harvesting. The footprint and labor involved in growing clean and marketable shiitake mushrooms will be demonstrated in detail. We will cover laying yard location, set up and organization to maximize production while minimizing labor, when shocking and fruiting mushroom logs, as well as harvesting, packaging, and marketing strategies. The field days are open to 25 participants; preference given to active or retired NYS Military Veterans on a first-come, first-served basis. Fee is $10/person, veterans may apply for stipend to cover cost of attending. For more information or to apply contact Lynn Bliven, CCE Allegany County at 585-268-7644 ext. 18 or email lao3@cornell.edu. $10 Lynn Bliven, lao3@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 18 ========================================= Flower Arranging: Growing and Arranging Flowers from your Yard and Garden Tuesday, July 11, 2017 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Alfred University - Connor's Family Pavillion (1 Saxon Drive Alfred, New York 14802) A gorgeous arrangement of fresh-cut flowers greets you with your morning coffee- does life get any better on a summer morning? How about the fact that YOU have planted the seed or seedling, nurtured it to perfection- and then created this lovely still life yourself? There now!We welcome you BACK from our first flower arranging workshop and invite you to bring a friend to...Growing and Arranging Flowers from your Yard and Garden.Spend time with Master Gardeners Debbie MacCrea and Mary Harris as they demonstrate their techniques for creating a variety of floral arrangements. You will learn what annuals, perennials, and field flowers are conducive to being cut and what you can do to make them last in the home environment. Then the FUN begins as participants choose a container to fill with a bounty of natural specimens brought in from Debbie and Mary's gardens to create their own arrangement. All materials will be supplied by the instructors -- just bring your imagination and eye for beauty.To register, click here! $25.00 per person Colleen Cavagna, cc746@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 12 ========================================= From the Earth Saturday, July 29, 2017 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Wells Homestead (4981 McAndrews Road Andover, New York 14806) Listen to Master Gardeners Mary Lu Wells or Deb MacCrea as they do gardening presentations during this wonderful event. Master Gardener/Master Forest Owner Steven Jakobi  will be presenting "Storytelling: If Trees Could Talk" at the Alfred State College Farm Garden. Steven will also be able to answer questions about The Sierra Club, NY Forest Owners Association and the Master Forest Owner Program.See details below:From the EarthAlfred, NYJuly 29, 20179:00 - 5:00Enjoy a day of rural adventure inspired with presentations at six locations that celebrate our connection to the earth in meaningful creative, sustainable, and educational ways.A.Bird Walk at Foster Lake with Betsy Brooks5471 Lake Road, Alfred Station, 148038:00 - 9:15 (All the other locations open at 9:00) To begin the celebration of From the Earth, take a leisurely walk around Foster Lake with bird expert Betsy Brooks to see and hear birds, especially the birds that nest in high elevation mature conifer forests (like Golden-crowned Kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and more). There will be information available on building various kinds of nest-boxes and how to manage habitat for the benefit of birds.(Foster Lake will not be open to the public after the Bird Walk.)B.Mary Lu Wells Garden4981 McAndrews Road, Alfred Station, 14806Open all day.Visit Master Gardener Mary Lu Wells’ garden in a beautiful setting.9:30 - 10:15: “Gardening in a Time of Erratic Weather”Come hear Mary Lu discuss strategies that work for dealing with crazy weather while gardening.C.Hyland Timber Frame Shop4964 Kenyon Road, Alfred Station, 14803Open all day.Tour Sean Hyland’s shop and see the methods and tools used to turn local timber into hand crafted homes using traditional joinery methods.10:30 - 11:15 and 3:15 - 4:00: “Timber Framing and the Principles of Sustainability”Sean loves to talk about sustainability.It's a word that we hear a lot about these days.From cars to chicken, it can seem that almost everything is marketed as sustainable or “green”.But what do these terms really mean?Get beyond the marketing and hype to learn some of the concepts that will aid in discerning the truly sustainable from the merely “green washed”.(www.hylandtimberframing.com)11:30 - 12:15 and 4:15 - 5:00: “From Firewood to Functional: Making a Lathe Turned Wooden Bowl”Luke Voytas is a woodworker specializing in hand-crafted furniture and lathe turned vessels. Using found material, Luke Voytas will be demonstrating turning a bowl from fresh cut green wood. He will show how to select wood for a bowl from the log as well as the techniques involved in shaping the vessel on the lathe and preparing it for use.(www.Lukevoytas.com)D.Gardens, Pottery, Fiber Arts at Linda Huey’s Location1530 Randolph Road, Alfred Station, 14803Open all day.Walk through a vegetable and flower garden surrounded by a bewitching twig style fence to the sugar shed where Linda Huey’s pottery is displayed.(www.lindahuey.com)Also, enjoy several garden talks, a rag braiding demo, and additional demonstrations by the members of the Southern Tier Fiber Arts Guild.10:30 - 11:15: “Seed Saving: 101”Dr. Cheryld Emmons will discuss and demonstrate how to collect, process, and store seeds for future use.The focus will be on seeds from produce and also include flowers and trees.Cheryld teaches biology at AU and is extremely knowledgeable and fascinating to learn from.11:30 - 12:15 pm “Garden Mapping: Planning and Plotting out your Veggie Garden”Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Debbie MacCrea will give a brief but thorough explanation of her favorite ways (and the reasons behind them) to plan out each season’s vegetable garden for the mutual benefit of the garden, the gardener, and the family dinner table.12:30 - 1:15: "Traditional and New Braiding Techniques" Watch Peggyann Watts show the basics for preparing to braid and learn how you can make a variety of heirloom gifts and prized displays for your home. Braiding is a traditional hand craft using recycled wool fabrics, but not necessarily only for your Grandmother's braided rug. Table runners, totes, laptop carriers, baskets, chair pads or stair pads and rugs can all be made for your everyday or holiday use. Great for that thoughtful gift for a close friend or a treat for yourself. (belfastbraids.blogspot.com)Throughout the day: Southern Tier Fiber Arts Guild demonstrations Guild members will be busy giving interesting demonstrations that will include spinning, knitting, felting, rug making, simple weaving, etc…with many items on display. (www.facebook.com/southerntierfiber)E.Sunny Cove Farm 1444 Randolph Road, Alfred Station, 14803Open all day.Sunny Cove Farm is a small grass based family dairy farm that produces high quality organic milk, beef, maple syrup, and apples.(www.sunnycovefarm.com)9:30 - 10:15 am and 2:30 - 3:30 pm:Back to Basics: Soaking GrainsCome hear Maria Adam (Alfred’s Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) and Meghan Snyder share their knowledge about properly preparing grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Learn the nutritional importance of these steps and the methods used. Tasty examples will be available after the demo.1:30 - 2:30:How to Make Swiss CheeseFollow along with Bill Coch and learn how to make your own Swiss cheese at home with minimal equipment in a step by step demonstration that will include curd cutting, cheese pressing and waxing. Sample a number of homemade cheeses, including Swiss, cheddar and parmesan.F.Alfred State College Farm Garden1254 State Rt. 244, Alfred Station, 14803Open all day.Join Jessica Hutchison, instructor at Alfred State College in the Department of Agriculture and Veterinary Technology, for a tour of the College Farm Garden. The garden this year includes peanuts, potato towers, and a tomato/bean tunnel. (www.facebook.com/AlfredStateAgAndVetTech)12:30 - 1:15 and 3:00 - 3:45: Kids ActivityHave fun with Jessica upcycling a plastic container into a unique planter form. 4:15 - 5:00: Storytelling: If Trees Could TalkDr. Steven Jakobi will share lessons from nature in a storytelling format. Steven will also be able to answer questions about The Sierra Club, NY Forest Owners Association and the Master Forest Owner Program. Master Gardener Presentations are Free Colleen Cavagna, cc746@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 12 ========================================= Board of Director's Meeting Tuesday, August 22, 2017 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 5435A County Road 48 Belmont, NY 14813 Laura Hunsberger, lkh47@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 17 ========================================= 2017 Farmer Neighbor Dinner - Save the Date! Wednesday, September 27, 2017 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm You are cordially invited to attend the 4th Annual Allegany County Farmer Neighbor Dinner to be held Wednesday September 27, 2017 at the Lake Lodge in Alfred.The evening hosted by Allegany County Cooperative Extension, Soil & Water Conservation District, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency & Farm Bureau will begin at 5:30 pm with a Taste of Local Farms and Agricultural Business Exhibition. A great opportunity to browse while engaging with members of the farming community. Check back for more details. We hope you will consider joining us for the evening. Thanks you to our 2016 sponsors. Sustainable;Otis EasternAnnual: Allegany Co-Op Insurance Company Farm Credit EastRichardson & Pullen, PC LaForge Disposal Services/KS LaForge Excavating Inc Lynn Bliven, lao3@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 18 ========================================= Board of Director's Meeting Tuesday, October 17, 2017 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 5435A County Road 48 Belmont, NY 14813 Laura Hunsberger, lkh47@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 17 ========================================= Ag & Food Systems Issue Committee Meeting Monday, October 23, 2017 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 5435A County Road 48 Belmont, NY 14813 Issue committees help determine the direction of work in the county and region within each CCE Association. Issue Committee members’ major responsibility is to help guide the direction of workshops, classes and other services that we offer residents of Allegany County, and to review the effectiveness of our efforts. Our programs have evolved over the years to reflect changes in: values, ethics, community norms, family structures, mobility and the economy. These changes have been in direct response to this grassroots community involvement making the best use of available knowledge, money, time and other resources.If you are interested in learning more and/or serving on our committee, please contact Lynn Bliven. Lynn Bliven, lao3@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 18 ========================================= CCE Allegany County Annual Meeting Tuesday, November 14, 2017 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Save the date for our Annual Meeting to be held on November 14th from 6-9 pm (Location TBA). This year's program will be on the Dairy Industry in NYS with Carl Moody Regional Dairy Processing Specialist, Harvest NY . Enjoy some local farm products and participate in tasting of NYS cheeses. $15 Lynn Bliven, lao3@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 18 ========================================= Ag & Food Systems Issue Committee Meeting Monday, November 27, 2017 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 5435A County Road 48 Belmont, NY 14813 Issue committees help determine the direction of work in the county and region within each CCE Association. Issue Committee members’ major responsibility is to help guide the direction of workshops, classes and other services that we offer residents of Allegany County, and to review the effectiveness of our efforts. Our programs have evolved over the years to reflect changes in: values, ethics, community norms, family structures, mobility and the economy. These changes have been in direct response to this grassroots community involvement making the best use of available knowledge, money, time and other resources.If you are interested in learning more and/or serving on our committee, please contact Lynn Bliven. Lynn Bliven, lao3@cornell.edu, 585-268-7644 ext 18 =========================================