CCESC Better Living July/August 2013

Better Living

Cornell Cooperative Extension in Schuyler County provides equal program and employment opportunities. Please call 607-535-7161 one week in advance of an event to request accommodation. Requests received after that time will be met ,if possible.

A Newsletter of Cornell Cooperative Extension Schuyler County

July/August

How Do You Spot SWD?Horticulture Article - page 8

“Better Living” is published bi-monthly by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County, 323 Owego St., Unit 5, Montour Falls, NY 14865.DISCLAIMER The information provided in this publication is for educational purposes only. Any reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Cooperative Extension is implied.

REPRINTING - Unless otherwise noted, permission is granted to reproduce material in this publication upon notification of the author, providing that full acknowledgement is made of the source and no charge is made without approval.

Human Services Complex323 Owego Street, Unit #5 Montour Falls, NY 14865

Tel: 607 535-7161 || Fax: 607 535-6813E-mail: [email protected]: www.cceschuyler.org

Board of Directors:Walter AdamKate BartholomewPaul BursicDonald J. ChutasCharles FausoldDoris KariusDick PetersonRick ReisingerLiz Stamp

Program Committees:AgricultureRyan BossertLisa BrowerGeorge BulinKathy EngelBrud HollandLorin HostetlerKen MansfieldShannon RatcliffNicole RawleighCheryl Richtmyer

Youth, Families, and Nutrition Program CommitteeNancy BrandMary DeWaltJoAnn FratarcangeloEmily JohnsonMarcia KasprzykDeb MacDonaldErica MurrayMegan Scuteri

Hidden Valley 4-H CampAdvisory CommitteeKate BartholomewRebecca BowersMolly LaneAutumn LavineCindy MessingerBernadette RaupersMegan TifftTom VanDerZee

Front cover photo taken at the Teaching Garden, Montour Falls

Summer is high season for Cornell Cooperative Extension. Perhaps similar to the late fall to early winter holiday sales marathon in retail, there is a particular feel to June, July and August in Extension. We get a bit giddy, and for Associations with strong New York State Fair feeder programs for 4-H, the stress and excitement peak closer to Labor Day (with practice sessions at the local fair).

Although Schuyler County no longer boasts a County Fair, we manage to keep plenty busy over the summer months. Working with the Twin Rivers 4-H program (the re-branding of our regional 4-H pilot program – find us on Facebook!), Schuyler County 4-Hers can get a taste of showmanship at the Chemung County Fair. Hector Fair comes at about the same time, and the animal science component of the CCESC presence at this fair has grown over the past few years. And Camp … no one ever forgets a summer at Hidden Valley 4-H Camp! Hidden Valley is one of our largest, most intensive programs to run, more than doubling our staffing for a brief, wonderful eight weeks. An active photovoice program and busy robotics and Cloverbud county-wide clubs make sure that our 4-H staff have very full plates during the summer months.

Agriculture and Natural Resources boast year-round programming, but pasture walks go over better in July than in February! Agriculture programming during the summer shifts into high gear to encompass consumer horticulture, silvopasturing, forestry, general agricultural support and then viticulture, dairy & livestock, small fruits and vegetables, agricultural plastics recycling and commercial horticulture through our regional partnerships. Our farms are both busy and glorious during this season, and we do our best to make sure they have the tools they need to thrive.

Eating healthy and well during the summer months can be a challenge for many households … with children out of school limited food budgets get stretched even more. We continue to work with families and individuals to understand how food choices impact both physical and financial health, but always through fun and good food! Cooking Matters is a program that works with income – eligible parents and children who cook together and then go home with supplies to re-create the dishes they just learned about. Check our website, Facebook and other community resources for more information about how to sign up.

The next three months are not a time when you’ll find many staff in the office, and that’s how it should be. Instead, we are out with farmers, landowners, families, parents, happy campers and proud 4-Hers, helping everyone build strong, vibrant New York communities. I don’t know of a better way to spend summer, do you?

Keep up with all that’s happening on our Facebook pages, Twitter and our website.

Sincerely,

Danielle Hautaniemi

Better LivingCCE Schuyler County July/August 2013 Page 3

July/August 2013Better Living - CCE Schuyler County

The Cornell Cooperative Extension educational system enables people to improve their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research-based knowledge to work.

Better LivingA Newsletter of Cornell Cooperative Extension Schuyler County

For the latest on CCE programs, visit our website: www.cceschuyler.org.

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To receive this newsletter electronically (via e-mail) or if you wish to be removed from our mailing list call (607) 535-7161 or e-mail [email protected]

A Message from the Executive Director ....................... 2Holistic Management .................... ................................. 4NY Minute .......................................................................... 5 Diabetes Prevention Program ...................................... 6-7Managing SWD In Your Garden ..................................... 8-9How Does One Explain The Energy? ................................. 10-11Recently Seen On Facebook ............................................ 12-13Calendar of Events ............................................................ 14

What’s Inside

Did you know that we have bi-monthly e-newsletters for the CCE South Central NY Ag Team? If you’d like to sign up to receive the newsletters, just send a request to [email protected].

Better LivingCCE Schuyler CountyJuly/August 2013Page 4

Agriculture and Natural Resources

A world-renowned South African rancher by the name of Ian Mitchell-Innes was recently in the Southern Tier to share his wisdom with a capacity crowd of local graziers. Ian is best known for his work with the Holistic Management Institute (HMI) and as a certified instructor of Allan Savory’s principals on grassland ecosystem restoration. From the HMI website (www.holisticmanagement.org): “HM is a management system that helps farmers, ranchers and land stewards better manage agricultural resources in order to reap sustainable environmental, economic and social benefits. This “triple bottom line” of benefits can be achieved by optimizing the management of current resources. Whether land is used for ranching, food production or public land conservation, its health can be improved and its productivity greatly increased without large infusions of cash, equipment or technology. Holistic Management is a dynamic system, and in the truest sense, holistic — it can be evolved to incorporate new sustainable farming/ranching

management and production techniques. Holistic Management practices allow land managers to guide the relationships between plants, soil, livestock, people, and water in ways that mimic nature, while addressing the financial aspects of these unique elements. The four cornerstones of managing holistically are financial, grazing and land planning, together with biological monitoring.” For a great video that shows some of the benefits of holistic management, search: “Allan Savory TED talk”, or visit: http://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change.html

Now back to Ian. Ian spent most of the day discussing the keys to a happy, healthy and profitable living as a rancher in one of the most challenging corners of the world. Despite the contrasts between South Africa and Upstate NY, Ian’s advice is as relevant here as it is there. Part of his formula for success is to use innovative, adaptive and inexpensive production practices that

improve the soil, which in turns improves the pastures, the livestock and the farmer’s bottom-line. He emphasized that the job of the successful rancher is to efficiently harvest free solar energy and convert it to marketable products. Ian cautioned the audience not to box themselves into a rigid production or management system, but to apply science and technology in a skillful and tailored manner that fits the individual’s situation and goals. To achieve goals, Ian recommended that farmers envision the end point that they would like to reach, and then plan backwards from there in phases to reach the target. In extension, this is known as “LOGIC model planning”. Another topic that Ian covered in depth, was the importance of keeping younger generations actively involved and interested in the family business. Farming isn’t sustainable without future farmers who can carry on the accumulated knowledge and be entrusted with stewardship of the land.

Holistic ManagementBrett Chedzoy, Sr. Resource Educator ([email protected])

The recent workshop with Ian Mitchell-Innes was hosted at Brother’s Ridge Farm in Newark Valley, NY where innovative practices like high-density rotational grazing and mixed livestock groups are used to restore degraded crop land while maximizing profitability. Seen here is a “flerd” (flock and herd) of sheep cattle who are rotated daily across small paddocks. Each area is allowed to fully rest and recover after a brief but intensive grazing that builds soil and plant health.


When people leave Upstate New York, where do they move to? And where do new migrants to the Upstate region come from? The figures below provide the top five answers to those questions. Upstate receives a significant number of in-migrants from the downstate New York region, Florida, and countries in Asia. A significant number of movers out of Upstate head to Florida, downstate New York, and Pennsylvania, among other locations. The origins and destinations also vary by age of mover.

Top 5 origins of people moving to Upstate New York, by age group

Top 5 destinations of people moving out of Upstate New York, by age group

Additional Resources:Cornell Program on Applied Demographics (PAD): For a full table which provides the origins and destinations of movers to and from both the upstate and downstate regions, please visit: http://pad.human.cornell.edu/NYMinutes/NYMinute56stats.cfm“Upstate’s Recent Arrivals”, University of Buffalo, Regional Institute, January 2008. http://www.regional-institute.buffalo.edu/Includes/UserDownloads/RecentArrivals_1_08.pdf“Empire State Exodus: The Mass Migration of New Yorkers to Other States”. Empire Center for NYS Policy, October 2009. http://www.empirecenter.org/pb/2009/10/empirestateexodus102709.cfm

Origins and Destinations: Movers to and from Upstate New York By Jan Vink and Robin Blakely-Armitage, Cornell University

The New York Minute is a publication of Cornell University’s Community & Regional Development Institute (CaRDI), produced in collaboration with the Program on Applied Demographics (PAD). These publications are free for public reproduction with proper accreditation.

For more information on CaRDI, our program areas, and past publications, please visit: www.cardi.cornell.edu. For more information on PAD, please visit: pad.human.cornell.edu.

Cornell University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer.

new york minuteISSUE NUMBER 56/MAY 2013

Community & RegionalDevelopment Institute

Department of Development SociologyCornell University

Programon AppliedDemographicsCORNELL POPULATION CENTER

Source: County-to-County Migration Flows: 2006-2010 ACS http://www.census.gov/hhes/migration/data/acs/county_to_county_mig_2006_to_2010.html. Please note that persons moving to Upstate NY from Asia include military personnel return-ing from Iraq and Afghanistan. People moving abroad are no longer eligible to receive an ACS questionnaire and are not counted among the out-migrants in this data source. For this analysis Upstate New York is defined as all counties north of Rockland and Westchester County. Downstate is defined as Rockland and Westchester County, the 5 boroughs in New York City and the two counties on Long Island.


Nutrition EducationNew York State Diabetes Prevention ProgramPaddy Redihan, Nutrition Resource Educator ([email protected])

Do you know someone who has Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes? Chances are you do. The rate of Diabetes, specifically Type 2 Diabetes, has increased dramatically over the years. The good news is, Ddiabetes can be prevented with lifestyle changes. Even better, a proven research-based intervention is now available in Schuyler County. National diabetes data indicate that the prevalence of diabetes has increased significantly over the last 15 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 26 million people in the United States have Diabetes, or 11.3% of the population. (CDC, 2011) Approximately 79 million Americans, or 35% of the adult population, have Pre-Diabetes, a condition characterized by an abnormally high blood glucose level, yet not high enough to be classified as Diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is a research study that was conducted to determine if lifestyle changes, such as modest weight loss and increase in physical activity, or treatment with the oral Diabetes drug Metformin, could prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. There were 3,234 subjects who participated in the study. All were overweight and had been diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes. Forty-five percent were from minority groups. The study was conducted in 27 clinical sites throughout the United States. Each subject was randomly assigned to a treatment group:• Lifestyle Intervention - Subjects received intensive, one-to-one weekly counseling sessions on diet,

physical activity and behavior modification. They were counseled to lose 7% of their body weight through reduced consumption of fat and calories and to exercise a minimum of 150 minutes/week. Health care counselors helped subjects problem solve to overcome barriers to these goals. The lifestyle intervention was made up of 16 one-on-one weekly sessions. After the 16 sessions, subjects attended a post-core session every 2 months, and received phone calls between sessions.

• Metformin -Subjects were given 850 mg. of metformin twice each day and general information about diet and exercise.

• Placebo- Subjects were given a placebo instead of Metformin and were given general information about diet and exercise.

The subjects were followed for several years after the study to determine which subjects developed diabetes and when. After 3 years, the findings were noteworthy.

Subjects in the Lifestyle Intervention group had a 58% reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes compared to the placebo group. Those subjects who were 60 years or older had even greater results, 71% reduced risk. Subjects in the Metformin group reduced their risk by 31% compared to the placebo group.

Weight loss was deemed the most important factor in lowering the risk for Type 2 Diabetes. Increasing physical activity without losing weight only slightly reduced the risk.

The New York State Diabetes Prevention Program, based on the DPP, is more affordable and accessible than the expensive research study, yet yields similar, remarkable results. Locally known as the Schuyler County Diabetes Prevention Classes, this program will be offered at the September Hill Center, beginning Wednesday, August 21, 2013, 4:30-5:30 p.m.. Help us promote this valuable program.



HorticultureHow Do I Manage Spotted Wing Drosophila (Swd) In My Garden?Roger Ort, Horticulture Program Assistant ([email protected])

Written by: Laura McDermott, Cathy Heidenreich, Juliet Carroll, Michael Helms, Art Agnello and Greg Loeb, Cornell University

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive insect originally from Asia, showed up in California in 2008 and has since been reported in Oregon, Washington, Canada, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, and the Northeast. In 2012, adult SWD caused wide-spread injury to some berry crops in NY.

Raspberries and blackberries are particularly susceptible, especially fall-bearing cultivars. Late-maturing blueberries are also vulnerable. So far, June-bearing strawberries have escaped economic injury, although day-neutral strawberry varieties, during late summer, are vulnerable. Elderberries, cherries, and peaches are also susceptible. SWD is able to utilize grapes, but not directly – the grapes need a crack or wound to be severely infested. Note that SWD also infests and may build up in a number of wild hosts that produce fruit in mid to late summer, including dogwood, bush honeysuckle, buckthorn, autumn olive, and pokeweed. For a list of hosts consult http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/cropshosts.

SWD appear similar to other vinegar or fruit flies. Adult flies are 2-3 mm in length, with red eyes and a tan-colored body with darker bands on the abdomen. Males have characteristic single spots at the leading edge of the tip of the wing and two dark bands made of hairs on their front legs. Females lack wing and leg spots, but are distinguished by a robust, serrated ovipositor (visible under magnification). Larvae are white, nondescript and legless. For more information on the biology and management of SWD, consult the fact sheets on spotted wing drosophila (SWD) listed below:o Spotted Wing Drosophila, Part 1: Overview and Identification: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/PDFs/

xj0045.pdf. o Spotted Wing Drosophila, Part 2: Natural History: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/PDFs/xj0046.pdf.o Spotted Wing Drosophila, Part 3: Monitoring: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/PDFs/xj0047.pdf.o Spotted Wing Drosophila, Part 4: Management: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/PDFs/xj0048.pdf.

There are several websites now dedicated to SWD biology and management in both the eastern and western US. The Cornell Fruit Resources website offers information on SWD monitoring and management for NYS: http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/.

Michigan State University (http://www.ipm.msu.edu/invasive_species/spotted_wing_drosophila) and Oregon State University (swd.hort.oregonstate.edu) are two additional sites to consult.

Ripening and ripe fruit are susceptible to SWD attack, but the adults appear to be only mildly attracted to unripe fruit. If adult SWD are present in your home garden, manage them aggressively.


Aggressive management entails:

1. Excellent sanitation: Fruit should be harvested frequently and completely. Culled fruit should be removed from the field and either frozen, “baked” in clear plastic bags placed in the sun, or disposed of off-site. This will kill larvae, remove them from your garden, and prevent them from emerging as adults.

2. Canopy and water management: Prune plants to maintain an open canopy. This may make plantings less attractive to SWD and will improve spray coverage. Leaking trickle irrigation lines should be repaired, and overhead irrigation should be minimized. Allow the ground and mulch surface to dry before irrigating.

3. Insecticide treatments: Before applying a pesticide, always read and follow all directions on the pesticide’s label. Be sure to look for and follow any restrictions on how long after you apply the insecticide until you may harvest your fruit. Pre-emptive insecticide treatment beginning when fruit first begins to color and continuing to harvest, according to the label instructions, will protect fruit from infestation. Treatments should be repeated in the event of rain. Choose the most effective insecticides, when known. Alternating the use of insecticides with different active ingredients will reduce the chance of insecticide resistance developing in SWD. If fruit infestations occur, practice complete sanitation, as described in 1 above, and immediately apply an insecticide spray. See table below for a list of insecticide products. For insecticides that work primarily through ingestion (e.g. spinosad, acetamiprid), adding a small amount of cane sugar (2 tsp/gallon water) to the spray tank mix can improve results. Do not apply insecticides during bloom or when bees are active.

4. Monitoring for SWD with baited traps: For more information on trap construction and baiting, see http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/spottedwing/pdfs/SWDTraps_CornellFruit.pdf. Traps should be hung in mid-canopy or on the north side of the row. Check the traps weekly. Traps using currently suggested baits have not proved effective in giving early warning of SWD presence in a planting, but can indicate relative numbers of SWD in an area, such as after treatment with insecticide.

5. Fruit sampling: At least 25 fruit should be harvested and observed for infestation between sprays to determine spray efficacy. Fruit can be analyzed for larvae by placing about 25 fruit randomly gathered from the garden into a Ziploc bag. Crush the berries lightly and add a saltwater solution (1-2 tsp salt per cup of water). Leave for an hour and look for small, white larvae floating on the surface of the salt water.

6. Cooling berries immediately: Chilling berries immediately after harvest to 32-33 degrees F will slow or stop the development of larvae and eggs in the fruit.

7. Use of Insect Exclusion Netting: For small plantings, use of insect exclusion netting (1 mm (1/32 inch) mesh) may protect the planting from infestation.


Hidden Valley 4-H Camp

Scene: A summer evening with 120 eight to fifteen year-olds and 30 staff around the campfire at the Hidden Valley 4-H Camp. When it’s quiet, a stream is gurgling in the background, the wind is gently rustling leaves, and the birds chirp. But it’s not quiet now.SONG LEADER: Everybody Stand Up!!!!SONG LEADER: Hands Together!!!ALL CAMP (loudly… NO, really loudly!): Hands Together! You do the Jellyfish, the Jellyfish, the Jellyfish-fish.SONG LEADER: Hands Together!ALL CAMP: Hands Together!SONG LEADER: Elbows Together!ALL CAMP: Elbows Together! You do the Jellyfish, the Jellyfish, the Jellyfish-fish.… Continue with “Knees Together”, “Feet Together”, “Head Up”, “Butt Out”, and “Tongue Out”.

I find it fascinating, when I write down the lyrics to a song, or script a conversation as if it were a play (like the above example), or simply try to describe in words to a parent who is thinking about sending their child

away to summer camp what it is that happens at Hidden Valley, how difficult it is to accurately paint the picture in a few words.

As anyone who has spent a summer week as a youth, or a season as a staff member, Hidden Valley is a special place. You are removed from the rest of the technologically connected world, but you are connected to the physical place where you are living. We build relationships with other human beings face–to–face, not through a terminal interface. We talk to each other, watching facial expressions, instead of only hearing a voice through a speaker. We celebrate the attempt of a challenge and the growth that

results from it whether it’s successful or not.

I am very proud of the Hidden Valley 4-H Camp and look forward to the years ahead as a steward of the community.

This past May a core group of volunteers put some sweat into camp and we planted the garden, cleaned

How does one explain the energy at Hidden Valley?Todd Williams, Camp Director ([email protected])


www.hiddenvally4hcamp.org (607) 535-7161

SUM

MER FU

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aturally!up the Old Dining Hall, and stained the outside of Pine. In the coming years we will stain the other cabins. Hidden Valley’s vibrancy comes from a commitment to its care. We make every effort to keep our registration fees low in order to permit as many campers as possible to come. Please consider volunteering your time, donating supplies, or donating to the campership fund in order to maintain Hidden Valley as the special place that you remember. See our website at: http://hiddenvalley4hcamp.org/help.html


Seen recently on our Facebook Pages:https://www.facebook.com/CCESChttps://www.facebook.com/HV4HChttps://www.facebook.com/Schuyler4HPlease “Like us!”


Calendar of Events Call 535-7161 to register OR email [email protected] otherwise noted, FEES are due at the time of registration.

323 Owego St., Unit 5, Montour Falls, NY 14865(607) 535-7161 phone || (607) 535-6813 fax

[email protected]•Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/ccesc•www.cceschuyler.org

July5-7: Alumni Weekend at Hidden Valley 4-H Camp Friday at 5 p.m. to Sunday, July 7 at 11 a.m. Want a chance to go down memory lane? Have you wanted to share those great memories with your family? Now is your chance to spend a weekend at camp! Go on a glen hike . . . Share silly camp songs with your friends & family . . . Cook with Lisa in the Camp kitchen . . . Share your skills & help us take on a camp improvement project . . . Cabins: $150 (Must have a responsible adult over the age of 21) Pitch a tent: $40, Plus (for meals), $30 per adult/teenager, $20 children 5-15, children under 5 (free!) Registration: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/HVAlumni2013_244.

19-21: Glenn Curtiss Flying Weekend at Hidden Valley 4-H Camp. Accomplished Bicycle Racer - Fastest Man on Earth (motorcycle racer) - First Public Flight of an Aircraft - Father of Naval Aviation – Entrepreneur – Tinkerer - Land-developer. Who was this guy from the small town of Hammondsport? Come with Hidden Valley to tour the museum that celebrates the accomplishments of Glenn H. Curtiss (www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org). We will see behind the scene restorations of vintage vehicles and then participate in a hands-on program to understand how heavier than air flight can happen. Saturday afternoon will culminate with either a hike or swim nearby. Register: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/hv4hc2013_244.

25: CCESC Board of Directors Meeting 5:30 p.m. at Hidden Valley 4-H Camp.

25-27: Camp Woodlot Cornell University’s Arnot Forest in Van Etten. This intensive, hands-on course will capacitate woodland owners to achieve their management objectives and work with increased confidence, safety and satisfaction in the woods. For more details on this and other upcoming events related to woodlot management, visit: www.cornellforestconnect.ning.com.

August2-4: Fruit Picking Weekend at Hidden Valley 4-H Camp For ALL boys and girls ages 8-17. August is fruit harvest time. Join Hidden Valley to visit a nearby fruit farm to pick blueberries, raspberries, peaches, and other juicy gifts of nature. Returning to camp in the afternoon, we will put our bounty together to prepare foods. Cooking a cobbler over an open fire, safely canning and storing summer for a winter treat, sitting in the shade with sticky juice running down your chin. Ohhh, that’s the best! Register online at: https://reg.cce.cornell.edu/hv4hc2013_244. For questions call 607-535-7161. See our website: http://www.hiddenvalley4hcamp.org. $100 for the weekend stayover.

21: Diabetes Prevention Classes 4:30-5:30 p.m. at September Hill, 250 Steuben St, Montour Falls. For persons at risk for Diabetes or diagnosed with Pre-Diabetes. Classes will instruct on things you can do to prevent or post-pone a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Weekly for 4 months. Cost $15. Scholarships available. Contact: Marcia Kasprzyk, [email protected] or 607-535-8140.

22: CCESC Board of Directors Meeting 7:30-9:30 a.m. Room 120 Human Services Building, Montour Falls.

For more information, see our events calendar online - www.cceschuyler.org Like us on Facebook!

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CCESC Better Living July/August 2013