Extension Connection
USPS-525-100
Sullivan County
YOUR LINK TO LOCAL, RESEARCH-BASED SOLUTIONS TO BETTER YOUR LIFE
VOLUME XCI NO. 4
APRIL 2020
Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County partners with SALT, area schools, and Sullivan County Government to distribute food to vulnerable populations throughout the county.
Upcoming U pcoming Events Events & Programs Programs
Issue Isssue sue Highlights Higghhligghhts
Food Distribution with Partners
Identifying Signs of Stress in Farm Families
High School Senior Scholarships Deadline Extended to May 1
February DHI Report
Virtual Board & Committee Meetings Ag Team Virtual Office Hours Caregiver Phone Support Group Writing a Farm Food Safety Plan Webinar Social Media Webinar CCE Online Plant Sale
See page 10 for a listing of scheduled school food services and drop-off locations.
Healthy Soils, Living Soils COVID-19 Financial Wellness Resources Stress Awareness Month School Meal Services Caregiver Stress CCESC Spotlights Scholarship Packets Check out page 12 for fast facts, and healthy tips of the month!
Welcome W elcome to to the the Issue! Issue! Page 3 Message from the Executive Director Page 4 Identifying Signs of Stress in Farm Families Page 5 DHI Report Page 6 Healthy Soils, Living Soils Page 7 COVID-19 Financial Wellness Resources
Table Table of of Contents Contents Page 8 Stress Awareness Month Page 9 Be Active, Eat Well Page 10 School Meal Services Page 11 Choose MyPlate! Page 12 Fast Facts, Cool Tools, & News to Use! Page 14 CCESC Spotlights
Page 16 Caregiver Stress Page 17 Thank You, Sponsors! Page 18 Scholarship Opportunities for High School Seniors Due May 1 Page 20 Save the Date: Online Plant Sale
The Extension Connection (USPS-525-100) is published monthly for $25.00 enrollment by Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County, located at 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road, Suite 1, Liberty, NY 12754-2903. Entered at Liberty, New York, as a periodical class matter. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 412, Act of February 24, 1925. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Extension Connection, 64 Ferndale-Loomis Road, Suite 1, Liberty, NY 12754-2903.
OFFICE HOURS
EXTENSION CONNECTION
Hours: Mon - Fri | 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Phone: 845-292-6180 E-mail: sullivan@cornell.edu Website: www.sullivancce.org Twitter.com/ccesullivan Facebook.com/ccesullivan Instagram.com/ccesullivan YouTube: bitly.com/ccesullivan
Edited by: Nicole Slevin & Colleen Monaghan Designed by: Centermost Marketing, LLC
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
STAFF MEMBERS
Robert Kaplan.............................President Amy Erlwein........................Vice President Klu Padu......................................Secretary John Kiefer...................................Treasurer Nadia Rajsz........................Legislative Rep. Todd Brown Jenny Chamberlain Marcie Ehrman Denise Frangipane John “JP” Lang Amanda Langseder Klu Padu Luisa Parker Dara Smith George Stang Robert Wong
Page 2
Produced by: Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities. NOTICE: Official endorsement of advertisers and their products is not intended by the acceptance of their advertisements for the Extension Connection.
Colleen Monaghan............................................................................Executive Director Thomas Bosket..........................................................................SALT Program Manager SueAnn Boyd.......................................................Healthy Schools Program Coordinator Elizabeth Clancy-DiBartolo......................................Farmers’ Market & ASP Coordinator Martin Colavito.................................................SJSS Community Hub Program Manager Kaitlyn Conklin...........................................................................................4-H Educator Wanda V. Cruz.............................................Healthy Communities Program Coordinator Marylin Jones..........................................................................4-H Program Coordinator Bonnie Lewis..........................................................................Dependent Care Educator Erica Lynch.........................................................Catskills Kitchen Program Coordinator Melinda Meddaugh......................................................Ag & Food Systems Issue Leader Brenda Miller.................................Environment & Natural Resources Program Manager Barbara Moran................................................4-H Animal Science Program Coordinator Bee Moser.......................................................................SNAP-Ed New York Nutritionist Vanessa Petrossian..............................................................................Ag Market Manager Abyssinia Pla El..........................................................Association Operations Coordinator Michelle Proscia.............................................................................Agriculture Educator Nicole Slevin...............................................................Administrator & Diversity Officer Ashley Tully..............................................................................Ag Program Coordinator Tara VanHorn.......................................................................................Finance Manager Sean Welsh............................................................................Energy Resource Educator John Wilcox.........................................................................................Facilities Manager
Extension Connection
April 2020
Hello Sullivan County Extension, 4-H families, and volunteers! On behalf of the CCE Sullivan staff team, we hope you and your families are faring well during this strange time. The April issue is getting to you a little late due to technical issues but May should go out on time! Before I go into our updates, if you or your family have an immediate need related to your wellbeing, please contact me or any one of our staff team directly and we will do what we can to connect you to resources available around the county.You can email us for the quickest response, or leave a message at 845-292-6180. Our Facilities Manager John Wilcox is holding down the fort at the Extension Education Center and is helping forward voicemail messages during the week. You can also call the Sullivan County Emergency Community Assistance Hotline at 845-807-0925. Like most of you, the CCE team has been adjusting to working and caregiving for our own families and animals in new ways. Now that we’ve gotten through the first full week in our new workspaces, I wanted to reach out to let you know what we’ve been up to, and to remind you that we are still here for you! We are still working hard for you: CCE’s Sullivan Fresh Market on the Move has partnered with SALT (Sullivan Allies Leading Together), Sullivan BOCES, and the Sullivan County Emergency Community Assistance Center to deliver fresh and nonperishable foods to 8 sites across the county. The Ag & Food Systems team is working closely with the Catskills Food Hub and Taste NY to keep existing markets open and to cultivate new markets for our local and regional farmers, while at the same time ensuring consumer access to fresh, healthy foods. Our friends in the Environment & Natural Resources Department have sown a full greenhouse of veggie starts. Those will be for sale online, in place of our annual plant sale, for pick-up in the coming months. At the same time, our community energy advisor is fielding calls to ensure our neighbors continue to have links to essential utilities like heat and hot water. The Nutrition and Healthy Families team work to collate and share food access sites, and prepare virtual cooking, food safety, and storage demonstrations for all you folks at home, and; With help from the Sullivan County Office for the Aging, SUNY Sullivan, and Sullivan 180, CCE’s Caregiver Resource Center brought the evidence-based Chronic Disease Self-Management Program into your living room, will Bone Builders programming on the way. The 4-H team took turns putting out web-based content for our 4-H families. Barn tours, subject matter tutorials, project ideas, and demonstrations went out to our followers. We’re also throwing around the idea of hosting Virtual 4-H Gatherings. Each program area team has used this time to rethink how we can continue bringing you relevant information and keep engaging with you in fun and creative ways. If you have ideas, suggestions, or curiosities, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you. Until next month, be well, stay well, and love to you.
Colleen Monaghan Executive Director, cm638@cornell.edu Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 3
IDENTIFYING SIGNS OF STRESS IN FARM FAMILIES Submitted by Ashley Tully, Ag Program Coordinator New York State farm families are experiencing higher levels of financial and emotional stress due in part to several years of low commodity prices. This is an especially difficult time for dairy farmers because regional conditions in dairy markets have further reduced farm revenues. Farm families can also experience stress as the result of a sudden event— such as crop loss, an accident, a personnel change, or family death. In other instances, it may be a gradual change from a prolonged physical illness, excessive working hours, or relationship difficulties. Warning Signs of Stress: • Change in routines: Farmers or members of the farm family may change who attends a market, stop attending regular meetings or religious activities, drop out of other groups, or fail to stop in at the local coffee shop or feed mill. • Decline in the care of domestic animals: Livestock or pets may not be cared for in the usual way. • Increase in illness: Farmers or farm family members may experience more upper respiratory illnesses (cold, flu) or other chronic conditions (aches, pains, persistent cough, migraines). • Increase in farm accidents: The risk of farm accidents increases with fatigue or loss of ability to concentrate. Children may be at risk if there isn’t alternative child care. • Decline in appearance of farmstead: The farm family no longer takes pride in the way farm buildings and grounds appear. • Signs of stress in children: Farm children may act out, show a decline in academic performance, or be
increasingly absent from school. They may also show signs of physical abuse or neglect, or become depressed. Page 4
• Decreased interest: Farmers or farm families may be less willing to commit to future activities, sign up for gatherings, or show interest in community events.
taken seriously. If there are significant changes in the way someone typically functions, they may need immediate help or intervention.
Signs of Chronic, Prolonged Stress
• Appearance: Sad face, slow movements, unkempt appearance, lack of facial expression
When farm families are under stress for long periods of time, members of the family may exhibit: • Headaches, backaches, etc. • Irritability • Depression
• Unhappy feelings: Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness • Withdrawal or isolation: Reclusiveness, discouragement, listlessness, rejection of friends and support
• Ulcers • Anger
• Negative thoughts: “I’m a failure,” or “I’m no good”
• Passive-aggressiveness • Frequent sickness
• Helpless and hopeless: Sense of complete powerlessness, sense that no one cares.
• Exhaustion • Loss of humor • Memory loss • Self-judgment (e.g., “I blew it.”) • Lack of conÀdence (e.g., “Why can’t I…?”)
• Reduced activity: Absence of planning, increased sleeping, feeling that “doing anything is just too much.” • Substance abuse • People problems: Lack of interest in being social (“I don’t want anyone to see me.”)
• Sadness • Bitterness • Withdrawal
• Previous suicide attempts: Previous attempts are important signs, regardless the severity.
• Sleep disturbances • Loss of spirit • Substance abuse • Violence • Lack of self-conÀdence (e.g., “I’m a failure.”) • Lack of concentration • DifÀculty making decisions
Signs of Depression or Suicidal Intent The greater the number of signs of stress a farm family member is exhibiting, the greater the need for additional help and support. If farm family members are exhibiting the following signs of depression or suicidal intent, it is important that they get help as soon as possible. Many of these are signs and symptoms of fatigue and stress. However, when there are multiple signs, they should be
Extension Connection
• Anxiety and/or depression: Severe/ intense feelings, appearance of anxiety or depression (both may be present)
April 2020
• Physical problems: Sleeping problems, decreased appetite, various physical ailments from aches and pains to severe muscle tension or chronic pain • Suicidal plan: Frequent or constant thoughts of a specific suicide plan • Guilt and low self-esteem: “It’s all my fault,” or “I should be punished.” • Cries for help: Making a will, giving away possessions, making statements such as “I’m calling it quits” or “Maybe my family would be better off without me.”
How to Help • Listen. Provide opportunities for the farmer or family member to talk about what they are going through. You don’t need to have answers, but be aware of local resources so that you can refer them. • Listen for signs that the individual needs more than a sympathetic ear—
signs that person • needs professional help that you can’t provide, such as financial, legal, or personal counseling. • Access the agency or community resource most appropriate to address the person’s (or family’s) problem.
financial analysis, business planning, transition planning, and estate planning, FarmNet financial and personal consultants guide farm families through periods of transition, opportunity, or challenge.
• Discuss the referral with the person or family (“It sounds/looks like you are feeling _____. I think ____ could help you deal with your situation.”)
1-800-547-3276, www.nyfarmnet.org
• Explore the individual’s or family’s willingness to initiate contact with the community resource (“How do you feel about seeking help from this person/ agency?” or “Can I help you contact _____ at this agency?”)
1-800-273-8255 (TALK), www. suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Selected New York Resources to Support Stressed Farm Families NY FarmNet NY FarmNet provides completely free and confidential on-farm services for farmers and farm families in New York. Specializing in personal wellbeing, stress management, family communication,
Source: Welch, Daniel, and Kate Downes. “Identifying Signs of Stress in Farm Families.” NY FarmNet. Accessed March 30, 2020. https://www.nyfarmnet.org/ farm-stress.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Crisis Text Line Text “START” to 741-741, www. crisistextline.org
New York State County Mental Health Directory http://www.clmhd.org/contact_local_ mental_hygiene_departments/
DHI Report: February Herdcode HERDOWNER
SAMPLE NO. BREED COWS TYPE
MILK FAT PROTEIN
21470096 BRANDON PETERS DAIRY DHI-AP
H
101.1 20411 748
639
21470146 THONY'S DAIRY
DHI-AP
H
59.8 18326 696
567
21470021 GLASSEL, ROBERT
DHI-AP
H
46.9 14735 549
448
Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 5
HEALTHY SOILS, LIVING SOILS Submitted by Brenda Miller, Environment & Natural Resources Program Manager
“Essentially, all life depends upon the soil… There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.” - Dr. Charles E Kellogg, Soil Scientist and Chief of the USDA’s Bureau for Chemistry and Soils
wastes flowing from the septic system fields in your back yard. Soils also provide habitats for a diverse group of organisms, many of which are very important—such as those bacteria that produce antibiotics. Soil organic matter stores a huge amount of atmospheric carbon. Carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, is a greenhouse gas associated with global warming. So by increasing soil organic matter, more carbon can be stored in soils, reducing the global warming potential. We also use soils as a foundation for roads, industry, and our communities.
Healthy Soils
Living Soils
It should come as no surprise that many cultures have considered soil central to their lives. After all, people were aware that the food they ate grew from the soil. Our ancestors who first practiced agriculture must have been amazed to see life reborn each year when seeds placed in the ground germinated and then grew to maturity. In the Hebrew Bible, the name given to the first man, Adam, is the masculine version of the word “earth” or “soil” (adama). The name for the first woman, Eve (or Hava in Hebrew), comes from the word for “living.” Soil and human life were considered to be intertwined. A particular reverence for the soil has been an important part of the cultures of many civilizations, including Indigenous Americans.
When soil organisms and roots go about their normal functions of getting energy for growth from organic molecules, they “respire”—using oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. (Of course, as we take our essential breaths of air, we do the same.) An entire field can be viewed as breathing as if it is one large organism. The soil is like a living being in another way, too—it may get “sick” in the sense that it becomes incapable of supporting healthy plants.
Although we focus on the critical role soils play in growing crops, it’s important to keep in mind that soils also serve other important purposes. Soils govern whether rainfall runs off the field or enters the soil and eventually helps recharge underground aquifers. When a soil is denuded of vegetation and starts to degrade, excessive runoff and flooding are more common. Soils also absorb, release, and transform many different chemical compounds. For example, they help to purify Page 6
The organisms living in the soil, both large and small, play a significant role in maintaining a healthy soil system and healthy plants. One of the main reasons we are interested in these organisms is because of their role in breaking down organic residues and incorporating them into the soil. Soil organisms influence every aspect of decomposition and nutrient availability. As organic materials are decomposed, nutrients become available to plants, humus is produced, soil aggregates are formed, channels are created for water infiltration and better aeration, and those residues originally on the surface are brought deeper into the soil. We can look at soil organisms according to their role in the decomposition of organic materials.
Extension Connection
April 2020
For example, organisms that use fresh residues as their source of food are called primary consumers of organic materials. Many of these primary consumers break down large pieces of residues into smaller fragments. Secondary consumers are organisms that feed on the primary consumers themselves or their waste products. Tertiary consumers then feed on the secondary consumers. There is constant interaction among the organisms living in the soil. Some organisms help others, as when bacteria that live inside the earthworm’s digestive system help decompose organic matter. Although there are many examples of such mutually beneficial, or symbiotic, relationships, an intense competition occurs among most of the diverse organisms in healthy soils. Organisms may directly compete with each other for the same food. Some organisms naturally feed on others— nematodes may feed on fungi, bacteria, or other nematodes, and some fungi trap and kill nematodes. There are also fungi and bacteria that parasitize nematodes and completely digest their content. Some soil organisms can harm plants, either by causing disease or by being parasites. In other words, there are “good” as well as “bad” bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and insects. One of the goals of agricultural production systems and home gardening should be to create conditions that enhance the growth of beneficial organisms, which are the vast majority, while decreasing populations of those few that are potentially harmful. Source: Magdoff, Fred and van Es, Harold. 2010.“Building Soils for Better Crops, 3rd Edition.” Chapter 1. https://www.sare. org/Learning-Center/Books/BuildingSoils-for-Better-Crops-3rd-Edition/ Text-Version.
COVID-19 FINANCIAL WELLNESS RESOURCES Written by Sean Welsh, Energy Resource Educator
These resources have been complied by the Statewide Family Economics and Resource Management (FERM) Program Work Team to provide you and your family with pertinent financial management resources to assist you during this challenging time. Federal Resources: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has information ranging from what to do if you have trouble paying your bills, are facing income loss, or have a problem with a financial service.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has information on scams and a list of cell phone providers who have pledged not to terminate service for 60 days under the Keep Americans Connected initiative. https://www.fcc.gov New York State Resources:
Extension Resources Across US:
The Attorney General of New York State has detailed information on Coronavirus resources and warnings on current consumer scams.
North Dakota State University Extension https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/ money
https://ag.ny.gov/
University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension
Link to all NYS programs and services through the NYS Governor.
Managing Your Personal Finances in Tough Times
https://www.governor.ny.gov/
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/ toughtimes/
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ coronavirus/ Visit The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for all your tax-related needs.
https://www.osc.state.ny.us/covid-19/ financial-toolkit.htm
https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus
The site www.mybenefits.gov allows you to research and prescreen your eligibility for benefits such as HEAP, SNAP, Assistance programs, health insurance and tax credits.
https://www.irs.gov/filing/ free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free Payment Deadline Extended https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/ payment-deadline-extended-tojuly-15-2020 The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) provides information linking banks, technology and consumers. https://www.fdic.gov/ The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides regular consumer alerts regarding scams along with tips and advice for consumers on a variety of financial and consumer related topics.
Breathing Room: A Space to Take a Breath & a Step Towards Wellness https://breathingroom.umd. edu/2020/03/19/coronavirus-covid-19protect-your-health-and-find-help-forfinancial-stress/
The NYS Comptroller’s office has a financial toolkit on their website that covers a variety of personal finance concerns that New Yorkers may be dealing with as a result of the coronavirus.
IRS Free File
Blog:
The New York WIC program provides food, information on health and nutrition, education and support for low-income women and children up to age five. www.health.ny.gov/prevention/ nutrition/wic Find helpful Cornell Cooperative Extension resources and the NY Extension Disaster Education Network information. https://eden.cce.cornell.edu/
Financial Resources to Help Get Through COVID-19 https://fyi.extension. wisc.edu/toughtimes/ covid-19-financial-resources/ North Dakota State University Extension – Facebook: @NDSUExtension Source: http://albany.cce.cornell.edu/ home-family/statewide-family-economicsand-resource-management-ferm-programwork-team FERM is a statewide effort by Cornell Cooperative Extension to help individuals and families to adopt management behaviors which lead to more secure financial situations and affordable use of resources through education and practice, including: • Enhancing financial literacy skills of consumers • Increasing consumer awareness of energy resource choices • Encouraging and augmenting professional development for extension educators • Documenting and reporting program impact
https://www.ftc.gov/
Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 7
STRESS AWARENESS MONTH Submitted by SueAnn Boyd, Healthy Schools Coordinator We all experience stress from time to time – we have to, as it is part of the body’s natural alarm system. Thanks to the body’s stress-response system, we are better equipped to handle and respond to all kinds of threatening situations. In such situations, our response time quickens, every fiber of our being becomes intensely alert, and we become flooded with stress hormones that override our normal state of functioning when at rest. The whole process is actually quite amazing. The health problems frequently associated with stress, however, begin to manifest when our stress-response system never gets a chance to “turn off” and allow the body to recover. Chronic and long-term stress can create many health issues and exacerbate pre-existing conditions. Such stress has become a widely recognized societal problem due to factors such as longer work hours and stressful careers, economic difficulties and lower employment rates, child-care demands, relationship difficulties and more. Being “stressed out” has become such a frequent phenomenon, in fact, that people often continue to function while unaware that underlying stress is wreaking havoc on their well-being. It is important to understand the stressresponse and be able to identify when stress is taking a toll on your body. Did You Know…? Stress can in fact, cause hair loss. There are three types of hair loss associated with stress and include alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and trichotillomania. Telogen effluvium is the most common and occurs during high levels of emotional or physical stress, and causes hair follicles to go into a dormant state. The actual hair loss Page 8
occurs several months later following the period of stress. High levels of stress can contribute to an accumulation of abdominal fat, mainly due to the stress hormone, cortisol. The stress response is actually an amazing feature of our physiological make-up! It has enabled humans to survive and thrive in all kinds of stressful and potentially threatening situations. The part of the brain that initiates the stress response is the hypothalamus. During particularly stressful events and instances of physical harm, the brain releases opioid compounds which can actually inhibit the body’s ability to feel pain. Chronic stress is incredibly taxing on the body. When the stressresponse system stops working properly and does not allow for adequate recovery, this causes overexposure to all of the stress hormones that are constantly being released. This, in turn, causes much of the damage that is associated with chronic stress, including cardiovascular problems, sleep disturbances, skin problems and more. Chronic stress can alter the neurochemical makeup of the body and even interfere with optimal growth and development. Symptoms and effects of feeling over-stressed can be synonymous. Doing a self-assessment and maintaining an awareness of your overall functioning can lead to a greater awareness of stress overload.
Extension Connection
April 2020
The following list describes symptoms and warning signs of stress: • Memory problems • Difficulty concentrating • Feeling anxious or irritable • Random aches and pains • Digestive problems • Chest pains • Frequently feeling overwhelmed • Procrastinating and/or neglecting obligations and responsibilities • Relying on other substances to relax, including drugs, alcohol and/or food More symptoms and information can be found at the Helpguide. org website: www.helpguide.org/ mental/stress_signs.htm
Sources: Random Facts: 41 Random Facts about…Stress http://facts.randomhistory. com/stress-facts.html Mayo Clinic: Health Information – Stress Management http://www.mayoclinic.com/ health/stress-and-hair-loss/AN01442 Mayo Clinic: Stress: Constant stress puts your health at risk http://www.mayoclinic.com/ health/stress/SR00001 Helpguide.org http://www.helpguide.org/ mental/stress_signs.htm
This information is provided courtesy of the Wyoming AgrAbility Project.
Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 9
School Meal Services Eldred Central School District
Parents can pickup “grab and go” meals (breakfast and lunch) for all students at Mackenzie Elementary School (curb side delivery at entrance area). These will be provided free of charge.
Meals will be delivered by bus to each regular bus stop. Meals will also be available for pickup at the Fallsburg Central School entrance of Benjamin Cosor Elementary School for District any family who wants to access meals that way If you have any questions, email: meals@fallsbugcsd.net
Liberty Central School District
Rolling V drivers will deliver meals (breakfast and lunch) at the regular bus stops each day (drivers will beep and wait two minutes before moving on). Students who walk to school can pick up meals at the High School loading area (near the parking lot basketball court).
Mon & Weds 10am—12pm
Daily 9—11am
Mon—Fri Bus Delivery: 9:30—10:30am Pick up: 9—11am
Meals are available for delivery or to pickup. The station is at the back of the LMCS cafeteria Livingston Manor Central pickup Mon—Fri (or in the old gym, in inclement weather). Rolling V School District 10am—12pm drivers will deliver to homes, drivers will beep and wait two minutes before moving on. Meals will be delivered along the bus routes, walkers can go to the nearest bus stop. Each child will receive a packaged double meal, containing one Mon, Tues, Thurs Monticello Central breakfast and one lunch (all residents under 18 are 10am—1pm School District eligible for these meals). If you are in need of a meal and the bus has not come, please contact the transportation dept. at 845-794-8570 or 845-794-2120. __ Meals are available to “grab and go” at the Elementary School. Go to student drop-oơ/pick-up area at Sullivan West Central located by the 1938/1961 entrance. If you do not Mon, Weds, Fri School District have transportation, please contact Lorraine Poston 9—11am at 845-482-4610 ext. 3005 to arrange for meal access. can pick up “grab and go” breakfast and Tri-Valley Central School Parents lunch (for two days each time) at the exterior door District of the cafeteria. Meals are available to “grab and go” (breakfast and lunch) at the side door of the RCS Cafeteria. Meals will also be delivered via school transportation. A needs to come out to the bus where bagged Roscoe Central School person meals will be handed oơ. Delivery available even if District you are typically not on a bus route (a walker, etc.) Anyone that wants to receive meals needs to Ƥll out a survey once athttps://forms.gle PjUt3iLBhWxLXcNb7
Page 10
Extension Connection
April 2020
Mon, Weds, Fri 9—11am Every Day Pick up: 8—10am Bus Delivery: Starts at 9am
Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 11
April Focus: Fast Facts, Cool Tools, & News too Use!
April is Stress
Awareness M onth! Motorists who h ho talk on cell l phones are more ore or impaired than n drunk drivers s with bloodalcohol levels s exceeding .08. .
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. Ifyou want to be happy, practice compassion.� -Dalai Lama
When you s neeze, your body is getting rid of infected c e ll s a n d an average s n e e z e w i ll spread over 100,0 00 virus ce ll s u p to nine me ters. On a verage, a d u lt s c a t ch two to t h r e e c o ld s each year. S c h o o l- a g e c h i ld r e n can have 1 2 or more c o ld s i n a year. One s i n g le b a c t e r i a c e ll c a n m u lt i p ly t o b e c o m e more than eight m i ll i o n c e ll s i n le s s than 24 h ours. Ther e are more bacteria in your mouth than there are p e o p le i n t h e w o r ld . You burn more ca
lories sleeping th
television. Laughin minutes on a statio
nary bike.
Page ge 12
Extension E Ext Ex xte tens ten nsio ion Connection Connecttio
April 2020
an you do watching
g 100 times is equiv
alent to 15
April Focus: Fast Facts, Cool Tools, & News to Use!
Healthy Tips of the Month!
Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 13
CCE Sullivan Spotlights
Agriculture Spotlight 4-HSpotlight REBECCA C. Lifetime Sullivan County 4-H member Rebecca C. recently had the honor of being crowned NYS Maple Queen. NYS FFA promoted this contest and participants had to complete an entry form, prepare a speech on the maple industry, complete an interview, and answer impromptu questions onstage. These questions were randomly selected for each participant. Rebecca’s speech was titled “Real vs Fake Syrup” and was based on the nutritional difference between the two. Congratulations Rebecca for obtaining the title of NYS Maple Queen!
Page 14
MYERS CENTURY FARM The Myers Century Farm was established in 1837 in Jeffersonville, New York by Elizabeth (Glasser) Myers and continues to operate as a local family dairy producer today. They have had six generations of stewards within their family who have cared for the land, animals, and surrounding community for over 100 years. The farm is currently owned and operated by Peter and Dawn (Myers) Erlwein with their daughter Rianne, and two sons Austin and Sawyer, who love the lifestyle and relish in the blessings the farm has brought to their family. In the spring of 2018, they along with many other small dairies received abrupt notification that their milk market was being canceled. During difficult discussions, another family of local farmers expressed an interest in expanding their product line at their already existing processing facility. They proposed a business deal to help each other out by creating a private and local dairy market. They wanted to make more products available to their customers but did not want to add more cows. The Myers had the cows and are currently supplying the first Jersey milk here to process at Bethel Creamery in Bethel, NY. They are very excited to finally offer their delicious cow’s milk for the local community to purchase. A2A2 Milk is now available in several Peck’s Market locations, Callicoon, Jeffersonville, and Livingston Manor. They continue to grow their product line, with new feta cheese and cheese curd in production. Additionally, they will have A2A2 Chocolate Milk available
Extension Connection
April 2020
CCE Sullivan Spotlights
Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 15
CAREGIVER STRESS Submitted by Bonnie Lewis, RN Dependent Care Educator The COVID-19 pandemic and its requirement of social distancing has exacerbated the negative health impact of stress for many family caregivers concerned about their older loved ones who are most at risk.We recognize that now, more than ever, caregivers need to practice self-care to get through these uncertain times.
For April’s National Stress Awareness Month as well as National Public Health Week (April 6-12), the timing could not be more perfect to support our caregivers with information and education about stress relief. According to Sherri Snelling on Caregiving Monday, a research study showed caregivers are twice as likely as the general public to have chronic stress. Science tells us chronic stress can often lead to chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s Disease. How do we really know if we are experiencing stress? Unfortunately, stress is not like a wound or broken arm. Stress is often invisible and can happen in many forms. The human body was not meant to be in constant stress response which is the classic impulse of “fight or flight”. The stress response was intended as a short-term answer for survival (escaping dinosaurs). Chronic stress is doing the opposite of helping us survive – it may be threatening our survival.
was ringing or vibrating only to check it and there is no notification – no call or text or email? According to Psychology Today, this “Phantom Phone Syndrome” is a form of anxiety and stress. Rx : If you feel anxious, try mindfulness exercises. There are plenty of great apps to guide you through meditation and calm. According to the seminal expert on meditation, the late Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard Mind/Body Medical Institute, just 10 – 20 minutes of meditation a day will help return your body to homeostasis – the balance needed to maintain immunity and lower inflammation. Depression We may not think of depression being part of the stress family of emotions but it is. Family caregivers often express situational depression where mood is negatively altered for a period of time over a loved one’s condition or health status. Studies have shown Alzheimer’s caregivers have 2-3 times the levels of depression as the general population and this type of depression can be longerlasting since dementia caregivers are in their roles twice as long on average as other caregivers. Rx: Let the sun shine in. If spring has not yet sprung and you are still stuck inside, get your sunshine intake from Vitamin D. Known as the sunshine vitamin, it naturally boosts mood and helps build bone strength.You can find Vitamin D in certain foods such as salmon, walnuts, oranges and regular or soy milk. Headaches
Anxiety
Particularly those that feel like a tight band is squeezed across the front of your forehead and around the back of your skull. The National Institutes of Health reports these are tension headaches – the most common form of headaches – and can occur based on stress, anxiety or depression.
Have you ever thought your smartphone
Rx: Sometimes improving posture or
Be aware of when you are experiencing stress and how to counteract it.
Page 16
Extension Connection
April 2020
avoiding eye strain can relieve headache pain. Try unplugging from technology to avoid sitting and looking at your computer screen all day. Instead, get out and take a walk. Fresh air, the aerobic benefit of walking and not focusing attention on a small screen but looking out at long vistas can help. Insomnia As a country we can add one more debt to our list: sleep debt. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 3 Americans get less than the 7-8 hours of restful, restorative sleep needed and 89 percent of caregivers report sleeping problems. One study showed getting only 5-7 hours of sleep showed a lack of alertness the next day similar to a .05% blood alcohol level. Rx: Visualize your body like your smartphone. Each night we must recharge our phones so they operate the next day without losing battery power. This is your body – restorative sleep recharges the cells in your body to not only give you energy but to revitalize your mental well-being and alertness as well. Tossing and turning at night? Ensure all blue light emission from technology (TVs, clocks, laptops, phones) is unplugged. Also, try spraying a lavender scent on your pillow or rolling this essential oil across your wrists and temples as this scent is a natural relaxer.
Source:WebsiteCaregivingMonday,Author:Sherri Snelling,https://caregivingclub.com
Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 17
THESKODA FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT CORNELL C O O P E R A T I V E E X T E N S I O N , S U L L I V A N C O U N TY The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan County is pleased to administer The Skoda Family Scholarship Fund at Cornell Cooperative Extension, Sullivan County. SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS WILL RANGE FROM $500 TO $4,000. For your application to be considered, the following criteria must be met: 1.
Preference will be given to Sullivan County graduating high school students who plan to attend Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, PA and major in Agriculture. (Orange County graduating high school students who plan to attend Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, PA and major in Agriculture may also apply with the understanding that preference will be given to graduating high school students in Sullivan County.)
2.
If there are no applications from Sullivan County graduating high students who plan to major in Agriculture in any year, then the scholarship may be awarded to any resident of Sullivan County (with any major) who plans to attend Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, PA.
3.
If there are no graduating high school students in Orange or Sullivan County who fit the criteria, then the scholarship may be awarded to a currently enrolled Delaware Valley College student from Sullivan County majoring in Agriculture.
4.
If criteria as outlined in #1, #2 or #3 above is not met, the annual scholarship amount will be forwarded to Delaware Valley College for the college to award to a worthy student with financial need who is majoring in Agriculture. It does not matter where the student resides.
5.
An essay of no less than 500 words is required of the applicant, stating financial need, goals, background, grades, extra-curricular activities and community service.
6.
Please include a letter of recommendation.
7.
Candidate will need to provide a copy of their tuition bill and payment will be made directly to the college/university if awarded.
8.
Scholarships may only be used for undergraduate studies.
9.
Completed application (see below).
See our website for more information;
www.sullivancce.org
Page 18
Extension Connection
April 2020
THE EARLE AND ELIZABETH WILDE – CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SULLIVAN COUNT Y SCHOLARSHIP FUND A W A R D: $ 2,000.00 The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan County is pleased to administer The Earle and Elizabeth Wilde – Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors from the Sullivan County area who plan to continue their education in an agricultural related field at either the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill or Morrisville.
For your application to be considered, the following criteria must be met: 1.
Candidate must be a resident of Sullivan County and a graduating high school senior attending a Sullivan County high school.
2.
Preference will be given to a graduating senior whose family is actively engaged in agriculture.
3.
Consideration will be given to the graduating senior who was engaged in FFA, 4-H or other youth program.
4.
An essay of no less than 500 words is required of the applicant, stating financial need, goals, background, grades, extra-curricular activities and community service.
5.
Please include a letter of recommendation.
6.
Candidate will need to provide a copy of their tuition bill and payment will be made directly to the college / university if awarded.
7.
Scholarships may only be used for undergraduate studies.
8.
Completed application (see below).
SELECTIONS PROCESS: 1. Recommendations/selections will be made by a Selections Committee appointed by Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County. 2. Family member(s) of the named fund (e.g. Fred Bach) will be informed of the committee screening for applicants and family member reserves the right to vote on the committee for scholarship recipients. 3. Final recommendations of Selections Committee will be presented to Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan.
To apply follow this link: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=cfosny
Extension Connection
April 2020
Page 19
Please notify CCE Sullivan if you have a change of address:
845-292-6180 sullivan@cornell.edu