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Reduce Gender Inequality at Work

Page 18 What are Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pumps

Page 20 Economic

Benefits: Activity-friendly Routes to Everyday Destinations

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

Hours: Mon - Fri | 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Phone: 845-292-6180

E-mail: sullivan@cornell.edu

Website: www.sullivancce.org

Facebook.com/ccesullivanagfood

Instagram.com/ccesullivan

YouTube: bitly.com/ccesullivan

Board Of Directors

Dara Smith............................President

Denise Frangipane...............Secretary

Dawn Parsons.......................Treasurer

Nadia Rajsz.................Legislative Rep.

Adam Hughes..................Cornell Rep.

Alex Alorro

Heather Berg

Lee Karasik

Amanda Langseder

Denise Luckman

Erika Malmgreen

Steve Marton

Gary Silver

Gary Silverman

Marcie Wild

Program Committee

Heather Brown

Roberta Chambers

Robert Kaplan, Chairperson

Eugene Thalmann

Deborah Worden

Extension Connection

Produced by: Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County

Edited by: Erin Denman & Colleen Monaghan

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 sponsorships for the Extension Connection.

Staff Members

Colleen Monaghan..............................................................................Executive Director

Taylor Adam.............................................................Beginner Farmer Program Manager

Pat Bennett................................................................Healthy Families Program Manager

Thomas Bosket....................................................................SALT/DFC Program Manager

SueAnn Boyd.........................................................Healthy Schools Program Coordinator

Fabio Campanati......................................................................Taste NY Market Manager

Lynn Colavito..............................................Community Cupboard Program Coordinator

Martin Colavito...........................................Community Cupboard Program Coordinator

Wanda V. Cruz...............................................Healthy Communities Program Coordinator

Erin Denman............................................................Association Operations Coordinator

Katie Gasior.................................................................Horticulture Program Coordinator

Christopher Jones..............................................................Taste NY Operations Manager

Joy Leon.................................................................Nutrition & Physical Activity Educator

Katie Rose Lugauer...................................................................4-H Program Coordinator

Erica Lynch..........................................................Catskills Kitchen Program Coordinator

John Mastrangelo............................................................................Assistant Ag Market Manager

Melinda Meddaugh.......................................................Ag & Food Systems Issue Leader

Vivian Monsanto...............................................................................Finance Coordinator

Barbara Moran................................................4-H Youth Development Program Manager

Bee Moser............................................................................................Senior Nutritionist

Vanessa Petrossian...........................Program Director: Operations and Community Vitality

Abyssinia Pla El...................................................................................Finance Coordinator

Michelle Proscia..............................................Agriculture Production Program Manager

Ann-Marie Sidtis............................................Drug Free Communities Program Assistant

Ashley Tully...............................................Food Systems Program Manager, Ag Business

Tara VanHorn.........................................................................................Finance Manager

Malinda Ware........................................................................................Program Director

Sean Welsh...................................................................Energy Senior Resource Educator

John Wilcox..........................................................................................Facilities Manager

Judy Arpadi, Vinny Bonizzi, Kayla Evans.................................................Ag Market Coordinators

Dear Sullivan County Community,

Spring has arrived, and with it, a renewed sense of energy for our work at Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County. As we transition into this new season, I wanted to take a moment to update you on some exciting initiatives.

We are so excited to be in the process of planning for the 2023 Sullivan Catskills and Sullivan Fresh farmers market season. We’re looking forward to our fifth year of expansion, are looking forward to supporting our local farmers and producers as they bring their products to market and keep dollars local!

I also wanted to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the Sullivan County Legislature for their continued support of Extension work. Their generous contributions continue to enable us to provide valuable programming and outreach to Sullivan County residents and visitors, and we are grateful for their partnership.

In addition, I am proud to highlight the achievements of our 4-H youth members who participated in this year’s public presentations. These young people worked hard to develop their public speaking skills and showcased their knowledge and passion for a variety of topics. We are thrilled to see the growth and development of our 4-Hers and are excited for what the future holds for them.

Finally, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest staff members, Taylor Adam and Joy Leon. Taylor has joined our team as the Beginning Farmer Program Manager, and Joy as our Nutrition & Physical Activity Program Educator. We are excited for you to meet them as they begin their outreach later this spring and summer.

As always, our team remains dedicated to serving the needs of our community and providing valuable resources and programming. We encourage you to stay up-to-date with our latest news and events by following us on Facebook @ccesullivanagfood, Instagram @ccesullivan, or visiting our events page at sullivancce.org/events.

Thank you for your continued support of Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County, and we wish you a happy and fruitful spring season.

Sincerely,

Colleen Monaghan Executive Director, cm638@cornell.edu

CULTIVEMOS: WELLBEING FOR YOU AND YOUR FARM

Submitted by Taylor Adam, Beginner Farmer Program Manager

In the 2018 Farm Bill, the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) was created to be a network serving farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers. With the creation of this network, the USDA awarded grants across four regions to create and moderate these networks. In the Northeast, the National Young Farmers Coalition, Farm Aid, Farm First, University of Main Cooperative Extension, Migrant Clinicians Network, and the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust received funds to establish FRSAN. Since its initial creation FRSAN-NE has now become Cultivemos!

Cultivemos/FRSAN-NE has sponsored a new podcast Mending Our Fences, created by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. The podcast is hosted by Lisa Ohara from Bodhi Counseling in Maryland who talks with three Extension educators including Josh Taylor with University of Vermont; Ginger Fenton with Penn State University Cooperative Extension; and Maria Pippidis, Extension Educator with University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. The podcast aims to look at some of the every-day hard things with life in agriculture and to discover ways to manage those difficulties. The Mending Our Fences podcast has begun with a 7-part topic series, each building on the previous strategies to manage stress. The podcast is available on Google, Spotify, and Apply podcast.

The Mending Our Fences podcast is one of the countless resources from Cultivemos, the network does not stop there. Through Cultivemos more and more cohorts have been created, specifically supporting individuals who identify with a socially disadvantaged group. To become a member of the Cultivemos network or to find cohorts that relate to your identity or your lived experience in farming, email cultivemos@youngfarmers. org.

Sources:

“FRSAN-NE is now Cultivemos!”

Cooperative Extension: Agriculture. The University of Maine, May 31, 2022. https://extension.umaine. edu/agriculture/2022/05/31/ frsan-ne-is-now-cultivemos/.

Pippidis, Maria. “Mending Our Fences Podcast Released to Address Farmer Stress: College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.” Mending Our Fences Podcast Released to Address Farmer Stress | College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. University of Delaware, February 20, 2023. https://www.udel.edu/academics/ colleges/canr/news/2023/february/ mending-our-fences/.