Extension Connection Sullivan County
Upcoming Events & Programs
Issue Highlights Issue Highlights ssue Upcoming Events & Programs
D.I.Y. Energy Savings Sessions
Strengthening Families
Legal & Financial Planning for Caregivers: What You Need to Know
John’s Edible Native Garden Tour & Class
10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Orange County Land Trust Municipal Class
See more events and opportunities on sullivancce.org/events.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
Building Your Agritourism Business
The New and Improved Nutrition Facts Label
Go Wild When Shopping for Flower Seeds
Caregiver Support Groups Help Prevent Burnout
Ventilation for Vegatable Farms
Creating Healthy Schools and Communities - Early Childhood Education
Transforming Legacy Highways
July is Blueberry Month! Check out page 14 for facts about blueberries!
Students and Staff from Roscoe and Livingston Manor School Districts reaping the benefits of the CHSC program! See page 12.
Welcome to the Issue!
Page 3 Letter from our Executive Director
Page 4 Building Your Agritourism Business
Page 6 Gardening 101: A Three Part Series
Page 7 Go Wild When Shopping for Flower Seeds
Page 10 Ventilation for Vegetable Farms
Page 12 CCE Spotlights!
Page 13 May DHIA Report
Page 14 Fast Facts!
Page 16 Creating Healthy Schools and CommunitiesEarly Childhood Education
Page 17 Heart-Healthy Eating Plan
Page 18 Resources for Transforming Legacy Highways
Page 20 The New and
Table of Contents
Table
Improved Nutrition Facts Label
Page 22 Fitness Trail Walk Series
Page 23 D.I.Y Energy Savings Session
Page 24 Why are fairs an important part of 4-H?
Page 26 Caregiver Support Groups Help Prevent Burnout
NotifyCCESullivan if you have
Notify CCE Sullivan if you have a change of address: 845-292-6180
sullivan@cornell.edu
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
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dara Smith............................President
Alex Alorro...................Vice President
Robert Kaplan.......................Secretary
Dawn Parsons.......................Treasurer
Brian McPhillips...........Legislative Rep.
Adam Hughes..................Cornell Rep.
Freda Eisenberg
John Garigliano
Amanda Langseder
Denise Luckman
Erika Malmgreen
Steve Marton
Mark McLewin
Laura Quigley
Gary Silver
Gary Silverman
Nicole Slevin Nikolados
Diana Weiner
PROGRAM COMMITTEE
Heather Brown
Roberta Chambers
Nu El
Courtney Hanback
Carmela Hugel
Cathi Paci
Carol Roig
Stephen Stuart
Eugene Thalmann
Deborah Worden
EXTENSION CONNECTION
Produced by: Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County Edited by: Aaron Denman & Colleen Monaghan Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County 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
Monica Ponce-Agredano ...............................................................Ag. Program Assistant
Tracy Broyles...............................................................................SALT Program Manager
Alan Carroll...................................................................Food Systems Program Manager
Lynn Colavito..............................................Community Cupboard Program Coordinator
Martin Colavito...........................................................Prevention Programs Issue Leader
Haley Collins...................Agriculture Farmland Protection & Planning Program Manager
Wanda V. Cruz...............................................Healthy Communities Program Coordinator
Aaron Denman.........................................................Association Operations Coordinator
Eugene Doyle...................................................................................................Custodian
Katie Gasior........................................................................Horticulture Subject Educator
Jenna Gangel..........................................................................Shop Taste NY Coordinator
Christopher Jones....................................................................Taste NY Market Manager
Joy Leon.................................................................Nutrition & Physical Activity Educator
Katie Rose Lugauer...................................................................4-H Program Coordinator
Kim McDonnell..................................................................................Taste NY Assistant Manager
Nancy McGraw.......................................................Educator, Caregiver Resource Center
Melinda Meddaugh.......................................................Ag & Food Systems Issue Leader
Barbara Moran................................................4-H Youth Development Program Manager
Subidha Neupane............................................. Hudson Valley SNAP-ed Nutrition Educator
Patricia Ocasio...................................................................Prevention Program Coordinator
Shanice Owens..............................................Community Cupboard Program Coordinator
Abyssinia Pla El...................................................................................Finance Coordinator
Michelle Proscia..............................................Agriculture Production Program Manager
Ann-Marie Sidtis......................................................................FOR Program Coordinator
Tara VanHorn.........................................................................................Finance Manager
Malinda Ware........................................................................................Program Director
John Wilcox..........................................................................................Facilities Manager
Veronica Yangis.........................................................................Taste NY Operations Coordinator
Kayla Evans, Ashley Masopust................................................................Ag Market Coordinators
Hello friends of Extension and happy summer!
This month we’re preparing for the annual Sullivan County Youth Fair, which will take place August 15-17 in partnership with the Neversink Agricultural Society at the Grahamsville Little World’s Fair. We have a host of animal and still exhibits that our young people have been caring for and crafting. Please come out to support Sullivan County kids. They can tell you all about their dairy and beef cows, pigs, poultry, alpacas, sheep, goats, rabbits, and more!
This month, the Sullivan Fresh Farmers’ Markets starts its eighth season, with 5 locations across the county. With support from our friends at Sullivan County Public Health Services Rural Health Network, NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, and the USDA there are more ways than ever to access fresh fruits and vegetables using public benefit programs, cash, and credit at the Markets. Locations can be found in Monticello, Woodridge, Fallsburg, Loch Sheldrake, and Wurtsboro! These 5 markets are in addition to the 10 site-based farmers markets you can find across the County. Visit https://sullivancatskillsfarmersmarkets.com/ for the locations and schedules! Market Coordinators Alan and Luciana are looking forward to seeing you there.
In follow up to some of the news you may have seen regarding CCE Sullivan’s federal funding, folks are curious about our funding structure. As an independent employer, with a locally elected board of directors, CCE Sullivan is part of the national land grant university system through a statutory relationship with Cornell University. Through that relationship, CCE Sullivan receives a small $12,000 per year Smith Lever allocation, and New York State employee benefits through County Law 224 funds. That’s it! We are a separate entity from Cornell University, and do NOT have access to, or influence over, the private college’s endowment or other funding.
Just under a third of our current operating budget comes from three contracts out of the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA). Currently, the federal government is in arrears on two of those contracts, with no communication, guidance, or indication of what happens next. We are continuing to deliver programming as agreed upon in our duly executed contracts and will do so until we hear otherwise from our colleagues at the USDA.
In closing, please take my most sincere gratitude for the overwhelming support of Extension work in Sullivan County. Since January 1st, CCE Sullivan has received $9,092.50 in individual donations. CCE is charged with being responsive to emerging issues, and we can’t do that without the community’s blessing and backing. You help make us strong and we thank you!
Until next month, stay hydrated and be well!
Best,
Colleen Monaghan Executive Director
GARDENING101:
athreepartseries
Learntheinsandoutsofstartingyourown garden,fromstarttomaintenance!
allclasseswilltakeplacefrom5pm-6pm
Part1: April29th,ViaZoom
Part2: June11th,InPerson
Part3: August6th,InPerson
PART1
PART2
ApresentationfromKatieGasior,our
HorticultureSubjectEducator,willfocuson:startingseeds, soilhealth,preppingforagarden,andbasicintegratedpestmanagement.
AhandsonworkshopinourCCEgarden.Wewillsowseedsinto
gardenbedsandplanttransplantedseedlings.
AnotherhandsonworkshopinourCCEgarden.Wewilldosome
gardeningintheCCEgardenincluding:troubleshooting,weeding,pruning,and basicpestcontrol.
GO WILD WHEN SHOPPING FOR FLOWER SEEDS
Written by Margaret Roach
Submitted by Aaron Denman, Association Operations Coordinator
Here’s how to make sure those impulse catalog purchases result in happy surprises -- not buyer’s remorse.
Not to put a damper on your seed-catalog bingeing -- it marks the ritual start to every new garden season, after all -- but Andrew Schuyler has a question: Is there a plan attached to your impulsive behavior? Go ahead and let the catalogs’ vivid descriptions and photographs seduce you into trying something unfamiliar. Mr. Schuyler (who goes by Drew) always does.
Some of his impulse purchases of annual flowers in recent Januarys have resonated with visitors at Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, the 43acre public landscape in Yonkers, N.Y., where he is the assistant head gardener. They include the orangered tassel flowers (Emilia coccinea) that call in autumn’s migrating monarch butterflies. And the four-inch-wide, deep orange zinnias (Zinnia elegans Inca) that called out to an R&B artist who was filming a music video at the garden and snagged one as an impromptu prop.
‘’One or two really great plants show up every year that are only in the garden because we grew them from seed,’’ Mr. Schuyler said. ‘’They were not part of the plan -- just something extra we tried.’’
The master plan for Untermyer’s extensive display beds, borders and containers had been designed well in advance, with more than 8,000 young plants, or plugs, ordered to match. Then some irresistible oddballs ended up in a shopping cart on a winter whim.
But for each happy afterthought, Mr. Schuyler promptly took the next step: He married every impulse with an equal measure of discipline, studying up on exactly how -- and when -- to sow those seeds.
‘’I approach it the way I approach cooking,’’ he said, ‘’which is to look at a ton of recipes and then find some middle ground to guide me.’’
When he saw a catalog photo of purple bell vine (Rhodochiton atrosanguineum), he imagined how it would
look cascading out of hanging baskets rather than climbing. Its flowers are extravagant, with an extra-long, maroon-purple clanger dangling from each fuchsia bell; its distinctive leaves are heart shaped, with toothed edges.
But the plant was unfamiliar and proved to have particular needs: Both light and warmth are required for germination, and it can sometimes take more than a month for seedlings to emerge.
Good to know, or he might have given up on it too soon.
Make a Calendar and Organize Your Packets
A favorite resource for this homework assignment is Mr. Schuyler’s tattered copy of the industry classic ‘’Ball Culture Guide: The Encyclopedia of Seed Germination,’’ by Jim Nau, formerly of the Ball Seed company. Seed catalogs are another important information resource, notably Johnny’s Selected
Seeds and Select Seeds. Both offer solid, detailed growing information. Each acquisition and any secrets revealed -- the ideal sowing depth and temperature requirements, for instance -- make their way onto Mr. Schuyler’s spreadsheet, arranged in order of when the seeds will be sown.
Here’s how to calculate that: Subtract the number of weeks each variety requires indoors from when you plan to transplant it into the garden. The earliest possible set-out date is based on how long before or after the final frost a variety can be safely set outside, according to your research. (This online calculator can help.)
Open the cheese drawer of the Untermyer staff refrigerator, and you’ll see corresponding evidence of such planning among the packets in cold storage. Multiples are joined by rubber bands, a Post-it note affixed to each little bundle to indicate the intended start date. Cosmos, zinnias, marigolds and Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia), for instance, are marked to get going together on Apr. 1.
More Choices: SeasonStretching Calendula and an African Milkweed
For professional and home gardeners, starting from seed has many advantages -- not the least of which is a far more extensive range of possibilities than garden centers stock as transplants
in the spring. Those who want color weeks before most popular annuals bloom don’t have to settle for any old basic solid yellow or orange calendula (Calendula officinalis) -if the local nursery even sells calendula seedlings. A seed order can deliver sophisticated peachcolored flowers like Sunset Buff, Triangle Flashback or Orange Flash, with dark centers and bicolor petals, their undersides revealing contrasting reddish or bronze tones.
Something else you won’t find at the garden center is an African milkweed that puts on a big lateseason show, with masses of three-inch papery green pods covered in spiky hairs adorning stems that grow to four feet or taller. Asclepias physocarpa (or Gomphocarpus physocarpus) is a plant of many names, including Oscar milkweed, hairy balls and balloon plant, and makes for high drama in the ground or in a vase -including when it’s dried.
The Untermyer ‘’last-minute surprises’’ list recently included Zinderella Peach, a zinnia whose blooms look more like a scabiosa’s. Capsicum annuum Black Pearl, a pepper that doesn’t look like a pepper, also made its way into the garden, likewise started from seed.
‘’’What is this black cherry?’’’ Mr. Schuyler recalls visitors asking of
the purple-black fruits on bushy plants with matching foliage. ‘’Nobody knew it was a pepper until they started to turn red in September.’’
It’s a purchase that he highly recommends.
Successions: Plan Now to Fill Holes Later
Growing flowers from seed also empowers the gardener to produce backup seedlings to swap in later, as early plantings tire -- a moment when nurseries are no longer stocking transplants.
Don’t expect a flowering annual to carry on from spring through fall any more than you would expect a row of lettuce to, Mr. Schuyler advised. Even the longest bloomers have their limits.
‘’We think of something like Cosmos as all-summer blooms, but even Cosmos peters out,’’ he said. ‘’Ones you sow in April are going to be done by August; ones you sow in July will take you to November. This isn’t a one-and-done situation.’’
This year, there will be lots more successions to work into the seed-sowing calendar, including lettuce. Two of Mr. Schuyler’s colleagues are browsing catalogs for seed to bring to life a new section of the Untermyer landscape.
A quarter-acre formal vegetable garden and small orchard overlooking the Hudson River was prepared last year by high school interns, who will plant and tend the
vegetable beds in the coming season -- and perhaps even suggest some last-minute additions of their own.
Key Steps for Starting Better Seedlings
Mr. Schuyler cultivated his propagation skills as a student at the Longwood Gardens Professional Horticulture Program, in the Brandywine Valley area of Chester County, Pa. Producing thousands of plants in a large-scale greenhouse setting requires a modular system: Everything at Untermyer Gardens is produced in four-inch pots, with 15 to a flat.
Rather than seeding into trays of individual cells, each variety is first sown thickly into one of those pots. It typically grows there until the first true leaves appear, although robust growers may be ready for the next step when they still have only seed leaves, or cotyledons. Then the sturdiest among each thicket of tiny seedlings is moved up to its own pot, a process called pricking out (see the slide show for how-to tips). At home, you could just move each into its own cell.
For those determined to grow better seedlings, Mr. Schuyler offered some advice.
Don’t start too early. ‘’As excited as you might be in February to sow all your flower seeds, you really only need to do pansies then,’’ he said.
Make a calendar. Do the math, subtracting the weeks required indoors from the desired outdoor transplant date. Then organize packets by sowing date. Schedule successionsowing dates later on, too, to fill holes with fresh transplants when early crops fade.
Invest in lights, like an LED strip light and stand from SunBlaster. Windowsills don’t support strong seedlings.
Use germinating mix labeled for seed-starting -- not potting soil, which is coarser. (And never garden soil.)
Wet the medium in a garden tub before filling containers. You don’t want it to be sodden and dripping, just evenly moist. ‘’If your germination mix isn’t fully wetted at the start,’’ Mr. Schuyler said, ‘’subsequent waterings won’t fully wet it, and there will be dead spots the water never got to.’’
Tamp the seed bed down before sowing into it. Mr. Schuyler uses a block of wood to form a solid, even base.
How deep should you sow? Research whether a particular seed should be covered or if it needs light for germination. ‘’If it says it wants light, I’ll just press the seed in,’’ he said. ‘’If it says cover, I’ll lightly cover.’’
Sift, don’t smear. Applying an uneven covering of germination mix by hand and spreading it with your
fingers risks moving seed into clumps. Use a wire colander instead to sift a layer on top.
The finishing touch: A top dressing of granite poultry grit (available at Tractor Supply Company) helps keep the soil surface clean, reducing disease.
Is heat required? Varieties that require heat to germinate should go onto an electric heat mat. But remove the seedlings promptly upon germination, or risk weakening them.
When watering, think mist, not deluge. ‘’I had a teacher at Longwood who said that you have to keep a ‘crystalline fairy energy’ in the greenhouse, and I think that’s pretty much the best advice I’ve ever gotten,’’ Mr. Schuyler said. ‘’Just keep things light; we’re not trying to pummel these seedlings. You just want to mist them.’’ The Solo 418 one-liter, one-hand sprayer would handle a few flats; in a bigger setting, Mr. Schuyler uses a hose-end mist nozzle, like the Dramm 510.
Margaret Roach is the creator of the website and podcast A Way to Garden, and a book of the same name.
Source: Roach, Margaret. “Go Wild When Shopping for Flower Seeds.” New York Times, January 15, 2023, 4(L). Gale Academic OneFile (accessed April 23, 2025). https://link-galecom.proxy.library.cornell.edu/apps/ doc/A733306019/AONE?u=nysl_sc_ cornl&sid=ebsco&xid=3007ede9.
CCE Sullivan Spotlights Program Spotlight
COLLABORATION WITH SULLIVAN 180 AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Written and submitted by Nancy McGraw, Team Leader & Caregiver Resource Center Educator
This winter and spring, technical assistance reviews of school wellness policies were provided by Sullivan 180 staff through a subcontract with CCE, on implementing CHSC priorities. CCE staff reviewed and approved requests for CHSC grant funding coordinated by Sullivan 180, with the goal of enhancing physical activity and nutritional offerings in schools across the county. Each month we will be featuring two schools and sharing stories about how they have used the funding.
As a CHSC Grant Recipient, the Livingston Manor School District elementary students were able to enhance their healthier celebration options. The grant provided them with two new bikes to attach to their blender and spin art attachment. These bikes are used for healthier celebrations birthdays, the Back-to-School Kick off and Trout Release events. The Livingston Manor School District also installed some new mulch on its playground this spring.
This spring, the Roscoe Central School District purchased a commercial dehydrator to improve nutritional snack options, a 20ft Gaga2Go ball pit, and pickleball nets to enhance physical activity options for students, the school community, and staff. Gaga Ball is a fast-paced, high-energy sport played in an octagonal pit. It’s often described as a “kinder, gentler” version of dodgeball, focusing on hitting players below the knees with a ball. The goal is to be the last player remaining in the pit.
DHI Report: May 2025
July Focus: Fast Facts, Cool Tools, & News to Use
July is NationalMonth!Blueberry
Blueberries were called “star fruits” by North American indigenous peoples because of the ve-pointed star shape that is formed at the blossom end of the berry.
The blueberry is one of the only foods that is truly naturally blue in color. The pigment that gives blueberries their distinctive color—called anthocyanin—is the same compound that provides the blueberry’s amazing health bene ts. Blueberries ranked number one in antioxidant health bene ts in comparison with more than 40 fresh fruits and vegetables.
The silvery sheen (or “bloom”) found on the skin of blueberries is a naturally occurring compound that helps protect the fruit. This is why you should only wash blueberries right before you’re going to eat them. The berries should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep fresh for up to 10 days.
People have been eating blueberries for more than 13,000 years, but the modern blueberry is a 20th-century invention. Prior to this time, the only way to enjoy blueberries was to scavenge for them in the wild! Early colonists boiled blueberries in milk and made gray paint out of them. That traditional blue paint that was used in the homes of the Shakers was also made from blueberry skins and milk. But they added indigo and sage blossoms. During the American Civil War of the 1860s, blueberries were collected and sent to troops in care packages for use as a food staple. Nowadays, blueberries are simple to grow in your backyard if you choose types that are resistant to pests and diseases.
Blueberries are native to North America, and there are 5 major types of blueberries grown in the United States including lowbush, northern highbush, southern highbush, rabbiteye and half-high. The highbush varieties were not introduced into Europe until the 1930s.
Consumption of blueberries has been linked to health benefits including a reduced risk of cancer, increased insulin response, a reversal in agerelated memory loss, and lowering blood pressure.
British Columbia is the largest highbush blueberry growing region in the world. As a country, Canada ranks third behind the US and Chile. Blueberries are Canada’s most exported fruit.
Birds love blueberries. Netting is vital! Deer love blueberries, too. They are the perfect height for them to chow down on! Birds and deer will decimate your blueberry crop just as soon as it turns sweet. Fencing might even be a necessity if you have lots of deer where you live.
Plant blueberries in early spring in colder climates, late fall in warmer areas. Blueberries like their soil acidic so surround them with organic matter (pine needles) that will decompose and nourish the roots. More sunshine equals more fruit. Although some blueberries will tolerate shade, it’s not ideal. Good drainage is essential.
Sources:
“Did You Know? 10 Surprising Facts about Blueberries.” bcblueberry.com, May 4, 2017. https://www. p g bcblueberry.com/bc-blueberry-council/news/ yyp did-you-know-10-surprising-facts-about-blueberries. y y Sproull, Laura.“50 Fun & Fabulous Facts about Blueberries....” raiseyourgarden.com, September 19, 2018. https://raiseyourgarden. p com/home/50-fun-fabulous-facts-about-blueberries. y g p p
One large handful (1/2 a cup) of juicy blueberries contains just 44 calories but has 2 grams of dietary fiber and 10% of your daily recommended vitamin C content.
CREATING HEALTHY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES - EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Written
and submitted by
Nancy McGraw, Team Leader & Caregiver Resource Center Educator
This winter and spring, CCE staff worked closely with the Sullivan County Child Care Council to coordinate the dissemination of CHSC grant funding to offer twelve (12) day care providers a wide assortment of books, indoor and outdoor toys, small gardening equipment and playground mulch, gardening kits, and small kitchen appliances. The goal of the purchases is to increase physical activity to support large motor development, and to enhance nutritional offerings during meals and snacks. While gross motor skills involve large muscle groups (arms, legs, trunk), fine motor skills involve the small muscles (hands and fingers) used for tasks like writing, buttoning, or grasping small objects. Gross motor skills develop first and lay the foundation for fine motor control in the early childhood years.
With the purchases, several providers began creating foods by different means of preparation, by incorporating their garden foods to create
smoothies, and by using friers to cook snacks and meals in a healthier manner. Several are expanding on their gardens to use the foods to teach children where foods come from and by engaging them in planting and sowing seeds with child-sized
garden tools. Efforts to enhance physical activity have been boosted by the acquisition of tricycles and ride-on toys, climbing domes and tunnels, tree climbing kits, large balls, and ground level balance beams for the children.
“We are so for the support of the Cornell gpp pgy gp g yg
materials we’ll receive will make a ggpp gggpyy gggpy gypg ppg y g
“We are so grateful for the support of the Cornell Cooperative Extension: Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant, which continues to help us bring our Wellness Policy to life through hands-on, outdoor learning. The child-sized tools, garden supplies, and organizational materials we’ll receive will make a meaningful difference, encouraging physical activity, fostering healthy habits, and deepening our students’ connection to nature. These items support our goals for daily movement, fresh food education, and environmental awareness, and we’re excited to share how much joy and growth they’ve brought to our garden program this season.”
Crystal Merino,Valley Day Care, LLC Mongaup Valley, NY
Heart-Healthy Eating Plan
What you eat makes a difference to your heart. A heart-healthy eating plan emphasizes vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, includes fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and limits foods high in saturated fat and sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets. Use the guide below to determine how much you should eat from each food group.*
Food GroupHeart-Healthy Options
Whole Grains
Bread, cereal, starchy vegetables, rice, and pasta (6 ounces for women and 8 ounces for men)
Vegetables (without added fat) (2½ cups)
Fruits (2 cups)
Whole grain versions of sliced bread, sandwich buns, dinner rolls, pita, English muffins, bagels
Unsalted, low-fat crackers (such as graham crackers), pretzels, and popcorn
Cooked hot cereals (not instant) and whole grain cold cereals
Rice and pasta (such as whole grain noodles, spaghetti, and macaroni)
Fresh, frozen, or no-salt-added canned vegetables (such as green beans, string beans, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, squash, broccoli, and okra)
Fresh, frozen, canned (in fruit juice rather than syrup), or dried fruits Lowfat
Fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
Milk, yogurt, and cheese (3 cups)
Fat-free or low-fat (1 percent) milk
Fat-free or low-fat yogurt
Cheeses lower in fat and sodium
Chicken or turkey without the skin
Fish
Protein
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, and legumes (5½ ounces)
Fats and oils
(less than 22 grams of saturated fat)
Sweets and added sugars
Limit sugar and other sweeteners. Ask your healthcare provider about how much sugar or other sweetener is okay for you.
Lean cuts of beef, such as round, sirloin, chuck, loin, and extra-lean ground beef
Lean cuts of pork, such as the leg, shoulder, tenderloin, and lean ham
Eggs
Cooked dry beans and peas (such as field peas, crowder peas, black-eyed peas)
Frozen butter beans and lima beans
Nuts and seeds
Soft tub margarine
Oils (canola, corn, safflower, olive, peanut, or sesame)
Frozen desserts (such as frozen juice pops, low-fat frozen yogurt, or low-fat ice cream)
Low-fat cake and cookies (such as angel food cake, fig bar cookies, ginger snaps, animal crackers, vanilla wafers, and graham crackers)
*Serving sizes depend on how many calories you need, which is based on your age, gender, and physical activity.
1. Servings
The number of “servings per container” and the “Serving Size” declaration have increased and are now in larger and/or bolder type. Serving sizes have been updated to reflect what people actually eat and drink today. For example, the serving size for ice cream was previously 1/2 cup and now is 2/3 cup.
There are also new requirements for certain size packages, such as those that are between one and two servings or are larger than a single serving but could be consumed in one or multiple sittings.
2. Calories
“Calories” is now larger and bolder.
3. Fats
“Calories from Fat” has been removed because research shows the type of fat consumed is more important than the amount.
4. Added Sugars
“Added Sugars” in grams and as a percent Daily Value (%DV) is now required on the label. Added sugars includes sugars that are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such (e.g., a bag of table sugar), and also includes sugars from syrups and honey, and
Current Label Nutrition Facts
Transitioning to Manufacturers still have time to begin u Facts label, so you will see both lab e new label is already starting to a
New Label
(55g)
sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. Scientific data shows that it is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie limits if you consume more than 10 percent of your total daily calories from added sugar.
5. Nutrients
Saturated Fat 1g
Trans Fat0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate 37g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Total Sugars 12g Includes 10g Added Sugars
Protein 3g
Vitamin D 2mcg
Calcium 200mg
Iron8mg
Potassium 235mg
the New Label
u sing the new and improved Nutrition
e l versions for a while. However, the a ppear on products nationwide.
The lists of nutrients that are required or permitted on the label have been updated. Vitamin D and potassium are now required on the label because Americans do not always get the recommended amounts. Vitamins A and C are no longer required since deficiencies of these vitamins are rare today. The actual amount (in milligrams or micrograms) in addition to the %DV must be listed for vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
The daily values for nutrients have also been updated based on newer scientific evidence. The daily values are reference amounts of nutrients to consume or not to exceed and are used to calculate the %DV.
6. Footnote
The footnote at the bottom of the label has changed to better explain the meaning of %DV. The %DV helps you understand the nutrition information in the context of a total daily diet.
FITNESSTRAIL WALKSERIES
D.I.Y.ENERGY SAVINGSSESSION
Tuesday,July29,2025,5:30–6:30pm
RegisternowtoreserveaFREEenergykit ($80value!)andlearnhowtotakesimple, D.I.Y.“do-it-yourself”actionstoreduce energywasteandsavemoneyonyour utilitybills.
Alsocoveredinthesession:heatpumps, insulation,incentivesforhomeenergy upgrades,EmPower+,andHEAP.Thedo-ityourselfenergykitincludes2LEDlight bulbs,weatherstripping,doorsweep,power strip,windowinsulation,foamtapefor windows/doors,andfoamoutlet&switch gaskets.
WHY ARE FAIRS AN IMPORTANT
PART OF 4-H?
Written and Submitted by Barbara Moran, 4-H Youth Development Program Manager
County fairs are the most recognizable event of a local 4-H program. According to 4-H Program Manager Barbara Moran, fair is a culmination of many weeks, months or even a year’s worth of learning, creating and discovering for young members through 4-H experiences.
It may not be the fair itself that is so important to the program, but the entire package. When a youth raises an animal, for example, whether it is for market or for show, they have to care for, work with and learn about that animal. The opportunity to show it at the fair is the driving force that motivates them to get up early, go out and work with their animal, learn how to show the animal, and to go to club meetings. The youth may take good care of their animal because they are a caring person, but most people wouldn’t deny that the youth put in that extra effort knowing they are going to show it at the fair.
Youth who raise animals may learn self-discipline and responsibility as they take care of a living thing that depends on them every day for their welfare. During the judging process, a youth may have to explain their project to a judge, which helps to develop their social and interview skills. During times of disappointment or excitement, they will learn things such as good sportsmanship, managing their feelings or being concerned for others.
This can also be true for non-animal projects. Youth may love to take pictures, but the idea of bringing those photos to the fair to be judged may encourage them to learn more. Through lessons with a project leader or a conversation with a photography judge, youth may learn how to use proper light, crop a photo, find the focal point within the photo and much more.
Many times the youth don’t even realize all the great things they have learned until they reflect back on their experience in 4-H when they are
older. Many will admit that their 4-H experiences helped them to develop their leadership skills and become more wellrounded citizens that are able to see the bigger picture.
Certainly everything one does in life teaches life skills, which in turn help people to develop and mature as citizens within a community. Through 4-H, however, volunteers and staff can help youth to develop more of these skills earlier in life, assist them to be successful, to be able to face challenges head-on and to persevere.
So the next time you have the opportunity to visit a county fair, take it and be sure to look at all the 4-H projects. When you see the innovative, creative and outright impressive projects, think of how much more they actually mean and the path a young 4-H member has traveled to get the project finished.
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS HELP PREVENT BURNOUT
Written
and submitted by
Nancy McGraw, Team Leader & Caregiver Resource Center Educator
Family caregivers provide an average of 18 hours of unpaid care per week, according to the most recent AARP report, Valuing the Invaluable, and this takes a toll on everything from their finances to their relationships. Additionally, in 2024, the AARP reported that 67% caregivers struggle to balance their work and life duties, which may compound the stress.
To avoid caregiver burnout, it’s vital for caregivers to use coping strategies and find ways to put themselves first. This will help not only with their well-being, but it will also make them better caregivers.
Caregiver support groups are a way for you and other caregivers to share experiences, insight, and words of encouragement. Whether you’re an inhome caregiver, caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, or have a family member in an assisted living community, a caregiver support group can help you cope and find solutions.
CCE Sullivan’s Caregiver
Resource Center offers several different options for caregivers to attend support groups. An in-person support group is held on the first Monday of each month at the Extension building from 10-11 am, called the Caregiver Café.
Want to attend via zoom or by phone? The Virtual Caregiver Support Group meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 6-7pm. In addition we host a Parkinson’s Support Group at CCE on the second Wednesday each month from 4-5:30 pm. You can register for any of these
meetings by going to www. sullivancce.org/events or by emailing sullivancrc@ cornell.edu, or simply call (845) 292-6180 x 122.
In collaboration with Action Toward Independence (ATI), we also offer a support group for family members caring for loved ones who are veterans. Call us for upcoming dates and times if you are interested.
Source: AARP, “Valuing the Invaluable” retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/ financial-legal/unpaid-caregivers-providebillions-in-care/.
The National Alliance for Caregiving & AARP. (2020). Caregiving in the U.S. 2020.
