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Page 3 Agriculture & Food Systems Thanks:

• Phyllis & Richard Coombe • Good Find Farm • Ag Thank You Bags

Page 4 Environment & Natural Resources Thanks:

• Online Plant Sale Seed Donors • Sullivan BOCES Natural Resources • Poley Paving

Page 5 Community & Economic Vitality Thanks:

• The Matzo Project & Barkeater

Chocolates • Dave Mistretta, Woodbury Commons • Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard

Volunteers

Page 6 Nutrition & Healthy Families Thanks:

• Colleen Emery, Sullivan Renaissance • Vanessa Marsillio, BCES • Richard Boyd • Deborah Worden & Shawn Comfort, ATI

Page 10 Youth & Family Development Thanks:

• Barry Lewis • Donna Davies & Janet Syvertsen, Alz Assoc. • Deborah Worden& Shawn Comfort, ATI • Lise-Anne Deoul, OFA • Martin Hersh, Esq. • 4-H Make & Takes • Liberty Tractor Supply Co. • Forthright Cyder & Mead • CJ’s Kitchen, Deli, & Sandwich Shop • 4-H Youth Expo Volunteers

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: bit.ly/ccesullivan

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Robert Kaplan.............................President Amy Erlwein........................Vice President Klu Padu......................................Secretary John Kiefer...................................Treasurer Nadia Rajsz........................Legislative Rep. Adam Hughes.........................Cornell Rep. Jenny Chamberlain Marcie Ehrman Denise Frangipane John “JP” Lang Amanda Langseder Chris Ng Juanita Sarmiento Gary Silver Dara Smith George Stang Produced by: Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County Edited by: Nicole Slevin & 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 Thomas Bosket..........................................................................SALT Program Manager SueAnn Boyd.......................................................Healthy Schools Program Coordinator Elizabeth Clancy-DiBartolo......................................Farmers’ Market & ASP Coordinator Martin Colavito................................................................Community 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 Nikolados................................................Administrator & Diversity Officer Ashley Tully...............................................................................Ag Program Coordinator Tara VanHorn.......................................................................................Finance Manager Brian Vantassell...........................................................Temporary Program Coordinator Sean Welsh............................................................................Energy Resource Educator John Wilcox.........................................................................................Facilities Manager Judy Arpadi, Cherene Audain, Monica Pennings, John Mastrangelo..............................Ag Market Coordinators

Phyllis (“Penny”) & Richard Coombe

“I have worked throughout my lifetime to ensure no children in my community are left hungry. When thinking about donating this past year, I wanted to support Sullivan Fresh’s effort of providing food to those who need it here in our community. As I am no longer physically supporting feeding the community with my own hands, I am happy to be able to do so through a financial contribution.”

-- Phyllis Coombe

Good Find Farm

“This year was particularly difficult for us all. Good Find Farm was uplifted by our community support through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program in 2020. As a part of our CSA we included a subsidized share program where members who could afford to, could pay for half of another’s membership. We adopted this idea from other farms we admire. We were so pleased that so many members of our community donated into this program. pleased that so many members of our community donated into this program Unfortunately, we do not have the outreach to find members who needed or Unfortunately, we do not have the outreach to find members who needed or wanted a subsidized share. wanted a subsidized share. As a new business owner, my focus so far has been on growing food and going to markets, doing what I can to stay in business. I do not have the time or labor to facilitate outreach at the moment. So, me and the crew in 2020 decided to take the money that was donated to our subsidized share program and put it toward Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Community Cupboard program. Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Community Cupboard is getting fresh food to people who do not have access, and this is exactly in line with our longterm vision. It’s so important to work together and that is how we will be able to find justice in our food system. No one can do it alone. We simply paid the donations from our community forward.” -- Erica Madden, Owner, Good Find Farm – Damascus, PA

As a new bus sine ess owner, r my focus so far has been on growing food and go to marke ets s, o doing wh hat I can n to o stay in business. I do not have the time or lab to fa aci ilitate e outreach at the e mo m me ent n . So, me and the crew in 2020 decided to t take e th he money that was donated d to t our r subsidized share program and put i t toward Cornell Cooperative Extension n’s s Com mmu m nity Cupboard program. Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Communit ty y Cu C pb boa o rd is getting fresh food to people who do not have access, and this is exac ctly y in n line with our longterm vision. It’s so important to work together and that is ho ow w we will be abl to find justice in our food system. No one can do it alone. We e simply paid the donations from our community forward.” -- Erica Madden, Owner, Good Find Farm – Damascus, PA

Ag Thank You Bags Ag Thank You Bags

“After an extremely volatile year, Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan “After an extremely volatile year, Cornell Cooperative Extensi io on Sullivan County’s staff want to appreciate the consistent work of Sullivan County’s County’s staff want to appreciate the consistent work of Sullivan n Co oun u ty’s Agriculture professionals, for providing food for our communities, while Agriculture professionals, for providing food for our communitie es s, while adjusting operations, increasing workloads, and donating food and time adju j sting g operat a ions, , increasing g workloads d , and d donating food an nd d ti im me throughout the community. throughout the commu m nity y. CCESC held open nominations over the winter through our organization’s website, for community members to share their appreciation of a local farm. In this process, parents received kind words from children, children received thoughtful words from parents, while all types of neighbors throughout the community expressed gratitude for the work of Sullivan County’s farmers.”

CCESC held open nominations over the winter thro oug gh h our organ niza ation’s website, for community members to share their app prec ciation of a a loc cal farm In this process, parents received kind words from ch hild dren, childr ren n receive thoughtful words from parents, while all types of nei ig ghbors throughout the co c mmunity expressed gratitude for the work of Su ul ll li ivan n County’s far rmers.”

-- Ashley Tully, Ag Program Coordinator -- Ashley Tully, y Ag g P Prog gram m Coordina n tor

“I wanted to thank you and the staff for the unexpected but welcome gift bag. “I I wan nted to th hank k you u and the staff f for r r the e une exp x e ect ted d but welco ome e gift ba At times like these it is important to help people and let them know they are At A tim i e es s lik ke e th t es se e i it is s important t t to he elp p people e and n let them kno ow they are valued. I hope everyone you gave these bags to appreciated it as much as I va alu l ed d. I h hope e eve ery yon ne e you gave e thes se ba ags s to o ap pp pre eciated it as s mu uch as I have. Thanks again to you all.” have. Th ha ank ks aga ai in to o you all.” -- Amy Erlwein -- Amy Erlwein