October Extension Connection Sullivan County 2017

USPS-525-100

Extension Connection

YOUR LINK TO LOCAL, RESEARCH-BASED SOLUTIONS TO BETTER YOUR LIFE

VOLUME LXXXXVIII NO. 10

OCTOBER 2017

CCESC went back to our roots for our popular chicken BBQ with a twist! Alan Sorensen played guitar for over 200 guests as they enjoyed a family night out.

Upcoming Events & Programs

Issue Highlights

National 4-H Week! Oct 1-7

Preparing to Meet with a Lender

On-Farm Beef Quality Assurance

Help Calves Get through the Cold Season

Positive Youth Development Training On-Farm Vegetable IPM Pumpkin Decorating Party!

Garden Clean-Up & Other October Tips

Credit Management Class

Data Breaches Bring Concern about Protection

7th Annual Senior Safety Day

Progress: an Early Alzheimer’s Test

Catskills Farm & Food Conference

Community Guest Editorial: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

How to Write a Business Plan Capturing Money Using QuickBooks 103rd CCESC Annual Meeting See page 12 for more events!

CCE Sullivan Spotlights Curly Maple Wine Bar Fundraiser See page 14 for BBQ Food Gratitude!

Welcome to the Issue!

Table of Contents

Page 3 Letter from the Executive Director

Page 9 Smarter Lunchroom Makeovers

Editorial of the Month

Page 4 Preparing to Meet with a Lender

Page 10 Progress towards an Early Alzheimer’s Test

Page 22 Opportunities for You

Page 5 Beef Quality Assurance

Page 11 Annual Senior Safety Day

Page 6 Help Calves Get through the Cold Season

Page 12 Upcoming Programs

Page 7 Garden Clean-up & Other October Tips

Page 14 BBQ Food Gratitude

Page 8 Data Breaches Bring Concern about Protection

Page 17 Monthly DHI Report

Page 13 On-Farm Vegetable IPM Page 16 In Case You Missed It

Page 20 CCESC Spotlights Page 24 Sponsorships Page 26 Top 5 Reason Why Crying is Good for Your Health Page 27 Credit Management Library Series Page 28 Celebrate National 4-H Week Oct 1-7!

Page 18 Community Guest

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.

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS

EXTENSION CONNECTION

8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday-Friday Phone: 845-292-6180 Fax: 845-292-4946 Website: www.sullivancce.org E-mail: sullivan@cornell.edu Twitter.com/ccesullivan Facebook.com/ccesullivan Instagram.com/cce_sullivan_county

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2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Donna Willi................................President Robert Kaplan...................Vice President John Kiefer.................................Secretary Dawn Boyes...............................Treasurer Todd Brown Amy Erlwein Pamela Fisk Sonja Hedlund John “JP” Lang Earl Myers Klu Padu Luisa Parker Glenn Pontier Marc McCarthy

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Edited by: Nicole Slevin & Colleen Monaghan

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.

STAFF MEMBERS Colleen Monaghan............................................................................Executive Director SueAnn Boyd......................................................................Healthy Schools Coordinator Wanda V. Cruz...........................................................Healthy Communities Coordinator Dayna Gaeta.........................................................Community Horticulture Coordinator Beth Johnston-Groth..................................................................Administrative Assistant Marylin Jones..........................................................................4-H Program Coordinator Bonnie Lewis..........................................................................Dependent Care Educator Michelle Lipari...............................................................................Agriculture Educator Erica Lynch.......................................................................Catskills Kitchen Coordinator Melinda Meddaugh.....................................................Ag & Food Systems Team Leader Barbara Moran...............................................4-H Animal Science Program Coordinator Nicole Slevin.........................................................................Communications Manager Kaitlyn Smith......................................................................................Program Assistant Nat Tompkins............................................................................Agriculture Coordinator Tara VanHorn.......................................................................................Finance Manager Malinda Ware.................................Health & Community Development Program Leader Sean Welsh..........................Energy & Consumer Educator and Operations Coordinator John Wilcox.......................................................................Building & Grounds Manager

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Hello Extension Friends!

It seems like we should be slowing things down a bit at Extension now that summer has come and gone, but not yet! We just wrapped up the first Cornell Country Chicken BBQ in several years and had an amazing turnout. I can’t thank the Sullivan County community, the CCESC BBQ Fundraiser Committee, or CCE’s front line staff enough for making the event such a SPECIAL success! ALL our farm products were either donated outright by Sullivan County farms, or offered at a ridiculously reduced price that other Sullivan County businesses picked up through sponsorships! Special thanks to Murray’s Chicken, BeaverDam Brook Farms, Brey’s Egg Farm, The Bake House, and Mountain Sweet Berry Farm for their generous contributions!

With more than 75 auction items, drawings, and door prizes donated by Sullivan County farms, artists, crafters, and businesses, we raised over $7,000! A great big shout out to the BBQ planning committee, Joan Howard, Amy Erlwein, Dawn Boyes, Donna Willi, George Stang, Robert Kaplan, Nicole Slevin, Sean Welsh, and Malinda Ware, for all their outreach and bringing the day together.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t give great thanks to our cooks for the day, George Stang as lead griller; our friends Brian, John, and Les from Soil and Water Conservation District; CCE staffers, especially John Wilcox, who I had running in ten different directions the week leading up to the BBQ; and 4-H Teen Leaders, Dustin and Wayne Kratz who helped with everything from parking and filling drinks to bussing tables! Many hands make light – and fun – work!

And this week, in partnership with Catskill Veterinary Services, CCESC will host its annual Farm Fresh First Friday Networking Breakfast for 100+ Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce members. With sweet and savory breakfast treats from local producers and food entrepreneurs, we highlight Sullivan County’s local foods to local businesses. What a way to keep the dollars IN Sullivan County!

If you have a free weekend, stop by the CCE tent at the weekly Sunday Harvest Festivals at Bethel Woods. CCE staff and volunteers will be there every weekend, highlighting a different program area. You can pick up a ticket to win a beautiful curly maple wine bar, handcrafted by John Kline as another fundraising to help us close our annual funding gap. There’s a picture later in the newsletter, and we’ll draw the winner at the December Annual Meeting.

Internally, CCESC is getting ready for our annual federal reporting requirements which are due in November; scheduling an upgrade of all of our commuter operating systems, beginning program planning and budgeting for 2018, researching grants and opportunities to keep our capital improvement projects plugging along, and answering all the incoming inquiries we get. Last month, we replaced the Education Center’s 30 year old hot water heater with a state-of-the-art heat pump water heater, expected to cut energy use and carbon emissions by 40% compared to the old one! We have plans to do the same with about 20 more HVAC units over the course of the next 2 years.

Thank you for continuing to help us get there!

Warm Regards,

Colleen Monaghan, Executive Director cm638@cornell.edu

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PREPARING TO MEET WITH A LENDER Written by Nat Tompkins, Agriculture Coordinator There can be a lot of pressure when it comes to meeting with your financial lender. Whether your loan is coming from the county’s revolving loan fund, Farm Credit East, or Farm Service Agency (FSA), these meetings can be a little stressful, and for good reason! You want to impress them, and, after you do that, you want them to give you a check. The best way to get your lender to have faith in you is by having confidence in yourself.

The best way to have confidence in yourself, is by preparing ahead of time. Here are some ways to prepare for a meeting with a loan officer, and show them just how ready you are for the commitment of a loan. And who knows, they might just help you out with running your farm also!

Know Your Credit Score | They’re going to look it up, and knowing what your score is ahead of time won’t leave you blindsided if it’s not so great. A score of 700 or above makes you look really good to creditors. It shows that you are a borrower with character, and shows your ability to make consistent payments. A credit score of 650 or lower is going to reflect more poorly, and may cause you to have a higher interest rate for the loan. An interest rate that’s even just a quarter percent higher can end up costing you thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the loan. What are some ways to improve your score, you ask? Always pay your bills and other loan payments on time! Also, try not to exceed 15-20% of your credit limit on credit cards, and don’t own more than five of them. Start doing those things right away if you know your credit score isn’t so hot. And, if it comes up during the meeting, let your lender know your credit score isn’t

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that great, and what things you are doing to make it better. You can get a free credit report every 12 months from annualcreditreport.com, the only authorized free credit report site from the Federal Trade Commission.

Create a Balance Sheet | When you go to get a loan you’re going to be required to create a balance sheet. A balance sheet is a snapshot of your business that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity or net worth.

When the loan officer looks at your balance sheet they want to see that your equity is increasing through the business’ retained earnings. In other words, the balance sheet should be showing cash profit increasing from year to year, and not just your assets inflating in value. Make sure to separate your personal assets from the business’ assets when creating your balance sheet. If you need any help creating one, come down to the CCE Sullivan County office. The ag staff can help you figure out what should be included, help assign values to your assets, and help you understand what it all means. With all that information, you’ll have a better idea of where your business is at, and be able to convey that message to your potential lender.

Income Statement | The income statement is a great tool that shows where your money comes from, and where it goes out over the course of a fiscal year. Unfortunately, lenders typically don’t ask for one. Instead, they’re going to ask for several years of tax returns. They do this to verify you’re income and expenses, and the legality of your business. You’re probably thinking, “Nat, isn’t that exactly what you said an income statement is?” And you’re not wrong.

However, most farms use cash accounting and income statements for their taxes. This is a great way to

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lower your tax liability when you file, but doesn’t give an accurate idea of how your cash flows move throughout the year. Using an accrual adjusted income statement can help out a lot, and show that you are on top of your expenses and incomes.

Cash Flow Statements | A cash flow statement is one of the more underrated business tools. A balance sheet can show what you have and what you owe. An income statement can show what you make and spend annually. But, a cash flow statement can predict when you might have a tight month, or when you have more money in the bank for a particular month. Determining how much money you have coming in and out month to month, helps you budget better. If I’m a vegetable farmer, the summer months are going to be really good for my income. And I can see that cash move over from month to month.

In winter my income is going to stop or slow, but my expenses are still going to need to be paid. Projecting your cash flow can help you save for those slow times of the year, and show the lender how you plan to pay them back even without generating any money.

Scenario Planning | What’s your plan if your production costs go up? What if the demand for your product completely disappears?

What if the price of your product is too high? How low of a price can you have and still break even? These are tough questions to ask, and are even harder to answer. It’ll look good to your lenders if you have considered these questions, and have some reasonable solutions to address these circumstances. Scenario planning is important when it comes to thinking about your business. And, no matter what, it’s always better to hope for the best, and plan for the worst. This

will show your lender that you mean business (pun intended), and also help you with running your business effectively.

You don’t have to be caught off guard by certain questions when you go to your lender for a loan. Using the practices listed above will help when it comes to getting your lender to have confidence in you. It will also help you have more confidence in

yourself, and your business. These tips will help even if you have no intention of pursuing a loan, and you should use them whenever you can!

If you ever need help with creating an income statement, projecting your cash flow, or planning for the worst case scenario that could happen on the farm. Stop down at the CCE office; our agriculture department is here for you!

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Source: Kohl, David. “Quick Primer on Financial Preperation.” Dr. David Kohl Articles - AgSouth Farm Credit. Accessed August 22, 2017. https://www.agsouthfc. com/news/dr-kohl-articles/quick-primeron-financial-preparation.aspx.

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HELP CALVES GET THROUGH THE COLD SEASON Submitted by Michelle Lipari, Agriculture Educator Calves under three weeks of age can begin feeling cold stress much earlier than most people think. Even at ambient temperatures of 60 degrees F and below, cold stress can hinder calf growth and performance. Cold stress can continue to affect calves over three weeks of age as ambient temperatures dip to 40 degrees F and below.

Use Calf Jackets | Calf jackets are a simple and effective tool to help calves conserve heat. Use calf jackets on newborn calves and continue using until they outgrow them. When using calf jackets, calf raisers should review their sanitation practices, as it is important to properly wash calf jackets between uses.

Maintain Dry, Deep Straw Beds | A deep straw bed can help calves’ ability to nest and conserve heat. Calf pens and hutches should always be clean and dry. A quick way to test whether or not bedding is dry is the knee test. If you put your knee down and it stays dry, your bedding is dry enough. If not, it is time to re-bed.

Use a 1-3 bedding scorecard to evaluate whether or not bedding packs are deep enough based on how much of the calf’s legs are showing when they are lying down. If no legs are showing (optimal), the bedding score would be a 3; if half of their legs are showing (acceptable), the score would be a 2; if all of the legs are showing (unacceptable), the bedding score would be a 1. A score of 1 indicates that it is time to add bedding to the pack.

Offer Consistent Nutrition for Cooler Weather | Feeding calves a higher plane of nutrition formulated for the season is particularly important as temperatures begin to Page 6

drop. Try to feed calves 2.5 pounds of calf milk replacer powder per day to ensure that calves are receiving enough energy.

Providing the correct balance of fat and carbohydrates is key to achieving optimal energy intake. A common misconception amongst calf raisers is that increasing fat alone in the calf diet during cooler weather will make up for a calf’s increased energy demands. A 50% increase in calf milk replacer powder can yield a 50% increase in energy. Alternatively, a 100% increase in fat alone in the calf diet may only yield a 12% increase in energy (NRC 2001).

It is also important to limit the time that calves are not receiving nutrition.

A three times per day feeding program (eight hour increments) allows for more balanced energy intake and availability.

Calf raisers should aim to introduce calf starter ad libitum to calves at 2-3 days of age and increase feeding rate as appetite increases.

Offer plenty of fresh, warm water | During heat stress periods, providing calves with extra water is a no-brainer.

But calf raisers often underestimate the level of dehydration associated with the lower relative humidity and dry air brought on by colder weather.

Calves should be fed warm water between 101-102 degrees F. Water temperature becomes increasingly important in cold weather. Cold water forces calves to use extra energy to heat the water up to their core body temperature post-consumption.

Provide a draft-free environment| In warm weather, drafts can keep calves cool, but when the air cools, cold air drafts promote body heat loss. Body heat loss requires calves to allocate more energy towards body temperature maintenance and thus

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limits energy available for growth. A simple way to check for drafts is with your bare hand. If you feel more than slight air movement, a draft could be present.

Cold weather doesn’t only affect young calves. Calf raisers need to address post-weaning calf management, especially in cooler weather. To help cut down on the added stress of weaning, post-weaned calves should be grouped in small, even groups for up to three weeks post-weaning. To help promote intake post-weaning, calves should be fed the same calf starter, all the way up to twelve weeks, where they can then be fed a grower feed as they transition to a diet higher in fiber.

Maintaining optimal calf growth and health can be a delicate balance.

Cold weather adds stress for both the calf and the producer. Taking a proactive stance in keeping calves’ energy levels up, stress levels down, and facilities up to par can help your calves avoid winter growth slumps so that they can keep growing and gaining and enter the lactating herd sooner.

Source: Adapted from Wildman, Megan.

“Help Calves Get Through the Cold Season.” Dairy Calf Cold Stress | Purina Animal Nutrition. Accessed September 9, 2017. https://www.purinamills. com/dairy-feed/education/detail/ help-calves-get-through-the-cold-season.

Catskills Farm & Food Conference Nov 3

GARDEN CLEAN-UP & OTHER OCTOBER TIPS Submitted by Dayna Gaeta, Community Hort. Coordinator Next spring, don’t be haunted by thoughts of tasks you should have completed in October to ensure a good start to the growing season.

By fall, most gardeners are tiring of garden chores, especially when there isn’t much left to harvest, and thus no really good reason to visit the garden.

But garden clean-up is essential both for the health of the soil and an early start on next year’s garden. You’ll be able to get into the garden sooner if you get the plot ready now.

Clean-up involves removing corn stalks, vines, and plant debris, then adding healthy plant materials to the compost pile and discarding the rest.

You also should do a final weeding.

Why? Because weeds left in the garden will go to seed, producing hundreds of new weeds next year.

Remove stakes, row markers, and other man-made objects. Black plastic and other inorganic mulch materials also need to be taken up as they will not decompose and, if left in place, will provide overwintering sites for some pests.

If you are leaving carrots and other root crops in the ground for winter harvest, be sure to mark the rows.

Cover with a thick layer of straw or hay after the first frost to prevent the soil from freezing up.

October is a good time to prepare the soil for spring by adding lime (according to soil test results) and incorporating organic mulches into the soil. The organic matter will begin to break down before next year’s planting and will improve soil texture.

You also may want to stockpile wellrotted animal manure in a corner of your garden for use next spring (get it now to avoid the spring rush).

Cover the pile with plastic to prevent

leaching of nutrients.

Rake and remove leaves from under your rose bushes. This will eliminate a prime “breeding ground” for insect pests and fungal diseases like powdery mildew. Picking up fallen fruit from under fruit trees will keep insects from overwintering and causing problems next spring.

Dig up and store dahlias, cannas, and other summer bulbs, if you have not done so already. Clip off the green growth, then store in a dry, cool location.

Shut down your water garden, moving aquatic plants indoors to ensure their survival. Choose a cool, above freezing, indoor location placing the pots of aquatic plants in a tub with some water to keep them moist.

They don’t need to be as deeply covered as outdoors. Remove pumps or underwater lights and store in the garage or indoors. If it’s a small water garden, you may want to empty out the water now, so it doesn’t freeze solid. This is also a good time to clean the water garden if needed and repair any small cracks.

develop roots but not to emerge from the soil. Garlic needs to be planted in soil with a pH of 6.2 to 7.0. Space cloves four to six inches apart and three to four inches deep. Plant the root side down. Mulch heavily with straw to prevent winter injury.

Other activities for October: wrap trees to protect against winter sunburn or injury from deer and rodents; stock up on birdseed; clean and sharpen garden tools.

Source: Perry, Dr. Leonard. Garden Cleanup and other October Gardening Tips. Accessed September 13, 2017. http:// pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/oct00tip.htm.

Protect your blueberry bushes from winter winds with burlap windbreaks or enclosures. This will minimize desiccation or drying out of foliage, which is detrimental, especially to new plantings. Mulch with three to five inches of straw to protect plant roots from severe winter temperatures. If straw is hard to obtain at this time of year, use sawdust, pine needles, or wood chips instead. Wait to prune until late winter before new bud swell but after winter injury can be easily determined so you don’t remove new, healthy growth.

Garlic, which requires a cold treatment of 40 degrees F for two months to induce bulb development, should be planted before the end of October. This will give it time to

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DATA BREACHES BRING CONCERNS ABOUT PROTECTION Submitted by Sean Welsh, Energy & Consumer Educator A recent data breach at Equifax brings new attention to identity theft and how to protect your information.

This breach has brought massive call volumes from concerned citizens about personal information and what to do about protecting stored data.

More about the Equifax Breach Equifax is one of the three-largest credit-reporting firms in the U.S. On Sept. 7, it announced a security breach that potentially affected 143 million U.S. consumers. You can check to see if you were affected and enroll in a credit monitoring service at no cost by visiting https://www. equifaxsecurity2017.com/.

Social security numbers, account numbers, or some other personal information can be used by scam artists to open new accounts, make purchases, or even obtain a tax refund. Identitytheft.gov is the federal government’s one-stop resource to assist victims of identity theft. This site gives a step-by-step accounting of what victims of ID theft should do.

statements carefully and often, both online and in print.

• Know your payment due dates; if a bill doesn’t make it when it is expected, look into it.

• Freeze your credit report to prevent attackers from obtaining credit histories and opening new lines of credit: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/ articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs • Learn about fraud alerts from the credit bureaus; they will contact you in the event that someone started a file with your information. You must write the bureaus, instructions are available online.

• Create your online Social Security account -- regardless of your age or retirement eligibility -- to prevent attackers from doing so: https://www. ssa.gov/myaccount/. If you already have an account, regularly review your statements and be alert for benefits activity you didn’t initiate.

• Read the statements from your health insurance plan, and ensure the claims paid match the care you received.

• Shred any documents with your personal and financial information.

If you have an issue with identity theft you can: • Call the companies where you know fraud occurred • Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and get copies of your report • Report identity theft to the FTC • File a report with your local police department

As mentioned above, step-by-step guidance from www.identitytheft.gov is a useful resource.

To reduce the risk of falling prey to one of these scammers or in this case breached data, there are some routines to add to your lifestyle that can keep you vigilant; • Read your credit card and bank Page 8

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• Finally, and most importantly, get familiar with your credit report by taking advantage of getting three, free credit reports each year by visiting annualcreditreport.com.

Sources: “Credit Freeze FAQs.” Consumer Information. September 13, 2017. Accessed September 15, 2017. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/ articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs.

“Equifax.” Cybersecurity Incident & Important Consumer Information. Accessed September 15, 2017. https://www. equifaxsecurity2017.com/.

“Social Security.” My Social Security.

Accessed September 15, 2017. https:// www.ssa.gov/myaccount/.

“What to do Right Way” Accessed September 15, 2017. https://www. identitytheft.gov/Steps on March 7.

Photo: SueAnn Boyd (center) and Benjamin Cosor Elementary School staff display new signage at the school’s “Smarter Lunchroom Makeover” in Fallsburg, as part of CCESC’s Creating Healthy Schools & Communities wellness initiative.

SMARTER LUNCHROOM MAKEOVERS Submitted by SueAnn Boyd, Healthy Schools Coordinator Getting students to select and eat the healthy options offered during lunch may seem like a daunting task, but the mere layout of a lunchroom can nudge students towards healthy choices.

Smarter Lunchroom Makeovers focus on simple low-cost and no-cost lunchroom upgrades that improved the appeal of fruits and vegetables by improving three areas.

1) Convenience • Create a convenience line that only sells healthier options.

• Serve pre-assembled salads in clear containers so students can see the selection.

• Move fresh fruit closer to the cash register to improve grab-and-go

appeal.

• Keep 100% fruit juice containers in the cooler right next to the ice cream.

2) Attractiveness • Post beautiful pictures of fruits & vegetables on lunch boards and menus.

• Display visible signs to capture students’ attention, such as a “Last Chance for Fruit” sign located next to a bowl of fruit by the register.

• Create descriptive, delicious-sounding names for vegetable dishes.

• Display fruit in attractive bowls or tiered stands rather than plastic tubs or metal pans.

3) Normativeness Verbally prompt students to remind them of their choices, such as: “Would you like to try…?”

“No vegetable yet? How about…?”

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Sources: Kelsey Gatto, Cornell University Food and Brand Lab Hanks, A.S., Just, D.R., & Wansink, B. (2013).

“Smarter lunchrooms can address new school lunchroom guidelines and childhood obesity.” The Journal of Pediatrics, 162(4): 867-869.

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PROGRESS TOWARDS AN EARLY ALZHEIMER’S TEST Submitted by Bonnie Lewis, RN Dependent Care Educator According to Paul Coleman, an Alzheimer’s researcher at the ASUBanner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center (NDRC), one of the greatest difficulties plaguing efforts to find effective treatments for Alzheimer’s is the enormous lag between the disease’s inception and the appearance of clinical symptoms.

In a new study, Coleman and his colleagues demonstrate the promise of an early blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. The results suggest that Alzheimer’s can be detected even before the onset of symptoms in persons at genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to the NDRC, study collaborators include ASU, the Mayo Clinic, University of Rochester, Banner Alzheimer Institute, and Barrow Neurological Institute.

The new method successfully distinguished between Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and healthy controls, indicating that the test does not simply identify general phenomena of neurodegeneration but is able to pick out AD from other degenerative brain conditions.

“What we’ve done in our paper is to replicate our own work multiple times with different populations and even using different technologies,”

around-the-clock care, before death eventually ensues. The crippling toll of the disease on patients, family, and society at large makes it a

The results suggest that Alzheimer’s can be detected even before the onset of symptoms in persons at genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease... the test does not simply identify general phenomena of neurodegeneration but is able to pick out AD from other degenerative brain conditions.

Coleman says. “We also presented data showing the ability to detect people at risk of a future diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease.” The method accomplishes this feat by examining white blood cells or leucocytes. Here, segments of RNA known as transcripts -- derived from specific DNA genes -hold vital clues regarding health.

Alzheimer’s disease continues its pitiless ascent. The illness afflicts 11 percent of those 65 or older, with the figure soaring to 45 percent for people over 85. Current trends predict some 14 million Americans will be afflicted with the disease by mid-century at a towering cost of a trillion dollars. Along its path of destruction, Alzheimer’s tears out its victim’s memory, reasoning capacity, and personal identity, necessitating

global health crisis of frightening proportions.

Researchers now know that by the time the first outward manifestations of Alzheimer’s appear, in the form of confusion, memory loss, and other classic hallmarks, Alzheimer’s has been ravaging the brain for decades.

If the disease could be identified much earlier -- close to its origin -there is hope that perhaps it could be slowed or even halted in its tracks.

Given the vital need for a safe and reliable early diagnostic for Alzheimer’s, many previous efforts have taken aim at the problem.

Ideally, such a method should be appropriate for primary care settings, allowing a broad swath of the public to be accurately and regularly tested. Until now, however, efforts to develop a reliable early diagnostic for Alzheimer’s have run aground.

Further, the accuracy of diagnosis even after the disease has entered its clinical phase, remains poor.

The study was recently published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

Source: Arizona State University.

“Toward an early Alzheimer’s test.”

ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 August 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2017/08/170824141204.htm>.

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Cornell Country BBQ fundraiser raised

New Funding in Chronic Disease Management CRITICAL WELLNESS September 6 The Healthy Schools team convened with Monticello Schools Critical Partners to chart a course to school based wellness across the district for the new school year.

BUSINESS PLANNING September 6 The CCESC Catskills Kitchen hosted its second Business Planning workshop of the year. At each class, budding and wouldbe entrepreneurs hear from Charlene Finnerty, who has been helping small businesses get started for three decades!

Next class is Nov 29.

FALL GARDENING September 6 CCESC’s Community Horticulture program hosted Sullivan Renaissance’s Fall Gardening Seminar, which helped more than a dozen Sullivan County gardeners prepare for the long winter ahead.

FALLSBURG FOOD CARTS September 7 The Healthy Schools team delivered brand new wellness food carts to Fallsburg schools’ cafeterias. The carts will display fresh food options for students and staff in hopes of encouraging healthy lunch and snack choices.

BETHEL WOODS HARVEST September 10 CCESC attended the weekly Bethel Woods Harvest Festival. With educational fact sheets, demos, and engaging staff, these events help spread the word wider!

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over $7000 MONTICELLO FARMERS MARKET OUTREACH September 11 The Catskills Kitchen wrapped up with a final farm-fresh food demonstration at the Monticello Farmers’ Market. Market goers get hands-on experience incorporating their purchases into dishes that can easily be replicated at home.

MICROSOFT ONE NOTE September 12 CCESC staffers spent an hour learning the basics of Microsoft OneNote. The tool, part of Microsoft Office, provides a way to organize loads of information, and is integrated with the entire Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook.

TAI CHI FOR ARTHRITIS September 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28 A new round of Tai Chi for Arthritis continued with the Caregiver Resource Center at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum. This full house series is taking place in one of Sullivan County’s most beautiful natural settings!

4-H FAIR REVIEW September 12 4-H staff, the Program Advisory Committee, and several 4-H volunteers gathered in the evening to debrief this year’s Youth Fair experience. With great feedback, we have a solution focused checklist of ways to improve next year.

LEADING CHANGE September 13 In preparation for next year’s accounting system conversion, CCE administrative

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staff participated in the Leading Change for the BEAR Project workshop, intended to prepare all statewide Extensions for a big upcoming change in operations.

MASTERS MEETING September 13 The Master Gardener Volunteers held their monthly meeting and brainstormed workshop offerings for the winter. Stay tuned for a new schedule of horticulturebased, fun learning opportunities!

EFFECTIVE CAREGIVERS September 14, 28 The Caregiver Resource Center partnered with the Catskill Regional Medical Center and Public Health Nursing to host two Effective Communications workshops.

The venues allowed for staff to build relationships with colleagues and constituents before heading off to the Tai Chi for Arthritis workshops.

BACK TO OUR ROOTS September 16 After a 4 year hiatus, CCE Sullivan brought back the Cornell Country Chicken BBQ! With 250 dinners sold, live music by Alan Sorensen and David Rosenberg, and a live auction to boot, over $7,000 was raised to support Extension initiatives.

NEW FUNDING September 19 The Caregiver Resource Center hosted a meeting with new funding partners from the NYS Department of Health.

Look out for brand new evidencebased programming in Chronic Disease Management in 2018!

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

YOGA4CLASSROOMS

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The CCESC Diversity and Inclusion Committee held their monthly meeting to explore ways to meet Extension’s Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan. With new signage, multilingual resources for diverse Sullivan County residents, and the adoption of the 4-H Safe Space philosophy, the committee is open to community input. Contact Nicole Slevin with suggestions at nas96@cornell.edu.

CCESC’s executive director participated on a panel at Cornell University titled Building Child and Age Friendly Communities – Lessons from Rome and New York. Highlighting Cornell U. students who visited Sullivan County last summer, the discussion centered around applying urban planning concepts to rural communities.

COOKING THE HARVEST September 20 The third installment of the Junior Master Gardener series brought the goods from the garden to the youths’ plate. Cooking the Harvest gave youngsters a chance to see that healthy can be fun and yummy!

VOLUNTEER MATTERS September 20 CCE leadership took a ride to the 4-H Learning Center in Ballston Spa for a day-long Volunteer Matters training. Staff from NYS Extension Administration gave them a peek into a new volunteer online learning system that we will be adopting in Sullivan next year!

FOREST RESERVE TRAIL September 21 CCESC staff joined Sullivan Renaissance and Town of Bethel officials to walk the trail at the Forest Reserve in Smallwood.

CCESC’s Healthy Communities project assisted the town with fitness equipment for the reserve.

SEWING & KNITTING September 22 The monthly Intergenerational Textile Group filled the parking lot on this Friday evening, gathering donated materials and planning for their annual gift of warm, handmade hats, scarves, and gloves to folks in need. To learn more about this free community service opportunity, call Marylin! 845-292-6180

FALL FARM FEST

The Healthy Schools team, with support from Sullivan Renaissance, hosted a full house at the advanced Yoga4Classrooms training. Two dozen educators from districts across the county learned to incorporate Yoga practices for a productive learning environment for students.

FALL IS SAVORY & SWEET September 27 Savory & Sweet – A Taste of Fall, a Farm Fresh Clean Eating cooking class with Natural Contents in the Catskills Kitchen, hosted over 14 guests. With harvest upon us, the class seeks to show participants low-cost ways to include farmers’ market ingredients in homemade meals.

LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S September 29

CCESC’s 4-H and ag teams each hosted a table at Hilly Acres’ Fall Farm Fest on this sunny Saturday. We’re happy to add to this community event highlighting agriculture!

Living With Alzheimer’s Disease was presented with Literacy Volunteers at Read It Again Bookstore in Monticello.

This public/private partnership allows the Caregiver Resource Center to extend its reach to a new audience!

BUNNIES IN BETHEL

MEAT PRESERVATION

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The 4-H team hosted their activities at the Bethel Woods Harvest Festival. With bunnies and hands-on activities, hundreds of youth got to learn what 4-H is all about!

The lovely ladies from the Master Food Preserver Volunteer group put together a Meat Preservation workshop. Targeted towards foodies, hunters, and meat lovers, the goal was to show folks how to safely preserve and dehydrate meat while keeping them tasty at the same time.

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DHI Report

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GATHERING THE COMMUNITY AND OFFERING SHARED EXPERIENCES AT BETHEL WOODS Submitted by Emily Casey, Bethel Engage. Experience. Explore brings exciting interactive performances into Woods Marketing Coordinator Bethel Woods Center for the Arts partnered with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Sullivan County this fall to provide educational programming at the 19th annual Harvest Festival. This free community event and cherished Sullivan County tradition provides friends and neighbors a gathering place to experience an array of local talent and enjoy the bounty of our region.

The CCE Master Gardener Volunteers shared their gardening expertise with families, agriculture educators discussed Sullivan County’s agriculture, 4-H youth brought their rabbit friends to enlighten the public about the species, and the Catskills Kitchen Food Incubator and CCESC’s Master Food Preserver programs offered samples and presented a cooking demo using local market ingredients. We are so grateful for our relationship with CCE and all that they do to support the community and the Harvest Festival.

the classroom and The Event Gallery.

Explore the ‘60s, brings the lessons of the era to life, inviting groups to use The Museum and its resources to explore connections to themes in their classes.

In the summer, PLAY: Music and PLAY: Theater immerse young people in the arts, and encourage them to find their own voice in the creation of songs, music, and theater. In fall and spring, Project: Identity, a free teen program, creates a safe, open environment for them to express themselves among peers and Saturdays at the Woods nurtures curiosity and creativity in toddlers through teens. Flicks brings movies to the big screen for a good ole fashioned night out, and the WoodsTalk: Live series provides food for thought for lifelong learners.

Please check our website, bethelwoodscenter.org, to learn more and see a full list of upcoming events and programs; we promise there is something for everyone!

In addition to our festivals, Bethel Woods offers a variety of programs for children, teens, families, and lifelong learners. Every year our arts and humanities programming brings creative exploration, learning, and the lessons of the sixties to over 30,000 people with the goal of creating creative capital and balance in their lives.

Thanks to the support of our donors, we try to keep our programs free or low cost, and also bring them into local schools and provide field trip assistance so students can visit our Museum and participate in programs on our campus. Our program E3: Page 18

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CCE Sullivan Spotlights

Farm Spotlight

Partner Spotlight

4-H Spotlights

EMINENCE ROAD FARM WINERY

DR. JOE D’ABBRACCIO

SULLIVAN COUNTY 4-H YOUT

Dr. Joseph D’Abbraccio, affectionately called Dr. Joe by his friends and clients, is one of the most hard working and dedicated vets in Sullivan County.

Dr. Joe grew up in Monticello, and graduated from the high school in 2006. He then went to school at SUNY Delhi and St. Mathew’s University and completed his Veterinary degree at North Carolina State University.

Hundreds of projects created by 4-H youth me Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan Coun 18-21, 2017 in conjunction with Neversink Ag World’s Fair at the Grahamsville Fairgrounds. lessons in showmanship, public speaking, lea

Eminence Road Farm Winery is located in Long Eddy, NY right on the southern part of Delaware County.

The farm winery is owned and operated by Andrew Scott, Jennifer Clark, and their two dogs, Lester and Brigette.

The winery started in 2007, and by 2008 they were selling their own wine with an Eminence Road Farm Winery label on it! The grapes they use come from vineyards located in the Finger Lakes region of New York. They work with the same farms year after year to help support the farmers they have built relationships with, and to ensure the wine they create is of the same high quality and consistency bottle in and bottle out. Often, Andrew and Jennifer even get the grapes from the same exact rows and plants from the year before!

If you’re interested in trying out a bottle, you can find them at the Barryville and Callicoon farmers’ markets every Saturday during the summer. Or, check out their website at http://www.eminenceroad.com/.

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Professionally, Dr. Joe relishes in the fast paced part of veterinary medicine. His interests include emergency medicine and critical care. He also enjoys sharing his knowledge of animal science with people. Recently he opened up a new office location for his practice, Catskill Veterinary Services in Rock Hill. Dr. Joe has also volunteered for numerous Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H animal science programs for youth.

His willingness to help share his knowledge and get kids within the county interested in animal science is truly what makes him an outstanding community member and person!

[Photo from www.facebook.com/ CatskillVeterinaryServices]

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The annual 4-H Pie Auction raised over $3,000 County. The annual 4-H Livestock Auction, org volunteers, raised $2,900 for 4-H’ers and the A Jr., local farmer and professional auctioneer, d

“Fair is a magical time of year! You get to watc Uciechowski, 4-H parent and volunteer. “They them at fair. It gives an opportunity to learn va the public.”

The Livestock Barn had 200 live animal exhib horses, poultry, rabbits, and even alpacas. Fai the animals. More than 330 youth fairgoers en 4-H’ers created 300 still exhibit projects, high woodworking, LEGO sculptures, historic diora vegetables, and fairy gardens! Submissions fo and 43 earned entry into the Great New York garnering Special Recognition Awards.

[Photo by Theresa Uciechowski]

CCE Sullivan Spotlights

TH FAIR

embers and volunteers were exhibited at the nty (CCESC) 4-H Youth Fair, held on August griculture Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 138th Grahamsville Little . Over 250 youth involved in the fair learned adership, fundraising, and teamwork.

0 for 4-H leadership opportunities in Sullivan ganized and led by 4-H members and Ag College Scholarship Fund. Eddie Moran donated his services to both fundraisers.

Nominate a Star Know someone who deserves the shine of the spotlight?

Email Nicole Slevin: nas96@cornell.edu

ch kids turn into professionals,â&#x20AC;? said Theresa y work all year on projects, then showcase valuable life lessons and how to interact with

bits for public viewing including cows, goats, ir guests met the 4-H families who raised ngaged in free, interactive activity stations. hlights of which included photography, amas, creative art pieces, homegrown or 94 youth were evaluated by trained judges State Fair in Syracuse, with four entries

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SCHOLARSHIPS FOR EVERYBODY CCESC Association Scholarship For General Public | Amount Varies

Deadline to Apply: Rolling

To stimulate interest in educational programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County. In the event of financial limitations that prevent a Sullivan County resident from receiving educational services, program fees may be partially covered by this scholarship. Sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County, and Sullivan Renaissance. Inquire with CCESC.

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CURLY MAPLE WINE BAR FUNDRAISER Get Your Ticket - You Can Win!

Love this curly maple wine bar? It can be yours! Enter for a drawing to be pulled at our Annual Meeting on December 5. Need not be present to win. Handmade by John Kline.

Purchase tickets with cash or check ($5 each or 3 tickets for $10) at the office.

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TOP 5 REASONS WHY CRYING IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH Submitted by Malinda Ware, Health & Community Development Program Leader Researchers have proven what many caregivers have already figured out on their own: sometimes there’s nothing like a good cry to make you feel better. Crying is cathartic.

Neuroscientist and tear researcher Dr. William H. Frey II, PhD, the director of the Alzheimer’s Research Center at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota, has spent over 15 years studying crying and tears.

Research shows that: • 85% of women and 73% of men felt less sad and angry after crying.

• On average, women cry 47 times a year, men cry 7 times a year.

• Crying bouts last 6 minutes on average.

• Tears are more often shed between 7 and 10 pm.

According to Frey, “Crying is not

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only a human response to sorrow and frustration, it’s a healthy one.”

Crying is a natural way to reduce emotional stress that, left unchecked, has negative physical effects on the body. This includes an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other stress-related disorders.

How Crying is Good for You • It Relieves Stress | Because unalleviated stress can increase our risk for heart attack and damage certain areas of our brain, humans’ ability to cry has survival value, Frey says.

• Crying Lowers Blood Pressure | Crying has been found to lower and pulse rate immediately following therapy sessions during which patients cried and raged.

• Tears Remove Toxins | In addition, Frey says tears actually remove toxins from the body. Tears help humans remove chemicals that build up during emotional stress.

• It Reduces Manganese | The simple act of crying also reduces the body’s

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manganese level, a mineral which affects mood and is found in up to 30 times greater concentration in tears than in blood serum.

• Emotional Crying Means You’re Human | While the eyes of all mammals are moistened and soothed by tears, only human beings shed tears in response to emotional stress. Emotional expression acknowledges the feelings you’re having. Emotions motivate us to empathize, coordinate and work as a unit to best survive.

So, next time you feel those tears welling up or that lump in your throat, go ahead, have a good cry Source: Sollitto, Marlo, Reeree,Yogibear, and Arniethek1. “Go Ahead, Have a Good Cry: 5 Reasons Why It’s Good for You.” 5 Reasons Why Crying is Good For Your Health - AgingCare.com. April 05, 2011.

Accessed September 28, 2017. https:// www.agingcare.com/Articles/reasons-whycrying-is-good-for-your-health-146022. htm.

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