Message from the

Hello friends of Extension,

I hope this note finds you well as we head into fall. As you likely already know, the Extension Education Center has been closed for public walk-ins and group use. BUT, we have continued to serve in person by appointment both at the office, and in the field. You can also reach us by phone at 845-292-6180 and email at sullivan@cornell.edu. Our administrative and program teams have worked hard to keep you updated and engaged through our website sullivancce.org and on our Facebook and Instagram feeds @ccesullivan. All messages are being forwarded daily to the appropriate staff person to follow up on your inquiry.

Right now, our program staff are working on ways to bring more programs outdoors to community spaces and neighborhoods. Keep your eyes peeled on our events pages and in the community for the Sullivan Fresh van and CCE Sullivan mobile classroom trailer. You’ll know it when you see it, I promise!

Our Facilities Manager John Wilcox and Environment and Natural Resources Program Manager Brenda Miller have worked hard this summer to get the Turtle Spring Nature Trail groomed and outfitted with outdoor fitness equipment. While we’re still not open for group activities, please feel free to stop by the trailhead at the back of the Education Center to check it out. It’s a great, low impact way to get some physical activity and some quiet nature.

Additionally, the Catskills Kitchen Food Business Incubator has remained open for use by existing food business entrepreneurs. If you’ve always wanted to start your own food business, and you’re finding yourself with extra time to develop that idea, now is as good a time as any to reach out to Catskills Kitchen Coordinator Erica Lynch to learn how. She can be reached at ell68@cornell.edu.

And if you already have a licensed, shelf-stable food product and are looking to expand your market, consider connecting with Ag Market Program Manager Vanessa Petrossian about shoptasteny.com. She can be reached at tastenywoodbury@cornell.edu.

Aside from being able to support essential business operations during the pandemic, the reduced public access to the Extension Education Center has given us some time to finish up a few capital projects. Our friends at Jeff Bank are helping us install safety measures like touch-free faucets and free standing hand sanitizer stations around the building. In addition, we’re still diligently working with New York State to upgrade our Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling system (HVAC), specifically to increase outdoor air intake, ensuring that when we do open back up for group programming, we’re able to do it as safely and comfortably as possible.

Until next month, may health stay with you and yours, Until next month, may health sta

Colleen MonaghanC ll M h Executive Director, cm638@cornell.edu

CCE SULLIVAN FRESH COMMUNITY CUPBOARD: TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER

Submitted by Ashley Tully, AgProgram Coordinator

In response to COVID-19, and in partnership with community coalition Sullivan Allies Leading Together (SALT), the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Sullivan Fresh Market-on-the-Move, a refrigerated 2017 136” wheel base Dodge Pro Master 2500 with interior/exterior shelving units and an awning, was temporarily converted into a mobile food pantry and community outreach project, now dubbed the Sullivan

Fresh Community Cupboard.

The Community Cupboard distributes more than 5,000 free meals and personal necessities, per week, to folks in need from all walks of life, across the 1,000 square mile Sullivan County. Food is procured from farm and food producers in Sullivan County and the surrounding region, food pantries, and donors. They are nutritionally rounded by MyPlate standards and include healthy recipes and tips for safe preparation and storage. The Community Cupboard is reaching folks who were in need well before the pandemic; invisible populations in public housing, halfway houses, motels and hotels, migrant workers, disabled veterans in hyper rural housing communities, and others, with no transportation, limited access to services, and living in food deserts*. The regular outreach and contact has given these communities a lifeline, a connection to each other, a link to the larger community, and hope. CCE and SALT envision a permanent Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard, deployed from the Extension Education Center in Liberty. The Community Cupboard will support community through grassroots neighborhood connections, door to door deliveries, and learning opportunities for homebound and vulnerable residents, ensuring full bellies, a pathway to healthier living, and community participation and resilience.

Public/private partnerships with a vested interest in food security, agriculture, and community development, including the local agricultural community, hospitality and food entrepreneurs, SALT volunteers, Sullivan BOCES, the Catskills Food Hub, Sullivan County Office for the Aging, local food pantries, faith-based organizations, municipalities, and private individual donors, will play an active role, coordinated by CCE staff and SALT volunteers in the procurement and aggregation of food and supplies. In addition to securing donations, staff and volunteers shop for gaps in products and supplies, split bulk product, pack out deliveries, represent the project in the community, and provide education in the areas of community engagement, nutrition, and food safety.

Together we are Better

The Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard supports neighborhood based leadership and capacity building through mentorship and learning opportunities. Instrumental points of contact will receive Neighbor Stipends in $25 denominations for their work in connecting neighbors to the Cupboard, linking folks to other available resources, and educational outreach activities.

In addition, the Community Cupboard will coordinate with the CCE Sullivan Fresh Market-on-the-Move to ensure access to additional food items for purchase using SNAP, WIC, FMNP, Sullivan Fresh RX, and cash. The Market-on-the-Move is a mobile farmers’ market that brings fresh, local fruits and vegetables, purchased from Sullivan County and surrounding area farms, to Sullivan County food deserts from July through September. Minimally, the Market visits Monticello, Liberty, Loch Sheldrake, Wurtsboro, and Fallsburg and accepts SNAP, WIC, FMNP, Sullivan Fresh Rx vouchers, cash, and credit for payment.

* Food Deserts are defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as a lowincome census tract where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store, with the store being 1 or more miles away in more population dense areas, and 10 or more miles away in more rural areas.

INVASIVE SPECIES: WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Written by Brenda Miller, Environment & Natural Resources Program Manager

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and Hemlock Wooley Adelgid (HWA) were newly confirmed in Adirondack Park and that a living population of Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) was confirmed on Staten Island, the first in New York State.

Why does it matter? Of course, Hemlocks are beautiful evergreen trees we associate with peaceful mountain forests. Ash trees are the backbone of our forests and parks. A short drive to Pennsylvania can offer a glimpse of what Spotted Lanternfly could look like in our future.

But, it’s bigger than that. Trees are true climate warriors. Through photosynthesis they take in CO2, a potent greenhouse gas, convert it to sugars, effectively sequestering it, and then release oxygen. Based on a carbon sequestration rate calculator developed by the US Department of Energy in the 1990’s , a typical Ash tree will sequester approximately 2 tons of CO2 in the first 59 years of its life. Each human produces about 22 tons of CO2 per year. In Michigan alone, 40 million ash trees have succumbed to EAB. If each of those trees had lived for 59 years, as a group, they would have sequestered 80 million tons of CO2. In that same 59 years, each one of us would have emitted 1298 tons of CO2. Therefore, those trees could have sequestered all of the CO2 produced by 61,633 people for 59 years of their lives. It is estimated that tens of millions of ash trees have now died in North America as a result of EAB so far.

This small shiny beetle has truly had an incalculable effect on our entire climate. According to the New York State Hemlock Initiative, “The eastern hemlock is a foundation species in our forests, which means that it creates the ecosystem in which it resides.” Their dense canopy shades creeks and streams keeping our water supply cool while their roots filter it keeping it clean. Colder water supports habitats for fishes like native trout. Evergreen canopies provide habitat and winter food source for countless birds, animals and invertebrates.

When hemlocks decline and die as a result of HWA, the ecosystem and food web they created collapses. A study by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences in January 2020 found that if SLF is not contained, Pennsylvania’s economy could lose at least $324 million per year and 2800 jobs. Already the damage is $50.1 million per year with a loss of 484 jobs. This figure is based on losses to the agriculture and forestry industries. Damage to landscapes, parks and quality of outdoor life is immeasurable. All three arrived here as a consequence of our globalized lives. EAB got into packing material in Asia and ended up in Michigan. HWA popped over from Japan on nursery trees. SLF hitched a ride on a pallet of landscape rocks headed to Berks County, PA from Asia. Our economic, political and social realities are highly mobile and globalized while our native ecosystems have been weakened as a result habitat loss and climate change. When invasive pests and plants, far more resilient and seemingly insatiable, are introduced, they are a challenge to species survival. The only way to contain and eradicate is to stop the spread by following the directives of the DEC and others, like don’t move firewood; check your car thoroughly for SLF egg masses or hitchhiking adults. You can also reach out to CCE for the training needed to identify and report invasives. There are many citizen science projects to which you could provide critical data for managing these pests. Finally, go outside: garden, walk in the woods, bird watch, litter pluck. While you are engaged in these activities, pay attention to what you see, hear, and smell. Get to know the places in which you live, work, and play, the places you love. Not only will this relieve the stress of living in our ever changing and uncertain world but you will begin to know what belongs and what does not. When a new plant seems too aggressive, or a familiar plant seems to be categorically struggling, it will get your attention and you can take action. Over time you will find you have gained the scientific and intuitive tools needed to become part of the solution.

Sources: “Method for Calculating Carbon Sequestration by Trees in Urban and Suburban Settings,” US Department of Energy, April 1998. https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ Downloads/method-calculating-carbonsequestration-trees-urban-and-suburbansettings.pdf. “Why Conserve Hemlock Trees?” New York State Hemlock Initiative. https:// blogs.cornell.edu/nyshemlockinitiative/ hemlock-woolly-adelgid/why-hemlock-trees/. Amy Duke, “Scientists Examine Potential Economic Impact of Spotted Lanternfly in Pennsylvania,” Penn State Extension, January 15, 2020. https://extension.psu.edu/scientistsexamine-potential-economic-impact-ofspotted-lanternfly-in-pennsylvania.

WATER CONSERVATION IN THE HOME

Submitted by Sean Welsh, Energy Resource Educator

We pay for energy in various ways. One thing we don’t often consider when it comes to home energy use is water. We pay to have and heat water. Savvy consumers can save money and help the environment by taking some actions around the house. Home water use varies considerably, depending upon the number of people in a household, plumbing fixtures, appliances, lot size, and other factors. The largest water users inside the home are toilets, clothes washers, faucets, and showers. Let’s take a closer look at some ways to save money and water!

In the Bathroom

• Install vacuum assisted, low-volume toilets which use less water. • Consider not flushing the toilet unless absolutely necessary. • Regularly check for toilet leaks by placing food coloring in your toilet tank. Repairing leaking toilets can save more than 600 gallons of water per month. • Do not use your toilet as a wastebasket. • Make sure your toilet flapper does not remain open after flushing. • Avoid using toilet bowl cleaners such as toilet tank tablets. These products affect the pH of water in your toilet tank and can cause leaks by damaging the rubber and plastic parts of your toilet.

Shower Efficiency

Showerheads currently manufactured in the U.S. have a flow-rate of 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) or less. Here are some suggestions for increasing shower-use efficiency. • Install an energy efficient showerhead if you do not already have one. • Keep your showers brief. A shower that lasts for five minutes using a low-flow or energy efficient showerhead uses 12 gallons of water. • Turn off the water while you lather up with soap and shampoo. • Irrigate your indoor plants by placing a bucket in the shower to collect the water while waiting for it to warm up. • Check the flow rate of your showerhead by using a 5-gallon bucket and a clock.

Turn the shower on full and place a 5-gallon bucket under the shower for two minutes. A 2.5 gpm showerhead will fill the bucket up in that two-minute time frame. • Consider a plumber to check and repair leaks in the tub diverter valve.

Faucet Efficiency

• Install energy efficient faucet aerators on all your household faucets. Some aerators can restrict flow to less than 1.0 gpm. • Do not run the faucet continuously while washing dishes and hands, shaving, or brushing your teeth. • Checking and repairing faucet leaks can save up to 140 gallons of water per week. If you are unfamiliar, asking a plumber is a good idea.

Estimated Facet Leakage Estimated Facet Leakage Rates (# of drips) Rates (# of drips)

60 drops/min = 192 gal/month 60 drops/min = 192 gal/month

90 drops/min = 210 gal/month 90 drops/min = 210 gal/month 120 drops/min = 429 gal/month 120 drops/min = 429 gal/month

Clothes Washing Efficiency

Conventional washing machines use between 35 to 50 gallons per load (gpl). The newer frontloading machines are more efficient and use between 18 to 20 gpl. Below are suggestions for reducing water use while clothes washing. • Run the washing machine only when you have a full load of clothes. • For lightly soiled laundry loads, use the shortest wash cycle. • To avoid redundant washing, pre-treat stains on your clothes. • Select the minimum water volume per load if your washer has a variable water volume setting. • Regularly check washing machine hoses for leaks.

Dishwasher Efficiency

• Consider a high efficiency dishwasher machine when the time comes to replace your current machine. • Running the dishwasher only when it’s full can save 1,000 gallons of water per month. • Running a full dishwasher usually uses less water than washing the same number of dishes by hand. • Because the drying cycle of most dishwashing machines uses 1,500 watts per cycle, air or hand drying the dishes is more efficient and less expensive.

If you would like to talk with Cornell Cooperative Extension Energy Educator and Community Energy Advisor Sean Welsh about ways to save energy you can call 845-292- 6180 ext. 127 or email sw288@ cornell.edu. Fill out an intake sheet about your building’s needs at midhudsonenergychoices.org. It is a great time for New Yorkers to consider a home energy audit, as many will qualify for a free or reduced cost w energy audit!

Source: “Water Conservation In and Around the Home-9.952.” Extension. May 24, 2016. Accessed August 10, 2020 https://extension. colostate.edu/topic-areas/family-homeconsumer/water-conservation-in-andaround-the-home-9-952/.