By Jessica Miller
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County (28 Parkside Dr, Ellicottville) is a program affiliated with Cornell University and the Cattaraugus County, New York state, and federal governments that shares training and partnerships with communities. Cornell’s unique among Ivy League universities status as a land grant university adds the responsibility to provide accessible practical and liberal arts education for the working class. This connection with Cornell brings current, world-class expertise to area learners regarding rural agricultural topics. These topics frequently include farming and gardening, nutrition, parenting, and land/water management.
Unless otherwise noted, the following CCECC informational sessions are available in person or on Zoom at no cost to participants:
- January 23, Noon-12:30 PM, CCECC Building: Planning a Vegetable Garden—Master Gardeners give advice and tips on how to prepare a vegetable garden for a bountiful harvest.
- January 27, Noon-1 PM, CCECC Building: National Seed Swap Day and Catalog Party—CCE Master Gardeners will have seed catalogs and seeds to share with attendees as well as growing tips. This event is in person and light refreshments will be served. Attendees are welcome to bring seeds to share if they wish.
- February 1, Noon-3 PM, CCECC Building: Lunch & Learn: Make Jam & Learn How to Can—The co-op kicks off National Canned Food Month with an extended session that involves participants making their own jams to take home. This event is in person and is limited to seven attendees; preregistration is required.
- February 4, 3-4 PM, CCECC Building: Gardening for Birds—Becca Rodomsky-Bish will detail the contributions birds make to gardens and local plant life as well as what gardeners can do in return for their feathered friends. She will also tell attendees about how they can join the Great Backyard Bird Count.
- February 12, Noon-12:30 PM, CCECC Building: Lunch & Learn: A Visit to the Soil Food Web; A Magical Place That Will Help You Grow Your Best Garden Ever—Dinah Hovey explains the potential benefits and pitfalls of various microorganisms and macro-organisms that live in the soil. This knowledge is beneficial to gardeners who wish to make the most of their gardens.
- February 12, 5-6 PM, CCECC Building: Make Your Own Natural Bird Suet: Master Gardeners will guide the attendees who are present on-site in making their own bird suet to take home and Zoom attendees are also welcome to follow along at home. More information about the benefits of birds in the garden and yard will be shared.
Registration and general information for these and other CCECC events are online at https://cattaraugus.cce.cornell.edu/events.