3 West Main Street, Suite 112, Elmsford, NY 10523 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

2019 Annual Report Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County

3 West Main Street, Suite 112 Elmsford, NY 10523 914-285-4620 http://westchester.cce.cornell.edu

2019 Roster Partners and Collaborators

Board of Directors Staff NYS IPM Program at Cornell University, St. Matthews Episcopal Church Parish House, Westchester Jewish Community Services, Geneva Bedford (Program Venue) White Plains, Yonkers and Mt. Vernon Ken Almstead, New Rochelle Barbara Sacks, Executive Director NYS Office of the Comptroller, Albany Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Ossining Westchester-Fairfield Horticultural Lee Von Elm, Somers Administration—914-285-4620 North Castle Public Library State University of Society, Bill Biles, Hartsdale OPUS: Organization of People Undaunted by Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Cos Cob, Connecticut Peter Cipriano, South Salem Judy Guglielmo, Finance Administrator Stroke, Hartsdale Pocantico Hills Westchester Turf Supply, Inc., Lincolndale Ossining Community Garden SW BOCES at Carver Center, Port Chester Westhab, Mt. Vernon, White Plains, Ellen Lewis, Larchmont Martha Mocbeichel, Administrative Assistant/ Ossining Farmers Market TD Bank, Thornwood Yonkers Troy Lipp, White Plains Nutrition Data Manager Parsons Memorial, Harrison Teatown Lake Reservation, Ossining Westlake Middle School, Thornwood John Merrell, Rye Pearls Hawthorne School, Yonkers Taconic Gardeners Club WestPAC, White Plains Mills Ripley, Mt. Kisco Horticulture, Natural Resources, and the Environment Peekskill City School District Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market White Plains Beautification Foundation Peekskill Garden Club TOP (Transitional Occupation Program), White Plains Department of Public Works Vicky Sturner, New Rochelle Program—914-285-4640 Yonkers White Plains Gedney Recycling Center Deb Taft. Sleepy Hollow Peekskill Youth Bureau Town of Bedford White Plains Historical Society Greg Twehues, Tarrytown Gerald Giordano, Senior Horticulture Educator Peekskill Youth Bureau Town of Cortlandt White Plains Library Hon. Alfreda Williams, County Legislator Amy Albam, Horticulture Educator/Master Gardener Pepsico, Purchase Town of Dobbs Ferry White Plains School District Adam Hughes State Extension Specialist Program Coordinator Pequenakonck Elementary School, Town of Greenburgh White Plains Youth Bureau North Salem Town of Lewisboro Wilkens Farm, Yorktown (program venue) Pfizer, Inc. Town of Mt. Pleasant WL Morse School, Sleepy Hollow Horticulture and the Environment Nutrition and Consumer Sciences Program Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, Town of North Salem Working Gardeners of Bronxville Program Resource Committee 914 285-4630 Sleepy Hollow Town of Ossining Garden Club Pleasant View Farm, Brewster Town of Somers Yonkers City School District Pleasantville Children’s Center Town of Somers Conservation Board Yonkers Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) Ken Almstead, New Rochelle Dawn Reda, Nutrition Educator/Supervisor Pleasantville Farmers Market Town of Yorktown Yonkers Historical Society Erna Capetanopoulos, Dobbs Ferry Lucy Diaz, Nutrition Educator Pleasantville Garden Club Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns, Yonkers Municipal Housing Authority Tim Kilgallon, Scarsdale Pleasantville Public Pool Tarrytown Yonkers Public Schools Andrew Messinger, Bedford Hills 4-H Youth and Family Development Program Pocantico Conference Center, Sleepy Hollow United Hebrew Geriatric Center, New Rochelle Yonkers Will Library Pocantico Hills School, Sleepy Hollow University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT Yorktown Community & Cultural Center Nancy Ross, Mt. Kisco 914 285-4620 Port Chester Carver Center Untermeyer Gardens, Yonkers Yorktown Grange, Yorktown Chris Rubeo, Thornwood Pound Ridge Elementary School Urban League of Westchester, White Plains Bob Yedowitz, Yonkers Nancy Caswell, Community Educator Preservation Company, Peekskill Village of Bronxville Patris Beamon, IT Deskside Support/Community Preston School, West Harrison Village of Chappaqua Primrose Elementary School, Lincolndale Village of Croton Youth and Family Development/4-H Educator Project Hope, Peekskill Village of Elmsford Program Resource Committee Pruyn Sanctuary, Saw Mill River Audubon Village of Larchmont Society, Chappaqua Village of Scarsdale Robyn Brown, New Rochelle Pulaski Elementary, Yonkers Village of Tuckahoe Steve Mulligan, North Salem Putnam/NW BOCES, Yorktown Vine School, Yonkers Rippowam Cisqua School, Mt. Kisco Ward Acres Community Garden, New Rochelle Emory Nager, North Salem Rotary Club, East Yonkers Watershed Agricultural Council, Yorktown Jack Robbins, Danbury, CT Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Wave Hill, Bronx Gregoriann Rollins, Purchase Soil Testing Laboratory, New West Patent Elementary, Bedford Hills Jim Wood, Sleepy Hollow Brunswick, NJ Westchester County Agriculture and Farmland Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Protection Board Plant Diagnostic Laboratory/Ralph Geiger Westchester Community College Turfgrass Education Center, New Westchester County Department of Brunswick, NJ Environmental Facilities – Recycling Office, Rye Free Reading Room White Plains Rye Nature Center Westchester County Department of Health, Sanford Terrace, Mt. Vernon White Plains Scarsdale Public Library Westchester County Department of Parks, Scarsdale School District Recreation, and Conservation, Mt. Kisco Scholastic Academy, Yonkers Westchester County Department of Planning, Seabury Home, Yorktown Yorktown & White Plains Sheldrake Environmental Center, Larchmont Westchester County Department of Social Sherwood House, Yonkers Services, White Plains Shiloh Baptist Church, New Rochelle Westchester County Department of Senior Silver Lake Community Garden, Services, White Plains Croton-On-Hudson Westchester County Global Warming Sleepy Hollow Garden Club Task Force Somers High School Westchester County Office of Soil and Water Sony Corporation of America Conservation Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for Southern Westchester BOCES, Valhalla Westchester County Pest Management valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and Springhurst Elementary School, Dobbs Ferry Committee, White Plains provides equal program and employment opportunities. Please contact CCE St. Christopher’s School, Dobbs Ferry Westchester County Youth Bureau, White 3 West Main Street, Suite 112 of Westchester if you have any special needs. St. Christopher’s School, Valhalla Plains Elmsford, NY 10523 St. Francis AME Church, Port Chester Westchester Greenhouse, Hartsdale 914-285-4620 Westchester. cce.cornell.edu

ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 2 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 15

3 West Main Street, Suite 112, Elmsford, NY

Partners and Collaborators A Message from the Executive Director

Anthony Veteran Park, Greenburgh Dobbs Ferry Garden Club Mariandale on Hudson, Ossining (Program Ardsley Public Library Don Bosco Community Center, Port Chester Venue) Bakwin Estate, Ossining (program venue) Dow’s Lane School, Irvington Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School, Westchester County is the Gateway to the Hudson Valley. As such, our CCE Bedford 2020 Earth Day Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester Yonkers programs reflect the diversity of our residents and businesses. Some call us Bedford Hills Correctional Facility Farm Bureau Meadow Pond Elementary School, Bedford Road Elementary School, Edward Williams School, Mt. Vernon South Salem the nexus connecting downstate to upstate. We are urban, suburban and Pleasantville Family Services of Westchester, Mt. Vernon, Mohawk Country Day, White Plains Bethel Baptist Church, White Plains Ossining, White Plains Montessori School 31, Yonkers rural, which makes us a microcosm of NYS. Bowen Memorial Baptist Church, First Congregational Church of Chappaqua Montrose Veterans Hospital Mt. Vernon (Program Venue) Mt. Kisco Library Bracy Apartments, New Rochelle Friends of Purchase Library Mt. Kisco Food Pantry After serving hundreds of thousands of people in Westchester for 104 Bronxville School District George Washington Elementary School, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant Bylane Farm, Lewisboro Mohegan Lake Mt. Vernon School District years, we still strive to improve our services and make our programs better Calcagno Houses, Yonkers Good Counsel Homes, Harrison Mt. Vernon Firehouse Community Garden and better. Life changes, our community changes; we now serve industries Career Achieve, Yonkers Grace Church, White Plains Mt. Vernon Head Start, Mt. Vernon Center for Continuing Education, Yonkers Graham Elementary, Mt. Vernon Mt. Vernon Library, Mt. Vernon that people could not even imagine 104 years ago, so we have to keep Chappaqua School District Greenburgh Nature Center, Scarsdale Municipal Housing Authority, Yonkers Child Care Council of Westchester, Scarsdale Greenville School, Scarsdale Murray Avenue School, Larchmont changing. We evolve to continuously meet the needs of our community. City of Mt. Vernon Greyston Foundation, Yonkers Museum School 25, Yonkers City of New Rochelle , Tarrytown Muscoot Farm, Katonah City of Peekskill Hamilton Elementary School, Mt. Vernon Native Plant Center at Westchester We provide the educational and practical services that no other entity in City of Rye Hart’s Brook Park & Preserve, Hartsdale Community College, Valhalla City of White Plains Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, North Salem Nelson Mandela High School, Mt. Vernon Westchester has the research-based expertise to deliver. City of Yonkers Hastings Nursery School New Jersey Department of Environmental Cluster, Yonkers Hawthorne Elementary School, Hawthorne Protection Community Center of Northern Herb Society of America, NY Unit New Rochelle Downtown Beautification One of our greatest values is our incredible multiplier effect in promoting Westchester, Katonah Heritage Hills Garden Club, Somers Program Concord Road School, Ardsley Hilltop Hanover Farm, Yorktown New Rochelle Farmers Market research-based “best practices” and improving the lives, businesses and Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Hillside Elementary, Hastings-On-Hudson New Rochelle Library Station, New Haven, CT Hudson River Audubon Society New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority environment of our community. By “getting the word out” and educating as Connecticut Department of Energy and Hudson Valley Wool Works, Bedford New Rochelle School District many people as possible, residents and businesses learn from our local Environmental Protection Huguenot Nursery School, Pelham New York Botanical Garden, Bronx Consolidated Edison Hutchinson Elementary, Pelham New York Presbyterian Community Garden, education in the community so they are well-poised to promote those best Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess IBM, Hawthorne & Yorktown White Plains County, Millbrook Irvington Beautification Committee New York School for the Deaf, Valhalla practices, carry them out and make sure that the entire community benefits Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam Issac Young Elementary School, New York State Arborists Association, from Cornell’s best practices. County, Brewster New Rochelle Albany Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe Jacob Purdy House, NY State Historic Site, New York State Department of Agriculture County, Rochester White Plains and Markets, Albany Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau Jennie’s School, Mt. Kisco New York State Department of Education, CCE Westchester has the advantage of a long reach that brings the experts County, Hempstead Job Star, Westchester Community College, Office of Professions from Cornell University and other land grant universities throughout the Cornell Cooperative Extension of New York Valhalla New York State Department of City, New York Job Star, Mt. Vernon Environmental Conservation – Bureau of United States to help us with our constituents’ problems. Objectivity and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange John C. Hart Memorial Library, Shrub Oak Pesticides County, Middletown John F. Kennedy Elementary, Port Chester New York State Department of good results are the reasons cited most by our constituents as to why they Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer John Paulding School, Tarrytown Environmental Conservation – Invasive County, Troy John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, Species Coordination Section rely on us and follow our advice. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland Katonah New York State Department of County, Stony Point Journal News, White Plains Environmental Conservation – Urban Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk Katonah Elementary School Forestry Program, Albany Please enjoy reading this report on some of the things we accomplished in County, Riverhead Kensico School, Valhalla New York State Department of Labor, 2019. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School, White Plains County, Liberty Yorktown New York State Department of Taxation & Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins Larchmont Avenue Church, Larchmont Finance EAP, White Plains County, Ithaca Larchmont Community Garden New York State Office of Parks, Recreation Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster Larchmont Gazette and Historic Preservation County, Kingston Lasdon Park and Veteran’s Memorial New York State Energy Research and Cornell University, Ithaca Arboretum, Somers Development Authority Cornell Urban Horticulture Institute, Ithaca Lee F. Jackson School, White Plains New York State Pest Management Cornell Waste Management Institute, Ithaca Lenoir Preserve, Yonkers Association Croton Earth Day, Croton Lewisboro Community Garden New York State Turf and Landscape Croton Public Library, Croton-on-Hudson Lewisboro Library Association, White Plains Cross Hill Academy, Yonkers Lexington Center for Recovery, Mt Kisco New York State Turfgrass Association, Cuddy & Feder, White Plains, NY Longfellow School, Yonkers Albany Daniel Webster Magnet School, Lyndhurst Castle Fern Garden, Tarrytown Ninth District Federated Garden Clubs of New Rochelle Mamaroneck Mayor’s Advisory Committee New York Davenport Park Shakespeare Garden, on Water Quality, Mamaroneck NYC Department of Environmental New Rochelle Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary School, Protection, Valhalla Dimensions, New Rochelle White Plains ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 14 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 3

Horticulture, the Environment and Natural Resources 2019 Paid Support for Cornell Cooperative Extension OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY environmental organizations involving research and environmental remediation projects. • collaborative efforts with Westchester County trade associations involving educational outreach.

“Don’t Get Ticked” workshops were given by us on 1/30, 1/31, 2/19, and 2/21 to familiarize our community with tick-borne diseases. 85 commercial employees and community members learned identification, monitoring, management 22% and tick removal as best professional practices.

Professionals learning about ticks at CCE 1/31/19. •1,117 responses to commercial and consumer telephone calls for service. 3% Our professional staff of horticulture, pest •1,701 diagnoses completed for email and lab management and arboriculture experts provide 57% sample inquiries for service. 4% a variety of services to the public and to the •164 soil nutrient and pH tests facilitated in “billion dollar green industry” in Westchester. response to inquiries for soil testing service. 2% That industry includes greenhouses, nurseries, •17 Commercial site visits for the Green Industry turf and landscape businesses, tree services, and Westchester municipalities to satisfy the need landscape architects, garden supply houses, for field diagnostic services. 1% municipal owners of parks and public lands, •1,650 program participants served through 12% and private and public golf courses. Among the commercial/residential presentations and services we provide are: conferences. . •1,040,000 - mostly Westchester - internet and •best practices information for the Green Industry hard copy subscribers reached through weekly that protects the environment and helps the Green Journal News articles on topics concerning Industry stay competitive and viable in Westchester. horticulture and the environment. •best practices information for consumers that •2,500 to 3,500 Green Industry subscribers protects the environment. reached internationally via CCE through •on-site laboratory services to test/analyze soils, Westchester’s contribution to Cornell’s plants, insects and other pests. commercial turfgrass publication, ShortCUTT. •soil test services and pH kits that show whether •400 Green Industry subscribers reached locally/ nutrient/pH changes are needed. regionally via CCE Westchester’s 9 pest scouting •site visits for the Green Industry and the activities for Cornell’s tree/shrub publication, Westchester County $ $ 659,640.00 22% horticulture consumer. Branching Out. New York State $ 77,761.00 3% •remote services concerning plant culture, pests, diseases and structural pests via phone, email and Federal $ 115,250.00 4% snail mail. Program Fees $ 70,000.00 2% •training and certification programs for the Green Grants, Donations, Other $ 30,000.00 1% Industry. Cornell University (with NYS funds) $ 362,665.00 12% •education programs for the horticulture consumer •advice and assistance to farmers. Cornell Faculty and Staff $ 1,750,554.00 57% •growing degree day information for gardeners and the Green Industry. $ 3,065,870.00 100% •advice to landlords, tenants and homeowners about pest management in multi-family dwellings. •advice on controlling insects and animals that Westchester County’s investment leverages four times the resources brought into our county damage plants or threaten public health. through CCE. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of dollars in volunteer and volunteer partner • advice to hotels and dormitories about pest control. •collaborative efforts with Cornell and other time are given to us each year. university experts, government entities and other Glyphasate education at CCE for professionals 2-20-19 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 13

2019 Functional Expenditures Horticulture, the Environment and Natural Resources

CCE Westchester multiplies good 5/18/19, 5/19/19 “Friends of Lasdon Plant sale” 66,106=5% environmental stewardship via direct Information booth. Lasdon Park, Arboretum & educational delivery and by helping our Vets Memorial, Somers, Partner: Westchester community with programming generated with County Parks. our many partners. 6/5/19 Guided Tour of the Ellen and James Best Property, HGLS program for residents/Green 1/3/19 “Managing Emerald Ash Borer” Webinar Industry with CEUs, Pound Ridge for Green Industry with CEUs: partner: UMass 6/6/19 “Confronting Climate Change: Impacts on 1/15/19 New York State Turf and Landscape Ag, Forests and Landscapes” program for Conference with NYSTLA with CEUs, Westchester Residents & Green Industry with CEUs, County Center, White Plains, partner: NYSTLA Westchester County Center, White Plains. 1/23/19 "Invasive Pest Update" HGLS program for partner: Westchester County Soil & Water residents/Green Industry with CEUs, Will Library, Conservation District. Yonkers 7/15/19 “Monitoring and Managing Ash (MaMA) 2/20/19 “Investigating the Health Effects of Program for residents and Green Industry, Glyphosate” program for residents & Green Vassar Eco Preserve, Poughkeepsie, partner: Industry with CEUs, CCE Headquarters Elmsford. Ecological Research Institute 3/11/19 “Extreme Gardening: Native Designs for 7/16/19 “Monitoring and Managing Ash (MaMA) 1,279,357=95% Resiliency” program for residents and Green Program for residents and Green Industry, CCE Industry with CEUs, partner: The Native Plant Dutchess County, Millbrook, partner: Ecological Center at WCC Research Institute 3/14/19 “Designing & Promoting Urban Forestry 7/17/19 “Monitoring and Managing Ash (MaMA) Contracts for Municipalities” webinar for Green Program for residents and Green Industry, Industry with CEUs, partner: UMASS Bedford Audubon Society, Katonah, partner 3/20/19 Shrubs: The New Perennials, HGLS Ecological Research Institute program for residents/Green Industry with CEUs, 7/18-20/19 “27th Annual ReLeaf Conference, Anthony Veteran Park, Greenburgh Community Forestry in a Rapidly Changing 3/22/19, 3/27/19, 4/2/19, 4/3/19 “International World", Mount Saint Mary College, in Newburgh Society of Arboriculture Certification Training”, 8/15/19 "Spotted Lanternfly- On the Doorstep or program with CEUs for Green Industry, partner: In Our Fields?" program for Green Industry with CCE Dutchess CEUs, Binghampton, partner: NYS IPM 4/9/19 “Understand and Avoid Ticks” program for 9/12/19 “Tree Growth & Development in a Green Industry, Stew Leonard’s Yonkers, partner: Changing Climate” webinar for Green Industry NYSTLA with CEUs, partner: UMASS 4/11/19 “They're Coming...Planning for the Urban 9/26/19 “NYBG Field Day program with NYSTLA Landscape Pests of 2019” webinar for Green for Green Industry with CEUs, partner: NYSTLA Industry with CEUs, partner: UMASS 10/3/19 “UConn Native Plants and Pollinators Y.T.D. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 4/27/19 “Ossining Green Day” with information Conference” program for residents and Green TOTAL SERVICES & GENERAL booth for residents/Green Industry, Louis Engel Industry, Storrs, CT, partner: UConn 1,345,463 1,279,357 66,106 Waterfront Park, Ossining. 11/17/19 “It's time for an "Emerald Ash Borer 1.00 0.95 0.05 4/27/19 “ Native Plant Center at WCC 20th Annual Update"! Webinar for Green Industry with CEUs, Native Plant Sale” Westchester Community College, partner: UMASS Valhalla, partner, Native Plant Center at WCC 12/12/19 “Pruning Update” Webinar for Green 5/5/19 “Beyond the Native/Exotic Debate" HGLS Industry with CEUs: partner: UMASS Program for residents and Green Industry with CEUs, Will Library, Yonkers

ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 12 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 5

Master Gardener Volunteer Program Nutrition and Consumer Sciences

volunteering at Stone Barns, Lasdon Arboretum, EFNEP Youth Results Native Plant Center, Pruyn Audubon Sanctuary and other venues. At Hart’s Brook, our MGVs grew 221 youth participated in our special youth and harvested over 978 pounds of produce programs (separate & apart from adult and family donated to a local food pantry. participants) and 91% improved their knowledge and practice of food selection. They also practiced We have trained over 325 teachers so far and better physical activity. They brought these best food practices back to their families. introduced over 8,500 Westchester children to school gardening in more than 40 schools. 85 SUCCESS STORIES IN THEIR OWN WORDS…. fifth graders in Tarrytown and 907 student in Yonkers learned about pollinators like butterflies “I used to be a chef and took the EFNEP class at my and birds in their gardens. MGVs read to over son’s school. With notebook and pen to take notes 450 school children at 9 local schools during on the EFNEP class, I started walking 15 minutes a Master Gardener Volunteer meeting on Food Security. “Agriculture in the Classroom” week. day, learned to drink more water, cut down on CCE teaches nutrition to youth. sugary drinks, and lost 10 pounds by the 5th class. I MGVs write a weekly gardening advice column am now exercising by riding my bike, eating more Pollinator Support: Since 2016 we have worked and other gardening articles for fruits and vegetables, and a month after the class to improve pollinator venues. This year, 30 of our ended, I lost 28 pounds and found a new job as a and Gannett newspapers, plus local publications In the Spanish language class, participants MGVs were involved in Pollinator Support chef.” reaching hundreds of thousands indirectly and told us: demonstration gardens in Lewisboro, Rye, White over a million via online media. Plains, Yorktown, Bedford and Tarrytown. SC said she “had weight problems for years and Hundreds of residents, the local media and took the class, now reads labels, cut down on business owners have learned about the processed foods, added added more vegetables, importance of supporting and advancing pollinator don’t drink sugary drinks anymore, walk gardens, and how to advance it. everywhere and have more energy for my kids and am in a better mood.” Our MGVs donated over 7,235 hours to CCE in 2019 HOME GARDENING LECTURE SERIES Another participant said she “stopped defrosting 2019 valued at $43.06 per hour for a value of Invasive Pest Update* meat in the sink and now defrosts it in the $311,539. They also put in over 815 hours of Wednesday, January 23, 2019 refrigerator where it’s safe and sanitary. I’m in a continuing education to advance their skills to Vegetables: The Taste of Summer Zumba class now and love it. I carry trail mix with serve the public. Valued at $43.06 per hour, this Wednesday, February 27, 2019 me in case I get hungry. I have more energy.” was a $35,094 additionally for a total commitment Shrubs: The New Perennials* of $346,633. Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Hands-On With Edible Flowers and Herbs MGVs directly served 8,051 community members Wednesday, April 17, 2019 in 2019 at Q&A tables, conferences, demonstration Beyond the Native/Exotic Debate* gardens, site visits, speaking engagements and Wednesday, May 15, 2019 other CCE educational venues. Our MGVs also Guided Tour of The Ellen and James Best Property* engaged many thousands indirectly through our Wednesday, June 5, 2019 work and installations at Hart’s Brook, John Jay Herb Garden, Muscoot Farm, Sherwood House, *Landscape Architect Health, Safety and Welfare Westchester Community College Vegetable Garden, credit hours were awarded. Graduation from Youth Nutrition Class. Ossining Organic Community Garden, and

ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 6 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 11

Nutrition and Consumer Sciences Master Gardener Volunteer Program

certain cancers are preventable with programs like 4/18: Community Forum at White Plains Library EFNEP, which improve people’s behaviors and 4/27: Ossining Earth Day their family’s health. 4/27: Native Plant Center sale 4/28: Bedford 2020 Earth Day EFNEP 4/30: White Plains Gedney Recycling Center (& Our EFNEP program provides nutrition education throughout the season) programs to low income families with children, 5/4: Croton Earth Day whose income does not exceed 185% of the 5/11: Pleasantville Community Plant Sale poverty level. Nearly 10% of Westchester families 5/18 & 5/19: Lasdon Plant Sale meet this criteria. Pregnant women, Head Start 6/6: Westchester County & CCE program Graduates of CCE Nutrition Program. parents, low income Hispanic parents and other “Confronting Climate Change” low income families with dependent children in 9/7 & 9/8: 4-H Showcase at Yorktown Grange the household are our target audience. Indicators A study by Opportunity Insights, a non-partisan 9/14: Pleasantville Repair Cafe Q&A about plants included eating more vegetables & fruits, reducing organization, showed in 2019 that government Master Gardener Volunteers teach about organic vegetable 9/21: Lewisboro Library Fair sugar intake, reading food labels, compare food gardening. money spent on improving the health and Advanced MGV Education provided by CCE prices, plan meals, and use a shopping list, & education for low income children had a big cooking dinner at home instead of fast food out. Westchester: payback. Each $1.00 spent on these benefits for We were also at the following community venues: We teach in English and Spanish. In federal fiscal 2/6: Food Security kids yielded $1.47 payback in improved year 2019, we taught 240 families representing 3/13: Native Plants & Pollinators educational attainment and lower rates of The popular Home Gardening Lecture Series 916 individuals via our adult programs. 4/10: Wildlife Management hospitalization and chronic health conditions. attracted 294 attendees in 2019. The Speakers 5/8: Spotted Lanterfly identification update These are part of CCE Westchester’s goals. As we Bureau and other MGV speakers reached 270 at Behavior Changes We Achieved 6/12: Climate Change Implications improve the lives of our residents, we strive to various venues in Westchester. 8/12: Site examination of Saw Mill Audubon Pruyn see them become productive and healthy. 100% of our participants showed improvement in Garden one or more diet quality indicators measured MGVs provided services in 2019 at these venues: Our nutrition education programs are geared 8/14: Site examination of John Jay Herb Garden objectively by pre- and post-testing. 100% of our toward this and toward helping low income 9/11: Organic vegetable gardening & weed participants showed improvement in or or more 1/14: NYS Turf & Landscape Association families stretch their SNAP and cash food key physical activity indicators (exercising at least identification dollars. Conference 30 minutes, doing workouts to build and 11/13: Beech Leaf Disease strengthen muscles or making small changes to be In addition to the obvious benefits of improved more active). health and lifestyles of our participants, there are benefits for Westchester taxpayers, too.

Nutrition-related health problems are disproportionately high among low income individuals. Lacking private health insurance, our target population relies on taxpayer-funded Medicaid for health care. That is costly. The annual cost of Medicaid in Westchester is around $1.5 billion.

Nutrition related diseases such as Type II Diabetes, cardio vascular disease, cranio-vascular disease, hypertension, youth obesity, stroke and Master Gardener Volunteers teach the public about vegetable Master Gardener Volunteers meeting on food security. gardening. CCE teaches physical exercise.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 10 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 7

4-H Youth and Family Development 4-H Youth and Family Development

One of our largest programs is 4-H Incubation & International test and also did the Reading with Embryology (I&E) which teaches youngsters Rover program at the Mount Kisco Library. They about biology, nutrition and the environment took the American Kennel Club Canine Good while they hatch chick and duck eggs in their Citizen Urban dog test, and they passed & classrooms. CCE helps the schools obtain fertilized obtained the AKC titles of CGC, CGCU and TKN. eggs and equipment, trains teachers, provides Members who passed the Farm dog test received curriculum, and answers questions during the a FD title. They attended March Dog Madness in hatching process. In 2019, 14 teachers newly Orange County, went to K9 Aqua Dog to try Dry attended our trainings. 150 schools, 383 Dock Diving, and visited Dr. Kelly Murphy, a rehab classrooms, 8,867 children and 1,227 adults vet in Yonkers. They did a “safety around dogs” participated with this educational outreach. and training dogs program at the Mt. Kisco Teachers volunteered 1,915 hours to I&E. 4-H Project Books exhibited at NYS Fair.

Notable accomplishments of 4-H Clubs in 2019 Hooves, Beaks and Bills at Maple Weekend at Hilltop Hanover Farm in Yorktown. Muscoot Gang 4-H Club members provided at least 120 volunteer hours each during the year as Expo. They led hands-on play with the NXT robots Our Westchester youth join 4-H because they want the club assists the staff of Muscoot Farm doing for children at the to learn more about an area that interests them farm chores and during big events such as Meet (200 attendees), and offered robotics workshops and meet others who share that interest. They do the Baby Animals, Sheep Shearing, Dairy Day, for 5 mornings in August at (12 get that benefit, but more importantly, they get the Turkey Talk, and Pumpkin Picking. The club also students). benefit of learning how to share their knowledge saves the county taxpayers a lot of money each with the public, educate others, and master public year. Muscoot Gang members participated in North Salem 4-H members continue to teach presentations, a skill that will stay with them as a the Putnam County 4H fair as well as the Grange working with farm animals. benefit for life. Fair and attended Dairy Days program at Cornell.

K-9 Kids at Mt. Kisco Library Rabbiteers held their annual Rabbit Show plus Our 4-H Mission Statement is: “4-H connects youth K-9 Kids did their annual demos at the Putnam their Rabbit Information Day at Muscoot Farm to to hands-on learning opportunities that help them County 4-H Fair and the Yorktown Grange Fair, teach hundreds of visitors about raising rabbits as grow into competent, caring, contributing and volunteered at the Taconic Hills Kennel Club Library. pets. members of society” and our 4-H Vision is “a annual dog show, FastCat event and Farm Dogs. world in which youth and adults learn, grow and They & their dogs passed the Therapy Dog Hooves, Beaks and Bills 4-H participated in the Afterschool programs: we continued to teach work together as catalysts for positive change”. Maple Weekend Pancake Breakfast at Hilltop the afterschool programs at 2 elementary schools Westchester County had 80 4-H club members in Hanover Farm, bringing goats to add a little more 2019. 4-H adult volunteers donated about 2,717 agriculture to the morning. hours while leading the clubs. Valued at $43.06/ hour, their contributions are worth $116,994. Robocracy 4-H Club participated in the “FIRST Hudson Valley Regional Championship” in Our youth contacts (not including I&E) were February and emerged as the Captain of the 2,561 plus 409 during Agriculture Literacy Week. Finalist Alliance. They gave STEM outreach Agriculture Literacy Week promotes a better afternoon classes at Bell Middle School in understanding and appreciation of agriculture and Chappaqua (200 youth and 50 parents attended) the food system. In March 2019, 12 volunteers and the Grange Fair in Yorktown where visited 20 classrooms in 6 schools/libraries about 250 members of the public came to enjoy throughout the county, reaching 409 students learning about “sumo bots”. They ran the local reading “On the Farm, At The Market” so students First Lego League Challenge and offered hands-on can learn all the steps from harvest on the farm to activities during the Mid-Hudson Engineering Final match with Team Beta (4-H Robocracy Club). our table. 4-H Youth showing off their rabbits in costume.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 9 ANNUAL REPORT 2019 P a g e 8