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

Training green industry professionals is part of our mission. Winning 4-H Robotics Club went to national competition.

2017 Annual Report

3 West Main Street, Suite 112, Elmsford, NY 10523

Youngsters enjoy learning to prepare healthy food. Master Gardener teaches college students how to grow vegetables.

2017 Roster Partners and Collaborators

Board of Directors Staff New York State Department of Environmental Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Soil Vive Program, Yonkers Barbara Sacks, Executive Director Conservation – Bureau of Pesticides Testing Laboratory, New Brunswick, NJ Wampus Elementary, Armonk Ken Almstead, New Rochelle New York State Department of Environmental Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Plant Ward Acres Community Garden, New Rochelle Lee Von Elm, Somers Conservation – Invasive Species Coordination Diagnostic Laboratory/Ralph Geiger Turfgrass Watershed Agricultural Council, Yorktown Bill Biles, Hartsdale Administration—914-285-4620 Section Education Center, New Brunswick, NJ Wave Hill, Bronx Stan Kapica, Katonah New York State Department of Environmental Rye Free Reading Room, Rye Westchester County Agriculture and Farmland Judy Guglielmo, Finance Administrator Conservation – Urban Forestry Program, Rye Nature Center Protection Board Ellen Lewis, Larchmont Martha Mocbeichel, Administrative Assistant/ Albany Sanford Terrace, Mt. Vernon Westchester Community College Troy Lipp, White Plains New York State Department of Labor, Scarsdale Public Library Westchester County Department of Nutrition Data Manager Don Mahaney, Mt. Kisco White Plains Scarsdale School District Environmental Facilities – Recycling Office, Patricia Pesacreta, Administrative Assistant/ New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Scholastic Academy, Yonkers White Plains John Merrell, Rye Distance Learning Coordinator Historic Preservation Science Barge, Groundwork Hudson Valley, Westchester County Department of Health, Mills Ripley, Mt. Kisco New York State Energy Research and Yonkers White Plains Vicky Sturner, New Rochelle Horticulture, Natural Resources, and the Environment Development Authority Seabury Home, Yorktown Westchester County Department of Parks, Greg Twehues, Tarrytown Program—914-285-4640 New York State Pest Management Association Sheldrake Environmental Center, Larchmont Recreation, and Conservation, Mt. Kisco New York State Turf and Landscape Association, Sherwood House, Yonkers Westchester County Department of Planning, Charlie Fausold, State Extension Specialist White Plains Shiloh Baptist Church, New Rochelle Yorktown & White Plains Amy Albam, Horticulture Educator/Master Gardener New York State Turfgrass Association, Albany Silver Lake Community Garden, Westchester County Department of Social Horticulture and the Environment Program Coordinator Ninth District Federated Garden Clubs of Croton-On-Hudson Services, White Plains Program Resource Committee Gerald Giordano, Senior Horticulture Educator New York Somers Central School District Westchester County Department of Senior NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Somers High School Services, White Plains

Nutrition and Consumer Sciences Program Valhalla Sony Corporation of America Westchester County Global Warming Ken Almstead, New Rochelle NYS IPM Program at Cornell University, Geneva Soundview Apartments, New Rochelle Task Force 914 285-4630 Erna Capetanopoulos, Dobbs Ferry NYS Office of the Comptroller, Albany Southern Westchester BOCES, Valhalla Westchester County Office of Soil and Water

Tim Kilgallon, ScarSdale OPUS: Organization of People Undaunted by Springhurst Elementary School, Dobbs Ferry Conservation Lucy Diaz, Nutrition Educator Stroke, Hartsdale St. Christopher’s School, Dobbs Ferry Westchester County Pest Management David Kvinge, White Plains Dawn Reda, Nutrition Educator/Supervisor The Osborn, Rye St. Denis HeadStart, Yonkers Committee, White Plains Andrew Messinger, Bedford Hills Ossining Children’s Center, Ossining St. Francis AME Church, Port Chester Westchester County Youth Bureau, White Nancy Ross, Mt. Kisco Ossining Community Garden St. Matthews Episcopal Church Parish House, Plains 4-H Youth and Family Development Program Paideia School 24, Yonkers Bedford Westchester Greenhouse, Hartsdale Chris Rubeo, Thornwood 914 285-4620 Park Avenue School, Port Chester Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Ossining Westchester Independent Living Center, Bob Yedowitz, Yonkers Park School, Ossining State University of New York White Plains Patris Beamon, IT Deskside Support/Community Parsons Memorial, Harrison SW BOCES at Carver Center, Port Chester Westchester Jewish Community Services, Youth and Family Development/4-H Educator/Volunteer Involvement Coordinator Pearls Hawthorne School, Yonkers TD Bank, Thornwood White Plains, Yonkers and Mt. Vernon Peekskill City School District Teatown Lake Reservation, Ossining Westchester-Fairfield Horticultural Society, Program Resource Committee Nancy Caswell, Community Educator Peekskill High School Taconic Gardeners Club Cos Cob, Connecticut Peekskill Youth Bureau Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market Westchester Turf Supply, Inc., Lincolndale Robyn Brown, New Rochelle Pepsico, Purchase Theodore Young Community Center, White Plains Westhab, Mt. Vernon, White Plains, Yonkers Steve Mulligan, North Salem Pepsi Bottling, Somers Todd Elementary School, Briarcliff Manor Westlake Middle School, Thornwood Pequenakonck Elementary School, North Salem TOP (Transitional Occupation Program), Yonkers WestPAC, White Plains Emory Nager, North Salem Pfizer, Inc. Town of Bedford White Plains Beautification Foundation Jack Robbins, Danbury, CT Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, Town of Cortlandt White Plains Department of Public Works Gregoriann Rollins, Purchase Sleepy Hollow Town of Dobbs Ferry White Plains Farmers Market Jim Wood, Sleepy Hollow Pleasant View Farm, Brewster Town of Greenburgh White Plains Historical Society Pleasantville Public Pool Town of Lewisboro White Plains Library Pocantico Conference Center, Sleepy Hollow Town of Mt. Pleasant White Plains School District Nutrition and Consumer Science Pocantico Hills School, Sleepy Hollow Town of North Salem White Plains Youth Bureau Program Resource Committee Port Chester Carver Center Town of Somers WILC (Westchester Independent Living Port Chester Middle School Town of Somers Conservation Board Center), White Plains Pound Ridge Elementary School Town of Yorktown Wilkens Farm, Yorktown (program venue) Margery Arsham, Scarsdale Preservation Company, Peekskill Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns, WL Morse School, Sleepy Hollow Linda Bohan, Yonkers Preston School, West Harrison Tarrytown Woodside School, Peekskill Ann Darcy, Mt. Vernon Primrose Elementary School, Lincolndale United Hebrew Geriatric Center, New Rochelle YMCA, White Plains, Yonkers Project Hope, Peekskill University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT Yonkers Children’s Place Freda Macon, Yonkers Pruyn Sanctuary, Saw Mill River Audubon Untermeyer Gardens, Yonkers Yonkers City School District Toby Pidgeon, White Plains Society, Chappaqua Urban League of Westchester, White Plains Yonkers Community Health Coalition (YCHC) Pulaski Elementary, Yonkers VanCortlandville Elementary School, Yonkers Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) Rippowam Cisqua School, Mt. Kisco Mohegan Lake Yonkers Historical Society Riverside Health, Yonkers Village of Bronxville Yonkers Municipal Housing Authority Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for RJ Bailey Elementary School, Greenburgh Village of Chappaqua Yonkers Public Schools valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and Rochambeau Alternative High School, Village of Croton Yonkers Riverfront Library 3 West Main Street, Suite 112 provides equal program and employment opportunities. Please contact CCE White Plains Village of Elmsford Yonkers Will Library Elmsford, NY 10523 of Westchester if you have any special needs. Rosedale Nursery, Hawthorne Village of Larchmont Yorktown Community & Cultural Center Rotary Club, East Yonkers Village of Scarsdale 914-285-4620 Vine School, Yonkers Westchester. cce.cornell.edu

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3 West Main Street, Suite 112, Elmsford, NY

Partners and Collaborators A Message from the Executive Director

Anthony Veteran Park, Greenburgh Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, Jacob Purdy House, NY State Historic Site, Amodio’s Garden Center, White Plains Kingston White Plains (program venue) Cornell University, Ithaca Job Star, Westchester Community College, If we had to describe in an “elevator speech” what we do, it would be economic Archway, Mt Vernon Cornell Urban Horticulture Institute, Ithaca Valhalla Ardsley Public Library Cornell Waste Management Institute, Ithaca John C. Hart Memorial Library, Shrub Oak development, helping industries and employers in Westchester, helping youngsters Bedford Hills Correctional Facility Croton Public Library, Croton-on-Hudson John F. Kennedy Elementary, Port Chester become better future employees and entrepreneurs, helping residents make and keep Bedford Road Elementary School, Pleasantville Cross Hill Academy, Yonkers John Paulding School, Tarrytown Bell Middle School, Chappaqua Cuddy & Feder, White Plains, NY JFK Early Learning Center, Port Chester their properties more valuable with the best horticulture and pest management advice, Bethel Baptist Church, White Plains Daniel Warren Elementary, Rye John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, Katonah and helping people live healthier and more productive lives. Blythedale Children’s Hospital Daniel Webster Magnet School, New Rochelle Journal News, White Plains Bowen Memorial Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon Davenport Park Shakespeare Garden, Katonah Elementary School Bracy Apartments, New Rochelle New Rochelle Kensico School, Valhalla Bronxville Farmers Market Dimensions, New Rochelle Lanza Family Foundation That’s what we are really about at Westchester CCE. Bronxville School District Dobbs Ferry Garden Club Larchmont Avenue Church, Larchmont Bylane Farm, Lewisboro Don Bosco Community Center, Port Chester Larchmont Community Garden Calcagno Houses, Yonkers Dow’s Lane School, Irvington Larchmont Gazette Career Achieve, Yonkers Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester Farm Bureau Lasdon Park and Veteran’s Memorial Arboretum, We’ve had a choice at CCE to be preventive or to be palliative. We chose to be preventive Casimir Pulaski Elementary School, Yonkers Edward Williams School, Mt. Vernon Somers because we understood that helping our industries, residents and local governments Center for Continuing Education, Yonkers Family Self Sufficiency (FSS)/Hartley House, Lewisboro Community Garden Central School, Larchmont New Rochelle Lewisboro Library avoid the predictable problems coming their way was a better investment of our scarce Chappaqua Public Library Family Services of Westchester, Mt. Vernon, Lexington Center for Recovery, Mt Kisco resources. CCE’s unique flexibility allowed us to perceive and respond to local problems Chappaqua School District Ossining, White Plains Lincoln Towers, New Rochelle and issues rapidly and with the incredible resources of a major, world class university Charter School of Educational Excellence, Family Services Society, Yonkers Literacy Volunteers of Westchester Yonkers Fit WIC, Sound Shore Medical Center, New Literacy Zone Adult and Family Education (Cornell) as well as our extensive network of other experts around the country and the Chatsworth Avenue School, Larchmont Rochelle Program, Ossining world. That is a uniqueness of CCE. We can mobilize expertise for our local community Child Care Council of Westchester, Scarsdale Foodbank for Westchester (Feeding Lois Bronz Children’s Center, White Plains Children’s Center for Learning, New Rochelle Westchester), Elmsford Longfellow School, Yonkers that would not otherwise be available. Children’s Village, Dobb’s Ferry Foxfire School, Yonkers Ludington Adult Day Services Center, Sound Church of Our Savior Head Start, White Plains Fox Meadows Elementary School, Scarsdale Shore Hospital, New Rochelle City of Mt. Vernon Friends of Purchase Library Lyndhurst Castle Fern Garden, Tarrytown Whether we are preventing youth obesity, helping industries that employ 10,000 local City of New Rochelle FSSY Homestead (Family Service Society of Mamaroneck Mayor’s Advisory Committee on City of Peekskill Yonkers), Water Quality, Mamaroneck people, or developing our youth’s capacities to become better engaged citizens and City of Rye FSW Community Education, Housing sites in Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary School, productive members of society, we are doing the normal CCE every day work. Bringing City of White Plains New Rochelle, Port Chester, Rye White Plains City of Yonkers FSW Early Childhood, White Plains Mamaroneck High School down health costs for people who rely on public taxpayer funded healthcare is an Cluster, Yonkers FSW, Slater Center, White Plains Mariandale on Hudson, Ossining outcome of our goal to help people be healthier and more productive residents. Making Community Center of Northern Westchester, Furniture Share House, White Plains Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School, Yonkers the environment healthier for all is part of our task. Engaging highly trained and caring Katonah George Washington Elementary School, Mount Olivet Baptist Church, Peekskill Concord Road School, Ardsley Mohegan Lake Mt. Kisco Library volunteers and volunteer partners in carrying out our mission is how we accomplish Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Girl Scouts of Westchester/Putnam Mt. Kisco Food Pantry these things with a relatively miniscule budget. Please read this 2017 Annual Report and New Haven, CT Golden’s Bridge Day Camp (program venue) Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant Connecticut Department of Energy and Good Counsel Homes, Harrison Mt. Vernon School District see what we’ve accomplished with such small resources. We invite you to join us in our Environmental Protection Grace Church, White Plains Mt. Vernon Firehouse Community Garden mission. Consolidated Edison Graham Elementary, Mt. Vernon Mt. Vernon Head Start, Mt. Vernon Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess Great Potentials, SUNY, Purchase Mt. Vernon Library, Mt. Vernon County, Millbrook Greenburgh Health Center, White Plains Municipal Housing Authority, Yonkers Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam Greenburgh Nature Center, Scarsdale Muscoot Farm, Katonah County, Brewster Greyston Foundation, Yonkers Native Plant Center at Westchester Community Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe Guidance Center of Westchester, Mt. Vernon College, Valhalla County, Rochester Hamilton Elementary School, Mt. Vernon Nelson Mandela High School, Mt. Vernon Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau Hart’s Brook Park & Preserve, Hartsdale New Jersey Department of Environmental County, Hempstead Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, North Salem Protection Cornell Cooperative Extension of New York City, Hawthorne Elementary School, Hawthorne New Rochelle Department of Planning New York Healthy Yonkers Initiative (HYI), Yonkers New Rochelle Downtown Beautification Program Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange Herb Society of America, NY Unit New Rochelle Farmers Market County, Middletown Hilltop Hanover Farm, Yorktown New Rochelle Library Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer Hudson River Audubon Society New Rochelle Municipal Housing Authority County, Troy Hudson River Health Center, Peekskill New Rochelle School District Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland Hudson River Museum, Yonkers New York Botanical Garden, Bronx County, Stony Point Hudson Valley Wool Works, Bedford New York School for the Deaf, Valhalla Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, Hutchinson Elementary, Pelham New York State Arborists Association, Albany Riverhead IBM, Hawthorne & Yorktown New York State Department of Agriculture and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan Irvington Beautification Committee Markets, Albany County, Liberty Irvington Farmers Market New York State Department of Education, Office Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins Issac Young Elementary School, New Rochelle of Professions County, Ithaca

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Horticulture, the Environment and Natural Resources 2017 Paid Support for Cornell Cooperative Extension OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY advice to hotels and dormitories about pest control. collaborative efforts with Cornell and other university experts, government entities and other environmental organizations involving research and environmental remediation projects. collaborative efforts with Westchester County trade associations involving educational outreach. 19%

Our professional horticulture staff was busy in 2017. 3% •908 responses to commercial and consumer 4% telephone calls for service. 56% •1,372 diagnoses completed for email and lab 3% Readying specimen sample for analysis in our laboratory. sample inquiries for service. 2% •166 soil nutrient tests facilitated in response to inquiries for soil testing service. 13% Westchester County Our professional staff of horticulture, pest •7 Commercial site visits performed in response to New York State management and arboriculture experts provide a inquiries for field diagnostic service. variety of services to the public and to the “billion •2,396 program participants served through Federal dollar green industry” in Westchester. That commercial/residential presentations and Program Fees industry includes greenhouses, nurseries, turf and conferences. Grants, Donations, Other landscape businesses, tree services, landscape Cornell University (with NYS funds) architects, garden supply houses, municipal owners The commercial newsletter Hudson Valley Cornell Faculty and Staff of parks and public lands, and private and public Horticulture, was published 7 times in 2017 with a golf courses. Among the services we provide are: circulation of 720 (mostly) Westchester Green •on-site laboratory services to analyze soils, plants, Industry professionals who share the publication insects and other pests. with their employees. CCE articles in NYSTLA’s •soil test kits that show whether nutrient changes Green Industry News got to 200 commercial are needed. subscribers. CCE’s contribution to the commercial Westchester County $ 576,000.00 19% •advice on anything that grows (plants, fungi, etc.). turf publication ShortCUTT, has a circulation of •best practices information that protects the New York State $ 82,949.00 3% over 900. Weekly Journal News articles have a Federal $ 111,294.00 4% environment. circulation of 110,320 locally. •training and certification programs for the Green Program Fees $ 90,000.00 3% Industry. Grants, Donations, Other $ 66,600.00 2% •education programs for the horticulture consumer Cornell University (with NYS funds) $ 377.765.00 13% •growing degree day information for gardeners. Cornell Faculty and Staff $ 1,682,577.00 56% •advice and assistance to farmers. •site visits for the Green Industry and the $ 2,987,245.00 100% horticulture consumer. •advice to the Green Industry on using the best practices and products to stay competitive and Westchester County’s investment leverages four times the resources brought into viable in Westchester. our county through CCE. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of dollars in •advice to landlords, tenants and homeowners about volunteer and volunteer partner time are given to us each year. pest management in multi-family dwellings. Pond and Lake Management Workshop CCE did at the •advice on controlling insects and animals that Westchester County Center with the Westchester County damage plants or threaten public health. Office of Soil and Water Conservation.

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2017 Functional Expenditures Horticulture, the Environment and Natural Resources

4-29: “Croton Earth Day Celebration” Q&A table 5-13: “Westchester County Earth Day” Q&A table, Valhalla 5-17: “Hydrangeas for Every Garden” Katonah 5-20 and 5-21: Lasdon Park & Arboretum Q&A table, Somers 5-24: “Croton Hydrilla Remediation” public meeting Croton-on-Hudson 5-27: Tarrytown Farmer’s Market Q&A table 5-27 “Hydrilla Public Meeting” Croton 6-7: “Guided Tour of Lasdon Park & Arboretum” Somers 6-10: Bronxville Farmer’s Market Q&A table 6-13: “Oak Wilt, A Harmful Introduction to New Horticulture Staff and Master Gardener assist resident with York State” White Plains a gardening question. 6-23: “Container Gardening” New Rochelle 6-27: “Invasive Species Survey” regional 7-11: “Worms Eat My Garbage” Golden’s Bridge Horticulture & Pest Management Programs 7-15: Tarrytown Farmer’s Market Q&A table Facilitated in 2017 8-10: “Organic Vegetable Gardening” Ossining 1-11: NYSTLA Conference’s 8 educational 8-18: Mount Pleasant Day community event Q&A programs, Yonkers table 1-18: “Horticulture along the Silk Road”, Yonkers 9-23: Tarrytown Farmer’s Market Q&A table 2-9: “Vegetable Gardening and Beyond 101” Dobbs 8-26: “4-H Showcase at Muscoot Farm” Q&A Ferry table, Yorktown 2-13: “The New Country Garden – Birds, Bees and 9-23: “Lewisboro Library Fair” Q&A table Beautiful Native Plants” Mt. Pleasant Library 10-21: “Bird and Pollinator-Friendly Gardens” 2-15: “Pollinators! Enhancing Habitat in Our Yonkers Landscapes” Chappaqua Library 10-24: “Vegetable Gardening for Students” 3-6: “Proper Pruning” Mt. Pleasant Library Scarsdale School District 3-8: “Beatrix Ferrand: A Celebrated Landscape 11-8: “Implications of Climate Change for Designer” Bedford Invasive Species” in cooperation with UMass We are proud that 94% of our resources go into direct programming. 3-18: “Ornamental Container Gardening” White 12-7: “Pond and lake Management Workshop” Plains White Plains 3-20: “Agricultural Literacy Weeks” readings throughout Westchester schools In addition, we had numerous Q&A tables at the 3-21: “Container Gardening” New Rochelle Library White Plains Farmer’s Market, Gedney Recycling 3-25: “Vegetable Gardening 101” White Plains Center, and Ossining Farmer’s Market. 3-30: “Nonstop Plants: A Garden for 365 Days” We co-facilitated 10 programs with UMass for Irvington the benefit of our local industries ranging from 4-3: “Invasive Forest Pests” regional “Urban Soils” to “Urban Forestry”. 8 more 4-5: “Pruning Practicum” regional educational activities were conducted in 4-6: “The New Country Garden – Birds, Bees and Westchester with the Cornell Waste Management Beautiful Native Plants” New Rochelle Institute. We also partnered with UConn and 4-19: “Bringing in Spring” Greenburgh Rutgers to bring educational opportunities to 4-19: “Attracting Beneficial Insects” Chappaqua Westchester residents and businesses in 2017.

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Master Gardener Volunteers Program Nutrition and Consumer Sciences

2017 HOME GARDENING LECTURE SERIES the development and implementation of a not making good food choices. He began by coming to every session By the end of the last class, M.M lost 18 pounds! A month Butterfly/Pollinator learning garden for hundreds ready to learn and asked many questions for clarity. He later he called our office to say he lost a total of 28 pounds, feels Horticulture Along the Silk Road * of students at the district’s Peabody Preserve and immediately reported applying all the newly learned behaviors at more energetic and found a job as a Chef. He changed the way he Wednesday, January 18, 2017 consulted on a bird-friendly garden at Yonkers home to improve himself and his children’s lives. GT was very prepares his food and is now teaching his family, relatives and co- Pollinators! Enhancing Habitat in our Pearls Hawthorne School. Another brought a vocal in class about his changes which inspired all the other workers all that he learned in the EFNEP classes. He is also Landscapes* composting program to 60 children at a Golden’s participants. happy that his family now sits down and enjoys family dinner Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Bridge summer camp. Master Gardeners read to together.

Beatrix Ferrand: A Celebrated Landscape over 400 elementary students at 11 Westchester GT made several life changes that impacted both him and his Results of CCE’s programs include healthier individuals Designer* schools during “Agriculture in the Classroom” children. GT stopped drinking sweetened beverages, drank several glasses of water throughout the day, switched to whole grain bread and families, fewer health dollar expenditures and Wednesday, March 8, 2017 week, March 20-24, 2017 and cereal and purchased lean meats. Vegetables became a staple reduced costs to the taxpayers who support the publicly Bringing In Spring in his family’s daily diet and he reported eating at least 3 a day. funded health care. In these cases, the students The popular Home Gardening Lecture Series again Wednesday, April 19, 2017 He stated that in doing this, he saved a lot of money weekly at the graduated and went on to have productive lives using attracted almost 300 attendees in 2017. The Hydrangeas for Every Garden* grocery store, an added benefit. the knowledge they gained from CCE. Wednesday, May 17, 2017 Speakers Bureau and other Master Gardener Guided Tour of Lasdon Park & Arboretum* speakers reached hundreds through 12 audiences Toward the end of the year in November 2017, GT stopped by Nutrition and Health – Saving Westchester Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at various venues throughout Westchester, the site where the EFNEP program was being delivered and County Medicaid Dollars including the PROS program at the Guidance asked to say a few words to the new class. He gave a wonderful *Landscape Architect Health, Safety and Welfare In addition to the obvious benefits of improved Center of Westchester. testimonial of his experience. He told the class that after health and lifestyles of the participants in our credit hours were awarded. completing the program, his family has changed their diets and are classes, there are benefits for the Westchester Master Gardeners participated in dozens of “Ask also more physically active. He shared that he lost 14 pounds and County taxpayers, too. the Master Gardener” booths at farmer’s markets, Master Gardener Volunteers donated over 5,249 no longer needed to walk with a cane. Earth Day events and other direct contacts in hours to CCE in 2017. Valued at $42.01 per hour, Nearly one-tenth of the Westchester population 2017, reaching over 7,749 people directly. 2) M.M. was obese and at high risk for heart disease. The school this work was worth $220,510. They put in an lives at or below poverty level. Health problems nurse recommend M.M. take the EFNEP class so he could learn impressive 1,013 hours in continuing education to related to nutrition are disproportionately high CCE Master Gardeners continue to educate the more about food. He told her "I know everything about food and advance their skills in order to better serve the among low income individuals. Our target public at Community and Demonstration Gardens healthy eating, I used to be a Chef before I lost my job". He also public. Valued at $42.01 per hour, this was a population lacks private health insurance and at Ossining Organic Community Garden, Hart’s said "I don’t need to take this class" and she said "just go to the $42,556 investment in improving the quality of relies on taxpayer-funded Medicaid for health Brook Preserve, John Jay Herb Garden, Lenoir first class and see it once or twice and then if you don’t want to go service to Westchester residents. care. That is costly. The annual cost of Medicaid Preserve Butterfly Garden, Alfred B. DelBello anymore, don’t go, but I think you would like it." in Westchester County is approximately $1.5 Among the 30 ongoing Master Gardener projects M.M. participated and graduated from the EFNEP program, billion! were collaborations with Cornell University delivered at EMHS school in Yonkers, NY. The first day he researchers. Master Gardener volunteers was there he asked a lot of questions. At the second class, he had When we look at the costs of healthcare for participated in a continuing study with Cornell a notebook and pen ready to take notes. He started to exercise by diseases that are preventable through improved Waste Management Institute to survey the walking 15 minutes every day, and said he didn’t exercise before nutrition and physical activity (the components of environmental effects of mulching leaves in place he took the class. After every class he thanked our Nutrition CCE’s nutrition classes), we can begin to see the on lawns. Educator for giving the class. By the 3rd class he was feeling link between what CCE does and the potential different with his energy level and his mood. He is also drinking savings to the taxpayers of Westchester County. The School Garden program brings a Master lots of water and cutting back on the sugary drinks. By the 5th We know that changing people’s behavior can Gardener mentor to each participating school to class he got up in front of the class and said he lost 10 pounds. improve their health. Type 2 diabetes, cardio- help them develop a vegetable garden and teach At the 7th class, he had a doctor’s visit and his doctor asked vascular disease, hypertension, youth obesity, students about nutrition and food sources. We what he was doing. M.M. replied "I am taking a nutrition class stroke and certain cancers have all been linked to have trained over 300 teachers so far and at my son’s school. I am eating more vegetables and fruit, improper nutrition. introduced over 6,000 Westchester children to exercising, and riding my bike now. I cut out white pasta, white school gardening at over 40 schools. A Master bread and white rice and switched to whole grain pasta, rice and bread. My plate has more fruits and vegetables." He also Gardener assisted the Tarrytown School District in White Plains Youth Bureau kids visit Hart’s Brook switched from whole milk to 1% milk and eats smaller portions. Preserve Demonstration Garden 7-25-17

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Nutrition and Consumer Sciences Master Gardener Volunteers Program

EFNEP Muscoot Farm, Sherwood House and Westchester York State, Cornell University with CCE, DEC and Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Community College Vegetable Garden. Master Westchester Parks Dept., White Plains Westchester’s EFNEP program provides Gardeners volunteer at Stone Barns, Lasdon 12/7: Westchester County Soil and Water nutrition education programs to low Arboretum, Native Plant Center, and helped Conservation District “Pond and Lake income families with children, whose educate communities to reduce invasive weeds in Management” Workshop income does not exceed 185% of the poverty level. public spaces. Master Gardeners at the Hart’s In Westchester, 9.5 % of the families are at or Brook Demonstration Garden donated over 1400 The Master Gardener program provides below that level. Our target population includes pounds of produce to a local food pantry in 2017, educational opportunities for continuing pregnant women, Head Start parents, low income despite a challenging growing season. education of our Master Gardener Volunteers Hispanic parents and other low income families so they can provide the most current information with dependent children in the household. We Master Gardener Volunteers write a weekly to the public. teach our nutrition classes in English and Spanish. column and other gardening articles for the In 2017, there were 240 families representing 960 Journal News and other Gannett publications Advanced MG education provided by CCE people reached by direct education, outreach and (circulation: 110,320 in Westchester; 1,883,661 Westchester: marketing activities. 95% of participants showed Nutrition class graduation. total). They also write for local community 2/8: Garden Hygiene improvement in one or more nutrition practices publications. 3/1: Lily Leaf Beetle Biology and Research (plans meals, makes healthy food choices, prepares 4/3: Invasive Forest Pests advanced training (train food without adding salt, reads nutrition labels or EFNEP-Youth programs Master Gardeners provided education and the trainer) has children eat breakfast). Other areas of marked In 2017 Westchester’s EFNEP program reached answered consumer gardening questions over the 4/5: Hands-on Pruning Demonstration improvement included increased fruit and 151 youth using the Choose Health Fun and season at Q&A tables at the following farmer’s 5/10: NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets vegetable consumption, improved food safety Fitness Curriculum. markets: Bronxville, Croton, Muscoot Farm, invasive pest update practices (thawing and storing foods properly) Ossining, Rye, Tarrytown, White Plains and the 6/1: Pest/pest management update frequency of being physically active and improved 95% of youth adopt and practice 1 or more White Plains Gedney Recycling Center. 7/12: Organic vegetable gardening and tour food resource management practices (comparing food selection behavior(s) consistent 8/23: Queries and Research Summaries, tour of food prices and not running out of food by the end with Federal Dietary Guideline MGs and CCE staff provided education and private garden of the month). 84% more often use the “Nutrition recommendations. answered consumer gardening questions at the 10/18: Survey of Horticulture Topics Facts” on food labels to make food choices. 81% youth adopt or improve 1 or more following events: 11/15: Insect Decline and Supporting Populations habit(s) or behaviors related to 3/18 and 3/25 Container Gardening Workshop, physical activity. White Plains 77% improved in knowledge or skill necessary 4/29: Native Plant Center sale to choose foods consistent with Federal 4/29: Croton Earth Day Dietary Guideline recommendation. 5/13: Westchester County Earth Day 5/14: Lewisboro Q&A In their own words: 5/20 and 5/21: Lasdon Plant sale

5/6: Dobbs Ferry Q&A CCE Westchester’s Nutrition Education Programs 8/10: Ossining Community Garden Day actually work. Here are just two of the 2017 success 8/18: Mount Pleasant Day stories. 8/26: Westchester 4-H Showcase at Alfred B. 1)GT is a single 42-year-old father raising two children. He DelBello Muscoot Farm graduated from the EFNEP program delivered at WJCS 9/23: Lewisboro Library Fair (Health Center). Upon entry into the program, GT walked with a cane, was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and told by his Master Gardener Volunteers assisted CCE staff doctor that he needed to lose weight and get more physical with commercial programs: activity. GT was ready to make changes to his diet and try to 1/11: New York State Turf and Landscape Youth nutrition class teaches kids to prepare healthy foods become more physically active, even with his cane. Gt was Association Conference and Trade Show Master Gardener Krys Mernyk teaching a class for and snacks. frustrated, as he did not know where to begin and knew he was 6/13: Oak Wilt, A Harmful Introduction to New advanced education of Master Gardener volunteers.

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

Agriculture Literacy Week promotes a better and 12 other volunteers participated. Youth understanding and appreciation of agriculture brought in 79 entries for evaluation. Attendance: and the food system. In March 2017, 9 4-H Club 400. members and 10 Master Gardeners visited 11 schools throughout the county, reaching 710 On August 27-31, a delegation of 3 youth went to students reading “The Grapes Grow Sweet” about a the NYS Fair, working as Teen Leaders in the new child's first family grape harvest, introducing “Activity Zone” of the Youth Building guiding students to how this fruit is grown and harvested. members of the public in hands-on STEM fun. A grape juice tasting followed. Entries from our Showcase that qualified to be entered in the NYS Fair for evaluation did well, One of our largest programs is 4-H Incubation & with red and blue ribbons and one outstanding Embryology which teaches youngsters about purple rosette. biology, nutrition and the environment while they hatch chick and duck eggs in their classrooms. 4-H’ers show their winning ribbons while showing sheep. In September, 4-H had a major presence at 3 4-H’er Katherine F. showing what she has learned about public speaking at our 4-H Public Presentations event. CCE helps the schools obtain fertilized eggs, trains different spaces during the 4-day Yorktown teachers, provides curriculum, and answers testing the table top wind turbines. About 200 Grange Fair, providing the only livestock activity questions during the hatching process. In 2017, members of the public stopped by our tables. Also there. Members of the Rabbiteers, Robocracy, K-9 4-H is the oldest continuously operating youth 27 teachers attended our trainings. 140 schools, on April 2, the Rabbiteers held their annual Kids, Hooves, Beaks, & Bills and the Muscoot Gang program in the world. Our 4-H Mission Statement 497 classrooms, 10,099 children and 1,350 “Rabbit and Cavy Care” Day at Muscoot Farm for 4-H Clubs participated with 28 members, 6 leaders is: “4-H connects youth to hands-on learning adults participated with this educational public education. About 200 people attended. and dozens of other volunteers. Attendance: over opportunities that help them grow into competent, outreach. 3,000. caring, contributing members of society”. The 4-H The Robocracy 4-H Club participated in the 2017 Vision is “a world in which youth and adults learn, Summer STEM sessions were held in the Rye Free FIRST Tech challenge competition season. On In October, the Muscoot Gang 4-H Club helped the grow and work together as catalysts for positive Reading Room (hydroponics) and in the John C. December 10, 2016, they scored an FTC world staff at the farm during the Pumpkin weekend. change”. Westchester County had 106 4-H club Hart Memorial Library in Shrub Oak (chemistry record score for the 2017 challenge. The club Our annual 4-H Achievements event recognizes the members in 2017. 4-H volunteers donated about with polymers and forensics), reaching 33 youth. qualified to participate in the FIRST Tech World accomplishments of individuals and clubs each 2,700 hours while leading the clubs. Valued at Challenge in St. Louis in April, 2017. year. $42.01/hour, their contributions equal $113,427. Notable accomplishments of 4-H Clubs in 2017 Clubs continued their focus on animals, science, the On April 28 the PHS Environmental 4-H Club held On October 26, St. Christopher’s School celebrated environment and agriculture. February: Peekskill High School Environmental their annual Arbor Day Celebration with a speaker a Barn Raising with the addition of goats and and Gardening 4-H club was invited by the from DEC NYS Lakes program, concluding the chickens raised by members of our Hooves, Beaks Through our partnership with Westchester Jewish Peekskill Parks Department to run the hands-on event with a tree planting. & Bills 4-H Club. Club including some students of Community Services for 4-H STEM projects, we activities for children during the Peekskill St. Christopher’s and veteran members who are offered the after school programming during Riverfront Green portion of Teatown’s Eaglefest. 4-H Teen Leadership events were attended at the mentoring the new members. The goats and “Amazing Afternoons” and “Off the Street” in State Teen Action Representative Retreat in April poultry had been “shown” during all of the fairs Edward Williams and Hamilton Elementary Schools 21 4-H Club members attended one of the county in Syracuse and 18 youth at 4-H Career during the summer. Unlike most counties, in Mt. Vernon. 207 youth had hands-on science fun level public presentations events. 8 of our 4-H Explorations at Cornell University in June. Westchester’s 4-H participates in at least 4 fairs a with physics, chemistry, robotics, and biology. Club members participated in the 4-H Southeast year, not one. Leaders and members of the Robocracy 4-H Club District level public presentations events on April Putnam 4-H Fair: we had 2 livestock focused clubs assisted with the robotics for all of the 5th and 6th 29. All of the presentations were well done. participating in showmanship events with cattle, In November, the Peekskill High School grade sessions. The students programmed robots sheep, goats and poultry, and members of the K-9 Environmental 4-H Club took part in a water for specific tasks with the extra volunteer 4-H On April 2, the Robocracy 4-H Club led hands-on Kids participating in several judged events. We are sampling expedition in the Hudson River in Croton. Hands for one-on-one assistance. Youth teaching play with the NXT robots for children and demos the main livestock showers at the Putnam Fair. youth is a 4-H model. of the FIRST Tech robot at the Lower Hudson Members from a several of the clubs attended a Valley Engineering Expo, held at the White Plains On August 26, we held the Westchester 4-H Public Presentations workshop in December to High School. 4-H staff offered hands-on fun Showcase at Muscoot Farm. 42 youth, 8 Leaders prepare for their own presentations.

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