GOT LADYBUGS?

Lady beetles, ladybugs, or ladybird beetles are among the most visible and best known beneficial predatory insects. Over 450 species are found in North America. Some are native and some have been introduced from other countries. Right now they are seeking warm dry places to spend the winter. Unfortunately sometimes it is our homes. The heat in the home warms them and they become active crawling or moving to sunny windows. Vacuum or sweep them up and deposit outside. Keep them out by sealing up entrances as appropriate with caulk or screening. Many crops benefit from lady beetles. They are helpful for growers of vegetables, grain crops, legumes, strawberries, and tree crops; however any crop that is attacked by aphids will benefit from these beetles. This information provided by CCEUC Master Gardener Coordinator, Dona Crawford.

Ulster County 4-H Offers Wind Energy Courses in 2010

Ulster County 4-H Youth Development, through the Cornell Cooperative Extension, will offer a 6-week series of classes about the science and careers of wind energy, for youth 6th to 8th graders. The series will feature great hands-on learning and visits by professionals in the wind industry, and will culminate with a field trip to a wind energy site at the end of the course.

Topics to be covered include:

• How wind energy works

• Residential-scale wind turbines

• Utility-scale wind turbines

• Wind energy and New York State

• Wind energy and the natural environment

• The history of wind energy

• New developments in wind energy

• Careers in wind energy
Classes will be held Thursday evenings, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, beginning January 21 and running through February 25, with a field trip planned. The location is SUNY Ulster (Ulster County Community College) room HAS-201. The cost will be $30 per student ($20 if you are an enrolled 4-H member). Registration and payment is required no later than Thursday, January 14, 2010. Registration forms can be found at http://www.cceulster.org/  in the 4-H Youth Development section menu click on 4-H Wind Energy Program.

The class will be taught by Todd Olinsky-Paul, an energy policy analyst and wind energy specialist with Pace Energy and Climate Center. This program is made possible by a grant received from the New York State 4-H Foundation.

For more information by phone contact Jenny Burkins at Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County at 845-340-3990.

Farm Tour Offers a Closer Look at Farming in 2009 and Beyond

On Thursday September 24, 2009, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County organized a farm tour for government officials and economic development administrators. Among the participants were Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's regional representative, Amy Pollard, New York State Assembly member Clifford Crouch, Ulster County Legislator District 3, Roy Hochberg, Assistant Deputy to the Ulster County Executive, Susanne Holt, Deputy Director of Planning for Economic Development, March Gallagher and Senior Planner for Ulster County Planning, Virginia Craft.
The tour began with a visit to Gill Farms in Hurley and a look at a sweet corn packing facility staffed with 50+ employees that help grow and ship over a thousand acres of fresh market sweet corn. The next stop was Domino Farms in the Town of Rochester that produces up to 8,300 lbs of milk per day (that's about 940 gallons). The group then made its way across the road to Flying Change Horse Farm to hear from owner/trainer Diane Schoonmaker about her family's long history in farming the Rondout Valley and how she got into the horse business.
At the Hudson Valley research Lab in Highland, participants enjoyed lunch that featured all local farm products such as eggs, goat cheese, chicken, butternut squash, apples, and watermelon. Over Lunch, Dr. Dave Rosenberger, a fruit pathologist working out of the lab, gave a presentation about the research and extension activities through Cornell University and how it directly benefits ag producers. The afternoon focused on fruit production. There was a walk through a high density apple orchard that was being harvested at Crist Farms in Milton. The final stop of the tour was an apple packing facility at W.G. Minard and Sons in Clintondale where food safety issues were addressed.

Participants got an insider's view of commercial farming in action and heard first hand from the farmer about issues that impact and shape the future of the industry in Ulster County, Statewide and Nationally. The tour was coordinated by Extension Educators Teresa Rusinek, Mike Fargione and Audrey Reith.

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3rd Annual RAPP Autumn Celebration Coming in November

Our Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) will be hosting a FREE Autumn Celebration for any child who is five years old and up, and who is being raised by a relative residing in Ulster County. The celebration will take place Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Education Center, located at 10 Westbrook Lane in Kingston. This event is free, but pre-registration is required and is limited to the first fifteen children registered.

It will be a fun and exciting day of baking pies and creating fall crafts with the CCEUC staff. Free transportation within the Kingston City limits and the Town of Ulster will be available.

Please call Barbara Grumberg at 845-340-3990 to reserve a space or email bag23@cornell.edu.

For more information about RAPP, call Danielle Garris at 845-340-3990.