Local Producers Can Taste Test Products at Fort Drum Commissary

Here is some important information from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County:

Are you a producer trying to market a value added product? 

As part of the Food Hub Initiative Cornell Cooperative Extension and Food Venture Advisors (FVA) invite you to participate in a taste-testing of your product to a potentially significant market – Military Commissaries in the North East.

Northern New York producers making/marketing eligible products will lead the way by showcasing their value added foods at a taste testing in the Fort Drum Commissary from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 17.

Food Venture Advisors is searching for high quality, value added products that can meet required year round quantity and food safety standards and which contain mostly locally produced ingredients.  Producers will be asked to supply samples of their products to FVA.   

Samples should be delivered to CCE – Jefferson no later than Nov. 1. Examples of value added products include locally produced cheeses, pickled vegetables, jams, jellies, meat jerky, mustards etc. 

Producers with products that meet the criteria will be notified and should deliver their samples and for-sale products to the FVA warehouse at 200 Howk St., Watertown on Nov. 14. 

Products will be evaluated to ensure the product meets required quality, ingredients, packaging, production history, estimated capacity, etc.  

On the day of the event, FVA will transport all products to the Commissary in refrigerated vehicles.   Any unused products can be returned to CCE Jefferson office for producers to pick up after the event.   

Producers are invited to attend and participate at the event and will be carpooled onto the Fort from CCE – Jefferson Office starting at 9 a.m. Producers will be allowed to sell their product during the tasting. However, samples are not reimbursable. 

Please bring your own sample spoons, cups, napkins, plates, signage, etc. The Commissary will provide: tables, trash, staff and marketing.

Products which attract significant interest at the event will be selected by the Commissary staff.  Selected products will be stocked on a limited basis and distributed by FVA to the Fort Drum Commissary.   

Note: as with any retail opportunity distribution fees and retail markups apply. However, Commissaries generally mark up products only 5 percent. 

For more information contact Remy Cline at (315) 789-0042.

Farming A Business for Those With Experience

Nice read from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.

Go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/unknown/how-to-get-into-farming-and-out-of-a-food-desert-20161203 to check out the story.

Jefferson County Seeks Teens for Healthy Teen Ambassadors Program

Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Jefferson County’s 4-H Youth Development Program is recruiting 4-H Healthy Teen Ambassadors.   

This is open to all youth ages 14-17 in Jefferson County. There are no costs to participate, but space is limited. The deadline to register is Feb. 29.

The 4-H Healthy Teen Ambassadors will attend a training March 18 to 20 at the Amboy Center in Oswego County as part of a regional training with teens from across the state.  

Teens will be trained in the 4-H Choose Health:  Food, Fun and Fitness curriculum developed by Cornell University, Kids in the Kitchen curriculum developed by University of Missouri and the Up for the Challenge curriculum developed by the Department of Defense.   

Each curriculum is different, but they all offer research-based education on the benefits of nutrition and physical activity. Teens will be trained to deliver the healthy living curricula to youth in elementary after school programs, day camps, county fairs and other events.  

For additional information, on 4-H or the 4-H Healthy Living Teen Ambassador opportunity contact Cathy Chrisman at 788-8450 or go to  www.ccejefferson.org

Applications Available for Annual Youth Recognition Awards

From Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County:

Applications are now available for the annual youth recognition awards presented by Jefferson County Youth Bureau Advisory Board in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.

The 2016 Youth Recognition Awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievement of youth and adults who work with and support young people.

There are three youth awards:   

1)  Youth Leadership Award recognizes a young person who has been involved in leadership roles in the school or community. 

 2)  Youth Overcoming Odds Award recognizes a young person who has made significant improvement representing a long term behavioral or attitude change.   

3)  Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions.   

The three adult awards are:  

 1)  Outstanding Adult Youth Worker is for an individual who has paid employment in the youth service,  recreation, or education field and has made significant impacts within a school and/or community.  

 2)  Promising Ability in Youth Services Award is for an individual who has shown outstanding ability and has demonstrated a commitment to a career working with young people.  This awardee must have entered the youth service, recreation, or education field within the last three years.   

3)  It Takes A Community Award is for an adult who is not employed in the youth service, education or recreation field, but has shown an outstanding commitment to bettering the lives of young people and their families.

The application may be found at co.jefferson.ny.us . The application deadline is 4 p.m. Monday, March 21. The applications may be mailed to Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Jefferson County, Stephanie Graf 203 N. Hamilton St., Watertown, 13601 or emailed to  sag58@cornell.edu.   

Contact Stephanie Graf at 788-8450 for additional information.

Sheep and Goat Week Program Set for Early December

NNY Sheep and Goat Week programs are scheduled for the first week of December.

The schedule is:

** 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1, CCE Jefferson County office, Watertown, $5 per farm, contact Ron Kuck, 315.788.8450, rak76@cornell.edu
** 7 p.m. Dec. 2, CCE St. Lawrence County Extension Learning Farm, Canton, $5 per farm, contact Betsy Hodge, 315.379.9192, bmf9@cornell.edu
** 6 p.m. Dec. 3, youth meeting (info on breeds and general animal care), 7 p.m. adult meeting, CCE Clinton County office, Plattsburgh, free, contact Sara Bull, 518.561.7450, slk95@cornell.edu.

Dr. tatiana Stanton of the Cornell University Sheep and Goat Program will present a detailed update on parasite control research funded in part by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. 

Field trials were conducted at the CCE St. Lawrence County Extension Learning Farm in Canton and at Asgaard Farm and Goat Dairy in AuSable Forks, Clinton County.

"Producers at these December programs will learn how the use of birdsfoot trefoil as a pasture based means of parasite control worked in real-life situations under our regional conditions," says Cornell Cooperative Extension Northern New York Regional Livestock Specialist Betsy Hodge.

Funding from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program supported the first-ever research trial of birdsfoot trefoil as a natural parasite control practice for sheep and goat farmers in the NNY region. 

The NNY trials are part of a four-year project being conducted by Cornell University, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, the University of Rhode Island, Virginia Tech, West Virginia University, and the University of Wisconsin.

At the Dec. 1, 2 and 3 programs, Hodge will also present information on winter feeding basics, including when and what feed products to use to supplement sheep and goat diets through the cold weather season. She will cover how to evaluate the content and quality of hay and forage and related feeding program adjustment options.