Cornell Cooperative Extension

Head down to the Cornell Cooperative Extension Saturday, September 13, between 9:00am and 1:00pm for the Fall Harvest Gala.

There will be a traditional mum sale, as well as unusual Colorblends of spring flowering bulbs, perennials right from the master gardeners own gardens, house plants, a Chance auction, free soil testing, and refreshments.

Participants may also try “taste testing” heirloom vs. traditional varieties of vegetables.  Lunch will also be available for a nominal fee at the event.

Don’t miss your chance to pickup some great plants for your own garden.

Call Gail Culver at (585) 343-3040 ext. 132 or stop by the extension at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia for more information.

If you're looking to learn more about washing zucchini or cutting lettuce, today's Daily News will not disappoint. In the latest installment of his farm labor series, Tom Rivers takes us through the vegetable fields of an organic farm in Elba — the "area's biggest," we're told.

We learn that zucchini should be picked when it's between six to eight inches and lettuce should be cut from the ground very deep on the stalk to keep the leaves from unfurling. Fans of the series — such as myself — will be pleased to find the usual dose of Rivers' wit and self-deprecating sincerity. Like when he writes:

I admit an odd thrill using the knife, as if I had graduated from the minor leagues of picking berries a few weeks ago to working with the knife-wielding pros.

Or, when he watches Katie "the Cornell grad" haul a heavy tote of veggies and gets a little showed up in his moment of machismo:

I figure I'll grab the next one and I grab a tote. It must weigh 75 pounds, and I adjust my grip about five times, take a few deep breaths and stumble over a sink... I tell Katie to enter an arm wrestling tournament.

Tom Rivers' tales of the farm aren't the only agriculturally-minded articles in today's paper.

Cornell Cooperative Extension wants 70 low-income residents of Genesee County to enroll in its eight-week nutrition education course. Extension Direction Bev Mancuso told Paul Mrozek that

it's important that people with limited incomes or those on food stamps shop wisely and not just buy "the cheapest food possible without even considering whether it's good for you."

Call (585) 343-3040, ext. 134 for more information or to register for the course.

Meanwhile, LeRoy will be holding a public information meeting at 7:30pm tonight at Town Hall, 48 Main St., to discuss protecting and preserving farmland in the town.

In other news:

• Union Street will be closed Wednesday from Richmond Avenue to Union Square from 7:30am to 3:00pm for sewer repairs.

You can pick up your own copy of the Daily News wherever the paper is sold. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

It's out! The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County released its Agri-Tourism Guide for 2008. The pamphlet can be downloaded from the Coop's Web site or picked up in person at its Main Street location near Masse Mall (look for the cow). It's got a colorful map to help you find the many fruit and vegetable farms, slaughterhouses, maple houses, orchards, greenhouses and popcorneries (is that a word, I don't know). Each gem is listed with an address and a brief description of just what you can find there.

I had a bowl of fantastic, organic, cold purple grapes last night, and let me tell you, there's nothing like fresh produce from your own hometown. Pavilion's got two acres of blueberries. Herbly Wonderful here in Batavia has lavender fields and greenhouses so sweet-smelling you have to keep from plucking the furry bits of thyme right off their stalk. Corfu's got cheddar to please. Looking to knit a scarf? LeRoy's got alpaca yarn aplenty.

Honestly, folks. You've got everything edible and touchible to get you through the summer — and when that's all over, hit up the wreath-makers and Christmas tree farms, also listed.

If you've got any questions, or you want to know just where to find those alpacas, stop by the Coop or get your own guide right now.

I'm a firm believer in buying local produce — when possible. When your green beans come from down the street, you know they're fresh, plus you can support your local growers.

Last summer, I spent a morning with Sharon Nagle of Firefly Farm in Canandaigua. Sharon grows organic vegetables and some fruit. She's a connoisseur of soil conservation and building up the right kind of nutrients, getting the most out of the earth while putting the most back in. She let me taste one of her tomatoes, off the vine. It was a life-changing experience. I never knew a tomato could taste so good.

So, when I read this morning that the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County is putting together a local produce guide, I simply had to share the information. Right now, they're looking for growers to add to the list.

We are looking for those of you who sell locally grown products (produce, plants, honey, maple, meat, fiber, eggs, etc.) directly to the consumer.

If you have a road side stand, U-pick operation, farm market, nursery, etc. please contact us. We need your Business name, address, phone number, season/hours of operation, and a list of products.

We plan on having this list available to the public on our website, as well as possibly producing a Buy Local brochure.

Call (585) 343-3040 ext.126 for more information, or send an e-mail to Jan Beglinger at jmb374 (at) cornell (dot) edu.

Green thumbs, get up and go! This Saturday is the Garden Gala at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Genesee County at 420 E. Main St. in Batavia from 10:00am to 1:00pm. More than just a chance for greenies to get outside and schmooze, the gala will have:

"A plant sale featuring indoor and outdoor plants, a Chance-Basket auction, free soil testing, gardening advice by certified Master Gardeners, door prizes, displays, free coffee and informational materials."

Children's activities will be run by the Genesee Green Thumbs (the Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club). Door prizes begin at 1:00pm — the auction, too. And Extension Educator Gail Culver advises folks to get there early as the plants sell out quickly. For more information, call Gail Culver at (585) 343-3040 ext.132.