***The Potsdam Farmers’ Market begins its summer season on May 11th with their kick-off event Garden Festival – from 9am-2pm, behind the municipal lot near Ives Park! There will be live music; free food samples; locally produced goods available for purchase such as: fresh greens, cheeses, meats, wines from a few local wineries, crafts, jewelry, artwork (remember the next day is Mother’s Day!). For the gardeners out there, starter plants and flowers will be available for purchase, coupons for gardening supplies at local businesses distributed, and the Master Gardeners there answering your questions and testing soil.***

Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm hosts the annual Farm & Home Safety Days program in joint collaboration with Soil and Water Conservation, Public Health, Red Cross, New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, Canton Police Department and Fire Department. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of safety topics that directly relate to their everyday lives. Safety professionals share their knowledge and personal experiences in a fun, easy to understand manner.
The program runs 9:30 am until 1:00 pm. The event will include ten, 20 – minute presentations regarding safety topics such as: ATV, lawnmower, animal, mechanical, electrical, fire, first aide, sun protection, and firearm safety. Classes will rotate from station-to-station with a 30 minute lunch break during the late morning. Students should bring a bag lunch so they can enjoy a picnic style meal here on the Farm. For safety reasons, no open toed shoes are permitted.

CLICK HERE FOR DATES AND MORE INFORMATION

Home Lawn Care:  Grub Control

Reminding 4-H sewing clubs and youth interested in design, fashion, and clothing —

The annual fashion show for the Cornell Fashion Collective hits the runway on Saturday, April 27 at 7:30pm.  Doors open at 6:30pm for first-come, first-served seating.  You can purchase tickets for $10 online or for $15 at the door.  Location is Barton Hall on Cornell campus.  For complete info, check out www.cornellfashioncollective.com/

Online Farmer Training Webinar; WIC Vegetable and Fruit Check Program

7:00pm-9:00pm

Potsdam Computer Center, Potsdam Library, 2 Park St.

Offered by: GardenShare and Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence

Farmers interested in applying to the NYS WIC Vegetables and Fruit Check Program (WIC VF) at farmers’ markets should GardenShare for this webinar.  Participants will have the opportunity to complete all necessary steps to become eligible to accept these checks and need simply to bring a voided check with them to the webinar.  Registation is not required but would be appreciated.  For more information and registration contact GardenShare at 261-8054 or office@gardenshare.org

From left, back, Bill Granger, Tisha Toone, Ron Rogers, Anneke Larrance, Jane Portolese, Pam Mahoney, Daun Martin-Poole, Anna McMasters, Paul Hetzler, Loni Recker, Julie Cliff; front, Carol Budd, Kim Kimber and Kristin Colarusso.

A new class of Master Gardener Volunteers have received their diplomas and are ready to provide technical assistance and educational outreach on topics such as pest identification, plant disease management, school or community garden planning, composting projects and more.

From asters to zinnias, American robins to woodpeckers, ants to wasps, apples to zucchini, the 13 graduates have amassed over 50 hours of formal training plus countless hours of home study.

They received their diplomas April 10 at Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County. These people have agreed to provide 50 hours per year serving St. Lawrence County residents with horticulture-related issues.

Master Gardener Volunteers can be contacted through the Grow-line at ccestlawrencecounty@gmail.com or at 379-9192.

Click Here for Information

PAWS 4-H Club will have their monthly meeting tonight (4/15/2013) at 6:30 pm.

Shooting Sports scheduled for tonight (4/12/13) has been canceled. If you have any questions please call the office at 315-379-9192.

Farmer Training and Certification: WIC Vegetables and Fruits

Wednesday, May 15, 2013
7pm – 9pm
Potsdam Public Library Computer Center
Webinar, paperwork, notary, stamp and envelope included.
FREE

OK producers, we know this is a sore subject. But WIC checks, even the complicated kind that have to be signed at the market, are still good money. It’s good money that could be in your pocket, and circulating around in our economy, but instead we’re letting this money leave our community and head straight to Arkansas.

These coupons present a challenge for WIC moms, too. Some farmers accept these, some don’t, and you can’t tell unless you ask, and you have to hold up the line by signing at the market… But if most farmers that sell eligible fruits and vegetables take these checks, it will be less confusing for you and for your customers. Help make sure that everyone in our community can access the fresh, healthy, delicious food you grow!

GardenShare will host a webinar for producers to accept the WIC Fruit and Vegetable coupons on May 15 at the Potsdam Public Library. The webinar will be followed by a chance to fill out the requisite paperwork. We’ll have a notary on hand to finish up the paperwork with you. We’ll even put a stamp on it and mail it for you. AND, it’s free.

You need to be currently enrolled in the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. Your market manager can help you with that. Or call us if you have questions. 315-261-8054.

Please email to let us know you can make it. info@gardenshare.org.