Happenings August 2025

  August 2025

A Wonderful Weekend at the Putnam County Fair & 4-H Showcase

Mid-Summer Preparation for Fall Cover Crops

Gardening Safely in the Sun

Less Can be More When it Comes to Lawncare

Add a Little Summer Flavor to a Classic Recipe

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Snapshots by CCE Putnam

A Wonderful Weekend at the Putnam County Fair & 4-H Showcase

by Rachael Paradise, Communications Coordinator

Despite a few rain showers, the Putnam County Fair & 4-H Showcase July 26 and 27 at Veterans Memorial Park in Kent was a great weekend. From historic reenactments to magic shows, there was a little something for fair-goers of all ages to enjoy.

Of course, the event wouldn’t have been such a resounding success without months of planning, days of setting up and hours of preparation! Our 4-H members and leaders, CCE volunteers, families and friends, Board of Directors and staff worked tirelessly for much of the week prior and for both days of the event. Special thanks go out to Putnam County – the County’s DPW Parks’ crew led by Chris Ruthven, Putnam County Tourism Director Tara Keegan and Putnam County Historian Jennifer Cassidy partnered with CCE Putnam County to bring the event to life and spent several months working on the logistics. The indefatigable Bill Hammond once again emceed both days and brought to the stage great bands to entertain visitors and keep the atmosphere upbeat and lively.

Thank you to those who came out for the Opening Ceremony – the 4-H Cloverbuds, Putnam County Sheriff's Office Color Guard, County Executive Kevin Byrne and many of our county and municipal officials.

Lastly, congratulations to our Duck Derby winner, Isabelle Avanzato.

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Mid-Summer Preparation for Fall Cover Crops

from Erik Schellenberg, CCE Orange County Commercial Horticulture and Natural Resources Educator

It is time to get ready fall cover crop planting! Before buying cover crop seed, you need to have a few questions well thought out: What is the cover crop for? As always, cover crop planning begins at the end – what is the cash crop you’re planning for and when will that be planted?

Fall cover crops fall into two main categories: those that die over winter and those that do not. If your goal is an early spring cash crop, then you only want fall cover crop species that will die over the winter like buckwheat, peas, oats, turnips, radish, mustard, sudex, crotalaria, cow peas, or phacelia to name a few. Here is an example of a cover crop plan to complement a cash crop of early spring brassicas: In mid-July, work the soil through tillage and take soil tests. Cornell soil tests will make fertility recommendations for cover crops. Fertilize the soil according to the soil test recommendations. It may seem counterintuitive to fertilize a cover crop, but the production of biomass and root exudates can be fourfold higher when a cover crop has adequate fertility. Seed oats (30%) and peas (70%) at 120-200lb/ac. Mixing legumes and cereals ensures that both crops perform at their best. Allow the cover crop to grow and mow the crop to prevent the production of viable oat seed. Work the winter-killed crop residue in the spring as early as the soil can be worked, plant brassicas on your normal schedule. If your cash crop in the following season has a later planting date, then you may want to include species that can overwinter and resume growth the following spring. This group is generally cool-season grasses such as cereal rye or winter wheat, and some legumes such as clovers, vetches, birdsfoot trefoil, or alfalfa. It could also include perennial grasses depending on the length of time the land is planned to be in cover crops.

How will it be terminated and what will happen with the biomass? You probably already have systems that you use to transition from cover crop to cash crop. This may include mowing, plowing, discing or otherwise incorporating, rolling and crimping, tarping, or grazing. Growers that are able to plant directly into cover crop residue have the advantage of not needing to use time and energy to disturb the soil.

Control of weeds can be achieved through chemical means, and there are even organic options to control weeds in high residue situations such as inter-row crimpers and electro-weeders. At small scales, extended tarping for 6 weeks (during the warm season) kills weeds through occlusion and ensures complete termination of the cover crop.

If you have questions about cover cropping please contact Ruby Koch-Fienberg, CCE Putnam County Ag & Food Systems Coordinator, at 845-278-6738 or rek247@cornell.edu.

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Gardening Safely in the Sun

from Denise D'Aurora, Penn State Extension Master Gardener Volunteer 

Gardening and lawn care can lead to hours in the sun, and as enjoyable as that may be, it does come with some risks. Being aware of the sun's effects on our bodies and the knowledge of how to minimize our risks can keep us safe in the sun.

After a cold winter and a gloomy spring, we often long for sunshine and look forward to spending time in our yards and gardens. With that sunshine, however, comes the risk of skin damage. According to statistics from the Skin Cancer Foundation, in the United States, more people are diagnosed with skin cancer than all other cancers combined, and one in five people will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Also, more than two people die of the disease every hour. With these statistics in mind, it is important to educate and protect ourselves against the sun's damaging rays.

The cause of tissue damage is the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Violet is the shortest wavelength of visible light and ultraviolet; its name, derived from the Latin word ultra, meaning beyond, is the next shortest. UV radiation can penetrate cloud cover, and its damage accumulates over the years. There are three types of UV radiation: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC radiation is almost completely absorbed in the Earth's ozone layer and does not affect our skin or eyes. UVA radiation makes up 95 percent of the radiation that makes it to the Earth's surface and damages the collagen and elastin in our skin. While UVB radiation only makes up 5 percent, it is very high energy and can cause DNA mutations that can lead to cancer.  UV radiation also contributes to the formation of cataracts.

One of the best ways to limit your sun exposure is by staying in the shade during the hours when the sun's rays are the strongest, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A good way to think of this is if your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade. Often, however, this is not possible, and the first form of protection we may think of is sunscreen. It is important to remember that sunscreen is just a filter; it does not block all UV rays. Choose a product with broad-spectrum protection that protects against both UVA and UVB rays and with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. SPF only measures UVB radiation, and the number indicates how long, when applied as directed, those rays will take to redden your skin. When using a sunscreen with an SPF of 30, it will take thirty times longer for your skin to redden than with no sunscreen. Sunscreens fall into two categories, chemical and mineral. They both work similarly, so it is really personal preference as to which one you use. Some individuals notice stinging with chemical sunscreens, and mineral sunscreens often leave a noticeable white cast on your skin. Be sure to apply a lip balm with sunscreen as well. Try to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out into the sun to give it time to work. If you are also using insect repellent, apply sunscreen first. It is best not to use a combination product containing both sunscreen and insect repellent, as you may need to reapply sunscreen more often than it is safe to reapply insect repellent.

Think beyond sunscreen and cover up. Start at the top with a hat and work down. Try to choose a wide-brimmed hat to shade your face, head, ears, and neck. Select wrap-around sunglasses that block 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. Some labels may say that the lenses have a UV absorption of up to 400nm, which means they have 100% absorption. Clothing can be a great way to protect your skin. Of course, the more skin your clothing covers, the better you are protected, so long-sleeved shirts and pants provide the most protection. Not all fabrics and colors provide equal protection. Dark color fabrics offer more protection than lighter shades. Densely woven cloth, like denim, provides more protection than thinly woven cloth. Unbleached cotton contains natural ingredients that act as UV absorbers. Tight-fitting clothes can stretch and reduce the level of protection, so choose garments that are loose-fitting. One way to evaluate the fabric's safety is to hold it up to the light. If you can see through it, UV radiation can easily pass through the fabric to your skin.

Sun protective clothing is one of the most effective forms of sun protection. It absorbs or blocks harmful UV radiation. The ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) indicates how much UVB and UVA radiation the fabric allows to reach your skin. A UPF of 30 offers very good protection, while a UPF of 50 is rated as excellent. Look for clothing manufacturers that offer clothing with a UPF number on the label. You can purchase just about any article of clothing with a UPF label, including shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, shorts, and hats. Another clothing option is sun protection sleeves. These are designed to be worn with a short-sleeved shirt, and some styles have thumb holes that provide some coverage of the back of the hand.

Keeping ourselves safe from the effects of the sun is easy and just requires thinking ahead. Along with trowels, shovels, and lawn equipment, we can add some other tools to our gardening toolboxes and continue to enjoy our gardens and yards while keeping our skin and eyes healthy.

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Less Can be More When it Comes to Lawncare

from Cornell Cooperative Extension

Did you know that less-is-more when it comes to lawncare? If a beautiful, healthy lawn with less mowing and less lugging sounds good to you, read on.

Mow Higher. Mow Less

Turns out grass knows how to grow, but we could use some tips on how to mow and fertilize it a little better. Lawn research has shown that grass grows better when we mow it higher and when we mow off only 1/3rd of the grass blade height at a time.

To give an example, imagine you go away on a May vacation for a week and don’t get to mow your lawn until the following weekend. It’s been growing for two weeks during a month where grass growth is usually very fast. You grab your trusty mower, set it to a 2-inch mowing height, and leave behind a swath of heavy grass clippings and a scalped lawn. After you rake up the wet lumps of heavy clippings, you might notice that you are looking at yellow growth that was previously protected from the sun by the grass blades you just mowed off. Not a pretty sight. But what you can’t see is worse, cutting off more than 1/3rd of the grass blade stunts root growth. Uh oh.

Now imagine your trusty mower is set as high as it can go—with the blade about 3.5 inches from the ground. This should ideally allow you to cut off just 1/3rd of the grass height, like a trim rather than a crew cut. You might have to come back to it in a week, but the grass would thank you by continuing to grow healthy blades and thick roots.

Why do we aim to cut the grass no shorter than 3.5 inches, or as high as the blades can go? Taller grass grows deeper roots. Deep roots make the lawn more resilient during drought, and taller grass muscles out competing weeds. So set your mower to its highest setting. Mowing higher also reduces the frequency of mowing by 20-25% and that saves time, fuel, and wear and tear on equipment.

Does mowing less often sound good to you? Plan your mowing around grass growth rather than on the calendar. When grass is growing fast you may have to mow weekly. But as the season gets hotter or rains less frequently, you can mow less often. Stick to the 1/3rd mowing rule and wait until the grass grows high enough to mow. In the hot months of summer that period can be several weeks between mowing. If you are worried about your lawn having occasional tall stems or weeds, try string trimming around the edges to keep things looking neat between those longer mowing intervals.

Fertilize Less

A dense lawn with deep roots filters pollutants from runoff and helps to recharge our groundwater. New lawns will need additional nutrition in the form of fertilizer to grow dense and deep. But established lawns--those over 10 years old—need less fertilizer, and even less if you are using a mulch mower to return grass clipping back to the lawn. These clippings are just what the lawn needs, a perfectly tailored fertilizer. If you have an old lawn, and you are mulch mowing you may need little to no fertilizer to grow a dense healthy lawn.

A thick canopy of grass blades and a deep root system have been shown to catch and hold airborne and waterborne pollutants, to filter and slow stormwater run-off, and to aid in groundwater recharge. Thin lawns and bare soil, on the other hand, can contribute to nutrient run-off. Similarly, shady lawns that are patchy and thin might be better off replaced as landscape beds with shade-adapted native plant groundcovers.

Turf Take Aways

Out in the sun, where the grass grows well, aim for less frequent mowing based on grass growth rather than the calendar. Mowing higher—no lower than 3.5inches—can help to increase that mowing interval and encourages deep resilient roots that’ll see your lawn through drought. By providing only the fertilizer your lawn needs you’ll grow a thick healthy lawn that protects water quality. And best of all, you’re getting more by doing less.

For more information on choosing what’s right for your lawn, visit your local Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Cornell Turf Team’s Lawn pages.

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Add a Little Summer Flavor to a Classic Recipe

submitted by Josephine Quiocho, Nutrition Educator

Grilled Cheese with Peaches

Not only is this sandwich a quick and easy lunch, but also a fun way to add more fruit and veggies to your day.

Ingredients

• 8 slices whole grain bread
• 1 15-ounce can of sliced peaches, drained
• 8 slices low-fat cheddar cheese
• 8 ounces fresh spinach
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Heat the 4 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat.
2. Place 4 slices of whole grain bread in the pan.
3. Layer (in this order) one slice of cheese, a handful of spinach, 4 to 6 peach slices, another slice of cheese, and a slide of bread on top of each original slice of bread.
4. After 4 to 5 minutes, flip each sandwich and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.

Source: SNAP-Ed New York

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Last updated August 1, 2025