Happenings November 2024

November 2024

Field Hall Foundation Grant to Help Provide Bountiful Meals

Holiday Giving to Support Local Food Pantries

Saving Seeds: ‘Tis the Season!

History of Veterans Day

CCE Military Families and Veterans

Stretching a Holiday Food Budget during the Busy Holiday Season

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month

Field Hall Foundation Grant to Help Provide 
Bountiful Meals to Putnam County Senior Citizens

by Ruby Koch-Fienberg, Ag and Food Systems Coordinator

We are overjoyed to share some wonderful news with our community. The Field Hall Foundation has once again demonstrated their unwavering support by awarding us a generous grant of $25,000 for our Bountiful Meals program. This funding will enable us to provide 2,750 nutritious meals to seniors in need throughout Putnam County.

The Field Hall Foundation’s relationship with Bountiful Meals dates back to 2022, when they funded the original pilot program that set the stage for our current efforts. Bountiful Meals, in partnership with Second Chance Foods, tackles food insecurity by offering free, nutritious, frozen meals. These meals are available in community freezers located across the county, ensuring that anyone can access them without any paperwork or judgment.

We are incredibly grateful for the Field Hall Foundation’s continued commitment to our mission.

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Holiday Giving to Support Local Food Pantries

by Ruby Koch-Fienberg, Ag and Food Systems Coordinator

As the holiday season approaches, it’s a time to reflect on what we are thankful for, including having enough food to nourish our bodies. Unfortunately, nearly 20 million U.S. adults reported that their household sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat in the last seven days (Household Pulse Survey, September-October 2021). And for those with children, nearly one in eight adults lacked sufficient food to feed their household (Household Pulse Survey, September-October 2021).

Supporting your local food pantry by donating food, money or volunteering your time is always crucial, but especially during the holiday season.

Many rely on food pantries to provide safe and healthy food, but these food pantries must rely on the community to keep their doors open. Wondering where to start?

• Contact the food bank or food pantry first to ask if there is a list of preferred items. Putnam CAP is specifically asking for turkeys this holiday season. Their Amazon Wishlist also offers an easy way to send much needed items without leaving your home.
• If you’re not sure, shop for low-sodium canned vegetables, beans and lentils, canned tuna or chicken, nuts and peanut butter, shelf-stable milk or milk powders, and whole grains, such as oats, brown rice, 100 percent whole grain pasta, and bread.
• Please be respectful and never donate opened or damaged food or home-canned food and avoid donating food past its “best by,” “use by” or “sell by” dates.

More than just food is accepted and needed at food pantries; diapers, cleaning supplies, paper products and personal hygiene products are usually in high demand. If you’re short on time, a monetary donation to a food pantry may be better than purchasing food yourself. Many food pantries purchase foods at discounted prices, meaning they’ll get more for the dollar than what you and I would get. Plus, they’re able to purchase exactly what their clients need.

In addition to food or financial donations, food banks and pantries need your time, as they rely heavily on volunteers.

Not sure where your closest food pantry is? CCEPC created a user-friendly  Food Access Map to explore pantries, soup kitchens, and other food access resources in the region.

No matter how you give to your local food pantry and food bank, you’ll be helping your neighbor access enough wholesome food to feed themselves and their families this holiday season.

Adapted from MSU Extension by Chris Venema and Illinois Extension by Jenna Smith

Sources:
1. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, 2021
2. Ann Hamilton, University of New Hampshire Extension, “8 Tips for Donating Food to Food Banks and Pantries”
3. Feeding America, “What is the Difference between a Food Bank and a Food Pantry?”
4. Michigan State University Extension, “Holiday Giving to Food Pantries”
5. University of Illinois Extension, “How to Support Your Local Food Pantry This Holiday” - Lin

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Saving Seeds: ‘Tis the Season!

by Karen Heller, Master Gardener Volunteer

All around us the plants, vegetables and flowers we have enjoyed in the warmer months are going to seed. Collecting and storing those seeds is one way to grow plants for years to come and preserve genetic diversity.

Home-growers often remark on how the vegetables and fruit they grow taste different–usually much better–than supermarket produce. Today, food plant varieties are dwindling because supermarket-bound commercial growers have different priorities, including shelf appearance, ability to withstand shipping and other point of sale considerations.

So, saving seeds of home-grown varieties has a larger, potentially worldwide, impact. Home gardens can contribute to a genetic storehouse of delicious and valuable varieties. Preserving diversity also preserves the potential to develop new insects and disease resistant plant varieties.

In support of this “growing” opportunity and preservation movement, public libraries are also becoming seed libraries where interested home gardeners may check out a variety of seeds. In contrast to books, however, you don’t return the actual seeds you borrow. You bring back seeds from your own garden successes at the end of the growing season. This continually replenishes the library and genetic diversity.

Seed libraries in Putnam County are supported by Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, who work closely with libraries to best serve their patrons. In Putnam County, seeds can be “taken out” at the Brewster, Patterson, Mahopac, Putnam Valley and Reed Memorial libraries. In 2025, we hope to reach all Putnam libraries! CCE Master Gardener Volunteers also provide educational resources to help gardeners learn seed starting, planting and saving methods. You’ll find useful resources  HERE on our website’s seed-saving page. 

On a recent sunny September afternoon, Putnam CCE Master Gardeners Mary Jo Gallo and Angela Nicklin visited Patterson library to give an educational public talk on the whys and hows of growing, preserving and sharing vegetable and fruit seed varieties. Their talk was followed by a group gathering outside to collect seeds from the demonstration garden behind the library.

The speakers recommended doing some research on each plant to determine where on the plant the seeds are located, how to know when the seeds are ready, optimal conditions for seed storage, and what is required to break the seed coat after the dormancy period. For example, some seeds require a specific period of cold (called stratification), and others require that the seed coat be nicked or scarified to germinate.

Knowing each plant’s requirements can make you a more successful gardener. Growers can find reliable resources at their public library and through Cornell Cooperative Extension. Seed catalogs and seed packages have germination steps for the specific varieties they sell. Master Gardener Volunteers have curated excellent online resources. Our website provides some material, and you’ll find more through Cornell’s garden-based learning  food gardening page. 

Most seed collecting supplies can be found or made at home. They include a rack for seed drying which can be crafted from simple window screens, and containers to store the seeds in which they will remain fully dry. Note: seeds will rot if they become damp or wet and thus will no longer be viable. The Patterson Library will also lend garden tools to help new gardeners to get started.

Some good tips provided by the educators included:

• Choose seeds from good strong plants that mature on time. Don’t wait for the stragglers or you will start a process of natural selection that will yield poorer, later maturing plants.
• In plants with seed pods like beans and poppies, listen for a rattling sound in dry pods indicating that the seeds are at maturity.
• A whole plant can be cut from its root and dried in a paper bag as well. This works especially well for multi-stemmed flowering plants like dill or sweet alyssum.
• After the dry seeds are collected, they should be placed in an envelope or plastic bag and labeled with information including the type of plant and when and where the seed was harvested.
• Store your labelled seeds in a dry, temperature-stable location, out of strong light.

Look for seeds at your local library in spring of 2025!

Photo credit: Michael Viscomi

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History of Veterans Day

World War I–known at the time as “The Great War”–officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Veterans Day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, isn't spelled with an apostrophe before or after the "s," because it's not a day that belongs to veterans. It's a day to honor them.

Source: https://department.va.gov/veterans-day/history-of-...

Photo credit: Chris F

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CCE Military Families and Veterans

Cornell Cooperative Extension programs target the nearly 40,000 service members and military families in New York State, building upon the work of CCE Jefferson County, other county associations, and extension faculty members at Cornell University.

A few facts about veterans and military families in New York State:

• New York State is home to nearly 900,000 Veterans.
• Seventy-two percent served during periods of combat.
• Approximately 88,000 New Yorkers served in Afghanistan or Iraq.
• Home to approximately 30,000 active-duty military personnel as well as 30,000 National Guard and Reserve personnel.
• New York has the 4th largest number of veteran-owned small businesses in the country.
• New York hosts the largest military base in the northeast, Fort Drum, home to 18,000 Soldiers, 18,000 military family members and just under 4,000 civilian employees.
• New York is also home to the oldest service academy, the United States Military Academy at West Point, which trains about 4,400 future Army officers annually.
• Outside of Fort Drum there are 3,600 Active Duty military members in New York.
• The New York Army and Air National Guard have a combined strength of 16,000 men and women.
• The federal reserve forces of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps reserves count another 14,500 New Yorkers among their ranks.

Source:https://oneop.org/learn/150455/

Photo credit: George Pak

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Stretching a Holiday Food Budget
during the busy Holiday Season

Holiday celebrations are a great time to gather with family and friends. But when you’re on a tight budget and pressed for time, it can be challenging to prepare a nutritious, timely meal for your loved ones. With that in mind, USDA offers these healthy tips for creating low-cost meals your whole family will enjoy:

• Plan ahead. Starting early to plan your menu allows time for you to look for the sales and coupons that can lower the cost of foods substantially. Check to see what you have on hand first, and then make a list of what you need – this saves time and money!
• Try to save time cooking. Frozen and canned fruits and veggies are often good buys, and they save preparation time in the kitchen, while providing the same nutrients as fresh foods.
• Be flexible about your meat choice. The meat dish can account for nearly 40 percent of the cost of a small gathering, a whole roasted chicken or lean pork roast is a tasty but less expensive option. Generally speaking, frozen meats cost less.
• Invite others to bring food. Family members and friends can bring a dish with them when they join your celebration. That way, everyone saves money on the meal, and you save time and effort.
• Make it yourself. While buying a ready-to-go dish or dessert at the supermarket is easy, it will cost less if you make it yourself and it can be healthier too. You control the amount of salt, sugar and fat.
• Be creative with leftovers. Create fun, healthy lunches and dinners from your leftovers and save money on supermarket trips for the rest of the week.
• Take advantage of holiday food support for families in your community. If funding is simply too scarce, you may be eligible for assistance from organizations in your community. Many faith-based organizations, civic and community centers, food banks and private groups provide support for families during the holidays.
• Visit MyPlate and SNAP-Ed NY. You can find easy, low-cost, tasty and healthy recipes for every level of cook.

Remember, your meal can be festive, healthy and affordable.

The above article was written by Audrey Rowe, USDA Food and Nutrition Service Administrator in Food and Nutrition.

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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a Recipe

Savory and Spicy Ground Beef and Succotash

from SNAP-Ed, submitted by Josephine Quiocho, Nutrition Educator

Ground beef is the surprise ingredient in this savory and spicy succotash dish.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces lean ground beef
• 1 cup lima beans (frozen, cooked and drained)
• 1 3/4 cups corn (15 1/2 ounce can, low-sodium, drained)
• 1 can tomatoes, low-sodium (14 1/2 ounce, broken up)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions
1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Brown ground beef in pan. Drain excess liquid.
3. Add remaining ingredients except nutmeg. Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
4. Sprinkle with nutmeg before serving.

Source:A River of Recipes: Native American Recipes Using Commodity Foods USDA Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

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Last updated November 4, 2024