October 2025
by Ruby Koch-Fienberg, Ag & Food Systems Coordinator
Something remarkable just came to a close in our community. With the completion of the $2 million New York Food for New York Families grant, we mark not only the end of a program, but the celebration of a milestone that touched thousands of lives across our region. Our partners at Meals on Main Street made each delivery with a smile, while also providing a hub for farmers to deliver their products directly to the warehouse.
Over the course of this initiative, we delivered an incredible 400,000 pounds of food—eggs, meat, produce, and dairy—to 37,500 families in Putnam, Dutchess and Westchester counties. Every bag of groceries was provided at no cost, no forms to fill out, no questions asked—just good, fresh food made available to anyone who needed it.
This was food with dignity, generosity and care at its heart. Although Meals on Main Street will continue deliveries for now, ongoing funding shortages make it uncertain how long the program can be sustained.
Strength in Collaboration
We didn’t do this work alone. It was powered by the strength of our community—over 30 local farms and several dedicated community organizations came together with a shared purpose: to make sure no table went empty.
Investing in Local Farmers
Behind every carton of eggs or fresh bunch of greens was a farmer whose hard work was supported. Through this grant, we paid out $1.3 million directly to farmers across Putnam, Orange, Westchester, Dutchess and nearby counties.
That meant real income for farm families, stronger local economies, and a food supply chain better equipped to weather challenges.
It wasn’t just about the food. It was about what food creates: connection, health, and belonging. One resident from Philipstown captured it beautifully when they wrote this note of thanks:
“My husband and I are in our 70s… the community Food Truck program has played an essential role in improving the variety and quality of our meals and, as a result, our health. Nearly every week we go to the closest location, choose from in-season produce and also come home with protein, bread and, many times, a unique treat. This weekly routine has pushed us to find new ways to eat healthy.”
For them and so many others, the food truck was more than a stop for groceries—it became a weekly gathering space, where neighbors swapped recipes, discovered new foods, and shared smiles with the team who welcomed them week after week.
As this chapter closes, we’re filled with gratitude for the farmers, partners, volunteers, and families who made it all possible. While the funding for this program has ended, the spirit of it lives on: the spirit of communities standing strong together, caring for one another, and ensuring that good food not only sustains us but connects us.
We are proud of what we built together—and even more excited about where we’ll grow next.
by Janis Butler, Master Gardener Volunteer
Scientists and other observers were shocked in the 2010s when reports on global insect decline began to be published. Habitat loss, misuse of pesticides, and introduced and invasive species are recognized as the causes, with climate change making it harder for insects to fight off the challenges.
Without insects, or with diminished populations of insects, ecosystems around the globe become unstable. Insects not only pollinate (one out of every three bites we eat comes from insect-pollinated plants) but also decompose organic matter (clearing dead plants and animals), control pests, and provide food for other animals. For example, about 96% of terrestrial bird species rely on insects, an essential source of protein, to feed their young.
To help spread the word about the plight of insects and how we can help them, Happenings will feature a series of short articles in upcoming months. We’ll start with a closer look at a familiar friend: the Common Bumble Bee, Bombus impatiens.
Bumble Bees and Tomatoes: A Perfect Match
Flowers from certain plants — tomatoes, blueberries, peppers,
cranberries, eggplants, potatoes —have hollow, tube-like anthers, where their pollen is held firmly and must be shaken out. Wind can do this, but not very efficiently. In the insect world, only bumble bees (most species) and some species of carpenter bee, mining bee, and sweat bee are capable of performing the extraordinary feat of releasing that sticky pollen. The bumble bee contracts flight muscles in its thorax so it can vibrate its wings rapidly while remaining stationary. These high-frequency vibrations (hundreds of cycles per second) travel through the bee’s body to the flower’s anthers, shaking out the pollen grains. The bee can adjust the frequency of the vibration depending on circumstances. And they get better at it with experience: they are not merely mindless machines. They learn!
Bumble bees are also masterful transporters of the treasured pollen. Static electricity helps it cling to their hairy bodies. When they’ve gathered enough, they use their four front legs to mix the pollen with nectar and scrape it into pollen baskets (actually concave pockets) on their two hind legs. It’s easy to see these orange lumps as the bee goes about its busy day. When the baskets are full, it’s back to the nest to feed and nurture the next generation.
Fall is the time of year when we find bumble bees clinging to flowers at dusk, motionless and apparently dead. But wait! These are often males who have left the nest in order to mate and just need shelter for the night. Or they might be females, ready to mate, who are too tired or too far from the nest to make it back and simply fall asleep at the wheel, the better to get an early start in the morning.
These late-season males and females mate and, as winter approaches, the males die off as do the founding queen and all the worker bees back in the nest. The surviving females are next year’s queens. Newly impregnated, they spend their time in fall gorging on pollen and nectar and looking for safe places to spend the winter. Winter is a critical time for them and many are lost. Researchers still have much to learn about how they select their overwintering sites, how deeply they go underground, how many survive, and other mysteries.
In spring, the new queens emerge, sometimes as early as late February, and begin to look for safe and dry underground nesting sights. Bombus impatiens is not an excavator and will not damage human property in making a home for her offspring. Instead, she looks for an abandoned burrow made by some other critter — a rodent, perhaps — or a space under a log or building or other undisturbed spot.
She then spends much of her time gathering food and creating wax pots to hold her eggs. She lays one egg in each pot and provisions it with bee bread, a mixture of pollen and nectar. When the eggs hatch, the grubs (rarely seen by humans since the nests are underground and well-camouflaged) feed on the pollen and nectar. Soon they pupate and in about 10 days, emerge as adults. The first batch of eggs produces female workers (the queen chooses their sex), who then take over the tasks of foraging for food and maintaining the nest.
So the bumble bees we see buzzing around our gardens in spring and summer are these female worker bees. The queen never again leaves the nest, keeping herself busy laying additional eggs. Later in the season, she stops producing worker bees and instead creates males, whose only purpose is to mate, and “gynes,” who will become next year’s queens.
Bumble bees are the only native North American bees that are truly social, meaning they live in communities. But don’t worry: since bumble bees (other than the new queens), do not survive the winter and do not provision their nest with honey, they are unlikely to defend it unless severely provoked. They only sting if threatened, i.e. if they fly up your sleeve and can’t escape or are squeezed by a curious and incautious human.
There’s still time to help Bumble Bees this fall!
by Mandel Smith, MS, RD, LDN, Former Senior Educator, Penn State Extension
During the fall months, there is an array of produce available at your local farm market or in the grocery store. Explore new ways of cooking fall vegetables to bring out sweet and exciting flavors.
When I venture out for my morning walks these days, I add an extra layer of clothing to stay warm in the crisp cool air. Adding a sweatshirt to my morning attire is not the only addition to daily life at my house; we are also including wonderful fall vegetables in meals and snacks. Just like me, fall vegetables love the cool days and crisp nights of autumn. Take advantage of the bountiful fall produce now available at local farm markets, in the grocery store or from your garden. When shopping for produce in the fall, look for hearty winter squash, root vegetables and heart-healthy cruciferous vegetables. Vegetables supply the body with important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Some fall vegetables have a reputation for having a strong flavor. If you explore new ways to prepare vegetables, you may be surprised how a different cooking technique will bring out pleasantly sweet and exciting flavors. There are several vegetables available in the fall. Roots vegetables such as beets, potatoes and turnips are in season, as well as winter squash including pumpkin. When it comes to cruciferous vegetables, broccoli and cauliflower are in season.
Root Vegetables
According to the United Stated States Department of Agriculture (USDA) root vegetables are classified as vegetables whose underground roots are edible. The USDA includes vegetables such as radishes, carrots, onions, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, parsnips and beets in this category.
Red beets can be found in a variety of colors including white and golden yellow. The greens of beets, or leafy tops, are a great source of vitamin C. They are also edible and can be served in ways that you would usually serve spinach. Beets can be boiled, pickled, added to soup or salad and baked/roasted. Store beets in the refrigerator crisper for up to two weeks.
Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium, according to the United States Potato Board. Potatoes can be enjoyed baked, roasted, fried and boiled. Nothing says comfort food more than potatoes. Remember to keep your potatoes healthy by limiting the amount of butter and other high-calorie condiments you add to them. Enjoy the true flavor of potatoes by serving them with simple ingredients such as chives and plain yogurt. Store potatoes in a cool place away from light.
Turnips usually have white flesh and a reddish-purple tint on top. Turnips have only 20 calories per half-cup serving and are rich in vitamin C. There are lots of ways to use turnips. They can be sliced or cubed in stew or soups. Roasted turnips are delicious as are glazed turnips. Store tightly wrapped turnips in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Pumpkin and Winter Squash
The different varieties of winter squash and pumpkin have some similar characteristics including a hard-outer shell, fully formed seeds and a fully developed seed cavity. Winter squash and pumpkin are both high in vitamin A and are good sources of fiber.
Winter squash is not grown or harvested in winter but picked when fully ripe, usually in September or October. The hard, thick shell allows it to be stored in a cool dark place for 1-3 months. Some of the common types of squash included in this group are acorn, butternut, hubbard, banana and spaghetti. Roasted winter squash can be served as a side dish, tossed in a salad, stirred into pasta or puréed for soup.
Pumpkins are large, round, and orange. The flesh of pumpkin has a mild sweet flavor, and the seeds are edible when roasted. White "ghost" pumpkins are also edible. Pie pumpkins are smaller, have sweet flesh, and are considered a better option for eating. Once cut, the flesh is orange and suitable for cooking. Traditional ways of serving pumpkin include baked in pies, pureed in soups or added to stews. And of course, on Halloween, pumpkins are carved for Jack-O-Lanterns! Fresh, whole pumpkins can be stored at room temperature for about 1 month.
Cruciferous Vegetables
What are cruciferous vegetables? According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, this category of vegetables is very diverse and, in addition to broccoli and cauliflower, includes cabbage, kale, bok choy, arugula, Brussels sprouts and collards. The name "cruciferous" refers to these and other mustard family vegetables and comes from the Latin word Cruciferae that means "cross bearing," because the four petals of these vegetables resemble a cross. These vegetables are rich in fiber and low in calories.
Broccoli, with its deep green flower head, looks like a tree with a thick, edible stalk and can be eaten raw in salads or as a snack. Cooked broccoli is good in soups, stews and casseroles. Store broccoli in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to 4 days.
Cauliflower is typically found in the white variety at the market or grocery store, but new varieties are now available in green and purple. The entire flower part is edible and like broccoli, is delicious eaten raw in salads or as a snack. Baked or roasted cauliflower has a subtle, sweet flavor. Store cauliflower tightly wrapped, head-down in the refrigerator to prevent moisture loss in the crisper drawer.
Brussels sprouts are another great fall vegetable that have a sweeter flavor when roasted. They are usually harvested between September and November, so now is a good time to find them in local markets. In addition to roasting them, you can serve them raw in salads as you would cabbage.
Proper Handling
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends proper handling of fresh produce. Raw produce can contain bacteria such as Salmonella, and E. coli that can make you and your family sick. Once you arrive home with your fresh fall produce be sure to keep these simple food safety tips in mind:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, May 6). Fruit and vegetable safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
Ellis, C. E. (n.d.). The beginner's guide to cruciferous vegetables. EatRight. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
Home of U.S. potato farmers. Potatoes USA. (2021, April 21). Retrieved September 21, 2021.
Nutrition marketing tools. Potatoes USA. (2021, September 16). Retrieved September 21, 2021.
Penn State Extension. (2021, September 14). Pennsylvania Produce: A Guide to Quality Produce Grown in PA. Penn State Extension. Retrieved September 21, 2021. Pumpkins and More: Selection and Use. University of Illinois Extension. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2021.
Summers, P. B., Jen, & Ting. (2017, February 21). Rediscovering our roots in December. USDA. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
adapted by Rachael Paradise, Communications Coordinator, from New York Department of Environmental Conservation
The smell of autumn is in the air, and very few things are more beautiful than witnessing the spectacular view of trees changing from their green summer gowns into resplendent reds, oranges and yellows.
A drive down local roads is an easy way to enjoy leaf peeping but hiking, biking and kayaking adventures are all a stone’s throw away!
The Empire State Trail is great for biking through Putnam. Hudson River Expeditions offers kayak and canoe excursions on the river while a rigorous climb up Breakneck Ridge in Hudson Highlands State Park offers incredible views across the water. For those who want a more leisurely stroll, visit West Point Foundry in Cold Spring, Michael Ciaola Conservation Area in Patterson, Nimham Fire Tower in Kent and Fahnestock State Park in Kent.
While a walk through the woods can be a great way to sight-see, it does have its dangers. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation offers the following tips for hikers:
If You Are Lost or Injured
If, despite your best efforts, you become lost or injured while in the woods, it is important to stay calm and keep from taking rash actions that might cause your situation to worsen. Remember "STOP":
S is for Sit Down: This is the first and most important step in staying calm.
T is for Think: Ask yourself the most important questions, such as "How did I get here?" "How much time is left before it gets dark?"
O is for Observe: Try to identify landmarks, such as mountains that can help you figure out your position. Listen for sounds, like traffic, running water or even gunshots, which can help you find your way back to safety. Ask yourself the most likely places to look for firewood and shelter.
P is for Plan: Decide if you should try to make it out of the woods or stay put until morning. In making this all-important decision, consider how much easier it is to gather firewood during daylight. The rule of thumb is to make a pile as large as you think will last the night, then make 10 more just like it. People who have been forced to spend the night in the woods have been surprised by how much wood they need to keep their fire going.
Whatever you do, try not to panic. Most people don't think it will happen to them, but it does...and often. Panic leads to wasted time, poor decisions, and often, an unnecessary worsening of your predicament.
By taking a few precautions before entering the woods, you can make your trip safer and more enjoyable. It will also make it easier on your friends and family who await your return.
by Brandy Keenan, 4-H Educator
Registration is Open for our 4-H Clubs!
Registration for Putnam County 4-H is officially open now through Oct. 31. Parents and guardians can register their youth through our website and our posts on FB and Instagram.
We have added an additional sewing club called Pins and Needles, re-opened the Face Painting club, as well as created two new clubs: NatureCraft and Hay You!
In the NatureCraft Club, youth will learn about pollinators, good bugs and bad bugs, and all things gardening in the Spring and Summer. In the Fall and Winter months, members will learn garden-related activities like flower pressing and plant dyes, as well as canning, cooking and baking. This club will meet monthly.
The Hay You! 4-H Club at Tilly Foster Farm will be a livestock and agricultural focused club. Members will learn how to care for and handle livestock like poultry and goats as well as basic animal science— digestive and skeletal systems, nutrition, and livestock's place in agriculture, our food systems and the environment. This club will meet twice a month.
4-H is an important youth development program that teaches valuable life skills like leadership, communication, and community engagement through hands-on projects in areas like agriculture, STEM, arts and healthy living. Guided by adult mentors, 4-H programs cultivate a sense of belonging and mastery in young people, leading to stronger community and civic participation, better school success, and a more intentional life. The four H's of 4-H—Head, Heart, Hands and Health—represent the values members strive to develop and apply in their lives.
We hope that you (we are always looking for leaders) and your youth will join 4-H today!
National 4-H Week: Beyond Ready!
As America’s largest youth development organization, 4-H empowers 6 million young people nationwide with hands-on learning experiences through clubs, camps, school programs and community events. During National 4-H Week, celebrated Oct. 5–11, 2025, the Beyond Ready initiative, highlights how 4-H will help prepare 10 million youth for work and life by 2030. In Putnam County, 4-H provides opportunities for youth to develop public speaking skills, lead community service projects, raise and take care of livestock, learn new skills like sewing, baking and preserving food and so much more.
4-H gives our youth a space to grow into leaders who care deeply about their community and the future of the world around them. We see that every day in the way they show up to learn and lead.
CCE Putam and its team of educators, volunteers and mentors deliver 4-H programs that help youth learn by doing. Youth are learning skills such as teamwork, resilience and communication—skills that will serve them in their careers and for life.
“At a time when young people are navigating more uncertainty than ever, 4-H offers them a place to grow, lead, and find their spark,” said Jill Bramble, President & CEO of National 4-H Council. “Through 4-H, youth gain real-world skills and experiences to help them become confident leaders who are resilient, confident, and Beyond Ready for the future.”
By Janis Butler, Master Gardener Volunteer
Let’s say you do all the right things to help those pollinators and other beneficial insects and spiders in your garden. You grow flowers with many different shapes and colors, including lots of natives, with blooms from early spring through late fall. You avoid pesticides. You keep lawn to a minimum. In October, you pat yourself on the back, tidy up for the coming winter, and put your feet up until spring.
But wait! Back up to “tidy." Tidy for whom? Not for those leg-endowed garden friends you’ve been helping all summer long. Most insects and spiders stick around for the winter, either as eggs, larvae, pupae or adults, and they need a place to live safely. Too much tidying could destroy their winter homes, or worse.
So let’s rethink some of those clean-up chores.
Cutting back perennials: No need to overdo it. The plants don’t mind waiting until spring, and their stems provide winter homes for many tiny critters. Those empty-looking dried flowers can still contain seeds that birds hunt for all winter long. Especially leave coneflowers, sunflowers, black-eyed Susans and others from the aster family (those with wide, flat flowers). As a bonus, your garden will have greater winter interest as attractive dried flowers and seed pods stick out of the snow.
If you feel you must cut back those stalks, consider leaving some of them in small, loose piles around the back of the garden. Fat queen bumblebees would be glad to find a snug haven under such a heap. Stem-nesting mason bees may find them and be grateful. So will spiders, who badly need winter housing. In spring, they will send their progeny out to do battle with aphids, leafhoppers, leafminers, spider mites, spruce budworms, pine sawflies, thrips, cucumber beetles and many more gardeners’ enemies.
Mowing those grassy fields: Could you stand to mow only 1/4 or 1/3 of your meadow each year, leaving habitat for fauna? Katydids drill tiny holes in the stems of goldenrods and asters and lay their eggs there. Butterflies attach their delicate chrysalids to dead sticks and stems in meadows, emerging as adults in the spring. The round galls on goldenrod stems are made by tephritid flies and are eaten by titmice and chickadees during the winter months. Ladybugs and lacewings nest in the dry, sheltered crowns of native grasses.
Raking up leaf litter: This is a tough one. It goes against the grain of all our habits and assumptions. But think of it as free mulch. And remember who lives in that litter. Worms, snails, millipedes, and earthworms feed on it, breaking it up so that other organisms (bacteria, fungi, protozoans, algae, and viruses) can decompose it into forms of nitrogen, calcium, sulfur and other soluble chemicals and minerals which are recycled as food by plants, including trees. The little litter critters are themselves food for salamanders, turtles, other insects, birds and larger animals. Insect larvae in particular are eaten by forest birds. When you see a bird pecking through a pile of leaves, they’re looking for food.
Many butterflies and moths overwinter in their pupal state in leaf litter. They’re pretty but, more important, their caterpillars provide essential food for protein-hungry baby birds in the spring. Some moths and bees spend the winter hibernating under leaf litter. Many other critters huddle under the leaves in a semi-dormant state. The list of leaf-litter beneficiaries is long! Leaf litter insulates and provides moisture, the perfect winter habitat.
A closer look at fungi: In addition to providing food for mites, springtails and many beetles and nematodes, the fungi in leaf litter plays a critically important role in breaking down lignin, the tough stuff that gives trees their strength. Without fungi to decompose the rigid cell walls of dead trees, our forests would be covered with millennia of fallen trunks and branches. Mycorrhizal fungi live in close association with plant roots and help them absorb vital nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen from the soil. (The fungi aren’t doing this for free: they get nutrients from the plants, produced by photosynthesis.)
By doing less tidying up, could you be harboring bad bugs as well as good? That’s always a risk but one worth taking, considering the alarming rate at which natural habitat is shrinking for the more desirable critters, especially the natives. And of course you should tidy up any litter that might contain pathogens. Get rid of dead leaves under the grape arbor and the leaf-spot-ridden cherry tree. In fact, carefully clean up the fallen leaves of any plant with leaf spot or any other signs of disease. Dispose of all disease-prone plant material (tomatoes, impatiens, peonies, roses) properly, meaning double-bag it and put it out with the trash unless you are positive it’s healthy. If you have voles eating your plants – and they’ll eat bark, crowns, seeds and fruits as well as roots – you may want to leave some cleared (tidied) space so that hawks can find them.
Keep in mind that the insect and spider lives you save this winter will benefit your flowers next summer and generally contribute to a healthier ecosystem.
Photo by Debbie Roos, N.C. Extension of late November seedheads of Maryland golden aster (Chrysopis mariana)
from Josephine Quiocho, Nutrition Educator
A perfect treat for pumpkin lovers. A seasonal treat for the holidays or any time of year that you're craving pumpkin.
Ingredients
Learn more about Pumpkin at snaped.fns.usda.gov/resources/nutrition-education-materials/seasonal-produce-guide/pumpkin
Source: www.myplate.gov/recipes/peter-pumpkin-squares
Last updated October 1, 2025