The crops at highest risk for infestation by Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) — an introduced pest from East Asia — include fall raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Cherries, both tart and sweet, elderberries, and peaches are also susceptible. Thin-skinned grapes can be infested directly, though cracked or damaged berries are more susceptible. Early season June-bearing strawberries may escape injury, but late summer fruit or day-neutral varieties may suffer damage.

Cornell researchers and extension educators have trap network covering some 30 counties around the state to keep tabs on the pest. (As of June 7, none have been reported.)

For more information:

How do I manage Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) in my garden?

Spotted Wing Drosophila blog

Here’s some highlights from the March CGBL newsletter: (Or view the newsletter in its entirety here>>>)

• The CCE Statewide Beneficial Insect Campaign is well underway.
• Another round of online Botanical Illustration Courses were completed (image @ right)
• The first Permaculture Design Certification course took place last Fall, packed with 31 enthusiastic students. Graduates are developing PC gardens at Dilmun Hill Farm and on campus.
• VEGETABLE VARIETY TRIAL & DEMO GARDEN (VVdG) is underway for its second year. Registration has closed, but stay tuned for updates!
• We’ve launched a MINI-GRANT program and
• an E-LIST for Garden Educators, in an effort to help NYS garden educators share successes/challenges, resources, and have a forum for discussion: NYSGardenEducatorsNetwork-L@cornell.edu. The list will be live ANY DAY now!

For the second year, we will be planting the Vegetable Variety Demo Garden (VVdG) again here on the Cornell campus and would like to collaborate with CCE offices New York statewide to install a VVdG in your county.

Some of the same elements from 2012 will be repeated including vegetable varieties and components of ecological gardening (cover crops, companion planting, and mulching). This year we will also be adding perennial plants to the garden, a compost bin and – in keeping with the 2013 Horticulture theme – multiple types of plants for attracting beneficial insects. As always with VVT, we will encourage others to rate varieties by using the website at http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu.

To Participate: Read more about the trial and how to take part on our web site here: http://blogs.cornell.edu/garden/vegetablevarietytrial/

Take advantage of free webinars hosted by the USDA People’s Garden. Two more to happen this week, one with CGBL’s Liz Falk presenting. Check it out!

1. Composting and Compost Use – How, Why and Where    -    12/12/2012   12 Noon – 1:00 pm EST

   

   Instructor: Al Rattie – Director, Market Development – US Composting Council
   Sellersville Pensylvania

   Cary Oshins – Director, Education & Outreach – US Composting Council
   Sellersville Pensylvania

   Wanna make your own compost? You can produce high quality compost on a small-scale, but it’s important to use quality control standards from start to finish. Learn how you can get started, what to do with what you produce, and the many benefits and uses of compost.

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2. Best Practices in Starting and Sustaining a School Garden    -    12/13/2012   12 Noon – 1:00 pm EST

   

   Instructor: Liz Falk – Professional Development Educator, Cornell Garden-Based Learning
   Ithaca, New York

   We know that garden-based learning increases a child’s likelihood to eat fresh vegetables, can increase a child’s attention span, and foster positive relationships across ages. Learn best practices on how to incorporate gardens into schools, to make garden projects successful and sustainable, and to encourage participation from others in your community.

This just in… Check out this Eco-Schools program from the National Wildlife Federation. The Eco-Schools program strives to model environmentally sound practices, provide support for greening the curriculum and enhance science and academic achievement. Additionally, it works to foster a greater sense of environmental stewardship among youth. Eco-Schools is currently being implemented in more than 50 countries around the world.

Through school-based action teams of students, administrators, educators and community volunteers, Eco-Schools combines effective “green” management of the school grounds, facilities and the curriculum.

Once a school has registered and implemented the seven steps, it can apply for an Eco-Schools award. There are three levels of the award system. The first two levels are the Bronze and Silver awards which are self-assessed. The top level is the Green Flag award, which must be assessed by an Eco-Schools USA assessor and renewed every two years. A school is considered to be a permanent Eco-School once it has gained its fourth Green Flag.

The Cornell Farmworker Program (CFP) is dedicated to improving the living and working conditions of farmworkers and their families. We also seek recognition for farmworkers’ contributions to society and their acceptance and full participation in local communities. The 2013 Summer Internship program is accepting applications now until Feb 4. Check out the image or the CFP site for more details.

It’s not too late to start a cover crop beneath veggies that are nearing harvest or have already passed it!  The earlier you start your cover crop, the more it will grow and add to the quality and fertility of your soil, but many of you still have a bit of time if you act fast!  Use this two-page fact-sheet our friends at the Garden Ecology Project made to select a good cover crop for your urban garden, and learn how and when to plant it.

Plus: Cover crops are easy to plant with youth, as they aren’t too particular – simply broadcast the seeds on bare soil, ensure they get watered or rained on and watch them grow. At this time of year if you’re cover cropping a small space it could help to cover the broadcasted seeds with a sheet or plastic to give them a little more heat on the cold Autumn nights until they generate and grow a little.  Have fun!

The next Take Root! Training for Garden Educators is taking place this Saturday at 12 noon at the Steinway Library in Queens. Topics to include Intro to Permaculture, Season Extension and Capacity Building. A few spots still left. More info visit http://www.queenslibrary.org/event/take-roots-garden-educator-training & www.gardening.cornell.edu/takeroot.

CGBL September Newsletter –

In 2012, Cornell Garden-based Learning revived a Cooperative Extension tradition of focusing on a yearly theme to promote educational resources statewide. With the theme of “Soil & Compost”… See entire newsletter