by Shawn Tubridy and Melissa Schroeder
On February 10th, CCE educators and Master Garden Volunteers gathered at the Silver Spoon Café in Montour Falls to participate in the Regional Seed to Supper (S2S) facilitator training, hosted by CCE Schuyler (CCESC).
Facilitators, Ashley Helmholdt (Extension Association, Cornell Garden Based Learning) and Ainsley Rothschild (Seed to Supper Program Assistant, Cornell Cooperative Extension) led the training and were supported by CCE Schuyler Master Gardener Volunteers (MGV) who offered participants lunch tours of the CCE Demonstration Garden space. In total, thirty-four participants came to learn about the program and see how it could benefit their communities; including CCESC Staff members, Kim Seaman (4-H Coordinator), Shawn Tubridy (Horticulture and Gardening Educator), Melissa Schroeder (Executive Director and Association Issue Leader) and Master Gardeners, Jean Gardener, Debbie Ball, Rose Anne Wincek and MGV trainees, Joan Rose and James Rose.
The Seed to Supper (S2S) program is intended to help beginner gardeners gain the needed skills and confidence to grow their own food on a limited budget. According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), New York State is ranked among the top 20 states with the worst food hardship – with 3 million New Yorkers relying on food assistance. Programs like S2S can help CCE Educators and Master Garden Volunteers reach out to their communities and offer citizens simple strategies to supplement their groceries and lower food costs.
A mini grant received through the Cornell Garden Based Learning project will assist CCE Schuyler’s ability to facilitate the S2S program. The program is anticipated to begin in mid-April with an adult program supported by the Master Garden Volunteers and another youth focused program centered at Hidden Valley Four 4-H Camp this summer and hosted by CCESC Staff.
For more information on the Seed to Supper Program, you can visit the program’s website at at Cornell CALS.
