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Sustained Catch of Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) in St. Lawrence County

SWD (Drosophila suzukii) is found all over New York state and is a pest to gardeners and fruit growers alike. If you have raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries likely you already have SWD in your bushes. SWD is native to Asia and was discovered in California raspberries in 2008. It gets its name from the spot on the wings of the males.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, with the help of two Master Gardener Volunteers (Ken Kogut and Nancy Alessi), participates in a monitoring program for SWD through the New York State Integrated Pest Management (NYSIPM) Program https://blogs.cornell.edu/swd1/category/swd-info/

This year traps were set on July 6th with first catch on July 13th and sustained catches at two locations on July 20th with all locations trapping SWD by this date too. 2022 saw our first catch on July 28th with sustained catches in three locations on August 4th. Researchers suspect that it is because of our mild winter that more adults were able to survive and that is why we are seeing these pests earlier this year.

Photo of an insect trap hanging in a raspberry plant.
Scentry jar trap for SWD set in a raspberry patch. NYSIPM
Photo of an insect trap hanging in a tree.
A Trece red sticky card trap and lure set in a tart cherry tree to monitor for SWD. NYSIPM

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Welcoming kids to the Daun Martin-Poole memorial pollinator garden

Arial view of the pollinator garden at CCE
Arial view of the 740 sq ft garden

It’s been a joy this week to host 50 Farm Day Camp youth (5-12 years old) in our pollinator garden for a scavenger hunt and a lesson about protecting and supporting our native pollinators like this eight-spotted forester moth (Alypia octomaculata) we found…scavenger hunt and the eight-spotted forester mothand this hummingbird clear wing (Hemaris thysbe).hummingbird clear wing (Hemaris thysbe)

A scavenger hunt is a way to guide and motivate each child to closely observe the details of their surroundings. Once they’ve put in a good effort, they can start to help each other find the flowers, leaves, seed pods, and insects.kids doing scavenger hunt in pollinator garden

Being able to use this vibrant garden as an outdoor teaching space is the culmination of nearly two years of work from our dedicated Master Gardener Volunteers to plan the layout, prepare the site, and plant and maintain the garden.Nancy Alessi weeds the garden in April.Nancy Alessi weeded the garden in April, and several times since! Read more Welcoming kids to the Daun Martin-Poole memorial pollinator garden

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Save The Date for Local Foods Weekend 2023

Local farmers and food businesses are busy working in the fields and kitchens to bring delicious food to our plates, pantries, and freezers. Whether you make a salad with greens you picked up from a farmer’s market, cook a roast from the farm down the road, or enjoy meals at restaurants sourcing ingredients from our area’s growers, you are participating in our fabulous local food system. 

To highlight these valuable members in our community and give them the credit and support they deserve, join us on September 8th, 9th, 10th, 2023 for the second Local Foods Weekend! The weekend consists of different public events hosted by local farmers and food businesses. It is a 3-day celebration of the products and the people that grow, raise, sell, or prepare food in and nearby St. Lawrence County and is organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County. Every eater can play an active role in building a resilient local food system, and here’s a chance to learn more about the many farmers and food entrepreneurs involved. 

Visit one or more of the 30+ events at locations across St. Lawrence County. There’s something for all interests including children’s activities, special menus, free samples, guided farm tours, workshops, open houses, and more. 

Photo of a woman standing at her market tent with assorted herbs, vegetables, holding sunflowers.
Ashley Campbell of Trout and Heron in Potsdam is ready to welcome visitors to her new educational facilities with garden-centered creative children’s activities during the weekend.

Read more Save The Date for Local Foods Weekend 2023