Ag Literacy Week Success

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (March 26th, 2019) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is dedicated to providing opportunities for the public to interact with our local agriculture industry. In celebration of National Agriculture Week (March 18th – March 22nd), area elementary students were able to participate in the New York Agricultural Literacy Week, locally coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.

This year, 4,000 elementary aged students at 25 different locations in Chautauqua County enjoyed hearing a book entitled “On the Farm, At the Market” by G. Brian Karas. This year, students were taken on the journey to local rural, suburban, and urban farmers' markets seeing a strong, interconnected community by following the food production and sales processes of three different farms. The book also explores the interconnected community of farmers and eaters, and how the food sold at the market comes together to create the meals we share. Careers and post-secondary education opportunities are abundant in traditional and developing food-centric industries. Agriculture contributes over $37 billion to the New York State economy and ranks in the top ten in the nation for yogurt, apples, grapes, calves, and onions, among other products. These products and industries allow New York producers to explore all varying scales of marketing and selling: niche markets, direct to consumer selling, food processing, wholesale, and more.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County coordinated Agricultural Literacy Week across Chautauqua County and regularly extends their services to celebrate and promote agriculture. Local Coordinator and Farm Business Management Educator for CCE-Chautauqua, Katelyn Walley-Stoll, thanked local volunteers and donors. “Ag Literacy Week is always a highlight of our programming here at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. We appreciate the opportunity to highlight our incredible agricultural industry, and this program helps to bring together members of our agricultural community. This year was an exciting opportunity to highlight our area farmers markets, and provide opportunities for our county’s young students to interact with a member of the agricultural community while also having the chance to learn more about the safe, wholesome products our local farmers work hard to produce every day”.

Donors that made this event possible were: Abers Acres; Big Tree Maple; Butternut Brook Livestock – Michael and Shannon Carpenter; Cargill Animal Nutrition; Carlberg Farm; Chautauqua County Farm Bureau; County Legislator John Hemmer; Clymer Eager Beavers 4-H Club; Doug and Sue Harper; Farm Credit East – Mayville, NY; Haffenden Insurance Agency – George and Erin Haffenden; Hite Family; Green Banks Farm; Janet Forbes – In Memory of James Forbes; JM Joy Farms – Jim and Rosie Joy; John and Carol Hardenberg; Kathi and John Glovack; Margaret Fitzgibbon; Matt Overfield; Miller’s Dairy Farm; Molly Anderson; Olde Chautauqua Farms; Patricia Martonis; Philip and Carol Baideme; Rebecca & Andy Joy & Family; Rich & Jan Jozwiak; Schofield Farms; Steward Dairy Farm; Stoll Family Farm – Scott and Katelyn Stoll.

Volunteer readers that shared their agricultural experiences with the area’s students were: Andy Dufresne, Brenda Gustafson, Bryan Nothdurft, Cassadaga Valley FFA, Chris Pinkoski, Clymer FFA, County Legislator John Hemmer, Debbie Willett, Dennis Webster, Dennis Wright, Dr. John Hamels, Dr. Shannon Carpenter, Emily Reynolds, Erin Haffenden, Ginny Carlberg, Heather Gregory, Janet Forbes,, Jeanie Oag, Jennifer Miller, Jenny Montalbano, John Glovack, Julie Gibson, Kate Ewer, Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Linnea Carlson, Lisa Kempisty, Marie Warner, Marsha Smith, Matt Overfield, Molly Brown, Pat Martonis, Peg Hite, Rachel Roushey, Ron Almeter, Rosie Joy, Shelly Wells, and Sue Harper.

The Ag Literacy Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated March 26, 2019