LEAF Workshops Focus on Homesteading

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (October 22, 2019) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is excited to announce the November workshops in its very popular LEAF (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Educational programming.

On Saturday, November 2nd, from 10 am – 12 pm, we will be offering “Old Fashioned Soap Making”; on Tuesday, November 12th , from 6-8 pm you can learn about “Growing Greens all Winter” and on Saturday, November 23rd , from 10 am – 12pm you can learn how to make homemade Jam as we are offering a Beginner Home preservation workshop. All workshops will be held at the Frank Bratt Agricultural Center in Jamestown, 3542 Turner Road or Jamestown Community College Carnahan Center. To register, contact Emily Reynolds at 716-664-9502 ext. 201, eck47@cornell.edu, or visit www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/leaf2019.

On Saturday, November 2, 2019 from 10 am-noon, “Old Fashioned Soap Making” will be offered for $10/person. Do you have used cooking oil or extra lard from butchering a hog and don't know what to do with it? Learn how to make homemade soap using lye and animal and/or vegetable fats. Participants will learn the history and science behind soap making, equipment and supplies needed, and how various fats and oils affect the finished product. Everyone will participate in making a batch of soap and will get to take home a bar of homemade soap (a portion of the $10 registration fee covers the cost of these materials).

The instructor for this workshop will be Linda Dewey, a 5th generation farmer and owner/operator of Silver Falls Farm, Perrysburg, NY, which has been continuously owned and operated by the Dewey family since 1817, who has had many years of experience carrying on the family soap making tradition.

Light refreshments will be offered. The LEAF workshops are designed to be interactive, so participants are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to this collaborative environment! This workshop will be held at the Frank W. Bratt Agricultural Center located at 3542 Turner Road in Jamestown, NY.

A “Keep It Growing- How to grow greens all winter” workshop will be held Tuesday, November 12, 2019 from 6 – 8 pm for $5/person. It is possible to grow produce in NY all year long! Come learn how to make the most of your growing space - indoors and outside - to raise your own salad. Elizabeth Buck is a Fresh Market Vegetable Specialist with the Cornell Vegetable Program. She has worked with growers across western NY who raise crops throughout the winter. This workshop will be held at the Jamestown Community College Carnahan Center; 525 Falconer Street in Jamestown, NY.

On Saturday, November 23 from 10 am – noon, CCE Master Food Preserver Volunteers will teach a basics of Home preservation workshop entitles “Introduction to Food Preservation; Homemade Jam” for $15/person, you can learn the safe way you make your own jam and the basics of home preservation techniques. Join the Master Food Preservation Volunteers to learn how to make jams using a hot water bath canner. We will use fresh, local produce if available and all participants will leave with jam to take home. All materials are provided and included in the class fee. This workshop will be held at Jamestown Community College; 525 Falconer Street in Jamestown, NY.

Pre-registration is requested prior to the workshops to allow for adequate time to prepare printed resources and materials. Interested participants can register online by visiting www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/leaf2019, by emailing eck47@cornell.edu, or calling 716-664-9502 ext. 201.

The L.E.A.F. 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 October 22, 2019