Photos courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension: The Master Food Preserver program will be at the event, showcasing canning equipment and providing recipes. Karen Desjardin is one of the local Master Food Preservers.

Press Release, Master Gardeners in Orleans County

KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County CCE Master Gardeners are excited to announce a new event for this year – an Intro to Modern Homesteading open house, set to take place on Saturday, June 21 from11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Trolley Building of the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds.

The event will feature information tables showcasing various skills that increase self-sufficiency.

Modern homesteading can be loosely defined as reducing reliance on global supply chains and increasing practices that enhance self-sufficiency, sustainability and independence.  The idea for an event based on modern homesteading skills was tossed around the last few years at the Master Gardener planning meetings.

As county residents witnessed rising grocery prices, looming tariffs on outsourced products, and signs of economic downturn, Orleans CCE Executive Director Robert Batt encouraged Master Gardeners to try to find a way to offer some type of education involving homesteading in their 2025 program year.

(Left) The compost tumbler that will be raffled off as a door prize for the event. (Right) There will be a table with information on the importance of using rain barrels.

Master Gardener Volunteers (MGVs) Eileen Sorochty and Kathleen Contrino formed a subcommittee and set to work detailing skills considered important in modern homesteading and finding professionals, volunteers or hobbyists willing to extend their experiences and information to the public.

“Modern homesteading can be a great way to save money and know what your family is exposed to,” said Contrino, MGV Co-Chair for the event. “The more we do for ourselves and our community, the less we have to rely upon large corporations whose goals are reaping profits.”

Some of the topics that will be featured at the event include: food gardening, seed saving, sewing, soap-making, homeschooling, composting, rain barrels, chicken raising, canning, and more!

Volunteers will be at each table offering examples and information on each of the skills.  In addition to the informational tables, there will be demonstrations on fiber spinning, live animals from the Orleans County 4-H and Rosemary and Pine Goatscaping, and a Kidsteaders table with hands-on crafts for children.

Master Gardener Brenda Radzinski will showcase quilting and sewing techniques.

“I think it’s important that folks see and experience some of the home skills that our parents and grandparents relied on,” said Sorochty, the other MGV Co-Chair for the event. “Whether it’s raising a vegetable garden or having chickens, it can only benefit us all to know how to feed ourselves from our own backyard. Yes, it might be a bit more work, but the satisfaction and rewards are worth the efforts.”

This event takes place directly after the Master Gardener class on Flower Gardening (at 10 a.m. in the Education Center). The Intro to Homesteading event is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Attendees are welcome to come and go throughout the event.  Each attending family can enter a free raffle to win the door prize of a Lifetime Compost Tumbler donated by Orleans County resident and Master Gardener supporter Pam Maryjanowski.

“We are hopeful the event will be successful and can grow into something even bigger in the future.  We’d love to see larger series of monthly events and hands-on classes next year.” Contrino said, “Homesteading can help make our lives more sustainable, build local infrastructure and increase community through sharing and bartering.”

For more information on this or any other Master Gardener program, contact MGV Coordinator Katie Oakes at klo54@cornell.edu or 585-798-4265 ext. 125.

Master Gardener Kate Hardner, an advocate for backyard chicken raising, will be at the event with information about raising chickens at home.  Photo by Kelly Lucyszyn.

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today reintroduced the Freedom to Frack Act to withhold certain federal grants from states that issue statewide hydraulic fracturing bans.

Much of Central New York, Western New York, and the Southern Tier lie above the Marcellus Shale and the deeper Utica Shale formations. These tremendous resources alone could support the state’s energy needs for decades and create hundreds of thousands of jobs for New Yorkers.

Unfortunately, despite this, in 2014, New York implemented a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The ban was then officially established in 2015 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and codified in 2020 by the New York State Legislature.

New York’s statewide fracking ban directly opposes environmental science and basic economics. American natural gas is the cleanest in the world, and its exportation has been the single greatest force behind the reduction in global CO2 emissions.

The ban has also been a disaster for New York’s economy, as despite its abundant natural resources, New Yorkers pay some of the highest prices in the country for energy. While Pennsylvania has become the second largest natural gas producer in the United States, New York continues to fall behind. Albany Democrats must reverse course on their disastrous fracking ban so New Yorkers can rightfully take advantage of the liquid gold lying beneath their feet.

“President Trump has taken bold action to unleash American energy production through multiple Executive Orders, and it’s time for states like New York to follow suit. I introduced the Freedom to Frack Act to push back against Albany’s anti-science, politically motivated ban on hydraulic fracturing,” Tenney said. “States that refuse to comply with these federal energy directives should face the consequences, including the loss of federal funding. Albany’s baseless, anti-American energy policies have blocked access to valuable local resources for too long. By lifting these restrictions, we can stimulate economic growth, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and fully unlock the potential of American energy.”

Pictured from left include Gianna Rowles of Newfane, Madilynn Warren of Wilson, Emiliana Batista of Medina and Derek Hendler of North Tonawanda.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – The Orleans/Niagara BOCES Board of Education and District Superintendent/Chief Executive Officer Dr. Taweepon Farrar are proud to welcome four high school students to join its official policy-making body.

Two of the students, Derek Hendler (North Tonawanda) and Gianna Rowles (Newfane) will act as primary non-voting ex-officio trustees of the Board of Education, while Madilynn Warren (Wilson) and Emiliana Batista (Medina) have been named alternatives.

“Our BOCES is required to have two ex-officio student members because we have 13 component districts in our region,” explains Dr. Taweepon Farrar. “We are thrilled to welcome the students to the Board table. Student voices matters, and this opportunity provides an important bridge between our leadership and the learners we serve.  We look forward to the students’ contributions throughout the coming year and thank them for stepping into this leadership role.”

Hendler is a student in the HVAC program at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center.  He says he has a passion of working with his hands and learning and enjoys his role as a SkillsUSA officer and the President of the local chapter.  “These experiences have helped me to grow as a leader and taught me the importance of teamwork, responsibility and community service.”

Rowles is in the Cosmetology program at the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center and is the Vice President of the SkillsUSA Area 1 chapter.  She has an innate desire to become a leader in the field of cosmetology, where she plans to innovate and push the boundaries of this trade.  She would love to own a successful business someday or possibly teach.

Warren is enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program at the Niagara Career and Technical Education Center and has a goal to be a teacher. Madi enjoys interacting with people and would love to work at a daycare while working towards a Bachelor’s Degree.

Batista is in the Allied Health program at Medina Memorial Hospital and plans on pursuing a degree in General Health Studies with the goal of specializing in radiological technology.  She is the Secretary of the SkillsUSA chapter and recently competed as a member of the Health Knowledge Bowl.

The historic moment for Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ is thanks to a new state law that mandates all school districts, as well as Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), appoint at least one ex-officio, non-voting student member to their boards of education beginning July 1st.

This legislation aims to empower students and to provide them with a platform to engage in educational policy discussions and to foster civic engagement among youth.

The law was sponsored by State Senator Shelley B. Mayer and Assembly Member Carrie Woerner and was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in September 2024.  The students serving on the Orleans/Niagara BOCES Board of Education have attended high school within their home district for at least one year prior to their term and are currently participating in one of the BOCES’ programs.

The students’ role will be to advocate for all students enrolled in a BOCES program, gain leadership experience, and collaborate with the Board by sharing their perspectives and experiences as the Orleans/Niagara BOCES continues to chart its course for the future of the students and community it serves.