Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

09/23/2026

Support the Apple Harvest Festival this weekend and assist local bicyclists — walking or biking to the festival reduces traffic, pollutants, and stress in our downtown!

Friends and neighbors! Bike Walk Tompkins needs volunteer support for Sunday at Apple Fest. Go to bikewalktompkins.org/volunteer and sign up for one or more of the two hour shifts available on Sunday. Some shifts still available on Saturday as well! 🚴🍎🍏

09/23/2026

This weekend, tour an active solar + agriculture project in Candor, NY! ☀️ From 1 to 3 pm on Saturday, September 26, Cornell and United Agrivoltaics are hosting an open house at the Candor Central School District’s solar farm, a NYSERDA-funded project located behind the Candor bus garage at 163 Spencer Rd.

On the site, Caleb Scott of United Agrivoltaics is growing mushrooms, strawberries, mint, and lavender and grazing sheep within the solar array. Come learn about his experience conducting agrivoltaics across multiple sites and ask questions about crop production and multispecies grazing in solar arrays.

This event is free, but registration is required. Sign up at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhI0JE1NEWenldsbqm9jRJVWOPHjO0yRpPuPKKW8Pco2o8hA/viewform

09/22/2026

Thank you to all who stopped by our building during Porchfest! Singtrece , The Rungs , and WSKG Public Media brought the music while we paid tribute to Ithaca Car Share's beloved pickup truck Irene and Primitive Pursuits offered a chance to make jewelry out of natural materials.

Gratitude to the Center for Community Transportation and everyone who helped support a fantastic afternoon! You can still share your Irene story at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjctlWe9YcFZyhgBSCmO-pGaJVhQsx8yk1q9HxmnsH0Uv-Aw/viewform .

09/21/2026

In conjunction with the Cornell Small Farms Program, we will offer a second hands-on workshop on Air Pruned Raised Beds for tree seedling production, 4-6 pm on Thursday, October 8. By naturally pruning roots through air exposure, this system produces seedlings with stronger root architecture, higher transplant success, and the ability to grow large volumes of bare-root stock in a small footprint—no land ownership required. APRBs are adaptable to both urban and rural contexts and support high-density seedling production for a wide range of species.

Participants will learn to harvest seedlings, overwinter beds with or without seedlings, plant baby trees, strategies for seed collection and storage, and markets and regulations. This workshop is ideal for producers seeking to diversify into a new, efficient tree seedling production system. Attendees can take CCE APRB trees home while supplies last, and early registrants will have priority.

The session will be led by Connor Youngerman, Agroforestry lead with the Cornell Small Farms Program. There is no charge for the workshop, however pre-registration is required. Sign up online at ccetompkins.wufoo.com/forms/m17zt9pz1k2klle .

09/18/2026

Have you tried a pawpaw? Learn more about this native fruit with a special episode of the Extension Out Loud podcast featuring small fruits specialist Anya Stansell.

And if you enjoy the episode, share this pawpaw podcast with a friend!

There's a fruit native to New York that many have never tasted, yet it holds a lot of promise for market growth. In this episode of ‘Extension Out Loud,’ host Paul Treadwell sits down with Anya Stansell, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s (CCE) western New York small fruits extension specialist, ...

09/16/2026

If "Irene" has helped you in your life, share your story! 🛻 Has she been there when you needed to move locations, use the Waste Center dump pass, or to pick up inventory for your local business? These are a few of the ways Ithaca Carshare and the Center for Community Transportation help local residents get things done without owning a vehicle.

Help us celebrate Irene during Porchfest by sharing a story, tribute, or photo or a tribute at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjctlWe9YcFZyhgBSCmO-pGaJVhQsx8yk1q9HxmnsH0Uv-Aw/viewform

09/15/2026

Sure, we're excited about the new Porchfest documentary, but we're also excited about...Porchfest! WSKG is partnering with Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County and Ithaca CarShare to bring you two amazing bands, plus a cooling and hydration station and a celebration of Irene the CarShare truck!

Singtrece performs at 2pm and The Rungs go on at 4pm. Come see us at 615 Willow Ave!

09/14/2026

Join CCE Tompkins and Ithaca Car Share on Sunday, September 20, for a celebration of "Irene" (the locally-famous Ithaca Car Share truck) in the CCE parking lot and garden areas with music by Singtrece (at 2 pm), The Rungs (at 4 pm), and WSKG Public Media . The Education Center at 615 Willow Ave will be open from 2 to 6 pm to share bathrooms and water-fill stations with our community for the day.

We are excited to join Porchfest this year and to be part of this annual community celebration of local talent and connections. See you there!

For more information, visit CCETompkins.org/events/2026/09/20/catch-us-at-porchfest .

Energy & Climate Change, CCE Tompkins

09/11/2026

Clare Jones will be sharing her project Sun Salutations with Southern Tier residents at two public events on the Ithaca Commons this September. Sun Salutations is a series of poems by Clare Jones and inspired by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Smart Energy Choices.

- On September 12 and 13, Clare will be in the Author Tent at the Book Fair for the Ithaca Is Books Festival from 2 to 4pm.
- On September 25, 26 and 27, Clare will be at a non-profit vendor table at Apple Harvest Fest from 10am to 6pm.

Learn more about Clare Jones at www.clarejonespoet.com

This project is made possible by the Arts & Clean Energy Grant a collaboration with Community Arts Partnership and other arts organizations throughout the Southern Tier.

09/09/2026

Applications for the Energy Warriors have been extended to August 14! You can join this Tompkins County paid workforce training that will prepare you for a career in clean energy jobs.

The training program runs Sept 28-December 18. Earn up to $2,500 while you complete an Environmental Literacy Pre-Apprenticeship and earn key industry certifications such as OSHA 10, Building Science Principles certification, and Boot Camp for Weatherization Installers.

No prior training is necessary! Applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis. Spaces are limited. Learn more about the program and apply online at www.energy-warriors.org .

Paid green jobs training in Tompkins and Chemung County What is Energy Warriors? Apply The Energy Warriors program provides paid job training for folks interested in the growing green job sector—HVAC installers, insulation technicians, renewable energy installers, and reuse specialists, to name a ...