Cornell Small Farms Program is looking for an Extension Associate

The Cornell Small Farms Program is seeking an Extension Associate to join our staff. To view the position description online, visit http://www.hr.cornell.edu/jobs/ Then, click on: External Applicants > Faculty and Non-Faculty Instruction,Research & Extension Positions > Job Number 11761-Extension Associate. Interviews will begin late January.

Plants can "feel" temperatures changing

Just as many researchers use white mice in labs, plant researcher use the Arabidopsis thaliana because its simple life form can show significant changes in pH, soil nutrients, air pollution and more. Scientists in the United Kingdom used it recently to show that plants can not only sense temperature change but also adapt to these changes by certain movements in the way their DNA is packaged. The research may result in being able to breed plants resistant to heat or cold. For the full story:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100107132543.htm

--Dianne Olsen

Planning on Tomatoes this year: Late Blight Q & A

The seed catalogs are rolling in, and with them comes a gardener's hope and excitement . . . a "this'll be the best garden ever" enthusiasm. If last year's tomato troubles are getting you down, follow this link to a short article on Late Blight, from the Northeastern IPM center, and learn how and where the pathogen overwinters, and which tomato varieties are currently believed to be most resistant.

http://northeastipm.org/newsandreports/2009fall/Fall09_LateBlight.html

Rank your favorite vegetables

The Cornell Citizen Science folk have put together a fabulous website to help home gardeners share their successes (and failures) in the vegetable garden. Find out what other people are growing and share your stories of tasty tomatoes and bouncing bean harvests. http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/

Cornell Tested Veggies

Vegetable gardening was so frustrating last year! Rain, rain and more rain and late blight of tomato . . . and that was just the headlines. Try again this year - it will definitely be better. To help gardeners pick the most successful hybrids, Cornell tests hundreds each year. The list of the best for 2010 is available now at http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/vegetables/vegvar.pdf

ALL NEW: CHECK OUT THE MG PUTNAM COUNTY, NY FACEBOOK PAGE

Hello All,

Please note the good news! Master Gardeners of Putnam County, New York now have a FaceBook page where we can post glad tidings as well as informal gardening chats, notices, etc. to one another.

Check it out at:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=181702671506&ref=mf

Or, just log on to FaceBook and search Master Gardeners of Putnam County, New York to become a participating member.

And post something on the wall for us all to see. You'll be glad you did!!

Michelle Obama Reaps Bonanza From White House Garden -- Politics Daily

Michelle Obama Reaps Bonanza From White House Garden -- Politics Daily