Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley

Episode 112: Bob Beyfuss

Robert Layton Beyfuss (1950-2023) was known as the ‘poet of gardening’ but he wore many hats. A longtime educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties (retiring in 2009), Bob was also a well-known columnist, widely sharing his knowledge and love of gardening. In addition to being an Internationally Certified Arborist, he is perhaps best remembered as having been a passionate expert on the cultivation of ginseng.

His ginseng journey began at Cornell University where he pursued a Masters degree in agriculture, after earning a Bachelors degree in botany from Rutgers University. The title of his Master’s Project was “The History, Use and Cultivation of American Ginseng.” American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is perhaps the most valuable non-timber forest crop in Eastern North America.

During the course of his career, Bob authored several booklets and fact sheets about the growing of ginseng and mushrooms, including “American Ginseng Production in NY State,” “The Practical Guide to Growing Ginseng,” “Ginseng Production in Woodlots,” and “Companion Planting,” among others. He was also an advocate for forest farming as both a conservation solution and an economic opportunity.

Outgoing, opiniated, thoughtful, inspirational, and listener, are some of the adjectives that described Bob. He was also an avid outdoorsman and equally loved the time he spent turkey hunting, fishing, foraging, and gardening in New York, as well as the time he spent fishing, and playing softball. In more recent years, Bob split his time between his homes in Schoharie County, NY and Florida (near his children and grandchildren).

Bob Beyfuss’ influence and impact on the ginseng industry are immeasurable. His own ginseng activities in New York State and his extensive cooperative extension activities outside the world of ginseng earned him, in 2021, declared a ‘State Treasure of New York”.

Anna Plattner, ginseng grower and educator from Wild Hudson Valley, joins Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley in a tribute to Bob with this episode being aired on the anniversary of his birth. Anna and her husband, Justin Wexler, manage the field operations of American Ginseng Pharm (AGP), a large-scale agroforestry farm in upstate New York that uses innovative methods to cultivate American ginseng in a way that benefits both humans and the Earth.

Hosts: Jean Thomas and Teresa Golden

Guest: Anna Plattner

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Resources

Episode 111: Veggie Patch Retrospective (Part 3)

Part 3 of the Veggie Patch Retrospective wraps up with 4 more short segments about gardening for edible food crops. Master Gardener Volunteer, Teresa Golden, continues to provide advice to the beginner and experienced gardener about how to tend a successful vegetable garden.

The first segment focuses on root crops including beets, carrots, radishes, onions, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, among others. The category gets its name because their edible roots grow under the soil. Knowing the growing season of the specific crop you are growing i s one key to success. They tend to be directly sown into the soil but proper spacing is also very important. Consistent watering is also key as is storing them properly once harvested.

Next is all about garden maintenance and tools. Maintenance revolves around weeding, watering, and fertilizing.  Make sure to water the soil, not the plants. One way to control weeds is to mulch, but whatever you do, don’t let the weeds got to seed to prevent an even bigger challenge in the future. Adding organic matter (like compost) is the preferable way to fertilize but if you do use supplemental chemical fertilizers, make sure to read the labels and apply them correctly. The right tools can make garden maintenance easier so listen in to learn the best tools for the job.

The segment on extending the gardening season focuses on various ways to keep the soil warm.  Cloches, cold frames, row covers, low tunnels and high tunnels are all discussed. Hopefully, this discussion can help you decide which approach might work best for you.

Finally, the Veggie Patch series ends with a segment about putting your garden to ‘bed’ for the winter. Once your crops are harvested, this involves pulling all dead or unproductive plants and either composting them (if they don’t have seeds) or discarding them. Remove all cages and supports, making sure to clean them before storing them for the winter. Testing your soil pH in the fall will inform you of any needed amendments (like compost). This is a great time to sanitize, oil, and sharpen your garden tools for the next season.

We hope this series gives you the confidence to start and nurture your home vegetable garden.

Host: Teresa Golden

Photo by: Teresa Golden

Production Support : Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Resources

Episode 110: Veggie Patch Retrospective (Part 2)

Welcome back to part 2 of the Veggie Patch Retrospective where we compiled together three previously aired short segments on various aspects of vegetable gardening. Instead of searching for the content in previous episodes, we’ve put these shorter segments together in a single episode for your listening convenience. Especially as winter drags on, it’s helpful to be able to dream of warmer weather when you get back into enjoying your garden.

This specific episode is about three popular vegetables found in home gardens: Tomatoes, Beans, and Cucurbits (cucumbers and squashes).

Tomatoes are one of the most beloved garden plants, but they can also be frustrating to grow. Learn about the best time to plant them (soil temperature is key so don’t be in a hurry), space them, and water them. Unfortunately, you will learn that tomatoes are as popular with pests and pathogens, as they are with humans. Learn how to spot them and manage them so that you can have a productive and delicious crop to harvest.

Legumes are another category of popular crops. They include the popular pea (garden, snap, snow and other types) and beans. Legume seeds can typically be planted directly in the ground so there is no need for seed starting or buying transplants. There are also many types of beans to experiment with. There are the traditional bush beans (perhaps one of the easiest to start with), pole beans (that require supports but produce a larger yield) and runner beans (whose plants are sized between bush and pole). Beans can be enjoyed raw, or cooked and can also be dried for future use. Legumes are very versatile crops, as well as being delicious and healthy too!

Cucumbers and squashes (members of the cucurbit family) are also home garden favorites. One of the secrets to a productive crop is to harvest the fruits regularly before they get too big. There are so many options available to grow so experiment with them to determine your favorites.

Listen to Teresa Golden, Master Gardener Volunteer, as she talks you through the various aspects of growing these vegetable crops and enjoy!

Host: Teresa Golden

Photo by: Teresa Golden

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Episode 109: Veggie Patch Retrospective (Part 1)

It’s that time of year to start dreaming about and planning for your vegetable garden. Whether you are a novice gardener or an experienced one, there is always something new to learn.

So we’ve pulled together a treat for you! Listen to this compilation of five already aired short segments specific to vegetable gardening. In this Veggie Patch Retrospective (part 1), you’ll learn from Master Gardener Volunteer, Teresa Golden, how to:

• determine the best place to site your garden,
• choose what veggies to plant to best serve the needs of your family,
• prepare the soil for a productive crop yield,
• start seeds at home,
• grow a family of vegetables called brassicas such as cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower

Also, check out the rich set of resource links below that can help you with your garden. There’s more to come, so make sure to check back for the next two parts of this sequence. We aim to demystify how to grow your own vegetable garden and/or help your garden be more productive.

Host: Teresa Golden

Photo By: Teresa Golden

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Resources

Episode 108: NYS Forest Rangers

Forest rangers are the wilderness’ police department. Think of them as ‘guardians of nature’ who protect and conserve natural resources in forests and parks. Their jurisdiction usually encompasses terrain filled with wildlife and treacherous landscapes. Forest rangers are often unsung heroes who work long hours in extreme conditions.

Many people associate forest rangers with "Smokey Bear', the lovable bear who warned us not to start forest fires. But rangers do more than prevent and fight fires. They are involved in law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, as well as public education and outreach.

Unfortunately, forest fires continue to be a threat to New York State’s forests and forest rangers are at the front lines in the fight against forest fires. They help educate and train fire departments in the best course of action to fight fires. They also engage in preventive measures, which may include setting controlled burns or clearing brush that may be a potential hazard in the event of fire. When a fire occurs, forest rangers work in conjunction with local fire fighters in controlling and putting out the fire. After a fire is contained, the rangers conduct investigations to determine the cause and source of the fire.

Every year hikers, campers and casual visitors get lost in the wilderness of state forests in the Hudson Valley. When they do, it is the forest rangers who play a critical role in search and rescue operations. Rangers travel over rough terrain in search of lost people. They help coordinate and lead search teams through the forest. Rangers are skilled in emergency training so they can administer first aid if needed. Forest rangers also keep track of campers and hikers by the use of checkpoints at the entries to parks and forests. This helps them monitor the number of visitors in the forest as well as alerts them to when someone could potentially have gotten lost, if they do not check out at the expected time.

Keeping the forests safe for visitors and wildlife is the most important part of a ranger’s job. Learn more from Anastasia Alwine, a New York State Forest Ranger, who joins the podcast, Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, in an informative discussion of the role of forest rangers in the Hudson Valley. Anastasia is from Syracuse, NY, and graduated from Cornell University as an art major. Prior to taking the civil service exam, she wasn’t aware that the Forest Ranger job existed, but you will hear how she loves working at this role now.

Hosts: Annie Scibienski and Jean Thomas

Guest: Anastasia Alwine

Photo by: Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Resources

Episode 107: Master Naturalist Program

Are you a nature lover? Are you interested in conservation or habitat restoration? Do you have a passion for our natural environment or want to learn more about the ecosystems, habitats, plants, and animals of New York State? Then this program might be for you!

The Master Naturalist Program is a science-based training program designed to teach adults about New York’s natural resources, empowering them to educate others and participate in on-the-ground conservation and monitoring projects.

The Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast team had the opportunity to meet with Kristi Sullivan, Director, NY Master Naturalist Program and Extension Associate, at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. With a focus on natural resources and the environment, Kristi was a ‘natural’ to create the Master Naturalist Program in New York State.

Over 500 people have completed this adult education program, with ~100+ active volunteers (who have reported their hours) in any given year. Only 30 people are admitted into the program each year, so there is an application process to be followed to ensure broader coverage across the state. You can become a Master Naturalist by taking the 16-hour mandatory “Naturalist Trainee” course, supplemented by 14 hours of additional coursework and 30 hours of volunteer work tailored to your personal interests. The mandatory “Naturalist Trainee” course is held at Cornell’s Arnot Teaching and Research Forest located in Ithaca, NY. It covers topics such as reptiles and amphibians, invasive species identification and control, insects, bats, ferns, wildlife and more.

Volunteer opportunities may include “hands-on” management, conservation or monitoring activities, or educational outreach. Examples of appropriate volunteer activities include working with a local land trust or nearby park to remove or monitor invasive species, collecting citizen science data for an ongoing program, inventorying wildflowers at a local park or preserve, participating in riparian buffer plantings or restoration, conducting wildlife surveys, contributing to water quality monitoring or research. Potential outreach activities may include leading a “woods walk”, writing articles, giving presentations, or developing educational brochures. Each Master Naturalist can pursue volunteer activities tailored to her/his own interests and strengths.

Always remember that YOU can make a difference in the natural environment.

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guest: Kristi Sullivan

Photo by: Tim Kennelty

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Resources

Episode 106: Great Backyard Bird Count

If you like birds, you will love this episode! Birds spark a deep wonder and help us to understand the living world. When birds disappear, they’re signaling that we’ve stressed our landscapes and oceans. When we make changes and they rebound, it signals hope that we can find ways to flourish and protect the natural world.

Becca Rodomsky-Bish, Project Leader from Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, joins us in a wonderful conversation about our feathered friends, the Lab, and the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Becca's focus in environmental education includes native habitats, sustainability, and conservation.  Beyond the Lab, she is an avid gardener creating beautiful gardens to feed her family as well as the wildlife in her area. 

The “GBBC” is a February event that has united birdwatchers around the world for over 25 years. For one weekend each year, citizen scientists submit their bird observations from their home or in their community. The GBBC engages backyard bird watchers and helps guide people in creating bird-friendly homes and yards. This is something that everyone can engage in as a citizen scientist.

And it’s just one project supported by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology whose mission is to interpret and conserve the Earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds and nature. The Lab brings together the agility and impact of an on-the-ground nonprofit organization with world-class science and teaching as part of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Together, they transform data into knowledge by pioneering new techniques that combine citizen science, machine learning, and data visualizations. Their studies explore the earth’s biodiversity, the processes that have generated it, and ways to conserve this abundance of life. Key partners in much of this research are the many thousands of people who volunteer for citizen-science projects.

The Lab created Merlin, a very popular application that helps identify birds by answering some simple questions, or via their photos, songs and calls. The Lab also developed and manages eBird, a database that engages a global audience in sharing observations to empower research and conservation of birds and ecosystems. Through the exploration, analysis, and visualization of massive data sets, insights are revealed on the distribution, movements, status, and trends of birds through time and across hemispheres.

Learn how you can participate in this process with the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guest: Becca Rodomsky-Bish

Photo by: Cornell University Lab of Ornithology

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connolly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Resources

Episode 105: NYS Master Gardener Program

The podcast team recently took a road trip to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY to meet with Ashley Helmholdt, Extension Associate, Cornell Garden-Based Learning, School of Integrative Plant Science Horticulture. With a passionate interest in garden-based learning, Ashley manages the New York State Master Gardener Volunteer and Seed to Supper programs as well as professional development for Cornell Cooperative Extension educators.

She shares a bit of the history of the MGV program which recently celebrated its 50^th anniversary. She’s heavily involved in the continual enhancements to the program and shares her enthusiasm for what’s to come. She also talks extensively about the Seed to Supper program, a six-session series, which helps new vegetable gardeners get started. Vegetable Varieties for New York State is also under her purview which is an excellent resource to help gardeners select varieties that will grow well in New York soils and climate.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer network is also working to strengthen understanding and inspire us to take action in our gardens and communities that will help address the global crisis of climate change. Supporting this effort, a curriculum is available for gardeners, homeowners, educators, volunteers, teachers, students, and anyone interested in exploring how we might examine our gardening practice through the lens of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

If you are interested in the Master Gardener Program in Columbia and Greene Counties or have a gardening question, please call or email the Master Gardeners at (518) 826-3345 ext 212 or ColumbiaGreeneMGV@cornell.edu.  If you live outside these counties, please contact your local county extension office.

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guest: Ashley Helmholdt

Episode 104: An MGV's Perspective

The Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a nationwide educational program, and in New York State, consists of a corps of volunteers who are trained by Cornell Cooperative Extension in the science and art of gardening. Master Gardener Volunteers are volunteers from the community who enjoy gardening and use their horticultural skills and expertise to educate others. In return for their training, Master Gardener Volunteers donate their time teaching the community about their gardening and the environment. Master Gardener Volunteer activities might include offering lectures and workshops at libraries, schools and in the community, answering horticultural inquiries, creating and staffing horticultural booths at shows and fairs, providing advice to the public at farmer’s markets, garden centers and other venues, and Increasing awareness of integrated pest management, water quality and conservation and other environmental issues. Being a Master Gardener Volunteer is both a rewarding and gratifying experience. Master Gardeners add beauty and knowledge to the many lives they touch.

In this episode, Rosemary Armao joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast with a perspective on the Master Gardener Volunteer program. As a recent graduate of the training process in Albany County, she provides a candid discussion about the training process as well as what she’s learned being a Master Gardener.

Rosemary Armao, a native of Albany, is an adjunct professor of journalism at UAlbany. She has worked as a reporter and editor at various wire services and newspapers. She has trained journalists and worked on media development projects throughout Eastern Europe and Africa. She is also a former executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors and former president of the Journalism and Women Symposium. She also has her own podcast, Armao on the Brink, which is focused on a discussion of the biggest stories across the globe that are bring society and culture to the brink of an abyss.

As a relatively new Master Gardener, her MGV perspective might be of interest to anyone considering becoming one. She talks about the rigors and rewards of the program during the training as well as ‘post-graduation’. Because she took the classes during the pandemic, the process was modified due to the inability to meet in person during that time period.

She discusses some of the key things she learned as a result of the training which includes leveraging the experience of other gardeners, learning from web sites of land grant universities, reading seed catalogues, and the value of hands-on experience. Rosemary helps to demystify the process of becoming an MGV and as well as what’s involved with volunteering with Cornell Cooperative Extension.

If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer, contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension to ask about the schedule for training classes in your county.

Hosts: Jean Thomas and Teresa Golden

Guest: Rosemary Armao

Episode 103: Hum of the Hive Retrospective - Part 2

In Part 2 of the Hum of the Hive retrospective, we’ve once again combined multiple (4) short segments together. So, make sure to listen to the end to hear them all! Hum of the Hive, featuring Linda Aydlett, follows the honeybee through the four seasons.

In the first segment, field bees are the focus of attention. Linda describes the various resources required by a hive to survive. To gather these resources, experienced foraging bees, also called scout bees, use a ‘waggle dance’ to communicate where the nectar or other resources can be found. Listening to this, you’ll appreciate why the field bees are the hardest working members of the hive.

Next, we shift to what happens to a honeybee colony in the spring. Many hives, that are running out of room, swarm to divide the colony. But this is not an impulsive decision. Many preparations are required to successfully accomplish this. The queen needs conditioning to be able to fly to a new location. Scout bees have to find potential places to relocate, and then use the waggle dance to communicate options. Once a favored location is selected, the colony flies off to its new home.

In the third segment, learn about propolis. Some resin honeybees collect resin from trees and shrubs and carry it back to the hive. Then, cementing bees remove the resin from the resin collecting bees and apply it to various uses within the hive. It can be used to seal cracks and crevices in preparation for the winter months, but resin also protects the colony from diseases, due to its multiple beneficial properties.

Finally, in the fourth segment, we shift to the summer months when water may be in short supply. This is called a dearth. Measures are taken to survive in difficult times. For example, they may limit the size of the colony by not allowing drones to return to the hive. Fewer bees mean fewer mouths to feed. They might also resort to cannibalism, or robbery to ensure the continuation of the colony. It can be tough to be a bee!

We welcome your feedback on the first or our retrospective series to help you find content on a specific topic in one place. E-mail us at colgremg@cornell.edu.

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