Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

10/16/2026

Reminder! Fall into Composting
Sunday, 10/18, 1-3 pm
Outside and inside at 69 E Main St, Tburg
First Presbyterian Church/Fellowship Hall

Course led by Master Composter Mark Darling. Registration is $5 - sign up at ulysses.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=544

Fall is a great time of year to start a home compost system with the abundant materials in your yard, particularly leaves. Learn the basics of home composting with a focus on how to create a compost system that can retain the carbon from plants in your yard to help make plants grow and the lawn lush.

10/15/2026

CCE Tompkins is requesting bids for the renovations of a bathhouse located at 4-H Acres. Sealed bids are to be received by October 23.

Read about the scope of the renovation project and find documents related to this process at https://ccetompkins.org/about-us/bids-rfps/bid-requests .

Bowker Hall ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OF TOMPKINS COUNTY (CCE-TOMPKINS), ITHACA, NY RENOVATION OF SUMMER CAMP BATHHOUSE LOCATED AT 4-H ACRES, 418 LOWER CREEK ROAD, ITHACA General Notice CCE-TOMPKINS (Owner) is requesting Bids for the ...

10/14/2026

Native Landscapes: Management and Planting Strategies at NYS Parks
5:30-7 pm, Tuesday, October 20
Join in person or online!

New York State Parks is increasing the use of native plants in our shared public spaces, following a native plant policy that encourages using beneficial species in all landscaping and gardening projects. In this discussion we will go over management strategies that help horticulture staff balance aesthetic and ecological goals in landscape restoration and garden sites around the Finger Lakes state park region. The pros and cons of different planting and establishment strategies will also be discussed.

Instructor Max McCune has been a Horticulturalist at New York State Parks since 2018. He works to design, maintain and manage native plant restorations and gardens throughout the Finger Lakes region.

This program is valued at $20, however, please pay what you are able. Sign up online at ccetompkins.wufoo.com/forms/mjv6osd0malojb .

10/13/2026

Trumansburg-area residents! Fall is a great time of year to start a home compost system with the abundant materials in your yard. Learn the basics during Fall into Composting, a $5 workshop led by Master Composter Volunteer Mark Darling, 1-3 pm on Sunday, October 18, held the First Presbyterian Church, 69 E Main Street in Trumansburg.

You'll learn how to create a home compost system, including choosing a bin, managing compost, and harvesting and using the results. Sign up online at https://ulysses.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=544 .

FALL INTO COMPOSTING ~ Led by Mark Darling Sunday October 18 1:00 - 3:00pm Fall is a great time of year to start a home compost system with the abundant materials in your yard, particularly leaves. Learn the basics of home composting with a focus on how to create a compost system that can retain the...

10/12/2026

There are still spots open in our Food Preservation class; learn to preserve your autumn produce safely, and enjoy it throughout the coming months!

Dried herbs, fruit leather, frozen vegetables and more! As the growing season comes to an end, come learn about the ways you can get the highest quality dehydrated and frozen food. Unlike canning, dehydrating and freezing can be done with very little specialized equipment. We'll discuss safety, logistics, and food quality with examples of how to put these skills into practice. Sign up to attend this hands-on class on Tuesday, October 13: ccetompkins.wufoo.com/forms/m1kca2ra1fxcido .

Instructor Aly Trombitas is the Agriculture & Horticulture Educator at CCE Tompkins. She is Master Food Preserver and started formally (and enthusiastically) teaching food preservation in 2023. She has many years of experience teaching all ages about food, environment, and agriculture.

This program is $20. A donation funds scholarships to keep our programs accessible to all. Subsidized rates are provided to support all community members' access. Please pay what you are able.

10/10/2026

10/09/2026

CCE Tompkins offers a free weekly space for parents of children ages 0-4 to socialize, learn, play, be creative, sing, listen to stories, and more! Sign up for the upcoming series (Oct 14-March 31) at ccetompkins.wufoo.com/forms/zlyg2ik0q5w23y and come out for as many of the Open Family Play events as you like.

Family Open Play is starting again!! Now Offering tips for Early Intervention! For parents with children ages 0 to 4 years old. Free space to play with your child and socialize with other families. Variety of toys (many from the brand LovEvery), books, and space for movement. Register once and come as much as you wish!
https://ccetompkins.wufoo.com/forms/mogtdgk18bahmg/

10/08/2026

FALL FARM FEST Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 1:00-4:00 PM Groundswell Incubator Farm 100 Rachel Carson Way, Ithaca, NY Come on down to the farm for Groundswell’s Fall Farm…

10/06/2026

The PowerHouse tiny home and energy education center will visit the Tompkins County Public Library from noon to 4 pm on Oct 10! This event is part of TCPL's Community Read series. Stop by:
☀️ 12-1 pm for Solar Tea and S'mores
🏠 1-2:30 pm for tours of the PowerHouse
📩 3-4 pm to learn How to Read (and Lower) Your Energy Bill — bring a copy of a recent bill and review it with a Community Energy Advisor. Registration is requested for this part, and you can sign up at tcpl.org/event/tcpl-community-read-read-and-lower-your-energy-bill-66060

At a time when even life's essentials are cost prohibitive, your Library is here to help. Join us next Saturday (October 10th) to welcome the PowerHouse from CCE. It's a tiny home full of exhibits that educate renters and homeowners on ways to reduce their energy use and transition to renewable forms of energy.
Starting at noon on Saturday you can get tours of the home (and enjoy some solar s'mores and tea!). You can even book an appointment through our website (link in bio) to have an expert review your energy bill with you, explain what all those fees on it actually are, and even find potential savings through small changes or programs available to our community.
It's part of Community Read 2026, made possible by a grant from the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation