What started as an agricultural agency in 1917 has grown to encompass that and much more. The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, based in Riverhead, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Health & Environment
An East Hampton man who owns one of the biggest agricultural companies in the country has purchased more than 300 acres of farmland on the North Fork in the past nine months, including more than 100 acres that can only be used for agriculture.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill July 25 to prevent the sale of Plum Island by the federal government to the highest bidder for the second time. READ
Crescent Duck Farm, the last of its kind on Long Island, has a new 26,000 square foot solid waste storage facility that will prevent thousands of pounds of nitrogen from polluting ground and surface waters.
Two local estuaries are now a step closer to securing federal funding for the next fiscal year after some uncertainty about whether they’d be included in a final federal budget given cuts in Environmental Protection Agency appropriations proposed by the White House earlier this year.
As the popularity of paddle craft — such as kayaks, canoes and stand up paddleboards — increases across the country, so have related marine incidents. READ
Summer on the North Fork comes with warnings about ticks and concerns about the illnesses they can transmit, such as Lyme disease. But lately other lesser-known tick-borne ailments are grabbing the attention of East End locals, who reach out to experts because they are concerned the situation is worsening.
Kevin McDonald remembers 1985, when brown tide was first detected in Peconic Bay. He was recently married, and he and his wife had purchased snorkels and face masks to explore the bay, where the water color was a “light-colored coffee” and it was hard to see six inches in front of their faces.
