From left are Executive Director of CCE of Putnam County Stefanie Hubert, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne and CCE of Putnam County Chairman Rodney Dow displaying plans for a Cornell Barn at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster.
Thanks to a $50,000 secured, in part, by former Assemblyman and current Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County has reached the amount of funding needed to construct a new Cornell Barn and Education Center at the county-owned Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster
The grant supports a greater fundraising effort by CCE of Putnam County for this new building, which seeks to offer agricultural and animal educational programs for residents and local youth.
“We would like to extend Cornell’s deepest gratitude to County Executive Byrne and the New York State Assembly for this grant,” said Stefanie Hubert, executive director of CCE of Putnam County. “The grant has certainly boosted us over the $200,000 threshold that we needed to reach to build our desired space.”
She said the agency anticipates having a shovel in the ground by April.
“This project has tremendous regional benefits supporting all Putnam County residents,” said Byrne. “The project aligns with the initial intent of the county’s acquisition of the park, providing both recreational and educational opportunities for young residents of the area to learn about agriculture, farming and caring for animals.”
“We are having a lot of fun with this project, and we are very excited to provide many different programs for our young people,” said Rodney Dow, chairman of the CCE of Putnam County. “As everyone on the other side of the county knows, I’m an avid beekeeper. I am very excited to be able to continue our beekeeping program here in our new space.”