It’s National Volunteer Week, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to the 5,531 volunteers across all UConn Extension programs who help extend our impact throughout Connecticut. In 2023, we had 5,531 volunteers who donated 172,374 hours, worth $5.4 million to our Connecticut communities. Learn more about our volunteers and sign up to help us at: […]
Spring Updates from Extension
UConn Extension is everywhere: in libraries, public gardens, farms, schools, greenhouses, community centers, and nine Extension Centers located throughout the state. It’s never hard to connect with your local UConn Extension professionals. Our spring newsletter shares updates from various programs, including opportunities for you to get involved. Read our newsletter.
Help us Reach all Communities During UConn Gives
We are Reaching All Communities with UConn Extension because of your support. Please help us increase our impact by donating to our programs at https://s.uconn.edu/givetoextension. UConn Extension programs are serving residents in all 169 municipalities of Connecticut. We focus on health and well-being, agriculture, horticulture, natural resources, and youth development. Your support allows us to […]
Workshop: Pasture Based Systems Sustainable Livestock Production
Join UConn Extension for a tour of Pat’s Pastured, a Rhode Island pasture-raised livestock and poultry farm that serves both retail and wholesale customers. Following the tour, owner Pat McNiff will lead a presentation and answer questions regarding the economic analysis and decision making involved with growing, harvesting and marketing his products to ensure the […]
2024 Summer Internship in Fruit Production and IPM
2024 Summer Internship in Fruit Production and IPM with Evan Lentz Assistant Extension Educator in Fruit Production and IPM Young 116A Background: I am seeking an individual undergraduate student who will assist with ongoing pest monitoring research efforts around the state. Pest monitoring is one of the essential tools available to farmers and researchers who […]
Managing Fungus Gnats and Shore Flies in Commercial Greenhouse Vegetable Transplant Production
Both fungus gnats (Bradysia spp.) and shore flies (Scatella stagnalis) occur in the moist environments common in greenhouses. This publication is intended for commercial greenhouse growers.
Managing Cover Crops in Spring
With temperatures warming as spring approaches each year, many farmers are deep in preparations for the coming season; crop planning, purchasing seed, prepping nurseries, repairing machinery and more. In the midst of this planning one might look over the farm on a sunny day, and wonder, “What am I going to do with all this over-wintered rye cover crop?”
Bird Health Webinar on Bolstering Biosecurity
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service invites you to join a webinar on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. ET for information about resources that may be helpful to producers seeking to enhance their biosecurity. The 30-minute webinar will feature a presentation from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) on loan programs that they […]
Meet Dan Carvalheiro
Dan Carvalheiro recently joined Extension as our data analyst. He is originally from Bridgeport and is working towards a doctoral degree in Human Development and Family Sciences at UConn. What is your area of interest and how did you get interested in it? My area of interest is at the intersection of data, statistics, research, […]
Winter Storm Preparedness
During the winter, see what conditions are forecast in your area for the upcoming week. If a winter storm is predicted, you want to be SAFE and WARM. Take actions to prepare in advance.
Deer Management
The population of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Connecticut has increased dramatically, from very few in the early 20th century to over 100,000 today. This rebound is due to the shortage of predators and the ability of deer to quickly and plentifully reproduce.
Safely Trailering and Loading Your Horse
In order to have a successful trip with your horse, there are some safety considerations involved. It is important to know how to safely load and trailer your horse. Unsafe trailering and loading can lead to accidents and health concerns.
Tune Into the Aquaculture Series
There are two new videos for the Connecticut Aquaculture Series focused on shellfishing history. The first is, How a Native American Artisan Keeps the 4,500-Year-Old Practice of Wampum Alive, and the second is Focus on Early Processing and Shipping.
Small Farm Innovation Project
Española abajo UConn College of Engineering and College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, are developing a project-based learning curriculum that connects farmers to a collaborative team of students, faculty, Extension, and agriculture service providers, to help bring your ideas to fruition. Do you have an idea for a new tool, or a way to […]
Reducing Storm Damage to Your Barn
Buildings need to provide a safe environment for workers and animals. Historically, agricultural buildings were considered of low importance, so structural load reductions of roughly 20% may have been applied in the design. If there were no engineered building prints or structural inspections, the owner assumed responsibility for building design.
How to Prepare for Equine Disasters
We have all watched the evening news and seen horses stranded in floods or have heard about the latest barn fire in our communities. First, some shocking statistics. Every year, floods in the United States cause $2 billion in damage and animals risk death from hypothermia or drowning. Annually more than 300,000 people are driven from their homes by floods.
Fire Safety – Prevent, Prepare and Take Action!
Fire safety may not be a thought on every horse owner’s mind, but it should be in order to prevent tragedy from occurring. It seems like every horse owner knows stories of horrific barn fires and you certainly don’t want to be the next one!
Getting To the Bottom of Your Well
You turn the faucet on, and water comes out. What else do you need to know? Clean, reliable drinking water is often taken for granted. Understanding where your water comes from at your home is important. The purpose of this fact sheet is to describe how your private residential well works, and to provide advice on how to protect the quality of your water.
Food Safety During a Power Outage
First, it is important to keep the doors closed on your refrigerators/freezers as much as possible, keeping the cold air inside. A refrigerator will keep foods cold for about four hours if UNOPENED. A full freezer can stay at freezing temperatures for about 2 days.
Financial Preparation for Severe Storms and Other Emergencies
There are several actions you can take to get your family and home ready for storms and other emergencies. What can you do to prepare financially?
Alternative “Lawn” Options for New England Landscapes
Lawns are an integral component of the home landscape. Turf areas contribute recreational space and offer a focus of the landscape design. Grasses also sequester carbon and provide an efficient carbon sink.
UConn Spring 2024 Horseback Riding Program
Come ride at UConn, the horseback riding program is open! The practicum is a professional, improvement, non-credit horseback riding lesson program open to everyone. Lessons in dressage, hunt seat, western, polo, and trail are offered at a variety of levels. Going from January 22 to April 26 (13 weeks), at the UConn Storrs Campus! Registration […]
Job Openings in UConn Extension
There are two jobs openings in UConn Extension. Assistant/ Associate Extension Educator for Agriculture Business Management and Assistant/ Associate Extension Educator for Controlled Environment Agriculture. Both closing January 31, 2024. For more information and to apply go to https://publications.extension.uconn.edu/job-openings-with-extension/ Assistant/ Associate Extension Educator for Agriculture Business Management is a full-time, 11-month appointment for a non-tenure-track […]
Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Connecticut
CAES Announces Renewal of the Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine for Connecticut New Haven, CT – The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) in cooperation with USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) continued to detect expanding populations of the spotted lanternfly (SLF) in Connecticut through 2023. The Director of CAES hereby announces the renewal of the Order of Quarantine for SLF that was established 1 July 2021, effective January 1, 2024. More information about SLF, the quarantine order and state quarantine requirements can be found at: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES-SLF In 2020 through 2023, multiple adult SLF populations were detected in Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, and New London Counties. The distribution […]
Sheep Day 2024
2024 UConn 4-H Sheep Day Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 – 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Ratcliffe Hicks Arena – UConn Storrs, CT Designed for youth ages 7-18, parents/guardians, leaders and sheep enthusiasts. Each youth MUST have a chaperone on the premises. If a parent/guardian will not be accompanying a youth participant to UConn 4-H Sheep […]
CAES Bedding Plants Spring 2024 Program
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in coordination with UConn CAHNR Extension is putting on a bedding plants for Spring of 2024 program. The event takes place January 30, 2024 at the New Haven CAES location, running from 12:30- 3:30! There is an opportunity to get pesticide recertification credits (pending approval). Time Topic Speaker 12:30-1:30 […]
Crop Talk
We are pleased to share the December 2023 edition of Crop Talk! Access it via the following link to view the full publication:https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3216/2023/12/Crop-Talk-December-2023.pdf
Farm Risk Management Program 2023-2024 FREE Programs
UConn Extension is offering plenty of Farm Risk Management Programs in the upcoming 2024 year, and they are FREE! Options to Mitigate Farm Financial Losses When: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 Where: CLiCK, 41 Club Rd, Windham, CT Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Crop Insurance Programs When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 Where: Tolland County […]
Business of Farming Course
UConn Extension’s Solid Ground Program is now accepting applications for our new training “The Business of Farming.” What is it? This course will accommodate 15-18 participants for a 7-week learning opportunity that includes both virtual and in-person meetings (details below). It is designed to develop and strengthen the business and technical skills for beginning farmers with 0 – 3 years of experience. […]
UConn Extension’s Solid Ground Ag-Mechanics part 2
We’ve just about finished up our first round of Ag-Mechanics and we’re getting ready to start round 2! Again, these are small classes, so you’ll want to sign up fast because they fill up fast! The topics happening in the beginning of 2024 are Welding Using Metal Inert Gas Methods, Small Engine Maintenance & Repairs: 2-Stroke AND […]
2024 Produce Safety Rules Training Courses
The 2024 FSMA produce safety rule/ produce safety alliance approved grower training courses are here! Course Summary: The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training Course has been designed to provide a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices knowledge that includes emphasis on co-management of food safety and environmental management goals, while outlining the requirements of the […]
Did You Know: Cleaning New Haven Coastal Area
Summer may be over, but cleaning our coastal areas can be a yearlong project. On August 12 of 2023, volunteers spent two hours collecting over 110 pounds of trash in the Long Wharf Drive and the Long Wharf Nature Preserve in New Haven. the cleanup kicking off the 2023 #DontTrashLISound campaign led by Connecticut Sea […]
4-H Robotics Shines at The Big E
Our UConn 4-H members participate in the Big E, the world’s only multi-state fair, with their projects every September. It provides an opportunity to showcase their project and develop lifelong skills to serve them in their future careers and activities. The robotics program offers demonstrations in the New England Center, and shares information on STEM […]
Federal funds will enhance aquaculture education, kelp farming
Two federal grants totaling almost $600,000 will help launch two new initiatives considered crucial to the long-term viability of the state’s aquaculture industry. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Grant program will provide a $398,896 grant to Connecticut Sea Grant for a two-year project to assess workforce development needs. The grant was one of […]
United Way’s Partnership with New London County 4-H
In 2022, United Way of Southeastern Connecticut launched, Your Voice Counts (YVC), to promote trust and civility in our community. The initiative aims to improve communication, critical thinking, and understanding among high school students, to contribute to a more positive community. United Way’s program pairs up community partners and volunteers with the high school students […]
Northeastern US Producer survey on agricultural water and floods
UConn Extension is seeking inputs from farmers on information regarding current irrigation and water testing practices. The survey focuses on agricultural water and flood impact on crop food safety in the Northeastern US. Your participation as a producer in this survey is valuable as it will help UConn Extension better understand the challenges and concerns […]
Wrack Lines explores the many facets of marine education
The new issue of Wrack Lines is now posted on the sea grant website! Learn about the inspiring journey of a mini sailboat, lessons from beaches and school aquariums and the unique geology of the Connecticut shoreline in their newest issue. More good reading can be found in articles about how the ocean literacy campaign and ocean […]
Registration now open for winter UConn Ornamental and Turf Course
Registration now open! Winter 2024 Ornamental and Turf Short Course Wednesdays 5:30-7 pm, from January 10 – March 13, 2024 Register Here More information at s.uconn.edu/ornamental-turf. Ornamental and Turf Online Short Course Description UConn Extension offers an online Ornamental & Turf Short Course in the fall and winter, which helps students prepare for the pesticide applicator supervisory […]
‘Seaweed Food Safety’ report examines federal, state regulations
The National Sea Grant Law Center has announced the release of a new seaweed food safety publication produced in partnership with New York Sea Grant and Connecticut Sea Grant as part of the National Seaweed Hub. “Seaweed Food Safety: Comparing Compliance with Preventive Controls for Human Food with Seafood HACCP” was developed to help the emerging […]
Garlic Cultivation in Connecticut
Garlic is a staple crop in the Northeast, but it can be difficult to know exactly when to plant and harvest garlic in this region. There are quite a few important guidelines during all stages of garlic cultivation.