CIPWG SYMPOSIUM: Invasive Plants in Our Changing World: Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future Presented by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) Tuesday, October 11, 2016 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Student Union, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT This 8th biennial conference features national, regional, and local experts as well as […]
Bovay Joins CAHNR
Dr. John Bovay joined the ARE Department in August as Assistant Professor with 60% extension, 25% research, and 15% teaching responsibilities. We are excited to learn more about his extension and research interests. Can you share any prior Extension and outreach experience you have? Engaging with farmers and the public through outreach and extension has always been […]
2016 UConn Master Composter Program
Become a UConn Master Composter! The purpose of the Master Composter Program is to provide local compost enthusiasts with the tools and information necessary to educate and teach interested community members about composting and reducing the amount of solid waste sent to the state’s incinerators and landfills. Participants would attend classroom sessions at Auer Farm […]
UConn Extension Hosts Fall Open House
North Haven—UConn Extension’s New Haven County Extension Center invites the public to a Fall Open House on Thursday, September 15, 2016 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 305 Skiff Street, North Haven. The New Haven County Extension Resource Council, Inc. (NHCERC, Inc.), a volunteer organization supporting the educational outreach programs based in this center, […]
National Preparedness Month
September is recognized as National Preparedness Month (NPM) which serves as a reminder that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and also where we visit. Due to the success of last year’s theme, “Don’t Wait, Communicate. Make Your […]
CLIR Classes for September
Our Center for Learning In Retirement (CLIR) has planned their September classes. It’s not too late to register, visit our website for more information. CLIR classes for September are held in Vernon Cottage on the UConn Depot campus: Memoir Club: Thursdays from Sept 8, 10:15 – 11:45 BREXIT: Misplaced Nostalgia for the Sovereign Nation […]
Fermentation of Vegetables at Home
Fermentation of Vegetables at Home, A Food Preservation Workshop To Be Provided By UConn Extension Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. All over the world it is used for the creation and the preservation of food, including beer, wine, sauerkraut, kimchi, sour pickles, grains, yogurt, etc. UConn Extension is offering a […]
What You (Probably) Did Not Know About Food Recalls
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH UConn Extension Educator/Food Safety Food recalls have become so commonplace that most consumers no longer pay attention. In the month of July alone, there were 46 recalls by food processors who are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the US Food […]
UConn Cheese Wins Award
For the third year in a row the UConn Dept. of Animal Science Creamery’s cheese was recognized for excellence amongst 1,843 products from 260 companies in the 2016 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition. This year the creamery’s Chipotle Pepper Queso Blanco took third in it’s category making it three award in three years. We just received […]
Early Registration Ends 9/12 for Invasive Plant Symposium
CIPWG SYMPOSIUM: Invasive Plants in Our Changing World: Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future Presented by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) Tuesday, October 11, 2016 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Student Union, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT This 8th biennial conference features national, regional, and local experts as well as citizen […]
Advancing the Business of Farming in Connecticut
UConn Extension and 8 statewide agricultural partners have received a grant from USDA-NIFA for their project, “Advancing the Business of Farming in Connecticut in Partnership with Agriculture Learning Centers.” The nearly $600,000 grant integrates the expertise and current training programs of UConn Extension with the Agricultural Learning Centers that provide targeted training, mentoring, and one-on-one […]
UConn to Host Invasive Plant Conference on Oct. 11
UConn to host major invasive plant conference on October 11 The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) will present a symposium on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at the Student Union, University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. The symposium will take place from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The symposium theme is Invasive Plants in Our […]
Practical Applications in Greenhouse Nutrient Management
Practical Applications in Greenhouse Nutrient Management Will be held on September 27, 2016 at the Jones Auditorium, Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, in New Haven CT. This educational program will feature the following topics for greenhouse growers: Crop Insurance options to manage farm risk, Joseph Bonelli, Associate Extension Educator, UConn Extension How to […]
Monitoring for Insects
It may not be the Olympics, but we’ve been busy with Brazil too. Last week, Leanne Pundt visited Geremia’s Greenhouses in Wallingford to help train their interns on how to identify and monitor for insects on their yellow sticky cards. The interns are all from Brazil and part of The Ohio Program, an International Exchange Program […]
UConn PEP Testimonials
Our UConn PEP (People Empowering People) program is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. A few of our participants share what the program means to them.
New Website Launched to Help Coastal Property Owners and Beach Associations
GROTON, CT—Connecticut Sea Grant announces a new website intended to assist coastal Connecticut beach property owners and beach associations with hazards such as impacts from storms and associated erosion and flooding. The new site helps users evaluate threats and prepare to protect property from further damage. A variety of actions, depending on the scale of […]
Internship Program Provides Credentials for Job Search
By Kim Colavito Markesich Originally published by Naturally@UConn on July 26, 2016 According to a 2012 survey of employers conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education and American Public Media’s Marketplace, an internship is the single most important credential for recent college graduates in their job search. The UConn Extension/4-H Internship Program was created to […]
Living Shoreline Planting
UConn Extension worked on a living shoreline planting on Friday June 10, 2016 at Dodge Paddock Preserve in Stonington. The area is owned and managed by Avalonia Land Conservancy. Special thanks to Beth Sullivan, volunteer extraordinaire and Avalonia project manager.
Soil Test Prices Have Increased
Starting July 1, 2016, the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab increased some of our fees as well as our offerings. The price of the standard nutrient analysis increased from $8 to $12. This is the test that is performed when a sample is submitted using those pre-paid soil test collection kits sold by some county […]
Biosecurity Workshop Provides Healthy Discussion
How would a dairy or livestock business survive if a Foreign Animal Disease arrived in the United States? Using Foot and Mouth Disease as an example, participants of UConn Extension’s Biosecurity Workshop heard from Dr. Richard Horwitz about the New England Secure Milk Supply’s steps to maintain a permit to ship milk when the disease […]
Water Conservation Tips
We’re having a dry summer in Connecticut. There are many simple steps for you to conserve water at home, including: - Taking shorter showers - Running dishwashers and laundry machines with full loads - Shutting off water while washing dishes, shaving, brushing teeth, and lathering up to wash hands, rather than running the water continuously […]
Tips for Donating Extra Garden Produce
Many of you are growing your own food this summer at home or in a community garden. Do you have an abundance of vegetables – more than you and your family can consume? Here are some tips from Maine Extension on donating your extra produce: Home Gardeners Growing extra food in your own garden, or […]
An Opportunity to Explore Outside the Box with UConn Extension
By Tom Martella UConn Extension Summer Intern Often times students at my age find themselves concerned that the subject matter they have been studying for the past two, three, or even four years is not what they see themselves doing for the rest of their lives. Numerous questions begin to arise: Is it too […]
Bug Week Offers Programs For Whole Family
UConn Extension’s Bug Week is right around the corner, and we have programs for the whole family. Bugs are the unsung heroes of our ecosystem, providing services such as pollination and natural pest control. However, bugs don’t stop at environmental benefits. They have also impacted our culture through the manufacturing of silk, sources of dyes, wax […]
Citizen Science & the CT Woodland Owner
Written by Nancy Marek Scott Matties was checking his mailbox one late winter afternoon when he saw three shadowy figures cut across Ridge Road heading for his property. The shadows did not move like dogs. Domestic cats are not that big, he thought. He dashed to the back of his house and froze: three young […]
UConn Climate Corps
UConn Extension’s Chet Arnold, Juliana Barrett and Bruce Hyde are part of a team that received funding from the University as part of the Academic Plan Proposal Awards. Other team members include: Mark Boyer (Geography), Maria Chrysochoou (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Sylvain DeGuise (Pathobiology), and John Volin (Natural Resources and the Environment). This project will […]
Wild and Wonderful Insects of New England
Written by Pamm Cooper Toward the end of spring and the beginning of summer, I find that the most interesting insects are to be found. While spring offers some really good forester caterpillars and their attractive moths, among other things, nature seems to me to save the best for last, it seems to me. From […]
Emergency Preparedness for Families in Coastal Communities in Southeastern Connecticut
UConn Extension has received a two-year grant from USDA-NIFA to work with residents in four Southeastern Connecticut coastal communities promoting storm (coastal or heavy precipitation event) preparedness. The coastal communities of Connecticut and Rhode Island are impacted by flooding, storm surge, and wind causing property damage during major storm events such as nor’easters and hurricanes. […]
Telling Stories with Maps
Emily Wilson wrote a blog post for Map@Syst on the story maps being created by UConn Extension: CLEAR’s Extension faculty have long used maps to educate land use decision makers and the public about Connecticut’s landscape and natural resources. The Connecticut’s Changing Landscape (CCL) research project has been the foundation of the education. CCL is […]
Crop Availability in Connecticut
Have you ever wondered which fruits and vegetables are available in Connecticut, and when? The Department of Agriculture created this chart to help:
Soil Testing for Lawns and Gardens
By Dawn Pettinelli for UConn Extension Soil testing is an inexpensive, yet valuable, tool for assessing the fertility of lawn and garden areas. Test results indicate the soil’s pH level, the amounts of available plant nutrients, and the existence of nutrient imbalances, excesses or deficiencies. WHY SHOULD I HAVE MY SOIL TESTED? Soil testing eliminates […]
Mix Some Whole Grains with Local Fruits and Veggies
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator, UConn Extension Lest this article appears to be written by the food police, I confess I am a real fan of a plate of regular, white flour pasta, ciabatta bread, and, once and a while a fried bologna sandwich on good (well, maybe not so good) old […]
8 Tips for Keeping a Healthy Home
Is your home well ventilated? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information and tips.
UConn Extension Tractor Course Has Lasting Impact
For the past two years, UConn Extension has offered a Tractor Operation, Safety, and Basic Maintenance Course for beginning farmers at the UConn Plant Science Research Farm in Storrs. This two-day class is designed to educate and empower current or future users of agricultural tractors and farm equipment. During the class, they demystified tractors to improve their understanding of […]
Congratulations PEP Graduates
Congratulations to our recent People Empowering People (PEP) graduates from KITE Enfield!
Is Your Home Safe?
Is your home well safe? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.
Got Holes in Your Trees?
By Joan Allen, Assistant Extension Educator It’s not generally good news if you discover holes in the bark of your trees. Common causes of holes in trees include wood boring insects and birds. In the case of insects, it is usually the larval stage that feeds within the tree while the adults feed on […]
Hazardous Household Products
Are there hazardous household products in your home? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping your home safe.
Survival Training for Commercial Fishermen
Nancy Balcom, Associate Director and Program Leader, Connecticut Sea Grant, and Senior Extension Educator, UConn Extension, organized and facilitated safety and survival training for 49 commercial fishermen. The training was sponsored by Connecticut Sea Grant, US Coast Guard, University of […]
Keep Pests Out!
Is your home free from pests? Visit the Healthy Homes Partnership for more information on keeping them out of your home.