By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD UConn Extension Educator – Food Safety Food safety is not something we usually think of when we are making our New Year’s resolutions. In fact it is likely that you will promise to lose weight, exercise more, read more, spend less, stop smoking, start spending more time with […]
Invasive Worm Survey
We Need Your Help – Take Our Invasive Worm Survey Some of you may be aware of the problems our forest ecosystems, and in some cases our gardens, are experiencing due to the arrival of the invasive earthworm species, Amynthas, also known at the crazy snake worm or Alabama jumper. Here is a link […]
Master Gardener Volunteer Wins Award
Congratulations to Advanced Master Gardener Ken Sherrick named “Outstanding CFPA Volunteer” for his work on the Connecticut Forest and Park Association grounds and gardens in Rockfall, CT.
Garden Programs in Fairfield County
Originally published by Naturally@UConn on December 16, 2014 Written by: Kim Markesich Fairfield County gardening programs teach nutrition, integrated pest management and life skills The Fairfield County Extension Center Demonstration Garden The Fairfield County Extension Center hosts a variety of gardening programs, and the season just past was a successful and bountiful one. With the support of […]
Controlled Environment Agriculture
CONNECTICUT FEDERALLY FUNDED STARTUP AIMS TO BRING OUT-OF-SEASON FARMING TO FINANCIALLY STRESSED NEW ENGLAND GROWERS; Connecticut Tech Business To Introduce Year-Round Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) To Area Strawberry Farmers; Recent CBS’ 60 MINUTES Segment Highlights California Drought Impact on Local Food Availability December 15, 2014 — As the outdoor farming season in New England is […]
Where to go for Food Safety Information?
By Diane Wright Hirsch UConn Extension Educator/Food Safety The late fall, early winter holidays can be a busy time for home cooks. Whether you are preparing a traditional holiday turkey, a favorite side dish of greens from your garden, or attempting something new like a goose or Connecticut oysters, the food safety implications of […]
PEP: Building Communities
People Empowering People (PEP) – Building Communities By Robin Drago and Cathleen Love for UConn Extension The People Empowering People (PEP) Program is a personal and family development program with a strong community focus. PEP builds upon individual life experiences and strengths to encourage growth in communication and problem solving skills, parent and family […]
Holiday Plants, Holiday Safety
By Dawn Pettinelli UConn Home & Garden Education Center As we decorate our homes for the holidays with cheery plants, evergreen boughs and berries, it is important to take into account which plants and materials might be toxic to young children and pets. Many plants can pose serious threats to the curious two year old […]
10 Tips for the December Gardener
1. Replace the plants in hanging baskets, containers, and window boxes with evergreen boughs, berries and pinecones. 2. Disinfect, oil, and sharpen lawn and garden tools. Keep them in a dry storage area. 3. Don’t use fertilizer to melt ice. This creates nitrogen runoff issues that could damage local bodies of water. 4. Recycle your […]
Welcome Laura Brown!
We want to take this opportunity to welcome Laura Brown to UConn Extension as our new Extension Educator for Community Development. Laura has wonderful experience here in Connecticut where she worked with the Hartford Food System as their Director of Education and Community Outreach and then as a statewide Community Development Specialist at University of […]
Master Gardener Project at Natchaug Hospital
Working With the Land Provides Solace, Sustenance Staff and volunteers throughout the Behavioral Health Network are always volunteering discretionary effort, and campus beautification has been one area of focus. At Natchaug Hospital, the Master Gardener Garden Improvement Team was started in April 2009 by Edward Sawicki, MD, a retired member of the Board of Directors. […]
Master Gardener Volunteer Recognition
As part of the national celebration of the 100th anniversary of Cooperative Extension in 2014, the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program is honoring the substantial contributions of its Master Gardener volunteers. This marks the commencement of an ongoing recognition program for the sizable volunteer time that Master Gardener volunteers invest in their communities. This recognition […]
NY Produce Show
UConn CAHNR students are at the The New York Produce Show & Conference in NYC with Agricultural Resource Economics Assistant Professor and UConn Extension Economist Ben Campbell. These are pictures of them talking with students from Newcastle University (UK) at the Global Trade Symposium, at the career networking event at the Show as well as pictures of them in Times Square NYC. […]
World Soil Day
Today is World Soil Day! Did you know? Soil is the basis for food, feed, fuel and fibre production and for services to ecosystems and human well-being. It is the reservoir for at least a quarter of global biodiversity, and therefore requires the same attention as above-ground biodiversity. Soils play a key role in the […]
A Rain Garden Growing Season
Watch this great video on the growing season in the rain garden at our UConn Extension Center in Haddam.
A Better Way of Farming
Vegetable Farmers Switch to Reduced Tillage/Deep Zone Tillage By Jude Boucher, UConn Extension Educator In 2006, after several 4 to 6-inch rainstorms, and having to contend with 4-foot deep erosion gullies in his sweet corn fields, Nelson Cecarelli of Cecarelli Farm decided he needed a better way to farm the rolling hills of Northford […]
Buy Local When Gift-Giving
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD UConn Extension Educator/Food Safety No, I was not racing to the nearest “big box” or department store on Thanksgiving night to get in line for a 29 cent towel. I was, however, enjoying my family around a table full of Connecticut grown turkey dinner food. Apples from Hindinger […]
Growing Container-Grown Greenhouse Vegetables
UConn Extension is sponsoring, Growing Container-Grown Greenhouse Vegetables on Dec 16, 2014 at the Litchfield County Extension Center, 843 University Drive, Torrington, CT. The speakers featured at this educational program include: 9:00-9:30 Registration 9:30 – 10:30 Growing Greenhouse Tomatoes and Cucumbers in Soiless Media […]
UConn Extension Receives Farmland Preservation Pathfinder Award
The UConn Extension Agriculture Team was the recipient of the Farmland Preservation Pathfinder Education Leader Award at the Working Lands Alliancee Annual Meeting on Tuesday, November 18th at the State Capitol in Hartford. The award recognizes significant contributions in the area of educating the public about the importance of farmland preservation. UConn Extension connects […]
Celebrate a CT Grown Thanksgiving
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD UConn Extension Educator – Food Safety The origins of the American Thanksgiving celebration can be debated. For early settlers, the occasion was often religious in nature, offering thanksgiving and praise for many blessings, not just a bountiful harvest. But, traditionally, we are taught that the Pilgrims celebrated the […]
Extension App Challenge
The UConn Extension App Challenge is a contest to develop innovative apps that tie UConn’s research to real life. Students are invited to work with a UConn Extension faculty member to develop software applications for smartphones, tablets, or web browsers that create greater community access to UConn science, research, and information. Students developing the most […]
Are Crock Pots Economical?
By Sherry Gray – Extension Instructor Nutrition Educator, EFNEP Supervisor Foods and Nutrition With colder weather and busy schedules, cooking with crock pot (or slow cooker) cooking is an attractive alternative during the fall and winter months. Crock pots can be big time savers when set in the morning to cook throughout the day. Many […]
A Nutrition Book for Teens
This unique 256-page paperback is the teen’s ultimate guide to navigating the world of nutrition and health. In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, it’s often easier to just go the fast food route. But this book will help parents and teens alike to make smart choices and reflect on the way they eat by giving them the […]
10 Tips for the November Gardener
Ten Tips for the November Gardener: 1. Once the ground has frozen (but before it snows), mulch fall planted perennials by placing 3 to 5 inches of pine needles, straw, chopped leaves around them. 2. Continue to thoroughly water trees, shrubs, planting beds, lawn areas and recently planted evergreens until a hard frost. Plants should […]
Safe Food Handling from Farm to Table
Written by Patsy Evans for Naturally@UConn and originally posted on October 14, 2014 Hearing the word ‘outbreak’ makes many people anxious. E. coliO157:H7, spinach, 2006. Salmonella, peanut butter, 2009. Listeria, cantaloupe, 2011. Diane Hirsch, UConn Extension educator for food safety, easily lists previous food-borne pathogen outbreaks. But, fear does not paralyze her. Instead, she works in classrooms and […]
Make Your Landscape Sustainable
By Joan Allen – Assistant Extension Educator – UConn Home & Garden Center A sustainable landscape incorporates a holistic approach of functionality, environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic sensibility. These principles are tied together in the design and maintenance of a landscape in order to maintain and preserve natural ecological habitats. Your Landscape Impacts The […]
Is your garden bursting with fall tomatoes?
By: Diane Wright Hirsch, UConn Extension Educator/Food Safety It has been a great year for growing tomatoes in Connecticut, but the season is rapidly coming to an end with the change to cooler temperatures. As much as we love our delicious vine ripened summer-red tomatoes, it is time for a reality check—summer is over. […]
Working for the Best Kept Secret
By Aaron Plotke UConn Extension Intern With summer quickly approaching, I was still unsure what I was going to do for the next three months. Understanding the importance of gaining real world experience in my field of study, I applied to a number of nutrition related internships throughout the semester. I was hoping to find that […]
Farm to School Programs Create New Opportunities for Farmers
Weekly Column: Farm to School Programs Create New Opportunities for Farmers By USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack This October, just like every other month during the school year, school menus will feature an array of products from local and regional farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. Kids of all ages will dig up lessons in school […]
Grower’s Nation Brings Citizen Science to the Farm
Knowing what to plant and when is vital information both for farmers and for gardeners who want to grow their own fruits and vegetables. The Growers Nation app, officially released last Friday, provides this information as well as other vital details in an easy-to-use format designed for both small-scale gardeners and farmers in developing countries. […]
10 Tips for the October Gardener
Prepare houseplants to come inside before the first frost. Scout for insects and rinse foliage and containers. Pot up tulips, hyacinths and other pre-chilled bulbs and store in a cool, dark place until ready to force. To begin pre-bloom dormancy for amaryllis, stop watering it and place in a cool, dark place. Pot up some […]
UConn Extension Centennial Video
UConn Extension Ties Research to Real Life for citizens of Connecticut every day. Join us as we take a tour of some of our UConn Extension programs.
UConn Students Learn About Canning
UConn Extension‘s Diane Hirsch held a workshop for 12 students from the UConn Spring Valley Farm and the UConn EcoGarden Club as well as others. The focus was on pressure canning as the Spring Valley Farm students hope to purchase a pressure canner in the near future. Julia Cartabiano, the farm manager, made the arrangements so […]
Blue-Green Algae
Prolonged dry conditions can cause problems; one of these is blue-green algae, which can overgrow in a stagnant pond. Aerating a pond can prevent blue-green algae, but if this is not possible the pond should be fenced off from livestock and avoided by humans and companion animals. Examining a water sample under a microscope […]
Bountiful Harvests
By Dawn Pettinelli for UConn Extension Community Gardeners Reap Bountiful Harvests While Average American Family Tosses 25% of Food Purchases Each Year! A couple of weeks ago, the Connecticut Community Gardening Association partnering with the community garden at Manchester Community College held a Summer Celebration of the gardens, the dedicated gardeners, their bounty, composting efforts and […]
Keep Phosphorus Out of Our Waters
By Dawn Pettinelli – Extension Instructor Plant Science & Landscape Architecture Phosphorus is an essential element for plant growth and as such is a component of many fertilizers. Many may not be aware that phosphorus pollution is the number one cause of declining water quality in fresh water lakes and ponds in Connecticut and other […]
Reusable Grocery Bags
By Diane Hirsch, Extension Educator Food Safety A Good Idea, But Are They Safe? Is that reusable grocery bag really such a good idea? Many of us have finally been won over to the reusable grocery bag culture. But, as a food safety educator I have often wondered, how sanitary are these bags that are […]
Save Summer Flavor: Freeze Fruits and Vegetables
How to save summer flavor for winter: freezing fruits and vegetables By Diane Wright Hirsch UConn Extension Educator/Food Safety It has been a wonderful year for growing fruits and vegetables in Connecticut. A trip to your backyard vegetable garden, local farmers’ market or maybe the nearby pick-your-own orchard, even late in the season, will […]
Biological Controls for Greenhouse Growers
UConn Extension hosted a workshop on Thursday, July 31st at the Tolland Extension Centeron Biological Controls for greenhouse growers. The workshop was attended by a diverse group of 80 greenhouse growers, retailers and educators from across the state, and organized by Leanne Pundt of UConn Extension. Dr. Rose Buitenhuis from the Vineland Research and […]
What Every CT Resident Needs to Understand About UConn Extension
I wish UConn Extension was not the best-kept secret in the state. It’s time everybody knew what a tremendous resource Extension is. Congress established the Cooperative Extension System as a national network in 1914 to tie university research to real life. UConn Extension programs have evolved over time, and as our state has changed, so […]