Saturday, 8/24/2013 This week has gone by so fast; it’s my last day in Colombia. It has been an awesome opportunity, where I have learned about myself, the Colombian government, culture, nutrition views, entrepreneurship, and where partnerships can begin. I made my last trip to the University of San Buenaventura. Today, the outreach office offered […]
Learning Sustainability with Extension Forestry Program
Tom Worthley of UConn Extension’s Forestry Program spent Tuesday, October 1st at Crescent Lake in Southington teaching agricultural education students from Southington High School about forestry management. Crescent Lake has experienced problems with the invasive insect emerald ash borer. Worthley felled a damaged ash tree on Tuesday and used a portable sawmill to make lumber. […]
Rineicha Otero in Colombia – Day 6 & 7
Thursday, 8/22/2013 Today I got to visit la Universidad de San Buenaventura Cali, where Ginna received her degree. I could see Ginna’s pride while she gave me the tour, along with a colleague. The campus was environmentally friendly; it was surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes. I had the opportunity to present to a group of 30 […]
Praying Mantis
As summer winds down, pay close attention to your garden and other areas of woods and open space – you might see a Praying Mantis. We have had several of these at the Tolland County Extension Center lately. The European praying mantis is found throughout the state and is also the state insect. They are […]
Buy Local
Senator Richard Blumenthal learns the 10% pledge at the Live Green Connecticut family festival in Norwalk on Sunday, September 15th. The Buy 10% campaign asks residents to spend 10% of their food and gardening dollars to locally grown produce. Find out more and take the pledge at buyctgrown.com – a partnership between UConn Extension and Cityseed.
Fall Soil Testing
Fall is the best time of year for testing your garden or lawn soil. Limestone and organic amendments can be mixed into the soil now, as they need time to breakdown and be incorporated into the soil. Come spring, only a planting fertilizer will be needed and you will have the recommendations in hand. Plus, […]
Rineicha Otero in Colombia – Day 5
Wednesday 8/21/2013 Ginna works as mentor to entrepreneur students at ICESI University. Every year ICESI hosts a competition for entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses’ plans. The winner has the opportunity to showcase his or her business at the national level. The presentations I viewed were very impressive; all of the business plans and concepts were […]
Where are the Monarchs?
By Pamm Cooper Most people who are butterfly aficionados have noticed that the Monarchs are few and far between this year. I have only seen two all year, and I am always out and about on power lines, in meadows, and walking trails where there is plenty of milkweed for the caterpillars to eat and […]
8 More Tips for the September Gardener
1. Now is the time to de-thatch and aerate lawns to promote root growth if necessary. 2. Remove and compost spent annuals and fallen leaves. 3. If frost threatens, bring houseplants indoors. Keep in mind that Sept. 16- 22 is National Indoor Plant Week! 4. Pot up or propagate herbs to bring indoors for winter […]
Rineicha Otero in Colombia – Day 4
Tuesday 8/20/2013 Today I visited Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, where I met with the director of the university’s social responsibility office. During this meeting, I learned about current programs established to target social issues in different communities throughout Cali. A two-week program has been created in collaboration with Gonzaga University (Washington) to focus on production of agriculture […]
Rineicha Otero in Colombia – Day 3
Monday 8/19/2013 The day has finally arrived; I was able to visit the San Jorge community. San Jorge is a community composed of displaced families. The community is comprised of 400 peoples, 125 being youth of diverse ages. Ginna has been working with this community to empower the women and children economically. There are three lines to […]
A New Pear Disease in Connecticut
By Joan Allen Pear trellis rust is a new disease of pear and juniper in Connecticut this season. The fungus that causes pear trellis rust is Gymnosporangium sabinae. It requires two unrelated host plants, pear and juniper, to complete its life cycle. This disease is common in Europe and has been present for some time […]
10 Tips for the September Gardener
Mid to late September is a great time to plant accent plants, like mums and asters, that will provide autumn colors in the landscape. Rake up leaves, twigs, and fruit from crabapple trees and throw them in the garbage to help control apple scab disease. Wood ashes contain potassium and calcium and can be used […]
Rineicha Otero in Colombia – Day 2
Sunday 8/18/2013 I wake to find another gorgeous day in Cali. The clear skies and fresh air made it for a great day to have a walking tour. Ginna and I walk over to a near by lake known as Humedal El Cisne La Babilla Tomasa, where you can sit and feed the ducks or […]
5 Tips for a Successful Home Canning Season
Start with a research-tested recipe. Just because a recipe is in print, doesn’t mean it’s safe for you and your family. Start with a recipe that has been tested to make sure that the product is safe and high quality. A great place to begin is with the recipes from the National Center for Home […]
Get a Look at Late Summer Tree Fruit
By Carol Quish Most of us know the normal tree fruits we commonly eat this time of year; apple, peaches, plums, even the more unusual quince and pawpaw. Most trees produce seeds to reproduce. Some seeds are housed in unusual wrappings. Take a photo trip through this blog to view uncommon and perhaps under appreciated […]
Cloud Watching
I am amazed at just how often I check the sky to see what the weather will be for the next while. I know some people check the weather channel or local news channels to see what the weather people are forecasting, but I look to the sky. After so many decades of turning my […]
Wild Morning Glory
The showy white or light pink, funnel-shaped flowers of the wild morning glory are abundant along roadsides right now. Maybe, like me, you think to yourself as you’re driving around or on a walk, “I’d like to find out what kind of wildflower or plant that is when I get home” and then later forget […]
Tolland County 4-H Fair
The 71st Tolland County 4-H Fair was August 9, 10 and 11 and was a huge success. Here are a few photos from the weekend.
Trees in Bushnell Park
I recently went to Bushnell Park for the first time in my life and was glad I tagged along. My favorite plants since childhood are trees, especially the kinds you can climb up into and take a seat on a limb broad enough to provide a comfortable seat so you can view the world around […]
Learning About a Healthy Home
Joan Bothell and Mary-Margaret Gaudio, from the Healthy Environments for Children Initiative at UConn Extension, have written a children’s book. Using text along with illustrations by Kevin Noonan from the UConn College of Agriculture, the book teaches children ways to maintain a healthy living environment. Photo by Sean Flynn, UConn
Tolland County 4-H STEM Photos
UConn Extension’s Tolland County 4-H program had a great time at the 4-H STEM Mini Field Trips.
Tolland County 4-H STEM Mini Field Trips
The Tolland County 4-H Program, which is part of UConn Extension hosted three fun and educational adventures close to home that focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Junk Drawer Robotics allowed youth to become an engineer with things from around the house! We constructed: tooth brush eco-bots, marshmallow launching trebuchets, and a mechanical arm. Youth […]
Program Plants Seed for Healthier Eating
UConn Extension recently completed an EFNEP program in collaboration with the Norwalk Health Department at a local community garden called Fodor Farm. The Norwalk Citizen highlighted the program. Read more about it on the Norwalk Citizen website.
Financial Literacy and the Financial Facts of Life
It’s back to school season and across Connecticut, families are getting young people ready for school so that they can learn what they need to know to become productive, responsible and successful adults. In their late teens and twenties, young people face many important decisions – among them may be signing a lease on an […]
Rineicha Otero – UConn Extension Fellow in Colombia
Saturday 8/17/2013 I finally arrived in beautiful Colombia! After much-anticipation, the visit has come and the expectation of reconnecting to the different cultures around the world has increased even more. As soon as the airplane touched the ground in Bogota the crowed cheered with excitement to be back in their homeland. I remembered the times […]
Double Duty – A Vegetable Garden That Looks as Good as it Tastes!
I will admit, planting zinnias (or any flowers for that matter) in between corn plants is not something I had considered until admiring the attractive combination in the vegetable garden at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, home of the Worcester County Horticultural Society. Last Thursday the MNLA Summer Field Day was held at this 132 acre […]
Ten Tips for the August Gardener
It’s a beautiful weekend – UConn Extension offers these ten tips for all of you working in your gardens: 1. Pick summer squash and zucchini every day or two to keep the plants producing. 2. Keep an eye out for insect, slug and snail damage throughout the garden. 3. Colorful plastic golf tees can be […]
ThinkitDrinkit
ThinkitDrinkit (TiDi) is revolutionizing how we think about nutrition! A line of customizable products are about to hit the market! Don’t miss it! TiDi GiveBack Visits Abundant Family Center! Today, TiDi GiveBack partnered with Urban 4-H a division of UConn College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Department of Extension, to provide a nutritional education workshop for 16 young men and […]
Plant Diagnostic App
The UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab has partnered with other university diagnostic labs led by Purdue University to create a plant diagnostic app for the iPhone and iPad. The app is now available and the download is free. Users select the diagnostic lab of their choice (usually the closest geographically), complete sample information forms and submit up to […]
Hydrangea Pruning
photo by Joey Williamson, Clemson Extension The hydrangea in front of my house is just a bunch of bare sticks in the winter, screaming to be cut down. It looks like quite a leafless eyesore after losing foliage in the fall. During the winter the local chickadees use it as a perch beneath the hanging […]
Teens Master the Art (and fun!) of Mapping at UConn’s NRC Academy
The Natural Resource Conservation Academy (NRCA) is an innovative program in conservation and land use planning for a select group of Connecticut high school students. The Academy starts with a week-long field course at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Throughout the week, students interact with UConn faculty and learn about mapping and geospatial information, water, forestry, […]
UConn Visits Grower Direct
UConn Extension visited Grower Direct Farms, a wholesale commercial greenhouse in Somers with UConn Vice Provost Mun Choi and Dean Weidemann of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
4-H Summer Science Photos
More photos from the UConn Extension 4-H STEM Summer Science program in Windham County.
Windham County 4-H Summer Science Mini-Camps
By Marc Cournoyer UConn Extension’s Windham County 4-H program continues to provide young people with an opportunity to explore the world of STEM education through hands-on minicamp programs taking place at various locations throughout Windham County. In 2013 we are focusing on three distinct programs; Junk Drawer Robotics, STEM Gardens and video production with special effects. […]
Become a Plant Expert
Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association is offering their annual 13-week certification program will teach you the basics of botany, plant identification, and professional horticultural information. CNLA’s low admission price makes accreditation open to all persons in the nursery and landscape industry. Pass the Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional exam and you’ll be awarded in special ceremonies […]
Ten Tips for the July Gardener
Ten Tips for the July Gardener: Inspect garden plants regularly for insect and disease problems. Sanitation practices, insecticidal soaps, and insect traps are alternatives to pesticides. Properly placed shade trees will reduce air conditioning costs. Try shade tolerant ground covers in areas where lack of sunlight limits grass growth. Yellow leaves of cucurbits and tomatoes […]
Farm To School
Across the country, an increasing number of schools and districts have begun to source more foods locally and to provide complementary educational activities to students that emphasize food, farming, and nutrition. This nationwide movement to enrich children’s bodies and minds while supporting local economies is often referred to as “farm to school.” The term encompasses […]
Lend A Hand App
Lend A Hand App tells a story about farming shared interactively through a song originally written by Willie Nelson and Marty Dread. It provides hope for communities and a nation of hard working family farmers by building an awareness for children that supporting local farms can be healthy and fun. If you’d like to learn […]
Gardening Quick Tip: Japanese Beetles
Mary Concklin, UConn Extension Educator for Fruit Production and IPM offers this quick tip on dealing with Japanese Beetles: Using the Japanese beetle traps will actually attract the beetles to your planting. Instead, if you have the traps, place them at least 100 feet from the planting to try to draw them away from the […]