Author: webdev

Ultrasound Technology Improves Livestock Meat Quality 

Article by Joe Emenheiser, Ph.D.  Meat quality improvement can improve economic development for livestock producers. Ultrasound technology is used to evaluate body composition traits. This means livestock producers can check meat qualities in live animals. It leads to better livestock selection and breeding decisions.   A three-year grant project on beef and dairy crossbreeding is improving […]

Ultrasound Technology Improves Livestock Meat Quality 

Article by Joe Emenheiser, Ph.D.  Meat quality improvement can improve economic development for livestock producers. Ultrasound technology is used to evaluate body composition traits. This means livestock producers can check meat qualities in live animals. It leads to better livestock selection and breeding decisions.   A three-year grant project on beef and dairy crossbreeding is improving […]

Sustainable Landscape Tips

Question: What are important considerations for plant selection when designing a sustainable landscape?  Answer: Proper plant selection is the most important step in designing a sustainable landscape. “Right plant, right place” is the fundamental principle for the environmentally sound management of landscapes. Plants should be selected for not only aesthetic value, but also because they […]

Waterbury 4-H Youth Mentoring Program is Thriving

Waterbury’s 4-H program is going strong! As we all know the past two years have been far from ordinary. While Waterbury Youth Services, Inc. (WYS) has been facilitating 4-H programing for 30 years, we have had to face new challenges and with them, new joys. While in person programming was not an option, our team […]

EFNEP/4-H Special Interest group with Danbury Public Schools

UConn Extension in Fairfield County is leading a EFNEP/4-H special interest group with Danbury Public Schools at Rogers Park Middle School.  EFNEP educator Heather Peracchio is engaging students with Teen Cuisine curriculum and hands-on activities in grades 6-8th. During National Nutrition Month in March students enjoyed learning about MyPlate healthy eating and made a Colorful […]

Canter Curriculum

Interested in learning about horse nutrition? Sign up for Canter Curriculum. This asynchronous course will cover topics such as the digestive system basics, nutrients needed by horses, how to feed different types of horses, supplements, feeding guidelines, and common questions and myths.         Sign up at https://secure.touchnet.com/C21646_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=2747 Reach out to Dr. Jenifer Nadeau, […]

Lorraine St. Clair Recognized at Spirit Awards

Congratulations to Lorraine St. Clair (center) from our North Haven Extension office! She was a finalist for this year’s Behind the Scenes UConn Spirit award for her continued contributions. Thank you, Lorraine, we appreciate everything you do!! We submitted the following about Lorraine: Lorraine works quietly but diligently to keep our office operations running like […]

Snakes and St. Patrick’s Day

Snakes are among the most misunderstood animals.Hundreds are needlessly killed each year. People panic when they encounter a snake, fearing it poisonous.Poisonous snakes in Connecticut, copperheads and rattlesnakes, are seldom encountered and only in specific habitats, such as piles of rocks known as talus slopes and rocky cliffs and hillsides. Poisonous snakes will only​attempt to […]

Part Time Biotechnology Grant Project

UConn Extension has two part-time positions open on a biotechnology grant project. These positions are both four-year appointments through the grant period. Program Assistant (15 hours per week) Program Coordinator (15 hours per week) The grant will create 4-H clubs focused on teaching teen members about biotechnology and encouraging them to pursue it as a […]

Job Posting Assistant/Associate Extension Educator in Water Quality

The Department of Extension in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources invites applications for an Assistant/Associate Extension Educator in Water Quality. We seek an individual whose professional skills and abilities can foster the integration of extension with research to address local and regional water quality issues such as urban stormwater and agricultural runoff. […]

Dig Deeper Into Your Garden

Dig Deeper Into Your Garden! Learn the fundamental concepts of horticulture, as taught by UConn Extension educators and specialists. Based on UConn Extension Master Gardener Program curriculum, this four-part, online series can be taken at your own pace, at times that work for you. Choose just the modules you’re interested in or complete all four […]

Joro Spider Information

You asked, we answered. We’ve been getting questions about Joro spiders. Gail Reynolds from our UConn Extension Master Gardener program answered: Joro spiders, Trichonephila clavata, have been sensationalized in recent news stories. The actual appearance of these spiders in Connecticut has not been documented. According to various reports, this spider was first noted in Georgia in […]

Part-Time Positions on Biotechnology Grant Project

UConn Extension has two part-time positions open on a biotechnology grant project. These positions are both four-year appointments through the grant period. Program Assistant (15 hours per week) Program Coordinator (15 hours per week) The grant will create 4-H clubs focused on teaching teen members about biotechnology and encouraging them to pursue it as a […]

Ana Legrand: Educator Spotlight

Creating Sustainable Landscapes Through the Interactions of Plants and Insects Educator Spotlight: Ana Legrand Ana Legrand built her career around helping people understand the benefits that insects provide. Legrand is an entomologist and UConn Extension educator in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. Entomology is the study of insects, and it plays a […]

Job Opening: Water Quality Extension Educator

We are seeking an Assistant/Associate Extension Educator in Water Quality with a 75% extension, 25% research mission split housed within the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research in Haddam. This joint-appointed position between UConn Extension and the Natural Resources & the Environment in UConn CAHNR begins reviewing applications on April 1st. Full details: […]

Master Gardner Community Garden

Several of our 2021 Master Gardener interns from Litchfield County worked on community gardens that helped provide not only food, but much needed outdoor learning environments.  Rebekah Chestna spearheaded the creation of an outdoor classroom garden in Watertown, CT that donated over 200 pounds of food to the Watertown Food Bank. Carolyn Morin worked with […]

DEEP Recreational Trails Program Grant

The Connecticut Trail Census Program by UConn Extension received funding from the CT Department of Energy and Environmental. The DEEP awarded $3 million in grant funding through its Recreational Trails Grant Program. These funds will be used for locally supported trails and trail systems, bikeways, and multi-use paths. More information can be found at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/News-Releases/News-Releases—2022/DEEP-Announces-3-Million-in-Trail-Grants-For-20-Projects-Across-the-State 

Know Your Farmer Fair

Know your farmer fair event is occurring on March 19th. More information can be found at  www.grownconnected.org/knowyourfarmerfair or at the Facebook event page  https://fb.me/e/2fKJs6X2F . This is the 7th year this event is happening but the Grown ConNECTed program is now partnering with the organizers this year to hopefully make it even more successful. 

Avian Influenza in Connecticut

Poultry and Avian Enthusiasts: Connecticut has confirmed cases of Avian Influenza. Please take proper precautions to protect your birds and minimize disease spread: https://cvmdl.uconn.edu/ai/. The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) at UConn CAHNR is working with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture and Usda Aphis on diagnosis and surveillance. TODAY (MARCH 3rd) —FREE WEBINAR: “Healthy […]

EFNEP Baby Food Making Class

UConn EFNEP hosted a baby food-making class which was a success!  9 parents register and picked up baby food-making kits. Three mothers with infants attended consistently, for one mother English was a second language, and another mother was from a family of 7 with her youngest just 7 months.  They discussed how to make homemade […]

Fact sheets help local leaders navigate climate change questions

Questions poured in by the dozen after the morning session of the 2015 Adapt CT legal workshop—six pages worth, in fact.  “After the lunch break, we asked people to put questions into a box, and we got through some of them in great panel discussions in the afternoon,” recalled Juliana Barrett, Connecticut Sea Grant coastal habitat specialist […]

Advancing 4-H Careers in Food and Agriculture via Biotechnology and STEM (FANE) Job Openings

Job opening! UConn Extension Hartford County is looking for a program assistant to work under the direction of the FANE Grant Team. For full consideration, please submit a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information for three professional references to Jen Cushman,(Jennifer.cushman@uconn.edu), with the email subject FANE Coordinator Position. More information can be found at https://hr.uconn.edu/special-payroll-employment-opportunities/

Apply for Program Assistant Job

The Office of Outreach and Engagement is searching for a Program Assistant. Apply at https://jobs.hr.uconn.edu/cw/en-us/job/496104/assistant-to-the-director-of-outreach-and-engagement-administrative-program-support-2 The job centrally oversees and supports public engagement initiatives at UConn through outreach, community-based learning, engaged scholarship, and grant development. O&E strengthens UConn’s activities in particular fields of regional engagement and fosters collaboration with the University’s academic divisions to stimulate the […]

Avian Influenza Frequently Asked Questions

This information is courtesy of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. What Is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)?  Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is an extremely infectious viral disease that occurs naturally in wild birds and can spread to domestic birds.  The virus has led to the disposal of about 48 million poultry in 21 Western […]

Gardening Fundamentals – Online Courses

Dig Deeper Into Your Garden! Learn the fundamental concepts of horticulture, as taught by UConn Extension  educators and specialists. Based on UConn’s Master Gardener curriculum, this four-part, online series can be taken at your own pace, at times that work for you. Choose just the modules you’re interested in or complete all four sections to […]

Black History Month 2022 – Health and Wellness

Have your ever wondered about the history of Black History Month? Dr. Carter G. Woodson is credited with bringing to the forefront the importance of teaching about Black History, Culture and Life. Carter G. Woodson, was the son of former slaves, and as a child, worked as a sharecropper, a miner and other odd jobs […]

2021 Highlights of Extension Report

  The past two years have challenged us more than anyone could have predicted. Extension adapted our services and programs to continue serving our audiences. We are addressing critical issues related to agriculture and food, climate adaptation, enhancing health and well-being, social justice, and sustainable landscapes.  Extension is unique because the services we provide are […]

High Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the U.S.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Dubois County, Indiana. This is the first confirmed case of HPAI in commercial poultry in the United States since 2020. Avian influenza does not present […]

CT Dairy Anaerobic Digester Panel Discussion

CT Dairy Anaerobic Digester Panel Discussion is occurring on Thursday, February 17th from 2:00-4:00 pm EST. Most everyone is aware that CT has 2 active anaerobic digesters operating on dairy farms. What you may not realize is that several other dairy-based anaerobic digesters are also being developed. This panel discussion will provide an opportunity for […]

USDA Announces $1 Billion Investment in Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today at Lincoln University that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is delivering on its promise to expand markets by investing $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. […]

2022 CT Sea Grant Fellowship for Underrepresented Undergraduates Announced

The goal of the Connecticut Sea Grant (CTSG) Undergraduate Research Fellowship is to broaden participation of underrepresented/underserved students in marine and coastal professions by providing early career experience, training and mentorship to the next generation of scientists, decision makers, and marine industry professionals. The application deadline is March 14, 2022. Fellowship selections will be announced […]

Food Safety and Refrigeration

By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD UConn Extension Educator – Food Safety As I am writing this, it is snowing lightly outside my office window. I am thinking about the potential weather fluctuations. Lots of folks have filled their freezers and refrigerators in preparation for the storm. But what happens when the power goes out? […]