Author: Syme, Rebecca

Black History Month

Black History Month Theme 2025: African Americans and Labor”, Invisible Changemakers of Industry The contributions of African Americans are intricately woven into America across time, industry and community. From the enslaved workers agricultural, industrial, and professional workers, there is an indelible footprint that shapes this country. Feb. 3-7: Before and During the Civil War Feb. […]

Ag Mechanics Courses are Open

It’s that time of year again… UConn Extension Solid Ground is putting on the Ag Mechanic training! If you want to learn more about 2 or 4 stroke service and repair or chainsaw safety and much more, check out these courses. For more information and to register go to https://solidground.extension.uconn.edu/trainings/#agmech       Title of […]

Attention Backyard Poultry Owners!

Attention Backyard Poultry Owners! Following proper biosecurity and food safety guidelines is key to keeping your flock and food safe. While Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a serious concern, it is not a food safety issue as long as you follow recommended precautions. ✅ Always cook poultry and eggs to a safe internal temperature (165°F). ✅ […]

Climate Smart Adaption Strategies for Beginning Farmers Course

Climate Smart Adaption Strategies for Beginning Farmers Course is now open! UConn Extension is coordinating two offerings of a Climate Smart Adaptation Strategies Course, beginning on February 3rd, 2025, and March 5th, 2025. This is an online course (with an optional in-person graduation) designed for new and beginning farmers in Connecticut who have 1-10 years […]

2025 FSMA Produce Safety Rule/Alliance Training Courses

UConn Extension is pleased to announce that two PSA Grower Training Courses are presently scheduled for late winter 2025. Registration is first come, first served, so please register early, no matter which course you plan to attend.Fsma Instructors: Indu Upadhyaya, Ph.D., Food Safety Specialist, UConn Cooperative Extension Diane Hirsch, MPH, Food Safety Specialist, UConn Jacqueline Kowalski, Urban […]

2025 Tri- State SARE Project Webinar Series

Pasture Based Systems for Sustainable Livestock Production All events will be 10 am to 12 pm. Open to service providers and farmers. No fee to attend. Register in advance. REGISTER at https://forms.office.com/r/gRqYQevGFk Wednesday, February 12, 2025 – Managing a pasture based system in today’s changing climate (webinar) with Kathy Soder (USDA ARS)   Wednesday, March 5, 2025 – Pasture adaptation […]

Climate Smart Adaptation Strategies for Beginning Farmers Course

2025 Online Climate Smart Adaptation Strategies for Beginning Farmers Course UConn Extension is coordinating two offerings of a Climate Smart Adaptation Strategies Course, beginning on February 3rd, 2025, and March 5th, 2025. This is an online course (with an optional in-person graduation) designed for new and beginning farmers in Connecticut who have 1-10 years of […]

Registration OPEN – Farm Manager Summit 2025

UConn Extension’s Solid Ground Program team is SO very excited to invite farm managers to join us for our 2nd Farm Manager Summit!  We have a great line-up of speakers for you.  This event is designed for farm managers that are already working with a farm crew or are on the verge of making their first […]

Final two Livestock Producer Listening Sessions

There’s two more producer listening sessions from 10am- 2pm, hosted by UConn Extension’s Diversified Livestock Extension Field Based Specialist, MacKenzie White. Join her to share your needs, challenges, and aspirations as a livestock producer in Connecticut. The next session is virtual, on Thursday January 23rd, 2025. Use https://s.uconn.edu/livestocklisteningsession to join! The final session is Tuesday […]

Project Specialist Job Opening

UConn Extension at the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is seeking a Project Specialist to assist with implementation of the Expanding Connecticut Urban Agriculture through Vacant Lot Activation and Peri-Urban Farmland Access Linking project. Title: Project Specialist UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Department of Extension Location: 67 Stony Hill Rd., Bethel, […]

Early Bird Registration for UConn Advanced Horse Ownership Clinic

Early Bird Registration for the UConn Advanced Horse Ownership Clinic on Saturday, February 22, 2025, is now open!   Take a deeper dive into the fundamentals of proper care and explore more advanced topics to guide you through every stage of being a knowledgeable and responsible horse owner. As a follow up to our first […]

Fact sheet explains issue of PFAS in New England shellfish

A new fact sheet created by the Connecticut, Rhode Island and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Sea grant programs explores the issue of so-called “forever chemicals” in New England shellfish. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, are a family of thousands of different manufactured chemicals. PFAS have been in use since the 1940s […]

Major research investment focuses on key aspects of LIS ecosystem

In the largest award for Long Island Sound research in the history of the collaboration between the Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs and the EPA’s Long Island Sound Study, 13 projects have been selected that will improve understanding of factors impacting several fish species, shellfish, water quality and restoration of the estuary’s salt […]

UConn Winter Horseback Riding Lesson Registration is Now Open!

UConn Winter Horseback Riding Lesson Registration is Now Open! There are lesson packages with flexible scheduling available in Dressage, Hunt Seat, Polo and Western at all levels. Come ride with us in one of the largest heated indoor arenas in the Northeast. Excellent GGT footing, experienced lesson horses, and exceptional instructors. Learn more and register […]

Registration Now Open for Foundations of Shellfish Farming

Foundations of Shellfish Farming – Registration open – Financial aid available!    About: Foundations of Shellfish Farming is an in-person training course for new and prospective farmers and those who simply seek to learn more about aquaculture practices and techniques. Topics that will be covered include how to establish and operate a shellfish business; leasing and […]

New Solid Ground Classes

Hey Farmers!   Learning season is starting up! And over at Solid Ground we want to help you with BUSINESS! Yup, each and every one of us is a small business, whether we like it or not, so we want to help you navigate the ins-and-outs of topics that are usually the most frustrating for […]

Upcoming Virtual Greenhouse Education Events

There is some upcoming virtual greenhouse education events with pesticide credits. NORTHEAST GREENHOUSE CONFERENCE WEBINARS   Webinar #2: Game Planning Succession Planning by Reducing its Complexity Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 11:45am – 1:00pm ET Presenter: Seth Wilner, Extension Field Specialist, Agricultural Business Management, University of New Hampshire, Cooperative Extension Note: this session is not eligible for pesticide […]

Wrack Lines- Fall – Winter 2024/2025

We are thrilled to share the Fall-Winter 2024-25 issue of Wrack Lines with you! In this edition there are six youth writers who received the Wrack Lines Voices of Diverse Youth Scholarship shared their reflections and insights about nature and climate change in the Fall-Winter 2024-2025 issue of our biannual magazine. Three of the students are seniors at the […]

HACCP for Meat and Poultry Processors

HACCP for Meat and Poultry Processors (Course approved by International HACCP Alliance) December 4, 5, & 6, 2024 Middlesex County Extension Center 1066 Saybrook Rd. Haddam, CT 06438 UConn Extension in cooperation with University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension is pleased to offer a three-day International HACCP Alliance approved Meat and Poultry course. This course […]

2024 Ag Expo

Come to the 2024 Connecticut Agricultural Expo! There will be a farm equipment and implements showcase, crop production supplies and services. This is a great opportunity to get Pesticide CEU credits, network and great food. This event is taking place Wednesday, November 20th from 8:30 AM- 2:00 PM, at the Aquaturf in Southington. For more […]

Did you know how good Squash is for you?

Did you know Squash Is rich in vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber? As the temperature cools, it is the perfect time to explore the vibrant world of late season squashes. These nutrient packed vegetables offer a multitude of flavors with countless cooking possibilities. Here, we will share some facts, storage tips, delicious recipes […]

Fall Ornamental & Turf Short Course

Registration is now open for the UConn Extension Ornamental & Turf Short Course! This course will run from October 9th – December 18th. An instructor will meet virtually with students weekly on Wednesdays at 5:30-7:30 p.m. to review each module topic and answer questions. Registration Cost: $400.00, which includes the Pesticide Applicator Core Manual, Ornamental & Turf Category Manual, and […]

Sustainable Regenerative Gardening for Everyone

Please join us for a lively conversation about sustainable regenerative gardening practices with five local farmers, who, between them, have many years of vegetable growing experience they are keen to share with you. Come prepared with your questions to this knowledgeable panel of experts. This Advanced Master Gardener Class is on Sunday, November 3rd, 10:00am – 12:00pm at […]

CIPWG 12th Biennial Symposium

Want to learn more about Invasive Plants? Come join the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group’s 12th Biennial Symposium! The event will take place on Tuesday, October 29th, 2024, from 9 AM to 4:45 PM, at the UConn Student Union in Storrs Connecticut.  You can see where you fit in with this year’s theme: Real Talk: Making […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]