Over recent years a new cohort of farmers has cropped up in our small state. “New”, “Beginning”, “First-generation”, “Early stage”— these growers have been met by a growing number of training programs to help them get started, improve their production skills, and enhance the viability of their businesses. This is a group of avid learners who are always on the lookout for training […]
Agriculture & Food
Ensuring a vibrant and sustainable agricultural industry and food supply
Tick Testing 101
If you find a tick on yourself, your child, or your pet, remove it immediately! The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) can test the tick for pathogens. Ticks received at the CVMDL are first examinedunder a microscope by trained technicians to determine the species of tick, life stage, and degree of blood engorgement, all of which are factors […]
Safeguarding Health Through Diagnostics
The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) at UConn safeguards animal and human health. Faculty and staff fulfill their mission through veterinary diagnostic laboratory services, professional expertise, and collaboration with state and federal agencies to detect and monitor diseases important to animal and human health, as well as detecting newly emerging diseases. CVMDL is committed […]
Shuresh Ghimire Joins UConn Extension
UConn Extension and the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources are pleased to announce that Dr. Shuresh Ghimire joined us on July 6thas our Extension Vegetable Educator. Dr. Ghimire has a PhD in Horticulture and is based in the Extension office at the Tolland Agricultural Center in Vernon. He was working at Washington State University (WSU), studying […]
Disaster Assistance for Farmers
As it grows, the farmers.gov website will deliver information, tools, and first-hand advice built around the needs of America’s farmers, ranchers, and foresters. It’s a site being built for farmers, by farmers. Visit the new farmers.gov Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool. For more information on disaster preparedness and readiness for your family, community, workplace, or agricultural operation please visit UConn EDEN.
Buying from Local Farms? What do FSMA Rules Mean to Produce Buyers?
Buying From Local Farms? What Do FSMA Rules Mean to Produce Buyers? On July 17, 2018 a team of regulators and produce safety educators from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are hosting an educational meeting for operations (distributors, schools, institutions, restaurants, grocery stores, foodservice operations, etc.) that buy fresh produce from farms in southern New […]
Produce Safety Training
Some medium to larger Connecticut farms need to comply with the Produce Safety Rule (PSR). This includes taking an approved food safety course, implement- ing certain practices that can minimize risk, and keeping records related to those practices. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture conducts a variety of activi- ties related to implementation of the rule, […]
Food Safety on Farms
Fruits and vegetables add important nutrients, color, variety to our diet. Most of us enjoy them raw in salads, as a snack, or dessert. However, in the last few years there has been an increase in the number of foodborne illness outbreaks asso- ciated with fresh fruits and vegetables. Spinach, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cilantro, and green […]
2017 Highlights of Extension
UConn Extension is on a collaborative journey. We co-create knowledge with farmers, families, communities, and businesses. We educate. We convene groups to help solve problems. Connecticut is a small, diverse state with urban and rural spaces. We understand that because we live and work here. Extension educators are ready to connect you with our knowledge […]
Testing Ticks is Vital to Safety
The warmer weather has people and our animals headed outdoors. Unfortunately, this same weather has also brought ticks out in abundance. Recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have cited increased numbers of ticks, and tick-borne diseases. UConn’s Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL), part of the Department of Pathobiology in […]
Patriotic Smoothies
In Meriden schools, they served Red, White, & Blue Smoothies in honor of the winter Olympics and local dairy in February. What a cool idea! And one that you can replicate at home in honor of Memorial Day. It’s a fun and delicious smoothie. The layers were strawberry, banana, and blueberry served at breakfast with graham crackers. Put Local […]
Basic Management of Small Poultry Flocks
By Michael J. Darre, Ph.D., P.A.S. There are several basic needs that need to be provided for poultry. These are feed, water, fresh air, light, darkness, proper thermal environment, protection (from the elements, predators, injury and theft) and proper space. Proper housing and equipment will take care of many of these items. Poultry and other […]
Can I Water Vegetables with my Rain Barrel Water?
By Joan Allen Originally published by the UConn Home & Garden Education Center Collection of rain water from roofs using rain barrels is growing in popularity because of its many environmental and practical benefits. It can help the environment by diverting water that might contain contaminants away from storm drains and the natural bodies of […]
Extension Offers Greenhouse Biological Control Conference
UConn Extension is sponsoring a Greenhouse Biological Control Conference. This one-day educational program will be held onWednesday, June 20, 2018 at Room 100, WB Young Building, University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. The speakers featured at this educational program include: Michael Oleykowski, Syngenta who will be speaking on Developing an Effective, Integrated Control Program […]
Spring Compost Sales
Calling all green thumbs. CAHNR is happy to announce sales dates for the 2018 spring compost sale. We will be open on April 27 and 28th. Sales hours will be Fridays 1:00pm to 4:30pm and Saturdays 9:00am to 3:00pm. Sales are cash and credit card only. Sales will be cancelled if it is raining. The […]
Solid Ground Farmer Trainings Continue
UConn Extension’s Solid Ground Training class for beginner farmers on the “Safe and Effective Use of Pesticides For Organic and Non-Organic Producers”, held in Bethel on April 10 and taught by Mary Concklin. A part of the class was devoted to learning about personal protective equipment (PPE) with Chelsey Hahn modeling several different PPE items.
Put Local On Your Tray (Or Plate) In April
Put Local on Your Tray is a farm-to-school program helping Connecticut schools serve and celebrate regionally grown food. Even if you’re not a school, they have some advice for getting local onto your plate this season. Days are getting slightly warmer and longer, the breeze is sharp, and the land is both awakened and nourished by fresh spring rain. […]
Poop In The Garden
By: Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Extension Educator/Food Safety Over the weekend, before the most recent snow, I looked out my kitchen window to see my dog squatting over the chive patch in our vegetable garden. It was too late to stop him. I spend a lot of time with Connecticut farmers, talking about producing […]
Worker Protection Standards for Organic Farms
Organic Farming is Affected by a New Law: The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) The new law provides protections for agricultural workers, pesticide handlers, family members and volunteers. UConn Extension and CT NOFA are offering a workshop specifically designed for organic growers on May 3, 2018 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at 1796 Asylum Avenue in […]
Spring Compost Sales
UPDATE: DATE & PAYMENT CHANGE: Calling all green thumbs. UConn CAHNR is happy to announce sales dates for the 2018 spring compost sale. We will be open on April 20, 21, 27 and 28th. Sales hours will be Fridays 1:00pm to 4:30pm and Saturdays 9:00am to 3:00pm. Sales are CHECK and CREDIT CARD only. NO […]
Salmonella Awareness is Key to Good Health
Salmonella are bacteria that can live in the intestinal tracts of animals. There are many different types of salmonellae, some are found solely in animals and others can cause disease in both animals and people. Salmonellosis in humans can occur if they consume foods contaminated with Salmonella or have contact with animals or their environment. […]
Cloe Labranche: 4-H Alumni Spotlight
Meet 4-H Alumni and UConn undergraduate Cloe Labranche. We met with her and chatted about her 4-H experience, and what she is up to at UConn. How did you become involved with 4-H? Can you tell us about your 4-H experience? I came from a non-ag family and found out about 4-H when I was […]
Tick Alert!
Headed outdoors? The recent warm weather has brought the ticks back out. Make sure you take precautions against ticks in October and November. Adult ticks are more active during this time of the year, creating a problem for both humans and animals. These disease-carrying arachnids reside in moist areas, long grass and the leaf litter […]
Who Keeps Our Food Supply Safe?
Who keeps our food supply safe? Rules, regulations, jurisdiction By Diane Wright Hirsch Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety I am often asked who to contact when someone has a concern about the regulation of our food supply. It might be a budding entrepreneur who needs to know which agency they need to contact to figure […]
My 4-H Story
MY 4-H STORY By Mia Herrera It is safe to say that 4-H has more than just impacted my life. It has given me opportunities that would enhance my leadership and citizenship skills, and it has also shaped me into the person I have become. 4-H has provided life skill s and given me the […]
Locally Sourced Food – Even in Mid-Winter
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator, Food Safety After a not-so-local food-filled holiday season (including, I must confess, raspberries, grown somewhere in South America, in a fruit salad), it might be a good time to get back on track. Though it can be more difficult in the winter, eating locally sourced foods […]
New London County Master Gardener Signature Projects 2017
Master Gardener Signature Projects 2017 Camp Harkness for the Handicapped, Waterford. People with disabilities spend time at the Camp during the summer months. Master Gardeners assist the clients with gardening activities and maintain the wheelchair accessible plants. In the winter, they work with seniors in the greenhouse. This project has been ongoing for a long […]
Urban Agriculture Graduates
UConn Extension Urban Agriculture Program – Graduation Ceremony. On January 16, 2018 UConn Extension graduated 9 new urban farmers who completed a year-long training. To be able to graduate, students needed to complete five modules: botany, soils, entomology, vegetable production, and integrated pest management (30-40 hours each) and pass each with at least 70% or […]
Urban Agriculture Extension Program
German Cutz is our Extension Educator for Sustainable Families and Communities. Here is a quick snapshot of a few of his programs for this fall: Nine out of 11 participants completed the year-round urban agriculture training in Bethel. They graduation ceremony is being planned for January 16th, 2018. Bethel urban agriculture program is currently recruiting […]
New Year Resolution: Take the 40-Gallon Challenge
What are you going to do differently in 2018? How about conserving water with UConn Extension. UConn Extension is inviting all Connecticut residents to join the 40 Gallon Challenge and take on new practices to increase water conservation. The 40 Gallon Challenge is a national call for residents and businesses to reduce water use on […]
Laura Irwin: 4-H Alumni Spotlight
It was never a question of if Laura Irwin of Hartland would join 4-H, but rather, when she would become a 4-H member. “My mom always wanted to be a 4-H member, and never had the opportunity,” Laura recalls. “So, she made sure her children did. I joined when I was 7-years old, and I’m […]
Cold Storage: A Sustainable Way to Preserve the Harvest
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety A young couple I know if looking to buy their first house. She prefers older homes with character, he wants space for a big garden. They came upon an older home with a dirt basement floor….I immediately thought that it might be a good candidate for a […]
Jessica LaRosa: 4-H Alumni Spotlight
The UConn 4-H program fostered a passion for animals in Jessica LaRosa of East Windsor. While in 4-H, Jessica discovered she loved teaching the public and others about agriculture. “My passion for both animals and teaching other about agriculture is what led me to find my major at UConn,” Jessica says. Jessica joined the Merry […]
The First HardCORE CT Apple Challenge
The First HardCORE CT Apple Challenge with Put Local On Your Tray! October is special for a few reasons. Everyone is getting back in the swing of things at school, the foliage outstanding, and the many varieties of delicious crisp apples are ripening atop trees in orchards across the state. The combination makes a perfect […]
Windham Master Gardener Program
By John Lorusso We have had a great year educating our new crop of Master Gardeners in Brooklyn this year. The group began classes in the dead of winter in January and have been diligently working on their plant identification and diagnostic abilities all summer. In addition to those actions, they have been very busy […]
Biosecurity Workshop Provides Healthy Discussion
By Joyce Meader 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 this week’s Biosecurity Work shop heard from Dr. Richard Horowitz about the New England Secure Milk Supply’s steps to maintain a permit to ship […]
Deadline Extended for Master Gardener Program Applications
Do you love gardening? Are you interested in expanding your knowledge and sharing that knowledge with others? Applications for the 2018 Master Gardener Program through UConn Extension are now due by Friday, November 17. Master Gardener interns receive horticultural training from UConn, and then share knowledge with the public through community volunteering and educational outreach […]
Building Communities: Brass City Harvest
UConn Extension empowers communities by building a network of awareness and knowledge. One example of this is Brass City Harvest, Inc. in Waterbury. Extension educators in our greenhouse and Master Gardener programs worked with Susan Pronovost to build the capacity of 501(c)3 organization. Susan shared her organization’s work with us Brass City Harvest, Inc. is […]
UConn Beef Auction
The auction will be held on Sunday, October 22nd at UConn’s Storrs Campus at the UConn Cattle Resource Unit (Heifer Barn) located on Horsebarn Hill Road. The event is free and open to the general public. Preview of animals begins at 10 a.m.; auction will be held at 12:00 noon; lunch will be available for […]
Economic Impacts of Connecticut Agriculture
You are cordially invited to the release the Zwick Center’s new ag econ impact report on Friday, September 29th at 9.30 AM at the Legislative Office Building (room 1-B) in Hartford. Speakers include U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, the Commissioner of Ag Steven Reviczky, and Dean Cameron Faustman.