By Joan Allen The National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) was formed along with the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) in 2002. The mission of the NPDN is to enhance national agricultural security by quickly detecting and identifying introduced pests and pathogens. This is accomplished through the creation of a nationwide network of diagnostic laboratories […]
Agriculture & Food
Ensuring a vibrant and sustainable agricultural industry and food supply
Put Local on Your Tray
To our neighbors across the ocean, lunch in American schools is evidence of our culinary inferiority. The fact that one third of the nation’s children are growing up overweight and obese leads many to point a finger at school food. But in reality, the age of sloppy joes and tater tots is steadily giving way […]
Making a Better Cheese
UConn Extension’s Dennis D’Amico works with Arethusa and other small businesses on food safety in their cheese and dairy production plants. Watch this short video from USDA Rural Development to learn more.
Water Solutions
Irrigation and plant pathogens, or infectious organisms, in water are recurring themes for Rosa Raudales, an Assistant Professor of Horticulture and Greenhouse Extension Specialist. Rosa’s first job was on a plantain irrigation project in Honduras. As an undergraduate, her thesis focused on pathogens in hydroponic systems, where plants are grown in a soilless system. Rosa […]
CYFAR Summer Experience at Auerfarm
By Sherry Gray The Auerfarm is a 4-H Education Center with 120 acres located in the northwest section of Bloomfield, Connecticut. The Farm was deeded to the non-profit Connecticut 4–H Development Fund in 1976; however; has a rich history dating back to the early years of the 20th Century. The farm served as a model […]
Creating a Food Safety Culture
A report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published in 2013 described the increasingly evident relationship between produce and foodborne illness: over a ten year period, from 1998 to 2008, produce was responsible for 46% of diagnosed foodborne illness where a source was determined. This often surprises consumers who normally consider meat and poultry […]
Pumpkins are a Terrible Thing to Waste…
By: Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH UConn Extension Educator/Food Pumpkins are thought to have originated in North America. Early colonists learned of pumpkins from Native American Indians for whom pumpkin was a dietary staple. They would often cut strips of pumpkin and roast them on an open fire before eating. These resourceful people […]
NIFA Programs Salute and Assist Veterans and their Families
Posted by Brent Elrod and Desiree Rucker, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Whether protecting our nation and its highest ideals with military service or ensuring a safe, abundant, and nutritious food supply as veterans, we are grateful for their willingness to serve. For more than 35 years, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) […]
Plant Diagnostic App Available for Android
The Plant Sample Submission App, developed in cooperation with Purdue and other universities, is supported by the UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab. The download is free and is available for iPhones, iPads (at app store) and now Android devices at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.in3.samplesubmission If UConn is the selected lab in the app, submissions, including information & images, go […]
Open House This Sunday
Join our Windham County Extension Center for an open house this Sunday, October 23rd from 9 am – 1 pm at their office on Wolf Den Road in Brooklyn. There will be activities for all ages.
Pick Your Own Apples – Avoid Those with Bird Droppings
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Extension Educator/Food Safety Connecticut has an abundance of farms that open their gates to those who want to pick their own raspberries, apples, vegetables and other seasonal offerings. I have picked raspberries well into October in the past, though I am not sure how the hot summer and early fall have […]
10 Tips for the October Gardener
Ten Tips for the October Gardener: Remove, bag and trash any gypsy moth or bagworm egg masses or spray with a horticultural oil to smother them. This summer was very dry so continue to water ornamental plants up until a hard frost. Clean up any remaining debris from the garden beds but do not add […]
Auerfarm: Growing Opportunities
The 120-acre 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm is a private, non-profit education center located in Bloomfield. Over 15,000 students and family members participate in year-round 4-H curriculum-based school science programs, animal clubs, and Junior Master Gardening projects annually. Hartford entrepreneur and retailer Beatrice Fox Auerbach and her husband purchased the farm in 1925. Beatrice took […]
Vegetable IPM Class of 2016
Each year, UConn Extension Educator Jude Boucher helps commercial vegetable growers find sustainable solutions to pest problems. The program emphasizes healthy soils, balanced plant nutrition, proper pest and beneficial identification, scouting and monitoring techniques, preventative management strategies, reduced-risk pesticide selection application, and resistance management. Farmers apply to become part of the program, as space is […]
Spanish Sessions at Northeast Greenhouse Conf.
The Northeast Greenhouse Conference will feature Spanish language sessions, presented by UConn Extension educator Rosa Raudales on Wednesday, November 9th. Raudales session on diagnosing disease is one of four Spanish sessions being offered. The others include: understanding plants, good and bad bugs, and working safely in greenhouses. Space is limited and attendees are advised to register […]
Deadline Extended – Become a UConn Extension Master Gardener
UConn Extension is accepting applications for the 2017 Master Gardener Program. Master Gardener interns receive horticultural training from UConn, and then share knowledge with the public through community volunteering and outreach efforts. Enrollment in the UConn Extension Master Gardener program is limited and competitive. “Gardening and the study of it is something we can do […]
Urban Ag Students
Our urban agriculture students, and Extension Educator German Cutz visited with Senator Richard Blumenthal at the Danbury Connecticut Farmers’ Market on Saturday, September 24th. Our students in the urban agriculture program complete extensive classroom hours, and hands-on learning in the field and markets.
School Districts Invited to “Put Local on Your Tray” This Fall
Just in time for National Farm To School Month in October, UConn Extension and its partners at the Connecticut State Department of Education, FoodCorps Connecticut, and the New England Dairy and Food Council are excited to announce an opportunity to participate in a new program called “Put Local On Your Tray”. Put Local On Your […]
CIPWG Invasive Plant Symposium
Space is still available at the CIPWG Invasive Plant Symposium: Invasive Plants in Our Changing World: Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future, which will be held at the UConn Student Union in, Storrs, CT on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The symposium will be presented by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group […]
Fermentation Workshop
We had a very enthusiastic group of participants at our fermentation workshop in North Haven on November 17th. Participants learned about food processing and safely, and are ready to tackle their own garden produce for enjoyment into the winter months.
Greenhouse Nutrient Management
Have your registered yet for the Practical Applications in Greenhouse Nutrient Management Program that will be held on Tuesday, Sept 27 at the CT Ag Experiment Station in New Haven ? Don’t miss this opportunity to: Update your ever needed skills on nutrient management Obtain 4.75 pesticide recertification credits Learn from leading experts in the field and […]
2016 Connecticut Dairy Farm of the Year
Each year the van of judges travels around the state of Connecticut, touring outstanding dairy farms recommended for the Green Pastures Program’s “Dairy Farm of the Year”. The judges are past winners of this award, sponsored by UConn Extension, as well as members of the dairy industry. The day long excursion this year finished at the […]
Invasive Plant Symposium Early Registration Ending
CIPWG SYMPOSIUM: Invasive Plants in Our Changing World: Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future Presented by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) Tuesday, October 11, 2016 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Student Union, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT This 8th biennial conference features national, regional, and local experts as well as […]
Bovay Joins CAHNR
Dr. John Bovay joined the ARE Department in August as Assistant Professor with 60% extension, 25% research, and 15% teaching responsibilities. We are excited to learn more about his extension and research interests. Can you share any prior Extension and outreach experience you have? Engaging with farmers and the public through outreach and extension has always been […]
2016 UConn Master Composter Program
Become a UConn Master Composter! The purpose of the Master Composter Program is to provide local compost enthusiasts with the tools and information necessary to educate and teach interested community members about composting and reducing the amount of solid waste sent to the state’s incinerators and landfills. Participants would attend classroom sessions at Auer Farm […]
UConn Extension Hosts Fall Open House
North Haven—UConn Extension’s New Haven County Extension Center invites the public to a Fall Open House on Thursday, September 15, 2016 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 305 Skiff Street, North Haven. The New Haven County Extension Resource Council, Inc. (NHCERC, Inc.), a volunteer organization supporting the educational outreach programs based in this center, […]
Fermentation of Vegetables at Home
Fermentation of Vegetables at Home, A Food Preservation Workshop To Be Provided By UConn Extension Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. All over the world it is used for the creation and the preservation of food, including beer, wine, sauerkraut, kimchi, sour pickles, grains, yogurt, etc. UConn Extension is offering a […]
What You (Probably) Did Not Know About Food Recalls
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH UConn Extension Educator/Food Safety Food recalls have become so commonplace that most consumers no longer pay attention. In the month of July alone, there were 46 recalls by food processors who are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the US Food […]
UConn Cheese Wins Award
For the third year in a row the UConn Dept. of Animal Science Creamery’s cheese was recognized for excellence amongst 1,843 products from 260 companies in the 2016 American Cheese Society Judging & Competition. This year the creamery’s Chipotle Pepper Queso Blanco took third in it’s category making it three award in three years. We just received […]
Advancing the Business of Farming in Connecticut
UConn Extension and 8 statewide agricultural partners have received a grant from USDA-NIFA for their project, “Advancing the Business of Farming in Connecticut in Partnership with Agriculture Learning Centers.” The nearly $600,000 grant integrates the expertise and current training programs of UConn Extension with the Agricultural Learning Centers that provide targeted training, mentoring, and one-on-one […]
UConn to Host Invasive Plant Conference on Oct. 11
UConn to host major invasive plant conference on October 11 The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) will present a symposium on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at the Student Union, University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. The symposium will take place from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The symposium theme is Invasive Plants in Our […]
Practical Applications in Greenhouse Nutrient Management
Practical Applications in Greenhouse Nutrient Management Will be held on September 27, 2016 at the Jones Auditorium, Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, in New Haven CT. This educational program will feature the following topics for greenhouse growers: Crop Insurance options to manage farm risk, Joseph Bonelli, Associate Extension Educator, UConn Extension How to […]
Monitoring for Insects
It may not be the Olympics, but we’ve been busy with Brazil too. Last week, Leanne Pundt visited Geremia’s Greenhouses in Wallingford to help train their interns on how to identify and monitor for insects on their yellow sticky cards. The interns are all from Brazil and part of The Ohio Program, an International Exchange Program […]
Internship Program Provides Credentials for Job Search
By Kim Colavito Markesich Originally published by Naturally@UConn on July 26, 2016 According to a 2012 survey of employers conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education and American Public Media’s Marketplace, an internship is the single most important credential for recent college graduates in their job search. The UConn Extension/4-H Internship Program was created to […]
Soil Test Prices Have Increased
Starting July 1, 2016, the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Lab increased some of our fees as well as our offerings. The price of the standard nutrient analysis increased from $8 to $12. This is the test that is performed when a sample is submitted using those pre-paid soil test collection kits sold by some county […]
Biosecurity Workshop Provides Healthy Discussion
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 UConn Extension’s Biosecurity Workshop heard from Dr. Richard Horwitz about the New England Secure Milk Supply’s steps to maintain a permit to ship milk when the disease […]
Water Conservation Tips
We’re having a dry summer in Connecticut. There are many simple steps for you to conserve water at home, including: - Taking shorter showers - Running dishwashers and laundry machines with full loads - Shutting off water while washing dishes, shaving, brushing teeth, and lathering up to wash hands, rather than running the water continuously […]
Wild and Wonderful Insects of New England
Written by Pamm Cooper Toward the end of spring and the beginning of summer, I find that the most interesting insects are to be found. While spring offers some really good forester caterpillars and their attractive moths, among other things, nature seems to me to save the best for last, it seems to me. From […]
Soil Testing for Lawns and Gardens
By Dawn Pettinelli for UConn Extension Soil testing is an inexpensive, yet valuable, tool for assessing the fertility of lawn and garden areas. Test results indicate the soil’s pH level, the amounts of available plant nutrients, and the existence of nutrient imbalances, excesses or deficiencies. WHY SHOULD I HAVE MY SOIL TESTED? Soil testing eliminates […]
Mix Some Whole Grains with Local Fruits and Veggies
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator, UConn Extension Lest this article appears to be written by the food police, I confess I am a real fan of a plate of regular, white flour pasta, ciabatta bread, and, once and a while a fried bologna sandwich on good (well, maybe not so good) old […]