Agriculture & Food

Ensuring a vibrant and sustainable agricultural industry and food supply

UConn Dairy Herd is 2023 Outstanding Dairy Farm

UConn’s Kellogg Dairy Center (KDC) is recognized as the 2023 Connecticut Outstanding Dairy Farm for New England Green Pastures. The facility sits atop horsebarn hill in Storrs, looking out over the rolling fields. Within the barn, and the cattle resource unit down the road, are award-winning cattle and a nationally recognized university dairy program. They […]

Leaders of Color in Conservation

We’re pleased to introduce our 2023 Leaders of Color in Conservation in Connecticut. UConn Extension, in partnership with a BIPOC-led organization, E&G Community Builders is implementing the Leaders of Color in Conservation Training Project (LOCCT). We are training and mentoring these individuals in conservation planning and common practices on small farms.

Meet Srikanth Kodati, Extension Educator

Srikanth Kodati recently joined us as an Assistant Extension Educator for pesticide safety and crop protection. He received his bachelor’s degree from Acharya N.G Ranga Agricultural University in Hyderabad, India, and his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he studied the diversity and management of root rot diseases of soybean. Prior to […]

UConn Extension Receives Four National Communications Awards

UConn Extension received four awards from the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) at the annual conference in June. Gold Award – Respecting Roots and Growing for the Future – Writing Team: Stacey Stearns Silver Award – On Farm Food Safety Animated Videos – Educational Video  Team: Indu Upadhyaya, Mike Zaritheny, Juliana Restrepo-Marin, Stacey Stearns, Bonnie […]

Did You Know? Ants

While ants can be a nuisance, they are actually considered beneficial predators when they are in places where they are not disrupting plant growth. They prefer sandy, dry soils and that is probably why they are in this area. Compost is not an effective means of killing ants, but if a sandy soil is amended […]

Can the wildfire particles get into the soil and our food?

Can the particles in the air currently from the Canadian wildfires get into the soil and then into our food being grown locally? Smoke and ash from current Canadian wildfires have raised questions about the safety of produce growing on farms and gardens in Connecticut and beyond. While the number 1 concern from wildfire smoke […]

UConn Summer Riding: Community Polo Lessons 2023

Polo lesson registration is now open! Lessons are available to Intermediate or Advanced Level riders who can maintain control of their horse at the walk, trot and canter, and comfortable on different levels of horses. DATES Session 1: Jun 5 – 24 Session 2: Jun 26 – Jul 14 Session 3: Jul 17 – Aug […]

2023 Connecticut Grower Crop Loss Reporting

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture, in coordination with UConn Extension and USDA Farm Service Agency, has created a crop loss form to gather data from growers related to crop loss impacts incurred to date in 2023 due to weather.Connecticut Department of Agriculture will share data with USDA Farm Service Agency and UConn Extension. By filling out this […]

Upcoming Field Workshops on Improving Pasture Management for Sustainable Livestock Production

REMINDER: Our Tri-State SARE Professional Development Project is pleased to announce two summer workshops for Improving Pasture Management for Sustainable Livestock Production. Click the flyer image above or the link below for more information on the workshops. Please email Rachel.Bespuda@uconn.edu with any questions. Additional information on the SARE program can be found at https://livestock.extension.uconn.edu/sare/ Workshop […]

WTNH Channel 8 airs story on CT shell recycling program

WTNH Channel 8 news broadcast a story about Connecticut Sea Grant’s shell recycling initiative on its April 19 show. CTSG’s Tessa Getchis, aquaculture extension specialist, and Michael Gilman, shell recycling coordinator, were interviewed for the piece, titled “Connecticut oyster recycling program reinvigorates reefs.” Watch the story here.

Chloride is Crucial for Crops!

Article by Haiying Tao, PhD, UConn Assistant Professor, Soil Fertility & Health While we all are aware that the big three, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are needed for healthy plants, many of us don’t give much thought to the dozen or so trace elements that while needed in tiny quantities are also […]

Advancing Environmental & Climate Justice in CT

Romina Flores Diaz, a political science student at UConn Hartford, and Mayra Rodríguez González, our urban and community forestry assistant extension educator, advanced UConn CAHNR’s strategic vision through their collaborative research on Resilient Cities, Racism, and Equity. At the Undergraduate Research Conference in Storrs, Romina presented an evidence-based approach to achieve environmental and climate justice […]

Windham Extension Council Annual Meeting

Join us for a celebration of UConn Extension work with the Windham County Extension Council. Dr. Joe Emenheiser, our livestock Extension Educator, will conduct a demonstration on considerations of sheep management with sheep onsite.  Topics will include basic handling, body condition scoring, general management, and more! Stay for local apple crisp and refreshments. Wednesday, May […]

UConn Extension Welcomes New Fruit Educator Evan Lentz

How can UConn Extension help you? Evan Lentz, the new assistant Extension educator of fruit production and IPM at UConn’s Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture wants to know. Lentz, a recent graduate of UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, has expertise in commercial fruit production with an emphasis on small and some niche […]

Problem Solvers in the Aquaculture Industry

In attempt to meet the increased demand for seaweed, aquaculture producers are working to expand the North American seaweed farming industry. However, efforts to strengthen the industry have highlighted the need to address emerging challenges. “Processing capabilities, long term nursery production, and competition with imports” are among the most prevalent concerns says Anoushka Concepcion, an […]

BIPOC Farm Mentorship Program Application

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is soliciting applications from individual farms and/or non-profits to identify, host and mentor a BIPOC apprentice(s) for the 2023 season. The focus of the apprenticeship must be on specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.” The […]

Free One-on-One Consultations for CT Farmers

Hey Farmers!  For those of you that are growing commercially, aka are a farm businesses, it’s time for you to sign up for a FREE consultations with some of the experts in the state surrounding a wide variety of topics! Check it out here: https://newfarms.uconn.edu/consultations/ These are free one on one consultations for Connecticut Farmers, with specialists in certain fields of […]

Meat Science Program Merges Local Roots with Global Perspective

Connecticut may be best known as leaders in manufacturing and insurance, but one longstanding UConn program aims to help beef up the state’s meat industry. The meat science program in UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources teaches students about Connecticut’s unique industry profile while providing them with the skills to work anywhere. Established in the […]

New England Kelp Harvest Week

Join us for the New England Kelp Harvest Week celebration April 20th through April 30th! Connecticut Sea Grant has been collaborating with the state’s aquaculture industry to develop sugar kelp farming and a market for the product. This week kelp famers are partnering with restaurants across Connecticut to provide tasty dishes with locally grown kelp. […]

Job Opening: Assistant/Associate Extension Educator In Soil Health

Search #: 496069 Work type: Full-time Location: Hartford County Extension Ctr Categories: Faculty Extension Educator The Department of Extension is seeking applicants for a full-time (11 month) non-tenure track Assistant/Associate Extension Educator in Soil Health. The successful applicant will assess, develop and deliver impactful extension programs on soil health, regenerative agriculture, and conservation practices. These programs will build an […]

Urban Farmer Training Course

UConn Extension, in partnership with CPEN, the Community Placemaking Engagement Network, is offering an urban farmer training course in New Haven scheduled to run from April to October. The course, taught by Jacqueline Kowalski, a UConn urban agriculture educator, will train locals to produce fresh food, manage a marketplace and develop as agricultural entrepreneurs and vendors. […]

Free Poultry Seminar with UConn Extension

Improving Poultry Production Using Natural Interventions Wednesday, April 26, 2023 10:00-2:00 Tolland County Extension Center 24 Hyde Avenue, Vernon, CT 06066 Join UConn Extension and a team of experts for an informative presentation and discussion on poultry health and disease, the use of various additives in poultry production, and related topics. Click here to register! […]

SAFER CEA Conference April 13th and 14th

Registration is open! Join us on April 13th and 14th, 2023 for the SAFER Controlled Environment Agriculture conference! The Strategizing to Advance Future Extension and Research (SAFER) CEA conference aims to advance the science, knowledge and practice of food safety in the CEA produce industry. CEA industry stakeholders, regulatory partners and food safety research and […]

Let’s Talk GMOs Online Course

UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is offering an online course, Let’s Talk GMOs: Creating Consistent Communication Messages. Participants are introduced to the basics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They will learn how to create consistent communication messages and manage dialogue processes about GMOs with various audiences. Most people have an emotional reaction to […]

Where Can I Purchase Sugar Kelp?

Sugar kelp is an excellent dietary source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, calcium, and more. With the start of the harvesting season, there will be an abundant supply of kelp ready for purchase. Where can you purchase locally grown sugar kelp? See below! Learn more: Seaweed is on the Menu with Connecticut’s Sugar […]

Conserving Water by Eliminating Outdoor Irrigation

By Dr. Mike Dietz The one thing that people don’t want to hear is outdoor irrigation for watering lawns, and that is a waste, in my opinion. If you’re an agricultural producer or are growing a garden, that’s one thing, we need food, but if you are throwing that water on a green lawn, it’s just an absolute waste. That’s an area where we can make a […]

Water Webinar March 30, 2023

Are you drowning with questions about agricultural water? Join us for our water webinar on March 30! Topics include compliance dates, new assessment tools, and harvest/post-harvest water. Speakers: Indu Upadhyaya, Food Safety Extension Specialist Diane Wright Hirsch, Emeritus Faculty Food Safety Click/tap here or on the flyer above to register!

UConn 4-H is hiring Associate Extension Educators!

The Department of Extension is seeking applicants for three full-time (11-month), non-tenure track Assistant/Associate Extension Educators. One position will target Food and Agricultural Literacy, one on Environmental Literacy, and the other will focus on Healthy Lifestyles Literacy. These three vacant positions are not specifically designated to an assigned location. Final placement will be negotiable, with […]

UConn Extension Internship Application Deadline Extended

The application deadline for our summer internships has been extended to March 26th.  Get paid while learning and working in a career-oriented role. We offer internships in the following disciplines: Food Health Nutrition Sustainability Research Agribusiness Youth Education Community Development Marketing Click here to view internship descriptions. Most of these roles are for an average […]

From This Land: Honoring Native Foods of Winter

Along with Narragansett artist, farmer and educator, Dawn M. Spears, Put Local On Your Tray is pleased to announce a new campaign series called, “From This Land: Honoring Native Foods“. The first installment of the series looks at native foods of winter, including maple syrup! You can find more information about artist Dawn M. Spears, […]

Highlights of Extension

Our 2022 Highlights of Extension report shows how UConn Extension continues innovating to meet audiences and partners around the issues identified in the strategic initiatives set forth by the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Youth programs, water quality, and geospatial education are all part of the sustainable landscapes and climate portfolios and […]

Hungry or Full?

Waiting too long to eat between meals or overeating at meals can make you question whether or not you are hungry or full. Not drinking enough water  throughout the day can also contribute to feeling hungry.   We’ve put together 5 tips to help you recognize whether your body is telling you that it needs […]

GMO Training for Science/Agriscience Educators

Agriscience and Secondary Science educators: Apply now for a research study providing 30-hours of professional development training at the UConn Storrs campus about genetically modified organisms (GMOs), receive training in a new curriculum and increase your laboratory skills to expand student understanding. Compensation of $600 will be provided to participants. Visit s.uconn.edu/applygmo to learn more!