Have you ever asked yourself if it is safe to drink tap water? Or how do I store and handle cheese? Maybe you were wondering what is the best way to put mulch around my tree? All these questions and so many more can be answered looking no further than the UConn Extension program in […]
Education
Youth Photography Scavenger Hunt at Meechooôk Farm
UConn Extension collaborated with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) Departments of Agriculture and Parks and Recreation to facilitate a youth photography scavenger hunt at Meechooôk Farm in July 2023. This activity is part of a larger shared commitment to youth development and improvements in agricultural literacy in the MPTN community. MPTN youth were provided […]
Connecticut Gardeners’ 2024 Calendar
The UConn Master Gardeners have assembled a calendar for Connecticut gardeners! There are tips through every month on how to plan and maintain your garden for fresh blooms and abundant vegetables. This year there is additional information on supporting beneficial insects in the landscape, with tips on using integrated pest management, creating habitat for beneficials, […]
Celebrating National Farmer’s Day
Today is National Farmer’s Day, and here at UConn Extension, we celebrate our farmers every day. Extension professionals work statewide to help farmers improve their operations, diversify crops, and scale up their business models. Jiff Martin is our Food Systems Extension Educator and works with agricultural producers statewide to strengthen agriculture and promote local agriculture […]
Meet Maggie Ng
Maggie Ng recently joined UConn Extension as an outreach assistant for our vegetable crops and hemp programs, based in our Vernon office. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts where her focus was on climate change in agriculture. Maggie conducted a year-long research project for her thesis, interviewing local farmers on […]
Cultural similarities among indigenous people of U.S. and Nepal
Cultural affinities are a bridge that maintains our connections, even when we might feel distinctly separate. While each Native community is unique regarding its own distinct culture, language, history, and unique way of life, indigenous people worldwide share some common values based on the understanding that their lives are part of nature and cannot be […]
Applications Due Soon: 2024 Master Gardener Program
Applications are due on October 13, 2023 for the Master Gardener Program. Do you enjoy horticulture and want to expand your knowledge and also help others? Apply for the 2024 UConn Extension Master Gardener program. Applications are due October 13, 2023 and classes begin on January 8, 2024. Class locations for 2024 are Stamford, Norwich, […]
Listen to the UConn Extension Podcast
The UConn Extension podcast covers four topics: Connecting Connecticut On The Trail Walk With Me One Health You can listen to all episodes on our Spotify channel at s.uconn.edu/extension-podcast.
Heather Peracchio Recognized for Community Contributions
UConn Extension professionals work in communities throughout the state, to apply the university’s research in practical settings and help improve lives. Heather Peracchio, an Extension professional based in Fairfield County, exemplifies these attributes for her work in community nutrition. Peracchio, a registered dietitian and certified dietitian-nutritionist, joined UConn Extension in 2012, after receiving her Master […]
Bonnie Kegler: Empowering Youth with UConn 4-H
Bonnie Kegler (’88 CAHNR, ’90 NEAG) joined UConn Extension and the 4-H program in Windham County as an assistant extension educator in July, after an award-winning teaching career at Killingly High School in the agricultural education program. “I want youth in the UConn 4-H program to have a sense of accomplishment on any level, whether […]
Meet Joanna Woodward
Joanna Woodward recently joined UConn Extension as the Master Gardener Coordinator for Tolland County. Prior to joining Extension, she spent 30 years in corporate IT working in training and help desk services, project management, library and information services, and then technology adoption and education. Joanna emigrated from the United Kingdom almost 20 years ago and […]
Stewarding Connecticut’s Coastline with Maggie Cozens
Maggie Cozens joined Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension as the Long Island Sound Study outreach coordinator this summer. Her role focuses on encouraging people to care about Long Island Sound and help steward it. The Environmental Protection Agency funds the Long Island Sound Study. It is a partnership with New York Sea Grant, and […]
Flooding and Hurricane Resources
Continuing rain and extreme weather events, including impacts from hurricanes, are saturating our Connecticut communities. UConn Extension has the following resources to support agricultural producers, consumers, residents, and others affected. You can also sign up for mobile weather alerts by visiting weather.gov and CT Alerts. Anyone in a Disaster area can use the Ready.gov disaster […]
Today: Sweet as Honey Event in Hartford
Today: Join us for the Sweet as Honey event at Hispanic Health Council in Hartford – a free community event with snacks and activities starting at 4:30 PM. We’ll discuss nature, climate change and you’ll take home a sample jar of honey. Location: 590 Park Street in Hartford Register online at s.uconn.edu/hhc – walk-ins also […]
Meet Brenda Sanchez
Brenda Sanchez recently joined our team as an Outreach Nutrition Education Assistant with the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in our Bethel office in Fairfield County. She joins us from experiences working in the medical field and with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, where she spent 11 years as a peer […]
Solving the Food Label Mystery
Navigating the grocery store aisle is challenging for many consumers—especially those who want to buy the most nutritious food and stay within their budget. Learn more and play Unpeeled: The Case Files of Maya McCluen at http://s.uconn.edu/unpeeled. Additional food label resources, including understanding best by, sell by, and expiration date are in this article and […]
Become a Master Composter
Registration is open for the 2023 UConn Master Composter Program! Classes consist of two Saturday in-person sessions, September 16 and 30, and two Thursday night virtual ones, September 21 and 28. There are also two field trips scheduled for October. Participants will learn about composting and share their knowledge with others in a variety of […]
Meet Hannah Morillo-Galindo
Hannah Morillo-Galindo recently joined UConn Extension as an Educational Program Assistant for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in our North Haven office. She is originally from Lexington, Kentucky and graduated in May 2023 with a degree in nutrition from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She’s looking forward to connecting with the […]
Job Opening: Evaluation Specialist
We’re hiring an Extension Evaluation Specialist. Join our team and advance the field of program evaluation by designing and testing methods that lead to improved capacity to measure outcomes of UConn Extension programs. The Specialist designs and delivers education programs and non-credit courses for UConn Extension faculty, staff, and administrators to increase their capacity to […]
Become a Master Gardener – Apply for the 2024 Program
Do you enjoy horticulture and want to expand your knowledge and also help others? Apply for the 2024 UConn Extension Master Gardener program. Applications are due October 13, 2023 and classes begin on January 8, 2024. Class locations for 2024 are Stamford, Norwich, Torrington, New Haven, and online. Students enrolled in this program receive training […]
Stress Management Resources for Farmers
Farming is stressful, and there are resources to help navigate those challenges. Becca Toms from our Solid Ground program talked with two of our farmers – Dishaun Harris: Root Life, New Haven and Yoko Takemura: Assawaga Farm, Putnam – about the different stresses they face farming in Connecticut and some of the practices they have […]
School & Municipal Grounds Workshop on September 13th
Now Available – Register Today!UConn Extension School and Municipal Turf/Grounds Workshop 2023September 13, 20238 am-2:30 pmOld Orchard Hill School350 Foster Street, South Windsor, CTInformation and Registration at s.uconn.edu/schoolipmworkshop Join us for an exciting day of presentations featuring current science-based research and information on supporting landscape management in Connecticut schools. This program is designed for municipal grounds managers, […]
Eli Moskowitz – Summer Intern Spotlight
My name is Eli Moskowitz, and I am from Cheshire, Connecticut. I am a rising junior at UConn as a Nutritional Sciences major with a sports nutrition minor. I am currently in the Didactic Program in Dietetics. My goal after graduation is to be a Registered Dietitian and to help the public and address their […]
August 18th: 2nd Annual UConn IPM Seminar Series
Join us on Friday, August 18th for the 2nd Annual UConn IPM Seminar Series. This event is free to the public, and will be held in the Wilfred B. Young Building on the Storrs Campus from 10:a.m.-2:30 p.m. Registration is required. Topics: Dr. Nick Goltz- Disease Update and Plant Health Tips Pamm Cooper- Good Bug- […]
Cultivating Education and Food Security with the Master Gardeners
On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings from early spring through fall, you can find dedicated groups of Master Gardeners lovingly cultivating an organic Demonstration Vegetable Garden at the Fairfield County Extension Center site in Bethel. By summer, the garden is a beautiful oasis teeming with butterflies, and pollinators as volunteers harvest tomatoes, potatoes, beans, and […]
Volunteer Opportunity in Cheshire, Niantic or Uncasville with PEP
UConn Extension People Empowering People (PEP) Correctional Institute (CI) Program UConn Extension People Empowering People CI is seeking volunteer facilitators to go into the Cheshire Correctional Institution, York Correctional Institution and Corrigan Correctional Center to facilitate UConn Extension PEP CI on a weekly basis. The UConn PEP CI program mission is to draw from the […]
Extension Internship Leads to Career Focus for Samuel Kocurek
Undergraduate education during the pandemic was uncharted territory for everyone. Samuel Kocurek ’23 (CLAS) turned to nature during the pandemic, and this, along with other opportunities, including a summer 2022 internship with UConn Extension, led to his career focus. Kocurek started with general education classes, and joined Eco-House, declaring a dual degree in environmental science […]
Master Gardener Plant Clinic at the Darien Library
The Master Gardener program offers a Plant Clinic at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, one of our program locations. Pat Carroll, Coordinator for the Bartlett Arboretum location, wanted to extend their reach since we have Master Gardeners and clients who live in communities ranging from Greenwich to Fairfield and as far north as Ridgefield and Redding. […]
Getting Locally Grown, Fresh Food onto Student Lunch Trays
Recent policy changes are raising the opportunity for many more Connecticut students to taste fresh, locally grown food in their school cafeterias. UConn Extension is well positioned to make the most of these changes. First, in 2021, the CT Grown for CT Kids Grants program was created by the state to help school districts and […]
Disaster Preparedness for Horse Owners
Article by Dr. Jenifer Nadeau, UConn Equine Extension Specialist When it comes to disasters, a lot of us think about wildfires. However, we also picture catastrophic flooding. Flooding is the most common type of natural disaster. About 40% of all natural disasters worldwide involve flooding. According to National Flood Insurance, in a 30-year mortgage, a […]
Latino Conservation Week Events
UConn Extension is celebrating Latino Conservation Week, originally a Hispanic Access Foundation initiative, from July 15-21 with programs and resources in Hartford, Windsor, and Bridgeport. Connecticut Science Center Event, Hartford, July 15th – 9:30 AM – 2 PM In recognition of Latino Conservation Week, the Connecticut Science Center and UConn Extension’s Urban and Community Forestry […]
Flooding Resources
Updated on July 24, 2023 Many of our communities are affected by the statewide flooding from the Connecticut River after heavy rains in New York and Vermont. Flooding conditions continued after more rain arrived. UConn Extension has the following resources to support agricultural producers, consumers, residents, and others affected. You can also sign up for […]
Meat and Poultry HACCP Course
HACCP for Meat and Poultry Processors (Course approved by International HACCP Alliance) This three-day International HACCP Alliance approved Meat and Poultry HACCP course will provide participants with the information they need to prepare a HACCP food safety program and plan for a plant under USDA/FSIS Grant of Inspection. *See additional information below flyer; click flyer […]
Bug Out During our 2023 Bug Week Events
UConn Extension’s 9th annual Bug Week is buzzing from July 24 to July 29 with programs for the entire family. All ages are welcome to attend and explore the activities and events dedicated to insects and their relatives. Bug Week programs include the following: Join UConn Extension faculty, Spring Valley Student Farm staff and students […]
Siete Consejos para Estirar Tu Presupuesto en Alimentos
Dianisi Torres, M.A., CHW Nutrition Outreach Educator, UConn Extension Read the article in English here. ¿Alguna vez se ha detenido en la línea del supermercado, mira su carrito de compras y se pregunta, cómo tan pocos artículos de alimentos cuestan tanto dinero? Es algo que pasa con frecuencia a pesar de que somos afortunados de […]
Crop Talk June 2023
UConn Extension is pleased to announce that the June 2023 edition of Crop Talk is now available at https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/crop-talk/ Happy reading!
Urban Farmer Training Offered on July 15th
Are you new to, or interested in Urban Farming? Join our Solid Ground Program and Keney Park Sustainability Project to get some deeper knowledge on some useful skills that urban farmers can use to support their businesses and farms! Join Us: July 15th 9AM-12PM @ Keney Park Sustainability Project 183 Windsor Ave. Windsor, CT with […]
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 […]
The Big E, 4-H, and FFA
The Big E can be a transformational educational experience for youth involved in 4-H and/or the National FFA Organization. Learn more about the event in personal testimonials and impact statements in this video!
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 […]