Waterbury 4-H Youth Mentoring Program is Thriving

Waterbury’s 4-H program is going strong! As we all know the past two years have been far from ordinary. While Waterbury Youth Services, Inc. (WYS) has been facilitating 4-H programing for 30 years, we have had to face new challenges and with them, new joys. While in person programming was not an option, our team […]

Interested in joining 4-H?

4-H provides youth with the opportunity to develop lifelong skills including civic engagement and healthy living. Programs are based in all eight Connecticut counties with clubs, after-school programs, and other opportunities. Learn more and enroll your child in the UConn 4-H program by reaching out to your local Extension Educator at s.uconn.edu/locations Almost any interest […]

Dr. Larry Pennington: 23 Years of Volunteering to the UConn 4-H Program

Volunteers are the backbone of the UConn 4-H program and are who keep the program vibrant. “Volunteer helps grow true leaders” Dr. Larry Penington of the First Town Veterinary Science 4-H Club of Hartford County 4-H has volunteered 23 years of service to this program. An interview was conducted with him and below are his […]

Extension Services

Connecticut Environmental Conditions Online (CT ECO) CT ECO is a mapping website that contains environmental and natural resource geographic information for Connecticut. The site encourages, supports, and promotes informed land use and development decisions in Connecticut by providing local, state and federal agencies, and the general public with convenient access to the most up-to-date and complete natural resource […]

Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Larry Pennington  

UConn Extension is celebrating National Volunteer Week! Volunteers dedicate time to their communities, and we appreciate their contributions to make Extension programs successful. Dr. Larry Pennington is one of these people who embodies what a volunteer should be. He has volunteered his time for 23 years to UConn 4-H and his club, the First Town […]

Rachael Manzer Wins the Northeast Region 4-H Volunteer of the Year Award

Rachael Manzer, a five-year volunteer with UConn’s Granby 4-H Club of Granby, a UConn 4-H Alum, and former NASA astronaut teacher, won the Northeast Region 4-H Volunteer of the Year after being selected by UConn. Hartford County 4-H Extension Educator, Jen Cushman notes, “Rachael’s dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of 4-H […]

Learn Gardening Fundamentals in New Online Course

Interested in how plants grow? Do you want a healthy, productive, and sustainable landscape for your home?  UConn Extension now offers the Fundamentals of Home Gardening, an asynchronous online series of classes covering a wide variety of gardening topics. These classes explore the foundation of good gardening practices, and help explain the “why” of successful […]

Energy Saving Tips

Energy Saver Tip: Power Strip “Use a power strip as a central “turn off” point when you are done using equipment. Even when turned off, electronic and IT equipment often use a small amount of electricity. U.S. households spend approximately $100 per year to power devices while they are in a low power mode, roughly […]

Making Maple Syrup in Your Own Back Yard CLEAR Webinar

As winter winds down, and you’re considering outdoor, low-risk activities, making a small batch of maple syrup at home with your family might be a fun and healthy choice. This webinar will provide all the essential information you’ll need to get started, from identifying which of your trees might be sugar maples, to tapping, boiling […]

Terrariums are Terrific

Article by Dawn Pettinelli, UConn HGEC Although it really has not been a bad January weather wise, the dull, cold days find me searching for that bit of green. Thoughts turn to inside plants and sprucing them up a bit. Most houseplants respond well to some grooming and repotting. This is also a good time […]

The Gluten Free Diet. Is it for Me?

Written by Sharon Gray, MPH, RD, CD-N El artículo también está disponible en Español. Haga clic aquí para ver. Gluten free labeling is on many foods in the grocery store and following the gluten free diet is popular. It is estimated that over 30% of the North American population has embraced a gluten-free lifestyle. But […]

Cleaning and Disinfecting High Touch Surfaces

Cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces is more important than ever. We curated a variety of resources to help you keep your high touch surfaces clean and protecting your health. Click here to view.  

Eat SMART in the New Year!

Written by UConn registered dietitian-nutritionist Donna Zigmont, RDN, CD-N   Source: Free goal setting clip art Every January, millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions to make positive changes in their lives. After a very difficult 2020 due to COVID-19, we are hopeful that 2021 will be more promising for all of us. Many of […]

Chilling Injury Affects Turf Across Region

John Inguagiato, Ph.D. and Vickie Wallace, UConn Michelle DaCosta, Ph.D. UMass Turf managers and homeowners have been puzzled by the sudden appearance of unusual tan, blighted patches that showed up last week between Tuesday and Friday (Nov. 3 – 6). Reports have been widespread throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The symptoms appear as round […]

Pumpkin’s a Good Pick for Your Health!

Written by UConn Dietetics Student Alexa Horkachuck Autumn is finally here, which means that pumpkin flavored products are flooding into your local grocery store. If you’re a fan, you will find everything from pumpkin cream cheese and pumpkin spice lattes to pumpkin pastas and soups. There is bound to be a recipe that you would […]

Fall is Here – Stay Hydrated

Written by UConn Dietetics Masters Student Shawn Lada We may be having cooler days now, but it is always important to stay hydrated. Keeping your body hydrated helps your heart, brain, muscles, and joints to stay healthy, along with keeping you regular and preventing urinary tract infections! During hotter days and summer months your body […]

Improving Health and Nutrition in Hartford

Participants at the Village Family Resource Center at Burns Latino Studies Academy in Hartford wanted more information on health and nutrition. Our Expanded Food and Nutrition Education program (EFNEP) partnered with the Family Resource Center to provide five educational outreach sessions in 2019. Community members wanted to learn about food security, healthy choices, feeding children, […]

Tree Mortality

UConn Collaborates on Gypsy Moth Cleanup Connecticut residents are all too familiar with the damage wrought by gypsy moths in recent years, particularly in the eastern part of the state. In Windham County, for example, one of the most severely affected areas over the past few years, Canterbury first selectman Christopher Lippke puts the death […]

People Empowering People

A UConn Program Partnering with Correctional Institutions UConn Extension has partnered with the Department of Corrections to offer the UConn People Empowering People Program at Correctional Institutions (UConn PEPCI) for over twenty years. UConn PEPCI is a personal and family leadership program modeled after the community UConn People Empowering People (UConn PEP) program and focuses […]

Partner Testimonials

Partnerships are at the foundation of Extension’s work statewide in all 169 towns and cities of Connecticut. We integrate with agencies and non-profits in communities in a variety of ways. “Our partnerships strengthen Extension, and in turn increase our statewide impact. Our innovative collaborations allow Extension and our partners to reach respective goals together.” ~ […]

What to Know Before You Go: Visiting a Farm During COVID

Facemasks and social distancing have become the norm in all parts of our lives. Farm stands, community supported agriculture (CSA) operations; farmers’ markets and pick-your-own operations have remained open despite the pandemic. However, the operations have changed to adhere to regulations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Before you visit the farm […]

Family and Food Resources from UConn EFNEP

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) helps families learn about healthy eating, shopping on a budget, cooking and physical activity. EFNEP staff strive to empower participants, providing knowledge and skills to improve the health of all family members. Participants learn through doing, with cooking, physical activity and supportive discussions about nutrition and healthy habits. EFNEP […]

Litchfield County 4-H Helps Distribute Dairy to Families in Need

Litchfield County 4-H to Help Distribute Yogurt and Sour Cream to Families in Need Background Facts: Because 30% of the fluid milk gets sold to restaurants, schools and institutions that are now closed, there is a huge surplus of fluid milk on the market now that cannot be further processed into more shelf stable products […]

Grow Your Own Vegetables: We Have Tips and Resources

Have you been thinking about starting your own vegetable garden while staying home and staying healthy? Now is the perfect time to select some seeds or starter plants and get started. Growing your own vegetables is fun, cost-effective, and helps provide your family with a safe and nutritious food supply. UConn CAHNR Extension has many […]

Guidance for Equine Businesses

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Guidance for Horseback Riding Schools and Stables / Boarding Stables Source: Connecticut Department of Agriculture HARTFORD, CT – In addition to implementing the Stay Home, Stay Safe protocols effective on March 23, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. through April 22, 2020; Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 7H required the Department of Economic and Community Development […]

Take a Fun, Educational Beach Walk and Share Your Finds

Beachcombing along the Connecticut coast can be a fun and healthy educational activity for families eager to get out outdoors while the COVID-19 virus keeps children home from school.   Among the many publications available from its website, Connecticut Sea Grant is calling attention to Living Treasures: The Plants and Animals of Long Island Sound, […]

Executive Order 7H – Essential Businesses

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EXECUTIVE ORDER 7H – ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES (HARTFORD, CT) – On March 20, 2020, The Governor issued Executive Order 7H, directing all businesses and nonprofit entities in the State of Connecticut to utilize, to the maximum extent possible, any telecommuting or work from home procedures that they can safely employ. That order […]

Litchfield County 4-H to Hold Food Insecurity Awareness Forum

Litchfield County 4-H is pleased to announce plans to hold their Food Insecurity Awareness Forum on Wednesday, March 25, at 7 pm, at the Litchfield Community Center in Litchfield. The forum will feature an educational panel discussion including several local and state experts on the subject of food insecurity in Litchfield County and a call […]

What do labels really mean? Organic, Natural, Cage-Free…

What do labels really mean? Organic, Natural, Cage-Free, Grass-Fed, Pasture-Raised and Local You have probably seen these terms on food labels and in the news, but what do they really mean?  And how important is buying organic and natural foods when it comes to healthy eating.  Some terms are helpful and others are misleading. So, […]

10 Tips for the October Gardener

Dig and store tender bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers in a cool, dark, place. Remove plant debris from the flowerbeds. Bag any diseased plant parts and put it in the trash or take it to a landfill but do not compost. Take a scenic drive to observe the changing fall foliage. The CT DEEP has […]

Making Every Penny Count: 4-H and Financial Education

According to a 2014 study conducted by the Connecticut Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, only 10% of Connecticut high school students participated in a personal finance class annually. Fewer than 20 high schools required students to take a personal finance course prior to graduation. According to the Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. […]

FertAdvisor App Available from UConn

Dr. Jason Henderson, Associate Professor of Turfgrass and Soil Sciences at University of Connecticut, is the lead investigator of an ongoing, multiple year research project that has been evaluating conventional, organic, and pesticide-free management systems for athletic fields and home lawns. Other investigators involved with the project include Vickie Wallace, John Inguagiato, Karl Guillard, Steve […]

Red, White & Blueberries

Celebrate our Nation’s Independence with Connecticut Grown Food As you celebrate our nation’s independence this Fourth of July, choose Connecticut Grown foods for your holiday gatherings. “Farmers are the backbone of our nation and we are fortunate to have a diverse array of agriculture in Connecticut,” said Bryan P. Hurlburt, Connecticut Department of Agriculture Commissioner. “Stop […]

Connecticut Grown Strawberries Ripe for Picking

Fresh from the field, Connecticut Grown strawberries are now ripening and ready to eat. Strawberries are the first fruit available in Connecticut and signal the arrival of summer for many residents who look forward to visiting one of the state’s pick-your-own farms. “Visiting a Connecticut strawberry patch to pick your own is a wholesome, family […]

Halloween Health Tips

Trick or Treat: Halloween is filled with sweet temptations and scary over-eating. Here are a few tips to help both adults and children avoid over indulging. Be a role model! Make sure your little goblins eat a healthy meal before trick or treating. Create a Healthy Family Halloween Tradition like Butternut Squash soup. Pair it […]

The Slow Storm: Tree Mortality in CT from Invasive Insect Pests

By Thomas E. Worthley, UConn Associate Extension Professor, Forestry During the early summer of 2018 it became apparent that numerous trees throughout eastern and southern Connecticut did not produce leaves this spring, having died sometime during the winter. While it is not unusual to lose a tree or two to natural causes here and there […]

Chris Collins: Making a Difference

By Cathleen Love Chris Collins moved to Meriden, Connecticut four years ago with his girlfriend and her two children. In his professional capacity he serves as a substance abuse counselor at Rushford at Meriden, an organization that offers a variety of outpatient programs and services, including counseling young adults about substance use disorders. A longtime […]

Lettuce Learn a Bit About E. Coli

By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety   Recent news reports regarding the romaine lettuce outbreak have, yet again, raised concern about pathogens in our food supply. In particular, leafy greens continue to show up as a source for outbreaks. Two outbreaks since late fall have implicated romaine and/or leafy greens. In both […]

Cooking Matters

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) helps families learn about healthy eating, shopping on a budget, cooking and physical activity. EFNEP staff strive to empower participants, providing knowledge and skills to improve the health of all family members. Participants learn through doing, with cooking, physical activity and supportive discussions about nutrition and healthy […]

Cook Before Eating

By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety During the holiday season, from Thanksgiving dinner through New Year’s celebrations, people who rarely spend time in the kitchen may be more likely to pick up a cookbook and make some cookies. Or, they may be stuffing their first turkey for Christmas day family dinner. Or […]