We’re experiencing heavy rain again this afternoon, & expected into the evening, in part from #HurricaneLee effects. Prepare for flooding with our resources at https://s.uconn.edu/flooding
Ask UConn Extension: What’s Wrong With the Maple Trees?
This year people are noticing that maple leaves appear wilted or browned and heavy leaf drops are premature in many cases. UConn Extension educator and forestry expert, Tom Worthley, says that this “maple leaf phenomenon is a foliar fungus from the anthracnose group. During summers with high humidity and lots of rainfall these fungi can […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Ask UConn Extension: Residential Gardens and Flooding
Visit our flooding resources page for updated resources. The recent flooding has impacted many in Connecticut, including residential gardeners. UConn Extension has collected information on flood resources and information all in one place at https://s.uconn.edu/flooding. Below are answers to some questions specifically pertaining to home gardeners: Can the produce be eaten after a flood? This […]
Flooding Resources for Agriculture, Residents & Municipalities
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. Flooding Resources
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 […]
Flooding Resources
See the updated version at https://eden.uconn.edu/flooding-hurricane-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. […]
Connecticut Shell Recycling Survey
Do you work with a restaurant that sells oysters? Please pass on this survey to them! We are recruiting individuals for a research project to gauge the CT food service sector interest in shell recycling. We have obtained prospective participants’ email addresses through project partners at the Connecticut Restaurant Association. Participation involves a survey that will take […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Honoring & Remembering on Juneteenth
We celebrate Juneteenth on Monday, the Black Independence Day. Umekia Taylor of our UConn Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program- EFNEP shares more information and recipes you can use to celebrate: s.uconn.edu/juneteenth
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 […]
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 […]
Protecting Indoor Air from Wildfire Smoke
Wildfire smoke can damage your lungs, heart, eyes, nose, throat and immune system. Smoke can enter homes and contaminate indoor air. Protect yourself by staying indoors and taking steps to reduce indoor air pollution. Here are tips on how to protect the air in your home. Why is smoke harmful? In a wildfire, the major […]
Did You Know? Asparagus
Asparagus should not be harvested the first two years after planting. The third year, harvest is limited to 2 weeks. After that, it is safe to harvest for 4-8 weeks, then allow ferns to develop. Some people opt not to harvest the 3rd year, but it can be done. -Pamm Cooper
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 […]
Did You Know? Crabapples
If a crabapple fails to produce fruit, but does have flowers, then either flowers were not pollinated or the tree has other issues and is stressed, and will then abort fruit. Crabapple trees in shade also tend to produce little to no fruit. -Pamm Cooper
Play Breadwinner and Learn about Financial Literacy
Are you interested in learning more about financial literacy? Want to practice budgeting and making sound financial decisions as an adult in Connecticut? Play Breadwinner! Breadwinner was created with the purpose of teaching others about how to manage your money in the Connecticut workforce. The hope is to get teenagers and young adults to practice […]
Japanese Knotweed Management
Japanese knotweed, Polygonum cuspidatum, is an aggressive invasive plant that grows vigorously along roadsides, wetland habitat, and utility rights of way. It may take years to control as new growth from rhizomes occurs even if the original plants are killed. Cutting back repeatedly is helpful, but works better when an herbicide is applied to open […]
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 […]
Native Plants for Riparian Corridors in CT Guide Available
The Native Plants for Riparian Corridors in CT guide from Connecticut Sea Grant is now available! The guide includes native trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses, sedges, reeds and herbaceous plants that can grow and thrive along bodies of water. Download the guide at seagrant.uconn.edu/?p=10305
Summer Horseback Riding Classes with Animal Science Department
Are you looking for activities to get you outside this Summer? Do you want more riding instruction to grow your skillset? The UConn Animal Science department is offering horseback riding classes to the public this summer and there is something for everyone! Learn more at the following link: s.uconn.edu/summer-riding Lessons include Dressage, Hunt Seat, Polo, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]