Posted on September 25, 2015 on Extension Community & Economic Development By John McDonald, Extension Intern The Romans advanced the concept of the genius loci, or protective spirit dwelling in a certain place. The same idea, minus the superstitious trappings of polytheism, is today reflected in the notions of spirit and sense of place. Spirit of place […]
Did You Know: Lily Leaf Beetle
A Sustainable and Viable Non-Pesticide Alternative Release and monitoring of two distinct biological control agents (the parasitoid wasps Tetrastichus setifer and Diaparsis jucunda) for biological control of lily leaf beetle began in Connecticut in 2012 under the direction of Extension Educator Donna Ellis. These beneficial insects have also been released in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, […]
Let’s Talk Trails
Originally Posted on October 23, 2015 By John McDonald, Extension Intern The Let’s Talk Trails event held in October at Torrington City Hall was arguably a gathering of the most important people involved in trail development, construction and maintenance in the state of Connecticut. Bruce Donald, Chairman of the Connecticut Greenways Council and President of […]
Did You Know: Urban Agriculture
Learning in the Field and the Classroom Students in the Urban Agriculture and IPM Training program completed 180 hours of classroom instruction, and volunteered 1,603 hours. Volunteer time was spent working on the farm preparing the land, building raised garden beds, planting and maintaining an acre of organic vegetables, and selling produce at the Danbury […]
This is Nuts!
By Tom Worthley, Associate Extension Professor, Forestry, UConn Extension Wow, there were tons of acorns this past fall…literally tons. At least it seemed so, in my yard alone! There really were lots of acorns in many areas, and this phenomenon does occur every now and then, why is that? Why the great abundance of acorns […]
Listeria and Fresh Produce
What is Listeria and why is it showing up in fresh produce? By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD UConn Extension Educator – Food Safety Yet another outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes has been attributed to fresh produce: bagged lettuce in this case. You may recall the 2011 outbreak associated with cantaloupe that turned out to […]
Volunteer Spotlight: Marcia Johnson
Teacher and 4-H Volunteer Brings Gardening, Nutrition and Fitness to Students in the Classroom and Beyond By Kim Markesich Originally published by Naturally@UConn on January 26, 2016 Twenty-eight years as an elementary school teacher has not dampened the enthusiasm of 4-H volunteer Marcia Johnson. She’s upbeat, energetic and clearly excited about teaching. Five years […]
Assessing the Potential Value of the Naugatuck River Greenway
Originally posted on September 25, 2015 By John McDonald, Extension Intern Greenways are multi-use trails that act as linear parks, often following the course of a river or former right-of-way such as a canal, railway or trolley line, or abandoned road. The Greenway movement gathered momentum in the United States through the 1980s and ’90s, […]
Fruit Flies Are Annoying!
By Carol Quish There is nothing more annoying than seeing tiny insects flying around inside your home. Fruit flies are one such insect commonly considered a pest by their mere presence sharing your living space, causing us to question where they come from and how to get rid of them. Fruit flies are attracted to […]
CPR-AED Course at Hartford County Extension
Would you know what to do if someone in your office, meeting, class, program, or even your home became unconscious and had no pulse? Five more members of UConn Hartford Extension Center would. Weston Forbes, Diane LaBonia, Marilyn Diaz, Mary-Margaret Gaudio, and Christine Smith, participated in a training course on December 14th and are now […]
Teen Mentors Attend National 4-H Congress
CT 4-H FANs IM Teen Mentors, and Danbury High School seniors, Ciara Broggy and Yanis Aracena, were selected to participate in the National 4-H Congress held in Atlanta, Georgia, November 27th through December 1, 2015. Both attendees were required to submit an application and attend an interview. While at the National 4-H Congress, they enjoyed […]
Successful 2016 Connecticut Vegetable & Small Fruit Growers’ Conference
By MacKenzie White, UConn Extension Another great annual conference is in the books for UConn Extension and the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station. 266 growers, agricultural exhibitors, and educators came together Monday January 11th at Maneely’s in South Windsor for a session filled with valuable information in which growers will take back and apply to […]
Year of the Pulse…As in Legume Seeds
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD Senior Extension Educator, Food Safety The 68th UN General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (IYP). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations will conduct a variety of activities in support of this focus on a food product that is nutritious and sustainable. According to information on […]
UConn Represented at New England Grows
New England GROWS, the Northeast’s largest educational conference and green industry exposition, wrapped up on December 4 after three days of seminars and hands-on learning, combined with an exhibition showcasing the latest innovations from hundreds of leading industry exhibitors. Opening day saw record-breaking attendance and overall the event attracted nearly 9000 green industry professionals to […]
On the Training of Community Observers
By John McDonald, Extension Intern We have all heard or perhaps spoken the phrase “a fresh set of eyes”, meaning to obtain a second viewpoint or return later to a situation to see what has been missed due to fatigue or overstimulation. Geographer Yi-Fu Tuan makes the distinction between visitors and tourists, for whom a […]
FoodCorps Making an Impact
Our FoodCorps Connecticut service members are making a large impact across the state! Since September 1st: The 15 superstar service members have interacted with 6257 students! They have harvested 355.25 lbs of produce from school or community gardens! They have worked with 545 volunteers! CT Service members have also worked with 40 farmers! What amazing numbers!!!!
Warm December Weather May Spell Trouble for Plants
By Dawn Pettinelli, UConn Home & Garden Education Center Usually this time of year the UConn Home & Garden Education Center is flooded with calls about the care of holiday plants. Not so this year. Instead many of the calls have been about the unusual plant behavior Connecticut residents are noticing in their gardens […]
Reflections on Community Development
By Laura Brown, Community & Economic Development Educator, UConn Extension Anyone who’s been in this field will attest that community development takes grit. Sometimes the day-to-day work is monotonous, exhausting, and trying. We’re challenged by conflicting personalities, politics and bureaucracies and given the charge of changing the status quo when the tides seem turned against […]
Cushman Joins UConn Extension
Jen Cushman joined UConn Extension as the new 4-H Extension Educator in Harford County. Ms. Cushman has an outstanding background in STEM programming, specifically environmental and agriculture education, having served as a Regional Agri-science Head teacher in the Glastonbury school system. She organized recruitment to increase the diverse student base in nine towns and cities surrounding Glastonbury. Jen […]
Casey’s Clean Air Week
As part of an outreach and education effort, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), along with UConn Extension’s Healthy Environments for Children Initiative, has developed a children’s book on air quality, titled Casey’s Clean Air Week (flipbook, pdf). The purpose of this book is to teach young children (approximately 4 to 7 years old) about […]
The Role of Greenways and Multi-Use Trails in Connecticut
Posted on September 20, 2015 on Extension Community & Economic Development By John McDonald, Extension Intern The concept of a network of trails in the state of Connecticut dates back to 1929, when the Connecticut Forest and Park Association established the blue-blazed hiking trail system (CFPA, 2006). In many cases, these trails follow steep ridge lines in […]
Cross Pollination Adventure for Hartford County 4-H
By Stacey Stearns Hartford County 4-H members will have the unique opportunity to participate in a Cross Pollination Adventure this summer. They will partner with a Costa Rican outdoor education center as part of a Cooperative International Learning Experience. UConn Extension has partnered with CIRENAS (Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales y Sociales) in Costa […]
Make the Holidays Healthy
Extension educator Heather Peracchio was at Daily Bread food pantry in Danbury yesterday. She was providing clients with healthy eating tips during the holidays and food safety information. For 10 tips on Making Healthy Holiday choices, visit: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-make-healthier-holida…
Mistletoe: Why the Kissing? And more!
By Joan Allen Mistletoe is a popular Christmas decoration, not because it’s really all that showy, but because of the tradition of kissing associated with it (and maybe a bit because it’s evergreen). The origins of this tradition are a little fuzzy but it seems to be something that has been done in English speaking […]
Students Visit Time Square
UConn – Agricultural and Resource Economics Professor Ben Campbell and UConn CAHNR students were in Times Square, New York City while attending the The New York Produce Show & Conference.
Saving Dill Seeds
UConn Extension Master Gardener program volunteers show you the proper technique to save seeds from your dill plant.
Harvesting Potatoes from a Bag
UConn Extension Master Gardeners in Fairfield County demonstrate how to harvest potatoes out of a bag.
PEP Facilitator Training
In October, 19 people completed our two-day People Empowering People (PEP) Facilitator training, including two participants from Miami, Florida.
Saving Digitalis Seeds
Learn how to save seeds from your Digitalis with our UConn Extension Master Gardener program volunteers from Fairfield County.
Urban and Community Studies
UConn Extension‘s Laura Brown (second from left) served on a career panel for the Urban and Community Studies Program at UConn Waterbury on November 4th. Panel members were from the social services, criminal justice, community development, and college administration fields, and talked about their jobs and how they got them!
Fermentation: Preservation with Benefits
By: Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD Senior Extension Educator – Food Safety Believe it or not, winter is coming. This is a good time to think about preserving some of the vegetables that you may find in your cold cellar or at the fall farmers’ market. Cabbage, of course, but really, that is just the […]
Robots in the Greenhouse
CK Greenhouses in Cheshire gave a short demonstration of their robots, which are used to space their plants in both their greenhouses and outdoor mum fields. Here you can see them moving the pots from a pot to pot spacing to a final spacing. They have a rechargeable battery so can work for 12 […]
New Zealand Visitors
UConn Extension was pleased to host Mr. Nick Edgar, distinguished Winston Churchill Fellow and Chief Executive of New Zealand Landcare Trust, exploring innovative local food and sustainable agriculture initiatives in the U.S. Thank you to the farmers who hosted us!
Study Underway to Assess the Economic Impact of the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail
The Naugatuck River Greenway (NRG) Steering Committee has initiated a 2015-2016 study to catalog the economic and quality of life impacts that will result from the construction of the Naugatuck River Greenway trail, a planned multi-use trail along the Naugatuck River. The study is designed to assist each of the 11 greenway municipalities and local […]
Sustainable & Climate Smart Agriculture
The White House recognized UConn Extension educator Jiff Martin as a Champion of Change for Sustainable and Climate Smart Agriculture in October. The program features individuals who are doing extraordinary things to inspire and empower members of their communities, Martin was one of 12 individuals from across the country selected for this honor. Jiff reflected […]
Eat Local This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Did you know that you can buy a Connecticut grown turkey? Check out the Buy CT Grown guide to Connecticut turkeys. Even if you don’t eat a Connecticut grown turkey, there are lots of great suggestions for how to add some local flavor to your holiday meal. Check out the recipes […]
4-H Attends Wellness Fair
UConn Extension’s LaShawn Christie-Francis the Eversource Wellness Fair with Aqueelah Virgo, our CYFAR afterschool instructor. They attended both fairs one was located on Prospect Street in Hartford and the other was at Windsor, Connecticut, both were in October. Over 200 people attended their wellness fair and it gave Urban 4-H/CYFAR afterschool programs a lot of exposure.
4-H Celebrates Food Day
MaryEllen Welch & Peg Grillo with Miss Dance of USA 2015 at the UConn Extension display at World Food Day celebrations at Yale on Saturday, October 24th.
Freund’s Farm
Ben Freund of Freund’s Farm in East Canaan discusses crop insurance in this video produced by UConn Extension’s Agricultural Risk Management Team.
Jiff Martin Selected as White House Champion of Change
On Monday, October 26, the White House will recognize 12 individuals from across the country as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate Smart Agriculture. UConn Extension’s Jiff Martin was selected as one of the recipients. These individuals were selected by the White House for their achievements and will be honored for exemplary […]