Extreme weather events can give fruit growers a preview of what producing food in a rapidly changing climate might entail. The general trend of increasing temperatures was solidified and reflected in the recent adjustment to the USDA plant hardiness zones. Coupled with extreme weather events, thoughtful climate adaptation strategies are essential. Included in this factsheet are some climate-smart considerations aimed at increasing the resiliency of a fruit-producing operation.
Unique Fruit Crops for Farm Diversification
As climate-related production challenges continue to become more prominent, the need to develop and maintain whole farm resiliency grows. Highly diversified farms enjoy a great deal of innate resiliency, simply due to their mix of commodities. Diversification can take many forms: utilizing new varieties, expanding into a new commodity group, or employing a new production system. One unique opportunity for diversification is to explore alternative, novel, or niche fruit crops. Below is a deeper look at two of the most appealing contenders for diversification.
Online Gardening Course for Home Gardeners Available
UConn Extension is excited to announce that the Fundamentals of Home Gardening online course, designed to help gardening enthusiasts of all levels cultivate thriving home gardens, is available for home gardeners who want to expand their knowledge and skills. The course is divided into four modules covering essential gardening topics: CORE – Water, Soils, and […]
What do Labels Really Mean? Organic, Natural, Cage-Free, Grass-Fed, Pasture-Raised and Local
Organic, Natural, Cage Free, Grass Fed, Pasture-Raised and Local are terms on food labels and used in the news, but what do they really mean? And how important is it to buy organic and natural foods when it comes to healthy eating? Some terms are helpful, and others are misleading. This fact sheet reviews some of these terms and the meaning behind them.
Blueberry Weed Control and Pre-emergent Herbicides
Thoughtful weed management is essential to maintaining high yields and fruit quality in a blueberry operation. It also serves to reduce other pest issues. Growers continue to face challenges associated with weed management, including the development of herbicide resistance and challenges associated with climate change. In this factsheet is a brief overview of managing weeds in blueberries, with a special emphasis on pre-emergent materials.
Spring Chick Season: Tips for Raising a Healthy Flock
As the weather warms up, many poultry enthusiasts are preparing for chick season. Raising a healthy flock starts with strong management practices, whether you’re a first-time chicken owner or an experienced poultry keeper. UConn Extension has two new fact sheets to guide you through the process: 10 Tips for New Poultry Owners – Covers the […]
10 Consejos Para los Nuevos Criadores de Aves de Corral: Cómo Promover Parvadas y Familias Saludables
La cría de aves de corral domésticas puede ser una experiencia divertida y gratificante. Hay varios pasos que puede tomar para establecer y mantener la salud de su parvada, su familia y el medio ambiente.
10 Tips for New Poultry Owners: Promoting Healthy Flocks and Families
Raising domestic poultry can be a fun and rewarding experience. There are several steps to establishing and maintaining the health of your flock, family, and environment.
Put Local On Your Tray Celebrates Ag Week with School Taste Tests
Put Local On Your Tray, a UConn Extension program, partnered with K-12 schools across the region to celebrate National Ag Week through a series of exciting taste tests and educational events. Students had the opportunity to explore fresh, locally grown foods, connecting them with the farmers who grow them and the benefits of eating seasonal […]
Guardians Farm: A Story of Growth, Community, and Education
David Buck and Tamra French began their farming journey in 2014 with chickens and a vegetable garden at their home in Naugatuck. The following year, they added goats and began making homemade soaps and lotions. “We really started making everything for ourselves, and it snowballed from there,” David shared. In 2020, they moved to their […]
Celebrate National Agriculture Week
Why Agriculture Matters Connecticut’s farms and agricultural businesses are essential to the health, economy, and communities of our state. From fresh produce and dairy products to thriving nurseries and innovative urban farms, our farmers provide the food, fiber, and resources that sustain us. During National Agriculture Week (March 16-22, 2025), we take a moment to […]
SPRING is in the Air: Ideas of How to Prepare
After a long season with little color, when Spring arrives it’s great to see the greening of the grass and blooming flowers. Horses shedding definitely is another reminder. As a horse owner, when you think of the word SPRING, it can help bring to mind some tasks to focus on.
Plant Variety Selection for the Home Vegetable Gardener
By Jacqueline Kowalski As snow and winter lose their charm, one thing that excites gardeners this time of year is the arrival and perusal of seed catalogs. The glossy pages filled with promises and beauty remind gardeners that spring is just around the corner, and soon, hands will be in the soil awaiting summer bounty. […]
Equine Herpesvirus
Equine herpesvirus infections are very common in horse populations. Familiarity with the types of equine herpesviruses, clinical signs, transmission, diagnosis, treatment and especially, ways to protect your horses from infection are the best practices in managing the disease. In this fact sheet, we will focus on EHV-1 and EHV4, which are the two that result in serious clinical disease in the horse.
Coronavirus in Horses
In 2010 some coronavirus outbreaks occurred throughout the world in adult horses (and causing diarrhea in foals), but luckily, horses never transmitted to humans. It is also extremely unlikely that the disease would jump into humans from horses. In late summer 2018, several horses were affected by equine coronavirus at a horse show in the Northeast United States.
¿Qué es One Health?
One Health es un enfoque colaborativo e integrador que reconoce la interconexión entre los seres humanos, los animales, las plantas y el medio ambiente. Los seres vivos están estrechamente conectados con su entorno natural. Reconocer la interconexión de los sistemas humanos, animales y ambientales puede ayudarnos a promover comunidades y ecosistemas más saludables, el uso sostenible de los recursos y un mundo más resiliente. Por lo tanto, aquellos que utilizan One Health buscan aplicar una perspectiva sistémica para fomentar un cambio positivo. Esta hoja informativa es para residentes, dueños de negocios, municipios, productores agrícolas y otros miembros de la comunidad interesados en aprender cómo el enfoque de One Health puede optimizar nuestra salud colectiva.
Backyard Poultry: A Quick Look at Raising Healthy Birds
Raising backyard poultry is an increasingly popular endeavor, providing fresh eggs, meat, and companionship, while contributing to a sustainable food system. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced poultry owner, it is essential to understand the fundamental aspects of poultry selection, housing, health management, and biosecurity to ensure a healthy, and productive, flock.
What is One Health?
One Health is a collaborative, integrative approach that recognizes the interconnectedness between humans, animals, plants, and the environment. Living beings are closely connected to their natural surroundings. Recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental systems can help us promote healthier communities and ecosystems, sustainable use of resources, and a more resilient world. Therefore, those who utilize One Health seek to apply a systems perspective to encourage positive change. This fact sheet is for residents, business owners, municipalities, agricultural producers, and other community members interested in learning how the One Health approach can optimize collective health.
Colic: Its Risk Factors and Prevention
Colic refers to any type of abdominal pain. There are many things that can be done to help prevent horse colic issues. By being aware of the risk factors and implementing these preventative measures, the horse can avoid this painful and costly disorder.
Basic Equine Dental Care and How to Detect Trouble
All horses should receive a complete dental exam, at least yearly, starting from their first year of life. By the time most horse owners recognize that a horse is having trouble eating or is losing weight, that horse’s teeth may be severely abnormal. Proper dental care from the beginning of the horse’s life can help eliminate problems before they start. Seek an experienced equine dentist or equine veterinarian to undertake these necessary horse care issues.
Developing a Biosecurity Plan for Your Livestock or Poultry Operation
A biosecurity plan is a proactive protocol for maintaining the health of animals and people that interact with production or hobby enterprises. The goal of biosecurity is to prevent the introduction and spread of disease-causing pathogens within and between groups of animals and humans. The factsheet integrates a ‘One Health’ approach and is intended for use by livestock operation managers, hobbyists, and others that work closely with poultry and livestock species. The best practices included in this resource may apply to any of the following: chickens, ducks, cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and other domestic livestock.
Crisis Communications Planning for Agritourism Operations
Agritourism is a viable option for farms looking to diversify their revenue streams, educate their neighbors and customers about agriculture, and share the joy that their farm offers. While optimism is preferred, preparing a crisis communications plan before it’s needed can aid in the farm’s resilience. Ideally, it becomes a practice that helps the agritourism operation prevent and mitigate threats. Good communication practices are part of any successful business, including communicating during a crisis.
USDA RMA and FSA Crop Reporting Deadlines App
UConn Extension and the USDA RMA developed an app which will send reminders of crop insurance and NAP sign-up deadlines. All crops/products that are presently covered by the USDA RMA and USDA FSA in New England are in the app. Notifications will be sent via text and/or email (you select the method) 4 weeks and […]
Invasive Plant Triage for Habitat Managers in Connecticut
Invasive plants are non-native species that reduce native biodiversity, alter habitats, impact the economy, and pose significant threats to ecosystems. The task of managing invasive plants can quickly become overwhelming due to their aggressive establishment and the time, money, and persistence required to achieve positive outcomes. One practical approach is to use triage, an assessment practice that prioritizes invasive species management strategies by the degree of ecological damage to the site and the economic resources required for management. This paper explores the fundamentals of a triage approach to invasive plant management, including its components, challenges, and implementation strategies for effective invasive species management.
Insulin Resistance in Horses – Does It Matter?
Insulin resistance is defined as a reduced sensitivity of the body’s cells to insulin’s facilitation of glucose uptake. This article discusses equine insulin resistance including its causes, effects, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Meet Matt Syrotiak
Matt Syrotiak ’24 (CAHNR) recently joined our team as the State 4-H Program Coordinator. Matt is from Bethlehem, Connecticut, and brings a wealth of leadership experience in 4-H and FFA to the role. Additionally, Matt is a proud UConn and CAHNR graduate; he earned a bachelor of science in animal science and is completing a […]
Yogurt, Kefir and Other Choices at the Supermarket
Yogurt is one of the most popular dairy products among Americans. The yogurt section in the supermarket continues to expand, and the many choices can be confusing. Nutritionally, yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, and potassium. Most yogurts contain added sweeteners; however, it is usually sucrose, artificial flavors, and colors. Kefir is another fermented dairy product made by adding bacterial and yeast cultures to milk. Let’s look at some yogurt and kefir options in the dairy aisle.
Strategic Deworming and Preventing Reinfestation
As spring and warm weather approaches, horse owners typically consider deworming. Recent discussion has centered around how horse owners should switch from rotational deworming–or time-based deworming with the same drug–to strategic deworming also known as targeted or selective deworming. Following that will be consideration of ways to prevent reinfestation of horses that were dewormed.
Vaccination For Optimizing Equine Health and Performance
For horse owners, vaccination is a part of the routine maintenance of the animal’s health. Vaccination can prevent disease, reduce the severity of disease, and minimize the spread of disease. With one horse, the focus is on disease prevention. With more than one horse, the focus is on reducing the impact of an outbreak.
Attention Backyard Poultry Owners!
Attention Backyard Poultry Owners! Following proper biosecurity and food safety guidelines is key to keeping your flock and food safe. While Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a serious concern, it is not a food safety issue as long as you follow recommended precautions. ✅ Always cook poultry and eggs to a safe internal temperature (165°F). ✅ […]
Meet Nicole Davidow
Nicole Davidow recently joined our team as an Outreach Assistant for the Vegetable and Hemp Extension Program and is working alongside Shuresh Ghimire, our Vegetable Extension Specialist at the Tolland Extension Office. She is originally from Southington and received a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Fairfield University, focusing on humanitarian crises, social justice issues, […]
Meet Sara Tomis
Sara Tomis is our new assistant extension educator for One Health – Agriculture and Community Engagement. Sara is originally from Preston, Connecticut and earned a bachelor of science in agricultural education and outreach from UConn CAHNR and a master of science in agricultural education and communication with a specialization in Extension from the University of […]
Meet Danielle Fisher
Danielle Fisher joined UConn Extension in our New London County office as an educational program assistant during the fall of 2024. She is from Willington, and earned her bachelor of science in animal science from UConn. “I have been familiar with the Extension Service due to my degree from the College of Agriculture, Health, and […]
FSMA Final Agricultural Rule on Pre-harvest and Post-harvest
This factsheet outlines the update on Subpart E pre-harvest agricultural water releases in 2024 and requirements for post-harvest activities, according to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, published in 2015. Pre-harvest agricultural water refers to water used during growing activities, such as for irrigation, and crop protection sprays.
Invasive Plant Factsheet Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is an invasive perennial frequently found in high elevation areas, disturbed habitats, meadows, valleys, and roadsides. Laboratory studies have found the presence of chemicals that could potentially suppress the growth of nearby plants.
New Online Certificate – FARM RISK MANAGEMENT
New Online Certificate – FARM RISK MANAGEMENT: In-Depth Strategies for Effective Farm Risk Management This unique program from UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources focuses on critical topics for the agriculture industry, farm risk management. Farm risk management involves understanding and mitigating factors that can impact agricultural operations, such as climate change, pest management, […]
Some Regulations and Codes Related to Commercial Greenhouse Construction in Connecticut
Under Section 1-1(q) of Connecticut General Statutes, greenhouses and other structures, used primarily for the production of horticultural commodities, are considered agriculture and farming. This fact sheet explores some Regulations and Codes related to commercial greenhouses in Connecticut.
The Health Benefits of Chickpeas
Americans have dramatically increased the use of chickpeas in their diets, over the past few years, particularly in the form of hummus. Chickpeas have so many nutritional and health benefits – adding them to the diet is a big nutritional boost. They are inexpensive and versatile to add to many dishes. This article looks at chickpeas and their health benefits.
Pasta Alternatives
Pasta is one food that many Americans use as a daily, weeknight and weekend, staple. It is easy to prepare and well-liked by everyone, including kids. A decade ago, the only options were regular and whole wheat. Now options abound and the choices can be confusing to consumers. Which pastas are the most nutritious? Pasta has often been maligned because of its carbohydrate content. Many fad and Keto diets recommend avoiding traditional white pasta, due to the refined grains and carbohydrate content. However, pasta remains a key component of many healthy eating patterns.
Say “Neigh” to Negativity: How Horses Can Help Us Find Lifelong Happiness
Article by Jenifer Nadeau As people that love horses, horses make us happy! This seems like a simplistic statement but when the pandemic hit I suddenly realized how much horses are a part of my own happiness. In the early days of the pandemic we weren’t really allowed to be on campus but I would […]