Story and photos by Judy Benson Carl Jorgensen, consultant to the Plant Based Foods Association and the Plant Based Foods Institute, talks about the potential of kelp in the plant-based food industry during the 8th Annual Connecticut Seaweed Stakeholders Meeting. Plant-based alternatives to meat, milk and other foods derived from animal products are the fastest […]
Long Island Sound School network applications sought
Interested in joining like-minded educators in protecting the Long Island Sound watershed and inspiring the next generation of stewards? Funded by EPA Long Island Sound Study and facilitated by Connecticut Sea Grant and Mercy University, the Long Island Sound (LIS) School network compels schools to make a commitment to the protection and conservation of local watersheds, Long Island Sound, and […]
New Podcast Episode: UConn 4-H Fairfield County
Our UConn 4-H program has a positive impact on youth every day, and one of our youth, volunteers, and educators from Fairfield County explain more in our latest podcast episode. Learn more and listen in at s.uconn.edu/fairfield-fair – and join us this weekend for their 4-H Fair at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo.
Connecting Connecticut: Our Podcast Answers Your Questions
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 […]
Fall Soil Testing Yields Spring Benefits
Fall is the perfect time of year to test your soil for gardens, agricultural fields, yards, or athletic fields. The UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory tests for a variety of major and minor plant nutrients, lead and pH. Limestone and fertilizer recommendations are based on University research and field studies. Details on how to take […]
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 […]
8 Essential “Always” of Holiday Food Safety
Good food safety practices are always welcome at holiday gatherings. These eight essential always of holiday food safety help consumers practice safe food practices at home to ensure
the health and safety of friends and family.
How can we Reduce Flood Risk in our Communities?
Flooding is a natural and cyclical phenomenon – whereby during storms water overflows onto the land from adjacent waterbodies – that humans have adapted to for millennia. This fact sheet provides a brief history and additional information for municipalities, residents, farmers, and agencies on preventing, preparing for, and recovering from flooding incidents.
Preparing Your Greenhouse for a Hurricane
Site exposure, height, shape and roof slope affect the wind load that a greenhouse can take without sustaining damage. Although most greenhouses are designed for a minimum 85 mph wind load, gusts can damage large sidewalls at even lower speed.
Start Clean and Stay Clean
It’s best not to wait until just before you start your spring seedlings, to begin cleaning, removing clutter and organizing your greenhouses.
Why are Maple Leaves Turning Brown and Falling Early?
Anthracnose species are just some of the fungal diseases that affect many plants, especially those under stress. When maple trees are infected with anthracnose, one of the impacts is brown leaves during the fall.
Climate Adaptation Tactics in Vegetable Production
With climate change exacerbating many abiotic stresses, including heat, drought, flooding, and the increase in the frequency of extreme weather events, it is imperative to investigate adaptation tactics for successful vegetable production.
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 […]
Fireblight & Mitigating Resistant Populations
Fireblight is often one of the top concerns for Connecticut fruit producers. This disease, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, is both highly destructive and infectious, making informed disease management efforts a top priority.
Power Outages: Be Prepared for when Power Goes out
Power outages can occur at any time. Some are short-term and may last for a few hours. However, it’s important to be prepared for those that last several days to a week or more. This
publication outlines what residents need to consider and how to prepare.
Defining Extension Programs at the University of Connecticut: Connecticut Sea Grant
This document outlines the purpose of the National Sea Grant program, the Connecticut Sea Grant’s relationship with UConn Extension
Flooding Preparedness for Horse Owners
Flooding is a year-round threat for horse owners and one of the most common ones that we face. This publication provides information on the two types of floods, factors to consider, and items needed in an equine disaster kit.
Beware of Hopperburn
‘Hopperburn’ refers to the complex of symptoms associated with potato leafhopper (PLH) feeding injury. Crops primarily attacked by the potato leafhopper include potato, beans, soybeans and alfalfa. Other host plants include eggplant, cucumber, Jerusalem artichokes, squash, sweet potato and rhubarb.
Defining Extension Programs at the University of Connecticut: Smith-Lever Legislation and Funding Requirements
This document is the first in a series that will identify the types of Extension programs at UConn based on their legislative mandates and funding requirements.
Protect Humans and Animals from Mosquitoes
The presence of mosquitoes carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) on the rise in Connecticut, according to surveillance program from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and testing from UConn’s Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Protect both humans and livestock with these steps: http://s.uconn.edu/eeev
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 […]
Annual Beef Cattle Auction
The 2023 University of Connecticut (UConn) Beef Cattle Auction is set to occur on Sunday, October 22, 2023, at the Cattle Resource Unit (CRU) on Horsebarn Hill Road in Storrs, CT 06269. This year’s event will offer both in-person attendance and the opportunity for virtual and live bidding through Wolf Auction Group. Sale animals will […]
Ask UConn Extension: What to do with Jumping Worms
Asian jumping worms are a problem. Most efforts at this time are about reducing the spread. The eggs of these worms can travel on shoes and gardening tools and plant material, so proper sanitation is a big key. Avoid plant swaps. More tips and tricks: s.uconn.edu/jumpingworms
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 New London 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 […]
Ask UConn Extension: When do I prune my hydrangea?
If the shrub blooms in spring, then prune immediately after bloom period next year. If you prune it now, flower buds will be lost. If it blooms in summer, prune now or in the spring. Endless Summer hydrangea macrophylla blooms on current season growth and old wood, pruning will still result in some flower loss, but pruning […]
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 […]
Prepare for Additional Rain
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 […]
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 fact sheet 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? […]
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 […]
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 […]