Diane Dorfer (’03 CLAS) joined UConn Extension as our Farm Viability Service Coordinator in June. She’s from Mansfield Center and owns and operates Cobblestone Farm. Diane earned her bachelor of science degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from UConn. What is your area of interest? One of the goals of my new position is to […]
Author: Stacey Stearns
Meet Fanny Hernandez
Fanny Hernandez joined UConn Extension as our Evaluation Specialist in April. She is from the Dominican Republic, and before moving to Connecticut, she lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for almost nine years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the Santo Domingo Institute of Technology (INTEC) and a certificate in education in the Dominican […]
Seniors Eating Well in Danbury
Community partnerships are a crucial part of our land-grant mission to take the university’s research to the public. Twelve years ago we started working with Elmwood Hall at the Danbury Senior Center on the Seniors Eating Well and Farm Market on the Move program in partnership with the Danbury Connecticut Farmers’ Market, and Clatter Valley […]
Meet Lauren Kurtz
Lauren Kurtz joined UConn Extension as an Invasive Species Outreach Specialist. She’s originally from Frankfort, Illinois, and earned her undergraduate degrees in environmental studies and geography from Western Michigan University, before coming to UConn for her masters and PhD in horticulture and plant breeding in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture. Lauren is […]
Meet Emily Picard
Emily Picard (’09 CAHNR, ’10 NEAG) joined UConn Extension as the UConn 4-H educator for Fairfield County in June. She is from Killingworth and has a bachelor of science in agriculture and natural resources from the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources. Emily has a master of arts in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in […]
Meet Halie Shea
Halie Shea joined UConn Extension as the UConn 4-H educator for New Haven County in June. She is from Windsor Locks and has a bachelor of arts in special education from Elms College and a master of science in natural science education and environment and natural resources from the University of Wyoming. What is your […]
Sowing the Seeds of Coaching with the Master Gardeners
The Fairfield County Master Gardeners had a successful collaboration and a fun and productive day of teaching and gardening when they recently hosted the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Connecticut Charter Chapter at their Demonstration Garden at the Fairfield County Extension Center in Bethel. This event was held during ICF’s annual International Coaching Week (ICW) in […]
Staying Safe in the Heat Wave
Out working in the heat wave? Here are some tips from the Korey Stringer Institute to help: – Hydrate/drink plenty of fluids before you go outside. – Cool your body before heading outside (cold shower, air conditioning, etc.). – Avoid direct sunlight when possible and seek shade/take breaks. – Continue hydrating/drinking plenty of water while […]
Home Food Preservation
Fresh fruits and vegetables are bountiful at farmers’ markets. The abundance can create kitchen challenges and one way to address those is with food preservation. It is important to learn and follow safe home food preservation methods. There are risks to almost every method, but canning, pickling, and fermentation carry some specific risks. Visit https://s.uconn.edu/food-preservation […]
Pollinator Week
Happy Pollinator Week! We have resources to help you support pollinators in your yard and outdoor spaces: http://s.uconn.edu/pollinators – we’ll be celebrating them again in July for our annual Bug Week activities too (http://bugs.uconn.edu).
Eighteen Farms Chosen for Climate Smart Farming Microgrants
UConn Extension is delighted to announce that eighteen new and beginning farmers are receiving climate smart microgrants fueled by Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Climate Smart Farming: Agriculture and Forestry Grant. UConn Extension was one of 12 recipients and received a total of $500,000 with nearly half of that to be distributed through microgrants which will […]
Ask UConn Extension: White Pine Needle Disease Update
We are receiving reports of a rapid yellowing/browning and needle loss on all age and size of white pine trees in various parts of the state, in both the woods and along the roadsides. Tom Worthley, one of our Extension foresters states that we are observing a complex combination of needle fungi commonly referred to […]
Meet Amelia Magistrali
Amelia Magistrali joined our team as an Associate Extension Educator in soil health in May. Originally from Torrington, she earned a bachelor of arts in environmental studies from Middlebury College, a master of science in organic farming and food production systems from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, and a PhD from Newcastle University as […]
New Game from UConn Extension Helps Youth Discover Biotechnology
Youth may not aspire to careers that they can’t visualize or fully comprehend. A new biotechnology game created by UConn Extension, in cooperation with the Learning Games Laboratory at New Mexico State University, allows youth to imagine and explore career opportunities in a biotechnology lab. The game, Dr. Eugene’s Biotechnology Lab, is now available at […]
Celebrating National Volunteer Week
It’s National Volunteer Week, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to the 5,531 volunteers across all UConn Extension programs who help extend our impact throughout Connecticut. In 2023, we had 5,531 volunteers who donated 172,374 hours, worth $5.4 million to our Connecticut communities.
Spring Updates from Extension
UConn Extension is everywhere: in libraries, public gardens, farms, schools, greenhouses, community centers, and nine Extension Centers located throughout the state. It’s never hard to connect with your local UConn Extension professionals. Our spring newsletter shares updates from various programs, including opportunities for you to get involved. Read our Spring 2024 newsletter.
Meet Dan Carvalheiro
Dan Carvalheiro recently joined Extension as our data analyst. He is originally from Bridgeport and is working towards a doctoral degree in Human Development and Family Sciences at UConn. What is your area of interest and how did you get interested in it? My area of interest is at the intersection of data, statistics, research, […]
Tune Into the Aquaculture Series
There are two new videos for the Connecticut Aquaculture Series focused on shellfishing history. The first is, How a Native American Artisan Keeps the 4,500-Year-Old Practice of Wampum Alive, and the second is Focus on Early Processing and Shipping.
Did You Know: Cleaning New Haven Coastal Area
Summer may be over, but cleaning our coastal areas can be a yearlong project. On August 12 of 2023, volunteers spent two hours collecting over 110 pounds of trash in the Long Wharf Drive and the Long Wharf Nature Preserve in New Haven. the cleanup kicking off the 2023 #DontTrashLISound campaign led by Connecticut Sea […]
4-H Robotics Shines at The Big E
Our UConn 4-H members participate in the Big E, the world’s only multi-state fair, with their projects every September. It provides an opportunity to showcase their project and develop lifelong skills to serve them in their future careers and activities. The robotics program offers demonstrations in the New England Center, and shares information on STEM […]
National Native American Heritage Month
National Native American Heritage Month is coming to a close. Here at UConn Extension, we celebrate throughout the year and continue supporting and learning from Connecticut’s Nations. Learn how UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is supporting Tribal communities with assistance from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and others. Learn more at https://ctnations.cahnr.uconn.edu/.
Meet Mike Gilman
Mike Gilman of Branford recently joined us as an Assistant Extension Educator with Connecticut Sea Grant, where he works with our aquaculture program. Mike received his bachelor of science from Albertus Magnus College and a master of science from Southern Connecticut State University. What is your area of interest? My main areas of interest are […]
Meet Heather Zidack
Heather Zidack (‘11 CAHNR, ’12 Neag) joined the UConn Home and Garden Education Center as an educational program assistant in September. Heather works with faculty and staff at UConn to provide educational resources and answer home and gardening questions for residents statewide. She earned her bachelor of science in ornamental horticulture and her master of […]
Seaweed growers urged to pursue markets in plant-based foods
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]