Did you know that buying frozen fruits and vegetables versus fresh have extra benefits? Frozen fruits and vegetables may be less expensive and can stretch your food dollars when fresh produce is not “in season” in your area. Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen at the peak of their ripeness so their nutrients are available […]
Health
Enhancing health and well-being locally, nationally, and globally
GMO Working Group Hosting April Events
The CAHNR GMO Working Group is hosting GMO 2.0: Science, Society and the Future, a panel presentation on Wednesday, April 24th at 7 PM in the Student Union Theater. Please save the date and make plans to join us. The event is free and anyone is welcome to attend. The panel is moderated by Dean Indrajeet Chaubey. Speakers include: […]
Mental Health & Farm Stress
Farming is both a risky and dangerous business. From the hazardous nature of the seemingly regular day-to-day tasks to the volatile and unforgiving markets on which many farms rely for income, farmers have no shortage of stress. Add in unpredictable weather and crop yields and you have the makings of what the USDA, OSHA, and […]
February is Heart Health Month – Hit the Trails for Your Heart
February is heart health month – to raise awareness about heart disease and how people can prevent it. Walking is one easy way to increase physical fitness. Every step counts. Most adults should try for at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) a week of moderate intensity activity. 30 minutes of brisk walking on at least […]
CT Trail Census Receives Grant
Our Connecticut Trail Census program recently received $206,049.50 in grant funding from the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) Trails & Greenways Program and the Connecticut Greenways Council. UConn Extension’s Connecticut Trail Census is a statewide volunteer-based data collection and education program implemented as a pilot from 2016-2018 on 16 multi-use (bicycle, pedestrian, equestrian) trail sites across the state.
School of Business Partnership Strengthens Extension
Extension brings the research of the land-grant university to communities statewide. Other departments at UConn are helping Extension grow and impact new audiences with the research and resources they produce. We have built a partnership with the Department of Marketing in the School of Business that has transformed the marketing initiatives of UConn Extension, and […]
Workshop Series: Sustainable Livestock Production
Nutrition’s Role in Sustainable Livestock Production Practices 2019 A new workshop series on pasture management and infrastructure and the nutritional needs of livestock raised on pasture All workshops held in the training room at Farm Credit East, 240 S Rd. Enfield CT Monday, February 11, 2019 8:30 am to 1 pm (Snow Date: February 13, […]
Tackling the climate change challenge, one place at a time
Climate change is perhaps the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced, and just thinking about it can make someone feel exhausted and overwhelmed. How can the next generation of environmental professionals be prepared to deal a problem that big? One answer could be found this fall in the Climate Corps class taught at the University […]
Tailored Messages Improve Health and Nutrition in Windsor Students
Technology is ubiquitous, and a team of researchers at UConn are harnessing our everyday technology to address obesity issues in children and young adults (Poulin & Peng, 2018). Social media and text messages are a common communication tool among multiple populations, and can positively influence behavior change in health and nutrition (Hsu, M.S.H., Rouf, A., […]
Preventing Early Childhood Obesity
Preventing obesity in early childhood is a critical issue being addressed by a multi-disciplinary team from UConn. It’s one of three complementary projects led by faculty in Allied Health Sciences, and is funded by a grant from the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut. The project focuses on preventing obesity in early childhood by […]
National Hand Washing Week
As part of Marc Cournoyer’s involvement with the Healthy Homes Partnership, he created a poster contest to recognize national hand washing awareness week which runs from Dec. 2-8. Some of the kids from the Windham Heights 4-H club created posters to educate the public on the importance of hand washing. Marc is a UConn Extension […]
Communicating Towards Improved Health and Nutrition
Obesity is increasingly affecting residents of Connecticut. Recent statistics report that 20% of children and 36% of young adults are afflicted by obesity (Poulin & Peng, 2018). A team of Extension educators, faculty, and graduate students in Allied Health Sciences are working with community partners to take a multi-faceted approach to addressing health and nutrition […]
Pesticide Safety Educator Receives Award
Indianapolis, IN. A NPSEC team comprised of staff and PSEP coordinators that are members of the Respirator Collaboration Team participated in eXtension’s Impact Collaborative Summit in Indianapolis from October 16th – 18th. The purpose of the Summit was for institutional and national Extension teams to bring projects and programs from various topic areas to find […]
CT Trail Census Update
Greetings, trail folks! As seasons change and everyone debates which one is the best, we here at the CT Trail Census (CTTC) realized that thanks to last year’s CTTC volunteer participants, we actually do have data with which to rank the seasons with! Trail use data, of course! So here it goes: According to last year’s data, […]
Well Water: Protecting Your Well
There are a number of steps that a homeowner can take to help protect their private well. Water should be diverted away from the wellhead to prevent the pooling and potential introduction of contaminated water into the well. Keep the well in good repair. A faulty well can allow surface water to reach groundwater without […]
A Healthy Home is in Good Repair
Our Healthy Homes program offers the following tips on keeping your home in good repair. You can download the document or print it for easy reference.
Halloween Health Tips
Trick or Treat: Halloween is filled with sweet temptations and scary over-eating. Here are a few tips to help both adults and children avoid over indulging. Be a role model! Make sure your little goblins eat a healthy meal before trick or treating. Create a Healthy Family Halloween Tradition like Butternut Squash soup. Pair it […]
Equine Owners Should Vaccinate for EEE, Warns CVMDL at UConn
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is a disease caused by a virus that mosquitos transmit. The name of the disease is misleading in that this virus can infect and cause disease in humans and a wide variety of animal species, including birds as well as horses and other equids. Horses that have not been vaccinated for […]
A Healthy Home is Well Ventilated
Our Healthy Homes program offers the following tips on keeping your home well ventilated. You can download the document or print it for easy reference.
October Apple Challenge with the Tray Project
October meant apple challenges for school districts participating in the Put Local On Your Tray Project. You can find recipes for apples on the website. They also share the following about apples: In the Past: Apple trees belong to the rose family, and originated in Central Asia in the mountains of southern Kazakhastan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, […]
Home Water Systems: Wells
In Connecticut, approximately 15% of residents receive their drinking water from private wells. In rural areas of the state, that percentage increases to greater than 90%. An owner of a private well is also a manager of the well. As manager of the well, the homeowner is responsible for making sure that the water is safe […]
A Healthy Home is Safe
Our Healthy Homes program offers the following tips on keeping your home safe. You can download the document or print it for easy reference.
UConn CVMDL Monitoring for Longhorned Tick
Recent reports of the longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis or Asian Longhorned tick)being found in Westchester County, New York have alarmed livestock owners and outdoor enthusiasts statewide. The longhorned tick is native to Asia and was reported in the continental USA in November 2017, when it was first discovered on a sheep farm in Hunterdon County, New […]
A Healthy Home is Free of Pests
Our Healthy Homes program offers the following tips on keeping your home free of pests. You can download the document or print it for easy reference.
Crime Prevention
September is over yet hurricane season remains throughout October. Quiet periods in between weather events are perfect times to check your existing emergency preparedness plans, to complete planning yet accomplished, and to acquire emergency supplies not yet in place. October is considered a quieter time than other months. Although storms can happen at any time […]
Ask UConn Extension
Do you have questions about food, health, or sustainability topics? Ask UConn Extension. Extension educators are working in every town and city in Connecticut to bring the research of UConn to our communities. UConn Extension is on a collaborative journey. We co-create knowledge with farmers, families, communities, and businesses. We educate. We convene groups to […]
Serve and Enjoy Banana Breakfast Cookies
Another popular recipe from our KidEats App developed by our 4-H FANS program and the New Mexico State University Learning Games Laboratory is the Banana Breakfast Cookie. Enjoy them at home with this easy recipe. http://s.uconn.edu/4fb
A Healthy Home is Dry
Our Healthy Homes program offers the following tips on keeping your home dry. You can download the document or print it for easy reference.
Fun Recipe: Fruit Slushies
This recipe is a favorite in the KidEats App that was developed by our 4-H FANS program and the New Mexico State University Learning Games Laboratory.
A Healthy Home is Free of Chemicals
Our Healthy Homes program offers the following tips on keeping your home free of chemicals. You can download the document or print it for easy reference.
A Healthy Home is Clean
Our Healthy Homes program offers the following tips on keeping your home clean and healthy. You can download the document or print it for easy reference.
Food Safety for Produce Buyers
On July 17, UConn Extension and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture hosted a meeting in Storrs for operations (distributors, schools, institutions, restaurants, grocery stores, and foodservice operations) that buy fresh produce from farms in southern New England. A team of regulators and produce safety educators from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island conceived and developed the […]
Hartford County Extension Center Moving
Our Hartford County Extension Center is moving. As of Friday, August 3rd, please use the following address and new phone numbers: Exchange Building – Suite 262 270 Farmington Ave Farmington, CT, 06032 (860) 409-9050 Fax (860) 409-9080 hartford@uconn.edu Please be patient with our faculty and staff over the next week as it may take a […]
Tick Testing 101
If you find a tick on yourself, your child, or your pet, remove it immediately! The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) can test the tick for pathogens. Ticks received at the CVMDL are first examinedunder a microscope by trained technicians to determine the species of tick, life stage, and degree of blood engorgement, all of which are factors […]
Safeguarding Health Through Diagnostics
The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) at UConn safeguards animal and human health. Faculty and staff fulfill their mission through veterinary diagnostic laboratory services, professional expertise, and collaboration with state and federal agencies to detect and monitor diseases important to animal and human health, as well as detecting newly emerging diseases. CVMDL is committed […]
Cooking with EFNEP at Morris Street School
Since, 1969, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) has helped families in Connecticut learn about healthy eating, physical activity, cooking, and shopping on a budget. Despite being an affluent state, nearly 1 in 5 families with children in Connecticut is food insecure, or does not have adequate access to healthy food. Many urban areas in Connecticut are amongst the poorest in […]
10 Rules for Safe Canning
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety Even though some may feel home canning has gone the way of the dinosaurs, I regularly get questions posed to me by newbie and experience canners alike. Some want to know how to can tomatoes without potentially killing a loved one. Others want to know if […]
Be on the Lookout for Giant Hogweed, an Invasive Plant in CT
UConn and the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG) are asking state residents to be on the lookout for Giant Hogweed, which typically blooms during July. Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is an invasive, non-native plant from Eurasia that was first identified in Connecticut in 2001. This Federal Noxious weed was confirmed in 25 towns in […]
8 Principles of a Healthy Home
1. Keep your home DRY. 2. Keep your home CLEAN. 3. Keep your home SAFE. 4. Keep your home WELL-MAINTAINED. 5. Keep your home PEST-FREE. 6. Keep your home CONTAMINANT-FREE. 7. Keep your home WELL-VENTILATED 8. Keep your home GREEN AND ENERGY EFFICIENT. For more information please visit https://healthyhomes.uconn.edu
Food Safety on Farms
Fruits and vegetables add important nutrients, color, variety to our diet. Most of us enjoy them raw in salads, as a snack, or dessert. However, in the last few years there has been an increase in the number of foodborne illness outbreaks asso- ciated with fresh fruits and vegetables. Spinach, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cilantro, and green […]