Small-scale dairy operations in Connecticut and throughout the country offer cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products direct to consumers and through wholesale distribution. The popularity of local food has increased interest in these operations, and led to a greater need for food safety education and training. Dennis D’Amico is an Assistant Professor in the […]
Health
Enhancing health and well-being locally, nationally, and globally
Basic Food Safety Practices at Home
What made you sick? Is it food you cooked at home? While we continue to blame farmers, processors, food- service and restaurants for making the food that makes us sick, the fact is that home cooks are quite likely to handle food in a way that results in a foodborne illness. The safety of our […]
Reducing Winter Road Salt Use
Extension educator Mike Dietz focuses on protecting surface waters with green infrastructure techniques in his research and Extension work. Mike has been involved in the development of the Green Snow Pro program, and he is the Director of the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources. The scientific studies continue to pile up, and confirm the same […]
Strawberry Season in Connecticut!
By Diane Wright Hirsch Senior Extension Educator, Food Safety One of the best things about early summer in Connecticut is strawberry season. It just makes no sense to buy California berries at the supermarket in June or July. I once saw a post on a local farm’s Facebook page where a customer shared a picture […]
When did GMO become a dirty word?
Do you know someone with diabetes? While most people may associate GMOs with food products, their use actually began in the medical field with insulin. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved GMO insulin for use in October of 1982 after rigorous testing, clinical trials, and review. Prior to that, diabetics used insulin obtained from the pancreas […]
Trail Use: Leave No Trace
Connecticut has a wealth of trails for us to enjoy, from state parks and forests to local land trusts. As you’re out there enjoying the trails, it’s key to practice the principles of Leave No Trace. The seven principles of the Leave No Trace program are: Plan Ahead and Prepare Travel and Camp on Durable […]
Trail Etiquette 101
Headed out on the trails? Trail safety and etiquette is vital on our trails for all users, including bicyclists, hikers, and equestrians. Be courteous to other trail users. Here are some simple steps to follow. What does “Yield” mean? Yielding means slow down, establish communication, be prepared to stop if necessary, and pass in a […]
It’s Spring – Head Outside!
Finally, the weather is getting warmer, and we can wake up from our winter hibernation. With milder temperatures, heading outside is a great plan. We are fortunate to live in Connecticut and have access to many beautiful parks, beaches and trails. Here are some moderate to vigorous activities to get us started in the right […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 associated with fresh fruits and vegetables. Spinach, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions, […]
Testing Ticks is Vital to Safety
The warmer weather has people and our animals headed outdoors. Unfortunately, this same weather has also brought ticks out in abundance. Recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have cited increased numbers of ticks, and tick-borne diseases. UConn’s Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL), part of the Department of Pathobiology in […]
Controlling Ticks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends creating a tick-safe zone. Ticks feed on blood of animals including humans. Tactics to reduce the attractiveness of animals traveling into your yard will keep the number of ticks dropping off of them reduced. Do not feed the birds as chipmunks, squirrels and many other animals […]
Can I Water Vegetables with my Rain Barrel Water?
By Joan Allen Originally published by the UConn Home & Garden Education Center Collection of rain water from roofs using rain barrels is growing in popularity because of its many environmental and practical benefits. It can help the environment by diverting water that might contain contaminants away from storm drains and the natural bodies of […]
Lettuce Learn a Bit About E. Coli
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety Recent news reports regarding the romaine lettuce outbreak have, yet again, raised concern about pathogens in our food supply. In particular, leafy greens continue to show up as a source for outbreaks. Two outbreaks since late fall have implicated romaine and/or leafy greens. In both outbreaks, […]
Poop In The Garden
By: Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Extension Educator/Food Safety Over the weekend, before the most recent snow, I looked out my kitchen window to see my dog squatting over the chive patch in our vegetable garden. It was too late to stop him. I spend a lot of time with Connecticut farmers, talking about producing safe […]
Salmonella Awareness is Key to Good Health
Salmonella are bacteria that can live in the intestinal tracts of animals. There are many different types of salmonellae, some are found solely in animals and others can cause disease in both animals and people. Salmonellosis in humans can occur if they consume foods contaminated with Salmonella or have contact with animals or their environment. […]
Basic Food Safety Practices at Home
What made you sick? Is it food you cooked at home? By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety As winter wanes and we begin to eat more seasonally—perhaps eat more salads, raw fruits and veggies, using the barbecue—it may be a good time to take stock of our safe food preparation skills. Many […]
Cooking Matters
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) helps families learn about healthy eating, shopping on a budget, cooking and physical activity. EFNEP staff strive to empower participants, providing knowledge and skills to improve the health of all family members. Participants learn through doing, with cooking, physical activity and supportive discussions about nutrition and healthy […]
Cook Before Eating
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety During the holiday season, from Thanksgiving dinner through New Year’s celebrations, people who rarely spend time in the kitchen may be more likely to pick up a cookbook and make some cookies. Or, they may be stuffing their first turkey for Christmas day family dinner. Or […]
Handling Food Leftovers
So, you know how to cook a turkey until it is safe to eat; but what about handling the leftovers? By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety Even though many Americans are eating more meals out of the home and some are turning to “meal kits” to make it pretty painless to cook dinner, […]
Building Communities: Brass City Harvest
UConn Extension empowers communities by building a network of awareness and knowledge. One example of this is Brass City Harvest, Inc. in Waterbury. Extension educators in our greenhouse and Master Gardener programs worked with Susan Pronovost to build the capacity of 501(c)3 organization. Susan shared her organization’s work with us Brass City Harvest, Inc. is […]
Bats and Rabies: How UConn May Help
The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) within the Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science (PVS) in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) at the University of Connecticut routinely tests domestic and wild animals for rabies. Rabies is one of the oldest recognized diseases to mankind. Rabies can affect all warm-blooded animals […]
Tick Testing Available at UConn
Headed outdoors? Make sure you take precautions against ticks in October and November. Adult ticks are more active during this time of the year, creating a problem for both humans and animals. These disease-carrying arachnids reside in moist areas, long grass and the leaf litter and will latch onto humans and animals alike. Although there […]
Extension Internship Leads to Career Path
When Julia Cobuzzi of Monroe transferred to UConn from Stonehill College in Massachusetts at the beginning of her sophomore year, she was not sure what she could do with a major in Allied Health Sciences. “I took Introduction to Nutrition with Stacey Mobley, and it has been my favorite course by far in my college […]
How Clean is That Refrigerator of Yours?
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety The invention of mechanical refrigeration was one of the most important developments in the history of keeping food safe (others include the pasteurization of milk and commercial canning). Ask anyone who has suffered through the aftermath of a hurricane or ice storm without the benefit of […]
Why Farmers Are Pleading: Leave Your Dogs Home
By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH UConn Extension Educator – Food Safety Over the years I have worked with many fruit and vegetable farmers, as they have become the focus of new food safety regulations. Some of these farms sell their product through pick-your-own (PYO) operations, some at an on-farm stand; others have CSA (community supported […]
Keeping Farm Fresh Veggies and Fruits Fresh
Keeping those farm fresh veggies and fruits fresh By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH Senior Extension Educator/Food Safety Recently I had a call from a mom asking if she should wash her berries before storing in the fridge. Her 30-something daughter, who, of course, knows everything, insisted that she should wash first. The mom wasn’t […]
Tackling Turfgrass
Article by Stacey Stearns Turfgrass is often overlooked by residents – but is one of the most abundant crops in the state, and an important part of Connecticut’s economic engine. Direct sales from the turfgrass industry are around $2.5 billion, with a total economic impact of $2.9 billion. Lawn care services are the largest turfgrass […]