Help us build this resource: List your farm today on The Livestock Breeder Directory! Having trouble finding a producer with a certain breed or species you’re looking for? This new Livestock Breeder Directory is your resource for connecting with livestock producers and breeders across Connecticut. Whether you’re sourcing high-quality cattle, sheep, goats, swine, poultry, or camelids, this directory […]
Connecticut
Preparing for Heavy Rain: What Residents and Farmers Can Do
Connecticut is expecting a significant rain event beginning Thursday afternoon and continuing into Friday morning. While this may lead to localized flooding, there are proactive steps you can take to protect your home, farm, and community. At UConn Extension, we believe in the power of preparation and community resilience. Here’s how you can get ready: […]
Defining Extension Programs at UConn: Smith-Lever Legislation
By Amy Harder, Associate Dean & Associate Director, UConn Extension Smith-Lever Funding UConn Extension provides nonformal education through the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs intentionally designed to address critical issues relevant to the people of Connecticut. Critical issues are determined on a five-year basis and outlined in the University of Connecticut Research and Extension […]
Get Trusted Answers from Local Experts with UConn Extension
Have you ever stood in your garden wondering what’s wrong with a plant—or looked at a canning recipe and felt unsure if it’s truly safe? Maybe you’re a new landowner trying to make environmentally sound decisions, or simply want to grow better agricultural crops this season. Whatever your question, UConn Extension is here to help—with […]
PFAS Soil Testing Available for Connecticut Farms
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) is now accepting soil samples from Connecticut farms for a new program providing free analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of highly toxic chemicals. PFAS, which have been found on farms and in drinking water across the nation, can cause harmful health effects at extremely low […]
HPAI Update for Connecticut Livestock and Poultry Farmers
UConn Extension is hosting a HPAI update for Connecticut livestock and poultry farmers. This free webinar is being held on Thursday, March 6th from 12:30-1:30 PM and will include pertinent updates and information for your farm. Topics include: HPAI Update from the Connecticut State Veterinarian HPAI Trends and Testing from the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic […]
We’re Having a Brush Fire Season – Please be Aware
By Tom Worthley Once again in today’s weather forecast, no significant precipitation is anticipated for the next week or so. Warm temperatures and breezy conditions will prevail. We have experienced such conditions before and we tend to go about our daily activities without giving it much thought. Notable now, however, as opposed to other times […]
Apple Picking with the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program
As the air begins to get colder and fall crops become ready to harvest, apple picking is a great way to learn about food systems, support local agriculture, and engage in healthy eating behaviors. On October 15th, 2024, twenty youth and child development professionals from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) traveled to Holmberg Orchards […]
UConn 4-H Giving Week
Join UConn 4-H in Building a Ready Generation in a World of Change UConn 4-H equips youth with skills for the future while meeting them where they are today. We craft programs to enable youth to thrive and build confidence and resiliency based on lessons learned through years of research on positive youth development. […]
Logue Farms is Connecticut’s 2024 New England Green Pastures Winner
Logue Farms, Inc. is the winner of the 2024 New England Green Pastures Award from Connecticut. This dairy farm has been in continuous operation since 1905, with fourth generation as the current operators and 10 children in the fifth generation. David and Debbie Logue own the farm with their sons Michael and James; their daughters […]
Native Plants for Riparian Corridors in CT Guide Available
The Native Plants for Riparian Corridors in CT guide from Connecticut Sea Grant is now available! The guide includes native trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses, sedges, reeds and herbaceous plants that can grow and thrive along bodies of water. Download the guide at seagrant.uconn.edu/?p=10305
Shell recycling initiative being introduced in Connecticut
Article by Connecticut Sea Grant Empty oyster and clam shells from Long Island Sound shouldn’t be treated like trash. They are vital components of healthy habitat for shellfish and other marine life, and need to be returned to their watery home instead of being hauled away with other garbage. That’s the message shell recycling advocates […]
10 Ways to Volunteer with UConn 4-H
No matter how much time you have, volunteering with UConn 4-H makes a difference by helping youth explore and discover the skills they need to lead for a lifetime. There are lots of ways to get involved! Please note, your volunteer experience and/or opportunities may be happening virtually or in-person. Contact UConn 4-H for more […]
Hyde’s Dairy Farm Named 2022 CT Outstanding Dairy Farm for New England Green Pastures
Hyde’s Dairy Farm LLC in North Franklin is the 2022 Connecticut Outstanding Dairy Farm. Owner Dave Hyde and his team will be recognized at the New England Green Pastures award ceremony at the Eastern States Exposition in September. Dave’s father, Harry, helps wherever needed, Samantha Hoffman is herdsman, and there are also three part-time employees. […]
Shellfish Habitat Restoration
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the aquaculture industry particularly hard. It was facing catastrophic sales losses that would have forced many out of business. Connecticut Sea Grant Extension helped keep industry members afloat during the pandemic by involving them in shellfish habitat restoration work. We kept people working at a time when the shellfish marketplace collapsed […]
#DoOneThing theme of 2021 #DontTrashLISound campaign
The Connecticut Sea Grant program, joined by volunteers from Save the Sound, the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and other groups, will launch the fifth annual #DontTrashLISound campaign with a cleanup at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport on Aug. 16. This year’s campaign, run by the Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs with support […]
Save Your Boxwoods: Check Them for the Box Tree Moth!
A Message from USDA to Gardeners in Connecticut A New Invasive Pest May Be in Connecticut The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responding to a significant plant health threat and needs your help. Please check your boxwood plants for the invasive and destructive box tree moth. During the spring, a number of U.S. nurseries […]
1st marine economics fellow to focus on natural coastal resources
By Judy Benson Oversimplified, shoreline beaches are where the sand meets the sea. Too often, this two-dimensional view has become the foundation of efforts to restore storm and erosion-battered beaches on Long Island Sound and other coastal areas. These projects mainly seek to widen the flat open sand swathe to maintain maximum recreational worth and […]
Sen. Blumenthal Seeks Funding for CT River Hydrilla Control
Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced on June 3 that he is leading an effort to secure $100 million over four years in federal funding for a multistate effort to control hydrilla in the Connecticut River watershed. In an event at Harbor Park in Middletown, Blumenthal said he is seeking an urgent fiscal year 2022 appropriation for […]
A Guide to Planting Along the Connecticut Coast
Juliana Barrett, Ph.D. and Kiernan Sellars, 2021 This 35-page guide lists native trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials and vines that are appropriate for planting in Connecticut’s coastal zone. It includes a map of that ecoregion and characteristics of each species, such as tolerance to salt water and salt spray, light and soil requirements as well as […]
LIS Blue Plan now in hands of CT Legislature
The Long Island Sound Blue Plan, a marine spatial plan for what many consider the state’s most valuable natural resource, has been voted out of the state Legislature’s Environment Committee and awaits a vote in the full House and Senate. Read about the plan and why many believe it should be approved in articles by […]
Extension Impacts – 2020
Extension is a part of UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources (CAHNR). We have over 100 years of experience strengthening communities in Connecticut and beyond. Extension programs cover the full spectrum of topics aligned with CAHNR’s strategic initiatives: Ensuring a vibrant and sustainable agricultural industry and food supply Enhancing health and well-being locally, […]
Connecting Connecticut: A New Podcast from UConn Extension
Land-grant universities have provided communities, organizations, farmers and individuals with practical knowledge rooted in research through the Cooperative Extension System since the passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914. Over the last 107 years a lot has changed with our Extension systems. The program has expanded beyond its agricultural production origin to encompass a […]
CTSG, Avalonia project looks to prepare forest for the future
By Judy Benson Stonington – Battered by coastal storms and infestations of wooly adelgids, gypsy moth, winter moth and emerald ash borer, sections of the 200-acre Hoffman Evergreen Preserve will now serve as a living lab and demonstration site for how land managers can help forests adapt to climate change. “We want to increase the resilience […]
Connecticut stays on guard against toxic algae blooms
Article by Judy Benson If you’re a Connecticut shellfish farmer, your ears might perk up a bit when you hear the term HABs – harmful algal blooms. Toxic HABs outbreaks, sometimes referred to as “red tide” or “brown tide” because of the discolored water that can occur along with it, have caused recent shellfish bed […]
May Wildflowers
Why are wildflowers the most beautiful of flowers? Perhaps it is because they are untamed by mankind and often appear when one is not even looking for them. In spring, one of the pleasures of getting out on nature trails or trekking through the woods is coming across some of Connecticut’s spring blooming wildflowers. These […]
Seafood survey could help further increase in demand
With national data showing Americans have been eating more fish and shellfish during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report on a survey of Connecticut residents’ seafood consumption habits and preferences offers timely information seafood dealers can use to help make the increase permanent. The final report on the Connecticut Seafood Survey, a project to better understand […]
Early Garden Arrivals
Spring 2020 generally arrived on time in Connecticut, but with some hesitation. A few bright, warm days have been sprinkled between cool or rainy, windy days and some localized snow showers. Those warm days brought out the rakes, pruners, shovel, and a pop-up yard bag to clear the debris that accumulated since the fall clean […]
Communities Feed Kids
There are amazing stories from across Connecticut about the efforts being made to feed our communities. Responding to COVID-19 requires generosity and ingenuity. We recognize, more than ever, it is clear the roles schools play and the necessity of school meal programs to connect and serve healthy and local food with our communities. Put local […]
Agricultural Stress Management
We understand many of our Connecticut farms and families have been dealing with stress long before this pandemic took place. Through a collaborative of UConn Extension faculty and staff along with some of our critical partners (Farm Credit East, ACA, Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Connecticut Farm Bureau, CT NOFA, Eggleston Equine, and Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services) […]
CARES Resources for Small Businesses
Senator Murphy suggests if business or nonprofit owners/CEOs have questions about what they qualify for or help with the applications, they can reach out to any of these offices for assistance: SBA CT Office Website: https://www.sba.gov/offices/district/ct/hartford 860-240-4700 Interim SBA CARES rule Small Business Owner Guide to the CARES Act, providing info on SBA major programs and initiatives […]
Executive Order 7H – Essential Businesses
CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EXECUTIVE ORDER 7H – ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES (HARTFORD, CT) – On March 20, 2020, The Governor issued Executive Order 7H, directing all businesses and nonprofit entities in the State of Connecticut to utilize, to the maximum extent possible, any telecommuting or work from home procedures that they can safely employ. That order […]
Bears will be waking up when warm weather hits
Black bears will be coming out of hibernation as the weather warms. Their populations have been growing and more bears means increased sightings and potential conflicts with humans. Reduce reasons for them to come into your yard by removing bird feeders and bring in garbage cans promptly. Follow the link for for more information: https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=325968&deepNav_GID=1655&inf_contact_key=dd6ecf34fdb3772eccef218e16130b43
CT Farmlink Website Improves Farmland Access for Farmers
Connecticut FarmLink, a clearing house for the transition between generations of landowners with the goal of keeping farmland in production, is pleased to announce the launch of a redesigned website, www.ctfarmlink.org. A partnership between the Connecticut Department of Agriculture and the Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT) with funding through the Community Investment Act (CIA) is ensuring new […]
Survey could help efforts to get more seafood eaten in CT
If you’re an average Connecticut resident, you probably didn’t eat seafood more than once in the last week. But you might, if you knew more about how to prepare different types of fish, shellfish and seaweed, and where to buy local seafood. You’d also be inclined to have seafood more often if you knew more […]
Attend the CT Ag Wellness Summit
Stress has many causes and is a serious problem for those involved in agriculture. Unfortunately many folks try to deal with this quietly, showing a stiff upper lip, and by themselves – not the healthiest route to take. Join us in learning more about how to identify stressors, understanding ways to help yourself, and equally […]
Water Testing in Connecticut
Water is part of everything that we do. We are frequently asked about water testing, septic system maintenance, and fertilizing lawns. The Connecticut Institute of Water Resources, a project with Natural Resources & the Environment, has resources for homeowners: https://ctiwr.uconn.edu/resident-resources/. #AskUConnExtension
Hannan Holstein Farm is CT Dairy Farm of the Year
We are pleased to announce that Chris and Todd Hannan of Hannan Holsteins Farm are the winners of the Connecticut 2019 Dairy Farm of the Year for our New England Green Pastures Program. The two brothers milk 50 registered Holsteins, half of which are Red and White Holsteins, with a total of 140 head of […]
Ask UConn Extension
Do you have food, health, or environmental sustainability questions? Ask UConn Extension. We have specialists located throughout the state to answer your questions and connect you with the power of UConn research. Fill out this form with your question: http://bit.ly/AskUConnExtension
Real Farmers, Real Risks: Interview with Preston Ridge Vineyards
Article by Evan Lentz Preston Ridge Vineyard is a beautiful vineyard and winery located in Preston, Connecticut. The owners and team members at Preston Ridge work hard to produce a wide variety of grapes and have an impressive line of local Connecticut wines. Their tasting room and outdoor wedding venue immerse guests in the prestige […]