Author: Stacey Stearns

2023 Vegetable Production Certificate Course

vegetable course flier page onelettuce with vegetable course text written on it

We’re offering a Vegetable Production Certificate Course, beginning on January 30th 2023. It is a fully online course for new and beginning farmers who have 0-3 years of vegetable growing experience or no formal training in agriculture. The participants will learn answers to the basic questions about farm business planning, planning and preparing for vegetable farm, warm and cool-season vegetable production techniques, season extension, identification of biotic and abiotic issues, and marketing. The price of the course is $149. 

Please contact the course coordinator, Shuresh Ghimire (Shuresh.Ghimire@uconn.edu, 860-870-6933) with any questions about this course.

Registration deadline: January 23, 2023

Register at s.uconn.edu/vegcourse

Course Description

This vegetable production course is designed to benefit beginner vegetable producers who have 0-3 years of vegetable growing experience or no formal training in agriculture. The participants will learn answers to the basic questions about farm business planning, planning and preparing for vegetable farm, warm and cool-season vegetable production techniques, season extension, identification of biotic and abiotic issues, and marketing.

  • The course consists of seven online modules, each of which include a self-paced video, supplemental material, and a short quiz.
  • The slides presented in the video are also provided in a downloaded PDF file for note-taking and future reference.
  • The supplemental materials are great addition to your personal reference library and valuable resources for all farmers.
  • The module quizzes are designed to test your knowledge of the key points within the specific module.
  • Each module is expected to take you approximately one hour to complete, although this varies by user.

Course Learning Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Develop a farm business plan, which will help you keep records, manage time more effectively, and price products.
  • Explain the characteristics of a suitable site for commercial vegetable crop production and adjust as needed.
  • Perform soil sampling protocols for nutrient analysis.
  • Explain full season tasks involved in vegetable farming including planting, in-season care, harvesting, and post-harvest considerations for some warm-season and cool-season vegetables.
  • Scout and identify biotic and abiotic issues.
  • Explain tools for season extension.
  • Understand different strategies, resources, options, and models for direct-to-consumer retail.
  • Identify additional reliable and fact-based informational resources on topics related to vegetable farming.

Table of Contents

  1. Pretest: 25 questions
  2. Farm business planning: Developing a farm business plan and enterprise budgeting
  3. Plan and prepare for vegetable farm: Site selection, soil test, and cover crops
  4. Warm season vegetables: Crop selection, planting to harvesting and post-harvest management
  5. Cool-season vegetables: Crop selection, planting to harvesting and post-harvest management
  6. Identification of pests and abiotic problems: Identification of diseases, insects, nutritional and other issues
  7. Season extension: Differences among low, caterpillar, and high tunnel; Opportunities and challenges in high tunnel growing; Micro-environment management
  8. Marketing: Different strategies, resources, options, and models for direct-to-consumer retail.
  9. Post-test: 25 questions

Course Dates (2023)

While this is an asynchronous course which you may work through at your own pace between Jan 30 and March 16, a recommended class schedule is listed below:

Jan 30 – Feb 4          – Complete the Online pre-test (pre-course quiz)

Feb 5 – 9                   – Module 1 – Farm Business Planning

Feb 10 – 14               – Module 2 – Planning and preparing for a vegetable farm

Feb 15 – 20               – Module 3 – Warm Season Vegetables

Feb 21 – 24               – Module 4 – Cool Season Vegetables

Feb 25 – Mar 1        – Module 5 – ID Pest and Abiotic Problems

Mar 2 – 6                 – Module 6 – Season Extension

Mar 7 – 11               – Module 7 – Marketing

Mar 12-  16              – Complete the post-test

Course Instructors

Abby Beissinger, Former Assistant Extension Educator, UConn

Bruce Gresczyk Jr., Gresczyk Farms

Jiff Martin, Extension Educator, UConn

Joe Bonelli, Associate Extension Educator, UConn

Kip Kolesinskas, Consulting Conservation Scientist

Shuresh Ghimire, Assistant Extension Educator, UConn

Steve Munno, Massaro Community Farm

 

Please contact the course coordinator, Shuresh Ghimire (shuresh.ghimire@uconn.edu, 860-870-6933) with any questions about this course.

8 Essential “Always” of Holiday Food Safety

Article by Indu Upadhyaya, Ph.D., Assistant Extension Educator, Food Safety

cooked turkey on a tableHoliday gatherings bring families and friends together, to spread more joy and happiness. While the merriment begins around Thanksgiving and continues until the New Years’, the food during holiday buffets, the party trays, the turkey, and other delicacies remain the main attraction of gathering. But be aware that a well-meaning and much anticipated get together can easily turn sour if the food is not safely prepared, served, or stored. Food safety should be diligently taken care of, especially during holidays, as in the delight of the season, negligence could cause serious health consequences.

Most people who get sick from eating contaminated food, might have mild illness and recover early, however susceptible population can see lasting effects or even death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans get sick each year from contaminated food. Approximately 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die due to foodborne diseases across the country. These data are out of reported cases, thereby not including cases of undocumented, non-reported stomach indigestions and/or mild diarrhea or vomiting. The real number of patients getting sick from foodborne illnesses is still an unknown and hard to predict.

What you CAN do this season is control food contamination at your own home and community. Start with these simple steps aligning with USDA holiday food safety guidelines.

Here are the 8 “always” of food safety to help everyone stay healthy during the holiday season:

  1. Always wash your hands

It’s a simple rule to follow, yet many easily forget in midst of festivities. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Wash hands:

  • Before you start preparing food,
  • After using the bathroom,
  • Before serving food and eating,
  • After you handle raw meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and eggs.
  1. Always clean and sanitize:

Clean and sanitize any surfaces that have touched raw turkey, meat or fish and their juices and will later touch food such as kitchen counters, sinks, stoves, tabletops, etc.

Cleaning: with soap and hot water, and a paper or dish towel. Use these to remove any dirt and debris you can see.

Sanitizing: sanitize the surfaces to kill any remaining germs. Different food grade sanitizers or sanitizing wipes can be used. Allow to air dry and follow the label instructions on commercial sanitizers to determine whether you need to rinse food preparation areas after use.

Food borne bacteria like Campylobacter and Salmonella, found in poultry products, can survive on countertops and other kitchen surfaces from 4 to up to 32 hours, so make sure you repeat this step after handling raw meats or turkey.

Don’t forget to clean and sanitize any areas that will encounter the turkey before and after cooking.

  1. Always Thaw the Frozen Meat/Turkey Safely:

Always follow USDA recommended thawing. There are three ways to safely thaw a turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave.

  • Refrigerator thaw: Turkey can be safely thawed in a refrigerator. Allow roughly 24 hours for every four to five pounds of turkey. After thawing, a turkey is safe in a refrigerator for one to two days, before cooking.
  • Cold water thaw: The cold-water thawing method will thaw your turkey faster but needs to be done very carefully. When thawing in a cold-water bath, allow 30 minutes per pound and submerge the turkey in its original wrapping to avoid cross-contamination. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook immediately after thawing.
  • Microwave thaw: Smaller sized turkeys that fit in the microwave can be thawed using this method. Make sure to follow manufacturer’s recommendations. Cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during the thawing process, bringing the food to the “Danger Zone.” (Between 40-140F).

It’s safe to cook a completely frozen turkey; however, it will take at least 50 percent longer to fully cook.

Remember to never thaw your turkey in hot water or leave it on a countertop.

  1. Always Separate food items to avoid cross contamination:

Cross-contamination is the spread of bacteria from raw meat and poultry onto ready-to-eat food, surfaces, and utensils. To avoid this, always use separate cutting boards — one for raw meat and poultry, and another for fruits and vegetables. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, wash cutting board, knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy water.

USDA recommends not to wash your raw poultry due to the risk of splashing bacteria throughout your kitchen. It can easily lead to aerosolizing bacteria and cross contamination.  As mentioned earlier, always clean and sanitize any surfaces that have touched raw turkey and its juices. That includes counters, sinks, stoves, tabletops, utensils, and plates. Sinks are the most contaminated areas of the kitchen, so keep them clean and don’t transfer any dirty items to clean spaces. It’s important to pay attention to your movements in the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination.

  1. Always Cook Thoroughly:

Always follow a standard recipe to cook properly. Make sure your turkey is cooked to a safe final internal temperature of 165°F by using a reliable food thermometer. Check the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the wing, and the innermost part of the thigh. Cook your turkey at 325º F until its internal temperature reaches at least 165º F. Cooked, hot foods should be kept at 140º F or warmer.

When cooking a stuffed turkey, pay attention that the turkey, as well as the stuffing inside of it, reaches at least 165º F. Even if the turkey itself reaches 165º F, the stuffing inside may take longer. Its best to prepare your stuffing and turkey just before cooking. Using a cold stuffing makes it more difficult to reach the safe temperature of 165º F. Stuff the turkey loosely and use ¾ of a cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Use a moist stuffing rather than a dry stuffing because heat destroys bacteria better in a moist environment. To be on the safe side, cook stuffing separately.

If cooking other meats, cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source. For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. If you prefer, you may choose to cook the meat to a higher temperature.

For Ground meats: Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

For baked goods, avoid eating foods containing raw eggs or uncooked flour, such as cookie dough or cake batter. It’s tempting to sneak a taste during preparation, but pathogens like Salmonella present in these ingredients can lead to food poisoning if not cooked first.

  1. Always follow the 2-hour rule:

All perishable foods must be refrigerated within two hours of coming out of the stove or fridge, or one hour if the ambient air temperature is above 90°F. Never forget this 2-hour rule put forth by USDA. After two hours, perishable food will enter the “Danger Zone” (between 40 F and 140 F), which is where bacteria can multiply quickly and cause the food to become unsafe. Discard all foods that have been left out for more than two hours.

  1. Always Keep warm food warm and cold food cold

Remember the rule — keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

  • Always transport hot foods by wrapping in dishes in insulated containers to keep their temperature above 140 F.
  • Always transport cold foods in a cooler with ice or gel packs to keep them at or below 40 F.

When serving food to groups, maintain the temperature by using chafing dishes or crock pots and ice trays. Hot items should remain above 140 F and cold items should remain below 40 F. Temperature abuse of food is one of the main reasons for people falling sick very often. Always follow proper guidelines.

  1. Always store leftovers appropriately:

Everyone looks forward to Thanksgiving leftovers. But they must be stored and refrigerated promptly to be safe to eat. After the turkey is served, immediately slice, and refrigerate on shallow platters. Store leftover food in shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Use refrigerated turkey and stuffing within three to four days. Use gravy within one to two days. Thanksgiving leftovers are safe to eat up to four days in the refrigerator. In the freezer, leftovers are safely frozen indefinitely but will keep best quality from two to six months.

Always reheat all leftovers to 165°F, and check that temperature with a food thermometer. Cold foods should be kept at 41º F or less. And as they say, when in doubt, throw it out! Do not try to save potentially contaminated food.

Lastly, don’t prepare foods if you are sick or showing symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea or if you recently had such symptoms. Many foodborne illnesses are transmitted unknowingly by human error, by a food preparer who had these symptoms. If you are ill, let someone else do the cooking so you can have a safe and enjoyable meal with your family and friends.

References and additional resources:

Respecting Our Roots with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

A partnership between UConn and local tribes led to the development of Meechooôk Farm and other programs that strengthen the tribal community, their land-base, and self-sufficiency. Learn more about the project by reading this article.

Financial support for this work was provided by the USDA NIFA Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP Awards 2017-41580-26950 and 2022-41580-37944).

 

Fall Updates from Extension

The changing seasons are a reliable time marker, and this fall, UConn Extension is experiencing our own transitions. It’s an exciting time as new educators join the team and continue implementing our statewide programs. Catch up on our latest updates: s.uconn.edu/fall-news

Save the Date: CT Ag Expo

Save the Date: Connecticut Agricultural Expo 2022 Ag Expo logo
 
Friday, November 18th, 2022
Aquaturf, Southington, CT
 
Theme: Ag Innovation & Technology
 
Event Partners:
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
Connecticut Farm Bureau
Farm Credit East
UConn Extension