education

2021 Vegetable Production Certificate Course

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vegetables in a greenhouse with vegetable course text on them lettuce with vegetable course text on it

We’re offering a Vegetable Production Certificate Course, beginning on January 20th 2021. 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. See the course description here.

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

Register Here.

4-H in Sprague

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Sprague LibraryOne of UConn 4-H’s partners is the Sprague Public Library. “I cannot say enough about the programs 4-H offers libraries,” says Elizabeth Bezanson, the Sprague Public Library Director. “The 4-H educators are always extremely personable and well prepared for any number of participants or age group. Activities are engaging for our participants and, particularly in our town, expose kids to science-related concepts they may not otherwise encounter on their own.”

“The Sprague Public Library invested in our own Ozobots and we were obviously excited when Ozobots were part of the 4-H program offering because the staff learned quite a bit about facilitating an Ozobot program.”

Ozobots are tiny robots that incorporate physical and digital aspects to teach youth how to code, and is one of many programs 4-H has to teach science, technology, engineering, and math skills.

“It was a great kickoff to our regular Ozobot programs. I think this speaks to the 4-H curriculum; it is trendy, current, and relatable. From a library standpoint, it is always a blessing to have a quality program that centers around a particular story or book that comes to us fully prepared and ready to go. Partnering with UConn 4-H is a win-win for us!

Article by Pamela Gray

NRCA Program Receives Award

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nrca students in water

Congratulations to our Natural Resources Conservation Academy on their 2020 Excellence in Conservation Org Award from the Connecticut Land Conservation Council! The NRCA team comprises faculty members in Natural Resources & the Environment, UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research, Extension, UConn CAHNR, UConn Neag School of Education, and NRCS!

Applications Open for FoodCorps CT

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FoodCorps service member banner photo

Are you ready to #serveupchange in your community? Apply now for a year of service with FoodCorps Connecticut! The deadline is March 15, but aim to submit early: we’re reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Go to http://foodcorps.org/apply to apply yourself (or share this post with a leader who shares our passion for healthy food in schools!)

Pesticide Safety Educator Receives Award

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Candace and teammates receive their pesticide safety award at the impact collaborative
Candace Bartholomew (far left) and team members receive their award at the eXtension Impact Collaborative.

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 new and innovative ways to move their projects and programs forward with the help of the Impact Collaborative Innovation process, Key Informants, and partner/supporting organizations. 32 teams representing 40 institutions attended.

Working from where they left off at the 2018 National Pesticide Applicator Certification and Safety Education Workshop in San Antonio this past August, the NPSEC Team focused on finding innovative ways to get Collaboration Teams off the ground. The three-day event culminated in a PitchFest, where the team presented their project idea to eXtension and Cooperative Extension leaders, along with external partner and supporting organizations.

As a result of the PitchFest, the NPSEC team won an award in the Most Fundable Project or Program category that has earned the team recognition and a strategic partnership with the eXtension Partner Development Team. The goal is to raise $20,000 for each of NPSEC’s five identified collaboration teams to develop educational materials which have been identified as urgently needed for Pesticide Safety Education Programs in all the states and territories.

The NPSEC team was comprised of the following individuals:

Candace Bartholomew, University of Connecticut
Mike Wierda, Utah State University
Kerry Richards, University of Delaware
Courtney Weatherbee, Michigan State University
Dean Herzfeld, University of Minnesota
Wayne Buhler, North Carolina State University

Ornamentals and Turf Short Course

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turfThis Short Course is an in-depth review of the information necessary for studying and fulfilling the requirements of the Ornamental and Turf/Golf Course Superintendents State of Connecticut Supervisory Pesticide Applicator Certification exam.  A student attending lectures and studying materials independently should be able to successfully pass the examination, both written and oral. Students are expected to attend all classes and study materials independently.  Plan to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week studying outside of class.

Class topics are:  Pesticide Laws and Regulations, Pesticide Safety, Botany and Ornamental Identification, Plant Pathology and Ornamental Plant Diseases, Entomology and Insect Pests of Woody Ornamentals, Area and Dosage Calculations, Turf Management and Weed Management.  Each class begins with a basic overview of the science then takes an in-depth look at specific pests, their biology and control.

Classes run for 9 weeks meeting one day a week for 3 hours. Classes begin in mid October and are held in Wallingford at the CTPA office from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.   New classes will begin in January 2019, and run from 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. Tuesdays in Farmington at the Exchange, 270 Farmington Avenue (across from the UConn Health Center and Dempsey Hospital), we are located in Building 4, Suite 262.  On the last day of classes, the DEEP administers the state certification exam.  The State certification exam costs $200, checks made out to CT DEEP.

The cost for the course is based on the cost of the books we provide to you and costs for instructors, is $385.00.  This does not include the required Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, (aka “The Core Manual”) which costs $35.00 or the recommended Ornamental and Turf Category 3 manual, $36.00.

To be placed on the mailing list for class announcements, or for more information please call (860) 570-9010 and ask to be placed on the Ornamental and Turf Short Course mailing list, or email: Diane.Labonia@UConn.edu

If there is more than one inch of snow at the class location, classes are cancelled and made up later.

Master Your Garden With Our Spring Courses

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Upcoming Classes:

common witch hazel leaf
Photo: Wikipedia

Ethnobotany – April 28th in Torrington

Growing Trends at the Garden Barn – May 2nd in Vernon

Boot Camp for Your Senses – May 3rd at Edgerton Park Carriage House

Digital Garden Photography Basics – May 6th at Auerfarm in Bloomfield

Pruning Trees and Shrubs – May 22nd in Bethel

Forest Pests: Emerald Ash Borer and More – May 25th in Vernon

Online registration for all classes is available at http://s.uconn.edu/47o

Garden Master Classes are offered through the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program. For Certified Master Gardeners they provide continuing education as part of the Advanced Master Gardener certification process.

These classes are also open to the general public. Anyone with an interest in gardening and horticulture is welcome!

 

Garden Master Classes Available

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FANs gardenGarden Master Classes are offered through the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program. For Certified Master Gardeners they provide continuing education as part of the Advanced Master Gardener certification process.

These classes are also open to the general public. Anyone with an interest in gardening and  horticulture is welcome!

The UConn Extension Master Gardener Program is an Educational Outreach Program that is part of UConn Extension. The program started in 1978 and consists of horticulture training and an outreach component that focus on the community at large. Master Gardeners are enthusiastic, willing to learn and share their knowledge and training with others. What sets them apart from other home gardeners is their special horticultural training. In exchange for this training, Master Gardeners commit time as volunteers working through their local UConn Extension Center and the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford to provide horticultural-related information to the community.

For more information and a class listing visit: https://mastergardener.uconn.edu/garden-master-classes/.

Urban Agriculture Graduates

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German Cutz, UConn Extension educator and urban agriculture program coordinator urban agriculture graduate speaks at graduation ceremony in UConn Extension office in Bethel

UConn Extension Urban Agriculture Program – Graduation Ceremony. On January 16, 2018 UConn Extension graduated 9 new urban farmers who completed a year-long training. To be able to graduate, students needed to complete five modules: botany, soils, entomology, vegetable production, and integrated pest management (30-40 hours each) and pass each with at least 70% or higher grade. Extension educator German Cutz, and all of Extension, is very proud of graduates and hope many more join us this year. Congratulations!
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Ceremonia de graduación del Programa de Agricultura Urbana de la Extensión de UConn. El 16 de Enero del 2018 La Extensión de UConn graduó 9 nuevos agricultores urbanos quienes completaron un entrenamiento de un año. Para graduarse, los estudiantes necesitaron completar cinco módulos: botánica, suelos, entomología, producción de vegetales y manejo integrado de plagas (30-40 horas cada uno) y pasar cada módulo con una calificación de 70% o más. Estoy muy orgulloso de los graduados y espero que muchos más se unan este año. Felicitaciones!