UConn Animal Science

Spring 2023 Riding Practicum and Equine Team Links are Now Live!

UConn’s Department of Animal Science offers a self-improvement, non-credit, extracurricular horse-riding program entitled “Horse Practicum.” The Practicum is open to all students enrolled at the University as well as faculty, staff and the community. Although priority for riding is given to Animal Science majors, all participants are welcome on a space available basis. Lessons are offered in Hunt Seat, Dressage, Trail, Polo and Western at a variety of levels. The Riding teams are Equestrian, Dressage, Varsity Polo, and Western.

For more information visit s.uconn.edu/practicum

flyer with woman riding a horse and text

Compost Sale

compost facility

Spring 2021 UConn Compost Sale Details

Pick-up date: Friday, April 16th 1-4 PM and Saturday, April 17th 10 AM – 3 PM
Rain date(s): Friday, April 23rd and/or Saturday, April 24th

$25 per yard. Customers must purchase a minimum of ½ yard.

Payment must be made online by credit/debit card only.
*Payments must be received by 5 PM on Thursday, April 15th.*

Pick-up Location: UConn Compost Facility, 1396 Stafford Rd., Storrs, CT 06269.
Please follow the signs.

Make online payments here!

IMPORTANT RULES:

– Please bring Proof of payment (A picture of your payment receipt or the actual printed receipt.) Those who have not prepaid online will be turned away.
– Customers must wear a mask and stay in their vehicles.
– No boxes, pails, buckets or bags.  Compost will not be loaded by hand (shovel) by customers or UConn Staff.
– Trucks and trailers only. Compost will be loaded by a UConn tractor.

You will be asked to leave if you do not follow these rules.

Please contact Mary Kegler at 860-486-8567 with any questions.

Industrywide Food Safety Initiative Focuses on Ice Cream

Industrywide Food Safety Initiative Focuses on Small/Artisanal Ice Cream Companies

making ice cream at UConn, purple gloves hold container of ice cream
Chemical engineering majors make a test batch of reduced sugar ice cream at the UConn Creamery on April 8, 2015. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy announced that food safety resources for small and artisanal ice cream manufacturers, including an online class and technical support, are now available. Dennis D’Amico, one of our Extension educators was on the team that developed these initiatives.

These initiatives, which are similar to tools created in 2017 for the artisan/farmstead cheese community, are designed to help companies mitigate their food safety risks.

This initiative was led by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, an organization founded by dairy farmers in 2008 to convene the entire industry on common goals and opportunities. Innovation Center experts formed the Artisan Ice Cream Food Safety Advisory Team that includes the National Ice Cream Retailers Association, International Dairy Foods Association, academics, company owners and food safety experts from across the dairy industry.

“We created these tools with input from the owners of small ice cream companies and learned what can most effectively work for them,” said Tim Stubbs, Vice President of Product Research and Food Safety for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. “As a result, we think these resources have been designed in a way that these companies can help assure consumer confidence in their products.”

The resources include an online course offered through North Carolina State University titledFood Safety Basics for Artisan Ice Cream Makers.” The course includes 10 interactive modules on the importance of food safety, identifying hazards, preventive controls, design, plant practices, sanitation and environmental monitoring. The course is available free through July 31, 2020 (discount code INTRO-FREE). Visit https://foodsafety.ncsu.edu/food-safety-basics-for-ice-cream-makers or www.usdairy.com/artisan for information.

A new website — www.safeicecream.org – is hosted by IDFA and offers self-study resources, guides, templates and tools designed to quickly help manufacturers.

Also available are workshops that provide direct coaching and technical support for small businesses as they write their food safety plans.

Information on the workshops or one-on-one food safety support is available by calling (607) 255-3459 or emailing dairyfoodsafetycoach@cornell.edu. More information can be found at www.usdairy.com/artisan

UConn Beef Auction – Nov. 3rd

black cow
beef steer

The UConn Beef Auction will be held this year on Sunday, November 3 at the Cattle Resource Unit (heifer barn) located on Horsebarn Hill Road, Storrs campus.

The auction will be held at UConn’s Storrs Campus at the UConn Cattle Resource Unit (Heifer Barn) located on Horsebarn Hill Road. The event is free and open to the general public. Preview of animals begins at 10 a.m.; auction will be held at 12:00 noon; donuts/coffee and pizza will be available for purchase. Please contact Mary Margaret Cole, Executive Program Director, UConn Livestock Units at Mary_Margaret.Cole@uconn.edu with any questions. Please visit http://animalscience.uconn.edu/join.php to join the email list if you would like to receive a digital copy of the animal sale list. Approximately 25 UConn animals are expected to be auctioned and may include Angus and Hereford heifers, steers, bulls and pregnant cows. The auction does not accept consignments. A list of UConn animals to be sold as well as pedigrees are posted on our website at s.uconn.edu/beefauction.

Robotic Conference at UConn

dairy cow coming out of milking parlor

Register by Friday, October 19th to attend the Robotic Milking Conference at UConn. The day-long event will cover the impacts on animal health, welfare, and economic sustainability for Northeast dairy farms. Admission is $40 per person and $20 for students. For more information and to register visit s.uconn.edu/roboticmilking