Soil Health and Conservation Planning

Posted on October 9, 2017March 11, 2019 by

This spring Kip Kolesinskas & Katherine Van der Woude will be hosting a free training seminar on soil health and conservation planning. Contact Katherine for more information on upcoming seminar dates and times.

Soils are the basis for any farm’s success. Participants in the seminar will learn the basic soil science principles that are important to maintaining healthy soils. They will develop knowledge about soil health and the common conservation practices used to manage them for profitability and ecological sustainability. Guidance on soil testing and reading soil tests will also be provided. Topics will include:

How soil properties impact farming
Where to find information on your soils
Why and how to administer soil tests
Basics of pH, N and P nutrient cycling in soil
The significance of organic matter and managing for soil health
Conservation plans and practices

We hope to see you there!

Drought Listening Session

Posted on November 16, 2016 by

Senator Chapin, UConn, NRCS and CT Farm Bureau hosted a listening session for agricultural producers to share experiences of drought and water quantity concerns in recent years and to offer input for planning and preparing for future drought events on November 15, 2016 at the Capitol.

Notes and presentation slides will be posted here shortly.

Agricultural producers at listening session

Rainwater Catchment System for High Tunnels

Posted on November 7, 2016 by

A wonderful example of planning for drought resiliency…

The Iowa State University Cooperative Research shares information on installing gutters for rainwater catchment on high tunnels. (Note: Gutters should be removed when snow and ice are a concern.)
New Resource Shows Rainwater Catchment System High Tunnel Irrigation (video)
Rainwater Catchment from a High Tunnel for Irrigation Use (companion publication)

Gardeners, plant before the rain!

Posted on April 22, 2016April 27, 2016 by

Spring is here and it is a beautiful time to plant your gardens with vegetables and flowers. Planning to sow your seeds or transplanting before the rain is expected to fall is a great way to ensure germination, soil moisture and successful establishment. It also saves a lot of time, energy and water.

This year, watch the weather forecast and see if you can modify your plans to take advantage of natural irrigation.

For more tips for successful planting, read what Rodale’s Organic Life has to say.

World Water Day!

Posted on March 22, 2016May 30, 2017 by

Today is World Water Day!

To celebrate water’s big day, here are 12 facts about access to water around the globe, courtesy of Water.org. Continue reading →

State-wide water use survey

Posted on February 2, 2016March 23, 2016 by

UConn Extension is helping agricultural producers enhance water security and prepare for drought with the February launch of the first statewide agricultural water survey. The survey will document water use in Connecticut agriculture and establish baseline standards for water use across all types of agricultural operations in the state’s eight counties. Continue reading →