News

Late Blight Alert! Disease of Tomatoes, Potatoes Arrives in New Hampshire

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:34:36 -0500

earliest appearance on record; devastating disease spreads fast, kills quickly Late blight, a devastating fungal disease that infects tomatoes and potatoes, has been confirmed in Maine, upstate New York, Pennsylvania and as of Friday morning, New Hampshire. Left unchecked, the fungus, can quickly wipe out plantings of these popular vegetables. Premature arrival, probably on infected tomato seedlings "Late blight usually doesn't strike the Northeast until August," says Extension Plant Health Specialist Cheryl Smith. "Rainy, overcast weather has provided very favorable conditions for development and spread of the disease." "Some large, nationwide retail stores have apparently sold infected tomato seedlings. If you bought tomato seedlings at one of these stores, check your plants and keep on checking," Smith says. Symptoms "Classic symptoms include large, irregularly-shaped, water-soaked, olive-green-to-brown spots on leaves. Under wet or very humid conditions, a slightly fuzzy, white fungal growth may be visible on the underside of the leaf," says Smith." "Leaf lesions begin as tiny, irregularly-shaped dark green or brown spots. Brown to blackish irregular lesions also develop on upper stems. Firm, brown spots develop on tomato fruit, and infected fruit often looks bumpy". Advice to home gardeners "The late blight fungus produces many spores, which can travel long distances through the air. It's crucial that everyone who grows potatoes or tomatoes, including home gardeners, is monitoring for late blight to avoid being a source of spores that move on to infect potatoes and tomatoes in neighboring gardens and commercial fields. "There's no need to take action if your plants show no signs of infection," Smith says. But she urges home gardeners to heed this advice:

Thoroughly inspect potato and tomato plantings on a daily basis, because late blight moves fast and can be difficult to control once established in a planting.
If you see signs of infection, pull all infected plants from the ground, bag them up, and dispose of the bags in the trash. Do not put them in the compost or in a refuse heap.
Put a few samples (include several stems plus leaves and/or fruit) into a plastic bag and bring it to your County Extension office, but don't wait for confirmation to pull out the infected plants.
Fungicides containing the active ingredient chlorothalonil are fairly effective in protecting plants from infection. Although copper fungicides are an option for organic gardeners, copper is not highly effective. Gardeners don't have access to fungicides effective for controlling the disease once plants are infected.
Don't attempt to treat infected plants with fungicides, even those labeled for late blight. Fungicides can't cure plants that are already infected .
Don't touch healthy plants after handling infected plants until you've scrubbed your hands with soap and water thoroughly.

Guidance for commercial growers Detailed information for commercial growers, who have access to methods and materials for controlling late-blight infected plantings. Late blight/early blight photos Photos compare late blight with early blight. Photo of late blight on tomato leaves by Eric Sideman, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.

Free pressure-canner testing, food preservation workshops

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:07:15 -0500

Thinking about canning the abundance from your garden, CSA, or local farm stand? Before you harvest, make sure you're using current canning information and tested recipes. And make sure your equipment is in good working order. Test your pressure canner Test the pressure-canner dial gauge for accuracy each year before the canning season. Home food-preservers with Presto-made pressure canners* may bring their Pressure Dial Gauge or Pressure Tru Indicator to a UNH Cooperative Extension county office for testing. Please call your county Extension office in advance, rather than just walking in with your pressure gauge. If your county isn't conducting testing this year, the Family & Consumer Resources educator there can refer you to a site that will. The educator doing the testing can also inspect your equipment and provide you with recommendations for use based on its condition. Although weighted-gauge types of pressure canners don't require testing for accuracy, replace the weighted gauge if it's damaged in any way. *Brand names manufactured by National Presto Industries include: Magic Seal, Maid of Honor, Presto, and National. Canning workshops scheduled Although these workshops focus on water-bath canning, but instructors will answer questions about pressure canning, freezing, and drying. (Keep checking this space, as more workshops will be scheduled as the season progresses.)

July 11: Yes You Can, Apple Crest Farm Orchard, Hampton Falls, 11 a.m. to noon. For more information, call Claudia Boozer-Blasco at 679-5616.
July 23: Let's Preserve Food at Home, Cheshire County Extension Office, Keene, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, call Nancy Bradford-Sisson at 352-4550.
August 13: Yes You Can, Exeter Seacoast Farmers Market, Exeter, 2:15 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call Claudia Boozer-Blasco 679-5616
August 13: Yes You Can--Preserving Food at Home, Green Thumb Nursery, Rte 116, North Haverhill, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call Deb Maes at 787-6944
August 15: Yes You Can, Seacoast Farmers Market, Portsmouth, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call Claudia Boozer-Blasco at 679-5616.
August 18: Yes You Can, Tracy Library, New London, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For more information, call Marilyn Sullivan, 225-5505.
August 20: Yes You Can, Wesley United Methodist Church, Clinton Street, Concord, 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Small fee will be charged. Registration handled by the Concord Cooperative Market. Call Ruth Smith at 410-3099 for more information .

Photo credit: podchef at Flickr. Some rights reserved.

Ticks are Active Now. Protect Yourself.

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:08:15 -0500

Blacklegged ticks (formerly called deer ticks) are active now throughout much of New Hampshire. June is especially important, because the nymphs (immature forms) of blacklegged ticks are active, and they can transmit Lyme Disease more quickly than the adults. American dog tick, which doesn't transmit Lyme Disease, will probably be active until some time in August (depends on rainfall). If you suspect a tick has been biting more than a few hours, consider having it identified once you remove it. (Tweezers or forceps can help with the removal.). To protect yourself:

Avoid thick brush and tall grass when ticks are active.
Use tick repellent on socks and pantlegs (or legs if you wear shorts).
Check yourself for ticks at the end of the day; remember that they can crawl under your clothing, between your toes, and behind or on your ears.
Remove attached ticks promptly.

New UNH Cooperative Extension publications that can help Insect Repellents includes information on several new active ingredients, including some that work on ticks. Biology and Management of Ticks in New Hampshire Comprehensive fact sheet has been updated and expanded to include much new information on diseases, tick species, and controls. Alan Eaton, UNH Cooperative Extension entomology specialist Photo credit (blacklegged tick biting): Alan Eaton

New Hampshire Farm Link Merges with New England LandLink

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:38:45 -0500

Project matches farmland owners with aspiring farmers looking for land "Today, more than ever, there's a need to match farmers who want to sell or rent their farms with people who want to go into farming," says John Porter, New Hampshire Extension dairy specialist emeritus. "Farmland is expensive and hard to find, and there's a younger generation with a desire to farm and supply local food. Some landowners have indicated a willingness to make special arrangements for people who showed promise of carrying on their enterprise." A formal program to match farm owners with buyers or renters Toward that end, in 2000 the New Hampshire Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture, a cross-section of people dedicated to preserving agriculture in the state, proposed the idea of a program to join aspiring farmers to willing renters or sellers of farmland. "We called it New Hampshire Farm Link," says Porter. "Tony Mincu, a Coalition member and a law student at the time, took on the task of formally organizing Farm Link as part of a community law project at Franklin Pierce Law School. There have been a few applications kept on file over the years and some informal match-ups, but there wasn't enough funding or staff to maintain a full-service land-matching program. Farm Link finds a permanent home "After several years of relative dormancy, looking for a new home, New Hampshire Farm Link has merged with New England LandLink, a program of the New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI) in Belchertown, Massachusetts," says Porter "We're really excited about this move. "New England LandLink, which serves all of New England and eastern New York, maintains a database that currently has 510-plus seekers and more 60 farm offerings. Merging with this regional program will provide a considerably larger pool of prospective farmers and available land and should be a win-win situation for everyone involved," says Porter. "LandLink director Warren Hubley is available by phone and email to provide personal contact (warren@smallfarm.org or 413-323-4531). Looking for farmland? Want to sell farmland? People who want to list their property or who are looking for land can obtain application forms from any UNH Cooperative Extension office or other cooperating agricultural agencies around the state, or directly from New England LandLink. It costs $10 to register for the standard LandLink services, which include contact information for any Web listings and advice about new properties.

Take a Discovery Cruise into Great Bay or to the Isles of Shoals

Mon, 11 May 2009 11:54:22 -0500

Join the University of New Hampshire Marine Docents this summer for a day cruise aboard the university’s research vessel, the R/V Gulf Challenger. Find out what UNH researchers are learning about the marine and estuarine environments, and get up close and personal with coastal creatures and local history.

The Shoals Cruise Learn about the history of New Hampshire’s seacoast, hike around Appledore Island and tour the Shoals Marine Lab. Cost is $40 and the cruise runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Or choose the Great Bay Discovery Cruise, which travels up the Piscataqua River into Little Bay/Great Bay Estuary. Marine Docents will lead activities such as catching plankton and testing water quality. The Great Bay Cruise also stops for a tour of the UNH Jackson Estuarine Laboratory. The cost is $25 and it runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm.

Cruises depart from the UNH pier in New Castle. Children ages 10 and older are welcome with an adult. Space is limited. Reserve your cruise now, or learn more about the available dates.

Dates and availability are subject to change. Discovery Cruises are sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension and N.H. Sea Grant.

New! Home & Community Food Gardening Web Pages

Tue, 05 May 2009 12:01:54 -0500

We are stardust, we are golden We are ten billion year old carbon And we got to get ourselves back to the garden.

Woodstock, Joni Mitchell

Survey research from the National Gardening Association indicates an explosion of interest in home food gardening this year:

43 million American households will plant food gardens in 2009--seven million more than last year.
11 percent of veteran gardeners say they plan to expand the size of their gardens this summer and the variety of crops they grow.
5 million households will seek space in a community garden.

Here in New Hampshire Hope Lennon, who places seed orders and arranges educational seminars for gardeners at Blue Seal Feeds & Needs in Bow, says, "Stuff is flying off the shelves; our vegetable seeds have already sold out." "We've already sold 45 percent more vegetable seedlings than last year and had to place another order," says Lennon. "We've sold twice as many seed potatoes this year, and people are still coming for them from as far away from Maine. We've had an increase in sales of organic products, and we've noticed a big rise in interest in container gardening." During other crisis points in our history, Americans turned to backyard and community gardening in a big way In 1918, more than 5.2 million World-War-1 Liberty Gardens yielded 528.5 million pounds of produce.

From 1933-1936, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) distributed more than three billion dollars to pay Depression Relief Gardeners for their food production.
Victory Gardens of World War II produced more than 40 percent of the nation's fruits and vegetables.
And during the Oil Embargo of the mid-1970s, more than half of American households tended vegetable gardens.

The #1 reason Americans give for growing their own food They think it tastes better (58 percent)! Saving money (54 percent), enjoying better-quality produce (51 percent) and having safe food (48 percent) fall close behind. Forty percent of food gardeners say they garden to "feel more productive." Beyond a patch of good dirt (or a few containers of potting soil), hand tools, and seeds, home food producers don't need much by way of fancy equipment to raise fruits and vegetables. A plot managed with intensive techniques can easily yield 10 times the produce of a more conventional garden. Visit our new Home & Community Food Gardening Web pages They'll help you learn everything you need to know for success, from site selection and preparation to conditioning the soil, planting, finding space and time, caring for growing crops, managing problems, gardening with children, organizing or locating a community garden in New Hampshire. We think of this site as a scaffold onto which we'll keep building. So, bookmark this section of our site for frequent reference. And help us keep building it by offering your suggestions for online information resources we haven't provided here.

"Green Commute" Week May 11-15

Mon, 04 May 2009 07:46:45 -0500

Walk, bike, or carpool: Take the challenge! Building on the success of past bike-or-walk-to-work days, the New Hampshire Bike-Walk Alliance has expanded the annual event to an entire week this year, from May 11 through May 15. The project challenges Granite Staters to use human power to get around as much as possible during the week. In keeping with the "green" theme, organizers note that transportation is responsible for an estimated 40 percent of New England's carbon dioxide emissions, and encourage folks who can't walk or bike to carpool or take public transportation. Check out the local events Communities around the state have planned celebratory events, which range from meet-and-greet breakfasts to free fares on public transportation. All participants can also qualify for raffle prizes, including the grand giveaway of a one-night stay and breakfast for two at the Mount Washington Hotel. To qualify, you must fill in the online form. Learn more

NH Bike maps Getting from here to there by bike. Commuting by bicycle Lots of links to online information for cyclists and bike commuters. Need a reason to buy a bike? Fitness, weight maintenance, energy savings, experiences in the natural world; plus tips for bike commuters. Can't shower at work? Hygiene tips for self-powered commuters. Program for Alternative Transportation and Health (PATH) Learn more about this Concord-area program promoting human power, carpooling and public transportation to save energy, protect the environment, and improve health.

Talk to Your Children About the New Flu

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:42:44 -0500

Get them talking, offer reassurance With a constant barrage of media attention currently being focused on the new flu outbreak, children may become frightened or extremely worried about catching the virus. When children talk to one another, they may receive misinformation, and peers can magnify their fears. Without a bit of guidance from adults, it's easy for kids to feel panicked. While it's too early to know how serious this outbreak could become or how long it might last, it is important to help the kids in your life keep it in perspective and to keep yourself both calm and informed. Open a conversation The first and most important step is to start a conversation with your child by asking if he or she has heard about illness, and how they are feeling about it. When talking with younger children, help them separate fantasy from reality. Hearing that this is a disease called "swine" flu can easily charge their imaginations. Let them know that although it is called "swine flu," it's a people illness--a new form of the flu. Reassure your child Be as specific as need be, reassuring them that people can't get the illness from eating pork, and that the disease doesn't really have much to do with pigs. Tell them that if they do get sick with this flu, they can get medicine to help them get better and people will take care of them until they do. Talk about prevention Let them know that flu can be spread by sick people who cough or sneeze. Teach them what they can do to help them keep from getting sick: washing their hands often and thoroughly, covering their coughs or sneezes (into a tissue or into their sleeve) washing their hands well, and letting adults know if they aren't feeling good. In addition, this is a good time to talk to your child about the importance of getting plenty of rest, lots of exercise, eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water. Put things in perspective It's also important to help older children keep the disease in perspective. Although some small outbreaks have been reported in schools, most of the cases associated with those outbreaks to date have been mild. In addition, most of the schools and child care centers that have been closed around the country have been closed as precautionary measures, based on a single or few cases and not because of widespread outbreaks. Almost all of the people who have contracted the disease have recovered. Signs of illness Signs of the disease to watch for in children include: fever, sore throat, body and head aches, persistent cough, chills and fatigue. Remember, if your child has any symptoms of influenza, keep her/him home from child care or school, and call a health-care professional. Meanwhile, talk to your child's school or child-care personnel about their plans for dealing with an outbreak in or near their community. During this outbreak, it's important to keep yourself informed, but also to limit the amount of time the TV and radio are on in your house while children are tuning in. For the best and most up-to-date information, check in periodically with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Extension Disaster Education Network's Swine Flu page. by Dr. Malcolm Smith, Family Education and Family Policy Specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension. He can be reached by email at: Malcolm.smith@unh.edu

Inform Yourself About the New H1N1 Flu

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:23:31 -0500

State sets up toll-free flu hotline On Sunday, April 26, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared a public health emergency in response to an outbreak of a novel strain of influenza. The disease has sickened hundreds of Mexicans and residents in several U.S. states. Since international surveillance began the last week in April, new cases have been reported in nations around the world, and health authorities anticipate more. The virus spreads by human-to-human contact. N.H. toll-free hotline The N.H. Department of Health and Human Services has set up a flu hotline to answer questions about the outbreak. Residents can call 1-888-330-6764 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. The hotline will field general questions only. People with medical questions or concerns should contact their health-care providers. A new strain of flu Unlike the seasonal influenza strains that have been circulating among humans for decades or even centuries, human populations haven't developed immunity to the new virus. Because of the frequency and speed of global travel and because people become contagious with influenza before they begin to feel sick, most public health officials say they can't stop or contain the outbreak, only keep people informed about the disease and the steps they can take to protect themselves to help slow its progress. The World Health Organization is surveying the situation around the clock in Geneva. Public health officials don't yet know

How or when it started.
How rapidly and far it might spread.
How dangerous it might become.
Why some cases are so mild and others so deadly.
How long the outbreak might last.

Public health officials do know

You can't catch this flu (formerly called "swine flu" because it contains genetic material from strains of influenza that once infected pigs) from eating pork or pork products. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. Eating properly handled and properly cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F kills flu viruses as it does other viruses and bacteria.
The flu shot you got last winter won't protect against this strain of influenza. There's no preventive vaccine for this new strain of flu and won't be for at least several months, although anti-viral drugs may help victims recover.
This new strain of influenza isn't the H5N1 strain of avian influenza ("bird flu") that has become endemic in wild and domestic birds throughout Southeast Asia and which has sickened more than 400 and killed more than 250 humans since the WHO began reporting in human cases in 2003.

CDC officials say they expect more cases to emerge with wider surveillance. They urge people to take simple precautions, including staying home from work if you feel sick and keeping sick children home from school. For more information

Swine Influenza Fact Sheet N.H. Department of Health and Human Services' fact sheet about swine flu. Swine Flu Frequently Asked Questions FAQ from the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC's swine flu information pages Continuously updated information on numbers of confirmed cases and other facts about the current outbreak. Extension Disaster Education Network's new flu page This national Extension educational network will stay current with aspects of the new flu issue affecting Cooperative Extension staff as well as the general public. Pandemic Information Official U.S. Government Information Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy The Pandemic Influenza pages of this University of Minnesota center stay current on latest news of risks of pandemic influenza outbreaks. Swine Flu Breaking News A new feature from the Center for Infectious Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

Taking care of yourself and your family

CDC's simple things you can do to protect yourself and your family Taking Care of a Sick Person at Home CDC guidance for homecare if someone in your household falls ill with the new flu. Talk to Your Children About the New Flu Get them talking, offer reassurance, stay calm and informed yourself.

Last updated 8:30 a.m., May 1

Buy Next Winter's Firewood Now!

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:41:32 -0500

Prices on wood fuel and woodstoves are lower; products more available With warmer weather upon us, it's hard to think about the coming winter's wood supply. Yet this is the best time to buy firewood or wood pellets for the next year's heating season. Both firewood and wood pellets are more available now, the prices are better, and green firewood will have time to dry for burning this winter. As prices for home heating oil approached $5 per gallon last summer, homeowners turned to local wood as an alternative fuel source. The resulting panic buying caused shortages and high prices in both the wood-pellet and firewood markets. Increased production, lower oil prices = better deals on firewood To meet this new demand, many firewood producers and pellet manufacturers increased production. And now that home heating oil prices have settled down, interest in wood has waned. Both wood dealers and wood stove shop operators experienced a decrease in business as soon as fuel oil prices dropped below $3.00 per gallon. The result: a larger supply of wood, pellets, and the stoves that burn them. If you're in the market, now's the time to buy! By Sarah Smith, UNH Cooperative Extension forest industry specialist Learn more Buying and Storing Firewood

Oh Baby! Trainings Attract More than 200

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:49:21 -0500

Against a backdrop of recent news reports citing an increase in child abuse, more than 200 pediatric nurses, family-support professionals, child care providers, social workers and home visitors attended two Oh Baby! trainings held in Manchester and Portsmouth in the past month. A third training, scheduled for May 21 at Plymouth State University, is filling fast. Designed by UNH Cooperative Extension Parenting and Child Development team members, the program helps participants use Extension's popular child-development newsletters, Cradle Crier and Toddler Tales, as part of an ongoing effort to educate New Hampshire parents and reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect in New Hampshire. The programs featured Dr. John Hornstein, a former UNH professor and a consultant to Harvard Medical School, who presented, "Culture, the Brain, and the Wisdom of the Young." Hornstein gave participants an update on current brain research with infants and toddlers and new methodology for educating young parents. Other highlights included presentations by Sarah Leonard, infant and toddler teacher at UNH's Child Study and Development Center, and Extension Specialist Dr. Malcolm Smith. The Manchester training was co-sponsored by Early Learning New Hampshire and hosted by the Family Education Collaborative at the Manchester YWCA. The Portsmouth Community Campus hosted the Portsmouth event, which was co-sponsored by Families First, a parent resource and education center.

Learn more about the Oh Baby! programs and register for the Plymouth State training. Explore UNH Cooperative Extension's Families & Parenting pages

Team Completes Review of State Child Support Guidelines & Recommendations for Change

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:32:46 -0500

Policy analysts and researchers from UNH Cooperative Extension, the UNH Department of Family Studies, and the Whittemore School of Business and Economics have completed a comprehensive review of the state's Child Support Guidelines and made recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Support Services. "Even though the current guidelines have been working fairly well for many people, with the rapidly changing economic climate and measurable changes in the patterns of parents involved in child support, it was time to revisit the guidelines," said project leader and Extension Family Life and Policy Specialist Dr. Malcolm Smith. State and federal laws require the Department to conduct a review of Child Support Guidelines every four years. Information collected from many publics Over the past year, the team held public forums in Manchester, Keene, Portsmouth and Littleton and solicited input from people who pay and people who receive child support, other interested parties, and a variety of key stakeholders. "One of the strengths of this process was the well-rounded approach taken by the review team," said Smith. "This review will be used internally by the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Support Services (DHHS DCSS) and will be reviewed by the N.H. Legislature for possible implementation in the next session." "The most important feature of our evaluation," said Dr. Reagan Baughman, an economist from the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics, "was that we listened carefully to all parties affected by child support and developed recommendations that balanced the concerns of payors, payees and their children." Recommendations move on to state legislature for action According to Dr. Michael Kalinowski of the UNH Department of Family Studies, "This final report makes several recommendations, each of which we believe will provide some improvement to the child support formula and practice, and which together form a balanced and integrated package." "We are very pleased to present this study to the N.H. Legislature," said Mary Weatherill, who directs the DCSS. "Not only because it meets federal and state requirements, but more importantly because it provides an unbiased, reliable economic analysis." Read the complete 2009 NH Child Support Guidelines Review and Recommendations Report or the brief summary of recommendations.

Backyard Poultry, Food-Gardening Seminars Overflow

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:06:36 -0500

Attendance indicates resurgence of interest in home food production Eighty-five people showed up at the Holiday Inn in Concord for a workshop entitled Raising Chickens in the Backyard, featuring Merrimack County Extension agricultural resources coordinator Dot Perkins and retired Extension poultry specialist Tom Danko. "When we scheduled the event in late February, we planned on meeting at the Blue Seal feed store in Bow," says Perkins. "We thought we'd get a big crowd of 30 or 40 people. But after first-week registration topped 60, we moved it to the Holiday Inn." Meanwhile up in Coos County, agricultural resources educator Steve Turaj says his three-session spring Victory Garden workshop "was oversubscribed, with 50 registrants within two weeks of sending out the announcement." Food security, safety, self-reliance "More people are raising chickens and growing vegetables because of the economy," Perkins says. "They want to feed their families fresh, healthy food and feel more secure about their food supply," "Food safety issues play into it too." Turaj chocks it up to "a greater interest in overall self-reliance." Perkins says, "They wanted to know about everything: from brooding chicks to broody hens, housing issues, disease management, pasturing chickens, slaughtering, breeds of chickens, predators, nutrition, proper egg handling, food safety issues, lighting requirements--you name it. We rambled a lot. They battered us with questions from 6:30 until 10:00 p.m. and even walked me out to my car." Perkins has scheduled another talk for April 4 on backyard poultry and swine. By March 30, that workshop had 45 people registered. Turaj also scheduled another session to accommodate the overflow of people interested in basic vegetable gardening and green crops as alternative livestock feeds. For basic information on any aspect of home food production, call Extension's Family, Home & Garden Education Center Info Line, 1-877-398-4769, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

8th Annual Saving Special Places Land Conservation Conference

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:17:13 -0500

Saving Special Places, New Hampshire's largest annual conservation conference will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at Gilford High School in Gilford. Whether you're new to conservation and want to learn from the people who do it every day, or you're an old hand wanting to network with colleagues, you won't want to miss Saving Special Places. Co-sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension and the Society for the Protection of NH Forests, the conference features three sessions, each offering 11 tracks of workshops (for a total of 33 workshops) for beginners through experienced levels. Learn about Basic Conservation Options, Wind Power and Conservation, Funding and Conservation, Integrating Biodiversity Considerations into Working Forest Easements, and more, or attend a Round Table discussion for more advanced levels. Lisa Vernagaard, Director of Planning and Stewardship at The Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts will give the keynote address, sharing many examples of how land trusts and other conservation organizations are beginning to take meaningful action toward climate change. She will direct our attention to the many challenges we face including determining future land conservation projects, evolving our land management, reducing our organizational carbon footprints and building public support. Rand Wentworth, President of the national Land Trust Alliance, will provide a brief overview of the national land conservation movement and its emerging trends, opportunities and challenges during the morning plenary welcome session. He will also be leading and participating in workshops throughout the day. Conference brochure Workshop descriptions Conference registration form

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) & Mosquito Control Paper Updated

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:42:09 -0500

As voters prepare to discuss town budget articles, UNH Cooperative Extension entomologist Dr. Alan Eaton has posted an updated 15-page paper on mosquito-borne diseases in New Hampshire, and the various options to manage the problem. If your town is considering spending money on mosquito management, you'll find this publication especially helpful. Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) EEE is the most common and severe of these diseases. In 2005, New Hampshire had the highest number of human EEE cases in the nation, prompting much attention to ways of reducing the risk. Many towns and cities started discussing mosquito monitoring or spraying programs, particularly in Rockingham County, the part of the state with the highest risk for EEE. There are many ways to reduce EEE risk, including new insect-repellents options for individuals. Personal protection: new publication on insect repellents Eaton has also posted a companion publication titled Insect Repellents, which covers the DEET-based repellents on which we have relied for many years, as well as Picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus and other active ingredients.