4-H is a community of young people across America who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. Building on this, 4-H’ers will continue to be involved in serving their communities. Through 4-H programs, young people combine their concerns with practical skills so they can make a difference. Working together and having a good time through […]
Archives for September 2015
Tomato Hybridizers Try to Improve on Heirlooms
In the day when the mass production of food trumped everything else, plant breeders developed the “perfect” supermarket tomato. Thick-skinned and with a shelf life for the ages, it was a boon for growers, shippers and retailers… But even nonfoodie consumers realized that they were getting the short end of the stick. Those reddish orbs looked like the real thing but tasted like damp cardboard, and the supermarket tomato became a standing joke. It also spurred the rediscovery and celebration of the heirloom tomato… This is the magic driving another tomato breeding program in New Jersey, a state where the tomato is a cultural icon. At Rutgers University’s agricultural research farm in Pittstown, hybridizer Tom Orton has been trying to capture the lost flavor of a famous old variety named, simply, “Rutgers.”… You can still find the “Rutgers” in seed catalogs, except it is not the original; genetic drift over the generations has brought a variety that is undoubtedly different from the first hybrid, now lost to time.
Hurricane Joaquin Wavers But Major Flooding Still Possible in N.J.
New Jersey got some good news this evening at the expense of its southern neighbors. The National Hurricane Center pushed the projected track of Hurricane Joaquin farther west Wednesday afternoon, as models trended toward a landfall in the Chesapeake Bay area throughout the course of the day… “There’s no question this run is better for us,” said David Robinson, the state climatologist at Rutgers University. “But we’ve got some stuff to worry about before then.”… A high wind watch and a coastal flood watch were posted for the entire New Jersey coastline from Friday to Saturday, as storm front retrogrades back across the Garden State… After the weekend, things become somewhat murky again. “While there has been a clear shift in forecast models toward the south and west regarding Hurricane Joaquin’s path, the National Hurricane Center cautioned that confidence in the forecast remains low.”
New Jersey Wants Another Year to Settle Oyster Research Flap
In this June 27, 2012 file photo, Beth Ravit, a Rutgers University researcher, holds oysters from an experimental colony she and other environmentalists were growing at a Navy pier in Middletown, N.J. New Jersey environmental regulators say it could ta…
GARDENER STATE: No Horsing Around at This Conference!
How often is it that you may hear about or feel the allure and “romanticism” of the thought of owning a famous race horse or operating a horse farm? But for many beginning farmers or those considering launching equine operations or switching careers into agriculture, reality can rear its ugly head when it comes to having a business plan, legal and financial footing, and dealing with the business end of running a successful and sustainable farm or ranch… In light of this, for aspiring, relatively new, and existing horse owners and facility operators, the Equine Science Center at Rutgers University is hosting the “Symposium on Legal, Business, and Insurance Issues Impacting the Equine Industry” on Monday, Oct. 12, at The Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset, section of Franklin… “This symposium is a MUST for all professional horse people, irrespective of discipline or industry interest,” said Karyn Malinowski, director of the Equine Science Center. “Never before has the Center assembled such an exemplary panel of experts, thanks to the vision of Liz Durkin Esq., Vice-Chair of the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement, on topics of utmost importance to equine operation owners and/or managers.”
Study: 500-Year Floods Could Hit NY, NJ Every Generation
A new study looking back over 1,000 years finds the flooding risk along the New York and New Jersey coasts increased greatly after industrialization, and major storms that once might have occurred every 500 years could soon happen every 25 years or so… The study by Penn State, Rutgers, Princeton, and Tufts universities, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, finds that flood heights have risen nearly 4 feet since the year 850, largely because of a sea level rise. The study advocates better risk management strategies to cope with storms… “A storm that occurred once in seven generations is now occurring twice in a generation,” said Benjamin Horton of Rutgers, one of six lead researchers involved in the study. “What we do know is that as sea level rise accelerates into the future, we are going to have more frequent flooding.”… “Every inch deeper in a core takes you further back in time,” Horton said. “We can stretch this technique back hundreds of years and thousands of years.”
Will NJ’s Dry Summer Impact Fall Foliage?
The dry conditions that the Garden State has faced over the last few months could affect one of the highlights of autumn in New Jersey, the fall colors… Bill Hlubik, Professor and Agricultural and Resource Management Agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Rutgers, The State University, said the drought could change the timeline a bit for fall foliage… The typical fall color peak takes place in mid-to-late October, but Hlubik believes that could bleed into November this season. He said you will still see yellows, then orange, and red leaves, but it may not be as vibrant as usual… Hlubik said the brightest and earliest fall foliage can be found out at New Jersey’s highest elevations at state and county parks. “It may be a little shorter lived and may be delayed a little bit, but I think we’re going to have great fall color out there,” he said.
NJ Sees More Flooding Thanks to Sea Level Rise, Study Says
A new study looking back over 1,000 years finds the flooding risk along the New York and New Jersey coasts increased greatly after industrialization, and major storms that once might have occurred every 500 years could soon happen every 25 years or so… It was released a month before the third anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, which devastated the coasts of New York and New Jersey… “A storm that occurred once in seven generations is now occurring twice in a generation,” said Benjamin Horton of Rutgers, one of six lead researchers involved in the study… The study does not explicitly state that the changes are due to human activity but implies it “by the timeframes,” Horton said. The researchers wanted to compare recent decades to the period before the Industrial Revolution.
500-Year Storms Could Now Occur Every 24 Years, Study Says
Under normal odds, the chance that a New York City or Jersey Shore resident would witness a so-called “500-year flood” – one with massive storm surge and flooding – would be so low, many residents would never live to witness one… “A storm that occurred once in seven generations is now occurring twice in a generation,” said Benjamin Horton, a Rutgers University marine and coastal sciences professor… According to Horton and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton, Tufts and Penn State universities, rising sea levels and increases in the types of storms that produce the largest storm surge are behind the rising threat… To look further into the past, the researchers studied salt marshes near New York City and along the Jersey shore. They took ground core samples, looking for microfossils called foraminifera. According to Horton, some species of foraminifera are linked to salt marsh growth and, therefore, high ocean levels. Others do not thrive in salt water, and would indicate fresh water and lower ocean levels.
Study: Sea Level Rise Increasing Major Storms Off New Jersey
Major storms that once might have hit the coasts of New York and New Jersey every 500 years could soon happen every 25 years or so… The study by Penn State, Rutgers, Princeton and Tufts universities and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology finds…