For many years, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County has delivered numerous summer camp programs for youth throughout the Trenton area. When the pandemic hit, and the 4-H staff was unable to provide in-person summer programming, Mercer County 4-H had to creatively design new offerings to reach these underserved youth. Through partnerships with Mercer County SNAP-Ed, Mercer Street Friends, and the Center for Child and Family Achievement (CCFA), the team created a program called “Find Out Fridays.” For six weeks, from July to August, 100 families […]
Surprising Coral Spawning Features Revealed
When stony corals have their renowned mass spawning events, in sync with the moon’s cycle, colonies simultaneously release an underwater “cloud” of sperm and eggs for fertilization. But how do the sperm and eggs survive several hours as plankton, given threats from predators, microbes and stresses such as warming waters? A Rutgers-led team has discovered […]
Stories of Life at Rutgers Through the Pandemic: Meet Rutgers Essential Workers – Cook Campus Farm
Essential workers at Rutgers have kept the university running and served others who remained on campus while most of the community has been working remotely since March. They have maintained the buildings and grounds; kept faculty, staff and students connected online; served the hungry and provided other services. Rutgers Today spent some time talking to the workers about how the […]
National Moth Week Continues to Spread its Wings: 2020 Event Drew Record Numbers
Despite worldwide restrictions and lockdowns preventing participation in many summertime activities, the ninth annual National Moth Week – held in July 2020 – broke several records and attracted hundreds of new “moth-ers.” With mothing one of the safest, most enriching activities that families and individuals could do in their own backyards during the pandemic, National […]
Seafood Products Made From Cells Should be Labeled Cell-Based
Rutgers study examines potential names for package labels to meet FDA rules Companies seeking to commercialize seafood products made from the cells of fish or shellfish should use the term “cell-based” on product labels, according to a Rutgers study – the first of its kind – in the Journal of Food Science. Both the U.S. […]
4-H Innovation Club Hosts Virtual Maker Fair – August 29-30
Interested in STEM and innovation? Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County is pleased to announce the Robbinsville Innovation 4-H Club is hosting a two-day virtual Maker Fair on Saturday and Sunday, August 29-30. All are invited! There will be several opportunities to get involved and to see the innovative projects created by the 4-H club […]
Geoengineering is Just a Partial Solution to Fight Climate Change
The technology’s regional impacts depend on how much greenhouse gas emissions are reduced Could we create massive sulfuric acid clouds that limit global warming and help meet the 2015 Paris international climate goals, while reducing unintended impacts? Yes, in theory, according to a Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Earth System Dynamics. Spraying sulfur dioxide into the […]
A Plant Breeding Breakthrough: Downy Mildew Resistant Sweet Basil
Sweet basil used to be considered a relatively easy fresh market culinary herb crop to grow. Growers saw it as a popular and profitable enterprise. When sweet basil was later hit by Fusarium wilt, conventional growers were able to turn to fumigation, while organic growers were able to turn to emerging resistant varieties.
NJHKI Food Literacy Camp Goes Virtual and 3rd-5th Graders Get Cooking
If family meals for today’s busy families could be summed up in a word, it might be “convenience.” How fast the food gets from the freezer to the microwave to the table shapes the awareness children have of what they eat. On the other hand, “food literacy” is a life skill that reveals the elements […]
Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Program Receives ESP National 2020 Distinguished Team Award
Rutgers Cooperative Extension faculty and staff from the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Program received national recognition for their efforts and are being awarded the Distinguished Team Award for 2020 for the Northeast Region from Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP), the honorary fraternity for cooperative extension professionals. The team is led by Cumberland County agricultural agent Wesley Kline, […]
