Rutgers Cooperative Extension and Cape May County, perfect together. That was the summation of Marilou Rochford’s presentation to freeholders Jan. 26. As Rutgers marks its 250th anniversary, Rochford, County Extension department head, the service, headquartered on Court House-South Dennis Road, plans many activities for the public. “Rutgers’ history is the nation’s history,” Rochford said. The university started before America’s Revolution, “and grew from a small, private Colonial college to one of the most diverse universities in America with over 65,000 students,” she added.
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Opinion: Let Flint Strike Sparks to Address Water-Supply Problems in NJ
Flint is a failure of responsibility, ethics, and morality. Can the unacceptable happen to our water-supply systems? Let’s start with the fundamentals about the water-supply debacle in Flint, MI, where water customers have been exposed to completely un…
Rutgers Gardens Incorporates Student Farm for Outreach and Learning Opportunities
A student run farm that has operated at the Hort Farm since 1993 will re-emerge across the lane at Rutgers Gardens. The Office of Agriculture and Urban Programs will offer a sequence of interdisciplinary courses involving the organic farm. It also will provide the foundation for a broad spectrum of community outreach and programs, student […]
Cumberland County Extension Service Employees Recognized
Cumberland County employees Cheryl McCormick and Tammy Commander were recognized Dec. 7 with awards for excellence by Rutgers Cooperative Extension. The awards are presented annually to one individual within the state. McCormick, 4-H Program Assistant,…
Cumberland County Hosts South American Food Industry Executives
Cumberland County was host to food industry executives from Brazil last week and again hosted more from other parts of South America, who came to learn more about the area’s food commerce. Rutgers Food Innovation Center (RFIC) in Bridgeton coordinated the event in partnership with the Cumberland County Improvement Authority… “All together we entertained more than a dozen South American company representatives and I can honestly say each one was very impressed with our area, it’s location and abundant resources – both from an agriculture and a transportation standpoint,” CCIA Construction and Economic Development Director Jim Watson explained about the groups. “I expect to hear from at least of few of them after they have had a chance to process and distribute the information we were able to convey to them in such a short time span.”
When Eating Clean Is Dirty: Chipotle, ‘Fresh’ Offerings and Food Safety
Environment and animal rights groups have praised Chipotle for its sustainable and humane practices, but its recent food poisoning outbreaks illustrate the challenges that can come with living up to this image… E. coli outbreaks linked to food from Chipotle has been reported in nine states, infecting 52 people, though officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention haven’t identified what ingredient is responsible. The chain, well-known for its burritos, uses 64 ingredients from more than 100 suppliers at its 1,900 restaurants… “If you are sourcing foods from one or two suppliers it’s easier to manage than if you have dozens of medium or smaller suppliers,” says Don Schaffner, a food science expert and professor at Rutgers University. “They may not have the resources to do food safety.”
‘Dine In’ Campaign on Dec. 3 to Improve Family Health and Finances
The evidence shows that preparing wholesome meals at home can have a significant impact on both family health and household budgets, and experts from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension have summed up the basics in two articles packed with tips and facts. The articles are available on the Union County website, ucnj.org/rce… The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County is supported in part by the Freeholder Board. It belongs to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nationwide Extension program, aimed at providing the public with scientific research about community health and economics. Extension offices throughout the country are encouraging families to join the “Dine In” campaign on Dec. 3, as part of an annual celebration of the family and consumer sciences profession… People tend to eat healthier meals when they eat at home because they can better control portion sizes and the use of sauces, dressings, and other high-fat ingredients.
Rutgers Opens Food, Nutrition and Health Center
The New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH) is now open on the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, N.J., to focus on ways to prevent childhood obesity and obesity-related disorders such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer — especially relevant in New Jersey, which has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the nation. Peter Gillies, Ph.D., founding director of the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, discusses its work in a video posted on the institute’s website… It is envisioned as an interdisciplinary research center for Rutgers scholars, policymakers, students, and parents to advance, educate, and promote issues of nutrition and wellness. “Overall, our mission is to make New Jersey that healthy state and a model for the nation,” Gillies says in the video. “We believe that now is the time, and the institute is the place, to build a culture of health in our society.”
It’s Easy to Confuse Thanksgiving, Christmas Cacti
This article was written by Lisa Chiariello, Master Gardener Coordinator for Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County… There are actually two different species of the genus Schlumbergera which flower in November and December that are found as h…
High Unemployment Stresses South Jersey Food Bank
Gary Howard never envisioned himself needing help from a food bank, but that changed in February. Howard, 61, of Egg Harbor Township, lost his job in receiving when the Showboat Casino closed in September 2014. With his unemployment benefits coming to an end, he had to do something… And that has led to a strain on the Community FoodBank of New Jersey-Southern Branch, which is struggling to meet an 11 percent increase in demand,” said Evelyn Benton, executive director of the food bank branch… The numbers are grim: Rutgers University’s “Rutgers against Hunger” report found that 77 percent of emergency food clients in the state said they’ve had to chose between paying for food and paying for utilities or heating fuel. That’s up from 40 percent in 2006… Similar increases were found in other decisions: 70 percent of respondents said they had to choose between food and paying rent, while 73 percent had to choose between food and medicine.
