Farm Credit East, the Northeast’s largest agricultural lending cooperative, recently awarded $48,000 in college scholarships to 32 student recipients. Each student received a $1,500 scholarship to apply towards his or her higher education… The recipi…
Community
Drought Fears Washed Away in Weeks Since Super Dry May
Following round after round of relentless rain over the last two weeks, the idea that a drought could sweep New Jersey just a month ago is dead in the water… “The reason for the changes was due to the very good news that plentiful rains have returned to New Jersey,” said David Robinson, the state climatologist at Rutgers University. “Most of the state has already received from 1 to 2 times the average June rainfall.”… “New Jersey had reached a critical point, where just a few more weeks of dry weather would have put us in a dangerous hole,” Robinson said about last month, which was also recorded as the third warmest May.
Bacteria Could Resolve Pollution at Former Uranium Mills
A bacteria strain could help clean contaminated groundwater near former uranium processing facilities, according to a new study… Researchers from Rutgers University discovered the presence of betaproteobacteria at a former uranium ore mill in western Colorado, one of nine operated in the state during the height of the nation’s nuclear weapons industry… “Biology is a way to solve this contamination problem, especially in situations like this where the radionuclides are highly diluted but still present at levels deemed hazardous,” said microbiologist Lee Kerkhof, who leads a Rutgers team working on uranium issues with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Freeholders Praise Master Gardeners of Hunterdon County
The Master Gardeners program of Hunterdon County was praised by the Freeholders, who adopted a resolution honoring the group… Freeholder Director John King presented it at the board meeting Tuesday, June 16. Several volunteers in the program along wi…
Farm Fresh At Your Table
Nowadays residents of North Hudson can hardly toss a tomato without hitting a farmers market. New markets have cropped up in Union City and North Bergen, joining existing ones in neighboring communities, and many people are taking advantage of the opportunity to purchase fresh, locally grown produce and other edibles… The WPA is also responsible for the new farmers market at Ellsworth Park in Union City… “Its takes place on the street at 24th and Palisade Avenue, not exactly in the park,” said Breanna Robles, who manages both markets for the WPA. “The shoppers walk on the sidewalk and shop.”… “When you look at the West Coast and New York City they usually have food trucks,” said Robles, who is studying city planning at Rutgers University. “They’re becoming more integrated in the movement toward fresh food and produce.”
Rutgers Master Gardeners of Cumberland County Complete Major Planting Projects
Rutgers Master Gardeners of Cumberland County completed major plantings at the Women’s Heritage Marker, the Global Village Immigrant Memorial, the Meditation Garden at the Seabrook Buddhist Temple, and at the Cohanzick Zoo… On June 10, Master Gardene…
N.J.’s 10 Most Romantic Spots: Islands, Parks, and one Passion Puddle
Spring is here, and love is in the air, even if it’s clogged with pollen and that winsome whiff of Jersey eau de Turnpike Exit 13. The nation’s most densely-populated state — not to mention its most mocked and maligned- is brimming with romantic spots…
Newly Launched Community-Supported Fisheries Offer Biweekly Shares of Jersey Seafood
A growing number of New Jersey farms are offering community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) which allow customers to become a member or shareholder, providing them with a season’s worth of produce that they pay for in advance, and then pick up on a weekly or biweekly basis. A similar strategy to boost an allied industry, […]
Solvay Consultants Attack Panel’s Recommended Limit for Chemical in Water
A South Jersey chemical manufacturer attacked a scientific panel’s recommendation to set a health-based limit for a toxic chemical on Thursday, saying the proposed standard was arbitrary and unscientific… The standard is the first to be recommended by the DWQI since about 2009, said Dr. Keith Cooper, a Rutgers University toxicologist who chairs the panel, and follows a period between 2010 and 2014 when the panel did not meet, prompting accusations from environmentalists that it had been muzzled by the Christie Administration… Cooper dismissed the criticism by Solvay’s consultant, maintaining that the DWQI’s work was done to strictly scientific standards. “Our MCL is based on science,” he said, in an interview.
‘Amazing’ 5 Inches of Rain in Toms River
Talk about ground zero for torrential rainfall. An “amazing” 5-plus inches of rain fell in a very localized area of Toms River in a few hours Thursday, causing flash flooding, according to the state climatologist… Rainfall totals include 5.24 inches and 4.6 inches in southeastern Toms River, 2.54 inches in the southeast corner of Berkeley, 2.76 inches in Pine Beach, 2.37 inches in Seaside Heights, 1.08 inches in eastern Lacey and only 0.09 inches at Robert J. Miller Airpark in western Berkeley, according to David A. Robinson, the state climatologist who is based at Rutgers University… Robinson said there were some scattered storms on Wednesday and sometimes there are little boundaries in the atmosphere, so “you develop this intense, very isolated storm and it just didn’t have much in the way of steering currents, so it sat in place.”
