It’s spring harvest time at the Ethel A. Jacobsen Elementary School garden in Surf City. Last week Joanne Kinsey, Family and Community Health Sciences educator at the Cooperative Extension of Ocean and Atlantic Counties, Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, joined the school’s first-graders and teachers Sarah Esarey and Kelly Turner to harvest garlic scapes – for eating and for learning… After experiencing the outdoor classroom firsthand, Kinsey remarked, “The kids were fantastic and really enjoyed working in the garden and tasting the garlic scape pasta. I totally enjoyed the entire experience, the pasta was delicious, and I hope to be invited back again.”
Fight is on against Zika virus although outbreak unlikely
Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties occupy a combined area of nearly 1,500 square miles, yet officials are on the hunt for predators that could fit inside the palm of one’s hand… “We’re working on getting [an answer]… More than likely, an infected person was set upon by mosquitoes in a tropical area. Those mosquitoes then went about spreading it,” explained Scott Crans, senior program coordinator at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES), who also teaches mosquito biology.
Rutgers 4-H and Environmental Resources Collaborate to Create Active Learners
Educating students in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has become a focus of schools across the country. This is mainly due to the need for a well-prepared future workforce, as the growth of STEM-related jobs from 2000 – 2010 rose at a rate three times faster than non-STEM-related employment. Many educators conduct […]
Edible Jersey Profiles the ‘Rutgers Scarlet’ Strawberry: The Jersey Berry
If Bill Hlubik has his way, there will be strawberry fields forever— or at least a little longer each year— in the Garden State. Hlubik and his team at the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station hope to someday introduce new varieties that will extend the growing season beyond the traditional four weeks for June-bearing […]
5 things to look for at Rutgers Day 2016
In May, President Barack Obama will speak at Rutgers commencement, but before that, on Saturday, Rutgers Day 2016 hits the open-house trifecta. In celebration of the university’s 250th anniversary in November, the school has expanded its annual April o…
Oyster Farms, Shorebird Vie for Space on NJ Bay Beaches
Oyster farming is the kind of business an environmentalist should love: it doesn’t use harmful chemicals or deplete natural resources, and the locally grown shellfish actually help clean the water… The 17 farms in the area produced 1.6 million oyster…
Starting a food business? Rutgers incubator can help
Patrick Leger stood in a processing room at Rutgers Food Innovation Center on Friday, watching as an assembly line of bottles were filled with pure strained tomatoes, First Field’s latest product… “They need a place to go,” said Lou Cooperhouse, the center’s director. “Our job is to find a pathway for them to go after they leave our facility.”
Where to Find Rutgers 250 Plant Varieties
Recently, there has been a lot of news about Rutgers plant varieties, especially the ‘Rutgers 250’TM tomato and ‘Rutgers Scarlet’TM strawberry. What you might not know is where to find them. Whether you are an experienced home gardener or are just starting out, it’s the time of year to start preparing garden beds and getting […]
Fish exchange set to start back up in Lyndhurst
After a winter hiatus, a fish exchange program that allows people to swap fish caught in the Passaic River for tilapia raised in Newark is set to start back up. The fish exchange is operated by the Rutgers VETS program and funded by the Lower Passaic C…
Plan now for a glorious garden
Spring is the perfect time to take stock of your yard. Are the plants healthy? Are the flowerbeds crowded or sparse? Could you use more trees or shrubs?.. “Once you have some understanding of the space to be planted, it’s a good idea to look at books and magazines, and find out what you like,” says Bruce Crawford, director of Rutgers Gardens and adjunct professor of landscape architecture at Rutgers University. “What style of garden you like? Do you prefer a lot of different shapes and texture combinations or do you like extreme simplicity?”
