Recent rain a salve for farmers
August 4
Recorder (Greenfield) article reviews western Massachusetts farmers' reactions to drought and recent rainfall. Quotes UMass Extension vegetable specialist Katie Campbell-Nelson. Recorder, August 4, 2016
Extension in Western Massachusetts
About Western Massachusetts
The western region of Massachusetts is composed of Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The largest city in the region is Springfield, located in Hampden County, along the Interstate 91 corridor on the Connecticut River.
Katie Campbell-Nelson weighs in on severe drought on NPR
August 8
Farmers in Massachusetts have been scrambling to get water to their crops. More than half the state is in severe drought. "There are farmers whose irrigation ponds are drying up. And so they have to lay a lot more irrigation pipe," says Katie Campbell-Nelson, vegetable extension educator, UMass Amherst. (npr.org 8/6/16)
"Your Future Starts Now" program graduates eight students with UMass 4-H collaboration
August 8
On Thursday, Aug. 4, the Center for Human Development in collaboration with the UMass extension of 4-H and Student Bridges, graduated all eight of the "Your Future Starts Now" participants. (Masslive.com 8/6/16)
Springfield community makerspace makes a permanent home on Worthington Street
July 14
Make-It Springfield, Springfield's downtown community makerspace, is establishing more permanent roots in the City.
“Your Future Starts Now": A New 4-H Collaboration
July 14
A new collaboration has formed to offer a positive path for a group of young men currently in detention. Called, “Your Future Starts Now,” this four-week program is organized in partnership with UMass' Extension 4-H program, Center for Human Development (CHD), Massachuestts Department of Youth Services, and the UMass Student Bridges organization.
Creative ways to celebrate national ice cream month: UMass invents new flavor
July 12
Maple Valley Creamery in Hadley, Massachusetts, has joined forces with University of Massachusetts Amherst to have a contest every April for inventing a new ice cream flavor. This year's winning flavor was brown-butter, salted caramel with chocolate flakes. (BizBash 7/11/16)
UMass Extension's Green School offered in 2016
June 29
Every two years, UMass Extension offers it's popular Green School, a comprehensive 12-day certificate short course for Green Industry professionals taught by UMass Extension specialists and University of Massachusetts faculty.
UMass Opens New State Apiary
June 24
Gov. Charlie Baker declared June 20–26 as “Massachusetts Pollinator Week.” In support of this declaration, a celebration was held at UMass Amherst’s Agricultural Learning Center to open the first state apiary.
UMass Amherst research tackles major highbush blueberry disease
June 6
AMHERST, Mass. – As New England's blueberry season approaches, University of Massachusetts Amherst doctoral candidate Matt Boyer says a fungal pathogen of highbush blueberries known as mummy berry is a common threat to growers, and if left untreated can destroy up to 50 percent of a crop. It is so named because it produces dead-looking, berry-shaped lumps instead of healthy berries. (Scienmag 6/2/16)
Making it in Downtown Springfield
June 27
The lights are finally on in a small storefront on Worthington Street in downtown Springfield, just in time for the official June 8 kick-off gala for Make-It Springfield, the “pop-up makerspace” that’s aimed not just at refurbishing the empty storefront it moved into, but also providing opportunities for residents that they might not otherwise get.
