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Amy Shober joins CANR faculty and Cooperative Extension

November 5, 2012 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension

After 6 years working and living in Florida, Amy Shober decided that it was time to come back to the mid-Atlantic, so when she saw a job open up at the University of Delaware, she jumped at the opportunity.

Shober now holds a position in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources as an assistant professor for nutrient management and environmental quality, as well as having an appointment as an Extension specialist. She said that returning to UD is like a homecoming for her, as she received her Ph. D from the University in 2006.

“I’m just really excited to be here, happy to be back working in agriculture, and happy to be back in the mid-Atlantic,” said Shober.

Shober is familiar with working in Cooperative Extension, having spent 6 years working as an Extension specialist at the University of Florida. She explained that at Florida, she was “working mostly on urban issues related to soil, water, and nutrient management.”

Shober said that though she enjoyed working in landscape horticulture, she was eager to get back to focusing more on agriculture.

“I had spent 6 years gaining a different perspective in a different kind of setting and in a different university system. I also learned a lot about Extension while I was at Florida. It was quickly clear that Extension was where I wanted to be,” said Shober. She added that when she saw this position open up, she thought that the job was “a perfect fit for me. I was really interested in it and I was excited for the chance to return to Delaware.”

Whereas in Florida she was more involved with helping homeowners, her appointment at UD will have her working more with growers. “My research and Extension programs are really going to be grower driven. As I begin my career at UD, I’ll be meeting growers and talking with them about what their needs are. This will allow me to design my research program so that it meets their needs,” said Shober. “We want to help growers increase their yields and their economic bottom line, but we also want to use nutrients and water efficiently.”

Another thing that excites Shober about her appointment is the chance it presents for collaboration.

“I have the opportunity to collaborate with researchers at Penn State, Virginia Tech, the University of Maryland, West Virginia University and Cornell. It’s a fun group to work with and I knew them when I was at UD as a Ph.D student. It’s nice to be back in that group,” said Shober.

Article by Adam Thomas

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Don Tilmon receives College of the Ozarks Meritorious Award

November 5, 2012 under CANR News

Don Tilmon, professor in the Department of Applied Economics and Statistics (APEC), has received the 2012 Meritorious Award for Distinguished Achievement from the College of the Ozarks where he earned his associate degree in 1963.

Tilmon received his master’s degree at the University of Delaware and then eventually returned to UD, where he has worked for 34 years. He served as the Cooperative Extension farm management specialist and the director of the Northeast Center for Risk Management Education, which was established at UD in 2001. It is one of four regional centers that conduct the Extension Risk Management Education Program. Tilmon provided leadership for developing the program while he was serving as the national program leader for risk management education, during one of three separate one-year Inter-Agency Personnel assignments at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Tilmon also received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Missouri in 1965 and his doctorate from Purdue University in 1971.

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UD Cooperative Extension launches newly redesigned website

October 17, 2012 under Cooperative Extension

University of Delaware Cooperative Extension has launched a newly redesigned website.

The launch came on Oct. 3 and the website was formally announced on Wednesday, Oct. 17, as officials met at the state Cooperative Extension conference in Dover.

The new site is designed to better serve the constituents of Delaware in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, lawn and garden, family and consumer sciences and 4-H youth development.

“We’re really excited to meet the needs of Delawareans with online learning,” says Michele Rodgers, associate dean for extension and outreach in UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and director of UD Cooperative Extension. “We’ve created a user friendly, easily searchable, dynamic website that will lead to increased knowledge of our educational programs and online resources.”

One of the key features of the new site is an online, searchable listing of all fact sheets, bulletins and publications written by UD Extension professionals. These resources are now available 24-7 at the click of a button and will be updated by our professionals immediately as new information becomes available. Printed materials can easily be downloaded from the website.

In addition, improved calendar functions provide a one stop listing for Cooperative Extension programs offered throughout the state.

“Extension is a trustable source of information that Delawareans can use to make fact-based decisions for business, families and communities. This newly designed site will allow us to be the go-to resource of research based information for critical topics in areas like food safety, parenting, health, environmental quality, sustainability, and food security,” says Rodgers.

Article by Katy O’Connell

This article can also be viewed on UDaily.

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Nov: Equine Behavior Short Course

October 9, 2012 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension, Events

The University of Delaware Cooperative Extension is excited to offer a three-night educational series this fall on topics related to equine behavior. All three sessions will be held at the Paradee Center, Kent County Extension Office in Dover, Delaware from 6:30-8:30 pm. A registration fee and advanced registration will be required. Light refreshments and take-home materials will be included as part of the registration fee.

Night 1 on Monday, November 5 will focus around the theme of “Foundations of Equine Behavior” and will cover topics such as anatomy and physiology, the workings of the equine brain, normal or natural equine behavior and learning terminology and how horses learn.

Night 2 on Wednesday, November 7 will focus around the theme of “Handling Behavior Problems” and will cover topics such as stereotypies and dealing with common equine behavior issues. This evening will feature a special guest lecturer, Dr. Sue McDonnell from the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, a nationally known researcher and speaker on equine behaviors.

Night 3 on Wednesday, November 14 will focus around the theme of “Working Effectively with Equine Behavior” and will cover topics such as positive versus negative reinforcement, a review of current training approaches and common equine welfare concerns.

Interested individuals may attend just one or all three of the sessions. For more information please contact Susan Garey at (302) 730-4000 truehart@udel.edu or Dr. Carissa Wickens at cwickens@udel.edu.

For additional information and to register for this program, please visit the UD Cooperative Extension Equine Blog at http://extension.udel.edu/equine/.

If you have special needs that need to be accommodated, please contact the office two weeks prior to the event.

Cooperative Extension Education in Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Delaware, Delaware State University and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, Delaware Cooperative Extension, University of Delaware. It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age or national origin.

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Fall wildflower season is in full force in Delaware

September 26, 2012 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension

The herbaceous garden at the University of Delaware Botanic Gardens is an outdoor laboratory where students and researchers study plants, insects, landscape design and plant pathology.

It’s also one of the best go-to spots for eye-popping fall color.

Walk through the garden this month and you may encounter a student scrutinizing the Solidago rugosa‘Fireworks’ for an upcoming quiz. But there’s no need to memorize the growth habits, hardiness or soil requirements of this native goldenrod cultivar to enjoy its fluffy yellow blooms.

“The herbaceous garden is one of my favorite places to see fall color,” says Sue Barton, ornamental horticulture specialist for UD Cooperative Extension. “And it looks even better this season, now that a re-design of the garden entrance is almost complete.”

Fall wildflowers are blooming earlier this year at the herbaceous garden and throughout Delaware, reports Barton. “Fall wildflowers typically start around the end of August, are in abundance now and continue through November when late-blooming asters put on a final show of color. But many species are flowering ahead of schedule this year.”

Native perennials currently in bloom at the herbaceous garden include sedums in coral, salmon and other shades of pink, says Valann Budischak, volunteer and education coordinator for the UD Botanic Gardens.  Purple and lavender varieties of Eupatoriumare in full flower, too. Even after the blooms are done, the seed heads still look great, notes Budischak.

Early asters also are starting to pop up, and will be followed by late varieties, such as Aster oblongifolius “Raydon’s Favorite,” a showy aster that sports a profusion of blue-lavender flowers with yellow centers.

When planning for fall color in your own yard, Barton suggests thinking low as well as high. Without a doubt, many of her native fall-blooming perennials are lofty. For example, some of her New York ironweed is taller than she is – it has soared to six feet tall. Its deep purple flowers already are in bloom and will continue through the end of the month.

Although this ironweed makes an eye-catching display, Barton also likes the fall color that’s closer to the ground. Like the brilliant red foliage of Virginia creeper, a vine that can be trained to crawl, and the mottled blue-green leaves of Allegheny pachysandra, a mere six inches high.

“There are many native, low-growing groundcovers that provide great fall color,” says Barton. “Sometimes it’s the flowers that provide interest, such as the white blooms of white heath aster, which blooms from late summer into fall. In other cases, like Virginia creeper and Allegheny pachysandra, it’s the foliage that’s noteworthy.”

Groundcovers are an excellent alternative to something Barton doesn’t have much use for – mulch.

“Mulch is fine when establishing landscape beds but you should work toward having a mulch-free garden, or just small areas that are mulched. It shouldn’t be added to beds year after year,” says Barton. “Groundcovers offer the same benefits as mulch – they help regulate soil temperatures, control erosion, and help the soil retain moisture. But, unlike mulch, they also provide food and/or cover for wildlife. And you don’t have to keep buying more – groundcovers spread over time.”

Native warm-season grasses are another source of fall color that Barton utilizes widely in her yard. She especially likes the “Shenandoah” cultivar of red switch grass. In early summer, its leaves are tipped with just a bit of red but by fall the leaves are burgundy, topped by pink plumes.

Warm-season grasses are versatile. They’re well adapted to warm, sunny open spaces. Barton plants her warm-season grasses with an eye toward back lighting — taking advantage of light from the setting or rising sun.

“Ornamental grasses look particularly beautiful when back lit – the trick is position them so the light shines through them,” says Barton.

About the UD Botanic Gardens

The 15-acre UD Botanic Gardens is open to the public free of charge, from dawn to dusk daily. It’s located on the grounds of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources off Route 896, in Newark. Obtain a visitor parking pass online for $3 at this website or use the metered parking near the UDairy Creamery. For more info about the UD Botanic Gardens, go to the UDBG website or call 831-0153.

Article by Margo McDonough

Photo by Rick Darke

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Oct 5: Delaware 4-H Hall of Fame

September 24, 2012 under Cooperative Extension

The Delaware 4-H Foundation will induct 27 pioneers of 4-H work in Delaware into its inaugural Hall of Fame Class in a ceremony to be held at the Diamond Room at Dover Downs on Friday, October 5, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. This initial class of inductees represents Delawareans who made notable contributions to Delaware 4-H in its first 50 years of existence, from 1914-1964.

In the past 100 years, tens of thousands of Delaware youth have participated in the Delaware 4-H program, many going on to notable careers in business, industry and politics.

The first 4-H work was done in Delaware prior to the passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914, but wasn’t formalized until then. Delaware was the first state to have county agents in each county and youth work began almost immediately with staff working in the agriculture department at then Delaware College. The early pioneers included Nellie Snyder of Newport who began the first work with boys and girls in canning and gardening in 1914.

Agnes Medill was the first girl’s club 4-H agent and was responsible for starting 4-H garden and canning clubs throughout the state. She traveled the state in her Model T “Lizzie’ and became renowned for her work. World War I made the production and preservation of food at home a high priority as so much of American agricultural production was shipped overseas for the war effort.

The first organized 4-H club was the Houston Cardinals in 1915 with George Dewey Sapp as its first member. The club still exists and thrives today.

Other notable inductees include former Governor Ruth Ann Minner, former State Senator Thurman Adams and Dr. George Worrilow, former Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Delaware. Among the inductees will also be seven Delawareans who have already been inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame.

Tickets to the event are available from the Delaware 4-H Foundation at http://ag.udel.edu/extension/4h/awards/halloffame_ticketform.html. Tickets are $30 and include refreshments, entertainment (with a 1920’s flair) and a visual history of the early days of Delaware 4-H.

For more information on the Delaware 4-H Hall of fame contact: Mark J. Manno, State 4-H program Leader (mmanno@udel.edu) at 302-831-2997.

2012 Delaware 4-H Hall of Fame Pioneer Class

  • Thurman Adams
  • Jim Baker
  • Martha Benson
  • Floyd Blessing
  • Ann Clendaniel
  • Ralph Clendaniel
  • Alex Cobb
  • Helen Comstock
  • Dorothy Emerson
  • “Pop” Fields
  • Sam Gwinn
  • John Hastings
  • Cliff Hufnal
  • Pauline Hufnal
  • Mabel Lambden
  • Marion MacDonald
  • Theodore Martin
  • Agnes Medill
  • Ruth Ann Minner
  • M.O. Pence
  • George Dewey Sapp
  • Larry Shaffer
  • Nellie Snyder
  • Joy Sparks
  • Linda Sullivan
  • Isaac Thomas
  • Sylvia Walther
  • William Walther
  • George Worrilow
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Upcoming seminars provide insight into poultry career opportunities

September 24, 2012 under CANR News

While the economy may be not be strong, employment opportunities in the poultry industry are thriving. It is with this in mind that the University of Delaware will host a Poultry Careers Seminar Series throughout the month of October and into November geared towards students interested in a career in the poultry industry.

The seminars will all take place at 6 p.m. in room 101 of the Allen Laboratory and will provide students an opportunity to speak directly to employers offering internships, management trainee programs and full time positions. A free dinner will be offered before each seminar and there will be drawings for two $50 Barnes and Noble gift cards for students who attend all 4 seminars.

The seminars include:

  • Wednesday, 10/3: Why a Career in Poultry Science? Why not! Employment opportunities are still great in the poultry industry, and this seminar will include presentations from Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.—a nonprofit trade association working for the continued progress of the broiler chicken industry on the Delmarva Peninsula— who will present an overview of the industry and the many poultry career opportunities. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will also present, focusing on an overview of career opportunities available at USDA-AMS.
  • Monday, 10/8: How to Use Industry and Research Internships to Jump Start your Resume. Bernie Murphy, the General Manager of the Agricultural Division of Jones-Hamilton Co., will discuss internship and career opportunities at Jones-Hamilton Co. and collaborative research projects with UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR). Jones-Hamilton Co. has been a leader in producing, packaging and distributing chemicals and products sold to manufacturing, processing and agricultural end users such as the poultry industry. Perdue Farms will also present, focusing on management training programs, internship and career opportunities in the company. Katelyn MacCann, a recent graduate from CANR’s Department of Animal and Food Sciences (ANFS), will be among the presenters.
  • Tuesday, 10/16: Domestic Career Opportunities in the Industry & Cooperative Extension Service. Mountaire Farms, a diverse, fast growing poultry and agricultural business which partners with local farming communities to raise chickens and grains, will give a presentation on management training programs, internship and career opportunities. The UD Cooperative Extension Service, which connects the public with University knowledge, research and resources to address youth, family, community and agricultural needs, will present on career opportunities and the CANR Cooperative Extension Summer Scholars Program.
  • Thursday, 11/1: National and International Opportunities in the Industry. Cobb-Vantress Incorporated, one of the the world’s leaders in research, development and sellers of breeding stock to the broiler industry, will give an overview of their international company and discuss internship and career opportunities. Elanco, a world leader in developing products and services that enhance animal health, wellness and performance, will also have a presentation given by Nannette Olmeda-Geniec, who works for them as a poultry technical consultant. Olmeda-Geniec earned her Ph. D at UD in the ANFS department and she will give an overview of the company as well as discuss internship and career opportunities.

There will also be information about a travel opportunity to Atlanta, Georgia in January 2013 to attend the largest international poultry and agribusiness trade show at the United States Poultry and Egg Association (USPEA) College Student Career Program. The program will allow students opportunities to interview with 25 regional, national and international poultry and agribusiness companies and organizations while having the opportunity to network with over 900 companies. Most student travel expenses are covered with minimal cost to students attending this conference.

Students interested in attending any of these seminars should log into their Blue Hen Career account to RSVP for the Seminar Series for each individual seminar so that food can be planned accordingly.

For more information, e-mail Diane Venninger at dvenning@udel.edu.

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Apple picking already in full force at Delaware area orchards

August 30, 2012 under Cooperative Extension

Summer means lazy days at the beach or pool, after-dinner trips to the ice cream stand and – this summer, anyway — outings to U-pick apple orchards.

Apple picking – typically synonymous with autumn weekends – is in full force at T.S. Smith and Sons Orchards in Bridgeville. “We finished picking Gala apples on Aug. 9. Normally, we don’t even start picking Galas until Aug. 19,” reports orchard co-owner Charlie Smith. “Everything is coming in much earlier this season.”

“Our U-pick operation has been open for several weeks and will run every weekend until all the varieties are finished – probably between the end of September and middle of October,” he says.

Because of the mild winter, apple trees flowered ahead of schedule at T.S. Smith and Sons and other area orchards. “Usually, the trees aren’t in blossom until right around my birthday — April 20. This year, they were blooming on April 1,” says Smith.

In Delaware, temperatures stayed mild throughout the spring so early blossoming wasn’t a problem – it just made for the earlier-than-usual crop. But in Michigan and parts of New England, spring frosts wreaked havoc during a growing season that was running about a month ahead of schedule.

An early April frost is estimated to have wiped out more than 50 percent of the apple crop in southwest Michigan. In Vermont, damage wasn’t as bad; yields were expected to be down 10 to 20 percent, according to the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association.

T. S. Smith and Sons has been busy shipping to locations that normally purchase northern apples, in addition to maintaining its regular distribution throughout the Mid-Atlantic. The orchard is one of two large-scale, commercial apple growers in Delaware. The other is Fifer Orchards, outside of the town of Wyoming. Several smaller orchards sell apples wholesale and one, Highland Orchards, in north Wilmington, only sells direct to consumers at its farm store.

Yet, even with just a handful of orchards, apples are Delaware’s most important fruit crop, says Gordon Johnson, a fruit and vegetable specialist with University of Delaware Cooperative Extension.  More than 10.4 million pounds are grown here annually. Peaches, the number two crop, trail behind at around 1.2 million pounds.

At Fifer’s, they began packing apples for commercial shipments Aug. 16, though local sales began much earlier. “We used to ship to Florida and to other long-distance locations,” says Michael Fennemore, a fourth-generation Fifer family member who works on the farm. “But we took a look at transportation costs and realized it made more sense to concentrate on the Mid-Atlantic market. For example, we now sell apples to Wegmans and Harris Teeter grocery stores in the Washington, D.C., area.”

Fifer’s has been in business since 1919. In its early days, word of mouth helped drive sales, as friends and neighbors talked up the orchard’s produce. Today, word of mouth is still a key part of Fifer’s marketing strategy – the only difference being that people talk online, rather than at the general store or the Grange Hall.

Fennemore is responsible for the orchard’s social media efforts and uses everything from Facebook to Twitter to get the word out. The orchard has more than 5,000 followers on Facebook, who keep up a steady conversation of comments and questions.

“I tweet, for example, when Rambo apples are ripe and available in our farm store,” says Fennemore. “People tell me that they have been in line at the bank window or on another errand and head over to the farm when they see our tweets.”

Given the early season, devotees of particular apple varieties should pay close attention to such tweets. “Honeycrisp are really popular and have a lot of fans,” he says. “People expect to come out and get them in October, but this season, we could run out of Honeycrisp by mid-September.”

A common topic on Fifer’s social media sites is what’s happening at the farm that week. Agri-tourism is an important component of the business, with activities ranging from an Asparagus Peak Party in April, to kick off the growing season, to a Cider Fest held late November to mid-December.

Currently, the orchard is gearing up for its Fall Fest, which starts Sept. 19 and will run Mondays-Saturdays until Oct. 27. In addition, U-Pick apples opened yesterday and will continue as long as the apples do.  As Fifer’s website notes, U-Pick is a “great way to enjoy a crisp fall day and experience tree ripened apples.”

This season, it’s also been a great way to enjoy tree-ripened apples on sultry summer days.

Article by Margo McDonough

Photo by Danielle Quigley

This article can also be viewed on UDaily.

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Aug. 25: NCC Day in the Garden

August 22, 2012 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension, Events

Join the New Castle County Master Gardeners and Master Food Educators for a Day in the Garden.  FREE, and for the entire family.  Saturday, August 25, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

Master Gardeners and Master Food Educators will be available in the Vegetable Teaching and Demonstration Garden at the University of Delaware New Castle County Extension Office at 461 Wyoming Road to answer home gardening-related questions and share a taste of the garden harvest.

Displays will offer information on the following:

  • food safety
  • nutrition
  • growing and harvesting summer and fall vegetables and fruits
  • freezing and canning
  • worm bin and backyard composting
  • pollinators
  • seed starting
  • and more….

Samples of fresh salsa, gazpacho, and vegetables, harvested from the garden on that day, will also be available for tasting.

For more information, contact Carrie Murphy, Horticulture Educator, New Castle County Cooperative Extension.  (302) 831-2506, cjmurphy@udel.edu

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Nematode Assay Service

August 15, 2012 under CANR News, Cooperative Extension

The University of Delaware Nematode Assay Service processes samples on Tuesdays of each week. This fee based service provides identification and enumeration of plant parasitic nematodes in soil and plant tissue.  The next set-up date will be August 21, 2012. Please note fee changes, and utilize the new form available as a pdf on the website, available by clicking here. A completed form must accompany submitted soil samples. Troubleshooting plant and root samples may be submitted at any time.  For more information visit the UD Plant Diagnostic Clinic website or call 302-831-1390. The Clinic is located in 151 Townsend Hall, 531 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware.  A parking space for sample drop offs is located behind Townsend Hall.

For a useful video on how to sample for nematodes, visit the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources YouTube page. Or, see this video for diagnosing nematode damage in the field.

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