Green Thumbs: Get a Jumpstart on Spring With Forced Blooms Indoors
www.pressofatlanticcity.com, 3/7/2015
Mona Bawgus is a certified master gardener and consumer horticulturist with Rutgers
Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County. In this article, she explains how to force a branch to bloom
indoors. Find out which ways work best... If this winter has not gotten you down, you are among the few
and a touch of spring would definitely be a boost to most gardeners. There are several flowering shrubs
and trees that can be pruned and forced to bloom earlier indoors. Normally, they would remain in
dormancy until April but with a little tweaking they will flower now.
Hunterdon 4-H Members' Bird Knowledge Put to the Test at Avian Bowl
www.nj.com, 3/9/2015
Nineteen 4-H members were part of six teams representing four counties (Hunterdon, Middlesex, Ocean,
and Salem) who competed in the New Jersey 4-H Avian Bowl Winter Event held on Feb. 28 in Gloucester
County... The Ocean County Shore Poultry team captured first place in the Senior Division and Salem
County Cool Chicks team took second place. In the Junior Division, the Hunterdon County Fur 'n
Feathers Junior 2 team won first place and Hunterdon County Fur 'n Feathers Junior 1 team captured
second place... "The 4-H Avian Bowl is an educational event, in its inaugural year in New Jersey, which
offers 4-H'ers an excellent opportunity to work as a team to advance their knowledge in poultry related
topics." said Jeannette Rea Keywood, New Jersey 4-H Youth Development Program - Small Animal
Project Advisory Council liaison... The 4-H Youth Development Program is part of Rutgers, New Jersey
Agricultural Experiment Station - Cooperative Extension.
Getting a Jump Start on Spring Gardening at Trailside Center in Mountainside
www.nj.com, 3/10/2015
A group of 54 teachers and community volunteers braved the icy grip of winter to get a running start on
the spring planting season, at last month's "Get Your Youth and Community Garden Growing"
conference. The event was conducted by experts from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union
County at the County's Trailside Nature and Science Center in Mountainside... The free Gardening
Helpline is a project of the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County, an all-volunteer group run by the
Extension with the support of the Freeholder Board. The group is based at the Extension offices in the
County's Colleen Fraser Building in Westfield. Among their many civic projects, Master Gardeners
cultivate the elaborate grounds of the Demonstration Garden and host the Spring Garden Fair.
Bridgewater-Raritan Senior Wins First Place in Woofminster Dog Show
www.nj.com, 3/10/2015
James Clelland, a senior at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, and his Australian Shepherd, named Jack,
won first place in the Junior Showmanship Master Senior Class, at the recent 4-H Woofminster Winter
Dog Show... According to James, he and his parents have met a lot of new people and made many
friends at the various 4-H and AKC dog shows. He considers the past eight years "as a great experience
to show and work with dogs, as well as compete in Obedience Trials and Junior Showmanship
classes."... Somerset County 4-H Woof Dog Club members and their dogs, as well as members of the 4H Wags & Whiskers Club (Somerset County) can be seen at the annual NJ State 4-H Dog Show. It will be
held on April 25 at the Rutgers G.H. Cook Campus, New Brunswick.
Area Student Addresses Ag Convention
www.gmnews.com, 3/11/2015
Kristianne Dowd of Freehold, the New Jersey State FFA president, told delegates to the New Jersey
State Agricultural Convention on Feb. 4 in Atlantic City that they need to be proactive and tell their story...
"If product messaging is leading to misunderstanding, we must do something about it," Dowd said. "It is
up to us to be the truth and tell our story about agriculture."... Dowd urged the delegates to encourage
high school students to choose careers in agriculture and to take advantage of CASE (Curriculum for
Agricultural Science Education) courses. CASE is a science-, mathand technology-based agriculture
education program, according to the press release... Dowd attends Rutgers University and is studying
agriculture and food sciences with aspirations of becoming an agriculture teacher.
Got grass? Snowmelt Reveals Lawns For First Time Since January in Most of N.J.
www.nj.com, 3/11/2015
After a brutal stretch of cold, there are finally signs that New Jersey is beginning to emerge from the
clutches of winter... Temperatures could crack 60 degrees in many areas Wednesday for the first time in
months, allowing the snowpack to melt away in most places to reveal grass for the first time since
January 22... "We're overdue to have lost this snow cover," said David Robinson, state climatologist at
Rutgers University. "It's just a testament to the persistency of the cold we've seen recently... Satellite
analysis from the National Weather Service shows that the snow pack has quickly been retreating north
as warmer temperatures push into the region. Robinson said snow will likely remain for a few more days
north of Interstate 78, where several inches of snow and granular ice still need to melt away.
Arctic Sea Ice Dwindles Toward Record Winter Low
www.scientificamerican.com, 3/11/2015
While balmy hints of spring melt piles of snow in the eastern U.S., the impending end of winter marks
peak season for Arctic sea ice. But this year, that winter maximum area is currently on track to hit a
record low since satellite records began in 1979... "The fact that we're starting the melt season with lowmaybe record low- winter extents cannot be good," Jennifer Francis, a Rutgers University Arctic
researcher, said in an email... But if sea ice levels don't surge and instead begin to drop off or stay flat,
that would indicate the winter maximum occurred earlier than normal, and "this is also bad news because
it means that the melt season will be longer, allowing more opportunity for ice to melt," Francis said.
The Scary Idea That Won't Go Away: Global Warming Messing With the Jet Stream and Your
Weather
www.washingtonpost.com, 3/12/2015
Is the rapid melting of the Arctic paying us back for our greenhouse gas emissions by messing with the jet
stream- which carries weather through the northern hemisphere? And could that, in turn, explain recent
breakouts of extremes all around the northern half of the world- including recent snowfall in the east
coast?... That's what Rutgers University's Jennifer Francis has argued in a series of papers going back
to 2012- but there has been quite a lot of criticism. Several distinguished climate researchers even wrote
to Science magazine in early 2014 contesting the notion, saying that "we we do not view the theoretical
arguments underlying it as compelling."... And yet stubbornly, more published research keeps appearing
and seeming to add support to the idea that the warming Arctic is changing the jet stream. That statement
comes with an exclamation point on Thursday in particular, with a new paper out in Science that confirms
many of Francis's ideas and applies them not just to extreme winter weather but, in some ways even
more troubling, to extremes of summer heat.
THE GARDEN STATE: Soils Support Agriculture
www.dailyrecord.com, 3/12/2015
As the snow and ice of the winter months slowly melt away this week, many of us will focus on the newly
exposed lawn and landscape, inspecting it for winter damage or worse, and hoping to rectify any losses
with spring seeding or replanting. But how many of us will actually "dig deeper" to learn more about the
soil that supports everything we depend on for food and our environment?... Most people probably notice
the different plants and trees found in a certain area before they would notice the soils, but for obvious
reasons the two are interconnected. Did you know that there are about 85 named soils (series)
throughout New Jersey? Have you tested your soils recently to see if your healthy soil is adding to your
healthy environment? No, you say?... For those perhaps less tech savvy or who just may want the more
local and personal touch, the Rutgers NJAES Soil Testing Laboratory is located on the G. H. Cook
Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. The Soil Testing Laboratory is a service unit that offers
chemical and mechanical analyses of soils for the residents of New Jersey and for Rutgers University
researchers. Their mission is to provide accurate and timely soil and water test reports to meet the unique
agricultural and environmental needs of our state.
Centenary College's Earth Day Celebration Scheduled for April 25
www.nj.com, 3/12/2015
This year, Centenary College's Earth Week Committee welcomes members of the community to the
celebration of Earth Day, which will be held on Saturday, April 25, on the front lawn of the college... In
addition, in an attempt to educate our community on Earth-related issues, the College offers a
presentation on April 22, with Tony Broccoli, Professor at the School of Environmental and
Biological Sciences at Rutgers University. He will speak at the College at 2 p.m., in the Ferry Building,
room 12... Broccoli's presentation titled "The Climate Ahead: Global Changes, Local Impacts" focuses on
the science of climate change, including a discussion of the basic physics, global observations of climate
change and model projections of future climate change. The talk will also discuss some of the potential
impacts of climate change on our region and will close with a brief discussion of society's options for
dealing with climate change. Members of the community are invited to learn more about this topic and
participate in a discussion after the presentation.
Rain, Fog and Melting Snow but No Flooding in North Jersey Forecast
www.northjersey.com, 3/14/2015
Despite Saturday's rainfall and melting snow, flooding is unlikely in North Jersey over the next couple of
weeks, climate experts say. But that does not mean that the threat can be written off entirely this
season... Most parts of Bergen and Passaic counties collected about a half-inch to an inch of rain in 15
hours Saturday and the area's rivers were keeping well within their banks... The potential for flooding
down the road depends primarily on how fast residual snow pack melts, which in turn depends on how
quickly temperatures rise, said Dave Robinson, state climatologist at Rutgers University... The melt
so far this March has been "well-behaved," Robinson said. Temperatures have climbed into the mid-40s
and even 50s during the day but remained below freezing at night. Rivers that have been swollen for
parts of the day have had time to recover.
It's a Win/Win for Rutgers Students and Foster Horses
www.nj.com, 3/15/2015
A new Rutgers University program involves a mutually beneficial human/equine relationship: it offers
students an educational experience, while giving horses in need a chance to find homes... It's the product
of brainstorming to address animal science professor Sarah Ralston's lack of access to horses for
teaching... Department chair Wendie Cohick suggested getting horses just for teaching, and it was
determined a year-round herd of four horses for that purpose and outreach, such as clinics, would be
ideal. But even more horses were needed for Ag Field Day in New Brunswick at 10 a.m. April 25, a
chance for students to show off their horses and what they have learned... "So many horses out there
need homes, and most of the placements and rescues are full to the gills. If we take on even two or three
horses, then we open up two or three spots for their parent organizations."... Associate Professor of
Animal Sciences and Extension Specialist Carey Williams noted, "The students are winning by
getting to interact with different breeds and different types of horses from different backgrounds. These
horses may or may not know what we are asking them to do, so approaching each one differently might
be necessary... Anyone interested in seeing the horses in the Rutgers University Teaching Herd
(RUTH) before Ag Field Day can attend the "Meet RUTH" get-together on the Cook Campus in New
Brunswick from 1-3 p.m. April 11.
Most Fast Food Places Do Well With Food Safety
www.philly.com, 3/15/2015
When McDonald's debuted the slogan "You Deserve a Break Today" in 1971, it was tacked onto a
commercial that barely mentioned food. As a team of singing workers cavorted with mops and brooms,
they extolled a quality you don't ordinarily see mentioned in an ad for a fast-food chain: "At McDonald's,
it's clean!"... Levels of cleanliness - a key part of food safety - vary widely at the individual franchise level,
according to city restaurant inspection reports... "In terms of fast food, there's not much they can do to
screw it up," said Don Schaffner, a professor of microbiology at Rutgers University and president
of the International Association for Food Protection. The complex processes that can trip up exotic
places that make everything from scratch, for example, are missing from these eateries, which is part of
how they produce food fast"Those restaurants do a pretty good job of engineering out the risk factors,"
said Schaffner, who also sits on McDonald's Food Safety Advisory Council. "I'd be more leery going to a
fancy white-tablecloth place than a fast-food restaurant."
As New Jersey Allergy Season Arrives, Questions Arise About Impact of Climate Change
www.nj.com, 3/15/2015
The warming weather from this past week, and the promise of higher temperatures to come, will start up
the gears for Mother Nature's annual spring allergy season this week, says a New Jersey's expert on
pollens, ragweed and molds... Springfield allergist Dr. Leonard Bielory said he expects the kick off of the
tree pollen season to begin before the spring equinox on Friday... "It's going to shoot and my prediction is
it's going to be greater than last year," he said... Bielory is the principal investigator in a federally
funded grant program at Rutgers University to study the connection between climate change and
allergic airway disease... This weekend, in fact, Bielory is in Buenos Aires to make a presentation on
climate change and its effects on asthma at a conference of experts on allergies, asthma and
immunology. Climate change aside, Bielory says data shows increases across age groups in most areas
of the country for sensitivity to various allergens.
Summer Heat Waves May Have Roots in Rapid Arctic Warming
www.mashable.com, 3/15/2015
Before the summer of 2010, Moscow had never recorded a triple-digit temperature, with records going
back to 1879. But during a weeks-long heat wave that June and July, the city's temperatures soared well
above normal, setting an all-time record high of 102 degrees fahrenheit on July 30. A new study suggests
that Arctic warming could have helped trigger that epic heat wave... Some researchers suspect Arctic
warming influences weather in the mid-latitudes because as the pole heats rapidly, the temperature
difference between it and the equator is shrinking. That difference, or gradient, is what drives the jet
stream, the fast-moving river of air high in the atmosphere that guides our weather... "The small waves
are like ripples that travel along the path of the main jet stream, through the large waves. They are what
create individual weather systems, like high pressure cells and storms," Rutgers University climate
researcher Jennifer Francis, who reviewed the new study, said in an email.
Warren County Celebrates 'National Nutrition Month' and Recent Grant Award
www.nj.com, 3/15/2015
March is National Nutrition Month and the Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders has issued an
official proclamation in support of its designation, while highlighting the recent Shaping NJ Healthy
Community Grant awarded to the Warren County Community Health Improvement Coalition (WC CHIC)...
Sarah Shoemaker, Public Health Planner at the Warren County Health Department, and Sherri Cirignano,
Family and Community Health Sciences Educator/Agent with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of
Warren County, accepted the proclamation and expressed excitement about the upcoming programs...
The recent grant, awarded to a community partnership between the county Health Department and
Rutgers Cooperative Extension, will fund nutrition and physical activity programs throughout the county.
Grant activities will also involve the collaboration and support of the Warren County Planning Department,
the Warren County Health and Recreation Partnership, NORWESCAP, the Hackettstown BID, and
municipal leaders.
Rutgers to Offer Courses at the Jersey Shore This Summer
www.philly.com, 3/16/2015
If you need to take college courses in the summer, what better place to do it than the New Jersey
shore?... Rutgers University for the first time will offer 17 Jersey Shore-based courses, beginning this
summmer, the university announced Monday. The decision followed a university poll of more than 4,500
students; 1,200 or nearly 27 percent said they'd be interested in earning credit for seaside learning...
Other courses include: "The American City," "Popular Culture: The Jersey Shore" and "The American
Detective in Film and Fiction" (Department of American Studies), "Development of Mass Media"
(Journalism and Media Studies), "Introduction to Management" (Management and Global Business),
"Introduction to Oceanography" (Marine and Coastal Sciences), "Women and Public Policy" (Political
Science) and "Digital Photo Image I" (Visual Arts).
Science and Passion Make Bob Muth One of the State's Master Growers
www.ediblejersey.com, 3/16/2015
In this age of confusing product claims, Bob Muth has found a simple way to describe the farming
philosophy that he and his wife Leda use on Muth Family Farm in Williamstown: commonsense farming…
“I went to college and studied this stuff, but the smartest lessons came from my father. It’s not rocket
science. It’s so dang simple if you just follow nature and stick to the fundamentals.”.. Armed with a degree
in plant sciences from Rutgers and a desire to teach, Muth left his father’s 45-acre farm in Monroe
Township in 1985 to become an extension agent in South Carolina. He spent two and a half years there,
working with farmers who were transitioning from tobacco to vegetables. Disregarding his boss’s request
that he visit farms in a suit and tie, Muth donned coveralls and boots to work side by side with farmers
under the tractor or out in the field—gaining him a loyal following among growers… “I was expecting the
pH to drop where we had spread the leaves the heaviest,” Muth says. “The pH levels were actually going
the other way. They were climbing.” (This finding was later confirmed in field trials conducted by Rutgers
soil scientist Joseph Heckman.)
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