various Extension programs in collage

Hartford County

The Hartford County office is located in Farmington. Several of our programs have offices in Farmington, including 4-H, the Master Gardener Program, and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. Soil test kits are available at the Hartford County office. The following statewide programs have offices in Hartford County: forestry, pesticide safety education, and sustainable landscapes. 

Hartford county office

Exchange Building - Suite 262

Building 4

270 Farmington Avenue

Farmington, CT, 06032

hartford@uconn.edu

(860) 409-9050

Faculty and Staff

Sarah Bailey

Sarah Bailey

Co-Center Coordinator & State Program Coordinator - Master Gardener

Sarah.bailey@uconn.edu  or 860-409-9053

Candace Bartholomew

Candace Bartholomew

Extension Educator - Pesticide Safety Education Program 

candance.bartholomew@uconn.edu or 860-409-9067

Angela Caldera

Angela Caldera

Nutrition Education & Program Assistant - UConnEFNEP

angela.caldera@uconn.edu  or 860-409-9072

 

Frances Pacyna Champagne

Frances Pacyna Champagne

Program Aide - UConn 4-H, Master Gardener

frances.pacyna.champagne@uconn.edu

Frances assists Extension Educators with various projects and needs, including those of UConn 4-H and UConn Master Gardener. She is an alumna of UConn's College of Agriculture, Health, & Natural Resources as well as a former 4-H member and is pleased to be serving her alma mater professionally.

Jennifer Cushman

Jennifer Cushman

Co-Center Coordinator & 4-H Youth Development Assistant Extension Educator - UConn4-H

jennifer.cushman@uconn.edu or 860-409-9074

Since joining the UConn Faculty in 2015, Jen has served in the role of Hartford County 4-H Extension Educator. She oversees the Hartford County 4-H Programs. In addition, she teaches youth and adults in variety of agriculture and program areas and she also coordinates the statewide 4-H dairy goat program.
Jen is a graduate of UConn with a BS in Animal Science and Agriculture and Natural Resources. She also earned a M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction and Sixth Year in Educational Leadership.

Sharon Gray

Oak LeafSharon Gray

Nutrition Education & Associate Extension Educator - UConnEFNEP

sharon.gray@uconn.edu or 860-409-9062

Sharon supervises the EFENP Program and does food and nutrition programming in the Hartford County Extension office.  She oversees a number of Community Nutrition and 4-H Grants.  She also handles food and nutrition questions from the public.

Diane LaBonia

Oak LeafDiane LaBonia

Secretary

diane.labonia@uconn.edu

Jeanmarie Madden-Hennessey

Oak LeafJeanmarie Madden-Hennessey

eLearning Develop

jean.madden-hennessy@uconn.edu

Heather Pease

Heather Pease

Nutrition Education & Program Assistant - UConnEFNEP

heather.pease@uconn.edu  or 860-409-9073

Robert Ricard

Robert Ricard

Social Dimensions of Forest Resources &  Coordinator- UConn EDEN

robert.ricard@uconn.edu or 860-570-9257

Bob Ricard is Senior Extension Educator with the Department of Extension and teaches in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment. He came to the University of Connecticut in 1991.

Bob is responsible for helping Connecticut cities and towns with better managing public trees and forests focusing mostly on municipal tree wardens and community forestry volunteers. He also assists educators and researchers conduct social science research design and methods. He conducts the Tree Warden School and assists the Tree Wardens Association of Connecticut, Inc., which he formed in 1992. He is co-author, with Glenn Dreyer, of Greening Connecticut Cities and Towns: Managing Public Trees and Community Forests. Bob holds a Ph.D. in public policy with other degrees in forest resources. He is a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters.

Dr. Ricard has also been recently appointed as the Coordinator for the UConn EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network). Bob has a background in emergency medical response as well as instruction. He is a certified Wilderness First Responder and Whitewater Rescuer. He holds certifications as an American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor, AHA BLS Healthcare Providers, American Red Cross (ARC) CPR/AED Instructor, and ARC BLS for Professional Rescuers and Health Care Providers. He is affiliated with the Amherst (MA) C.E.R.T and with the Berkshire Mountain Search and Rescue Team.