CALS Online and Dean’s Message
June 20, 2022
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – Weather everywhere. I hope you are weathering it well wherever you are. My week at our campus in Uganda was very pleasant, weather-wise. While only a few degrees off the equator, its elevation is such that it was far cooler than you’ve been enduring in Ames. The activity there is simply awe-inspiring… More
Top Stories
First Batches of Iowa State Grown and Produced Wine a Success
This past spring, the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute staff produced and bottled its first batches of wine at the Iowa State University Winery, using grapes grown at the Horticulture Research Station. From a total of 3.5 tons of La Crescent and Marquette grapes harvested in the fall of 2021, 828 bottles of La Crescent, 444 bottles of Marquette and 420 bottles of Rosé wine were produced. The ISU Winery is located in a newly renovated space in the Food Sciences Building and will enable MGWII staff to continue their work supporting the wine industry. More
Extension and Outreach
IPIC Releases Pork Industry Sustainability Tool and Fact Sheet
A new fact sheet from the Iowa Pork Industry Center looks at three Life Cycle Assessments that have been created for the U.S. swine industry. Erika Johnson, graduate research assistant and lead author of Sustainability in the Swine Industry: Understanding the Life Cycle Assessment, said the LCAs focus on carbon emissions, land occupation and water usage. More
Aquaculture Center Publishes Fact Sheet for North Central Region
A recent fact sheet produced by the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center and ISU Extension and Outreach outlines the industry and what today’s Midwest producer can expect. Introduction to Aquaculture in the North Central Region states the Midwest had 271 aquaculture farms as of the most recent Census of Aquaculture conducted by USDA. More
Around the College
Bouffard Reappointed Chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Leana Bouffard has been reappointed chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She will begin her second five-year term on July 1. Bouffard is eager to build on the department’s momentum from the past five years and will continue to seek ways to strengthen the curriculum and research opportunities for all students. More
Clark Reappointed Interim Chair of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology
Lynn Clark has been reappointed interim chair of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, which is co-administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. A professor of botany, Clark has served as interim chair since June 2021. Her renewed appointment will begin July 1 and extend through June 30, 2024. Clark’s vision includes building on the achievements of the department’s research and graduate programs. More
CALS Welcomes New Human Resources Partner
Leslie Merriman has joined the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as the new human resources partner, effective June 20. Her most recent position was senior HR coordinator for University Human Resources. Merriman has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Iowa State and a master’s of public administration degree from Drake University, with an emphasis in human resources.
Produce for Sale at the Horticulture Research Station
The Horticulture Research Station community produce sale is starting the 2022 season with strawberries. Like last year, curbside pickup is in the Meat Lab parking lot located in the northwest corner of lot 39 just off North University Boulevard. Pickup is every Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. More
In Memoriam: Robert Martin
Robert Martin, professor emeritus in agricultural education and studies, passed away May 20. He was 76. Martin spent 37 years at Iowa State, including 12 as department chair. He received more than 50 awards for teaching excellence and served as a senior fellow of the American Association of Agricultural Education. A memorial service will be held Aug. 13 at 3 p.m. at Rasmusson-Ryan Funeral Home in Nevada. Memorial contributions may be made to the ISU Foundation in support of the Dr. Robert A. Martin Agricultural Education and Studies Scholarship Fund. More Also, the department has set up a KudoBoard to collect messages to share with the family.
Calendar
June 25: Pollinator Fest
Pollinator Fest is Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Reiman Gardens. Visitors can taste test the Iowa State-produced “classic” honey and Prairie STRIPS honey, which represents years of research on pollinator health and survival in Iowa’s agricultural landscape. Amy Toth and Matt O’Neal, entomology, working in partnership with Randall Cass, ISU Extension and Outreach bee specialist, and Nick Howell, superintendent of the Horticulture Research Station, led the research. More
June 30: Iowa Swine Day
Registration is open for the 11th annual Iowa Swine Day on June 30 in Ames. Iowa Swine Day is presented by the Iowa Pork Industry Center with support from CALS and the Department of Animal Science.
Aug 4: ISRC Summer Field Tour
The Iowa Soybean Research Center is sponsoring a summer field tour on Aug. 4. Agriculture-related graduate students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend. The tour will include visits to Beck’s near Altoona, Kemin Industries in Des Moines and Salin247 near Ames. Registration is free, but required as space is limited. More
Infograzing
Investment in U.S. Public Agricultural Research and Development Declined by One-Third Over Past Two Decades
U.S. public agricultural research and development expenditures, when adjusted for the rising cost of conducting research, have declined by about one-third since peaking in 2002, according to a June 6 article in Amber Waves, published by USDA’s Economic Research Service. China has become the largest funder of agricultural research and development in the world, surpassing the United States and the European Union. More
Marginalia
ISU Eager to Welcome Back Farm Progress Show
For the first time in four years, the Farm Progress Show will once again be held in Iowa, and specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach are excited about the return. Iowa State's exhibit will span nearly 6,000 square feet, showcasing the latest in agricultural research and technology. More
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
http://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is published by email every Monday. The deadline for submitting content is 12 p.m. on Thursday.