CALS Online and Dean’s Message
August 8, 2022
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – It seems we are always in a season of change, whether it's the weather and it's reminders of a shifting climate, or how we think about local and international development, trade and decision-making. Grain needlessly stuck in ports trying to get to those who are hungry is but one example of the ways the world can change quickly… This week I am at an agricultural food chain think tank meeting in Colorado, and the impact the war on Ukraine is having on food supply will be a featured topic. I'm not sure if anyone at this meeting has lived and thought through such a conflict-driven change in food supply at this scale before. But there are lessons from the past. Iowa's own Herbert Hoover made his mark pursuing wartime food relief during WWI… More
Top Stories
Students Experience French Cuisine, Culture on Study Abroad Trip
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 10 Iowa State students representing six different majors explored France in June as part of the Cathedrals, Castles, Culture and Cuisine-Sustainable, Safe and Nutritious Food in France study abroad trip. Kurt Rosentrater, agricultural and biosystems engineering and food science and human nutrition, wanted his students to use their time in Paris as an educational experience. The trip was designed to introduce students to a variety of food and agricultural processes. More
Research
Johnson Helps Livestock Live the Good Life
Anna Johnson, animal science, studies biologically relevant enrichment for farm animals. In the summer 2022 issue of Fresh Pickings magazine, published by Iowa Food and Family Project, Johnson contributes to an article on how farmers and specialists are promoting livestock comfort and health (pg. 25). More
Teaching and Students
Agronomists Join Forces with Engineering Students
to Create Innovative In-field Research Chamber
Asheesh “Danny” Singh, agronomy, worked with seniors in Mechanical Engineering 415 Capstone Design classes to invent an innovative research chamber to study soybeans’ responses in the field to current and future climate conditions. Essentially a mini greenhouse, the chamber is meant to offer new options to control conditions for plant testing in the field. More
State Fair: Dairy Science Club Hosts “I Milked a Cow”
Students in Iowa State’s Dairy Science Club will host the annual “I Milked A Cow” program at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 11-21, in the Cattle Barn. Club members lead parlor talks to educate visitors on dairy production, and for $3, the public can learn how to milk a cow by hand. They can also see how today’s farmers use mechanical milking equipment in the modern milking parlor directly across from the Livestock Pavilion. The event serves as a fundraiser for the club.
Extension and Outreach
Andersen to Discuss Ancient Fertilizer in a Digital Age
Dan Andersen, agricultural and biosystems engineering, will present “Manure: Ancient Fertilizer in a Digital Age” at the Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 10, at noon.
Improve Monarch Habitat with Helpful Resources
Farmers, gardeners and anyone with interest in helping monarchs thrive can get involved with resources provided by ISU Extension and Outreach. At this year’s Farm Progress Show, specialists from Iowa State and USDA will discuss recent efforts to increase the population of this essential pollinator and resources to improve its numbers in the future. More
Around the College
Merger Celebration Planned for Two Iowa State Departments
Faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends are invited to celebrate the merging of Iowa State University’s Department of Entomology and Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology. The celebration will take place Sept. 9, from 1-7 p.m. on the north lawn of the Advanced Teaching and Research Building. Tours of ATRB will be offered, in addition to a visit from the Insect Zoo. Several alumni representing the two departments will speak, as well as Iowa State administrators, followed by a barbecue meal, ISU Creamery ice cream and music by the ISU Jazz Band. The official merging will take effect Sept. 1, with the new name becoming the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology. More
Arbuckle Named SWCS Fellow
J. Arbuckle, sociology and criminal justice, was named a Soil and Water Conservation Society fellow at its international annual conference awards luncheon on Aug. 2 in Denver, Colorado. Arbuckle also received the Best Research Paper for Impact and Quality Award. More
Calendar
Aug. 10: Duffy Lyon’s Sculpture Dedication
CALS and the College of Veterinary Medicine are celebrating the unveiling and dedication of Norma “Duffy” Lyon’s cow and calf sculpture at the Veterinary Field Services Building on Wednesday, Aug. 10, at 1:15 p.m. Remarks are at 1:30 p.m. with refreshments following. RSVP to jlink@foumndation.iastate.edu.
Aug. 13: Robert Martin Memorial Service
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. 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.
Aug. 27: Bug Village ‘22
Iowa State University’s Insect Zoo is hosting Bug Village ’22 on Aug. 27. Two separate events will take place. An open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Advanced Teaching and Research Building, 2213 Pammel Drive, on campus. Later in the evening, an insect light collecting event will take place from 6-10 p.m. at Carr Park, near the intersection of Carr Drive and Meadowlane Avenue in Ames. More
Infograzing
State Fair: University Exhibit to Highlight Ames National Laboratory
Everyday items like your cell phone and future refrigerator are shaped by research at the Ames National Laboratory, which will demonstrate its innovation in action at the Iowa State Fair Aug. 11-21. The university's main exhibit will include three interactive stations for attendees to learn about research at Ames Lab, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary. The exhibit is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily in the Varied Industries Building. More
State Fair: Lawrence and Grooms Celebrity Showman for Steer Show
John Lawrence, vice president of ISU Extension and Outreach, and Dan Grooms, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, will participate in the annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 4:30 p.m. in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. Immediately following the show, the steers will be sold at auction with proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Since its inception in 1983, the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show has raised more than $4.5 million for Ronald McDonald House. More
State Fair: Sensory-Friendly Morning on Aug. 17
The lights and sounds of the Iowa State Fair will be a little lower on Aug. 17 for the first ever Sensory-Friendly Morning at the Fair, presented by ChildServe. The Sensory-Friendly Morning will create an environment designed with children and adults with autism or sensory processing disorders in mind. The goal is to enable families who have a member, whether child or adult, with special needs to visit, explore and enjoy the fair. Special sensory programming is planned with modifications in certain zones of the fairgrounds. A Calming Room, sponsored by ChildServe, will also be open to anyone that needs a little time to recharge or destress. The event includes the mitigation of sounds and motions as much as possible, designated educational areas, directional signage and trained volunteers. More
Marginalia
State Fair: New Fair Foods Announced
There are 53 new foods being dished up at the 2022 Iowa State Fair, which runs Aug. 11-21. The top three finalists in the new food contest are: “OMG” Chicken Sandwich, a chicken breast lightly battered and covered in sugar coated corn flakes, fried to a golden brown and served on a glazed donut; Pork Picnic in a Cup, filled with layers of barbecue pulled pork, baked beans, creamy coleslaw and a drizzle of barbecue sauce; and The Finisher, a potato layered with chopped brisket, smoked pulled pork and The Rib Shack’s Bacon Brisket Mac and Cheese. Fairgoers can sample the top three finalists and cast their vote starting Thursday, Aug. 11, through Aug. 15. 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.