CALS Online
Oct. 26, 2026
Top Stories
Board of Regents Approves New Iowa State Beef Teaching and Innovation Farm
At its September meeting, the Iowa Board of Regents approved fundraising to begin for a new Iowa State Beef Teaching and Innovation Farm. The facility will be located south of the existing Beef Teaching Farm along 520th Avenue (State Avenue) south of Ames. Once constructed, the old facilities will be razed. The existing Beef Teaching Farm has been in operation since 1965. The farm’s cattle support approximately 10 classes, attracting more than 800 students each academic year. The farm also provides animals for the meat science program and Extension short courses throughout the year.
Research
Celebrate Student Scholars During CALS Research Day
Celebrate the research of undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars during CALS Research Day on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 12:30-5 p.m. at the Student Innovation Center. All members of the Iowa State community and invited guests are welcome to attend.
ISRC Researcher Spotlight: Dirk Maier
Dirk Maier, agricultural and biosystems engineering and faculty research affiliate with the Iowa Soybean Research Center, is director of the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex, a $35 million state-of-the-art grain handling, drying, storage and feed processing facility. Maier teaches courses in grain operations, feed technology and quality preservation offered by the International Grain and Feed Industry Academy, Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Middle East and Africa Feed Technology Training Center, East African Grain Council and others. He also serves as a faculty advisor for the Iowa State student chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
Teaching and Students
Olsasky Named “Hunger Fighter” Scholar at 2026 Borlaug Dialogue
Isabell Olsasky, sophomore in agronomy and global resource systems, received the David Lambert “Hunger Fighter” Memorial Scholarship at the 2026 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue. Manjit Misra, former director of Iowa State’s Seed Science Center and former director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, presented the award.
Block and Bridle Summer Sausage and Cheese Sale Closes Saturday
Orders for the Block and Bridle Club’s annual summer sausage and cheese sale close on Saturday, Oct. 31. Orders can be picked up from the Kildee Meats Lab window Nov. 16 and 19, and Dec. 2 and 3, or shipped. The summer sausage is made in the ISU Meats Lab. Cheese curds and cheese blocks are sourced from Homestead Dairy in Waukon, Iowa.
Nominations for CALS Council Senior Awards Due Nov. 2
The CALS Student Council is seeking nominations for fall 2026 senior awards. Every spring and fall semester, CALS Council recognizes graduating seniors through the following five awards. Nominations are due Nov. 2 by 5 p.m.
- Leadership and Innovation
- Academic Achievement
- Distinguished Service
- Outstanding Ambassador of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Outstanding Senior
Iowa Corn Selects CALS Students for Collegiate Advisory Team
The Iowa Corn Growers Association has selected the following students from Iowa State to participate in the 2026-2027 school year’s Collegiate Advisory Team program, which focuses on increasing college students’ understanding of the corn industry and providing experience and training in areas such as leadership, effective communication, policy and industry relations.
- Lillian Bru – senior in agricultural business (peer mentor)
- Davis McGrew – senior in agricultural studies (peer mentor)
- Anna German – sophomore in agricultural and life sciences education
- Olivia Johnson – junior in animal science
- Caleb Lentz – junior in agricultural and life sciences education
- Callee Pellett – senior in agricultural business
- Ella Peterson – junior in agricultural communication
- Macy Philipp – sophomore in agricultural and rural policy studies
- Landon Stolte – senior in agronomy
- Katlin Truelsen – junior in agricultural communication
- Annie Trumm – first year in agricultural studies
- Kynlee Van Werden – junior in agricultural studies
- Cooper VanderHeiden – sophomore in agricultural studies
Extension and Outreach
Extension to Hold High Tunnel Short Course in Madrid
The ISU Extension and Outreach Commercial Horticulture program will hold the 2026 High Tunnel Short Course at the Iowa Arboretum in Madrid on Nov. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Commercial growers, as well as those interested in high tunnel production for fruit and vegetable crops, are invited to learn about high tunnel production, connect with fellow growers and explore the arboretum. Participants must register online to attend the course.
Iowa Donation Garden Network Opens 2027 Registration for Community Gardens
The Iowa Donation Garden Network, a statewide initiative designed to connect and empower garden organizers through expert-led education, shared resources and collaborative programming, is accepting applications for the 2027 growing season. Interested community garden organizers are encouraged to register for 2027 membership by Dec. 31. The network is led by the ISU Extension and Outreach Master Gardener Program in collaboration with Iowa Total Care.
Around the College
Koltes Strives to Expand Students’ Poultry Knowledge
Dawn Koltes, animal science, wants to increase Iowa State students’ awareness of the many opportunities available within the poultry industry in Iowa and beyond. Through the CALS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program, she recently developed a new course and co-led a study abroad program to Brazil and Argentina to expand students’ exposure to the poultry industry.
Video: High Tech Hog Barn Featured on U.S. Farm Report
As part of the U.S. Farm Report’s College Roadshow at Iowa State on Sept. 9, viewers had an opportunity to learn about a high-tech hog barn of the future. Juan Steibel, animal science, talked about the digital animal agriculture project and how the data collected can help producers make better decisions earlier and more precisely.
Calendar
Oct. 28: Sustainable Economics Lecture
The Sustainable Agriculture Program is co-sponsoring a lecture on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. in 2630 Memorial Union. Gaya Herrington, bioregional finance co-director of Cascadia and adjunct professor at Harvard, will present “Sustainable Economics, Systems Change and Collapse Resilience.”
Oct. 29: Feeding the World Seminar Series
The Feeding the World seminar series concludes Thursday, Oct. 29, from 3:40-4:55 p.m. in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall. Curtis Youngs and Maria Wurzinger, animal science, will lead the session with student reflections.
Oct. 29: Beal Lecture in Rural Sociology
The George M. Beal Distinguished Lectureship in Rural Sociology is Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Steven Conn, the W. E. Smith Professor of History at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, will present “Rethinking Rural.”
Oct. 30: Deal Leadership Lecture
The 2026 William K. Deal Leadership Lecture is Friday, Oct. 30, at 3:30 p.m. in Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. Craig Morris (’92 animal science), president of Keyport, LLC, a family-owned business headquartered in Edmonds, Washington, and the nation’s largest processor and distributor of Alaska crab, will present “Earning the Right to Lead Someone Else’s Legacy.” The event is free and open to the public.
More Events Listed on CALS Website
Find more events on the CALS Events webpage. Submit events for inclusion on this list to madelyno@iastate.edu or jstewart@iastate.edu.
Infograzing
Iowa State-Led Collaboration Urges Nationwide Consortium Approach to Ag Cybersecurity
In a recently published Nature Food article, Iowa State University and collaborators envision a national Agriculture Cybersecurity Consortium to protect agrifood operations – from farms to supply chain stakeholders – against cyber threats and attacks.
Riley Memorial Lecture Available Virtually, Nov. 19
The 2026 Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture will be available virtually on Nov. 19 from 4-5:30 p.m. Jo Handelsman, director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will present “Soil: An Endless Frontier of Discovery and a Shrinking Resource.” A Q&A session and a panel discussion will follow, with Laura van der Pol, The Land Institute; Max Häggblom, Rutgers; and Gwyn Beattie, Iowa State University.
Marginalia
Bat Beauty Contest – From Adorable Faces to Impressive Ears
The Bureau of Land Management is inviting the public to celebrate Bat Week by voting in its annual Bat Beauty Contest, which runs from Oct. 24-31. From adorable faces to impressive ears, bats found on public lands across the country are ready to compete for the title of the nation’s most beautiful bat. Bat Week is an international celebration dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of bat conservation.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/cals-online
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.