College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Dec. 2, 2019
Top Stories
Holiday Cheer: Horticulture Club’s Poinsettia Sale
The Horticulture Club is holding its annual poinsettia sale this week, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the following locations: Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the Curtiss Hall rotunda; Thursday, Dec. 5, in Beardshear Hall (ground floor); Friday, Dec. 6, in the Memorial Union (south atrium in front of the bookstore), and Saturday, Dec. 7, at Reiman Gardens (main corridor). The poinsettias are grown by club members in the Horticulture Greenhouses. Funds raised will be used for covering club activities, contest expenses and student enrichment.
Holiday Cheer: FSHN Silent Auction
The Food Science Club, Culinary Science Club, Dairy Products Evaluation Club and Body Image and Eating Disorder Awareness Club are organizing the annual FSHN Silent Auction, set for Dec. 4 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the LeBaron foyer. There will be food available, time to bid on silent auction items and the opportunity to build a community with the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. All proceeds benefit the four clubs. More
Holiday Cheer: Forestry Club’s Christmas Tree Sale
The Forestry Club is holding its annual Christmas tree fundraiser at the Reiman Gardens Parking Lot. Trees will be for sale Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 13-15. Hours are Fridays, 3 to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The club will have Canaan fir, balsam fir, and white pine, as well as balsam fir wreaths. Proceeds go towards club activities and student development. More
Holiday Cheer: Block and Bridle Summer Sausage and Cheese Sale
An online form is available for the Block and Bridle Club’s annual holiday summer sausage and cheese sale. The last day to order for Christmas shipping, is Dec. 10. Also, the summer sausage and cheese can be purchased on campus through Friday, Dec. 6 – Mondays in the Sukup Hall atrium, Tuesdays in Agronomy Hall lobby, Wednesdays in Kildee Hall Lush Auditorium, Thursdays in Beardshear Hall lobby and Fridays in Curtiss Hall Harl Commons. The summer sausage is made on campus in the Meats Laboratory and the cheese (cheddar, colby jack and mild pepper jack) is from Bongards Creamery in Minnesota. Money raised will be used for club trips, and shows and scholarships hosted by the club. Contact isussandc@gmail.com with questions.
Holiday Cheer: Agronomy Club Popcorn Sales
The Agronomy Club will be selling packaged popcorn the week of December 9. Boxes sell for $10 and are available on the second floor of Agronomy Hall outside of the main office. Sales support club activities such as Experience Agronomy and Students of Agronomy, Soils and Environmental Sciences, an undergraduate student program of the Soil Science Society of America.
Research
New Report Looks at Reducing Food Loss and Waste
Dirk Maier, agricultural and biosystems engineering and director of the Consortium for Innovation in Post-Harvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction at Iowa State, contributed to the recently released report, "Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Ten Interventions to Scale Impact,” which delves into large-scale interventions to halve global food loss and waste by 2030. The report, produced by the World Resources Institute, calls on governments and business leaders to pursue a set of “scaling interventions” to achieve a 50 percent reduction in food loss and waste by 2030. More
Research Looks at Agriculture and Honey Bee Health
Amy Toth, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, and Matt O’Neal, entomology, are involved in research that offers new insights into the role of agriculture in honey bee health and survival. Their findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More
The Science Behind a Delicious Debate
In a Nov. 21 essay distributed nationally by The Conversation, Joshua Selsby, animal science, talks about light versus dark turkey meat and what causes the difference. The article has been picked up nationwide, including CNN, the Chicago Tribune and the Houston Chronicle.
Extension and Outreach
Walleye Can Be Valuable Addition to Aquaculture Operation
According to Joe Morris, extension aquaculture specialist and director of the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center based at Iowa State, walleye has been identified as one of the top six potential species of aquaculture in the U.S. The NCRAC has released a technical bulletin, “Production of Walleye as Potential Food Fish,” that outlines the challenges and opportunities of raising walleye – including production and retail costs. More
Extension to Host Returning to the Farm Seminar
ISU Extension and Outreach is holding a four-day Returning to the Farm Seminar on Jan. 10-11 and Feb. 14-15. The program is intended for all family members, including students, parents and grandparents, farmers and on-farming heirs, and all successors of a particular operation. More
Crop Advantage Meetings Provide Information for Producers
ISU Extension and Outreach is hosting the 2020 Crop Advantage meetings, that will be offered in 14 locations across Iowa in January. The meetings give producers a solid foundation of current research-based crop production information to help make informed decisions for their farming operations. More
Around the College
Harmon to Present Seminar Tomorrow, Dec. 3
Jay Harmon, candidate for associate dean for Extension and Outreach and ISU Extension program director for Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be presenting a one-hour public seminar on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. in 13 Brenton Center, Curtiss Hall. Harmon will speak on “My 21st Century Vision for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Iowa, ISU Extension and Outreach and the Leadership of this Position.” The seminar can be attended via Zoom and will also be recorded. A roundtable will be held following the seminar, 2:15 to 3:15 p.m., where Harmon will be available for questions.
Deadline Extended for CALS Associate Dean Opening
Applications will now be accepted through Dec. 8 for the newly-created Associate Dean for Academic Innovation (formerly Academic Programs) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The position is the key leadership role for activities related to undergraduate education and is open to internal candidates. More
Beavis and Lamont Named AAAS Fellows
William Beavis, agronomy, and Susan Lamont, animal science, have been named to this year’s class of fellows for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Fellows are recognized for their “scientifically or socially distinguished” work in biological sciences, chemistry, engineering and agriculture. More
Heaton and Research Featured on the Today Show
The Nov. 24 Sunday Spotlight edition of NBC’s The Today Show explores the growing shift toward eco-friendly and sustainable farming, which involves carbon sequestration. Emily Heaton, agronomy, and her research are featured at the 2:37 mark. More
Dean Robison Co-Chairs Iowa Smart Agriculture Forum
A diverse group of Iowa agriculture, business, academic, government and conservation leaders met in Des Moines Nov. 25 for “Agriculture in a Changing Climate: What the Future Holds for Iowa,” a forum to explore the impacts that changing climatic conditions are having on the state's agriculture sector and to discuss solutions that Iowa producers can help deliver. The forum was sponsored by the national group Solutions from the Land and CALS. The meeting opened with statements from Dean Robison and southeast Iowa corn and soybean producer Ray Gaesser, past chairman and president of the American Soybean Association, who served as co-chair for an associated Iowa Smart Ag work group that met the following day, Nov. 26. Kendall Lamkey, chair of agronomy and his staff helped to organize the forum. More
FundISU: Growing Education through School Lunches
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods’ work to end hunger and improve children’s education by contributing to the Kamuli District, Uganda, school garden and lunch programs. Support raised will provide learning opportunities and nutritious meals to almost 3,000 children on each school day. More
RSVP by Dec. 10 for Dean’s Holiday Gathering
Dean Robison is hosting a holiday gathering for all CALS faculty and staff on Dec. 18 at 4 to 6 p.m. in the Sukup Atrium. Food and refreshments will be available, along with music by Kaizer Jazz. Please RSVP by Dec. 10.
Calendar
Dec. 3: Retirement Reception for Don Beermann
A retirement reception for Don Beermann, chair of the animal science department, is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Kildee Hall Atrium (program at 4 p.m.). Beermann joined ISU as chair in January 2015.
Dec. 4: Ensminger Chair Candidate Seminar and Roundtable
Curtis Youngs, animal science, will present “Ensminger Chair in International Animal Agriculture: A Vision for the Future” on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 8:30 a.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall, Ensminger Room. A roundtable discussion will follow. Max Rothschild is the current Ensminger Chair of the Ensminger International Program.
Dec. 10: Retirement Reception for Robert Martin
A retirement reception for Robert Martin will be held Dec. 10 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Memorial Union South Ballroom (program at 4 p.m.). Martin is a professor and past chair of agricultural education and studies. Subit stories and well wishes online or contact lambert4@iastate.edu.
Dec. 18: Retirement Reception for Denise Bjelland
Denise Bjelland, director of CALS Global Programs and director of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, will be retiring on Jan. 3 after 47 years of service to ISU. A reception is scheduled for Dec. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. in 111 Curtiss Hall. Messages, memories and photos are being collected online for a memory book.
Infograzing
FundISU Project to Support Food Security on Campus
On Dec. 3, the ISU Foundation will launch a one-day crowdfunding project on FundISU focused on supporting food security on campus through SHOP (Students Helping Our Peers), a student-run, on-campus food pantry at Iowa State University. Food security issues at ISU are primarily addressed by SHOP, with plans to further expand food security programming in the future. Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3, is the only day the project will be live. 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 Friday.