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COLLEGE NEWS
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JANUARY 7 SATELLITE BROADCAST TO ADDRESS BSE CONCERNS
Iowa State’s Iowa Beef Center is offering a statewide satellite broadcast presentation on BSE (also known as mad cow disease) on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 1-3 p.m. The objective is to provide producers and others with an update on all facets of the beef industry as well as address consumer concerns. Details: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2003/dec03/dec0330.html. ISU Extension has created a BSE Web site for the public and producers.
COLLEGE CONVOCATION CHANGES TO JAN. 27
The College of Agriculture Convocation will be a week later than originally scheduled. It will begin with refreshments at 3 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. The program will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will include the presentation of College awards, a recognition of retirees in the last year and remarks by Dean Catherine Woteki.
STOCKDALE, FORMER ENTOMOLOGY DEPARTMENT HEAD, DIES
Harold Stockdale, a former Iowa State entomology department head, died Dec. 29 at Mary Greeley Medical Center. He was 72. Stockdale received his bachelor's in 1958, master's in 1959 and doctorate degree in 1964, all from ISU. He began working as an Iowa State extension entomologist in 1961. Stockdale served as head of the entomology department for 10 years from 1982 until he retired in 1992. He was a professor emeritus of entomology. Services were held Jan. 2 at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Ames. Memorial donations in his honor can be made to the ISU Entomology Scholarship Fund.
SYNGENTA GIFT FOR GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP IN SEED SCIENCE
A $100,000 gift from Syngenta Corp. will help fund graduate fellowships in seed science at Iowa State. The gift is part of a $1 million fundraising effort to establish endowed graduate fellowships in seed science.
ISU AWARDED $440,000 TO STUDY VEGETATIVE ODOR BUFFERS
Researchers at Iowa State have received a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant totaling $440,000 to study the use of trees, shrubs and other perennial plants as buffers to reduce odors around poultry and egg production facilities. The three-year grant also includes the University of Delaware and Pennsylvania State University.
WEB SITE PRESENTS INFORMATION ABOUT NEW SOYBEANS
A new Iowa State Web site provides information about growing or licensing 1 percent linolenic soybeans, and purchasing the trans fat-free oil the soybeans produce. The Web site also details the development of the soybeans at Iowa State.
CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF GM FOODS TESTED
How willing are consumers to buy genetically modified (GM) foods? What effect does labeling have on food purchases? Who do consumers trust to provide objective information on genetic modification? Those are three questions Iowa State researchers sought to answer in a project involving 300 people. Learn more in "Agriculture in Action."
ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP PLANNED FOR JAN. 24
An alternative agriculture workshop will be presented Jan. 24 at the McNay Research and Demonstration Farm. ISU Extension is sponsoring this event to offer producers and agriculture professionals a chance to learn about the alternative agriculture research, products and opportunities. Details: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2003/dec03/dec0325.html
FOUR IOWA BIOBASED RESEARCH PROJECTS RECEIVE GRANT FUNDING
The ISU BioEconomy Working Group, part of the Value Chains Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture project, recently awarded funds for four new research projects. Three grants will be used to research various aspects of kenaf, a potential new crop in Iowa. The fourth project will study the logistics of harvesting, collecting and transporting corn stover from farms along the Missouri River. Learn more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2003/dec03/dec0326.html
NEW BOOK LOOKS AT WORLD FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
With the new year comes a new book that provides the latest information on global agriculture. “Perspectives in World Food and Agriculture: 2004” was edited by two Iowa State professors and published by the Iowa State Press. Details in "Agriculture in Action."
HEFFERNAN TAKES NEW POSITION AT USDA
Keith Heffernan recently took a new job at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.He became chief of staff in Rural Development and director of State Operations on Jan. 1. Keith had been assistant director at CARD for nine years. He can be contacted at: (202) 720-4581 or Keith.Heffernan@usda.gov.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Jan. 7: Deadline for proposals to present workshops at the 2004 Iowa 4-H Youth Conference on June 29 to July 1, 2004, contact: Brenda Allen, bsallen@iastate.edu or 4-1567
Jan. 9-10: Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference, Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines
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COMMUNICATION KIOSK
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PORTAL COULD BE A PLACE TO START SEARCHES
Virtualsalt.com is becoming known for a simple-to-use portal on Web research resources. It includes links to many resources such as search engines, directories, reference works, databases, graphics, periodicals, government and other topics. It is located online.
Working Knowledge Newsletter (March 2003)
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INFOGRAZING
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GRANT WORKSHOP NOMINATIONS DUE FEB. 6
The University-wide Grant Writers' Workshops in research and teaching and learning is seeking nominations. Completed forms should be sent to Elena Polush by Feb. 6 at 133 Curtiss or elenap@iastate.edu. College nominations will then be forwarded to the Vice Provost for Research (VPR), program co-sponsor with the Office of the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Programs. The grant writers' workshop lasts about six months. It can apply to new and revised grant applications. A written proposal must be submitted to an external funding agency to complete the program. Costs are shared by the VPR, college and departments. The nomination form and program description are available online.
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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AG SUBSIDIES SEEN DISTORTING TRADE
“The idea that our agricultural protectionism harms poor nations is hardly a fanciful one held only by aggrieved third world farmers. Just about any multilateral economic or development agency you can think of has issued reports railing against rich nations' farm subsidies. The World Bank estimates that an end to trade-distorting farm subsidies and tariffs could expand global wealth by as much as a half-trillion dollars and lift 150 million people out of poverty by 2015.”
New York Times editorial (The Unkept Promise, Dec. 30) from the series Harvesting Poverty
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MARGINALIA
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CHOCOLATE PERFUME AMONG PREDICTIONS FOR 2004
Food scents will be a trend for the new year, according to Mintel's Global New Products Database. Fresh cream, chocolate and honey scents are beginning to be marketed. One company features products that smell like fresh-baked goods with ingredients like brown sugar and cinnamon. Pomegranate will be the food ingredient of 2004. Thanks to the pomegranate’s high levels of potassium, vitamin C and anti-oxidants, there will be more products with its juice as a main ingredient. Mintel predicted the bottle can, already popular in Japan, will be the package of the year. The bottle can is an aluminum bottle-shaped container with a screwtop cap. It chills beverages faster and keeps them colder longer, and is resealable. The aluminum packaging also keeps light and oxygen out, unlike plastic bottles. Mintel’s runner-up for package of the year was easy-open packages for the aging baby-boomer population.
Next issue: Jan. 12
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AG ONLINE
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EDITORS
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu, and Brian Meyer, bmeyer@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
SUBSCRIBE
Ag Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to edadcock@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag Online unsubscribe."
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