Food for Thought 2017

2017

A DESIRE TO HELP HUMANS AND HORSES WechonHpecala “Star” Ray Equine Science and Microbiology major

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 06 AG ADVENTURE 14 THE NEW JBS CENTER 34 LED-GROWN HOPS

THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 2017

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New Heritage Gardens

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Soil Science Awards

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Third Annual International Livestock Forum

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Taking an Ag Adventure

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New Leaders

10 Digitizing Butterflies and Moths

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12 Innovating Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies 14 JBS Global Food Innovation Center Gift 17 Sharing Knowledge in Guatemala 18 Making an Impact in Todos Santos 20 Helping Horses and Humans

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25 Celebrating John Loomis 26 Learning at Campus North 28 Smart Farming is a Game Changer

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29 CSU Research at Bayer 30 Taking Food Safety to Iowa State 31 Calvin Pearson’s 33-Year Career 32 Food Systems Faculty Engage with Stakeholders

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33 Steven Rosenzweig Helps Communicate Science 34 LED-Grown Hops

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36 State FFA Officers 37 Paul Vlek’s Worldwide Impact 38 Students Study and Live in New Zealand 40 Two CSU Best Teachers

On the Cover: WechonHpecala “Star” Ray, equine science and microbiology major. Story on Page 20.

Publishing Information Food for Thought is a publication of the College of Agricultural Sciences.

EDITORS Jason Kosovski, Betty Grace Mickey CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Dell Rae Ciaravola, Lynna Dicamillo, Jennifer Dimas, Angie Dixon CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Bill Cotton, John Eisele, Jason Kosovski, Joe Mendoza DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Elias Martinez, Darin Sanders, Adam Mendez, Kate Wyman, Michaela Pariseau, Savannah McNealy; CSU Creative Services

We welcome your support! To support College of Agricultural Sciences programs with a charitable gift, please contact the Development Office, (970) 491-7686.

We welcome your ideas! Send comments and mailing addresses to: Food for Thought, College of Agricultural Sciences, Colorado State University 1101 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins CO 80523-1101.

Editor Jason Kosovski may be reached at (970) 491-2392 or jason.kosovski@colostate.edu Colorado State University is an equal-access/equal-opportunity University.

Dear Ag Family, We are delighted to once again bring you an issue of our College of Agricultural Sciences magazine, Food for Thought.

Highlighting the achievements and impact of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters is especially rewarding in my role as dean, and I hope that reading these stories inspires you and reminds you that the work done in our college is truly changing the world.

This year’s issue is about the future – building our future – in both a literal and philosophical sense of the word “build.”

In the pages that follow, you will learn about new capital projects born out of partnerships with industry; the reimagining of existing facilities that will make our teaching and research spaces more dynamic and innovative; and trajectories for our research and teaching that will propel this college into a period of unquestioned global pre-eminence for the next 5, 10, or 20 years and beyond.

Last year, I wrote about the centrality of food safety, food security, and agricultural sustainability to our academic enterprise, and now, I would like to add another level of detail to those areas of focus. If we are going to feed a global population of 9 billion people by 2050, we must ensure that their food is safe, affordable, and plentiful. We also know that resources are scarce, and that the amount of land and water used for agriculture is finite. Optimizing our resources while also ensuring that the agricultural industry remains profitable will ultimately define the ways in which agriculture innovates in the decades to come.

Our ability to use technologies such as drones and precision agriculture, and our ability to deploy big data as a predictive model for agriculture will allow us to not only produce more but to do so in a strategic way that ensures resources are available for future generations. One of those limited resources, water, factors into the work of a number of our researchers – soil scientists, landscape designers, and agricultural economists, just to name a few. How crops can be grown in water-limited environments and how strategic decisions about water usage can be made are central to the future of agricultural

production. Undoubtedly, bringing our expertise to urban environments, where a distinct set of resource challenges exist, will be central to translating the work of our campus for communities across Colorado.

Our last issue of Food for Thought focused on hands-on learning, which remains a central component of how this college will enhance the learning experience of our students. Whether our students are learning about soil science, food safety, or horticulture, they must have practical, tangible interactions in fields, labs, and studios, if we are to adequately prepare them for jobs across the agricultural industry. We are creating new physical spaces in which students can learn by doing, and we are adjusting our curriculum and offerings to ensure that such opportunities are part of every student’s experience.

There is no question that this college will play a central role in defining agriculture for this generation and generations to come.

We have always been a path-breaking institution, and our ability to be responsive to all of our stakeholders means that we must combine our long tradition in Colorado agriculture with our ability to bridge tradition and innovation to improve quality of life for people everywhere.

On a personal note, CSU Provost Rick Miranda has asked me to extend my initial appointment as dean, slated to end in 2018, through 2020. I am honored and humbled to continue my work alongside an outstanding group of faculty and staff on behalf of our students and constituent groups - work that will include engaging and partnering with each and every one of you to establish our college as a leader among colleges of agriculture, and ensuring that our students learn from the best and brightest faculty and staff within engaging and dynamic spaces that challenge the mind and stimulate innovation. I look forward to continuing our work together.

Ajay Menon Dean – College of Agricultural Sciences Director – Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station Contact (970) 491-6274 or CAS_Deanmain@mail.colostate.edu

Connect with Us You can find our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages from our college home page, and I would encourage you to follow us on all four sites.

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TRADEMARKS & ICONS

PERENNIAL GARDENS ALSO ON THE MOVE Big changes occurred in 2016 with the relocation of the Herbaceous Perennial Teaching/ Research/Demonstration Garden, from the old Plant Environmental Research Center to its new home next to the University Center for

NEW GARDENS ADDED NEAR STADIUM SITE

the Arts. It joined the existing annual and perennial flower trials already adjacent to the University Center for the Arts. Together these areas are being developed into the new CSU/Fort Collins garden and art district. The new site for this garden (northeast corner of Remington and Pitkin) has the advantage of being in a more visible place than the previous location. Approximately 3,000 plants were moved.

Since this is also a research garden, it was critical to maintain proper identification of all plants.

The new location was previously a large lawn area, which was partially removed in July 2016.

In August and September 2016, hardscape, was installed and soil was heavily amended. In addition to the move of herbaceous perennials, some larger woody plants were also moved to the new site. The garden also has a new water feature, which will be visible with LED lighting, and a gazebo and large cut-stone patio area around the base of the gazebo. The new garden has some raised beds with sitting walls, bermed beds, benches, and gravel pathways.

Arc-designed trellis will make the vine collection more interesting and visible in the new garden.

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NOW THAT THE GROUNDS OF THE NEW ON-CAMPUS STADIUM are completed and the practice field installed, efforts additionally focused on the construction of an Agricultural Heritage Garden, with additional investment in the existing arboretum, a unique collection of trees that have stood on campus for 35 years.

One-and-a-half full football fields have been constructed as a practice field with synthetic turf to the west of the new stadium. The fields provide an opportunity for efficient connections among practice facilities and training and locker room areas in the stadium.

The existing practice fields near Moby will be repurposed as fields for the CSU women's soccer team.

“The project team has worked hard to preserve funds in the stadium budget to provide the resources to construct the practice fields,” said Joe Parker, director of athletics. “It’s an important addition to the overall project and brings key components together to operate the football program.”

In addition, an Agricultural Heritage Garden will serve as a gateway to the stadium, with plantings to celebrate and demonstrate the University’s agricultural heritage.

“The vision for the Heritage Garden is to tell the story of Colorado agriculture and Colorado State University’s role within it,” said Ajay Menon, dean of the College

of Agricultural Sciences. “Our goal is to highlight and inform the visiting public, students, and alumni about the history, nature, and impact of agricultural research, teaching, and engagement at CSU. We envision this space to speak to our University’s efforts to be Coloradofocused for global impact across all dimensions of the food, water, and energy nexus.”

Both the field and gardens have been constructed on part of existing parking lot 240 and the old perennial gardens site. The perennial gardens have been moved to the University Center for the Arts to complement a growing University art and garden district, which already includes the University’s trial gardens, a popular destination in the city.

The existing 5.5-acre arboretum near the new stadium will be enhanced with additional paths and tree identification guides. Many trees in the arboretum are more than 35 years old and were planted under the leadership of Jim Klett, a horticulture and landscape architecture professor who has dedicated several decades to creating and nurturing the arboretum and perennial gardens to serve as research, academic, and public education resources to the University.

The arboretum was planted to demonstrate the vast diversity of trees that grow well in Colorado’s climate.

TRADEMARKS & ICONS

Faculty Members Recognized

by Soil Science Societies In October 2016, three faculty members from the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences were recognized with prestigious soil science awards from the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy.

Professor Mary Stromberger was named a Soil Science Society of America Fellow and received the Soil Science Education Award. Being named a fellow is the highest recognition bestowed by the society. Members of the society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. The Soil Science Education Award recognizes the educational achievements of faculty and scientists who make contributions through activities such as resident, Extension, or industrial education.

“Becoming a fellow in my professional society has been a dream of mine since graduate school,” said Stromberger.

“And I am truly honored to be recognized with the Education Award.

Teaching and mentoring students are the most rewarding aspects of my job, and I dedicate this award to my students.”

Professor Gene Kelly received the Soil Science Research Award from the SSSA. The Research Award acknowledges a demonstration of unusual research creativity; excellence in reasoning ability and/or technical skill; and originality and significance of research to basic soil science. Kelly also serves as deputy director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station and associate dean for Extension.

“The Soil Science Research Award is given as a personal award, but it also

honors pedology, the field of research in which I have worked,” said Kelly. “It also honors my students and colleagues. I am grateful for the recognition and fortunate to have worked with very talented scientists.”

IN JANUARY 2017, MARY STROMBERGER was named associate dean of CSU’s Graduate School.

Stromberger assists in providing leadership and

Professor Ken Barbarick, who is also the college’s associate dean of academic programs, received the American Society of Agronomy Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes an individual or team who has made a transformational contribution to the profession of agronomy through the development of agronomic service programs, practices, and products for acceptance by the public.

management for all areas of

"I am greatly honored to receive the American Society of Agronomy Distinguished Service Award since it represents a career of multifaceted service to this outstanding professional society," said Barbarick.

at CSU, including associate

graduate education, focusing on enrollment management, student recruitment and retention, professional development, and activities related to the overall graduate admissions and graduation process. A faculty member since 2001, Stromberger served as Faculty Council chair from 2014-2017 and has held other leadership roles chair of her department. “This is an exciting time for us, as we expand our graduate programs, provide new professional development opportunities, and grow

ABOUT THE SOCIETIES

and support our diverse

The Soil Science Society of America is an international scientific society whose more than 6,000 members are dedicated to advancing the field of soil science and fostering the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils.

student and postdoctorate

The American Society of Agronomy is a progressive international scientific and professional society that empowers scientists, educators, and practitioners in developing, disseminating, and applying agronomic solutions to feed and sustain the world.

populations,” said Stromberger. “I look forward to working with our talented faculty, staff, and students across campus to provide the best teaching, scholarship, and research experiences possible for our students and postdoctorates.”

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TRADEMARKS & ICONS

Industry Leaders Speak at Third Annual

International Livestock Forum FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY has partnered with the National Western Stock Show to bring students from all over the world to Fort Collins to hear from leading industry experts on topics concerning global livestock and meat production. The International Livestock Forum, held each January, is organized in conjunction with the annual National Western Stock Show event, also held in January on the Stock Show grounds in Denver.

“Meeting World and Consumer Demands” was the theme of the 2017 program, and participants heard not only from leaders from CattleFax, JBS, and Colorado Premium Foods, they also heard from CSU President Tony Frank and world-renowned CSU animal sciences faculty members, including Professor Gary Smith, Professor Temple Grandin, and Professor Kevin Pond, who is also head of the Department of Animal Sciences.

“Part of what makes this such an outstanding program is that we

attract students from across the United States and all over the world who apply for these fellowships so that they can travel to Colorado and hear from the greatest minds in academia and industry,” said Pond.

Each year, 20 students are selected from a highly competitive pool of nearly 100 applicants to attend the three-day forum. Students from Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, and Uganda, as well as from universities in Illinois, Ohio, Texas, and Nebraska have participated in the forum, along with many others.

2016

BEEF EXPORTS FROM COLORADO TOTALED

$822M SUPPORTING ABOUT

4,175 JOBS THROUGHOUT THE ECONOMY

Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, speaks to the group.

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TRADEMARKS & ICONS

ABOVE: 2017 Forum attendees with CSU President Tony Frank

Students not only listen to speakers and interact with CSU faculty and staff, they also tour agricultural operations throughout Colorado, such as the Aurora Organic Dairy in Gill, Colo., and the Producer’s Beef Feedlot and JBS Beef Processing Facility in Greeley, Colo. In addition to a day of agricultural tours, the students have the opportunity to attend the worldfamous National Western rodeo and explore the grounds of the National Western Stock Show.

The forum is made possible due to tremendous support from a wide variety of industry and individual sponsors, many of whom are incorporated as featured speakers during the forum’s events. “The International Livestock Forum is a great place to hear the latest issues and topics

affecting the global livestock industry and to hear updates from great speakers who are leaders in the industry,” said Leann Saunders, president of Where Food Comes From, one of the event’s sponsors. “The students are selected for fellowships through a rigorous selection process and now have a great opportunity to create relationships that are critical as these students become leaders in their respective countries.”

In response to positive industry and student feedback, CSU plans to continue this partnership and is preparing to accept applications for next year’s fellows.

“The students are selected for fellowships through a rigorous selection process and now have a great opportunity to create relationships that are critical as these students become leaders in their respective countries.”

Leann Saunders, president of Where Food Comes From

Hands-on Ag Learning

FOR KIDS

Getting kids excited about agriculture and helping them learn where their food comes from are game changers.

With every succeeding generation, people are further and further removed from having direct ties to agriculture.

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TRADEMARKS & ICONS

That is why Colorado State University created the Ag Adventure program, which occurs twice a year – in the fall when 2,000 third-graders are bused to the Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center, or ARDEC, and in January, as part of the National Western Stock Show.

For 15 years, groups of students have taken buses to ARDEC, a working research farm 10 miles north of the CSU campus, as part of Ag Adventure, a hands-on learning experience led by CSU students.

“I would say that this year’s Ag Adventure is as good as it has ever been,” said Marshall Frasier, a professor of agricultural and resource economics who is the faculty leader for Ag Adventure. “Working with these third-graders is an invaluable experience for our students, whether they are agricultural education majors, animal science majors, or agricultural business majors. Without a doubt, the kinds of interactions that our students are leading with these third-graders cannot be taught in a classroom.”

Six learning centers were set up throughout the ARDEC complex, and students spent 20 minutes at each center before rotating to the next one.

Stations covered topics such as fruits and vegetables, meat safety, farm safety, wool, horses, soil conservation, and animal digestion. Ten CSU undergraduate students served on the committee that organized and executed Ag Adventure, and they were joined by many other students from across the college, including from a number of student organizations.

“I LOVE BEING A PART OF THIS BECAUSE OF THE CHANCE TO BUILD BRIDGES AND TO HELP PEOPLE WHO DON’T REALIZE THAT THEY EXPERIENCE AGRICULTURE ON A DAILY BASIS.” Melanie Calderwood, academic support coordinator in the CSU Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and staff student leader for Ag Adventure

In January, College of Agricultural Sciences’ students support an Ag Adventure experience set up within the National Western Stock Show building. Located next to the CSU

booth on the third floor of the Hall of Education, Ag Adventure is another interactive demonstration that partners with commodity groups to teach children where their food comes from. The exhibit includes information from the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado Farm Bureau and commodity groups such as beef, dairy, eggs, potatoes, corn, wheat, and honey producers. On average, more than 70,000 people visit Ag Adventure during the run of the Stock Show.

“I love being a part of this because of the chance to build bridges and to help people who don’t realize that they experience agriculture on a daily basis,” said Melanie Calderwood, who leads the students who staff Ag Adventure. Calderwood is an academic support coordinator in the CSU Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. “It’s such an important part of agriculture to help everyone understand and appreciate where their food comes from.”

Student groups have already begun planning both the 2017 fall Ag Adventure and the 2018 Ag Adventure at the National Western Stock Show.

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New Departmental and Amy Charkowski, head, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management Professor Amy Charkowski joined Colorado State University after spending more than 15 years as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serving as a resource for that state’s potato industry. Charkowski’s research has provided significant insights into enhancing disease resistance in potato breeding. She served as director of the highly regarded Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program, which includes a tissue culture laboratory, an early-generation seed potato farm, and a regulatory program. In addition, her research team developed a participatory potato trialing program for organic potato farmers in the Midwest, with the goal of helping farmers from all sectors access healthy seed potatoes.

“Professor Charkowski blends outstanding academic research with a strong record of mentoring graduate students and junior faculty, and leading a successful

research focuses on development of fertilizers and soil fertility management approaches that optimize plant and human nutrition while protecting environmental quality. In the past, she focused on improving manure management practices to optimize soil quality and crop production while minimizing environmental impacts. In recent years, her work has focused on nutrient management in fruit and vegetable systems. Overall, Davis has sought to solve real-world problems by working closely with both organic and conventional growers and many other stakeholders. She believes that scientists must work closely with practitioners of all kinds to make a real difference in the world.

“Professor Davis’s strong commitment to global impact of research, student growth and professional development, engagement with research centers, and commodity and constituent groups, and outstanding science will serve her well as she takes on the responsibilities of leading the talented team currently in place within the department,” said Dean Menon.

research group, as well as working with individual farmers and industry groups,” said Ajay Menon, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. “She will bring new ideas and thoughtful perspectives for growing the impact and influence of the department’s work.”

Jessica Davis, head, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture For more than 20 years, professor and Extension specialist, Jessica Davis, produced cutting-edge soil management research in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University. Now, Davis has entered a new role as head of the CSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Davis’s

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Mark Brick, head, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences Professor Mark Brick was named head of the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences in 2016 for a two-year term. He has been on the faculty in the department since 1981. He earned a Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1980, an M.S. in agronomy from the University of Arizona in 1975, and a B.S. in crop science from the University of WisconsinRiver Falls in 1972. He grew up on a dairy farm in eastern Wisconsin, which he operated prior to military service. His professional activities and interests have included seed certification, seed production, plant breeding, statistics, and health properties of pulse crops. He has released 10 dry edible bean varieties and 12 germplasm lines since 1992. His research interests

AG FAMILY

AES Leadership in breeding include breeding for disease resistance, high-yield potential, upright plant architecture, and health benefits of dry beans in the diet of humans.

department, developing its vision, and achieving its

”We are pleased that Professor Brick will serve as

of agricultural and natural resource systems.”

goals and objectives in pursuit of global pre-eminence in the safety and security of food and the sustainability

the department head,” said Dean Menon. “He is a longtime faculty member with detailed knowledge of the department’s research, teaching, and engagement expertise. He is a valued collaborator within his department and across the college. He will provide strong and steady leadership over the next year, as the department undertakes a search for a new head.”

Hayley Chouinard, head, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics Professor Hayley Chouinard began her role as head of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in July 2017 after more than 15 years as a faculty member at Washington State University. Her research focuses on the consumer demand for food products, the impact of nutrition information on consumer food choices and health outcomes, natural resource use, and gaining access to natural resources. A prolific author, her many publications have covered topics such as the influence of packing size on consumer decisions and the impact of gasoline price differences on taxes and pollution. She serves as associate editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and served as co-editor of the Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

Gene Kelly, deputy director, Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station; associate dean for Extension There are few people who know Colorado soil as well as Professor Gene Kelly. As a professor of pedology and former head of Colorado State University’s Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Kelly is an expert in soil science, ecosystem ecology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental forensics. Kelly is now leveraging that knowledge and his research experience in his new role. AES is the administrative entity that oversees eight research centers across the state of Colorado. These centers conduct research that addresses the economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social acceptability of activities impacting agriculture, natural resources, and consumers in Colorado. Researchers housed at the centers focus their work on commodities and sustainable management of agricultural landscapes.

As associate dean for Extension, Kelly helps facilitate the Extension activities of faculty members across the campus, especially those housed within the college.

“Professor Kelly is a national and international expert in pedology and related scientific inquiries, and his work has contributed to major breakthroughs with regard to our understanding of soil formation,

“We are excited to have Professor Chouinard join

the role of plants in soil evolution, and the place

the Department of Agricultural and Resource

of soils in the global agricultural ecosystem,” said

Economics, said Dean Menon. “Her outstanding record

Dean Menon. “His impressive record as a research

of accomplishments in leading research, teaching,

scientist, teacher and faculty member will serve him

and engagement in applied economics shows that

well in this new role.”

she is fundamentally well suited in stewarding the

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TRADEMARKS & ICONS

Casting a LEP-NET HI-RES IMAGES OF BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS COMING TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU Butterflies and moths can’t take selfies – at least not yet. But pictures of them can be incredibly compelling and insightful, which is why the National Science Foundation has awarded nearly $4 million to 24 institutions, including Colorado State University, to capture hi-resolution images of Lepidoptera, the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths. The project, Lep-Net, will take place over four years, with the ultimate goal of digitizing more than 1.7 million specimen records and integrating those images with the more than 1 million records already in place.

Paul Opler, a professor in CSU’s Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management and associate director of CSU’s C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, will spearhead the University’s contribution to the image database, which will account for 10 percent of the total number of images.

The primary focus of the project is databasing almost 160,000 butterfly and moth specimens in the museum’s holdings, which are estimated to be about a half million.

The NSF funding allowed the team to purchase a high-resolution sophisticated camera system, dubbed “The Little Kahuna,” which captures images at six times the resolution of those previously cataloged.

Arctia caja subsp. utahensis, taken from Roan Plateau, Garfield County, Colo., cir. 1996. Donated by C.P. Slater.

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“Images of North American butterflies and moths have never before been cataloged in this way,” said Opler.

“Importantly, this image database will not simply be a resource for scientists, but we fully expect the database to be used for community outreach, since the images will be available for teachers, educators, and the general public.”

An additional component of the project is Lep-Snap where users of an app designed for mobile phones can take pictures of butterflies and moths, upload them, and have them identified. The identification is not done by experts but rather by the program itself, which uses the vast array of images collected to compare and analyze new pictures uploaded by individuals.

The project is relying heavily on the work of research associates drawn from the local community. Chuck Harp, an acknowledged expert on butterflies and moths, serves as a full-time research associate for the project, and he leads the day-to-day work of 11 or more students and citizen scientists who do most of the databasing work.

“The Lep-Net project, funded through the NSF grant and iDigBio, allows us to document and to preserve vital biological data from specimens housed in the C.P. Gillette Museum from several scientific pioneers from the past 100 years,” said Harp. “I accepted this job to honor their efforts for the public and for further scientific studies. It has been my pleasure to be a part of this project to ensure the specimens and data contained on the labels are shared for all to use.”

“Importantly, this image database will not simply be a resource for scientists, but we fully expect the database to be used for community outreach, since the images will be available for teachers, educators, and the general public.”

Paul Opler, professor in CSU’s Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management and associate director of CSU’s C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity

Pam Piombino is volunteer associate who is focused primarily on butterfly identification. “Many people describe Lepidoptera as the glamour insects because they are so beautiful, especially when viewed up close and at high resolution,” said Piombino.

“But Lepidoptera also perform many essential functions in nature including pollinating plants and serving as a protein source for predators.”

Papilio canadensis, taken from Yukon Territories, cir. 1969. Donated

by R.E. Stanford.

The team is hopeful that the project may someday expand to other arthropods, but the immediate plans are to continue documenting Lepidoptera. The database currently has approximately 32,000 images with 1,500 uploaded onto the website, which can be accessed at: http://symbiota4.acis.ufl.edu/scan/ portal/index.php.

Megathymus yuccae subsp. reubeni, taken from nr. Carrizozo, N.M., cir. 2007.

Donated by C.E. Harp.

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BIG IDEAS

CREATING A NEXUS FOR

EQUINE-ASSISTED ACTIVITIES AND THERAPIES

By Adam Daurio

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE HUMANITY WITHOUT HORSES. Horses are part of our landscape, part of our souls. But there is something deeper, a connection with these powerful, yet gentle creatures that is felt in the heart. Those who work, volunteer, or participate in equine-assisted activities and therapies, or EAAT, programs intuitively know that horses can help participants therapeutically. There are numerous cases where contact with and caring for horses calms and heals, reaching beyond the person’s disability and trauma to free them and improve their lives.

Contact with and caring for horses calms and heals, reaching beyond the person’s disability and trauma to free them.

Although there is significant anecdotal evidence that EAAT sessions have helped those individuals with significant physical, cognitive, and psychological challenges, additional research based on rigorous scientific studies that would substantiate these improvements is needed.

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Temple Grandin Equine Center The College of Agricultural Sciences is currently raising funds to build the Temple Grandin Equine Center, the physical location for equine-assisted activity and therapy research and education on the Fort Collins campus.

This project has been buoyed by support from two generous gifts.

Doug and Vivian Newton, founders of the Trail Foundation and Rocky Top Therapy Center, have committed $1 million toward the construction of the Temple Grandin Equine Center. Rocky Top Therapy Center was founded 27 years ago in Keller, Texas, and became one of the largest

In an effort to advance EAAT research and education, Colorado State University has established the Temple Grandin Equine Center, a facility that will be the home of EAAT research and innovation on the Fort Collins campus, which will also have a satellite location in Denver that will focus on community outreach.

Because CSU’s equine sciences, veterinary medicine, and occupational therapy programs are consistently top-ranked in the country, the University can leverage its expertise and scholarship to develop sciencebased research outcomes that may lead to more widespread support for EAAT as a treatment funded by insurance programs. Other programs at CSU that will play a central role in EAAT research and education include psychology, social work, and animal sciences. This interdisciplinary approach mirrors EAAT’s inclusive industry, which includes animal sciences, the medical and mental health professions, participants and clients from the special-needs community, military veterans, and general equine enthusiasts.

Another focus of EAAT at CSU will be to improve the well-being of horses

who work in the EAAT field. To do this, the center will collaborate with CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on research efforts that will study the welfare of therapy horses in EAAT programs.

CSU researchers will educate and train individuals on how to choose the general type of horses suitable for these therapeutic roles and then how to determine which particular horses are appropriate in each specific situation. For instance, the requirements for a horse to work with children who are on the autism spectrum, who may make sudden noises or movements, will be different than for a horse working in an unmounted equine-facilitated psychotherapy session or one in an interactive vaulting program.

therapeutic riding centers in the United States, featuring a number of programs, including therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, the Right Trail program (for at-risk youth) and Heroes for Horses (a program for veterans). “With my extensive experience with EAAT and knowing firsthand the need for research, this program was especially exciting to me,” said Doug Newton.

The Bender Foundation has committed $1.1 million toward the construction of the Temple Grandin Equine Center. Eileen Greenberg, daughter of Sondra and Howard Bender and trustee of the Bender Foundation,

CSU will be at the cutting edge of EAAT research, research that will undoubtedly improve the lives of humans and horses.

Horses have helped civilize humanity, and, today, they continue to shape people’s lives through advancements in therapy and medicine.

recalls her first volunteering experi-

Adam Daurio is the director of administration and outreach at the Temple Grandin Equine Center.

to elevate, enlighten, and encourage

ence in an EAAT session as “a lovefest that took place between the horse, the child with special needs, the therapist, and the volunteers.”

Bender states that “the Bender Foundation is supporting the TGEC students learning equine-assisted therapy and professionals already practicing in the field. CSU is uniquely positioned to handle this emerging field as experts in the equine world and as an excellent academic and research University.”

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JBS GIFT HELPS ESTABLISH NEW

GLOBAL FOOD INNOVATION CENTER

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THANKS TO A SUBSTANTIAL GIF T FROM ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING GLOBAL FOOD COMPANIES, JBS® USA, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSIT Y HAS begun construction on the JBS Global Food Innovation Center in Honor of Gary & Kay Smith, a new $20 million facility that will advance best practices in food safety, meat sciences, and animal handling and welfare. On March 27, 2017, a groundbreaking event was held to announce the gift and to celebrate this new, innovative facility.

JBS USA has entered into a strategic partnership with Colorado State University that is currently valued at $12.5 million. This unique partnership includes a $7.5 million philanthropic contribution to build the JBS Global Food Innovation Center at the University and an employee educational programming investment valued at $5 million.

TRADEMARKS & ICONS

The state-of-the-art facility will enrich CSU’s teaching and research in meat sciences, as well as offer a space for industry collaboration through continuing education and training, and equipment development and testing, and a place to engage in meaningful dialogue to advance the animal agriculture industry. Students will learn about meat processing in a hands-on environment that is not currently available in existing CSU facilities.

“We have had a long-standing research and academic partnership with JBS USA, and this gift will allow us to cement that relationship for years to come,” said Ajay Menon, dean of CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “This facility is designed to provide our students with the handson experiences that will position them for careers in industry and academia, especially as they work alongside faculty members who are producing innovations in food safety, food security, and animal welfare.”

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TRADEMARKS & ICONS

LEFT: CSU President Tony Frank speaks at the groundbreaking. ABOVE: Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA, speaks about his company's partnership with CSU.

THE INNOVATION AND EDUCATION THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN THIS NEW FACILITY WILL HELP TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF DYNAMIC FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL LEADERS IN COLORADO AND ACROSS THE NATION. Andre Nogueira CEO of JBS USA

JBS USA grew through the acquisition of a number of leading meat processing companies with which CSU had decades-long relationships, including Swift & Company, Smithfield Beef, and Five Rivers. Dating back to the creation of the cattle-feeding industry in Colorado by the Monfort family, W.D. Farr, and Bill Webster, CSU’s Meat Sciences program has played a leading role in advising industry and producing innovations that have helped ensure meat products are safe and secure. For example, the new facility will have spaces dedicated to testing packaging and developing food products, reflecting the fact that ready-toeat foods and packaging is a growing area within the meat industry. Additionally, the new building will have a culinary kitchen and demonstration area as well as a retail meat and dairy store with a café.

The facility will also include an educational space designed by CSU Professor Temple Grandin, where students will learn about animal handling and welfare in a hands-on setting. Led by Grandin, a world-renowned professor of animal sciences and animal welfare expert, CSU has played a leading role in enhancements to animal handling and well-being.

“Many of our most promising young team members come to JBS from Colorado State University,” said Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA. “While we enjoy a

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global presence, the location of our North American headquarters in Greeley makes Colorado a special place for our company.

The innovation and education that will take place in this new facility will help to train the next generation of dynamic food and agricultural leaders in Colorado and across the nation.”

Professor Emeritus Gary Smith, who, along with his late wife, Kay, are honored in the naming of the building, held one of CSU’s oldest endowed chairs, the Monfort Chair, and spent more than 20 years as a professor in CSU’s Department of Animal Sciences. Smith, a world-renowned expert in meat science and food safety, is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus and serves as a visiting professor of animal sciences and special adviser to CSU President Tony Frank. The agricultural industry has long relied on Smith’s expertise and innovations in food safety.

“This remarkable gift solidifies the longstanding partnership that CSU and JBS USA have built over the years,” said Brett Anderson, the then-vice president for University Advancement. “It helps us create a platform to deliver the world’s leading science and education in food, food systems, and food safety. It allows CSU to continue to pursue excellence and innovation in agriculture and to prepare future industry leaders.”

BIG IDEAS

Bringing Colorado

TO GUATEMALA WHEN STEVE NEWMAN IS ON CAMPUS AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY, he is in charge of operations at the new CSU Horticulture Center and collaborates with county Extension faculty as well as the state’s greenhouse industry to develop best practices for commercial crop production.

Newman, a professor in CSU's Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, also spends time traveling to other countries to share those best practices and learn from producers in other parts of the world. For example, in 2016, he went to Guatemala as part of the Partners of the Americas USAID Farmer-to-Farmer program, which provides technical assistance to agricultural producers, organizations, agribusinesses, and universities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Guatemala is recognized as a leader in nontraditional agricultural exports such

as snow peas, green beans, mini-vegetables, and fruits.

Other commodities such as sugar cane, bananas, maize, coffee, and cacao also help drive Guatemala’s agricultural sector, which makes up 23 percent of that country’s gross domestic product. The country also has a vibrant and growing ornamental plant and flower industry in which more than 150 producers and exporters grow more than 80 species and 200 varieties of plants.

“Domestic consumption is not what drives the ornamental industry in Guatemala,” said Newman. “It is the exports of these plants to other Central American countries, Europe and, to a certain degree, the United States, that keep people employed, helping them to earn a modest living and ultimately climb out of poverty.” An estimated 54 percent of Guatemalans live in poverty.

Specialists like Newman spend two to three weeks a year in a country working on specific technical assignments while interfacing directly with their counterparts in the region to address local needs.

Newman’s trip was designed to help Guatemalan producers learn best practices for greenhouse management and for sustained plant growth. Pest management is also a pressing issue for growers, as it is in Colorado, although the pests are different in Guatemala.

“There is no question that our department and college have a global impact,” said Jessica Davis, head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. “We have expertise that can change lives around the world, and it is our obligation and privilege as a land-grant University to address challenges in the United States and abroad.”

Newman with fellow Farmer to Farmer volunteer Usha Palaniswamy on the right and the production team at Tak Central America’s Guatemala greenhouse.

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ENGAGING WITH PRODUCERS AND THE COMMUNITY IN TODOS SANTOS Students taking a course on sustainable agriculture at Colorado State University have found themselves traveling to Mexico quite often these days.

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But the students aren’t heading south to enjoy the sun and the waves – they are working with the local community in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, to understand agricultural landscapes and improve agricultural production.

In 2015, a group of students, led by faculty members Suellen Melzer and Addy Elliott from the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, visited Todos Santos to learn more about the regional agriculture and to develop ideas on how agricultural systems – conventional, organic, and mixed – continue to shape the region. They spent time building relationships with the local community and agricultural constituents, partnered with the local university in La Paz, and interfaced with government agencies including CIBNOR, the Mexican equivalent of USDA. When the group traveled back in October 2016, they were able to turn some of their ideas into actionable plans and were able to act on a number of projects.

BIG IDEAS

The group leveraged local carpentry skills to facilitate the construction of a food-grade passive solar dehydrator that can process up to 100 pounds of produce in a couple of days.

Hairik Honarchian, a student pursuing a Master of Agriculture, played a leading role in assembling the dehydrator.

Stakeholder interest identified food preservation as an opportunity to grow niche markets for the Todos Santos foodshed. The group leveraged local carpentry skills to facilitate the construction of a foodgrade passive solar dehydrator that can process up to 100 pounds of produce in a couple of days. Hairik Honarchian, a student pursuing a Master of Agriculture, played a leading role in assembling the dehydrator.

“The dehydrator will prove itself to be a valuable asset, both for the local food producers, as well as for U.S. and Mexican students who will visit the center and learn about it and experiment with it,” said Honarchian.

“It is a device that can help generate added value to the food products that are already being produced, and, thus, be helpful economically; it would reduce post-harvest food waste. And it will do all these in an environmentally friendly manner. It is solely powered by sun, and, therefore, has a zero carbon footprint when being operated.”

regional agronomists to determine best practices given the environmental setting. This project was initiated by transplanting native aloe vera, lomboy, jojoba, and prickly pear along the slope dividing two of the agricultural fields. Additionally, locally derived farm-based organic materials were incorporated into the fields and water capture and transfer systems were assessed, with the goal of building soil health.

The CSU students engaged with the local youth to better understand how they may participate in agriculture as they make decisions along their career paths.

Tabitha Covey, who was, at the time, a senior studying soil and crop sciences, found this trip, along with the others she has taken, to be invaluable

learning experiences. “To be able to participate in this level of experiential learning is a phenomenal gift that strengthened my understanding of carrying out a project in sustainable agriculture in a foreign land,” said Covey. “This trip to Todos Santos was thoroughly engaging and gave students the experience of engaging the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental.”

“It is important to note that this will be an evolving project,” said Melzer.

“We are planning biennial visits with students from our course, and we will continue to develop new farm and community projects including a dehydrator workshop, using locally grown mangos, and the planting of precipitation-fed cover crops to continue building soil organic matter and soil health on the fields.”

The group assessed land conservation needs at the CSU Todos Santos Center farm and began an erosion control project. They met with several government and

Fall 2016 Sustainable Agriculture class participants

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&

Humans

A DESIRE TO HELP

One doesn’t often hear about students who major in equine science and microbiology, but the overlap between those two areas of study means that what we learn about improving horse health can be translated into human treatments.

For WechonHpecala “Star” Ray, a senior double-majoring in equine science and microbiology, bridging these two disciplines means that when she becomes a veterinarian, she will be able to apply her knowledge of horse and human functions and disease to improve quality of life for both species.

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&

Horses

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Ray’s journey to Colorado State University followed a somewhat nontraditional path – she transferred to CSU after earning her vet tech certification at Front Range Community College.

She was inspired to apply to CSU by her brother, Justin, who always spoke highly of CSU, despite attending a different university. “He always told me what a prestigious University CSU is,” said Ray. “And if I wanted to study from the best faculty members in equine sciences, animal sciences, and veterinary medicine, CSU was the place to be.”

After growing up on two Native American reservations, Ray’s family moved to a New Mexico cattle ranch, where her father found better work and more opportunities for the family.

They later moved to Arizona and then to her grandfather’s horse ranch in Wyoming. “Moving around wasn’t easy, but I did get to see the ways in which animal agriculture is applied in a number of settings and, in almost every place that we lived, I was able to maintain my connection to animals and the land,” said Ray. Equine science and microbiology weren’t the first areas of study that Ray pursued. She was a zoology major initially and later transferred into equine sciences so that she could spend more time focused on horse health. Once in equine sciences, an adviser thought she should also pursue a psychology degree, but she soon realized that studies in psychology did not apply directly to her career interests. After meeting with a microbiology adviser, she could see how research on parasites and other diseases in horses can impact what we know about similar diseases in humans.

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If I wanted to study from the best faculty members in equine sciences, animal sciences, and veterinary medicine, CSU was the place to be.

WechonHpecala “Star� Ray, a senior doublemajoring in equine science and microbiology

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“My work in both majors will make me unique among other applicants to veterinary school,” said Ray. “Having an understanding of both horse and human genetics will allow me to conduct research that is innovative and groundbreaking and speaks directly to work done at CSU bridging animal and human disease and treatment.”

Ray is looking forward to applying to veterinary schools as she gets closer to her Spring 2019 graduation. She enjoys working with faculty members in the Equine Sciences program including Assistant Professor Stephen Coleman, who studies horse genetics, Professor Jason Bruemmer, who studies horse reproduction, and Associate Professor Tanja Hess, who studies animal disease and equine nutrition. “Star is a

Having an understanding of both horse and human genetics will allow me to conduct research that is innovative and groundbreaking and speaks directly to work done at CSU bridging animal and human disease and treatment.

WechonHpecala “Star” Ray, a senior doublemajoring in equine science and microbiology

dedicated student who is very interested in sciences,” said Hess. “She is always helpful and trustworthy, which is why we are especially excited that she will be our teaching assistant for our equine disease management course this fall.”

An officer in CSU’s Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapy Club, Ray is also an active volunteer with CSU’s Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapy program, where she has worked with children with physical and developmental disabilities and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I am incredibly grateful for the guidance from the professors I have worked with and the support I have received from my fellow students,” said Ray. “Together, they have helped me become a better horsewoman.”

horsewoman

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AG FAMILY

LOOMIS SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS FOUR DECADES OF WORK

After 40 years as a leading scholar in the field of environmental and resource economics, John Loomis, a professor in Colorado State University’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, was honored with a one-day symposium in December 2016 that brought together leading disciplinary scholars, colleagues and friends in the department, and representatives from federal, state, and local agencies.

“Dr. Loomis is a highly respected and gifted economist and teacher. His commitment to his research program ranged from high-impact theoretical contributions to broad metrics intended to catalyze public debates,” said Randall Rosenberger, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University.

Rosenberger was one of the many speakers at the symposium who have worked with Loomis, an internationally recognized expert Loomis and understand the wide-ranging in economic valuation of nonmarketed natural impact of his work. Other speakers included resources, announced his retirement in 2016 faculty members from Virginia Tech, the after serving as a faculty member at CSU since University of Colorado, the University of 1993. His scholarship includes four books Wyoming, the University of Georgia, and the and more than 250 refereed journal University of Montana, as well as articles, and he has served in leaderrepresentatives from government It was an incredible honor to ship positions in the field’s profesagencies including the National Park sional organizations.

Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and celebrate my retirement with the Bureau of Land Management.

“John is an intellectual leader my wonderful colleagues All of the speakers noted the role among economists in addressing that Loomis’s research has played the complex questions associated in the department and in the development of government with valuing assets that don’t trade policies focused on natural resource in the marketplace,” said Greg Perry, throughout the country. preservation and his instrumental the then-head of the Department of role in training the next generation John Loomis, Department of Agricultural Agricultural and Resource Economics. and Resource Economics of agricultural and resource “Whether it be wilderness access, economists. preservation of old-growth forests, or the existence of national parks, “It was an incredible honor to policymakers need these kinds of estimates to aid in setting celebrate my retirement with my wonderful colleagues in policies that preserve and protect such resources.” the department and throughout the country,” said Loomis.

“It was particularly touching to see and hear from my former Most recently, Loomis co-authored a study with Professor Linda graduate students at the symposium. The day ended for Bilmes of Harvard University and Michelle Haefele at CSU on me on an emotional high note with my induction into the the total economic value, or TEV, of the national parks in which department’s Hall of Fame.” they found that whether individuals use the parks or not, the TEV of the national parks system is estimated to be $92 billion.

PUBLISHED: SERVED AS MAJOR PROFESSOR FOR

62

GRADUATE STUDENTS

RECEIVED DISTINGUISHED CAREER AWARD FROM THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES IN

BOOKS

$6M IN GRANTS OVER HIS

JOURNAL ARTICLES

FOUR

BROUGHT IN ABOUT

SERVED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMISTS

2000-2001

24

YEARS AT CSU

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BIG IDEAS

FOR MORE THAN

100 YEARS Colorado State University has operated a seedstock cowherd, including registered Hereford and Angus cattle

ARDEC CURRENTLY HAS

FIFTYTHREE ACTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS, with a full time staff of 11.

ARDEC operates in 2 locations, within 3 miles of each other, for a total of

996 AC R E S

.

Due to the nature of the livestock and agronomy operations, ARDEC is staffed

365 DAYS A YEAR.

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HANDS-ON

Education on University’s Working Farm NOT ALL LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITIES HAVE WORKING FARMS WHERE STUDENTS CAN EXPERIENCE AGRICULTURE BY WORKING IN FIELDS and with animals. At Colorado State University, such a working farm has been in place in the current location, north of Fort Collins, for nearly 25 years. Beginning in fall of 2016, students were bused out to CSU’s research farm and livestock facility twice a week to see firsthand how what they have learned in the classroom can be applied in a real-world setting.

The Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center, or ARDEC, is just 10 miles or 25 minutes north of the Fort Collins campus, and the working farm houses research related to soil, crop, horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, weed science, water, and animal sciences, as well as the CoBank Center for Agricultural Education.

Although ARDEC has been the name for many years, the facility is more aptly referred to as Campus North, considered part of the Fort Collins campus where the systematic teaching

of courses began in earnest during the 2016-2017 academic year.

“We have a tremendous learning space in ARDEC, one that we really hadn’t fully used for teaching,” said Ken Barbarick, associate dean for academic programs in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

“There is only so much we can show students in classrooms and laboratories.

Getting students out in the field has a tremendous impact on their ability to apply what they have learned.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday in the fall and spring, approximately 150 students boarded buses on campus that took them to ARDEC, where they spent the day attending classes in animal sciences, agricultural education, and agricultural and resource economics.

“I found that teaching a course with a cohort out at ARDEC increased student engagement,” said Rebecca Hill, a research scientist and scholar who teaches courses in agricultural and resource economics. “Students seemed to be much more comfortable speaking up and asking questions in front of their cohort.”

Our students are passionate advocates Whether viewing irrigation ditches or livestock measurement instruments, students got to see agriculture in action, learning from the 11 ARDEC professional staff members as well as the faculty members who taught classes.

“In any degree program, experiences are important, but, especially in the field of agriculture, getting hands-on experience is essential to really grasping a lot of the concepts,” said Diane Hanson, a junior majoring in animal science and agricultural education. “Having classes at ARDEC allows students to have traditional lecture for the first part of class, then take a quick two-minute walk outside and get actual interaction with livestock, allowing me to better apply the concepts I am learning.”

for agriculture — a passion developed from doing, and really living, agriculture.

That kind of immersion is ultimately made possible by having a space like ARDEC. James Pritchett, executive associate dean in the College of Agricultural Sciences

Hands-on education isn’t limited to walking in fields or interacting with animals. Sometimes, just being in a space like ARDEC, with its own history and vibrancy, can inspire students.

“I find the location of ARDEC to be a great asset to my class,” said Mike Martin, an assistant professor of agricultural education. “Whether we are talking about major events in history or philosophical movements in agriculture, being able to walk around the facilities or study the imagery present in the CoBank Center for Agricultural Education adds value to the class experience for my students.”

The college plans to continue taking students to ARDEC and even to expand some of the course offerings and experiential opportunities.

“We know that we are positioning students for success beyond CSU, when we get them these kinds of experiences,” said James Pritchett, executive associate dean in the College of Agricultural Sciences. “Our students are passionate advocates for agriculture – a passion developed from doing, and really living, agriculture. That kind of immersion is ultimately made possible by having a space like ARDEC.” College of Agricultural Sciences | 2 7

BIG IDEAS

SMART FARMING

How Big Data and the Internet of Things are Poised to Transform Agriculture

By Jay Ham Smart farming has many definitions, but in general, it refers to using the latest digital technology to make good management decisions on the farm and along the entire agricultural supply chain. In today’s info-intense world, good decision-making is dependent on having good data ­— and lots of it.

Jonathan Rosenberg, former senior vice president at Google, once said “data is the sword of the 21st century, those who wield it well, the samurai.” We are on the cusp of a data tsunami – data coming in so fast, so variable, and so voluminous that we cannot analyze it with traditional methods, which has inspired the term big data. Rosenberg’s samurai analogy is apt, because those leading the next agricultural revolution will likely use

Agriculture Internet of Things Examples of IoT include: ■

Soil moisture probes in irrigated fields

■

Tractor-engine monitors

■

Humidity sensors in greenhouses

■

Dairy cow monitoring collars

■

Water-quality sensors at packing plants

■

Inventory status monitors along the supply chain

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big data tools to make almost every decision in a rapidly changing, competitive, and risky environment.

The importance of big data in agriculture is being driven by advances in another technology called the Internet of Things, or IoT. IoT is a network of physical sensors and devices that are connected to the Internet and report real-time data. These sensors usually have wireless connections to the Internet, and results are live-streamed to the cloud, a network of computer servers across the globe that store the data. But real-time data in the cloud is not very useful by itself – this is where data analytics, cognitive computing, and artificial intelligence come into play.

The big question is: How do you take all this data and create new information that can help someone in agriculture make the best decisions? Ultimately, it all comes back to decision-making.

For example, data science can help farmers make irrigation decisions by synthesizing a number of data points – data from soil moisture sensors in the field, crop status information from drones and satellites, weather forecasts, the cost of water, historical yield monitor information – into one simple indicator. Farmers can

use all of these data to determine when irrigation should happen and may someday even be able to rely on artificial intelligence to make on-farm decisions for them. There will be opportunities to apply big data at every level of agricultural business management.

The College of Agricultural Sciences recognizes how big data, data analytics, and IoT will transform agriculture.

Efforts are underway to increase faculty expertise and enhance our research infrastructure to support data science. Students and employers alike realize that learning to think like a data scientist will be an essential skill for students trained in agriculture. Our students won’t be data scientists per se, but will have enough understanding to communicate with professional data scientists when solving real-world problems. In Fall 2017, our college is offering a class on agricultural IoT – a hands-on course that is the first of its kind in the nation. Our leadership team is also reaching out to potential industry partners, such as IBM, Dell, and others to help foster close Universityindustry collaborations. All of these efforts will position our college to become a recognized leader in big data and Ag-IoT. Smart farming indeed!

Jay Ham is a professor in CSU’s Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.

AG FAMILY

TAKING AG INTO

INDUSTRY

Not all students who pursue Ph.D.s at Colorado State University plan on becoming faculty members. In fact, many Ph.D. students in the College of Agricultural Sciences go on to careers in industry where they produce innovations and conduct research within a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Such was the case for Derek Sebastian who worked with Bayer throughout his master’s and doctoral degrees, ultimately finishing his doctoral degree from the Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management in May 2017. He joined Bayer’s vegetation management stewardship and development team in February 2017.

Sebastian’s research at CSU focused on the use of indaziflam (Esplanade® 200 SC) as a potential new herbicide alternative to provide long-term control of invasive winter annual grasses, such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum).

Cheatgrass infests more than 50 million acres in the United States and poses a major threat to Western landscapes.

Sebastian, CSU faculty members, Bayer, and county collaborators conducted research demonstrating that indaziflam has the potential to provide a long-term cheatgrass solution and allow for the recovery of native plant communities, addressing a problem with a much-needed solution.

“Derek’s project is great example of looking at a serious problem from a different perspective and seeing a possible solution,” said Scott Nissen,

a professor in the Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management and Sebastian’s doctoral adviser. “Working cooperatively with local open space land managers, Derek determined that this new product could provide several years of downy brome control with a single application.

Because downy brome is an annual plant with a very short seed life in soil, eliminating seed production is the key to long-term management. Indaziflam may prove to be the tool we need to remove downy brome seeds from the soil seed bank.”

By working with Nissen and other researchers in CSU’s Weed Research Lab, Sebastian was able to gain the knowledge and experience that would make him an asset to companies focused on agricultural innovation.

“Our lab was a tight-knit group,” said Sebastian. “We worked in a collaborative atmosphere, and I always felt free to bounce ideas off other graduate students and faculty, no matter how unusual those ideas may have been.”

Untreated area (left), dominated by invasive grass, and an area treated with Esplanade® 200 SC herbicide (right)

By discovering an entirely new market for an herbicide, Bayer saw tremendous potential in Sebastian, having funded his master’s and Ph.D. research.

Sebastian’s work has not only had an impact as a new product for Bayer, but it is already improving rangelands throughout Colorado. “We already see active operational programs in some Colorado counties that are using the tools developed at CSU to convert weed-infested open space into productive native vegetation habitats,” said Harry Quicke, Western VM stewardship and development manager at Bayer.

“The benefits are substantial, including reduction in wildfire risk, increasing species diversity, improvement in wildlife and pollinator habitat, and better recreational experiences.”

Sebastian’s work at CSU wasn’t limited to fields and labs. He also helped lead the ninth Annual Colorado Weed Network/CSU Summer Field Tour, where more than 100 representatives from academia, industry, and federal agencies as well as county weed managers toured CSU’s cheatgrass research plots. He also traveled throughout the United States and to the Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, and Brazil to attend academic meetings and present at conferences.

“Getting my Ph.D. at CSU really opened up doors for me,” said Sebastian. “I am confident that the faculty and staff who I worked with have positioned me for a career that will have a global impact.”

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Animal Sciences Alumna Teaches Food Safety at Iowa State University As outbreaks of foodborne illnesses continue to make headlines across the United States, training the next generation of food safety experts has taken on increasing importance in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University.

Shannon Coleman, who graduated with a Ph.D. in animal sciences in 2015, is now an assistant professor at Iowa State University. She is an expert who is helping reduce the transmission of such illnesses through innovative research and educating consumer food producers about food safety.

Coleman, who is both an assistant professor in the Department of Food Sciences and Human Nutrition and a human sciences Extension and outreach specialist at Iowa State, studied the transmission of foodborne pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella in fresh produce settings, focusing on water as a source of transmission.

“Not only is Shannon a brilliant young scientist, but she is also one of the most delightful and kind personalities that you will ever encounter,” said Dale Woerner, associate professor of animal sciences as CSU. “She is a rising star, and, with her work in the area of food safety, she will have a tremendous impact on the food industry and every student who she comes into contact with.”

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of her Ph.D. work at CSU, Coleman’s research intersected with faculty members in the Department of Food Sciences and Human Nutrition as well as the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

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“It was unusual that a Ph.D. student from the College of Agricultural Sciences would have a desk in our department, but her time here was mutually beneficial because Shannon collaborated on and contributed to numerous projects and discussions here,” said Marisa Bunning, associate professor of food science and human nutrition and Extension specialist. “The synergistic experience with Shannon prompted us to involve more students from outside of our department in our activities, and she served as a wonderful role model because she has exceptional strategic planning skills.”

Having a dissertation committee drawn from faculty members across three departments in two colleges helped Coleman build her professional network and create a research portfolio that addresses a broad range of food safety issues.

and showed ingenuity and creativity to massage a complicated project into the existing greenhouse facility that we had available.”

Coleman is currently developing a needs assessment for the cottage food industry across the state of Iowa.

She provides resources and technical assistance for consumers who produce foods in their homes, a growing niche industry, as well as develops food safety training to aid small-scale, locally produced, commercial operations.

“There is no question that my work at CSU prepared me to become a faculty member and researcher,” said Coleman. “From learning best practices for writing grant proposals to maintaining professional relationships across departments, colleges, and universities, my graduate education has positioned me for success in my current and future endeavors.”

“My faculty mentors instilled in me the importance of having a robust professional network,” said Coleman. “I had strong working relationships with faculty members across the CSU campus and have established similar collaborative partnerships here at Iowa State.”

One of Coleman’s committee members and mentors was Steve Newman, a floriculture professor and greenhouse crops Extension specialist at CSU, who worked with Coleman as she designed and built a hydroponic system used for her research on tomatoes and the presence of salmonella. “Shannon was one of the hardest-working and committed graduate students that I have worked with in a long time,” said Newman. “She stepped into a challenging project in the greenhouse

Coleman collects leaf samples for her dissertation research with hydroponic tomatoes.

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33 YEARS OF AGRONOMIC SCIENCES FLOURISHES ON THE WESTERN SLOPE FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, CALVIN PEARSON, A PROFESSOR OF SOIL AND CROP SCIENCES AND RESEARCH AGRONOMIST AT COLORADO State University, has served as a resource for farmers and ranchers in western and northwestern Colorado. His research and outreach has helped producers whose crops occupy significant tracts of land and thus require a large amount of inputs, resources, and time. In January 2017, Pearson retired from CSU and from his role at the CSU Research Center in Fruita, Colo., which is part of the Agricultural Experiment Station, but his impact will be felt long after his time at CSU. “Working at an off-campus research center gave me many unique and varied opportunities to conduct research on a broad diversity of issues, crops, and agricultural topics to support the agricultural industry in western and northwestern Colorado,” said Pearson.

One of Pearson’s important research accomplishments is his innovation in the production of sunflowers, which led to the creation of genetically engineered sunflowers that have leaves that may someday be used as a source of natural rubber, potentially providing relief from the burden of importing natural rubber from overseas.

“I worked with Calvin for over 25 years, first as department head and later as director of the Agricultural Experiment Station,” said Lee Sommers, professor emeritus of soil and crop sciences.

“Calvin is an excellent scientist who conducted applied research addressing crop production problems in western Colorado. He was the first research center faculty member to conduct research on sunflowers using biotechnology techniques and was a regular collaborator with research and foundation seed programs for dry beans.”

While working on both sunflower and dry bean research, Pearson also designed and fabricated equipment that enabled the more rapid collection of crop yield data from field plots using less labor. Part of what made Pearson’s appointment unique is that he spent much of his time on the Western Slope of Colorado, not on the Fort Collins campus. There, he was able to work directly with local stakeholders and to apply his research in an environment and climate that was specific to crops found in western Colorado, such as poplar trees, which can be used in a variety of applications.

“Calvin took great pride in serving the citizens of the Grand Valley area, in particular those involved in agriculture,” said Gary “Pete” Peterson, professor emeritus of soil and crop sciences and former head of that department. “He was always there to answer questions and to provide advice regarding how to best manage water and land resources, and he demonstrated a particular interest in unique plants that could have potential for the citizens of the area.”

“Calvin took great pride in serving the citizens of the Grand Valley area, in particular those involved in agriculture.”

Gary "Pete” Peterson, professor emeritus of soil and crop sciences and former head of that department

In retirement, Pearson plans on doing some consulting while still remaining connected to his friends and colleagues at CSU. “I had a wonderful and rewarding career at Colorado State University, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. As professor and research agronomist at an off-campus research center, I was fortunate to enjoy numerous opportunities to work with many excellent colleagues and associates across many disciplines, institutions, agencies, and grower organizations.”

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Food Systems Stakeholders Across Colorado AS COLORADO’S LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY MUST BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS, THE STATE’S VARIED FOOD industry, and consumers who are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and how it was produced.

One of the ways in which CSU addresses issues raised by these groups and many others is by deploying the expertise of CSU’s food systems faculty members, a group that includes a number of faculty members from departments within the College of Agricultural Sciences as well as from some of the University’s other colleges. The food systems team also works closely with several federal (USDA, FDA) and state agencies (including the Colorado departments of Agriculture and Public Health) in collaboration with CSU Extension and county agents.

“Watching the food systems research team evolve alongside CSU Extension’s food systems team is exciting,” said Dawn Thilmany, a professor in CSU's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. “The land-grant mission is well aligned with this team’s commitment to research issues identified by our stakeholders through outreach and engagement, completing relevant research, and then translating it back through Extension, as well as in the classroom and via experiential learning.”

“One reason for our team’s successes to date is our broad collaborations – not just across the Fort Collins campus, but inclusive of the Agricultural Experiment Station Research Centers, Extension, industry, commodity groups, nonprofit organizations, and all levels of government,” said Becca Jablonski, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. “Through meaningful engagement in the field, we can better understand research needs and draw upon our interdisciplinary colleagues to address relevant and timely issues and work to support our stakeholders throughout the state and beyond.”

Many of these projects bring CSU faculty members and expertise directly to communities through workshops, panels, and community forums. In addition to engaging directly with stakeholders, numerous academic and industryfocused articles have also been published as part of this food systems research. Meagan Schipanski, an assistant professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, published “Realizing Resilient Food Systems” in the journal Bioscience, a study that presented a set of strategies to address these complex challenges of producing food for a growing global population, while reducing environmental impacts and increasing resilience in the face of climate change.

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THE CSU TEAM HAS SEVER AL PROJECTS UNDERWAY: • Consumer research on the product attributes (cultivars, nutritional content, taste), certification programs, direct-to-consumer marketing strategies, and labeling choices that may help Colorado farms and food businesses to secure premium prices and loyal customers • Investigation of the economic viability of farms participating in local and regional food systems, complemented by a market channel assessment tool that enables farmers to more easily evaluate their markets • Translating research to support the Colorado Building Farmers program, designed to help new farmers and ranchers explore farming as a business and enhance their business management, production, and marketing skills • E xamining nutrition and physical activity behaviors and environments in early childhood through the Health Behavior Laboratory • Conducting the first national evaluation of Farm to School Programs, which recently received a nearly $500,000 grant from USDA • Research examining the relationship between food systems-led development strategies and rural wealth creation • T he Colorado Blueprint Project is fostering a discussion about the role and vision for food and agricultural programming at CSU and many partner organizations • A USDA-supported toolkit that helps communities reliably evaluate the economic impact of investing in local and regional food systems

For more information on the food systems team and their work, visit foodsystems.colostate.edu.

BIG IDEAS

BRIDGING THE

COMMUNICATION GAP BETWEEN

SCIENCE & PRACTICE For more than 30 years, Colorado State University has been conducting research on dryland cropping systems, systems that are especially important to growers in Colorado who do not see as much precipitation as their counterparts across the country. Steven Rosenzweig, a Ph.D. student studying soil and crop sciences, not only conducts this important dryland cropping research, but he is also committed to raising awareness of CSU’s research in this area among farmers, ranchers, and the general public.

“Sometimes communicating science is just as important as the science itself,” said Rosenzweig. “If we can’t help people understand what kinds of research we are conducting and why it will help their operations, then, to a certain degree, we have failed in our land-grant mission.”

Rosenzweig, who is working with Meagan Schipanski, an assistant professor in CSU’s Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, has written a number of online blogs and articles as well as collaborated with a filmmaker on a short film about dryland farming for the website drylandag.org.

CSU’s dryland cropping systems research focuses on how dryland cropping innovations can help larger producers, those farming in the thousands of acres, increase profitability by improving soil health and reducing economic risks. This research is funded by a $25,000 Graduate Student Grant from WSARE, and a $1 million, threeyear grant from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. CSU researchers are looking at ways to

simultaneously promote profitability and soil health by evaluating the longterm implications of different no-till farming practices. No-till management systems rely on the use of herbicides, which can be hard to maintain and are often expensive to implement.

“Part of what makes Steven such a unique student is that he understands the science and is passionate about communicating this science to broader audiences,” said Schipanski. “Steven’s

“Sometimes communicating science is just as important as the science itself.”

Future Leaders in Science Award from the Soil Science Society of America, the Agronomy Society of America, and the Crop Science Society of America.

This award supported his participation in the 2017 Congressional Visits Day, an annual event that brings graduate students and scientists to Capitol Hill to raise awareness and support for science and research funding. Rosenzweig received policy, communication, and advocacy training on how to work with legislators and their staffs. He also spent time meeting with the Colorado congressional delegation to advocate for food, agricultural, and natural resources research.

Steven Rosenzweig, a Ph.D. student studying soil and crop sciences

work has gone a long way to make our work accessible and to help foster a greater recognition of how our research has a direct impact on producers across the state and region along with its importance to the Colorado economy.”

“It is critical that the story of safe, environmentally friendly farming be told in an effort to help Americans regain their faith in the food supply,” said Curtis Sayles, owner of a dryland family farm in Seibert, Colo.

“Steven’s work goes far to do that and encourages farmers to move toward more sustainable methods as they come to understand that these methods are, in fact, profitable.”

In addition to his blogs and video, Rosenzweig’s work has taken him to Washington, D.C. He received the

Steven Rosenzweig's on-farm research has enabled him to form relationships with many farmers in Colorado and Nebraska.

Hoppy INSIDE THE COLORADO STATE UNIVERSIT Y HORTICULTURE CENTER, PL ANTS DON’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SUMMER SOLSTICE AND THE WINTER SOLSTICE — ESPECIALLY THE HOPS. Because of our collaborative partnership with Philips Lighting, Bill Bauerle, a professor of horticulture and landscape architecture at CSU, produces and harvests hops five times a year — something unique in the United States.

“This is the only location in the United States that is able to produce the product five times a year,” said Bauerle.

CSU’s Horticulture Center is one of the only growing facilities in the country using the specialized Philips Horticulture LED Solutions lighting, which supports a much quicker growing cycle.

“I had the idea to grow hops in our new facility,” said Bauerle. “The timing was right because the new Horticulture Center provided a high-class facility to work in. Additionally, the partnership with Philips added the LED lighting, allowing for yearround production. With those two components available to me, I had the tools to grow them in a controlled environment, and I could now extend the growing season to get multiple production cycles.”

The availability of wet — or freshly picked — hops in an area of the country known as the Napa Valley of craft beers will provide a significant benefit to area breweries.

“It’s unheard of to have fresh hops at all times of year,” said Bauerle. “They’re normally not available until August or September. This allows brewers to make those wet-hop beers five times a year, whereas the harvest normally only occurred once a year.”

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BIG IDEAS

SHINING A LIGHT ON INNOVATION

TO Help

In January 2017, Colorado State University collaborated with Horticulture LED Lighting Solutions from Philips Lighting to host the inaugural LED Lighting Research Summit on the Fort Collins campus. Over a span of

More than 75 percent of U.S. hop production takes place in the state of Washington, with Oregon and Idaho accounting for most of the remaining harvest. Colorado ranks seventh in the country for hops production, with only about 150 acres dedicated to the crop; High Hops Farm in Windsor, Colo., covers 2.5 acres.

“There was demand from the local brewers,” said Bauerle. “They wanted a quality, local product. So that was another driving factor to develop multiple-cycle hop production at the Horticulture Center.”

lighting affects the yield and the flavor profile characteristics of the hops.

“We have an individual nutrient injector where we can separate out the nutrients and actually affect the flavor of the hops,” said Bauerle.

Brewery executives have already visited CSU’s Horticulture Center to view the operation and are very excited about the prospect of highquality hops grown locally.

“I’m going to work on this for the remainder of my career to revolutionize hop production. We’re looking

2.5 days, a group of industry professionals, academics, and stakeholders spent time learning about projects underway at the CSU Horticulture Center including a hydroponically grown hops experiment, plants grown with and without the use of LED lighting, and handson student experiences where undergraduates grow plants

"There was demand from the local brewers.

for sale throughout the year.

They wanted a quality, local product. So that was

The group toured the new state-

another driving factor to develop multiple-cycle hop production at the Horticulture Center.”

Bill Bauerle, professor of horticulture and landscape architecture at CSU

With wet hops normally available one time a year, their transportation makes up a good percentage of UPS’s business during the month of August when the freshly harvested product is delivered to locations across the country.

“That’s why Oktoberfest was created, because that’s the time of year that hops are harvested and the fresh-hopped beer is finally ready in October,” Bauerle explained.

Bauerle is now working with CSU graduate students to test how the specialized

of-the-art greenhouse, which provided a warm respite from the cold January weather.

for funding to do that,” said Bauerle. “I did my graduate work on the East Coast, and one of the reasons I came to Colorado was that I fell in love with the beer here, so I always hoped to come back one day, and I finally did. I love craft beer, and so the work I’m doing now was a natural fit.”

Welcome reception for the summit

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Three Ag Students Serve as Colorado FFA Officers The College of Agricultural Sciences has long had a strong connection to Colorado FFA, a connection made only stronger in 2016-2017, as three students from the college took on leadership roles as members of the FFA state officer team. Gus Gill, a sophomore majoring in soil and crop sciences and agricultural education served as president; Ryan Latta, a sophomore majoring in soil and crop sciences, served as vice president; and Flint Corliss, a sophomore majoring in agricultural business and agricultural education, served as a member of the executive committee.

State officers take a year off from college and spend their time traveling around the state, visiting local schools, organizing career development events, and participating in the state and national FFA conventions. At the June 2017 Colorado FFA Convention, a new slate of state officers was selected and the current leadership team began preparations to return to college life.

“Being a state officer is the best opportunity to have so many unique experiences that you can have only through the FFA — going to the National FFA Convention, putting on the state convention, meeting some of the 650,000 FFA members and other state officers from all over the country,” said Latta, who is from Cedaredge, Colo. Latta did not grow up on a farm or ranch and did not have much experience with agriculture before joining FFA in his high school. “I don’t come from an agricultural background, and it’s really cool to find other people with the same story who also gained something from the FFA. My hope for this year was that I find as many adults and students who think they have no relation to agriculture, and prove them wrong through my story and that of countless others.”

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Corliss, who is from Stratton, Colo., found the service aspect of being a state officer the most rewarding part of the experience. “Being a state officer means taking a true servant role,” said Corliss. “I strongly believe that it is our role to serve the state in the best means for the members.

I enjoyed meeting numerous members this year and truly connecting with them.”

Having three of the 10 state officers hail from Colorado State University is remarkable in itself. The college has increased enrollment in its agricultural education program, built a new agricultural education facility with support from CoBank and the Colorado FFA Foundation, and added more faculty and staff whose work with agricultural education students has enhanced the college’s relationship with Colorado FFA and teachers of agriculture in schools across Colorado.

“The Colorado FFA Foundation is pleased to support the FFA state officer team throughout the year, as well as FFA members and agricultural education instructors — either those in training or our teachers delivering premier education in the 112 agricultural education programs across the state,” said Don Thorn, Colorado FFA Foundation executive director.

Founded in 1928, the Future Farmers of America brought together students, teachers, and agribusiness to solidify support for agricultural education. In 1988, the official name was changed to the National FFA Organization.

This change was made to recognize that FFA is not only for those interested in farming, but it is also for those with more diverse interests in the industry of agriculture, encompassing science, business, and technology, in addition to production farming.

SOIL SCIENCE ALUMNUS MAKES WORLDWIDE IMPACT IT IS OFTEN SAID THAT ALUMNI FROM THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY WILL HAVE A GLOBAL impact, and there is no doubt that Paul Vlek is one such alumnus. Having graduated from CSU in 1976 with his Ph.D. in soil chemistry and plant nutrition, Vlek went on to become one of the world’s leading researchers in the area of sustainable agriculture. His early work was focused on preventing nitrogen losses by using deepplaced urea in flooded rice. Vlek’s work has taken him to Jordan, Ghana, and Germany, among many other global locations, where he is a highly sought-after interdisciplinary scholar whose work also addresses climate change and water management.

Vlek is a retired professor and director of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Center for Development Research at the University of Bonn in Germany. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the prestigious 2014 World Agriculture Prize from the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences. He has also received the 2013 National Energy Globe Award Uzbekistan and was co-recipient of the 1993 Prize for International University Cooperation from the German Ministry of Science and Education.

“Agriculture is a complex socio-ecological endeavor with many trade-offs,” said Vlek. “To better guide our land stewards (farmers) and policymakers, the next generation of agricultural scientists must be trained in the modern tools of complexity

science and be able to work across disciplines and with multiple partners and stakeholders.”

With an honorary doctorate from the Federal University of Technology in Akure, Nigeria, and an honorary professorship from the National University in Galway, Ireland, Vlek is a fellow in a number of disciplinary organizations, including the Soil Science Society of America, the American Society of Agronomy, the Indian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the Academy of Arts and Sciences of Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany.

He serves as UNESCO Professor for Education in Sustainable Development.

“Paul went on to a remarkable career in the United States and abroad after his time at CSU,” said Lee Sommers, professor emeritus of soil and crop sciences and former director of the Agricultural Experiment Station.

“He conducted soil chemistry research at the National Fertilizer Development Center, and published extensively on soil productivity and land productivity in Africa.”

Vlek sees a focus on interdisciplinary research as a key way to address issues of global food security and sustainability.

“Only with such interdisciplinary understanding will the serious threat of land degradation to food security and to the delivery of essential ecosystem services be addressed,” said Vlek.

“The cost of rehabilitation of degraded land can be prohibitive. The agricultural scientific community must place this concern much higher on its research and educational agendas.”

“To better guide our land stewards (farmers) and policymakers, the next generation of agricultural scientists must be trained in the modern tools of complexity science and be able to work across disciplines and with multiple partners and stakeholders.”

Paul Vlek, retired professor and director of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Center for Development Research at the University of Bonn in Germany

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LEARNING ABOUT

New Zealand Agriculture

BY LIVING THERE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES VARY GREATLY ALL OVER THE WORLD. EACH YEAR, STUDENTS FROM THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSIT Y TRAVEL TO LINCOLN UNIVERSIT Y IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEAL AND, TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THAT COUNTRY’S AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM AS THEY LIVE AND WORK THERE FOR AN ENTIRE SEMESTER. Students have been taking part in this program since 1999, and a number of faculty members across the college’s five departments have led the student group.

Kellie Enns, an associate professor of agricultural education, accompanied the group in Spring 2016, along with Mark Enns, a professor of animal sciences who took a sabbatical to join the group. “Our group included 26 students from nearly every major offered in the college as well as students from CSU’s College

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LEFT: Craters of the Moon near Lake Taupo on the North Island of New Zealand BELOW: 2017 CSU class of Lincoln University students in front of the iconic Ivey Hall

AG FAMILY

of Business, College of Natural Sciences, and Warner College,” said Kellie Enns. “This kind of immersion in international agriculture isn’t possible while sitting in a campus classroom. You really need to be a part of the community to learn about their approaches to agriculture.” Mark Enns, an animal geneticist, also took time to learn about New Zealand’s cattle production where there are not only different breeds of cattle but even the grass they eat differs from that found in Colorado and across the United States.

In addition to getting a handson experience with New Zealand agriculture, students continue to take classes, enrolling in three courses at Lincoln University that transfer over to CSU when the students return.

This kind of global experience is

When my classmates and I apply for jobs, potential employers are always interested in how studying abroad raised our cultural awareness and made us more well-rounded students.

Kat Rocha, Colorado State Univeristy senior studying soil and crop sciences

described as transformational – both for the students and the faculty members who join them. Kat Rocha, a senior studying soil and crop sciences, was part of the 2016 trip.

“The most rewarding part of this trip was not the classes that I took but what I learned about another culture and another lifestyle,” said Rocha.

“When my classmates and I apply for jobs, potential employers are always interested in how studying abroad raised our cultural awareness and made us more well-rounded students.”

Dairies, nurseries, wineries, and horse farms are just some of the agricultural enterprises that students encounter as part of their experience. The 2017 group was led

by Steve Newman, a professor in the Department of Horticultural and Landscape Architecture.

ABOVE: Sam Buckingham points out to Debra Newman the fruit on his assigned grape vines rthat are ready to be harvested for pressing into juice to make wine.

One of the students on the 2017 trip was Sam Buckingham, a junior studying viticulture and enology.

Buckingham supplemented his enology and viticulture course work with Lincoln University viticulture and winemaking classes along with Māori cultural studies. “The courses gave me a different perspective on winemaking and grape growing because of how different the growing conditions are in New Zealand, which is only giving me a broader education,” said Buckingham.

“A global experience really changes everything for our students,” said Kellie Enns. “Whether they come from small towns or big cities, the world view of many of our students is somewhat limited. Working, living, and studying in a place as far away and as different as New Zealand changes the students we educate as well as the way in which we educate.”

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Two College Faculty Members Earn Best Teacher Awards

Matt Camper Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management For seven years, Matt Camper has taught entomology in Colorado State University’s Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management as a special appointment instructor. He also serves as the director for the CSU Bug Zoo, a live arthropod collection used for Extension and outreach.

CAMPER HAS BROAD RESEARCH INTERESTS AROUND PEST INSEC T SPECIES IN COLORADO, INCLUDING INSEC T PESTS OF HORTICULTURAL COMMODIT Y CROPS. Charles N. Shepardson Faculty Teaching Award from CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences Matt Camper is a firstgeneration, non-tenure track faculty member in the Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management.

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Pi Beta Phi’s Professor/Teacher of the Month from the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women Two-time International Education “Globie” Award recipient through CSU’s Office of International Programs

Camper has broad research interests around pest insect species in Colorado, including insect pests of horticultural commodity crops. He assists with insect samples that are submitted by companies and individuals from around the United States and helps identify and create management plans for their pest problems. His work is expanding to urban entomology and the cimex species (bedbugs and relatives) pest complex.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Charles N. Shepardson Faculty Teaching Award from CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Pi Beta Phi’s Professor/Teacher of the Month from the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, and he is a two-time International Education “Globie” Award recipient through CSU’s Office of International Programs.

Jim Klett on a landscape plants plant walk on the CSU campus with students in class.

James Klett

“I strongly believe that students

Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

learn best by exposing them to

For 37 years, James Klett has been a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State University. He also serves as director of CSU’s Plant Environmental Research Center and currently serves as director of Annual and Perennial Trial and Demonstration Gardens and the arboretum still remaining west of the new stadium. He serves on the board of directors of Plant Select®, the country’s leading source of plants designed to thrive in the High Plains and Intermountain regions.

Therefore, in most of my courses,

Ever since his primary education, Klett has been on a quest to gain more knowledge and help others learn. He credits his college adviser for inspiring him to continue his education and pursue an advanced degree. In graduate school, he was a graduate teaching assistant, where he helped students with laboratories and learning the applied aspects of horticulture. This experience led him to pursue a university-based teaching and Extension career, so that he could help students learn both the scientific and applied aspects of horticulture.

various teaching techniques. students are exposed to lectures, with photos and videos, and plant walks, where they actually see the plant material and cut specimens to learn from in the laboratory.”

James Klett, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

He cites the Annual and Perennial Demonstration Trial Garden and the new Perennial Demonstration Garden as two of his most significant accomplishments.

They have developed into major teaching and research gardens for students and the gardening public and are major tourist attractions during the growing season in Northern Colorado.

Professor for 37 years in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State University Director of CSU’s Plant Environmental Research Center and Annual and Perennial Flower Trial Gardens Serves on the board of directors of Plant Select®

“I strongly believe that students learn best by exposing them to various teaching techniques,” Klett said. “Therefore, in most of my courses, students are exposed to lectures, with photos and videos, and plant walks, where they actually see the plant material and cut specimens to learn from in the laboratory.”

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THANK YOU FOR MAKING AG DAY 2017 A SUCCESS.

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! For more information: agday.agsci.colostate.edu