CALS Perspectives Magazine Summer 2014

NC STATE UNIVERSITY

perspectives

Summer 2014

The Magazine of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

A Cool Change Learning aquatic ecology aboard a floating classroom

In Action: Engagement, Discovery and Learning

T

his past spring, Extension personnel from throughout the state sta converged in Raleigh for festivities in celebration of

CCooperative ti Extension’s centennial birthday. May 2014 marked 100 years since the signing of the Smith-Lever Act that created Extension programs nationwide. Among the kick-off activities were a celebratory dinner and a proclamation by Gov. Pat McCrory designating May 20 as Cooperative Extension Day in North Carolina. In this Becky Kirkland

issue of Perspectives we report the events surrounding this important celebration, along with a look to the future and Extension’s plans for another century of success and service.

It’s been nearly two years since the College launched its own visioning process which resulted in its strategic plan for 2013-2020, Our Envisioned Future. That plan outlined CALS’ mission, its purpose

Shown at the May Extension centennial celebration with CALS Dean Rich Linton (back, left) are N.C. A&T State University’s Dr. William Randle, dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and Dr. Fletcher Barber Jr., Extension associate administrator, and Dr. Joe Zublena, CALS associate dean and Extension director.

and goals – essentially where the College aspires to be and how it will get there. In illustration of the College’s ongoing commitment to that mission, six of our newest William Neal Reynolds professors here tell

Among our news from alumni is a very special interview: CALS

us about their programs, each program’s value in both discovery and

graduate and former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt reminisces about

application, and the role of each in fulfilling the goals of the College.

his lifelong experiences with Cooperative Extension. He gives a

Additionally, we introduce you to some intriguing teaching endeavors, including a transatlantic agricultural law class shared via video between a Croatian university and our Department of Agricultural

uniquely personal assessment of the ongoing value of Extension to the state and its people.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is truly action-packed.

and Resource Economics. Meanwhile, on the coast, in an outreach

We work hard to build our programs, our people and our partnerships

program at CALS’ Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology, our faculty have

every day. Join us for a look at points of pride and at goals that are

taken hundreds of youths out on the water on the RV Humphries, the

already becoming accomplishments.

floating classroom where the students get hands-on aquatic ecology lessons. And here at our Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory, the

Richard Linton

Dairy Unit is a significant component of the College’s teaching pro-

Dean

gram, where students have a priceless opportunity to train and learn

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

in a working dairy.

NC STATE UNIVERSITY

perspectives

Perspectives is online at the CALS News Center: www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/news-center/

contents

The Magazine of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Summer 2014 Vol. 16, No. 2

F E AT U R E S

Managing Editor: Terri Leith Design and Layout: Vickie Matthews

2

It’s time for a cool change as a CAAE outreach program takes youngsters out on the water for lessons in aquatic ecology.

Staff Photographers: Becky Kirkland, Marc Hall, Roger Winstead Staff Writers: Natalie E. Hampton, Terri Leith, Dee Shore, Suzanne Stanard

Floating Classroom

5

Proud Heritage N.C. Cooperative Extension celebrates its centennial birthday.

Contributors: Erin McCrary, Ramona Herring Perspectives is published by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.

Third Class Postage paid at Raleigh, NC 27611. Correspondence and requests for change of address should be addressed to Perspectives Editor, Box 7603, N.C. State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7603.

Printed by PBM Graphics, Durham, N.C.

32,500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $18,369, or $.57 per copy.

Printed on recycled paper.

William R. “Randy” Woodson, Chancellor Richard H. Linton, Dean and Executive Director for Agricultural Programs Sam Pardue, Associate Dean and Director, Academic Programs

7

The Dairy Education Unit prepares tomorrow’s dairy leaders in a real-world environment.

11

Fulfilling the Mission Six William Neal Reynolds professors uphold the College’s strategic vision and goals through impactful research endeavors.

14

Meeting of Minds CALS and Croatian students attend ag law class together via transatlantic connections.

17

College Profile Northeast District Director Travis Burke can’t wait to see what unfolds as Extension’s next century begins.

Joe Zublena, Associate Dean and Director, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Steve Lommel, Associate Dean and Director, North Carolina Agricultural Research Service

Priceless Experience

NOTEWORTHY 19

Sylvia Blankenship, Associate Dean for Administration

News CEFS celebrates two decades of transforming North Carolina’s food system • Functional aesthetics: CALS students create green roof at retirement community • Nurturing a new venture: CALS animal scientist assists in sustainable swine operation start-up • With rye harvest, N.C. State students will participate in commemoration of Berlin Wall end • N.C. State’s Farm Animal Days draws multitudes • Research stations receive new equipment • Expanded study-abroad opportunities: CALS partners with U.K.’s Harper Adams University • Nash named first N.C. State student to win Beacon of Enlightenment scholarship

Keith D. Oakley, Executive Director, Advancement, 919.515.2000 Celeste D. Brogdon, Director of Alumni and External Relations

29

Alumni Jim Hunt reflects on Extension’s century of service: ‘Thank goodness for Cooperative Extension’ • $3 million gift to CALS from alumni couple will seed rural student access initiative at N.C. State University • Evans, BAE head and CALS alumnus, named to international hall of fame

33

Giving 2014 Gala in the Garden is a special celebration of North Carolina • ‘Apostle for horticulture’ Bryce Lane creates student travel endowment • Gifts from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Universal Leaf Tobacco Co. and Alliance One bring Collins endowment closer to $10 million goal

The Cover: Middle-schoolers and their CAAE instructors head out on the RV Humphries for aquatic education activities. (Story, page 2). Photo courtesy Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology.

Floating Classroom It’s time for a cool change as a CAAE outreach program takes youngsters out on the water for lessons in aquatic ecology.

by Suzanne Stanard

S

ix eighth-grade boys in canary yellow life vests huddle together on the bow of the RV Humphries, squinting in the sun at Dr. Robert Reed, who is demonstrating different types of equipment that test everything from water quality to wind speed.

Choruses of “cool” and “awesome” ripple through the little crowd as Reed continues his talk, as well as wild guesses like “poison blaster,” when the boys are asked what each device may be.

Six of their classmates – the all-girl group, as the students have decided to divide themselves – are inside the boat learning from Dr. JoAnn Burkholder how to sample river water to assess the water quality.

Thus goes a typical day aboard the “floating classroom,” anchored on this warm spring morning in the Neuse River near New Bern.

Burkholder, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences professor of aquatic ecology and director of the Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology (CAAE), and Reed, oceanography researcher with CAAE, have taken hundreds of students out on the water for hands-on learning over the last three years, thanks to grant funding from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Now in their first year of a three-year renewal – the only renewal available through the fund – Burkholder and her team are eager to find backers to continue the North Carolina Floating Classroom Program long-term.

2

perspectives

“We’re very grateful for the support from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund,” Burkholder says. “They really care about educating people of all ages on environmental issues. And, as you can see, the floating classroom is a really great opportunity for these students, some of whom previously had never even been on the water. This experience pulls them in and gets them into contact with estuaries and aquatic life, so they can see what nature is really like and why it matters to their lives.”

Of course, the floating classroom experience wouldn’t be possible without a boat.

Enter the RV Humphries. The former Coast Guard auxiliary patrol boat was donated to

(Top) Dr. Robert Reed and Dr. JoAnn Burkholder (back row, right) join their young students on the dock before boarding the RV Humphries. (Above) Reed explains one of many types of equipment used to test wind speed and water quality.

N.C. State in 2003 by the family of its builder, the late marine engineer and naval architect Howard L. Humphries. Now a fully outfitted research vessel, the 50-foot RV Humphries boasts a spacious cabin and large decks for both indoor and outdoor learning.

CAAE operates the RV Humphries yearround for research and educational outreach programs.

(Top left) Burkholder lectures in the floating classroom, as students (top right), along with their schoolteacher Susan Randolph (seated near back right corner), listen intently during the half-day cruise. (Left) Terri Mann, CAAE research assistant, leads students dockside in the week-long summer ventures program.

Photos Becky Kirkland

“The goal of the Floating Classroom Program is to motivate students to become more responsible stewards of our state’s water resources, not only by experiencing estuarine water-quality research firsthand, but also by learning about the policy issues that affect estuarine health and by understanding how each person can contribute to improving protection of our state’s public trust water resources,” Burkholder says. “We also want students to understand that clean water is a fundamental right and a fundamental need that everybody has.”

On this particular day, the students participate in two sessions on the boat. They learn about all sorts of equipment that Reed and other scientists developed to collect data on the river’s health, and they also get to pull up water from the river for sampling and operate

an instrument that measures water depth and oxygen levels.

The students’ teacher, Susan Randolph, has partnered with Burkholder from the Floating Classroom Program’s inception. A middleand high-school teacher at the Wayne School of Engineering in Goldsboro, Randolph serves as a liaison between CAAE and Wayne County Public Schools, and she also helps develop curricula for the program.

“For a lot of the kids we bring out here, this is a world they have never seen,” Randolph says. “Some of them have never seen a body of water or been on a boat. They can read about it in books or on the computer, but I’m a ‘do’ person, and I’m a firm believer that just looking at it on a screen or having a virtual experience is not the same.”

In addition to the half-day cruise, CAAE also offers week-long summer ventures as part of its “X-Stream Aquatics Program,” led

by Terri Mann, CAAE research assistant. The program is designed to kindle students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on science experiments aboard the RV Humphries, as well as dockside learning experiences that cover everything from boat safety to the effects of pollution on water quality.

“The summer program is so neat,” Burkholder says. “It really gets students and their families interested in estuarine water quality and our state’s water resources, and it gets them to care. It’s wonderful seeing these young people discover how fascinating and how important natural resources are to them.

Some of them have gone on to college to pursue aquatic science careers, too.”

During follow-up programs that take place on four Saturdays throughout the year, Burkholder and her team open the doors to the CAAE for the students to check out the center and learn how to conduct science experiments. The youths also can participate in a career day to learn about related professions.

And there are side trips to other North Carolina coastal communities for more hands-on summer 2014

3

(Top) Girls hear from Reed about measuring water depth and oxygen levels. (Lower, left) The boat captain takes a water sample, while (right) Burkholder continues lessons on deck.

Becky Kirkland

learning and discovery about salt marshes and marine life.

“This program is driving STEM education and connecting students to that reality,” Randolph says. “As an environmental educator, if I can’t provide real-world opportunities for my students to experience science firsthand, then I’m just another YouTube video.”

Burkholder fields countless requests throughout the year from all sorts of groups interested in giving their students the Floating Classroom Program experience. And, she says, Riverkeeper organizations from different parts of the state have approached her for help developing new floating classroom programs in their areas.

“Education is changing; the things it takes to engage children are changing, and getting them away from computers and TVs and out in the environment is critical,” Randolph says.

“The Floating Classroom Program is a way of having them ‘do.’ I think that’s the power of this program.”

Becky Kirkland

Becky Kirkland

For now, though, a focus of CAAE is on finding the means to keep building the North Carolina Floating Classroom Program.

A wonderful opportunity: Some of the students had never seen a body of water or been on a boat, their teacher said.

4

perspectives



Becky Kirkland

On Tuesday, Extension employees and supporters visited elected representatives in the General Assembly to share information about how Extension is moving the state forward.

Afterward, Extension leaders joined Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, a 4-H alumna, in honoring Cooperative Extension’s 100 years of service.

Monday night’s program opened with a rousing “Happy birthday, Cooperative Extension,” from Dr. Joe Zublena, director of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service at N.C. State University. Remarks also came from Dean William Randle, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, N.C. A&T State University; Dean Rich Linton, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, N.C. State University; and Dr. Fletcher Barber Jr., N.C. A&T Extension associate administrator.

Randle, who has worked at seven landgrant universities, said “There is no better Cooperative Extension program in the country

by Natalie Hampton

Becky Kirkland

Marc Hall

than here in North Carolina.” Linton described a partnership program between N.C. Cooperative Extension and the College to support rural students who want to study agriculture at N.C. State.

As a celebration of “the past,” 11 individuals were recognized as the first Legend of Extension awardees. The award recognizes individuals who laid the foundation for the organization that Cooperative Extension is today. Only three of the honorees are still living – two were present and family members received the awards for two other honorees.

The inaugural Legend honorees were Chet Black, former director of N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and former state 4-H leader, N.C. State; Carlton Blalock, retired director, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service; the late William Cooper, state 4-H specialist, N.C. A&T; the late Ada Dalla Pozza, faculty member in family and consumer sciences, N.C. State; Daniel Godfrey, former Extension administrator, N.C. A&T; the late L.R. Harrill, former state 4-H leader; the late Robert Earl Jones, 4-H and black farm agent leader, N.C. A&T; the late Dazelle Foster Lowe, home demonstration agent, N.C. A&T; the late Jane S. McKimmon, home demonstration agent, N.C. State; the late John Mitchell, 4-H leader, N.C. A&T; the late I.O. Schaub, corn club agent, N.C. State.

Black and Godfrey were on hand to receive their awards. Blalock’s wife, Cornelia Blalock accepted his award; and Charles Winston, grandson of Jane McKimmon, accepted on her behalf.

In celebration of the present, videos showed testimonials from clients whose lives

 

More than 1,000 people were on hand Monday, the 19th, at the N.C. State Fairgrounds Expo Center for dinner and a program celebrating Extension’s past, present and future. May marked 100 years since the signing of the Smith-Lever Act that created Extension programs nationally. Across the country, and in Washington, D.C., Extension has been marking its 100th birthday.

N.C. Cooperative Extension celebrates its centennial birthday.



F

riends and employees of North Carolina Cooperative Extension came to Raleigh May 19-20 to celebrate Extension’s centennial with a barbecue dinner, legislative advocacy and the signing of a proclamation declaring May 20 as N.C. Cooperative Extension Day.

Proud Heritage





  

Taking part in Extension centennial festivities are (from top left) State 4-H officers Laura Will, Michael Chaney and Anna Marie Vagnozzi; Dr. Fletcher Barber Jr., Chet Black and Dr. Joe Zublena; and Elaine Marshall, N.C. Secretary of State.

were changed by Cooperative Extension. They included a young man who started a vermicomposting business, after participating in a sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship program; a prawn farmer who got help with marketing from Extension; the owner of Miss Jenny’s Pickles who participated in a food entrepreneurship program; and members of a Raleigh church who improved their health through Extension’s Faithful Families Eating Smart and Moving More program.

Looking to the future, Zublena described the visioning and strategic planning process that the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service has gone through this year (see sidebar). A new plan for Extension will be announced in coming months.

“Our people and the relationships they cultivate are the heart of Extension, and we know we can depend on them to carry us into another century of success and service,” Zublena told the crowd.

“I am Extension, and you are Extension,” Barber said, concluding the night. “We move forward together. Your success stories will fuel Cooperative Extension.” summer 2014

5

Marc Hall

“As my mother grew older and was not able to drive herself to homemaker meetings, I saw the impact of less socialization on her life. Living in a rural area where you don’t have neighbors handy, not being able to do homemakers really narrowed her social life,” Marshall said.

Tuesday afternoon, Extension and College leaders met across Jones Street at the N.C. Museum of History, where N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall read Gov. Pat McCrory’s proclamation declaring May 20 “North Carolina Cooperative Extension Day 2014.”

Marshall, who grew up as a 4-H’er on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, credits 4-H and Cooperative Extension with helping her become who she is today. “My task today is to talk about what Extension has meant to me and to my family. It is quite simple: I would probably not have gone to college. I certainly would not have had the chance to widen my perceptions living in Brazil as as an exchange agriculture student under the program known as IFYE. “I would not be in North Carolina except for 4-H – I followed somebody I thought I was very interested in because we met at the National 4-H Center. That’s another long story.”

Marshall said that 4-H gave her a set of skills that have served her for life – planning, establishing priorities, public speaking and record keeping.

Marshall’s mother was an Extension Homemaker who learned about nutrition, household skills, family dynamics and crafts. Her mother even had the opportunity to visit the United Nations as an Extension Homemaker.

6

perspectives

“Extension is a safety net for life,” she said. As a student at the University of Maryland, Marshall could have gotten lost, coming

“I wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for 4-H. I consider that a debt I need to continue to repay.

“My life is good because of 4-H,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “Thank you.”

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is in the final stages of its Strategic Vision and Planning Initiative, which aims to position Extension for another century of success and service.

Becky Kirkland

Tuesday’s centennial events moved downtown to the General Assembly building, where Extension supporters met with their elected representatives. Participants scheduled meetings with their representatives and reported successful encounters to share Cooperative Extension’s story.

Even today, Marshall says, “4-H comes up so much in my public and private life. If I think about it, 4-H actually prepared me for politics.

My first elected office outside my little school was as Maryland state 4-H president.

The Extension Service points to several transformative themes that have emerged during the planning process as indicators of the future. Once the strategic plan is wrapped up and implemented, Extension’s core program areas will be Agriculture, Food and 4-H Youth Development.

The core areas and final plan will stem from extensive discussions and feedback involving Extension employees and key stakeholders, which is helping to define where Extension is most needed and best equipped to provide expertise.

In addition to a re-focused core, Extension leadership has shared five key themes: • We plan to bolster employee satisfaction and create more professional growth opportunities through a variety of initiatives, such as an enhanced career ladder for agents; • We’ll develop commodity- and issue-based teams within our core program areas to improve resources, increase interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthen county-campus relationships; • We’ll optimize our use of technology while remaining committed to hands-on, experiential education and personal service (creating a “high tech and high touch” Extension); • We’ll support the College’s and university’s strategic plans through our programs and services, which create wealth, provide practical solutions and exemplify a “think and do” spirit; and • We’ll work hand-in-hand with county and tribal government partners to explore and recommend staffing structures for each of our 101 local offices.

“We’re ensuring that Extension will Linton, Randle, Barber, Zublena continue to be the leading source of researchbased knowledge and solutions for another 100 years; this is our enduring promise to the people of North Carolina,” said Dr. Joe Zublena, director of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service.

“Positive transformation is on the horizon, and Extension’s future is bright.”

Administration anticipates finalizing and sharing the strategic plan in August.

Learn more about the Extension Service’s Vision Initiative at www.ces.ncsu.edu/vision initiative. – Justin Moore

Becky Kirkland

Extension family members recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Her father “absorbed every piece of literature that came from the Extension Service,” she said, adding that he groused about homemaker recipes that her mother tried on the family, especially those that included cabbage and tomatoes, which he didn’t enjoy.

from a small rural school. “But I found I had a family in that large array of people, and it was the collegiate 4-H club, with folks who had life experiences about like mine.”

Priceless Experience The Dairy Education Unit prepares tomorrow’s dairy leaders in a real-world environment.

by Terri Leith Working in the free stall at the Dairy Education Unit are (front to back) students Devan Schreiber and Connor Reynolds, herd manager Alli Davis and student Danielle Pierce.

I

t’s a very hot day spring day at the Dairy Education Unit in N.C. State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The facility, part of the university’s Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory, plays a vital role in the research activities of CALS faculty.

It is also an extremely significant component of the teaching program, a place where students can get hands-on learning experiences and training in a working dairy.

Today, Dairy Unit herd manager Alli Davis, along with student assistants Danielle Pierce and Devan Schreiber and student volunteer Connor Reynolds – all CALS animal science majors – are handling chores that require both know-how and stamina. Among their tasks are caring for a calf born just this morning; moving newly weaned calves from individual hutches to a group pen; removing, cleaning and replacing hutches; handling vaccinations for various age groups; checking the status of milking cows, both the postpartum and those about ready to give birth; and milking cows in the state-of-the-art milking parlor.

And that’s just a sample of the day’s agenda.

It’s all part of a student volunteer program and student assistance activities at the dairy. “There are a couple ways to sign up if students are interested,” says Davis. “They can simply come to the farm and give us their email. We have someone who coordinates volunteers and the volunteer schedule. They will be sent the volunteer schedule and are able to sign up for time slots that work for them. We also offer volunteer slots in the dairy management classes.”

There are also student employees at the farm, most of whom began as volunteers and then applied to become part-time employees, she adds. “They are mostly CALS animal science and College of Veterinary Medicine students, but we have had other students with different backgrounds, as well, and they do an excellent job.”

Davis, a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in dairy science and a food science and technology minor, came to the CALS Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences and began work as herd manger in June 2013. Her basic responsibilities revolve around the animals on the farm, she says.

There are nearly 400 animals for whom the DEU is home, 190 of them in milk, Davis says. All calves are kept separate in a hutch area until they are weaned and 60 days old, she explains as she helps the newborn Jersey bull calf to swallow a vitamin pill. “They can’t receive immunity from the placenta, only from mom’s colostrum, so we’re giving him vitamins to aid in immune support,” she says.

“Pretty much, I am here to make sure they are all happy, healthy and performing at the top of their ability,” Davis says. “The dairy cow is a fascinating creature, and I get to see them at work every single day. It’s glorious! I do vaccinations for cows and heifers to control/prevent common cattle diseases, breeding protocols and management for cows and heifers, milking management (making sure the cows are milked in a clean, safe and calm environment) and diagnosis and treatment of sick animals. We work very closely with the Vet School here to ensure that all the animals are healthy and cared for in the absolute best way we can provide.”

The students who assist her work hard while learning valuable lessons, she says.

summer 2014

7

“Many students who volunteer here have never done a lot of the things we do every day.

We might think it is mundane, but for them it could be a brand new experience which is really cool. For example, seeing a calf born – a pretty normal day-to-day experience for me, but for someone else it’s amazing and eyeopening! I love to see people’s reactions to experiences like that; it just reinforces the fact that my job is awesome!”

Pierce, a senior from Boone, agrees. “As I did not come from a farm background, almost every task on the farm has been new to me,” she says. “I was able to milk a cow for the first time, learn to drive a tractor, artificially inseminate and treat animals for illnesses!

The things I have learned on this farm will influence me for a lifetime.”

Pierce started work at the DEU two years ago after coming for a palpation lab through an animal science class in reproduction principles. That experience led to a summer internship, which led to her current job as student assistant.

Becky Kirkland

Their assistance is valuable to her, as well.

“Honestly, it is nice having an extra hand, and when you also have the opportunity to maybe teach someone something that they are genuinely interested in, it can be very rewarding,” Davis says.

Becky Kirkland

“I think it can be rewarding for anyone who enjoys being around animals and doesn’t mind hard work and getting their hands dirty. However, if students want to pursue a career in the dairy industry, veterinary medicine or the agriculture industry in general, working/volunteering here is especially beneficial for them.

It is great exposure to large animal handling and basic management practices.”

“The farm as whole intrigued me, and I wanted to know more about it as my knowledge of dairy was very limited to the things I had retained from past classes. I worked for a while doing milking before I started to become

8

perspectives

Becky Kirkland

(Top) Reynolds, Davis, Schreiber and Pierce prepare to move weaned calves from the hutch area to the group pen. (Middle) The newly named “Anchor” resists the efforts of Schreiber and Pierce. (Bottom) Relocated calves get acquainted in the group pen.

“Alli loves an extra hand, especially if you have a keen interest in what is happening.

All of us at the dairy are eager to share our knowledge and love for the dairy with anyone that wants to listen. Even if you just come out for a few shifts, I guarantee you will leave knowing more about dairy than you started out knowing.”

The experiential knowledge and skills Pierce and her fellow students have gained at the DEU are quite impressive.

“I have had first-hand experience in diagnosing and treating cows/calves with the assistance of Alli and without. I did not have much experience giving shots or drawing blood, and now I have given more shots than I can remember,” Pierce says. “Through our breeding program, we check heats every morning to see if anyone needs to be bred. I have been able to know what signs to look for to tell if a cow is in heat or not and make the decision about whether or not to breed.”

Also, through the dairy, she learned about and enrolled in an artificial insemination class and received certification to breed cows. “I have been able to breed many heifers and cows on the dairy. Currently I have five cows and two heifers with a confirmed pregnancy at my hand,” Pierce says.

Likewise, Schreiber, a senior from Lenoir, heard about volunteer opportunities at the dairy when she had a lab at the unit her freshman year. She came back to the DEU as a volunteer and then became a student assistant.

“I started volunteering as a sophomore, then I worked on a calf nutrition research study as a research assistant at the dairy, and then I starting working for them last May. I

Becky Kirkland

interested in the other things that happened on the farm,” Pierce says. “I worked some with the former herdsman, Drew Gibson.

Once I started working with him, I became more and more fascinated with the dairy and started coming extra, to see other things that happened on the farm besides milking. By the time Alli became herdsman, I was already in love with the dairy. She was eager to let me help her with whatever she needed.

really enjoyed being with the calves and cows at the dairy, and the managers were great about teaching me new things while I was out there. I loved it so much I decided I wanted to work here,” she says.

“I’ve learned many basic management practices through my experiences at the dairy, but the most important thing I’ve learned is that you get back what you give to these animals. The better you take care of these girls as calves, heifers and cows, the healthier and happier they will be. And of course, happy, healthy cows give more milk!” Schreiber says.

Reynolds, a junior from Los Angeles, Calif., is a current student volunteer at the DEU. “I first heard about the Dairy Educational Unit my freshman year in my Intro to Animal Science class. We were told there were animal units associated with the university that allowed students to get hands-on experience with the animals and learn about the industry,” she says. “I chose to volunteer at the Dairy Unit because I wanted to learn more about dairy cattle and broaden my education about different species. I had years of equine experience, but I wanted to learn about cattle, as well, and the dairy has provided me with hands-on experience and an education I could not have experienced reading from a textbook.”

Reynolds notes that she has learned how to milk cows and feed calves, as well as basic calf management in her four months at the Dairy Unit. “I had no idea how to do any of these tasks before I came to the dairy, and in a few short months I have learned the basic practices that take place at dairies and the general management practices that go into taking care of dairy cattle,” she says.

“I have loved learning all the daily tasks that go on at the Dairy Unit and experiencing all the farm duties. The most rewarding things about working at the dairy are spending time with the cattle and learning how to take care of them. They are very curious animals and they can be very funny. The most challenging is definitely working in the hot temperatures we have been having lately. You can definitely work up a sweat, but I just consider it my workout for the day,” Reynolds says.

Davis helps a newborn Jersey bull calf swallow a vitamin, to aid in his immune support.

That point is soon illustrated as, nearby, Pierce and Schreiber are attempting to lead a newly weaned 8-week-old, 200-pound Holstein calf from the hutch area, where still milk-fed calves are kept, to its new location in the group pen. The calf is resisting vigorously: They’ve decided to name her “Anchor.”

At the same time, Reynolds, with Davis, is leading another Holstein, Frosty, who, like Anchor, is destined to become a milking cow in the DEU herd. In the pen, where there are all females, they are fed a grain and cotton seed mix, which they were gradually introduced to when still in the hutch.

Pierce says that probably her least favorite thing to do is move weaned calves. “As you saw, they are not very willing to move, so it is a physically trying task,” she says. “I also hate putting them in a situation where they are not happy. Although I know it is for the best for them and they will eventually love it, it is hard to put them through the stress of the move.”

However, she says, “The thing I enjoy most is being able to see my actions affect the well-being of an animal for the better. When I do something and I immediately see the joy in the cow or calf, it melts my heart. My favorite

summer 2014

9

After the weaned calves are moved, it’s back to the hutch area, where Reynolds grabs a pen enclosing Frosty’s former home and carries it off, so the newly vacated hutch can be cleaned and replaced, along with new gravel and bedding. Schreiber totes Anchor’s old pen, and Pierce is shouldering Frosty’s hutch over to the cleaning area.

The next task for the three is changing the bands on the pens to indicate the weaning status of the calves within. After that, they all head over to the free stall where the milking cows are. These are the just recently calved, or postpartum, cows. Here they have access to pasture, where other Holsteins and Jerseys are gathered, either standing or down in a resting position, on a hillside.

“All of them lying down is what you want to see. It means they’re comfortable and happy,” says Davis, as she leads her team into the pasture to learn if any of the close-ups (cows in the calving lot) are about ready to give birth or are in labor. “It is preferred that they are born in pasture, but sometimes they are born in here [the free stall]. When the time comes, the mothers will usually go off on their own,” she says.

For Schreiber, “it’s rewarding to help a cow through a difficult birth and deliver a healthy

calf. It’s rewarding to see a calf I helped raise grow up, have her own calf, and enter the milking herd. It’s rewarding to nurse a sick animal back to health. There are definitely challenges along the way, but there’s no better feeling than knowing we’ve made a positive difference in the lives of these animals,” she says. “Working at the dairy has provided me with valuable experience that I can now take with me to other farms. It also helped me figure out that I want to work with dairy cattle as a career.”

Reynolds says that, after graduation, “I hope to be a consultant to either the dairy or equine industries. I hope to be a source of knowledge to farmers and ranchers, and be able to work directly with the animals and benefit the industries. This experience will be valuable because it will show future employers that I have personally been involved with the industry and have first-hand experience of the work that goes into a working farm.

“I am so grateful I started working at the Dairy Unit, and the knowledge I have gained from working at the unit is something that I will always remember as an amazing supplemental education to my schoolwork. I learned animal and management skills that I would only have learned at the dairy.”

Pierce’s after-graduation plans include “taking a job on a 900-cow dairy farm in Australia for six months before, hopefully, returning to this farm to start work as a fulltime employee,” she says. “The farm has

shown me that I can make a difference in the dairy industry and be a valuable piece of any farm. I would like to one day be a herdsman on a dairy farm and use all Alli has taught me and will continue to teach me to be the best herdsman I can be. I have learned more from her than I ever thought I could, and I can’t wait until I am ready to run a farm!”

Davis, who grew up on a 600-milking-cow farm in east Tennessee, says, “When I was younger I would watch my Dad care for our cows and I really never dreamed I would be doing that exact same thing, but here I am and I couldn’t imagine a different lifestyle for myself. It is constant hard work, but really it’s not work or a career for me; it is more of a way of life. Dairy cows are my passion, and I will love them and dairy farming for my entire life.”

The DEU teaching farm evolved from the consolidation of four dairy units, the most recent being Randleigh Farms, a gift from the Kenan family. The 389-acre operation maintains herds of registered Holsteins and registered Jerseys to support dairy teaching, research and production.

“The students at NCSU have a unique opportunity here,” Davis says. “[Students at] not many schools can go to the exact place that all of their milk and ice cream come from.

That is something to be proud of and really appreciate.”

type of shift is the calf-feeding shift because, well, who wouldn’t love playing with the happy babies? I love being able to give them their meal and know that they are dependent on me to take care of them and give them what they need.”

Becky Kirkland

(Left) These cows in the DEU pasture are comfortable and happy, as indicated by their lying-down posture. (Inset) The team leaves the free stall to tackle the next set of dairy farm chores.

10

perspectives

Fulfilling the Mission

6

William Neal Reynolds professors uphold the College’s strategic vision and goals through impactful research endeavors.

Compiled by Suzanne Stanard and Natalie Hampton

Marc Hall

I

n 1950, William Neal Reynolds, a longtime president and board chairman of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., established the Reynolds Professorships at N.C. State University to recognize and support outstanding faculty achievement in research, teaching and extension. According to the endowment agreement, the professorships “will be for the purpose of selecting and retaining in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ faculty and staff great scholars, great teachers, great scientists and great interpreters.”

Since then, N.C. State and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have awarded 88 William Neal Reynolds Professorships. The most recent class of William Neal Reynolds professors includes a soil scientist, an entomologist, two plant pathologists and two food scientists.

Here, those WNR professors share stories of their work, its value – and how their activities support the mission and goals of the College.

David Bird, Plant Pathology

Research Program: Nematodes infect up to half the world’s human population, and crop plants and livestock have reduced yield from nematode infection — leading to malnutrition, loss of income and inefficient use of precious farmland. My team acquires fundamental knowledge about the complex communication between nematode and host.

Our goal is to disrupt that molecular dialog as an effective means of achieving safe nematode control.

The value to North Carolina and beyond: Elimination of all plant-parasitic nematodes from North Carolina farms would be equivalent to an across-the-board increase of yield by 15 percent. Animal producers would no longer need to drench (treat livestock for parasites), and domestic pets would no longer need an ongoing regimen for prevention of nematodes such as heartworm. Increased yield on subsistence crops (such as plantain, which suffers up to 60 percent loss to nematodes) would have global impact. Of course, complete elimination of nematodes is unlikely, but the impact of even modest control would contribute hugely to North Carolina, U.S. and global agriculture.

Furthering the mission of the College: The core CALS mission is the generation and dissemination of knowledge, to enhance the practice of agriculture and biology. Although my specific research topic is narrow, our approaches are broad, and the technology especially is applicable to many systems.

summer 2014

11

Becky Kirkland

challenging problems in agriculture and environmental pollution. A central issue is how to best utilize very specific knowledge gained from (sub-) micron to atomic scale measurements in making management decisions in the field.

Marc Hall

Marc Hall

The future of this work: From the lab to the field! The world is depending on the research that we and our colleagues are performing in the lab being reduced to practice. It is unrealistic to think the nematode problem will be solved in the next 10 or 25 years. But there will be many successes, and I hope to contribute.

Dean Hesterberg, Soil Science

Research program: Our research in soil chemistry addresses both agricultural and environmental issues. We develop basic knowledge of chemical processes that control plant uptake and offsite movement of plant nutrients and toxic heavy metals.

MaryAnne Drake, Food Science

Research Program: Sensory perception drives everything we do, from food selection and consumption to the cars we drive. My research program is focused on understanding how unit operations in food processing influence flavor chemistry (volatile compounds) and ultimately consumer perception of finished products. We also work to identify drivers of consumer liking for food and non-food products.

The value to North Carolina and beyond: High-quality, appealing foods are crucial to North Carolina consumers and North Carolina agriculture. This same concept applies to consumers and food industry nationally and globally.

Furthering the mission of the College: Assisting food processors with consistent manufacture of high-quality and appealing foods and producing educated and experienced individuals ready to enter the workforce are key missions of the university.

The future of this work: One of the many things that I love about my job is that trends in the food industry come and go, but high-quality, appealing and flavorful foods never go out of style.

12

perspectives

The value to North Carolina and beyond: Our research has pioneered the use of advanced analytical techniques to determine how phosphorus and toxic metals bind in soils and groundwater aquifers. This knowledge helps to inhibit movement of phosphorus from agricultural lands to surface waters, which can hurt water quality. It also aims to decrease human exposure to toxic substances in water and food crops. For example, we recently assessed whether toxic metals from coal ash in the Dan River spill would adversely affect agriculture, which alleviated farmers’ concerns about planting irrigated crops and about watering livestock with water from the Dan River.

Furthering the mission of the College: We create fundamental knowledge that will help position CALS to be a leader in agricultural and environmental sciences, enabling soil management strategies for meeting future food demands while maintaining environmental stewardship.

The future of this work: My aim is to develop effective approaches for using fundamental discoveries in soil chemistry to develop high-impact solutions to our most

Lee-Ann Jaykus, Food Science

Research program: I am the lead investigator of the norocore project. This is an interdisciplinary effort to understand and control foodborne viruses. My group works on improving detection and inactivation of viruses in the food chain.

The value to North Carolina and beyond: Noroviruses are the leading cause of acute viral gastroenteritis. They are also the most common cause of foodborne illness. Better ways to control transmission of these viruses will significantly improve public health.

Furthering the mission of the College: To control norovirus contamination along the food chain, we must understand production agriculture, food processing and food preparation practices. We must also understand the biological properties of the virus. Together, this knowledge allows us to put the puzzle pieces together to positively impact human health.

The future of this work: Increased awareness of the impact of norovirus on human health and reductions in disease burden in the United States and abroad.

The value to North Carolina and beyond: We study the population genetics of historical epidemics and present-day late blight outbreaks. The disease is still a threat to U.S. potato and tomato growers. Our recent work has used next-generation sequencing tools to study migration of strains globally. We are also involved in describing new species of Phytophthora and developing tools for identification. We also conduct diagnostics workshops globally to improve capacity and infrastructure in the developing world to manage plant disease, since plant pathogens do not recognize borders.

Furthering the mission of the College: Entomological research is a key component of all aspects of the College’s mission.

The future of this work: We are at the crossroads of yet another major revolution in the methods used to gather genetic data and analyze large complex data sets. The power of big new data sets allows us to be much more certain about the biological processes responsible for insect diversity. Within 10 years we will have an unprecedented understanding of how genomes are shaped by the environment and how specific adaptations influence the success and sustainability of insect species and their biological interactions. Within the next 25 years, species information, genetic data and their environmental context will be more naturally integrated across disciplines.

Research program: Plant pathogens are responsible for devastating diseases on a wide range of host crops, natural vegetation and forestry worldwide and are a threat to global food security. We work on one of the most notorious disease, late blight caused

by Phytophthora infestans. It was the first species in the genus described and left a path of devastation on potato in its wake in the United States, Ireland and Europe in the 19th century leading to the Irish famine.

Phytophthora diseases are not just of historical interest, but represent a significant and emerging biosecurity threat, in large part due to increases in plant movement via international trade.

The future of this work: I am currently leading a team of faculty to form an Emerging Pest and Pathogen Innovation lab at N.C. State. We envision using the latest technologies to detect, diagnose and mitigate plant diseases and pests that threaten food security. This will involve global surveillance networks and next-generation sequencing of pests and pathogens. I have become more involved in solving global emerging disease outbreaks in recent years and expect my program will continue to move in this direction.

Becky Kirkland

Becky Kirkland

Jean Ristaino, Plant Pathology

The value to North Carolina and beyond: Our work organizes and interprets biological diversity. How many species are there now, and how many have there been in the past? And how are they interrelated?

This information is critically important for understanding the context and genetic consequences of climate change, habitat degradation or loss, and the impacts of invasive species and urbanization. Through better knowledge of insect species and their biology, we can predict and manage the impact insects have in North Carolina and the impact from species that move here from other locations.

on global food security. Climate change will increase outbreaks and spread the range of many diseases and pests. Many emerging threats impact food production in East Africa and Southeast Asia. However, these same pathogens can pose a threat to food production in the United States, so building capacity abroad makes economic sense.

Brian Wiegmann, Entomology

Research Program: We use genomics tools to understand the patterns and processes in the evolutionary tree (Tree of Life) of insects, particularly flies, their biodiversity, biology and behavior, and how their habits have changed through their 240-million-year history. Flies are important as agricultural pests, disease vectors, pollinators and decomposers and so have a major impact on man and the environment.

Furthering the mission of the College: We are currently working globally on issues of the impact of emerging pests and pathogens

summer 2014

13

MEETINGOFMINDS CALS and Croatian students attend ag law class together via transatlantic connections.

by Terri Leith

I

t’s the first summer session at N.C. State University, and, in a Park Shops lecture hall, 45 students are assembled for class.

Actually, 16 are physically in the room. The other 29 are more than 4,000 miles and six hours’ worth of time zone away, at J.J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, Croatia. Yet, they, too, are absolutely present on the Raleigh campus – on two huge screens at the front of that specially equipped classroom, just as their N.C. State classmates are likewise on view in Osijek.

The course they’re all taking is a special version of ARE 306, Agricultural Law, a course taught in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, in N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The brainchild of ARE professor Dr. Ron Campbell, this transatlantic version of Ag Law is offered through a

14

perspectives

collaboration between Campbell and Dr. Ivan Stefanic of Strossmayer University. It connects both groups in real time with two live video cameras.

Campbell is in Croatia, where he and Stefanic lead the course at 4 each afternoon, while, at the same time (10 EST) in Raleigh, CALS’ Dr. John Russ teaches the class. The Croatian and American students interact, ask questions, present reports and basically attend class together via the TV hook-up.

“Our ag students are excited about this transatlantic version of Ag Law for the numerous learning possibilities in meeting and working directly with European students,” says Campbell, who has visited the university in Croatia twice before.

Dr. Arnie Oltmans, ARE undergraduate coordinator, traveled to Croatia with his wife and a group of ARE students to Strossmayer University two years ago when the concept for this seminar first developed, Campbell explains.

Stefanic, Russ and Campbell confer a half hour before and after each seminar session via international Skype to review the seminar goals and achievements of the students during that session. The three teachers bring different backgrounds and interdisciplinary perspectives (business entrepreneurship, economics and law) to enrich the discussions.

Russ is “an integral part of the threeperson team,” Campbell says. “To prepare to teach this unique seminar, he audited my course in ARE AG Law starting last January.

Dr. John Russ (seated front) and the CALS ARE 306 class pose in real time along with their transatlantic counterparts, shown on screens in Croatia – including, at back, the whitebearded Dr. Ron Campbell.

“Dr. Campbell uses real-world examples that relate to the interests of students and their typical career paths,” Russ says. “His philosophy is it is always better to avoid legal problems in the first place than to deal with the consequences, which is excellent business advice. He teaches students how to recognize legal situations when they should consult with an attorney versus trying to deal with the situation themselves. He does an excellent job motivating and instilling an interest in law in students.”

Topics commonly covered in ARE 306 include the court system, torts (civil wrongs that unfairly cause suffering on others – and the legal ramifications), contracts, real and personal property law, starting and organizing a business, environmental regulations affecting agriculture, labor regulations affecting agriculture, and income and estate taxation of agriculture.

Becky Kirkland

In the summer seminar, Europeans are paired with Americans to research such agricultural law topics and to give presentations together, albeit long distance over the twoway video conferencing.

“N.C. State students and Croatian students work together to prepare and present three classroom lectures about law,” says Russ. “Law in the United States is compared and contrasted with law in Croatia. Detecting, discovering, and exploring the reasons why differences exist in the law make the course more interesting and thereby motivates student participation.”

In addition to classroom interactions, students communicate outside of class on assignments by email, Skype, Facebook and the like.

“The students at J.J. Strossmayer who are in this historic, first-time-ever transatlantic seminar all speak English,” Campbell says. In fact, he adds, “Croatian students have studied English since the first grade. These highly motivated European business students all have iPhones and Facebook pages, and they know how to Skype for video communications. Both the Croatian and NCSU students know how to prepare PowerPoints.”

First among the Croatian students presenting today are Klara Stefanic, who is also the daughter of Ivan Stefanic, and Birgit Boehning. In Raleigh, their presentation teammates are Jon Bender, a senior in agribusiness management, and Patrick Giunco, who came to the College’s four-year ARE curriculum Becky Kirkland

When the topic was insurance for ag professionals, John shared his knowledge of the value of proper coverage in business insurance, homeowner’s coverage and umbrella auto policies. He has first-hand knowledge.”

And Stefanic has a history with CALS: He and his wife were Fulbright scholars at N.C. State in 1995. More recently, Stefanic welcomed N.C. State students, along with Oltmans and Campbell, to Croatia in May of 2012 and brought Croatian students to NCSU in October of that year.

Together they are teaching a special global version of ARE 306, a course that focuses on the applied legal principles needed by today’s graduates to adapt successfully to the challenges and changes that they are likely to encounter over their careers.

CALS student Patrick Giunco makes a presentation with his Croatian partners (onscreen) Klara Stefanic (left) and Birgit Boehning.

summer 2014

15

Davante Falls, at N.C. State, joins partner Morina Njomza, in Croatia, in making their class report.

Another benefit is that “students who earn a B or better will be invited to participate in the Italy/Croatia Study Abroad program,” says Campbell. Russ, along with his ARE colleague Melissa Hendrickson, will be leading that program, planned for May 2015, in which participants will study selected global agribusiness topics.

Russ particularly commends Campbell’s efforts in developing the summer seminar and organizing the methods of how students in both counties work together and learn from each other.

Up next, Drazen Betlemovic in Croatia and David Nicholson at NCSU discuss laws of self-defense in their homelands, while Zack

16

perspectives

The strong student interaction enriches the course, Russ says. “By learning and studying together, students make friends with peers in another culture and they become more sophisticated in terms of their view of the world. The course surely drives home that we live in a global economy where our interests are more similar than different, and geographic boundaries don’t have to be obstacles to ideas, friendships and commerce.”

Kenneth Merten, U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, sent a two-way video greeting from the American embassy in Zagreb to both the Raleigh and Osijek classrooms.

Russ also emphasizes the important collaboration and instruction that Stefanic provides: “He is an expert in intellectual property law and greatly augmented the coverage provided to that topic this semester by way of a lecture and workshop he provided.” Stefanic also designed an excellent team-building game that students in both countries played at the same time, Russ says.

Campbell hopes that, in the future, there will be more transatlantic versions of courses where students may experience real Europe without leaving Raleigh.

“The students are so energized by this experience,” he says. “Their parents are in communication with me about the impact of this seminar on their students. For the Croatians and their parents, too, this transatlantic version of Ag Law has been a win-win situation.”

Next on the agenda is a discussion of drug and human trafficking, from U.S. and Croatian perspectives. In Osijek, Morina Njomza shows a global drug trafficking map, substance abuse statistics and information from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. She expands on these findings, explaining the penalties for such crimes in her country. Picking up that thread, Davante Falls, her partner in Raleigh, gives a detailed account of global human trafficking activities and how they are being combatted, including the U.N. Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. The two show the roles of the United States and Croatia in both the propagation of and the fight against these types of crimes.

Sledzic in Raleigh and Darija Ivankovic in Osijek prepare to offer an Environmental Law presentation.

Courtesy John Russ

from the CALS Agricultural Institute. In wellcoordinated fashion, the four are analyzing the differences in laws that govern obtaining and keeping drivers’ licenses in North Carolina and Croatia. Because this is a first round of presentations, students can choose any law topic that they feel the most comfortable with – not just agricultural law – to help them refine their skills researching the law and presenting their findings to the class.

In addition to studying class materials and the ARE 306 textbook (which Campbell authored), “each evening before 10 p.m., the CALS students and the Croatian students have to complete the electronic self-assessment quizzes found on Moodle,” Campbell says.

“By reading the assignments before class and completing the electronic quizzes that close at 10 p.m. the night before, students are more prepared during live lecture sessions in the class.”

College Profile Northeast District Director Travis Burke can’t wait to see what unfolds as Extension’s next century begins.

by Natalie Hampton

Becky Kirkland

T

ravis Burke, Extension director for the Northeast District, has never been afraid to try new things. A farm kid, he decided in the 1970s to leave Perquimans County to attend N.C. State University, where he majored in agricultural education, in the College of Agriculture and Sciences.

A motivated student, Burke completed his bachelor’s degree in three years, taking courses during the summers. He was somewhat out of his element – in the vast majority of his classes, he recalls that he was the only African-American student. His goal was to become an agricultural education teacher.

When it came time for student teaching his senior year, Burke decided to go to the North Carolina mountains because it was “somewhere that I’d never been before. I just wanted a good experience so I went to the mountains. The mountains back in the ‘70s were probably a little different for me.” Burke said there were not many African Americans

living in the mountains at the time, and attitudes about race were somewhat evolving.

Coming from Perquimans County, a county of about 9,000 people, to N.C. State was a big adjustment. Burke eventually earned a master’s degree and doctorate from N.C. State as well. “Coming up here, then going up to the mountains, I just always wanted to do what nobody else would do. Then you’ll end up doing what no one else will do.”

Burke did his student teaching in Rutherford County under John and Chevas Bradley – “excellent ag teachers,” he said. One day while teaching, he was called to the principal’s office to answer a call from former 4-H director Dr. Mike Davis, who was then Extension’s personnel director. Davis told him, “I was interested in seeing if you wanted to consider being an Extension agent. I understand you’re doing your student teaching.”

Davis recalls that he saw a lot of qualities in Burke that would serve him well as an Ex-

tension professional. “His technical preparation was outstanding and his ability to relate well with people from all walks of life was very evident,” Davis said.

Burke didn’t really want to work for Extension at the time, but he talked with Davis in Raleigh anyway. Later that summer while finishing course work, he was interviewed by Josephine Patterson, the Northeast District Extension director at the time, at a restaurant in Elizabeth City. She suggested that he talk with Pasquotank County Extension Director Don Baker.

“I finished my courses on a Friday and started work on Monday; been with Extension ever since,” Burke said. His first position was as a 4-H and livestock agent in Pasquotank County, next door to his home county.

Burke and his seven siblings were involved some in 4-H, and his mother was very active in home demonstration. His oldest brother was involved in 4-H electric projects and enrolled at N.C. A&T State University

summer 2014

17

Extension staffs were bigger when Burke began work in 1982. In addition to his 50 percent position in 4-H, there was another fulltime 4-H agent and two family and consumer sciences agents.

Burke spent 28 years in Pasquotank County, assuming the role of county Extension director in 1998, and in 2010, he became district Extension director for the his home district, the Northeast. During his tenure, the district has grown and now extends from Raleigh to the coast along the Virginia border. It is a wild, beautiful area of large farms, rural roads and long stretches in between towns.

What Burke values about his time in Extension are the relationships that continue – former 4-H’ers who became Extension agents or specialists. They come back to visit him and stay in touch by phone. One former 4-H’er offended her family a little when she called Burke first to tell him she had just bought her first home. He smiles when he shows off photos sent by former 4-H’ers, and he remembers everyone’s family connections.

“I have several agents and 4-H’ers that were in my program that have become very successful. Brent Jennings, N.C. State’s 4-H livestock specialist, was one of my 4-H’ers.”

According to Burke, Jennings didn’t know anything about livestock judging before he joined Burke’s livestock club about the age of 10 or 11. The experience earned Jennings a scholarship to Butler County Community College in Kansas, where his livestock judging team won national titles. Jennings later transferred to N.C. State, and the rest is history.

“Travis was kind enough to take me under his wing and encourage me to pursue livestock judging in 4-H. There is no question that without the vision of Travis, I would not be where I am today,” Jennings said. “He has been and continues to be a great inspiration

18

perspectives

for me and so many others who were fortunate to have him as a 4-H agent growing up.”

Burke is excited about how interest in agriculture has come full circle for Extension since its beginning in 1914. “And now, 100 years later, what are we doing – ‘local foods’ is our flagship program. People want to go back to the soil and raise their own food. Food safety is an issue. People want to make sure they

has been aggressive in building impactful and financially sustainable programs at every step of his career,” Davis said.

Burke also has been active in Extension’s recent visioning initiative, to determine a future direction for N.C. Cooperative Extension, and he is confident that Extension will be here for another 100 years.

‘The challenging thing is to find good people who want to do Extension work and be successful at it. All in all, it’s good work; it’s a good job. And if you want to help people, this is the job for you.’ have a really safe end product. So Extension is needed more than ever.”

Recent years have been challenging for Extension administrators like Burke, who have to try each year to do the job with fewer dollars. “I don’t want to say ‘budgets,’ but… the challenging thing is to try and provide people in Extension with the things they need to be successful. You just have to do the best you can with the resources you’ve got,” he said.

“The challenging thing is to find good people who want to do Extension work and be successful at it. All in all, it’s good work; it’s a good job. And if you want to help people, this is the job for you.”

There is no typical week for a district Extension director, Burke said, but he sums up his recent travels this way, “I was in Perquimans today, and then tomorrow is Pasquotank. I was Halifax yesterday. I was in Hyde last week – well one day I was in Hyde and Tyrrell – and the next day, Dare, and the day before that, Bertie, and Martin the other day.

It just depends on what’s going on.”

He says he travels 35,000 to 40,000 miles a year on business in his district and takes three local newspapers. It’s enough to make most folks’ heads spin.

According to Mike Davis, Burke has excelled because of his incredible work ethic.

“Over the years, Travis and I have communicated at all hours of the day and night about 4-H youth development challenges and opportunities and the need for agents to be ‘managers’ of their 4-H youth development program. Travis

“I think there’s going to be a constant with Extension – what the Morrill Act and the Smith-Lever Act put in place was educating people using research, teaching and Extension. We’re still going to be doing that,” Burke said.

“We will always be in the business of helping people. We may be doing it a little differently. The changes that have happened in the first 100 years have been tremendous.

I don’t know if there will be the same level of change from this century to the next. But it will be interesting to see what unfolds.”

Burke, who is single, is known throughout N.C. Cooperative Extension for his tremendous energy and dedication to his work. What does he do in his spare time? Work for Extension. What does he do on vacation? Work for Extension.

“Most people don’t realize that Travis has taken a week of his time every summer for the last 12 years to instruct with the Shelton Leadership Challenge at N.C. State,” Davis said. “It has been my honor to be a colleague, mentor and friend of Travis for nearly 30 years.

He is a true role model of the highest order.”

What will Burke do when, heaven forbid, he decides to retire? He really doesn’t want to think about what life will be like without Extension, though there is some talk of a political future.

“I never had a bad day in my career. I never had a day when I just dragged myself out of bed to go to work,” Burke said. “I’m glad I chose this path. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

in industrial engineering in the late 1960s.

But when Greensboro exploded in riots during the civil rights movement, his brother decided to return home. Three other siblings graduated from the 1890s land-grant institution of Delaware State University.

noteworthy

NEWS

Courtesy CEFS

CEFS celebrates two decades of transforming North Carolina’s food system n 1994, a task force of university faculty and administrators, state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, farmers, and citizens was charged with developing strategies to build a sustainable agriculture program in North Carolina. N.C .State University, N.C. A&T State University and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services formed a unique partnership – and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems was born.

I

“Rooted in its founding partnerships, CEFS has been able to grow its work by building great relationships with nonprofit organizations, local communities, and food system leadership across the state,” says Dr. John O’Sullivan, CEFS director from N.C. A&T. In April, CEFS kicked off its 20th anniversary celebration with a lecture and reception with Dr. Ricardo Salvador, director of the food and environment program for the Union of Concerned Scientists. The celebration will continue into this fall with a SOILbration and reunion for past faculty, interns and apprentices, Oct. 17-18.

Salvador, former W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food and Society program officer, was instrumental in awarding endowments to N.C. State and N.C. A&T that created the W.K. Kellogg Distinguished Professorships in Sustainable Agriculture and Community-Based Food Systems at both institutions.

“We saw CEFS and the partnership between N.C. State and N.C. A&T as a national model for food systems change, one in which they could leverage their institutional partnerships, innovative civic engagement programs and supply chain expertise to transform the state’s food system to make it not only more

Kicking off the CEFS 20th anniversary celebration are Dr. Nancy Creamer, CEFS director from N.C. State; event speaker Dr. Ricardo Salvador; Dr. John O’Sullivan, CEFS director from N.C. A&T; and Dr. William Randle, dean of N.C. A&T’s School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

sustainable, but also more equitable for vulnerable communities who often lack access to local and fresh foods,” Salvador said.

CEFS’ work began with a 2,000-acre research farm in Goldsboro, home to CEFS’s core research programs and units: the Farming Systems Research Unit, Pasture-Based Dairy and Beef Units, Alternative Swine Unit, Organic Research Unit and Small Farm Unit.

It is now one of the nation’s top research and demonstration facilities for organic and sustainable production systems.

“The success of the CEFS research and demonstration program is directly related to the cooperative partnership of N.C. State, N.C. A&T and NCDA&CS and also to the long-term, multidisciplinary approach to both applied and basic research questions,” says Andy Meier, CEFS research operations manager.

Building on its initial successes, CEFS broadened its focus to include communitybased food systems and local food supply chain development. CEFS formed N.C. Choices to promote the advancement of local, niche and pasture-based meat supply chains.

Partnering with community organizations, CEFS also developed youth engagement and leadership development initiatives including Students Working for an Agricultural Revolutionary Movement (SWARM) and the Food Youth Initiative.

Extension and outreach programs – including the Seasons of Sustainable Agriculture workshop series, Farm to Fork picnic and annual sustainable agriculture lecture – were designed to engage the public on a variety of food systems topics. Now these programs reach more than 2,500 people each year.

summer 2014

19

Becky Kirkland

CEFS’ apprenticeship and internship programs have grown to attract students from across North Carolina and around the globe.

New educational programs – including N.C. A&T’s Discover Ag and N.C. State’s Agroecology Program – reach students from elementary school through college.

In 2008 and 2009, CEFS convened food system stakeholders across the state in regional meetings and a statewide summit to transform North Carolina’s food system. The statewide “From Farm to Fork” action plan was created, outlining game-changing strategies for building local food economies.

One of these strategies, the N.C. 10% Campaign, encourages all North Carolinians and businesses to commit 10 percent of their food dollars to locally grown and produced foods and to record purchases on the campaign website. Since 2010, the campaign has tracked more than $61 million in local foods purchases by more than 7,000 individuals and 950 businesses.

CEFS turned to the health impacts of increasing access to local, fresh produce, partnering with N.C. 4-H to host FoodCorps North Carolina.

FoodCorps service members work to change children’s attitudes and behaviors toward food through nutrition education, school gardens and greater access to healthy, local produce.

Visitors attend a field day at the CEFS Beef Unit.

The N.C. Growing Together project, funded by the USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture, was initiated to bring more locally produced foods – including meat, dairy, produce and seafood – into mainstream retail and food service supply chains. The project, which focuses on retail grocery and military base models, has dozens of statewide partners including Lowes Foods and the Fort Bragg U.S. Army installation.

“As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, it’s inspiring to look back at the impact CEFS has had, while at the same time envisioning our work going forward: creating a future of vibrant farms, sustainable ecosystems, thriving communities, healthy people and robust local economies,” says Dr. Nancy Creamer, CEFS director from N.C. State.

Visit go.ncsu.edu/cefsanniversary for more information on anniversary events.

Courtesy Tiffany Preddy

Functional aesthetics: CALS students create green roof at retirement community t N.C. State University’s 23rd Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in April, a project from four students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was among the outstanding entries conveying the symposium’s message of how research at N.C. State contributes to the greater good of North Carolina and areas beyond. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering students Taylor Barto, Kathleen Bell, Kyle Halchin and Tiffany Preddy presented their work on the Carol Woods Green Roof Senior Design Project.

A

In their symposium poster, the four illustrated how they created and began implementation of designs for a green roof atop an addition to the Health Center Building at Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill.

20

perspectives

BAE students Tiffany Preddy (left), Kathleen Bell, Taylor Barto and Kyle Halchin gather on the newly installed green roof.

Terri Leith

together is when we have seen the most reward for our hard work.”

Construction was completed in late April.

The team will now use water quality samples taken before and after construction to determine the stormwater-management effectiveness of the green roof.

Barto gave a special thanks to the team’s mentor, Andrew Anderson, and their Carol Woods contact, Robin Holmes, “for contributing so much of their efforts to making this project possible.”

At N.C. State’s April 14 Undergraduate Research Symposium, Halchin (left), Bell, Barto and Preddy presented their poster outlining the green roof project.

Because there is a common room with access to that roof on the addition, the retirement community’s management wished to install a fully functioning green roof there. The new green roof will be used as an educational tool and a standard-of-living improvement for the residents.

The poster explains that green roofs are not only aesthetically pleasing but also provide extra insulation, effective stormwater retention and management, and promotion of evapotranspiration and fire retardation, as well as habitats for native insects and birds.

“With this project we ultimately want to provide our client with the aesthetic view they are looking for,” said Bell, a BAE senior from Raleigh, who hopes to become a field consultant in stormwater engineering. “We also want to provide our clients with stormwater management technology that will reduce peak flows and runoff.”

A prettier vista, reduced runoff and reduced peak flow are just a few among the advantages offered by the green roof, along with urban heat island mitigation (through reduction of surrounding temperature and reduced energy consumption) and extension of the lifespan of roofing material via the lessening of UV rays and mechanical breakdown.

Three designs were presented by the team to the Carol Woods community. The design chosen by the client includes 100 percent vegetation cover in the form of a pre-seeded sedum mat, growing media, an engineered drainage layer and a waterproofing membrane, along with river rock drain cover and edging and artwork to cover the roof’s airconditioning unit.

“Green roofs do not have to be a level surface,” said Barto, a senior from Monroe, whose plans include attending graduate school in the BAE Department. “The substrate (soil) can be built up in areas of the roof where the structure can support it, providing more of a rolling landscape. The sedum plants are even able to grow in as little as one inch of substrate.”

One of the biggest challenges the team faced with this project was “communicating and coordinating between the different parties involved — client, vendors, engineering consultants,” said Halchin, a senior from Mebane, who hopes to become an environmental engineering field consultant.

It was Holmes who initially contacted the team’s sponsor, Dr. Bill Hunt of BAE, and proposed the green roof project that she wanted to implement, said Preddy, a senior from Oxford. Preddy plans to earn her professional engineer’s license and one day own a firm that serves urban and agricultural areas that promote wetland conservation and sustainable farming practices.

“From day one, Carol Woods has been extremely excited about the green roof project,” Preddy said. “It was such a joy to see that they were as excited as we were.”

And that excitement promises to continue.

“This project will also serve as a trial green roof for their community. If this project is successful, they will implement more throughout their campus,” Bell said.

The annual Undergraduate Research Symposium seeks to highlight presentations of some of the finest work and thinking at N.C. State. The objectives are to demonstrate the importance of research in the undergraduate experience, to recognize the contributions made by undergraduates to research and to stimulate involvement by young people. Students present their contributions in poster format during two sessions. This year’s event included 68 entries from students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. – Terri Leith

But, he added, “along with that challenge comes one of the biggest rewards: When all of the parties have communicated/coordinated effectively and all of the details are coming

summer 2014

21

Suzanne Stanard

Nurturing a new venture: CALS animal scientist assists in sustainable swine operation start-up tratford Oaks Farm, nestled in the Alleghany County mountains, has been home to the Irwin family for five generations. They raise Angus cattle on more than 100 acres of rolling hills and pristine streams that provide ample opportunity for happy grazing.

S

Like many North Carolina farmers today, Bobby and Suzanne Irwin, the current proprietors of Stratford Oaks, are interested in diversifying their operation. While their farm also is home to a handful of burros, pygmy goats and a mustang named Bella, the Irwins have just launched a new commercial venture: swine.

Pietrosemoli, a research associate in the Department of Animal Science, works with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Alternative Swine Unit. Originally from Venezuela, she joined the College in late 2008 and works primarily in alternative animal production.

Pietrosemoli spent her first few years at N.C. State as part of a CEFS team working on a U.S. Department of Agriculture-grant-funded project to develop and test conservation practices in outdoor hog production. Passionate about her research and actively involved in field studies throughout the state over the years, she recently applied for a grant from Southern SARE to implement sustainable pastured pork systems on five North Carolina farms, including Stratford Oaks.

“People have been raising pigs on pasture for years but didn’t realize they were hurting the environment, so our goal is to make it more sustainable and reduce the environmental impact,” Pietrosemoli said. “That’s why we are placing so much emphasis on establishing an adequate stocking density and rotational management. It enables farmers to better maintain the ground cover, reduce nutrient runoff and improve the distribution of manure, while keeping the animals happy and healthy.”

Her work has taken her all over the state, and lately she’s been spending a lot of time with the Irwins in Sparta.

22

perspectives

Silvana Pietrosemoli (center), a CALS animal science research associate, helps Bobby and Suzanne Irwin with their new commercial venture, a pastured pork production system.

“We started working with Silvana in 2010, when she helped develop a program for outdoor pig production at another farm I used to manage,” said Bobby Irwin. “She did everything. She tested the soil, monitored trees to see if the pigs had damaged them and approved the design of the building and exterior fencing. I had never raised a pig before, and Silvana was a great help.”

State,” Suzanne Irwin said. “For farmers in our state, N.C. State provides valuable consultation where we can seek professional assistance. We also have received great support for this project from Aaron Ray Tompkins, our Alleghany County Extension agent.”

Bobby Irwin added, “North Carolina is the second-largest pork producing state in the country, so it’s natural that we’d look to N.C. State for help.”

So when Suzanne Irwin decided to apply for a “Direct to Farmer” grant from Blue Ridge Seeds of Change, a subsidiary of Heifer International, Pietrosemoli was one of the first people she called.

Suzanne Irwin won a $3,000 Seeds of Change grant – one of only two given in Alleghany County – to establish a pastured pork production system on five acres of land. The grant covered the purchase of the pigs, a water box and electric fencing supplies.

“In planning for the Seeds of Change grant to have a project for sustainable rotational grazing for pigs, I knew that the project could be a success because of Silvana’s knowledge based on the research she has done at N.C. Suzanne Stanard

Having limited experience with pigs, the farmers turned to the College of Agriculture and Life Science’s Silvana Pietrosemoli, who has been with them every step of the way.

In April, the Irwins traveled to Oakboro to pick up 15 two-month-old pigs from Shawn and Jenny Hatley of the Naked Pig Meat Co., who already had committed to buying back the pigs after the Irwins raised them. The process, which will result in 300-pound pigs, takes about 220 days.

“One of our biggest goals for this grant is to implement the best management practices that Silvana is teaching us to achieve minimal environmental impact and produce high quality pork,” Suzanne Irwin said.

These pigs are part of the Irwins’ new sustainable swine operation in Sparta.

To that end, Pietrosemoli is helping the Irwins outline rotational paddocks and map

Suzanne Stanard

“We thought we had done this super job of putting up fencing in the barn,” Suzanne Irwin said. “But the morning after they arrived, I go out, and there isn’t a pig to be seen. So we called a neighbor and the vet, and Bobby went down the road in the truck looking for them.”

After those fruitless searches, Bobby Irwin investigated inside the barn more thoroughly and discovered that the entire herd had rooted its way through two enclosures in one barn all the way to another barn, where he discovered the pigs sleeping behind a pile of lumber.

Pietrosemoli (right) is assisting Suzanne Irwin with best practices in managing the farm’s pigs.

electric fencing that will create a sustainable, rotational grazing system for their pigs. She also has provided guidance on a rational feeding program for the herd.

Community involvement also is an important part of the project, Suzanne Irwin said, so that the next generation of farmers can learn alternative production procedures and discover the potential for their own farms. So she invited local agricultural education students to the farm for a tour and program delivered by Pietrosemoli.

“When I mentioned my desire to invite high school FFA students to learn about this

project, Silvana was most encouraging,” Suzanne Irwin said.

The project at Stratford Oaks Farm also is being recorded for broadcast on Alleghany County Community Television, which reaches about five mountain counties.

With the loss of only one pig (due to the stress of travel), the other 14 are happy, healthy and growing more quickly than expected. Master escape artists, the pigs gave the Irwins a good scare on the morning after their arrival.

“After that, no pig could escape,” Suzanne Irwin said with a laugh. “We spent hours making sure that this enclosure, with electric fence, would work. And, like Hansel and Gretel, we used a grain trail to lure them back to their barn.”

Despite some challenges and newbie mistakes along the way, the experience of raising pigs already has been very rewarding, the Irwins said, in large part because of their work with Pietrosemoli.

“Without Silvana’s professional consultation, we would not have entered into this endeavor,” Suzanne Irwin said. “Her knowledge and her genuine concern for us and the pigs have already helped make this project a success.” – Suzanne Stanard

Becky Kirkland

With rye harvest, N.C. State students will participate in commemoration of Berlin Wall end ast fall, students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Introductory Crops Science classes, the AgriLife Council and Agronomy Club, along with some Park Scholars, planted rye seed in the Fike Crops Garden that will be part of an international celebration later this year. After being harvested in June, some of the rye seed will play a role in the Peace Bread – or FriedensBrot – project, during a November ceremony marking 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

L

On Nov. 9, Germany will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the end to the wall that divided the city of Berlin – east from west, communist from free – between 1961 and 1989. The wall divided family members from one another; as many as 100 to 200 East Berlin residents lost

Dr. Bob Patterson (left) joins CALS students for the late June harvesting of the rye. The harvested seed will be part of the November Peace Bread project, marking the 25th anniversary of the destruction of the Berlin Wall.

summer 2014

23

Patterson (left photo) wields a scythe to kick off the harvesting. But soon the gleaning process picks up the pace with the use of more modern machinery (right).

their lives trying to escape the walled city watched by armed guards.

The connection to the Berlin Wall project came from CALS’ Dr. Bob Patterson, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Crop Science, who has a long-term relationship with Humboldt University in Berlin. Patterson has traveled to Berlin with students and visited the memorial to those who suffered and died because of the wall.

Part of N.C. State’s Lake Wheeler Road Field Lab, the Fike Crops Garden is believed to be the only site in the United States participating in the Peace Bread project, though some students participated by planting the rye on their home farms, according to Patterson.

Bridget Lassiter

The Berlin Wall memorial includes a field of rye, and for the 25th anniversary, rye seeds from the memorial there were distributed to countries all over the world to be planted last fall. Seed harvested from the Berlin memorial rye will be

returned from all the participating countries and milled into flour for a Peace Bread that delegates to the anniversary event will share.

Patterson’s connection with the FriedensBrot project goes back to 1995-96, when he was a Fulbright scholar studying at Humboldt University. His research focused on German agriculturist Albrecht Daniel Thaer, who developed the seven-crop rotational sequence that helped improve Germany’s agricultural soils. Through his studies, Patterson became good friends with Prof. Dr. Frank Ellmer, a soil scientist who is now dean of Agriculture and Horticulture at Humboldt University.

Ellmer himself was a prisoner of the wall, and though it has been gone for nearly 25 years, Ellmer told Patterson that those who lived under its shadow can still feel its presence.

“Prof. Dr. Ellmer was completing the writing of his doctoral dissertation late into the night of Nov. 9, 1989, trying hard to focus on his writing,” Patterson said. Ellmer’s office was several blocks from Unter den Linden, the main street leading to the Berlin Wall’s Brandenburg Gate, the night the wall fell.

“He said that the outside noise became so strong that he had to go outside to see what was happening. And the rest is history,” Patterson said.

Students dig into the fruits of their labors – the seeds gleaned from the rye they planted last fall and now have harvested to send to Berlin.

24

perspectives

Elmer told Patterson two years

ago about plans for the FriedensBrot project as part of the Berlin Wall commemoration, and Patterson was anxious to participate.

Last fall, a package of carefully packaged rye seed arrived from Germany, and students planted the seed at the crops garden.

As part of a summer study program that Patterson teaches in Prague, he has taken students to visit the Berlin Wall memorial, as they did again in June. Rye was an important choice for the Peace Bread because it is Germany’s preferred bread, but also because it grows well in poor soils.

This year’s FriedensBrot project will begin with a three-day international conference, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, in Berlin. The organizers say they intend to focus on reaching out to former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe.

The United States will be the only Western country represented, possibly by Jourdain De Fontes, one of the crop science students who planted rye here in the fall.

“Jourdain would be representing not only our department, but also our entire university, as well as our country,” Patterson said. “Frank Ellmer has indicated that N.C. State represents the only U.S.-based rye planting.”

Patterson met this summer with Dr. Gibfried Schenk of Germany, one of the organizers of the FriedensBrot project to learn more about the conference and N.C. State’s role. “Gibfried proposes that our student representative bring small bags of rye grain collected from the various locations where we are growing plots and hand them to each representative of every country present,” Patterson said. Delegates would be encouraged to take the grain home and to plant a crop of rye. – Natalie Hampton

Becky Kirkland

Terri Leith

N.C. State’s Farm Animal Days draws multitudes he popularity of N.C. State University’s Farm Animal Days grows each year, and that fact was quite apparent on the 2014 opening day, April 9. Family cars and school field-trip busses lined up early to gain entrance to the site of the event, the Beef Educational Unit at N.C. State University’s Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory. The annual opportunity to meet and greet farm animals is hosted by N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and its departments of Animal Science, Prestage Poultry Science and Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences.

T

Molly the Cow highfives young guests, while kids try their hands at cow-milking, get a gander at turkeys and climb into the cab of a farm vehicle.

Terri Leith

Running for three days, Farm Animal Days provided fun and educational introductions to a variety of farm animals, as youngsters viewed, learned about and, in some cases, touched them. Featured for close encounters were chicks, turkeys, ducks, pigs, sheep, goats and rabbits. Nearby in pens for viewing were beef cows and calves, dairy cows and horses.

Terri Leith

The Prestage Department of Poultry Science display of turkeys and chicks drew particularly long lines, as did the hands-on cow-milking lesson, a simulated milking experience. Crowds also continually streamed through a large tent sheltering separate viewing pens of goats, sheep and pigs. Here, CALS faculty members and staff, such as Dr. Billy Flowers of Animal Science, along with CALS students, were on hand to answer questions about the animals.

And some attractions were not hooved or feathered but on wheels: Several gleaming tractors, very large and small, and other farm vehicles were on display.

Wandering among the dense crowd, the Molly the Cow mascot, greeted and posed with kids and invited them to enjoy free Howling Cow ice cream, made at N.C. State.

Many groups also took advantage of a grassy picnic area to have lunch. An afterlunch treat for many was a visit to the Junior Wolfpack Club booth, where a turn of a wheel gave each child an opportunity to claim a prize. Cowboy, one of the NCSU Police Department’s horses, also made a popular appearance.

Held rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, the free-of-charge event is designed for school field trips (pre-school through first grade) and families.

Sponsors for the event included the Wake County Farm Bureau, Col. William C. Koch Jr., N.C. Agricultural Foundation Inc., N.C. Cattle-

men’s Association, N.C. State Animal Science Club, N.C. Egg Association Inc., N.C. Pork Council, N.C. State Dairy Enterprise-Howling Cow Ice Cream, N.C. State Junior Wolfpack Club, Farm Animal Days Friends and Dr. and Mrs. Frank D. Sargent. – Terri Leith

summer 2014

25

Natalie Hampton

Research stations receive new equipment gricultural research in North Carolina got a boost this year from $2.5 million in state funds allocated to upgrade equipment at the state’s network of research stations. Recently, state and university officials gathered at Clayton’s Central Crops Research Station to demonstrate some of the new equipment that will help modernize agricultural experiments across the state.

A

The N.C. General Assembly allocated $5 million over two years for equipment at research stations shared by N.C. State University, N.C. A&T State University and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. There are 12 stations operated by NCDA&CS and six others operated by N.C. State. N.C. A&T researchers also conduct research at the stations.

Dean Richard Linton, CALS; Commissioner Steve Troxler, NCDA&CS; and Dean Bill Randle, NCA&T, show off new tractors at the Central Crops Research Station.

State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said that agricultural research will play an important role in helping the world to feed a projected population of 9 billion by 2050.

“How do we get there?” he asked. “The success we’ve had today is a result of agricultural research.”

“At these stations, we can study just about any soil type and climate type in most of the United States. No other land-grant university has that capacity,” said Dean Richard Linton of N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), speaking at the event.

Of $67.5 million in sponsored research dollars received last year by CALS, nearly $40 million had a direct impact on research stations and field laboratories, Linton said. And every dollar spent on agricultural research returns about $20 to North Carolina’s economy, he added.

Troxler also spoke of the importance of agricultural research as an economic driver.

“We grew agriculture to a $78 billion business in this state,” he said. “This investment in equipment ensures that agriculture will continue to grow.”

Natalie Hampton

Sandy Stewart, head of NCDA&CS’ Research Stations Division, said North Carolina’s network of research stations is among the largest in the country, rivaled in number only by the state of Texas.

Last year, 130 CALS faculty members were engaged in nearly 500 research projects at the stations, training more than 150 graduate students in the process, Linton said. “The work our students do is very applied and is critical to solving North Carolina’s greatest challenges,” he added.

The Central Crops Research Station is a popular research site with N.C. State faculty members because of its close proximity to campus. A number of researchers with projects at the station were on hand for the event, as well as key legislators who supported the funding for new equipment.

After opening remarks, visitors were able to ride along on of the station’s new GPS-driven tractors. Though the technology is not new to agriculture, the ability to move a tractor through a field hands-free is new to the Research Stations Division. Guests climbed aboard and rode along as the tractors tilled fields at the station. – Natalie Hampton

A GPS-guided tractor plows the field at the Central Crops Research Station.

26

perspectives

Courtesy Harper Adams University

Expanded study-abroad opportunities: CALS partners with U.K.’s Harper Adams University he ink is barely dry on a new agreement between N.C. State and Harper Adams University, located in Shropshire, England, but anticipation is high for the possibilities this partnership may create for faculty and students from both institutions.

T

“The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at N.C. State and Harper Adams offer complementary academic programs in agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural engineering and food studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels,” said Dr. Barbara Kirby, associate vice provost of academic programs and services at N.C. State. “The Harper Adams campus is very welcoming, especially for students and faculty members who are passionate about agriculture and the related areas.”

The agreement opens doors for expanded study-abroad opportunities for students, as well as the possibility of summer internships both on and off campus. It also will allow the College’s faculty to study and conduct agricultural research in the United Kingdom, as well as collaborate with Harper Adams faculty on grant requests and other projects.

The partnership stemmed from a shortterm study-abroad program in the U.K. that Hendrickson started five years ago. While there, she discovered Harper Adams University and arranged a visit. From that point forward, Hendrickson spearheaded the effort to establish a formal agreement between N.C. State and Harper Adams.

In March, her dream became reality with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two schools.

“The MOU provides the potential to expand beyond the short-term study-abroad agribusiness program to Harper Adams,” Kirby said. “In the future, I hope to see Harper Adams’ students coming to N.C. State as part of an academic exchange program, internship or research experience. Our students will have the opportunity for a more in-depth studyabroad program where they may complete up-

Courtesy Harper Adams University

“This is the first step of several in creating strong and lasting linkages between N.C.

State and Harper Adams,” said Melissa Hendrickson, a lecturer in the CALS Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

“Students and faculty are enthusiastic about the study-abroad program, the learning opportunities at Harper Adams and the possibility of future work together.”

Harper Adams faculty and students attend a crops lecture in a Shropshire field.

per division courses or training in agriculture, agribusiness, engineering and food science.”

In addition to benefiting students and faculty, the exchange program may eventually expand to include agricultural industry and commodity leaders.

Plans are in the works for Dr. Karl Jicha, a lecturer with the Agricultural Institute, and Dr. Elizabeth Wilson, director of the Agricultural Institute and assistant dean of academic programs, to lead a study-abroad group to the U.K. in spring 2015.

“Many colleges are strongly encouraging or requiring students to participate in some form of international activity as part of their coursework,” Hendrickson said. “One of the five core strategic themes of the College is to prepare students and stakeholders for leadership and success in the global workforce. But most students don’t feel they can take an entire semester or a full year of study overseas.”

The Main Building at the U.K.’s Harper Adams University: A new agreement will allow CALS faculty to collaborate with agricultural researchers there.

For that reason, Hendrickson has created short-course opportunities for students to learn firsthand about agriculture and agribusiness in other countries. While longer programs allow for more immersion in the culture, short programs have the potential of providing students with equally eye-opening experiences.

summer 2014

27

“Students with international experience provide a better quality of life for themselves, their neighbors and their community organizations by bringing new perspectives to the

table,” Hendrickson said. “Without MOUs with agricultural universities, such as the one we just signed with Harper Adams, these experiences would not be sustainable.”

Representing Harper Adams University at the signing were Dr. David Llewellyn, vice chancellor, and Andrew Jones, director of teaching and learning. – Suzanne Stanard

hen Colt Nash received word in the spring that he had been selected as the first N.C. State student to win a Beacon of Enlightenment Ph.D. scholarship from the University of Adelaide, he said it took him a few days to register the news.

W

“I am very excited about the scholarship,” Nash said. “The University of Adelaide is such a great school, and I am so grateful to have been chosen. I am an only child and the first in my family to pursue a Ph.D., so my parents are equally thrilled.”

In late August, fresh from earning his master’s degree in poultry science, Nash will finally set foot in South Australia to begin a study abroad experience like no other.

Under the guidance of Dr. Michael Beard, a microbiology and immunology research fellow at the University of Adelaide, Nash will work toward his Ph.D. in immunology/infectious disease. In particular, he will study viral gene expression in hepatitis C-infected liver cells in order to better understand disease progression.

This scholarship opportunity is the product of a growing collaboration between N.C. State and the University of Adelaide. According to David Dixon, international programs coordinator with the N.C. State Office of International Affairs, the two institutions have a strategic partnership to advance research collaboration and academic exchanges across areas of complementary strength and expertise.

“We envision our work with the University of Adelaide as a long-term, comprehensive partnership that will continue to expand research and academic exchanges for faculty, staff and students at both institutions,” Dixon said. “We’re very excited for Colt. He will be a wonderful ambassador for N.C. State.”

As a master’s student in poultry science in N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life

28

perspectives

Becky Kirkland

Nash named first N.C. State student to win Beacon of Enlightenment scholarship Sciences, Nash examined Mx, a protein that cells make in response to viral infections. Mx has been shown in several animals, including humans, to be able to directly inhibit viral replication, according to Nash.

“Chickens have an Mx gene, and it appears to be expressed during virus infection CALS’ Colt Nash (center) is congratulated by the University of but it doesn’t seem to Adelaide’s Mike Brooks (left), deputy vice chancellor and vice inhibit virus,” Nash president (research), and Sandy McConachy, director of Global said. “Our group is Research and Engagement. interested in trying to understand why, social sciences; professions; and sciences. and our lab has been working with a poultry genetics company to better characterize the N.C. State and University of Adelaide chicken Mx.” students can participate in semester or yearlong exchange programs between the two Nash said he is eager to expand on this institutions. work in Adelaide.

“I really want to get a new outlook on how research is conducted outside of the United States,” Nash said. “I hope by pursuing this scholarship opportunity, it will help me become a better scientist.

“I could not have achieved this without the help and guidance of my adviser, Dr. Matt Koci,” Nash said. “I am very honored to represent N.C. State.”

With 25,000 students, the University of Adelaide is one of Australia’s top research universities and has four onshore campuses.

North Terrace, in the cultural heart of the city of Adelaide, is the main campus and site of most teaching and research facilities. University programs cover five different areas of study: engineering, computer and mathematical sciences; health sciences; humanities and

During his time in Australia, Nash also hopes to visit every territory on the continent, as well as travel in Asia, New Zealand and Tasmania. For now, though, his focus is on getting settled and digging in to his Ph.D. program.

“In the lab you need to be able to handle failures and keep working your way through them,” said Dr. Matt Koci, associate professor in CALS’ Prestage Department of Poultry Science, and Nash’s mentor. “Good grades are great, but hard work and the willingness to keep trying even when nothing is going your way are keys to success in research. Colt has demonstrated he has the raw tenacity needed to make a good research scientist. I’m confident that with his work ethic, and the guidance of Dr. Beard, Colt is going to excel at the University of Adelaide.” – Suzanne Stanard

noteworthy

ALUMNI

Jim Hunt reflects on Extension’s century of service: ‘Thank goodness for Cooperative Extension’

A Wilson County native, Hunt started his association with Cooperative Extension as a child, earning awards for his 4-H dairy cattle projects and helping his mother prepare for home demonstration club meetings. As a young lawyer, he helped shape Extension’s early environmental education efforts. As governor, he called on Extension to help with numerous life-changing state initiatives, including award-winning efforts that helped the state recover from the devastation of 1999’s Hurricane Floyd. And today Hunt and his wife provide for 4-H beef cattle awards in his county.

Here’s what Hunt had to say to video producer Donna Campbell when she interviewed him earlier this year for a UNC-TV series celebrating Extension’s first century: “Cooperative Extension is all over the state. We have people … in every county who work with young people, who work with farmers, who work with homeowners, who work with all kinds of people to improve our lives.

“It started out, frankly, mostly about agriculture, but it has become much more than that. It now works with all kinds of businesses. It works to improve the environment in the communities in which we live. So Cooperative Extension is there to work with the people to improve their lives economically and in terms

of their health and their well-being.

Dee Shore

aving lived three-quarters of North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s history, former four-term N.C. Gov. James B. Hunt, an alumnus of N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has plenty to say about the agency’s value and positive influence on communities and people across the state.

H

“And it is one of the things that I think has done most to improve our state.

“My own personal experience was mainly on the farm. I grew up on a dairy and tobacco farm in rural Wilson County. I remember Former N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt’s association with Cooperative Extension my mother being began with his childhood 4-H experiences. involved with the the land-grant colleges started by Abraham home demonstration club. … There were Lincoln – it was one of the great things he did. farmers’ wives (who) a lot of times … didn’t And he did so many great ones, because he know enough about nutrition – they didn’t cared about the average people out there on know about the vitamins and all the things the land. Initially, we called it the agricultural that we know about now. These were clubs extension, and it did work primarily with the … in which the agents came out to the farms farmers, extending the knowledge that we had … and went out into different homes, and gained in the land-grant colleges – the scienthey shared … the new scientific information tific knowledge; the things we had discovered about child rearing, about nutrition, about how about how to plant different kinds of crops. you improve your home and farm life.

“I remember my mother hosting those home demonstration clubs. When the home demonstration club was going to come to your home, everybody had to get ready for it. You cleaned the house. You cleaned the yard – everything. I helped my mother do that. And then the home demonstration agent came out and put on the program and took questions about how these women could improve their lives and the lives of their families and their children. So that was an aspect of it.

“I well remember when they developed hybrid seed corn. I was a student in agriculture when the scientists developed hybrid seed corn. It meant that a stalk of corn that theretofore had had one ear of corn could now grow two. And you could double your production and double your income! And somebody had to take that knowledge out to the farmers so they would plant this corn – maybe you would pay a little more from the seed corn, but your income from it … was much, much greater.

“I also saw the help that the farmers got.

Now, this program, frankly, has come from

“So Cooperative Extension has been in the business – and it’s still in the business – of

summer 2014

29

extending the knowledge we develop with our science and our research in the land-grant universities and other places out to people in the counties. It’s now not only for the farmers, it’s for the people who live out in the towns and the cities.

work with the business people and they work with all kinds of folks. One of the things we all know best is their work with 4-H. 4-H is a wonderful organization that works with young people to develop their skills, their knowledge, their leadership.

“I will recall when I first went back to my home county to practice law and live on a farm I remember that Cooperative Extension had just … made a commitment to improve the environment. This was a big new project – a big new aspect of their work. And … as a brand new, young lawyer in the town and in the county, I was chosen to head up our committee to study what could be done to improve the environment in rural areas in eastern North Carolina, where I lived. And we came up with a lot of ideas about what we could do.

Some people at the time thought, ‘That’s not anything we are going to worry about. It may be antagonistic to economic growth.’

“I learned about entrepreneurism – about how you have to invest your money, how you have to take care of your animals, how you have to get them bred, then get the calves and milk them and be paid by how much milk the cow gave. I would record that in my project record book. And at the end of the year, I would see how much money I earned or perhaps lost. You learn business. You learn how to keep books and to be successful economically, which is what young people need to learn.

Dee Shore

“It turns out the environment is something everybody wants. People want to have a good, clean environment. We want it to be pretty, to be green … Particularly the people who are doing high-technology work can live anywhere they want in the world, and they want to live in a place that’s clean and green and pretty – that people enjoy.

“Now, we learned a lot of other things, because I went to the club meetings and we all participated in leadership activities. We learned speaking, and we learned parliamentary procedure. We learned a lot of things about being leaders and about being good citizens and about being healthy and respectful and all these things we want our young people to learn: to be good citizens and to be good human beings.

“I have to tell you one more story, though.

Each year they have a lot of contests in the 4-H club, and in the county 4-H club, they “So this was a new approach that Coopwould give awards to the students who had erative Extension took to serving the people. the best projects. … I had the dairy project, “But I have to mention my experience in for example. … And (the student) who had 4-H. Cooperative Extension works with the the best project would get the top prize. And I women, they work with the farmers, they lived in a county that was mostly crops – tobacco, corn, soybeans, and all those sort of things.

But lo and behold when they had the annual meeting at the end of the year and they gave out all the awards, I got the award for having the best dairy project in the county. It was two months later Hunt talked about Extension’s contributions to the well-being of the state, as part of a UNC-TV series celebrating the organization’s first century.

30

perspectives

before I found out I had the only dairy project in the county. There weren’t many dairies, and I was the only student, the only 4-H’er, with the dairy project… But I had that ribbon, and I was proud of that.

“In any event, this is important: We value our public schools and our colleges and universities, and we value taking care of our land, our green spaces, and our coast and our mountains and all these things that God gave us.

“But it is so important that we focus on developing our people, giving them the opportunity to grow and to learn and to work together and to develop a vision for the future – to really think about what they could be.

“Russell Wilson spent a lot of his life with his daddy’s encouragement thinking about … what kind of football player he could be. And he came to N.C. State University. And then although he was drafted late in the NFL draft, the Seahawks took him, and he played well.

And he had this belief in what he could be. Of course, they won the Super Bowl under his great leadership and great skill as a quarterback. It’s that kind of thing that the 4-H clubs do: They encourage young people to develop their projects and work with their hands and with their minds; to develop leadership skills; to think about what they could do (and) what they might be; and to become the kind of people they ought to be.

“In a democracy, that’s what you need. … People need to learn to speak and to use parliamentary procedure skills and to express themselves and to listen to others and to work together. … That’s what we do, and the 4-H program is probably the best youth organization there is in developing leadership skills and in developing young leaders and young good citizens.

“Thank God for 4-H. Thank goodness for Cooperative Extension and all the agents who serve across our counties throughout North Carolina and across America. This is one of the unique things we have in this country.

There is nothing like it anywhere in the world, and I am very proud of it.” – Dee Shore

Courtesy CALS Advancement

$3 million gift to CALS from alumni couple will seed rural student access initiative at N.C. State University n March, Chancellor Randy Woodson announced a $3 million gift to start the “Farm to Philanthropy” program designed to expand rural students’ access to an N.C. State University education.

I

The gift from Dr. Joseph K. and Deborah Kapp Gordon of Raleigh to the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will support a number of initiatives to better prepare rural North Carolinians for acceptance to – and then the rigors of – N.C. State. A portion of the gift will be used to start an endowment to seed the “Farm to Philanthropy” program, which affirms the university’s commitment to attracting and retaining North Carolina students. The university will seek matching gifts to grow the endowment.

“Higher education offers a path to success and this generous gift will help open the doors to college for hard-working students across North Carolina,” Woodson said.

The program’s first initiative – called A.S.P.I.R.E., or ACT Supplemental Preparation in Rural Education – helps rural students prepare for standardized college entrance examinations.

Students in the program take an intensive test preparation course through their home counties’ N.C. Cooperative Extension centers.

Previous success with more than 230 students from 18 N.C. counties has shown that test scores can be dramatically increased through focused support and meaningful mentorship.

The “Farm to Philanthropy” funding will allow the successful program to expand to more rural N.C. counties.

The second initiative – called STEAM, or Student Transfer Enrollment, Advising and Mentoring – allows selected students, who begin their higher education at an N.C. community college or another university, to participate in special activities at N.C. State that support their academic development and enhance their preparedness for an N.C. State degree program. Upon successful completion of the STEAM program, participants are guaranteed admission to an N.C. State degree program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in their sophomore year.

Joe and Deborah Gordon’s contribution will support a number of initiatives to help rural students get accepted to – and be prepared for the rigors of – N.C. State.

“N.C. State is a land-grant institution – the people’s institution,” Joe Gordon said. “The ‘Farm to Philanthropy’ program creates a second chance for students who may not have been competitive enough to be accepted to N.C. State right out of high school.”

A final key initiative of the “Farm to Philanthropy” program is the opportunity for responsible, initiative-taking students to graduate free from debt.

“STEAM students are eligible to apply for the ‘Farm to Philanthropy’ scholarship after they have worked to earn the expenses for their first semester at N.C. State,” said Deborah Gordon. STEAM students could have up to their five remaining semesters paid in full by the “Farm to Philanthropy” program.

“Graduating debt-free will enable physical, emotional and philanthropic creativity to inspire students to ‘pay it forward’ to future program participants,” she added. “It is my hope to see programs like this spread to other institutions within the University of North Carolina system so each student can graduate debt-free.”

The gift announcement followed on the heels of Woodson’s participation in a January White House event in which he and other university leaders pledged to increase higher

education access to low-income and underserved students.

“Students in rural and underserved communities are often frustrated by their inability to successfully compete for college admission, which makes this gift and these initiatives so important to our land-grant mission,” said Dr. Richard Linton, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “In North Carolina, for example, SAT scores among our top 10 agricultural counties are more than 70 points lower than the national average, and 60 points lower than the statewide average. This program will help ensure that there is more than one pathway to an N.C. State degree in fields related to agriculture and life sciences.”

Joe Gordon is a veterinarian who is a member of the N.C. Veterinary Foundation Board of Directors. He served as N.C. State student body president and earned a 1982 CALS bachelor’s degree in animal science and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from N.C. State in 1986. In 1988, he founded Care First Animal Hospitals in Wake County, and, in 1989, he was joined by his wife and administrator, Deborah Gordon, who double majored in math education and computer science at N.C. State. – Mick Kulikowski

summer 2014

31

Evans, BAE head and CALS alumnus, named to international hall of fame r. Robert O. Evans, who retires this summer as head of the N.C. State University’s Department of Biological and Engineering (BAE), has been named to the International Drainage Hall of Fame. He was honored in April at the International Drainage Hall of Fame award dinner and ceremony, held at The Ohio State University.

Evans, an expert in water table management and water quality, received the prestigious award for his internationally recognized contributions to drainage, drainage water management, stream and wetland restoration, riparian buffers and nonpoint source pollution control. He is noted for his contributions to applied research, extension and public acceptance of drainage water management and controlled drainage. His work has made a difference to agricultural production and profits on drained soils, water quality and the environment.

From his early research, Evans determined crop response to shallow water tables and developed algorithms for predicting yields losses in terms of water table depths and durations.

His results were incorporated into DRAINMOD, a computer simulation model developed

Courtesy Bob Evans

D

Dr. Robert Evans (right) was accompanied by his colleague Dr. Wayne Skaggs at the International Drainage Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

by the BAE Department’s Dr. Wayne Skaggs.

The model simulates the hydrology of poorly drained, high water table soils and predicts the effects of drainage and associated water management practices on water table depths, the soil water regime and crop yields.

An alumnus of N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Evans earned his 1976 bachelor’s, 1981 master’s and 1991

doctoral degrees from the BAE Department.

Prior to becoming department head in 2006, he was professor and department Extension leader. Throughout his career at N.C. State, he has made significant contributions in research, graduate teaching and Extension administration, as well as leadership in local and national committees, professional societies, study commissions and task forces.

•

Mark your calendars for CALS Career Expo Oct. 23!

10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Talley Student Union

For more than 20 years, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has offered alumni and friends of the College a way to connect their organizations with CALS students, recent graduates, fellow alumni and industry colleagues.

This event showcases full-time job opportunities, internships, volunteer organizations, graduate and professional school programs, and professional development opportunities.

Whether you have jobs to fill or career advice to share, consider registering your organization today.

To reserve an exhibit booth for Oct. 23, 2014, and for full event details go to: www.go.ncsu.edu/CALSCareerExpo www.go.ncsu.edu/CALSCareerExpo.

Alumni may also attend the Career Expo as job seekers. Report with resumes in hand to the Talley Student Union. We expect more than 70 organizations from career fields in agriculture and life sciences.

32

perspectives

noteworthy

GIVING

The gala’s main event area served up gourmet North Carolina food and drinks – the latter ranging from Cheerwine, the state’s own cherry soda, to state vineyard-produced wines to a frothy cocktail made with Covington® gourmet sweetpotato vodka.

orget the vernal equinox. For multitudes of gardening enthusiasts, the true beginning of spring is the day of the annual Gala in the Garden at N.C. State University’s JC Raulston Arboretum.

F

Each year, the nationally acclaimed arboretum, a colorfully tranquil oasis in the heart of Raleigh, holds its major fund-raising event and invites guests to explore its extraordinary plant collections, forest groves and beautifully landscaped flower gardens. They are also invited to enjoy delectable food, musical entertainment and a silent auction of plants, gardening gifts and eclectic items.

Terri Leith

This year the gala’s theme was “Celebrating North Carolina,” so the emphasis was on the state’s finest food, botanicals, products and people. The centerpiece was a gleaming red 1953 Chevy pick-up truck filled with North Carolina produce – from cotton to sweet potatoes to asparagus to pickles to corn – showcasing the goodness that grows in this state.

Plants, gardening gifts and eclectic items were available for bid in the silent auction tents.

Terri Leith

2014 Gala in the Garden is a special celebration of North Carolina

Also true to the theme was the muAmong the best parts of “Celebrating North Carolina” were the gourmet sic: A beach music North Carolina food and drinks served at the 2014 gala.

D.J. played tunes center was the vintage Chevy truck, a favorite familiar to those who spent their teen and photo spot. A photo “booth,” a scenic spot for college-age (and even later) summers dancguests to pose in their garden finery, was also ing the shag at the coastal pavilions. To the nearby. delight of the gala guests, the opportunity to relive those times came at the evening dessert “Our Gala in the Garden has become a finale – and dance party. harbinger of summer gardening,” said Dr. Ted Bilderback, JCRA director. “Friends from across There the arb’s own stars of dance – Larry the community gather to enjoy the arboretum’s and Laura Wooten, Keith and Dayle Oakley festive atmosphere and bid on gardening gifts and Jared Barnes and Lis Myer – led off with and one-of-a-kind plants donated from some of the shag and then invited the rest of the crowd the finest nurseries in the country.” to join them. Somewhere in heaven, General Johnson, the voice of “Carolina Girls” and “It After the gala concluded, Anne Porter, Will Stand,” had to be smiling down.

JCRA director of development, noted that the $58,000 in sponsorships combined with the During afternoon activities, garden musigala auction totals had “exceeded our $80,000 cians Dr. Bill Fonteno, on keyboards, and Laura net proceeds goal” for this year’s event.

Kaderabek, on flute, entertained in the main gala area.

Those proceeds will support the arboretum’s daily operations, plant collections and The arb’s Lath House, Perennial Border, educational programs. As a part of the DepartModel Gardens and Plantsmen’s Woods border ment of Horticultural Science in N.C. State’s the clearing that was the setting for eight College of Agriculture and Life Sciences auction tents, plus food and drink stations. At

summer 2014

33

Courtesy Anne Porter

Enjoying the gala are David and Brienne Arthur (top), event co-chairs. Larry and Laura Wooten (below left) celebrate a North Carolina tradition of dancing to beach music.

A ‘53 Chevy truck, filled with North Carolina products, was the centerpiece of the gala.

Terri Leith

CALS Dean Rich Linton hosted the evening dessert social near the Bobby G. Wilder Visitor Center, where guests enjoyed another North Carolina treasure – N.C. State’s own Howling Cow Ice Cream, which, paired with North Carolina-made Aviator Root Beer, created a delectable float. Linton thanked the gala’s honorary chairs, Jill and John Hoffman, and event chairs Brienne and David Arthur.

Terri Leith

(CALS), the arboretum is a working research and teaching garden that focuses on the evaluation, selection and display of plant material gathered from around the world. The arboretum is named in honor of Dr. J.C. Raulston, its late director who founded it in 1976.

He then turned over the party to North Carolina D.J. Bob Graves. And soon the garden guests were not only basking in the beauty of the blooms and lush greenery around them but were harkening back to happy days of shagging on the boardwalk.

And celebrating spring in North Carolina.

– Terri Leith

uring his 32-year career in N.C. State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Bryce Lane, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor of Horticultural Science, taught more than 20,000 students. He led many of them on national field trips and competitions, as well as on international excursions, where he introduced students to world horticulture practices. Creating a fund to support travel opportunities for horticulture students seemed a natural choice for Lane and his wife, Susanna, for his parting gift to the Department of Horticultural Science when he retired in late 2013.

D

On March 18 the Lanes made the gift official as they signed an agreement and presented a check to create the Bryce H. and

34

perspectives

Terri Leith

‘Apostle for horticulture’ Bryce Lane creates student travel endowment Susanna M. Lane Horticultural Science Student Travel Endowment. “This endowment will provide an opportunity for the department to decide where the need is to enable students to travel,” Lane said at the signing ceremony and reception, held at the York Auditorium, JC Raulston Arboretum.

Lane grew up in western Massachusetts, where he discovered his passion for plants and telling others about them, working at a garden center through high school and college. After earning his bachelor’s degree in plant science from the University of Massachusetts in 1979 and master’s in horticulture from The Ohio State University in 1981, he came to the Department of Horticultural Science at N.C. State as a lecturer. He became

Bryce Lane (right) and his wife, Susanna, present their gift to Dr. John Dole, CALS head of Horticultural Science.

Terri Leith

the undergraduate coordinator for the department in 1987 and has served in that role since. Lane also served as the interim director of the JC Raulston Arboretum from 1997 to 1999. He has received numerous local, regional and national teaching awards and is frequently invited to speak at many workshops and symposia, about teaching, as well as about horticulture and gardening.

Lane is well-known as the host of the Emmy Award-winning TV series “In the Garden with Bryce Lane,” wherein since 2003 he has invited viewers to delve into the science behind plants and plant growth through an array of gardening subjects. The series was originally produced in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Communication Services through joint sponsorship by CALS Academic Programs and the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. Its debut marked the first time in 40 years that UNC-TV had broadcast a college-credit course for the university system.

Susanna Lane worked as a stay-athome mom until their daughters, Sarah and Meghan, went to school. She then earned her nursing degree at Wake Technical Community College and worked as a cardiac nurse at Raleigh’s Rex Hospital until her retirement.

“When Susanna and I started talking about an endowment, we thought about where there might be a hole, a need where students might be served,” Bryce Lane said.

“Horticulture students need field trips to go where the work is being done, to be outside of the classroom.

“We saw this need over the years,” he said, noting past excursions “where we visited many horticultural operations, either up and down the coast or out west – gardens that we visited here or international field trip opportunities to Europe and Australia.

Susanna was involved in those trips just as much as I was, because her work here enabled me to go.”

Joining the Lanes at the signing ceremony were Dr. Sam Pardue, CALS associate dean and director of Academic Programs, and Dr. John Dole, head of the Horticultural Science Department, along with numerous colleagues,

Susanna and Bryce Lane celebrate the creation of the new student travel endowment with grandchildren (from left), Ellis, Daphne, Paige, Tate and Lane.

friends and family members – including the Lanes’ daughters and their five grandchildren.

“Bryce embodies the model for teaching, the love for teaching,” Pardue said. “Every day, he was an ambassador, the apostle for horticulture, enthusiastic about the role horticulture plays in our lives, homes and communities. Bryce discovered early on what his calling was, and it shows in the affection he has for horticulture.”

Lane invested himself in the growth of students for decades, Pardue said. “There are generations of students who came to N.C. State whose experiences were shaped by Bryce. His expertise is recognized throughout the country and internationally. This endow-

ment will enable students to travel and experience the world of horticulture. It will have an impact on their education and bring a great deal of opportunity for our students.”

Dole, who noted Lane’s many achievements over the years, as teacher, on the many trips he conducted and as host and producer of “In the Garden with Bryce Lane,” said, “I think Bryce Lane is responsible for more students going into horticulture than anybody in the United States.

“Retirements mean looking at the past, but endowments look at the future. We want to thank Bryce and Susanna for providing future students with these opportunities.”

– Terri Leith

Gifts from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Universal Leaf Tobacco Co. and Alliance One bring Collins endowment closer to $10 million goal izable donations from tobacco companies R.J. Reynolds, Universal Leaf and Alliance One have brought a recently established tobacco program endowment in N.C. State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences closer to its funding goal.

S

In April, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Dr. William K. Collins Sr. and Ann T. Collins and the N.C. Tobacco Foundation Inc. to create the Dr. William K. Collins Tobacco Agronomist Position in Research, Teaching and Extension. Also announced was a planned Dr. William K. Collins Distinguished Professorship endowment to be established in the N.C. State Endowment Board. At that

time, the Collins family had given a generous $500,000 challenge to the rest of the tobacco family to raise the remaining resources.

In June, N.C. State Chancellor Randy Woodson hosted a reception where CALS Dean Rich Linton announced that the challenge had garnered significant response – in the form of recent donations made to the Collins initiative and the $10 million campaign to create a Distinguished Professorship and fund a second tobacco agronomist position.

As of June 4, “We have raised $5,094,000 towards our $10 million goal for this much needed and worthwhile endeavor,” said Linton to the audience assembled at the Chancellor’s

summer 2014

35

Marc Hall

Dean Rich Linton (top photo, second left), Chancellor Randy Woodson (back, center) and Ann and Bill Collins (right) accept the donation presented by the team from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. Earlier, big checks came from Universal Leaf Tobacco (middle photo) and Alliance One.

Residence on Centennial Campus. He brought news of a $500,000 commitment from the U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, as well as a list of $25,000+ contributors.

He then introduced some special presentations.

Marc Hall

First, Peter Sikkel, president and CEO of Alliance One, a leading independent leaf tobacco merchant, presented a check for $600,000 to the Collins effort.

Following was Universal Leaf Tobacco Co. Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Keith Brewer. Brewer presented a check for $1.125 million to the Collins campaign in fulfillment of a previously announced commitment made by Universal.

And being newly announced was a gift from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Donny McElveen, RJR vice president for leaf operations, presented a check for $1.5 million to the Collins endowment.

Marc Hall

It was after working as an agronomist for R.J. Reynolds from 1963 to 1966 that Dr. William K. Collins joined the CALS faculty as an Extension specialist. In 1994 he retired as acting head of the Department of Crop Science. He is a world-leading tobacco production expert and international ambassador for the U.S. tobacco industry. A North Carolina native, he is a CALS alumnus who earned his N.C. State bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agronomy and field crops; he received his Ph.D. in crop breeding from Iowa State University.

The establishment of tobacco program endowments in his name honors his lifetime contributions to the university and provides N.C. State with much-needed support to continue to lead research, extension and teaching in the specialized discipline of flue-cured tobacco production. – Terri Leith

36

perspectives

Come to the 2014 CALS Tailgate!

Join us at PNC Arena (East Entrance) Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM.

After you enjoy Tailgate, come celebrate Ag Day at the Fan Zone (between PNC Arena and Carter-Finley Stadium)!

Then cheer on the n Wolfpack vs. Old Dominion at Carter-Finley Stadium!

(Kickoff at 6:00 PM)

Hope to see you there!

CALS Tailgate 2014 is hosted by the CALS Alumni & Friends Society and the N.C. Agricultural Foundation Inc.

For more information: www.go.ncsu.edu/cals_tailgate (T) 919.515.7222 (E) calsalum@ncsu.edu

perspectives

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID RALEIGH, NC PERMIT #2353

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Campus Box 7603 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 27695-7603

Becky Kirkland

Priceless experience

Students are given hands-on learning opportunities, working in a real-world dairy farm environment, at the College’s Dairy Education Unit. Shown with Frances the Holstein are Alli Davis (right), DEU herd manager, and (from left) students Danielle Pierce and Devan Schreiber. (Story, page 7)