Stories

In the show arena section of the Trowbridge Event Center (pictured), a total of 200 students can be in the classroom socially distanced – 145 in the wooden arena seats and 55 in desktop chairs on the concrete floor. The sales arena section will now hold 120 students. The show arena already has a massive projection screen, and the sales arena is complete with projectors and two digital display monitors. Photo by Michelle Enger.

Aug. 20, 2020

Focused on a Safe and Comfortable Return

As the University of Missouri prepares to open its doors for the 2020 fall semester, the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) has spent the past four months making sure the return for its faculty, staff and students will be done safely and according to the Show Me Renewal Plan. An academic operations team comprising one individual from each of CAFNR’s six divisions, and led by Bryan Garton, senior associate dean and director of academic programs, worked nonstop on making sure CAFNR could host as many in-person classes as possible. “This is an unprecedented time, not only…
After earning her PhD from Mizzou, Rachel Owen (center) has been named the director of the Missouri Science and Technology Policy Fellows (MOST). The goal of MOST is to place PhD candidates, who recently received their PhD in a STEM discipline, in Jefferson City. Photo courtesy of Rachel Owen.

Aug. 17, 2020

Making the Most Out of an Opportunity

While she didn’t know how, Rachel Owen knew in high school that she wanted to help people. A soil science class at Iowa State University opened her eyes to numerous possibilities down that path – and her time at the University of Missouri solidified the direction she wanted to take. Owen came to MU in 2015 to work on her PhD, which looked at how climate change impacts natural ecosystems. Just two years into that work, Owen help co-found the Missouri Science and Technology Policy Fellows (MOST). Now, after earning her PhD from Mizzou, Owen has been named the…
Ronald Revord, an assistant research professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ (CAFNR) School of Natural Resources and faculty member for the Center for Agroforestry, recently received a grant for nearly $1 million to look to formalize a participatory network of chestnut growers to characterize on-farm germplasm and assemble core sets of superior selections.

Aug. 17, 2020

Meeting His Goals

When Ronald Revord joined the University of Missouri last year, he arrived with lofty goals in mind. Revord wasted no time in getting to work, either. Revord spent his first three months on the job working on and submitting a grant proposal to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) focused on establishing a participant network to characterize genetic variety and ancestry of chestnuts in the Midwest. While Revord’s main goal was to complete the grant proposal and submit something he was happy with, his proposal was strong enough to earn him a grant for nearly $1 million. The…

Aug. 14, 2020

Gardeners Make Community Impact

Those who have planted gardens feel that they have “done something for the good of the whole world,” wrote American author Charles Dudley Warner in 1871. For Greene County Master Gardeners Maryfrances DiGirolamo and James Hilburn, gardening has become a way to give back to their community, doing “something for the good of the world.” They use their University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener training to oversee a vegetable demonstrations garden at the Nathaniel Greene-Close Memorial Parks inside the Springfield Botanical Gardens. “They donate all the produce they grow to local food pantries,” said Kelly McGowan, coordinator of Master Gardeners…
Cheryl Recker

Aug. 14, 2020

Q&A With Cheryl Recker

What are your job duties/job responsibilities in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources? I am a senior research and lab technician at the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC) in New Franklin. My title does not convey the full scope of my duties, though. I help with various research projects taking place at HARC. I am also the HR and fiscal officer for the Research Center. I assist HARC’s co-superintendents, Barry Eschenbrenner and Sarah Lovell, planning meetings, tours and field days, as well as HARC and the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry’s annual Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival.
The Mizzou Academic Quadrathlon team finished tied for first at the national competition, which was held in July. The team finished second overall after tiebreakers were taken into consideration. They finished first in the lab practical, second in the written exam and the quiz bowl, and third in the oral presentation. Team members include, from left to right: Emily Shanks, Madison Filley, Anna Tarpey and Jacob Blank. (Photo taken in early 2020.)

Aug. 14, 2020

Showcasing a Competitive Spirit

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the national Animal Society of Animal Science (ASAS) Academic Quadrathlon to a virtual competition. That didn’t slow down the Mizzou Academic Quadrathlon team. After winning their regional competition, MU finished tied for first at the national competition, which was held in July. The team finished second overall after tiebreakers were taken into consideration. They finished first in the lab practical, second in the written exam and the quiz bowl, and third in the oral presentation. “I’m super proud of the entire team and how far they’ve come,” said Addison Byrne, instructor in the Division of Animal…
Aerial view of CAFNR's South Farm Research Center

Aug. 12, 2020

A New Path

A new road will soon be constructed through CAFNR’s South Farm Research Center, but disruption to operations will be minimal and visibility for the research center will be increased, according to Tim Reinbott, South Farm superintendent and assistant director of the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station. Discovery Parkway will soon extend from the Discovery Ridge exit off of Hwy 63 north to the intersection of Rolling Hills and New Haven roads, passing through South Farm from the south. The effect on the Research Center will include removing the portions of Sugar Grove Road that would intersect Discovery Parkway. Sugar Grove Road…
Produce in containers

Aug. 10, 2020

Keeping Consumers Safe

Produce contamination accounts for an estimated 46% of foodborne illnesses across the United States each year — a serious issue affecting health, the economy and society as a whole. Even in the midst of the current pandemic, safety training for produce farmers is not only vital, but required for many, said MU Extension horticulture field specialist Patrick Byers. To combat contamination issues, the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule requires that many growers receive education and produce safety training, such as that offered by the Produce Safety Alliance through MU Extension. With COVID-19 restrictions on face-to-face training,…
Two bird species – black duck and wild turkey – are incredibly important to the regions where they are commonly found. Those species are also well studied; however, there is a period of time during the summer where research is lacking. Mitch Weegman, an assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources, is looking to track both species’ whereabouts during that timeframe. Pictured here are turkey poults. Photo courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation.

Aug. 6, 2020

Tracking Two Bird Species

Two bird species – black duck and wild turkey – are incredibly important to the regions where they are commonly found. Those species are also well studied; however, there is a period of time during the summer where research is lacking. Mitch Weegman, an assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources, is looking to track both species’ whereabouts during that time frame. Weegman recently received $2.4 million in funding through two separate grants to conduct the research. “I could not be more thrilled to get started,” Weegman said. “These are projects you develop to meet great conservation priorities. To…
Woodland & Floral Garden, Parents Weekend, fall 1979

July 31, 2020

History in Bloom

Successful efforts by a handful of energetic horticulture students in the late 1970s led to the planning and execution of an ambitious garden project located next to MU’s Agriculture Building. The space was dedicated as the Woodland and Floral Gardens in April 1980. A public celebration to mark the garden’s 40th anniversary and rededicate what remains of the original landscape as the Missouri Woodland Garden was scheduled to be held April 2020, but has been postponed until further notice. Left to right: Kevin Karel and Bill Ruppert, the horticulture students who worked to design and build the Woodland & Floral…