Dual use solar installation for use with agriculture at UMass Crop and Animal Research and Education Center in South Deerfield is featured in article. Civil Eats, 1/22/19
News from the Media
Agrivoltaics: Solar Panels on Farms Could Be a Win-Win
January 22, 2019
Research to Study Climate Change Impacts on Soil Capacity
January 17, 2019
Marco Keiluweit, assistant professor, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and collaborators are studying how climate change affects the capacity of soils to remove carbon from the atmosphere and retain enough nutrients for food production. (Science & Technology Research News, 1/15/19; News Office Release).
Federal Shutdown Halts Some Environmental Conservation Efforts, Slows Others in Western Mass
January 8, 2019
Federal researchers in western Massachusetts study ways to protect migrating fish, backyard birds and urban trees. The government shutdown is keeping them home and away from their research. Curtice Griffin, environmental conservation, comments, “It’s a very, very unfortunate event that our federal colleagues are caught up in this mess.” (WFCR, WBUR 1/8/19)
Tariffs Impact on Fruit and Nut Industry, UMass Extension Comments
January 2, 2019
Jon M. Clements, UMass Extension, says tariffs on the fruit and nut industries aren’t likely to have much impact on this region because, “It has become primarily a retail/direct market.” He says the top issues he sees are regulations and recordkeeping and lack of labor for smaller jobs and retail. (Growingproduce.com, 12/29/18)
Good agricultural practices ‘the only line of defense’ against E. coli
December 26, 2018
Food safety expert Amanda Kinchla, UMass Extension and UMass Department of Food Science, speaks about good agricultural practices to maintain a safe food supply. The Recorder, December 26, 2018.
UW Study on Climate Change: Comments by Julie Brigham-Grette, Geoscientist
December 11, 2018
Julie Brigham-Grette, geosciences, says a new report from researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that says climate change could turn back the geological clock 50 million years in just 200 years, shows there is less time than scientists thought to prevent warming and the changes it will cause. “It’s a real call to action to all countries, including our own, to really quickly ramp up technologies that get us away from fossil fuels.” (La Crosse Tribune, 12/10/18)
Stockbridge School Offers Online Law Class for Farmers
December 5, 2018
Introduction to Food and Ag Law (STOCKSCH 297FL), provides an overview of the federal and state laws that a New England farmer is likely to encounter. The online winter course runs from 12/26/18 to 1/19/19. (Morningagclips 12/4/18)
Restoring Puritan Tiger Beetles to Connecticut River, Joseph Elkinton Comments
December 4, 2018
Joseph S. Elkinton, environmental conservation, comments in a science news story about efforts to restore Puritan tiger beetles to the Connecticut River basin. The tiny insects currently are found only along the banks of the Connecticut River and in the Chesapeake Bay area. Elkinton has been helping Rodger Gwiazdowski, the entomologist who is leading the project. (New York Times, 12/4/18)
Ragweed May Expand Its Range Northward with Climate Change
November 15, 2018
Plant ecologist Kristina Stinson at UMass Amherst, who has been studying ragweed for over a decade worked with climate modeler and corresponding author Michael Case at UW to study effects of climate change. A new predictive model suggests that climate change may allow common ragweed to extend its growing range northward and into major northeast metro areas, worsening conditions for millions of people with hay fever and asthma. (Gazette, 11/27/18;Ecowatch 11/20/18 Health Day, Drugs.com 11/15/18; Health Medicine Network, Medicine Newsline, News Medical Life Sciences, 11/9/18; Phys.org, 11/8/18; News Office release)
Ragweed May Expand Its Range Northward with Climate Change
November 15, 2018
Plant ecologist Kristina Stinson at UMass Amherst, leads a research team that has been studying ragweed for over a decade – particularly how it responds to elevated CO2 levels – worked with climate modeler and corresponding author Michael Case at UW on this project. A new predictive model suggests that climate change may allow common ragweed to extend its growing range northward and into major northeast metro areas, worsening conditions for millions of people with hay fever and asthma. (Health Medicine Network, Medicine Newsline, News Medical Life Sciences, 11/9/18; Phys.org, 11/8/18; News Office release)