News from the Center

In late November, UMass Amherst Chancellor Subbaswamy visited the UMass Cranberry Station in East Wareham.

The Massachusetts Ecosystem Climate Adaptation Network (Mass ECAN) celebrated its first birthday by bringing together over 100 climate adaptation practitioners and researchers from across the state during its second annual conference held this year at Framingham State University. Mass ECAN is a community of practice for those working on climate adaptation in Massachusetts and interested in ecosystem resilience and natural resources conservation.

Adam Salhaney, a senior food science major and Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE) “summer scholar” from Holliston, won first place honors in the undergraduate research competition at the Institute of Food Technology’s annual meeting (IFT18) in Chicago from July15-18.

“One Deer Tick Bite Can Change Your Life…” As spring explodes into bloom in Massachusetts, residents are eager to get outside and reconnect with their yards, great hiking trails or a sweet-smelling meadow. A very timely reminder for all of us: while hikes are inviting, remember what may be lurking in the woods and grasses: those dangerous ticks. Be careful.

CAFE’s enterprising interim farm manager, Bob Skalbite, is actively working on a much-needed project at several of the university farms. He is tackling a task that many of us put off, but would benefit from in our own homes: cleaning house and holding a tag sale.

The work of a UMass Amherst food scientist and a University tree fruit extension educator are featured in two new videos released this week by the University’s Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (CAFE). CAFE director Jody Jellison says, “We want to let the public know about meaningful research being conducted at UMass that impacts our lives in positive ways. These videos are intended to get the word out.”

Your future conservation commissioner may already be an active member of an Envirothon team in your local high school. Your current commissioner may have been one back in high school. For 30 years, enthusiastic students and their coaches throughout Massachusetts have gathered each fall to get ready for the spring Massachusetts Envirothon competition. While Envirothon’s annual topic changes from year to year, the support for these young people to understand the environment around them has not.

On a perfect late summer evening, farmers from Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire hopped on a hay wagon to catch a ride to the UMass Extension research field plots.  UMass Extension educators and specialists met with over 40 growers on a tour of ongoing research trials at the UMass Crop and Animal Research and Education Center in South Deerfield, Mass.  Growers like Maureen Dempsey from Intervale Farm in Westhampton, Mass., and Tom Petcen, owner of Pop’s Farm in Hatfield, Mass., zeroed in on harmful insects. Petcen said, “This twilight meeting is always interesting and some of their trials are very successful.” 

Hilary A. Sandler, an extension associate professor of cranberry integrated pest management (IPM) and weed science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has been named director of its Cranberry Station...