CAHNRS NEWS email1

 

WSU announces name for stellar new apple

IMG_0532 rows of apples[1]The newest WSU apple, initially identified as WA 38, is one step closer to hitting supermarkets with announcement of its brand name, Cosmic Crisp. The name was chosen after an extensive process led by Carolyn Ross, associate professor in the WSU School of Food Science. “It was quite a process,” she said.

“I think people didn’t realize how much names can influence their purchasing behavior until they started talking about them.” Read more.

Putting local barley, flavor on the horizon

Screen Shot 2014-05-29 at 12.07.22 PMUsing traditional breeding techniques, scientists at WSU are developing new barley varieties for the microbrewing and distilling industries.

Brewers and distillers like Emerson Lamb of Westland Distillery and Charles Finkel of the Pike Brewing Company can’t wait to get locally grown, custom malted barley into their mash tuns. Watch the video to learn all about it.

From farm to cup: Economics of coffee in Rwanda

corbinThroughout May 2014, an elite team of students from the University of Rwanda, Washington State University and Michigan State University worked together to answer pressing questions in Rwanda’s Coffee sector.

You can find photos and updates from Randy Fortenberry, Corbin Poppe, Brandon Nickels, and Hayley Homan at the CAHNRS Global Storify website. The team was also featured on the CAHNRS Facebook #WhereAreTheyWednesday.

CAHNRS, community colleges working together

StudentPruningThere’s a growing demand for graduates in agriculture, and students who invest two years at Walla Walla Community College or Yakima Valley Community College can transfer to several ag degree programs at Washington State University.

The latest collaboration builds a bridge from Walla Walla’s enology and viticulture program or Yakima’s vineyard technology program to the viticulture and enology program at WSU Tri-Cities and WSU Pullman. The partnership provides a geographic advantage for students seeking hands-on experience in the heart of southeast Washington wine country. Read more.

AMDT takes Los Angeles

12-2a96a5517258e864d99116bf053c959f_LA+Tour+picThirteen students traveled to Los Angeles for an apparel industry study tour May 19-22. Organized by AMDT chair Joan Ellis, the students experienced an alumni meet-and-greet, the rollout of Speedo’s spring 2015 line, concept-to-delivery product development for Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (NYDJ), and tours of Blue River, New Fashion Products, Nasty Gal, and the Guess global corporate headquarters. Connect with AMDT on Facebook or LinkedIn.

2014 Revelry delights wine tasters, winemakers

butchinvineyardOn Sunday, May 25, 2014, 30 people joined Thomas Henick-Kling, director of the Viticulture & Enology Program, for a Walking Vineyard Tour and tastings on Red Mountain, Benton City. The tour started at Kiona Vineyards and Winery with owner Scott Williams (’80) giving a history of the AVA and wine grape growing in the area. His father, John Williams, and Ciel du Cheval Vineyard’s owner, Jim Holmes, both engineers and scientists, planted the first vineyard on Red Mountain.

The tour continued with a look at the diverse vineyard plantings, varieties, and architectures where vineyard manager Dick Boushey showcased the uppermost reach of Red Mountain. Jim Holmes then led the group on a 1 mile walking tour from the upper vineyards down through Red Mountain to his vineyards, Ciel du Cheval. After a fantastic lunch, Tim and Kelly Hightower of Hightowers Cellars treated the group to a delicious wine tasting and a look at their estate vineyards. The final stop, Hedges Family Estate, featured Pete Hedges discussing their spectacular wines and distinctive winemaking techniques. This was the second year the vineyard tour was offered through the Auction of Washington Wines Revelry on Red Mountain, and it proved once again to be a great example of how the WSU Viticulture and Enology Program supports Washington’s wine industry.

Take your Cougar Pride on the road this summer. Print and cut-out Tag-A-Long Butch and snap a pic for a chance to win awesome prizes all summer long through the WSU Alumni Association. The photo above was taken at Revelry by Robert Duval (’77). 

Kudos

Funded through the WSU NSF ADVANCE Program, the first Annual Horticultural Women Faculty Retreat was held in Prosser on May 12. The retreat brought together tenured and tenure track women faculty from the Department of Horticulture to help create an environment and support network conducive to success in academia.

Vicki McCrakenNnadozie Oraguzie R. and Karina Gallardo led a study on developing new cherry cultivars  that culminated in the article “An Evaluation of U.S. Tart and Sweet Cherry Producers Trait Prioritization—Evidence from Audience Surveys. The research focused on making breeders aware of existing and emerging needs throughout the supply chain, from producer to consumer.

Drew Betz highlights the 100th Anniversary of WSU Extension and serving families in Whatcom County in a recent Bellingham Herald column.

The AgWeatherNet team organized the DSSAT 2014 training workshop on crop modeling and decision support systems at the University of Georgia. The 6-day workshop, which Vakhtang Shelia helped teach, attracted participants from 22 countries.

In a recent post on “Growing Produce,” Des Layne talks about breeding tree fruit for disease resistance and finding solutions in genes.

Brad Gaolach of Extension Community and Economic Development coauthored the recently published Community Development article “FEEST on this: youth engagement for community change in the King County Food and Fitness Initiative.”

Mark Nelson, Department of Animal Sciences, has earned the 2014 Distinguished Teacher Award from the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS). He will receive his award in San Angelo at the Western Section meetings next month.

Martin Maquivar, Department of Animal Sciences, was selected as the Exceptional Professor in C AHNRS by the WSU Associated Students Senate.

Kristen Johnson, Department of Animal Sciences, was recognized with a spring 2014 Graduate and Professional Student Association advisor award for outstanding performance and lasting contributions.

recent paper published in the journal Phytopathology by plant pathology graduate student Phuong Dinh, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology Axel Elling, and Associate Professor of Plant Cell Biology Michael Knoblauch was selected as the Editor’s Pick and highlighted in Spanish and Chinese by the American Phytopathological Society.

The WSU Organic Farm is starting its 10th season offering a Community Supported Agriculture program! The shares will continue through late October. The farm also sells produce and organic plants on the Glen Terrell Mall every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Pullman Farmers Market every Wednesday from 3:30 to 6 p.m., and Fridays at the Tukey Orchard from 3 to 6 p.m. Come by and get some fresh veggies and plants for your garden.

Events

It’s Field Day Season! Check out the list of Field Days around the Pacific Northwest at the Agriculture Research Center website.

June 4: Beer Taste Panel
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or until samples run out)
Food Science and Nutrition Building, Room 146. We need 150 participants to evaluate sensory qualities of beer. You must be 21 years of age to participate—bring your ID. The panel wil require about 10 minutes of your time. Receive a Ferdinand’s Gift Certificate for participating. Questions? E-mail Allison Baker.

June 16, 23, 30: Join us for a glimpse into the realm of Tree Fruit with Ute Chambers, manager of the Decision Aid System, as she walks us through the process of Orchard Management! You will see the varieties of fruit grown in Washington State, learn the differences between organic and conventional practices, and better understand the importance of pesticides. June 16, noon; June 23, 6 p.m.; June 30, 6 p.m. Register here.

July 9, 17: Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest invites you to join AHB researchers for a day in the field at the project’s Poplar for Biofuels Demonstration Sites! Hayden Demonstration Site near Hayden, ID – July 9, 4-6 p.m. Pilchuck Demonstration Site near Stanwood, WA – July 17, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  Learn more.

View more upcoming events on the CAHNRS Events calendar.