Stories From Feb 2016
Does everything that goes up also come down?
With recent big dips in the stock market, some people are talking about another market crash. They think the market has become a speculative investment bubble, and it is primed for a sharp downturn. Is this a legitimate worry? NC State University economist Mike Walden answers.
Block that pollen
Research at North Carolina State University has identified “pollen blockers” in corn that can prevent organic corn from being pollinated by genetically modified (GM) plants. The findings could aid more rapid and efficient production of organic corn with reduced risk of contamination from genetically engineered traits.
New state director shares vision for N.C. Extension
First and always, Dr. Richard Bonanno considers himself a farmer. But farming is just one of the many routes he’s taken in a winding journey that led him to his new office in NC State University’s Patterson Hall. In early February, Bonanno became state director for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Preparing tomorrow’s plant sciences work force
The North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative at NC State will help prepare a new generation of students for today's and tomorrow's increasingly interdisciplinary agriculture and life sciences workplaces. Find out more in this YouTube video.
You Decide: Was change greater a century ago?
Consider this picture. Your home has no electricity or indoor plumbing. This means no electronics or instant warm baths and showers, and “using the bathroom” means accessing an outdoor “outhouse.” Heat in your home is generated from a wood- or coal-burning stove, but unless you’re close by, most of your home is still freezing in the winter. Of course, there is no air-conditioning in the summer.
106 countries and counting: NC State’s world-renowned vermicompost expert
“There are 25,000 worms in that building behind you,” North Carolina State University’s extension specialist Rhonda Sherman says with a proud smile. It’s not a large-scale infestation; it’s good science at work.
Improvements in our lives
It's natural for people to focus on the negatives in their lives or on things they'd like to see improved. But sometimes this means we forget how far society has come. NC State University economist Mike Walden comments.
Wolfpack wins in meat competition
The Wolfpack could be bound for international acclaim in the world of charcuterie. But what’s charcuterie? It’s the somewhat trendy, but ages-old, art and science of preparing fine-quality meat products, mainly from pork, explains Dr. Dana Hanson, extension specialist and associate professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at NC State University.
Small-farm opportunities conference takes place Feb. 27
Interested in learning more about small farm opportunities in North Carolina? If so, make plans now to attend North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Successful Small Farms Opportunities Conference Feb. 27 at Vance-Granville Community College in Louisburg.
Plant Sciences Initiative: Benefiting animal agriculture
The Plant Sciences Initiative at NC State University will be important not just for crop production in North Carolina but also for the animal industries that depend on crops for safe, nutritious, affordable feed. Learn more from this YouTube video.