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Youth Programs Ignite Student’s Passion for Plant Biology and Global Food Security

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Front view of spider on rock with thick yellow hairy legs, 4 large round bronze eyes and 4 hair spikes on dark cephalothorax. Fuzzy white palps hide metallic teal chelicerae.

Oct 26, 2026

Web of Wonders: Meet the Spiders of North Carolina

From the black widow to the jumping spider, arachnids have a bit of a reputation. But with more than 1,000 species of spiders in North Carolina, these eight-legged creepy-crawlies are here to stay. 
strawberries growing in a greenhouse

Oct 22, 2026

CALS Receives Federal Grant to Protect the Food Supply

With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NC State researchers will develop rapid-response strategies to mitigate the impact of an emerging invasive fungal pathogen in strawberry production systems. 
a woman in a white shirt, ball cap and jeans talks with three young women looking over different rows of crops and wildflowers

Oct 20, 2026

Sowing Agricultural Connections

Walking through rows of leafy greens, ripe, red tomatoes or rich-smelling rosemary at the Agroecology Education Farm, it’s easy to feel more connected to where your food comes from. And with a mission rooted in community outreach, that's the point. 
Mike Walden, CALS ARE Extension

Oct 16, 2026

You Decide: What Did We Learn From Gas Rationing in the 1970s? 

NC State Economist Mike Walden compares reactions to gas shortages in the 1970s to our approach today. 
a tray with rows of brown coffee ingredient bars

Oct 15, 2026

Howling Cow Innovators Develop New Coffee Ingredient with NCFIL

Seeking a richer coffee flavor for NC State's Howling Cow ice cream, creators Gary Cartwright and Carl Hollifield developed Complē Coffee with support from the NC Food Innovation Lab. 
A group poses with a brown cow in a barn

Oct 14, 2026

Making Memories: CALS Returns to the State Fair 

Whether it's milking a cow, exploring 4-H crafts or enjoying a scoop of Howling Cow ice cream, there's no shortage of ways to make memories with CALS at the North Carolina State Fair. 
two women in white lab coats wearing blue latex gloves use tweezers to look at samples of degrading bioplastics

Oct 13, 2026

It Takes a Village: Uncovering Microbial Communities that Degrade Bioplastics

Edeline Anthoniraj, a doctoral student in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, is digging into what happens to fragments of biodegradable plastic left in the soil and the role microbes play in helping break them down. 
rows of different colored james in glass jars with silver lids

Oct 13, 2026

Jam-Packed With Good Taste

Behind the ribbon-winning jams and prize pickles at the North Carolina State Fair is a team of dedicated food safety experts from NC State tasked with leading the annual preserved foods competition and ensuring every jar gets a fair shake. 
a woman stands next to a research poster that cays converting waste to black gold modeling the resilience of composting

Oct 12, 2026

Converting Waste to Black Gold

CALS student Joy Camenisch, a double major in animal science and agroecology, spent the summer in Spain, where she researched how composted manure can replace synthetic fertilizer. 
Student pours seeds into a mechanical device

Oct 9, 2026

Youth Programs Ignite Student’s Passion for Plant Biology and Global Food Security

Summer outreach programs and a youth institute inspired a high schooler to explore plant biology and take part in an international agricultural research internship, before enrolling at NC State, where he’s helping address agricultural challenges and world hunger.