News

Mar 7, 2016

Baby Boomer debt

Many of the Baby Boomer generation have already retired, and the rest are rapidly approaching that milestone. But a new report suggests some retiring Baby Boomers face a big financial issue when they stop working. NC State University economist Mike Walden explains. 

Mar 4, 2016

Protecting drinking water in Cambodia

The joy Liz Gillispie feels in her research is evident in her face, her smile and in every statement. The soil science doctoral student has returned from two weeks of research in Cambodia, where she gathered sediment samples for experiments addressing arsenic contamination of drinking water. 

Mar 1, 2016

Hands on meets high tech at Small Farms Conference

When Louisburg sweet potato farmer Jason Brown was starting out in agriculture, he often turned to YouTube videos to learn the latest techniques. At Saturday's Successful Small Farms Opportunities Conference, organized by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and the Franklin County Small Farm Association, Brown was able to connect with experts in person. 

Mar 1, 2016

Growing agriculture; growing North Carolina

Greater profits, higher yields and a brighter future for North Carolina’s young people: These are among the returns that stakeholders see when it comes to NC State University’s Plant Sciences Initiative. A building for the initiative is one aspect of the March 15 statewide Connect NC bond referendum. Find out more in this video. 

Feb 29, 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. 

Feb 26, 2016

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. 

Feb 26, 2016

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. 

Feb 26, 2016

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. 

Feb 26, 2016

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. 

Feb 24, 2016

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.