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| Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences VISION eXtra is e-mailed weekly to faculty and staff of Bumpers College and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Division of Agriculture. This service is primarily for timely announcement of news and events for the AAES and Bumpers College. Submit items to hmedders@uark.edu. You may also wish to submit items to headline@uark.edu for posting on "UA Daily Headlines" for campus-wide distribution. |
Nov. 17, 2008 |
1. Matlock to chair committee developing national sustainable agriculture standard
2. Chancellor to speak at GSD meeting - Monday
3. Prospective students attend Bumpers College Career Day
4. Horticulture honors alumni and friends
5. Wardlow receives teaching award
6. Parents' Night Out - Friday
7. Spitze Public Policy Legislative Internship application now available
8. Food Science Seminar - Monday
9. Academic Enhancement Program workshop - Wednesday
10. 2009 Food and Beverage Innovations Competition
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1. Matlock to chair committee developing national sustainable agriculture standard
The standards committee that is spearheading the development of a national standard for sustainable agriculture elected its leadership Nov. 3. Marty Matlock, director of the Center of Agricultural and Rural Sustainability in the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture, was elected chairman. Ronald Moore, Moore Farms and American Soybean Association, will serve as vice-chair. Will Healy, Research and Technical Manager at Ball Innovations, will serve as secretary; and Grace Gershuny, representing the Organic Trade Association (OTA), is vice-secretary.
The standards committee officers were elected by members of the standards committee and appointed by Leonardo Academy, the neutral, third-party American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited organization facilitating the development process for the Scientific Certification System (SCS-001) sustainable agriculture standard.
"Leonardo Academy is very pleased that such a diverse group of individuals has been elected to lead the workings of the standards committee," said Michael Arny, president of Leonardo Academy. "This leadership exemplifies the depth of agricultural expertise and range of viewpoints represented on the committee. We look forward to working with the committee's leadership as it guides the discussion and consensus-building on the many issues that need to be addressed as the standard development process moves forward."
As chairman of the standards committee, Matlock will work with the committee to identify and deliberate the issues that will be considered for inclusion in the sustainable agriculture standard, as well as to assign tasks to committee members and subcommittees to foster progress on issues under consideration. Among his more challenging responsibilities will be to guide the committee in identifying which issues can be agreed upon at the outset and to help steer a path of consensus on the more difficult issues raised by committee members and stakeholders.
"Sustainable production of agricultural products is the one of the most challenging issues our generation faces. There will be 9.5 million people coming to dinner by 2050. The decisions we make today will determine how we feed them and their children, how we eat tomorrow and how future generations eat--from now to eternity," Matlock said.
Vice-Chair Ronald Moore stressed the importance of a sustainability standard in meeting this challenge. "It is vitally important that production agriculture from the Midwest is represented during the process of developing a standard for sustainable agriculture," he noted. "The farmers that I represent are the environmental stewards of millions of acres of land, so it is an advantage for all stakeholders to have farmer input and leadership on this committee. All sectors of agriculture must work together on a final standard that is socially responsible, environmentally sound, and economically viable today-and in the future-for the production of low cost, high quality food, feed, fiber, and fuel."
Will Healy, committee secretary, believes that defining sustainability is crucial to the industry of agriculture. "The problem today is that the agricultural heritage of America is being lost," he said. "There are a lot of misunderstandings, misconceptions and misinformation generated about what we as growers do and how this impacts the nation's food system. Identifying a framework and set of indicators for sustainability will give us all a target to move toward, improving production systems and products that are not only better for the environment but for growers and consumers also."
Committee Vice-Secretary Grace Gershuny noted that the theory and practice of organic agriculture has been at the leading edge of the concept of sustainability from its inception. "Many of us believe organic should be recognized as the foundation of this current discussion around standards for Sustainable Agriculture," she said. "I believe that it is important for OTA, which has the mission to 'promote and protect the growth of organic trade, to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy,' to actively engage in this discussion."
One of the most distinguishing aspects of this open, consensus process for developing a national standard is that it provides a forum for discussing and vetting differences in opinion over what sustainability means across all sectors of agriculture. While ideas vary on a number of issues, Healy stresses that, "We are all concerned about water consumption, land use, chemical inputs. This process allows us to come together as a group and to send a common message that the agricultural industry is concerned about sustainable production and that we want to move forward in a positive way."
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2. Chancellor to speak at GSD meeting - Monday
UA Chancellor G. David Gearhart will address the Arkansas chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 17 in HOEC 102. Gearhart has been invited to discuss his perceptions of the roles of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and Division of Agriculture in the next decade. He will also offer his views on how the Fayetteville campus will serve Arkansas regarding education, research and outreach about food, fiber and fuel.
Chancellor Gearhart's address is open to the public. GSD members are encouraged to invite other interested parties to attend. Immediately after the speech, a reception will be held in the HOEC living room until 5 p.m.
More news from Gama Sigma Delta is available online at: http://gsd.uark.edu/newsletter.html
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3. Prospective students attend Bumpers College Career Day
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| Food science alumna Suzanne Pennington, right, talks with Denise Lowe of Bella Vista and her daughter Chris during the Bumpers College Career Day on Friday. | Diana Bisbee, left, coordinator of off-campus education, visits with Jan and Roger Pohlner of Fisher and their daughter Tori during Career Day Friday in the Arkansas Union. |
Approximately 190 prospective students, their parents and some teachers attended Bumpers College Career Day in the Arkansas Union Friday Nov. 14. Students came from 55 Arkansas high schools and five neighboring states.
The event included sessions with instructors and advisers in various majors and sessions about financial aid, scholarships, student life and housing. Activities included a campus tour and visits with current students and alumni. Alumna Suzanne Pennington, a 2006 food science major now with Simmons Foods, was one of the speakers.
Career day was sponsored by the Bumpers College Prospective Student Relations Committee and was coordinated by Diana Bisbee.
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4. Horticulture honors alumni and friends
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| The department of horticulture presented 2008 awards to, from left, Carlos Fear, 2008 Distinguished Alumnus; Dennis Motes, 2008 Distinguished Service; and Pat Berger, 2008 Distinguished Friend. |
The department of horticulture honored alumni and friends at an awards program Friday in the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. Award recipients were Carlos Fear, 2008 Distinguished Alumnus; Dennis Motes, 2008 Distinguished Service; and Pat Berger, 2008 Distinguished Friend.
Dr. Fear earned his master's degree in horticulture at the U of A in 1977 and is now director of plant breeding and variety development for Berry Gardens Plants in the United Kingdom. Dennis Motes received his master's degree in horticulture in 1978 at the U of A and is director of the Division of Agriculture's Vegetable Research Station at Kibler. Pat Berger is sports turf manager for men's athletics at the University of Arkansas.
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5. Wardlow receives teaching award
Professor George Wardlow, head of the department of agricultural and extension education, was honored as one of the six Regional Winners of the "Teaching Award" of the Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Awards. The award was presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) in Chicago on Nov. 9.
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6. Parents' Night Out - Friday
Alpha Phi Omega is hosting a Parents' Night Out Friday, Nov. 21, with activities for the children of local teachers and U of A students. APO members will watch, feed, and entertain the children, at no charge. To register your child, or if you have any questions or concerns, please send an e-mail to teachers.night.out@hotmail.com. Register by 5:00 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 20. Children must be at least four years old.
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7. Spitze Public Policy Legislative Internship application now available
If you are interested in public policy and in working in a legislative office during the summer, the Spitze Public Policy Legislative Internship may be for you. This award provides $5,000 toward the expenses associated with a 10-week legislative internship in Washington D.C. For more information and an application, visit
http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/2512.htm. Applications are due to the Dean's Office by Monday, January 12, 2009.
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8. Food Science Seminar - Monday
Food Science Seminar presentations at 3:40 p.m. Monday, Nov.17, in room D-2 of the FDSC Building will be "Control of the McGill No.2 Rice Mill by NIR Spectroscopy," by Ann Graves, Food Science M.S. student; and "Performance and Representation of Euclidian Distance Ideal Point Mapping (EDIPM) Using A Third Dimension," by Joshua Tubbs, Food Science M.S. student.
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9. Academic Enhancement Program workshop - Wednesday
Academic Enhancement Program (AEP) workshops are conducted by AEP Coordinator John Kelly in HOEC 106 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:20 p.m.
Nov. 19: End of the semester wrap-up... How am I doing?
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10. 2009 Food and Beverage Innovations Competition
Do you have an idea for a healthy snack or healthy appetizer, but you can't find it on the grocery store shelf? Now is your chance to showcase your originality, talent and skills. The Food and Beverage Innovations Competition is sponsored by the Department of Food Science and is open to all currently enrolled UA undergraduate and graduate students. You will develop an innovative food product formulation in one of two categories: healthy snacks or healthy appetizers.
Cash prizes totalling $3,000 will be awarded. Visit http://foodscience.uark.edu for competition rules and deadlines. The intent to enter form should be completed by January 26, 2009.
AAES and Bumpers College Web sites:
http://aaes.uark.edu/
http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/