WildChat

All in the Family

Marissa Huppe ’13 gained extensive experience in everything from cultivating vegetables to training oxen during her childhood on a working farm in New Hampshire. “I have done vegetable production outdoors,” says Huppe, “but never in high tunnels before.” For this Farmington native, the hands-on aspects of working in the high tunnels – as part of the Integrated Agricultural Management program in the Thompson School of Applied Science – rounds out her early introduction to farming.

Huppe’s sister, seven years her senior, has a business degree and just the right mix of skills to fulfill their shared dream of starting their own diversified farm together. “We’ll produce different animal products and crops,” says Huppe, “eggs, meat birds, beef cattle, Christmas trees, and vegetables.”

“The modern day farmer has to wear a lot of hats,” says Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Lecturer Andrew Ogden who imparts his knowledge of everything from production to marketing in the Food Production Field Experience courses. “Having an education like this, where students can practice their skills year-round in the high-tunnels, opens their eyes to all of the crop planning that goes into running a successful farm. It’s both physically and mentally demanding. Students need to be able to accurately do seed calculations and plan purchasing; interpret soil test results; and apply fertilizers, which involves a lot of math,” says Ogden.

With the additional focus on developing a business plan, understanding best practices for advertising and marketing, and having knowledge of labor laws and personnel management, Huppe is receiving a well-rounded education that will give her both the know-how and confidence to go after her dreams in agriculture.

- Victoria Forester Courtland

 

The Roots of Good Health

Growing up in Islip, NY, Julia Credendino ‘14 had never been in a high tunnel before. “It’s so warm in here, you can wear your tee shirt in the middle of winter,” she says, looking out over rows of beet tops and lettuces. Even though the ground outside is covered by snow, inside the twin greenhouse-like structures it’s an ideal environment for plant growth.

As a nutrition major, Credendino benefits from being able to take classes in the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) program where she’s learning to cultivate vegetables through all the phases of crop planning, growing, harvesting, and marketing. “I’ll be counseling people in nutrition,” says Credendino who also wants to have a large garden some day. “I plan to be involved in farmer’s markets, and to teach cooking classes and workshops on canning.”

Not only is Credendino honing the skills she needs to grow food for herself and others, she’s gaining a clear understanding of why it’s best to undertake certain practices. On this winter’s day, she’s learning about the use of drip lines with solanaceous crops, such as tomatoes and peppers, which lowers disease pressure by keeping the plants’ leaves dry during wet, humid summers. Credendino listens closely to SAFS Lecturer Andrew Ogden and Horticultural Production Coordinator Jake Uretsky as they team up in the high tunnels to provide students with a hands-on, dirt-beneath-the-nails experience in how to grow food. “They’re giving me the tools I need to do this on my own,” says Credendino.

- Victoria Forester Courtland

Harnessing Academia

Jackie Marinoff always liked horses but never had much experience beyond watching them ferry tourists in carriages throughout Central Park in her native New York City. Plus, her mother was always afraid of them. Then when she was twelve, Marinoff’s parents moved the family to New Hampshire and opened a world of new possibilities for her.

Marinoff transferred into the University of New Hampshire after beginning her education in biology at another institution and found her true home with horses as an Equine Science major. And, with no previous experience, Marinoff competes as a member of the highly accomplished Intercollegiate Hunter Seat Association team at UNH, one of the top sixteen in the nation. “Even my mom has become comfortable with horses,” says Marinoff. “She’ll come to my shows and give my horse a pat.”

With a 4.0 GPA, Marinoff is also one of the top students in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at UNH. Along with the rest of the seniors in her Capstone class, Marinoff recently gave a demonstration to visiting high school students interested in an equine education. “Participating in the Equine Educational Day has been a way for me to give back all the knowledge I’ve gained,” says Marinoff who spoke to the students about her senior thesis research - conducted with equine heart rate monitors - on how the level of a horse’s stress may fluctuate while it’s ridden by equestrians with different levels of proficiency.

- Victoria Forester Courtland

Growing Up

Sophie Trusty ’15 wants kids to learn about healthy eating from the ground up. As a teaching assistant in the extensive vegetable garden at the Child Study and Development Center at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Trusty helps little hands sow the seeds that grow into some of their snack and lunch foods at harvest time.

“I’m really interested in sustainable agriculture education with children,” says Trusty, a Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) major in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at UNH. The skills Trusty has been developing, by growing food in high tunnels throughout the seasons during her Field Experience Food Production classes, are directly translatable to her work with the pre-school children.

Originally from Connecticut, Trusty’s love of agriculture developed early and, by the time she enrolled in a regional agroscience high school program, her path was clear. Today, Trusty is immersed in all the different components of the recently accredited SAFS degree from planning the crops to the retail marketing of fresh produce. “I really enjoy being part of a new project,” says Trusty who thrives with the hands-on experience in the high tunnels as well as the opportunity to bring food awareness to new generations.

- Victoria Forester Courtland

Shine On

Maggie Lynch ‘13 milks a cow at the Fairchild Dairy.

The Dairy Farmers of America’s recent Gold Quality award for the two research and teaching dairies at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) reflects the students’ dedication to best practices for farm safety and sanitation. “Hitting top quality criteria for milk means we have low somatic cell count, bacteria count, and preincubation count,” says Jon Whitehouse, manager of the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center. “It indicates the cleanliness of our milking operation as well as the health of the cows.”

Both the Fairchild and Organic Dairies are New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station (NHAES) facilities within the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at UNH. Students from across the University become involved with the dairies, the majority of whom are majoring in programs at COLSA and the Thompson School. “We have up to twenty different student milkers in a given year,” says Whitehouse. “Receiving the gold quality milk award shows that our students take their training and instruction seriously. They care about the excellent sanitation necessary to produce our clean, award-winning milk that commands a high premium on the market.”

The same is true of the Organic Dairy Research Farm, where students see the results of their work in the logbook that displays cell and bacteria counts each week. “It gives them an investment in the farm and an investment in the milk we’re producing,” says Emily Pavlidis, former Interim Manager of the dairy, who began including Organic Valley’s weekly analysis of the UNH Organic Dairy’s milk in the logbook to show students just how much their attention to detail matters when washing the cows, cleaning equipment with water at the proper temperature, and checking udder health. “When a student starts to strip out a cow, if they see little flakes that means the cow might be coming down with mastitis and that the milk can’t go in the tank or our counts will go up,” says Pavlidis. “We need to keep on top of a lot of things all the time.”

Newly hired manager of the Organic Dairy, Nicole Guindon ‘11 ‘13G, will continue with Pavlidis’ method to keep students motivated and invested. “It’s a great idea,” says Guindon. “The students do a lot of the milking here, and are helping the University to set the bar for some of the highest quality milk in the region.”

- Victoria Forester Courtland

Where Science Meets Culinary Art

Not only do students in the Dietetic Technology program at the Thompson School of Applied Science learn about the nutritional properties of food, they get to prepare and serve it at a grab-and-go style café right here on campus. Stacey’s Express in Cole Hall is open for lunch every Tuesday from 11:30 to 12:30 during the school year.

Dietetic Technology students Leah Schwenke, Taylor Duggan, and George Tilton work the serving line.

Named for Stacey W. Cole ‘41, a Thompson School graduate and generous supporter of the University of New Hampshire, Stacey’s Express has been in operation since 1987. Patrons are welcome to enjoy freshly made items like soup, paninis, and jambalaya to-go or gather in the common area with ample tables and chairs adjacent to the gleaming commercial kitchen where the students have been preparing lunch since morning.

As one of the Thompson School’s hands-on two-year degree programs in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire, Dietetic Technology prepares students to take a national exam that will enable them to become registered dietetic technicians. With a range of professional options from large institutional settings to smaller community-based operations, dietetic technicians counsel their patients on eating healthfully within budgetary constraints.

The experiential nature of Stacey’s Express enables students to put into practice what they’re learning before graduation. This invaluable education gives students the opportunity to take on every job necessary to make the system work. “Each week, one person serves as a dietetic consultant, using food analysis software to make the nutritional label,” says Julienne Guyette, Lecturer in Culinary Arts and Nutrition. The other students in the cohort are assigned to preparing the soup, salad, or dessert and working as the cashier or dishwasher, and the job duties rotate throughout the semester.

Chef and Lecturer of Culinary Arts and Nutrition, Julienne Guyette (on right) with student Jessie Hook.

“The students have already had their basic culinary class, called Food Fundamentals,” says Guyette. “Now they’re using those basic cooking techniques – preparing a compound roux for cream of broccoli soup, for example – and putting it all together into nutritional cuisine.” The variety of duties in and out of the kitchen is an accurate reflection of the professional life of a dietetic technician, who must be proficient in many areas including developing and costing healthy recipes based on determining the yields of the usable portion of food (minus peels, tops, and skin, etc.) as well as preparing a delicious and artful meal.

- Victoria Forester Courtland

Making Waves with Dirt

As the new Editor-in-Chief of Issues in Ecology, Serita Frey is good at making waves with dirt. In addition to her work as Professor of Soil Microbial Ecology in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), this role with the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) publication enables Frey to make policy recommendations to decision makers as well as inform the public-at-large. “One of my intentions is to build public understanding of ecological issues relevant to society,” says Frey. “Another is to bring information that is more accurate to the folks who are influencing policy.”

As Editor, Frey will help shape and determine which topics are highlighted by Issues in Ecology, a journal whose primary audience includes policy-makers who need to be presented with the facts of objective science in order to make properly informed decisions. “I will be soliciting people to author relevant issues,” she says, citing an interest in further discussions on how soils adapt to changing climate conditions.

Frey served on the Issues in Ecology’s Board of Advisors for a year before president-elect Jill Baron stepped down from her position as Editor-in-Chief. Baron and the publication committee approached Frey about taking on the responsibility. Wanting to be more involved with the society, Frey gladly accepted. In addition to what Frey has done – and will be doing – for the ESA, her appointment has also brought additional visibility to the important research being conducted at UNH. “We have a large number of ecologists on campus.” says Frey. “My involvement with Issues will add to our continued and growing involvement in the ecological sciences.”

- Victoria Forester Courtland

From Young Entrepreneur to Future Large Animal Vet

Adam Crowther ’13 grew up on a small beef farm in Jackson, NH, where he helped his family raise cows and chickens. His heart remained true to these agricultural roots when he entered the University of New Hampshire (UNH) as a freshman. Crowther will graduate this spring, with a degree in Pre-Veterinary Science and a minor in Dairy Science, from the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at UNH. The past four years have been an integral part of his educational pursuits to become a large animal veterinarian in the future.

Growing up in rural New Hampshire, Crowther was given ample opportunities to develop his interests in farming, large animal care, and dairy science. Before his ninth birthday, he purchased his first cow; at twelve, he started an egg business with 200 laying hens; and by the time he was sixteen, he’d acquired a pair of working oxen. In his freshman year of high school, Crowther began breeding cattle and faced his first veterinary crisis. “One of the cows was having trouble calving, and the vet was two hours away,” said Crowther. “I had to assist.” Fortunately for the animals, his early experience on the farm, combined with his burgeoning veterinary interests, proved to be effective in saving the lives of both the mother and her calf.

Today, Crowther has more than a few calving assists under his belt through his involvement in the student-run CREAM (Cooperative Real Education in Agricultural Management) program at the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center and summer work with a large animal veterinary practice in Conway. In addition, Crowther is the current president of the Dairy Club at UNH – a post he accepted at the beginning of the spring semester in his junior year. “My main goal has been to reorganize the club to help students become more involved with fundraising events at fairs, scooping ice cream for various stands, and hosting a booth at the Big E,” says Crowther. His community service work doesn’t end there, however; as a member of the professional chemistry fraternity at UNH, Alpha Chi Sigma, Crowther helps the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts in the chemistry labs, so they can earn their merit badges, and also offers General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry tutoring sessions for University students here on campus.

With the strong foundation of an undergraduate education in veterinary science and his entrepreneurial spirit, Crowther has the scientific knowledge and a passion for outreach that will propel him toward both his goal of becoming a large animal veterinarian and a leader in his community.

- Victoria Forester Courtland

Prolific Produce

I just took a bite of an Easter Egg radish grown in the high tunnels adjacent to the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center. Horticultural Production Coordinator Jake Uretsky had harvested and cleaned bunches of these beautiful radishes just moments before handing one to me.

Dusty rose in color with luminous white flesh, it had the diameter of a half-dollar and was as juicy as an Asian pear. While predominantly sweet, this radish also had both the slightly pungent and astringent flavors characteristic of vegetables in the Brassicaceae family. Though I had never done so with a radish in the past, I ate this one up in three bites like a perfect little apple – it was so fresh and delicious.

Students in the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) major in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), who are enrolled in the Food Production Field Experience course, will be working with SAFS lecturer Andrew Ogden to gain real-world farm-to-fork experience that enable them to grow greens, root vegetables, and onions for the Dairy Bar restaurant. “Students learn in an experiential fashion about all aspects of running a sustainable farming operation from crop planning, crop production methods, post-harvest practices, marketing, social media promotion, special event planning and execution, and business management,” says Ogden.

Jake Uretsky harvesting the crops, still thriving at the end of November.

Even at the end of November, greens like Red Russian Kale, arugula, Tatsoi, Red Mustard, Mizuna, spinach, beet tops continue to thrive in the high tunnels, surpassing Uretsky’s expectations. “I believe we will easily meet and exceed the needs of the Dairy Bar,” says Uretsky. “Our biggest challenge will probably be moderating our production, so produce is ready in smaller batches, when it is needed.  My hope is after we get some of our systems down, we will all be surprised at how much is produced here.”

If you can, head over to the Dairy Bar to enjoy a fresh salad created with truly local produce cultivated by students before the extended growing season for greens winds down in the depths of winter. Between then and now, you may also find some of these gorgeous greens at the salad bar in Holloway Commons since any surplus produce from the high tunnels will augment your selection there.

- Victoria Forester Courtland

Shedding Light on the Sea Lamprey

(Photo credit: BioDivLibrary)

Dr. Stacia A. Sower, Professor and Director of the Center for Molecular and Comparative Endocrinology (CME) in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, was invited to present two symposia talks at the 7^th International Symposium on Fish Endocrinology, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, September first to 7th, 2012.   

The conference focused on fish endocrinology with presentations from scientists from around the world. During the conference, Sower presented “Evolution of Lamprey and Hagfish Neuroanatomy and Neurohormones” at a satellite conference.  This research represented an overview in which her laboratory, collaborators and students established the neuroendocrine axis in a basal vertebrate, the sea lampreys.  

Sower also gave an invited talk titled, “Insight form the lamprey genome: Glimpsing early vertebrate development via neuroendocrine-associate” in a session called “Fish Endocrinology in the Post-Genomic Era: from transcriptomics to transgenics.” This research represented a collaborative research project with 47 international members of the Lamprey Genome Consortium and her laboratory.