Welcome to Food for Thought

Colorado’s record-dry winter, forecasted heat wave brings worry for farmers, future water supply

Colorado growers are preparing for a challenging season due to this year’s record-low snowpack and coming heat wave. In addition to the dry conditions farmers are already facing, high temperatures mean greater evaporation, faster snowpack runoff from the mountains at the wrong time, and poor soil conditions for plowing and planting, says Gene Kelly, director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station. “The growers I work with, and at our research centers around the state, we’re just planning for the worst-case scenario — that we’ll have low amounts of water for irrigation,” he says. Read More

How Libby Bigler is elevating beef quality across Colorado

Two-time CSU alum Libby Bigler is Colorado’s beef quality assurance coordinator, a position supported by the Colorado Beef Council and CSU. With degrees in animal sciences and journalism and technical communication, she also teaches ag classes at CSU and is a mom of two. Bigler describes her role as “the boots on the ground, helping ranchers learn the science behind their production practices in order to keep consumers wanting to eat beef.”

Though she didn’t grow up on a ranch, her 4-H roots and love of animals set her on an ag career path early. Looking ahead, Bigler hopes to expand her reach: “Playing a bigger role on a national level is something that intrigues me.” Read More

From the ranch to the lab: Modesta Van Deel’s science of living

Modesta Van Deel (B.S. Animal Science, ‘21) wasn’t sure higher education was for her at first. Encouraged by family ties to the CSU Rodeo Team, she transferred after earning her associate’s degree. As a student, she was a Ram Handler, a Meat Judging team member, and an Ag Ambassador — experiences that opened her eyes to new possibilities in animal science and led to her current role as a food scientist with Chomps.

“I didn’t know about the other possibilities, from veterinary care to food science and meat science. I really owe my professional career and how I developed as a person to CSU,” she says. Read More

Entomologists use a particle accelerator to image ants at scale

Antscan, a digital repository of high-resolution 3D images spanning 792 species across 212 genera of ants, allows users to virtually dissect ants. The scans are available free of charge through an interactive online portal, where anyone can rotate, zoom, and explore the ants’ internal and external anatomy.

With AI tools increasingly able to parse massive datasets, the real analytical power of Antscan may still lie ahead, says Marek Borowiec, director of the C. P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity. “The full advantage of this dataset will be realized when these methods are deployed,” he says. Read More

Barnfly Productions spotlights untold stories of women scientists, athletes

The team behind the documentary An Open Door: Temple Grandin and much of the College of Agricultural Sciences’ visual storytelling is the same group that produces video content for CSU women’s basketball and volleyball. Led by John Barnhardt, the team is also part of our college.

Barnhardt has built a strong reputation over the years, won an Emmy, and started Barnfly Productions, a company that offers many opportunities for students. Though the team includes many young filmmakers, he believes that passion and success aren’t limited by age.

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” says Barnhardt. “You have an opportunity to reinvent yourself every single day.” Read More

Gene Kelly named chair of APLU’s agInnovation group

Gene Kelly, professor of pedology and director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station, will be the next chair of agInnovation, the group leading innovation and policy for the Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy, part of the Board on Agricultural Assembly of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities.

agInnovation brings together agricultural experiment stations across the country to help guide federal research priorities, support public investment in agricultural science, and make sure campus research leads to meaningful advances on farms, in communities, and in policy. Kelly will take on this role in September, helping to set the national agenda, bring leaders together, and represent land-grant science at the highest levels. Read More

Study identifies causes of potato dry rot in Colorado

Plant pathologists at the San Luis Valley Research Center have identified four Fusarium species associated with potato dry rot. Potato dry rot leads to significant losses during storage and postharvest handling, making its management critical for farmers.

Their findings, published in Plant Disease, will provide important information for growers, storage managers, and researchers working on potato disease management.

“This study contributes to a better understanding of the pathogens responsible for potato dry rot in the San Luis Valley, helping protect the sustainability and economic viability of potato production in Colorado,” says lead author Hafiz M. Usman Aslam, postdoctoral fellow at the SLVRC. Read More

Applause, Upcoming Events, and Announcements

• Join us on March 28 for the Equine Research Showcase, highlighting the impact of our equine research and collaborative efforts with the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The showcase will feature faculty, students, and industry partners sharing research that advances equine health, performance, and welfare. More information and tickets are available here.
• The new Train-the-Teachers in Plant Science Program is a free, USDA-funded opportunity designed to help Colorado high school agriculture teachers confidently bring horticulture and plant science into the classroom. Interested? Sign up if you would like to participate in the tour yourself (we have a few spots available to faculty) or share this opportunity with agriculture teachers in your network.
• On March 26, the Colorado Water Center will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a free reception, film screening, and a fundraiser.
• Mark your calendar for CSU’s Commencement ceremony on May 16 and two CAS recognition ceremonies on the 15th.