Welcome to Food for Thought

A herd with a name, a legacy with a heart: Honoring the Hutchison family and Hutchison Western at the Temple Grandin Equine Center 

The Hutchison Herd isn’t just a group of horses; it’s a living family legacy. With Blake Hutchison’s support, these horses at Colorado State University’s Temple Grandin Equine Center (TGEC) help children and adults grow stronger, healthier, and more resilient, carrying forward Buck Hutchison’s values, one stride at a time. Read more here.

The calf connection: Bridging research, learning and student success

When CSU alumna and associate professor Catie Cramer was a student of Jason Ahola, neither expected they would one day work together as colleagues in the Department of Animal Sciences. Today, they share a passion for giving students hands-on experience in food animal care. Through bottle-feeding and interacting with dairy calves, students build confidence and develop foundational animal science skills that lead to deeper research opportunities in calf health, growth, and microbiome studies.  

But Cramer and Ahola’s commitment extends beyond teaching and research. After identifying that 20 to 25 percent of students were leaving the major, they developed a solution and now provide academic skills workshops designed to help students build confidence and achieve early success in their coursework—ultimately helping them remain in the program. Read more here.

Grandin Documentary Now Streaming

Dr. Temple Grandin, renowned speaker, author, and distinguished professor of animal science at CSU, is featured in An Open Door, which came to streaming platforms in August. Directed by CSU alum John Barnhardt, the film includes interviews with Grandin, CSU faculty and students, as well as industry leaders. Grandin hopes the film will inspire people in both the animal welfare and autism communities. An Open Door is available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, and Kanopy. Read more here.

Heating Up Summer’s End

Summer’s end means it’s roasted Pueblo chile pepper season. The locally bred Mosco chile pepper holds a special family tie for Mike Bartolo, former manager at the Arkansas River Valley Research Station in nearby Rocky Ford. Named for Bartolo’s uncle, Harry Mosco, a Pueblo farmer, Bartolo inherited the seeds and planted them in one of the research center’s plots. Today, the Mosco chile is a local specialty that draws crowds near and far. Read more here.

PFA working group selects proposal to advance peroxide value measurement standards 

The Pet Food Alliance, sponsored by the Fats and Protein Research Foundation (FPRF) and Colorado State University (CSU), is organized by Jennifer Martin, Ph.D., assistant professor in CSU’s Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Meat Safety and Quality. 

The Alliance’s Quality Working Group recently selected Dr. Ronald Pegg and his research team at the University of Georgia to lead a major study developing a standardized fat extraction method for peroxide value (PV) determination in the pet food industry. This milestone marks a significant step toward establishing a science-based, industry-wide standard for PV measurement—strengthening product quality, safety, and consistency through collaboration between academia and industry. Read more here.

The trials of Sally Jones-Diamond: Testing crops, building trust and shaping the future of farming 

Growing up on a dryland farm in southeast Colorado, Sally Jones-Diamond knows firsthand the grit and flexibility it takes to farm in the region. A CSU soil and crop sciences alum, she now directs CSU’s Crops Testing Program and runs Milo Farms, LLC with her husband (whom she met in the Agronomy Club).   

The Crops Testing Program operates like Consumer Reports for farmers, providing free, unbiased data on crops such as wheat, corn, sorghum, black-eyed peas, and more—helping farmers in Colorado, neighboring states, and beyond make informed decisions.   Read more here.

CSU-TAPS interns put ag learning into practice

CSU’s Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program gives students hands-on experience in modern agriculture and farm management, connecting classroom learning with real-world applications. Hosted at the Agricultural Research, Development, and Educational Center (ARDEC), CSU-TAPS offers unique exposure to production agriculture and serves as a workforce development opportunity for students. Read more here.

How CSU is helping Colorado cow-calf producers take control of their finances

Sustaining Colorado’s family ranches for future generations requires building financially healthy, resilient businesses—and that’s where Ryan Rhoades, CSU beef extension specialist and associate professor of animal sciences, comes in. 

Drawing on his background in economics, meat science, and beef production, Rhoades launched the Total Ranch Analysis for Colorado (TRAC) program to provide free, in-depth financial, production, and management analyses for cow-calf operations across the state. In just six years, he’s worked with 30–40 ranches covering more than a million acres. Read more here.

Restoring the Forest: Stopping fungal diseases during reforestation 

As wildfires grow more frequent and intense across the West and beyond, reforestation is essential—but replanting trees is no simple task. One major challenge is the risk of unintentionally introducing pathogens into new ecosystems, potentially causing further environmental harm. Grace Ganter, a master’s student in the College of Agricultural Sciences, is leading research in Agricultural Biology Professor Jane Stewart’s lab to investigate if and how conifers from different nurseries carry and spread fungal pathogens when planted in burned areas. Read more here.

The Science of the Stench: Corpse Flower Research Reception 

Mark your calendar and prepare your Halloween best for Science of the Stench on Oct. 28 at the Plant Growth Facilities! The evening will be filled with opportunities to sip seasonal refreshments, mingle with fellow plant enthusiasts, and immerse yourself in the eerie yet beautiful ambiance of the Conservatory. Between the art, the science, and the sheer curiosity of Cosmo itself, this event offers a one-of-a-kind celebration of one of nature’s strangest (and stinkiest) wonders. Costumes are encouraged! RSVP using the link above. Read more here.