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CFANS and the Great Minnesota Get-Together

CFANS will once again have a significant presence at this year’s Minnesota State Fair, which runs from Thursday, Aug. 23 through Monday, Sept. 3. Experts from the college will be on stage at both the University of Minnesota main building and at the FFA Leadership Center/Chapter House, and students and staff will be involved in everything from the Gopher Dairy Barn to the Eco-Experience.

Maroon and Gold Day is Sunday, Aug. 26. Fair-goers are encouraged to wear maroon and gold and to watch the 300-member U of M Marching Band perform in the parade at 2 p.m. Goldy Gopher will be on hand every day of the Fair at the U building.

Volunteers are still needed for the CFANS booths! Sign up with Honey VanderVenter or by going to http://www.cfans.umn.edu/fairvolunteers.html

Not going to the Fair? The university's Parking and Transportation Services office offers helpful advice on navigating the areas around campus during this busy time. Remember: you may need your U card to access campus-area streets and parking areas.

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Nancy Ehlke named department head

Nancy Jo Ehlke, who has been interim head of the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics since January 2005, has been named permanent head of the department. She's been a member of the department faculty since 1986 and is nationally recognized as a plant breeder working on forage legumes, turf grasses and native plant species. She's also a Fellow in both the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.  In addition to her administrative and teaching responsibilities, Nancy leads research and outreach activities in northern Minnesota with the grass and legume seed producers.

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Fund-raising grows in 2006-07

The gifts have all been counted and we are pleased to report the college received nearly $10.2 million in gifts during the year ended June 30, 2007.  That’s an 11 percent increase over a year ago. The gifts helped push the college’s endowment to just under $100 million. More than 2,800 of you donated to CFANS last year—thank you for the support!

The strong showing during the college’s first year under a combined structure “shows people have positive feelings about the new college and its direction,” says Cynthia Cashman, CFANS director of development. 

Looking ahead to the next year, the CFANS fund-raising team is making a special effort to pursue three areas of opportunity.  Cashman says several key donors have expressed interest in contributing toward the U’s research and programs in precision agriculture, bees and forest conservation.  For more information, contact Cashman at cashman@umn.edu or 612-624-7489.

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Second biofuels symposium looks at barriers

How can we unlock the potential that is bound up in biomass?  Can we do it economically at an appropriate scale?  Two world-renowned experts will help try to unlock that answer at the second CFANS biofuels symposium, titled "BIOFUELS: Breaking the Barriers for Biomass Conversion--Challenges and Opportunities." Charlie Wyman, right, a professor at the University of California-Riverside, and Simon Harvey, left, a professor at Chalmers University in Sweden, will share their perspectives on technical challenges and potential opportunities, and then answer questions in a panel discussion with professors Simo Sarkanen and Roger Ruan, both from the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. The symposium will be from noon to 5 pm. Sept. 19 in the St. Paul Student Center. Pre-registration is requested.

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Food Science teams place third nationally

The Food Science and Nutrition Club recently placed third in the Chapter of the Year competition at the annual conference of the Institute of Food Technologists. The club's product development team also placed third (of 22 teams) in the new product competition, which involved developing a new food product and carrying the concept through marketing and production. The nine-member team from the Department of Food Science and Nutrition developed a product called Tres Jelee, a 100-calorie-per-serving that combines soy protein and probiotics in a creamy, gelatin-based snack cup. New product team members are: Front row (left to right): Ashley Bents, Missy Stoll (captain), Jackie Koch; Back Row (left to right): Laura Meyer, Catherine Lee, Oriana Raabe, Corinne Otte, Michael Scheller.

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Horticulture Night draws a crowd in Morris

Dozens of gardeners and visitors showed up for this year's Horticulture Night, held on July 26 at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris.

The annual event included walking tours, family activities, demonstrations and education, food and business booths.

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Events

Here are a few of the upcoming events of interest to the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences community. Visit www.cfans.umn.edu to see more events.

Art to A-Maze Exhibition

Through Sept. 30
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska
Explore the relationship between people and the natural world on the Art to A-Maze Walk, featuring a juried collection of 15 installations of environmental art, sculpture and interactive exhibits. The walk leads visitors from the Oswald Visitor Center to the Arboretum's new Maze Garden.

Horticulture Day

Wednesday, August 29, 2 to 6 p.m.
North Central Research and Outreach Center, Grand Rapids
Visitors can see annuals, chrysanthemums and woody ornamental plants along with strawberry and blueberry testing plots and vegetables produced in high tunnels. Experts will be on hand to answer questions.

Alumni and Friends Day

Saturday, September 8
Cloquet Forestry Center
This event at the 3,400-acre Cloquet Forestry Center -- Minnesota's oldest forest reserved for research and education -- includes tours of forestry and wildlife research, a barbecue dinner, and a keynote presentation from Associate Dean Jay Bell about how student instruction has changed in the last 50 years. Cost is $25 for adults and $10 for kids younger than 12. Registration is required.

Cafe Scientifique: The Future of Science

Monday, September 10, 7 p.m.
Loring Pasta Bar, Dinkytown
University of Minnesota experts try to answer questions about what new questions and challenges researchers might address and how new technologies will influence the way we understand the world. Sponsored by the Bell Museum. Admission is $5.

SROC Open House

Thursday, Sept. 13
Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca
Games and family activities, free food and drink, a plant diagnostic clinic and free water testing for nitrates will all be part of the sixth annual open house. New events this year include a kids' pedal pull, farmers market and U of M cheese and meat sales.

Cafe Scientifique: Is America Seeing Green?

Tuesday, September 18, 7 p.m.
Bryant-Lake Bowl, Uptown
It seems that green living is on the upswing. But is it really? And if so, is the sustainability trend sustainable? Join behavioral psychologists from the University of St.Thomas for a discussion of psychology and sustainability and find out how and why people choose a green lifestyle. Sponsored by the Bell Museum. Admission is $5.

Saturday, September 29, 7 p.m.
Bell Museum of Natural History
The history and flavors of Minnesota wine will be showcased in “The Natural History of Minnesota Wine." The event will kick off with a talk by James Luby, University of Minnesota professor of horticultural science, whose team of researchers is credited with developing many of Minnesota's cold hardy, hybrid grapes. The evening includes sample tasting pours of award-winning wines from Minnesota-based wineries – as well as live music in the museum’s diorama galleries and cheeses handcrafted by student cheese makers. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door.

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