Travel

Over winter break I got to help teach a soil science workshop in Nepal through funding from the UW Center for Global Studies and with Biloba Organic! It was a blast, I’m constantly impressed by Nepali students’ enthusiasm and knowledge about all things ag.

We made a soil cake for the FAO Soil Cake Contest! Any guess what kind of soil it might be? And can you spot some kernza on top? (Really hoping we win some t-shirts 🤞) Update: Yes it’s a mollisol, thanks for the guesses!

We went to Kansas for the Land Institute’s early career workshop! We got to tour the Kanza Prairie and learn how disturbance (bison, fire) affects plant communities and meet to many people studying so many aspects of perennials- water and nutrients use, climate impacts, genetics, soil organic matter formation, supply chains, intercropping, disease resistance… 🌾🥳

Hannah went to The Land Institute to sample rhizosphere soil from different breeding lines of Kernza (and un-bred intermediate wheatgrass). As we breed for plants that put more resources into grain, they may put fewer resources into roots, and to feed all the microbes that live in and on those roots.

Took a trip to The Land Institute to visit some friends, share some research, and (more importantly) drink some Kernza beer at @blueskyebreweryandeats