Friday Notes is designed to enhance communication among various agricultural sectors, educators, students, and the public who are interested in a variety of plant, animal, food, and environmental issues. Friday Notes advocates the pursuit of credible, unbiased, science-based information. Material contained in linked articles is from the original authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of CAST.
In This Issue....
Animal Agriculture News
Food Science & Safety News
Plant & Environmental News
International News
General Interest News
Announcements
A Cal Poly immunologist and biological sciences professor explains why everyone should roll up their sleeves to help end the pandemic. 

Join CAST on May 11 for the announcement of the 2021 Borlaug CAST Communication Award winner, The 2020 BCCA winner, Dr. Alexa Lamm, will give the keynote address.

This website offers various links from the “Climate Resources at the National Academies”—includes webinars, workshops, and more.

During Teacher Appreciation Week, the NAAE celebrated the 13,000 agricultural educators across the United States. 

CAST College Corner
University of Missouri researchers show how fruit and vegetable production could boost the state’s economy. 

An Iowa State University webinar on May 25 kicks off the American Wetlands Month.  

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln law professor received a grant to examine rural America’s challenges and opportunities.  

Check throughout Friday Notes to see more featured articles from member universities.
CAST Social Media
CAST welcomes ideas for future publications and projects.
May 7, 2021
Graduations Take Flight
The 18 universities in the CAST Education Program will join other schools around the country in hosting graduation ceremonies that will be adjusted and varied, but definitely more traditional than last year's pandemic events. Schools in the state of North Carolina—including North Carolina State and North Carolina A&T State—will present in-person ceremonies, some with virtual commencement speakers, others with special guests flying in from across the country. Most will be outside, requiring masks and social distancing. For two more examples, check out what will be happening at Tuskegee University and the University of Nevada-Reno. Congratulations to all graduates and best wishes on the road ahead.
News and Views
America the Beautiful Initiative: The Biden Administration released a report calling for a decade-long effort to support locally led and voluntary conservation and restoration efforts to create jobs and strengthen the economy’s foundation; tackle the climate and nature crises; and address inequitable access to the outdoors. The full report is available here.

Early Reactions (related to above): Various stakeholder groups—such as the NCBA, the AFBF, and NACD—have issued responses. Overall, the reactions have been positive, but tentative—agriculture groups are interested in further details.

Focus on Ethanol: EPA Head Michael Regan joined Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for a tour of ethanol facilities and a roundtable with producers. 

Food Price Analysis: CAST’s guest blog is from Jayson Lusk (Purdue and 2017 BCCA). He examines the rate of food price increases during the past year.  

World Food Prize 2021 Laureate: On May 11, the World Food Prize organization will announce its 2021 laureate. 
Far Side of the Barn
Edible Prom Attire (videos): Following in the footsteps of KFC's fried chicken corsage, certain Red Lobster outlets are offering cheddar bay biscuit corsages.  

You Ordered What?! A venti caramel ribbon crunch frappuccino with 13 special requests prompted other baristas to share the most annoying orders they have received.  

Singapore Swing (video): This cheesy but catchy PSA uses local celebrities to encourage Covid-19 vaccination acceptance.
CAST Updates
BCCA Winner Announcement Event May 11
The Borlaug CAST Communication Award (BCCA) is presented annually for outstanding achievement by a scientist, engineer, technologist, or other professional working in the agricultural, environmental, or food sectors for contributing to the advancement of science in the public policy arena. During the past eleven years, this prestigious award has been presented to influential scientists and communicators. The announcement for the 2021 BCCA winner will be held May 11--click here for details. Dr. Alexa Lamm, winner of the 2020 Borlaug CAST Communication Award and Associate Professor of Science Communication at the University of Georgia, will deliver a keynote presentation followed by the announcement of the 2021 award winner.

Society Members Help Promote CAST Mission

Society members are a key component in the effort to fulfill CAST’s mission—communicating credible, science-based information to a wide audience. Society members include those representing medicine, plants, food, animals, and other types of science and agriculture. CAST's society members enjoy several benefits such as access to publications and a weekly newsletter. But just as notable, these groups share information with others through CAST’s publications and social media, and their members keep aware of credible, science-based research and information from the many sources available through CAST.

Member societies have a voice on the CAST Board of Representatives, a group made up of the member societies, universities, commercial companies, nonprofit or trade organizations, and the Board of Directors. Each member of the board serves on one of three work groups—Animal Agriculture and Environmental Issues, Food Science and Safety, or Plant Agriculture and Environmental Issues. The work groups meet at an annual board meeting, hold monthly conference calls, and serve the critical role of helping CAST identify, clarify, and prioritize national issues it should address in its publications to support the science, technology, and innovation of food and agriculture.
Animal Agriculture and Environmental News
Zoonotic Diseases: The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture warns farmers about dangerous, transmissible animal diseases—such as HPAI and ASF. The CDC provides this informational website about zoonotic diseases.

Animal Protein and Communication: Alison Van Eenennaam (UC-Davis and 2014 BCCA) speaks about U.S. livestock industry practices, the healthful consumption of animal proteins, and thoughtful communication techniques.  

Researching Poultry Disease: USPOULTRY approved funding for a research grant to evaluate strategies to reduce Salmonella Reading colonization in turkeys. 

Fighting Swine Fever: An ASF vaccine under development in the United States has also been tested successfully when being provided through the oronasal route.   

Tick Disease Research: Tiny molecules called nanobodies may be the key to blocking a tick-borne bacterial infection that remains out of reach of most antibiotics, according to research from The Ohio State University.
cattle drive, ARS
Texas A&M scientists explored the rural economic impacts of climate variability and identified potential future outcomes for beef cattle production.  

The U.S. pork industry might face a speed limit on hog slaughtering.
Food Science and Safety News
Artificial Intelligence Helps with Food Waste: From yellowed broccoli to mushy avocados, University of Florida scientists are using AI to cut food waste.

Food Safety: Cornell University is involved with the Produce Safety Alliance, and this interview with one of the coordinators focuses on varied food safety topics.

Millions at Risk: An estimated 155 million people across the globe faced severe food insecurity and were in need of urgent assistance in 2020, according to a U.N. report.

Food Aid: Food Bank for the Heartland distributed 42 million pounds of food to the region in 2020, as more people sought help because of the pandemic. 

Trucker Shortage Affects Supply Chain: A trucker shortage is spurring higher costs for food and other goods.  

Wine Waste Is Good for You: A UC-Davis professor says processed residue like grape skin, seeds, and pulp can all be reused by isolating sugar molecules in white grapes called oligosaccharides. 
As this video explains, this year’s “Iowa’s Best Burger” keeps it simple and tasty.

U.S. beef and pork exports hit the highest monthly values ever recorded in March.


Plant Agriculture and Environmental News
Grain Demand: Corn futures surged above $7 a bushel for the first time in more than eight years. Lack of rainfall in Brazil and demand for grain in China added to the movement in the markets. 

Crop Report: The USDA Crop Progress Report shows some states are experiencing topsoil moisture deficits.

Ethanol Exports and Research: Exports of ethanol and distillers dried grains increased, and a new study says corn ethanol has helped reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Pollution Research: Penn State experts say air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels impacts human health, but predicting pollution levels remains challenging.  

Microbes Under My Fingernails? Garden soil contains millions of microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, viruses. Soil health and biodiversity are closely linked with human health.

Shattercane Resistance: Kansas State University researchers report that shattercane—a grass weed found in grain sorghum fields—is showing resistance to herbicides designed to stem its growth.

Bioenergy Source: Shrub willow—a quick-growing woody crop—can be an excellent source of renewable bioenergy.
The USDA/ARS and a Midwest company are researching how to expand the hemp seed oil market. 

In a “Let’s Talk Todes” video, the findings from a soy-checkoff funded initiative bring new tools to soybean growers in the fight against parasitic nematodes. 
International News
The EU and Gene Editing: The European Commission is gearing up to make new genetically modified organisms exempt from current environmental rules. Some groups oppose the move. 

Cow Overboard! A Dutch urban-farming effort on a floating farm in the harbor is dealing with animal welfare concerns after a second cow fell into the water. 

Pig Palace: A mega pig farm in China now has 21 buildings, with 5,000 sows in each.

Biofortification: HarvestPlus is implementing a rapid-response biofortification project in six countries across Africa and Asia to help address the malnutrition threats from the COVID-19 pandemic.

CAST Issue Paper (related to above): Click here to access Food Biofortification—Reaping the Benefits of Science to Overcome Hidden Hunger. 

Toxic Cleanup:  In Great Britain, a grass commonly used to fight soil erosion has been genetically edited to remove toxic chemicals left in the ground from dangerous munitions.
This study says that rivers are the source of a majority of global ocean plastic pollution. Researchers are developing technology to help with this massive problem. 
General Interest News
Some Silver Linings: Jeff Simmons (Elanco and 2013 BCCA) and others spoke at a recent conference about the ways companies have learned to operate in remote settings, through video conferences, email, and other technologies. 

Grain Bin Safety (video):  As this trailer shows, the 2018 film "SILO" is a depiction of grain bin entrapment, a type of tragic farm accident that is preventable.  

Supply Chain Hitches: With planting season underway, many in agriculture are experiencing shortages in various supplies, especially plastic-based items.  

Young Farmer Makes It Work: First-generation farmers face many challenges, but Cason Anderson started from scratch at age 18, and he has built a successful pecan ranch that employs three workers and survives financially.  

Influenza Subdued: Many epidemiologists—and others—say that the public health measures taken to keep the coronavirus from spreading are also slowing down the flu. 
Astronaut Michael Hopkins has been growing fresh vegetables in space while on board the International Space Station. No comment from Matt Damon.
Photo Credits
P. 1 vaccination pic from calpoly.edu and corsage pic from yahoo.com and inc.com. Animal Sec. cattle pic from ars.gov. Food Sec. burger pic from kcrg.com. Plant Sec. hemp pic from news-medical.net. Inter. Sec. pollution pic from plastic-pollution.org. Gen. Sec. astronaut pic from nasa.com. Unless otherwise noted, photos courtesy of the USDA Agricultural Research Service or CAST.
Societies, Companies, and Nonprofit Organizations Serving on the CAST Board of Representatives
* Agricultural & Applied Economics Association 
* American Association of Avian Pathologists 
* American Association of Bovine Practitioners 
* American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, & Resources-Agricultural Management   
* American Dairy Science Association 
* American Farm Bureau Federation 
* American Meat Science Association 
* American Meteorological Society, Committee on Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
* American Seed Trade Association 
* American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
* American Society of Agronomy 
* American Society of Animal Science  
* American Society of Plant Biologists                                    
* American Veterinary Medical Association
* Aquatic Plant Management Society
* BASF Corporation
* Cal Poly State University 
* Corteva Agriscience  
* CropLife America
* Crop Science Society of America 
* Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy  
* Bayer
* National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff 
* National Corn Growers Association/Iowa Corn Promotion Board
* National Milk Producers Federation
* National Pork Board
* North Central Weed Science Society
* Northeastern Weed Science Society       
* Poultry Science Association
* Rural Sociological Society
* Society for In Vitro Biology
* Soil Science Society of America 
* Syngenta Crop Protection 
* The Fertilizer Institute
* Tuskegee University    
* United Soybean Board 
* University of Nevada-Reno 
* U.S. Poultry and Egg Association  
* Weed Science Society of America 
* Western Society of Weed Science
CAST, through its network of experts, assembles, interprets, and communicates credible, balanced, science-based information to policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public.  
Members of CAST's Education Program
* Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
* Cornell University
* Iowa State University 
* Kansas State University
* Mississippi State University
* North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University    
* North Carolina State University 
* Penn State University 
* Texas A&M University College of Ag & Life Sciences  
* The Ohio State University 
* Tuskegee University
* University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture 
* University of California-Davis  
* University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences 
* University of Kentucky 
* University of Missouri-Columbia  
* University of Nebraska Agricultural Research Division                                   
* University of Nevada-Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources
Dan Gogerty (Communications and Friday Notes Editor) 
Dylana Luett (Communications and Social Media Specialist) 
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
4420 West Lincoln Way
Ames, Iowa 50014-3447
Phone: 515-292-2125
 
** With assistance from Megan Wickham (Scientific Editor) and Colleen Hamilton (Membership Specialist)   
 
CAST provides Friday Notes as a benefit to its members. Please do not forward, edit, copy, or distribute the Notes in any form to nonmembers without the express permission of the CAST Executive Vice President Kent Schescke ([email protected]). Instead, please encourage your colleagues to join CAST and thereby become eligible for all membership benefits. Contact Colleen Hamilton at 515-292-2125 or [email protected], or CLICK HERE for CAST membership information.
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology