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Fresh faces on USDA science advisory board

By Farms.com

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced new members of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board. This board plays a key role in shaping research priorities for the food and agricultural sectors.

The NAREEE Board welcomes a range of expertise. New appointees include Dr. Jane Schuchardt, an organic farmer, and Mr. Edwin Kitzes, Land Grant Director at the United Tribes Technical College. Reappointed members include Dr. Mario Ferruzzi, a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and Dr. Ellen Harris, a former executive director of Food First.

"These experts offer valuable insights," said Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, the USDA's Chief Scientist. Their diverse perspectives will guide research that strengthens our food system and ensures its benefits reach everyone.

NAREE Board committees delve deeper into specific research areas. New committee members include Dr. William Lytle, CEO of Evergreen International Sustainability Solutions, and Dr. Margaret Smith, a professor at Cornell University.

The USDA looks forward to working with these new advisors. Their combined knowledge will be instrumental in setting research directions that promote a more secure and equitable food system for all.


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Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

Video: Alberta Honey: A Day at Molenkamp Honey Farms

When was the last time you read the label on your honey?

We spent a day at Molenkamp Honey Farms with Michael Molenkamp, who has been keeping bees for 17 seasons and runs three to four thousand hives. In mid-September, he was finishing treatments and getting his bees ready for winter, and he walked us through how Alberta honey gets made.

Alberta has just 150 commercial beekeepers running 300,000 colonies, and together they produce 40% of Canada’s honey. Long summer days and golden canola fields give Alberta honey a light flavour that’s hard to match anywhere else.

Molenkamp calls Alberta beekeepers some of the most resilient farmers he knows. There’s plenty of Alberta honey to go around, but a lot on our shelves isn’t from here, so his ask is simple. Give the label a second look and choose honey made by Alberta beekeepers, or buy straight from a beekeeper near you.