Farmers often lament the land lost to suburban sprawl, but across the South, a land mass roughly the size of New Jersey is stuck in a legal limbo known as heirs’ property.
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Variety testing program’s stakeholders to benefit from new collaboration
By Henry Jordan Thanks to a grant from the National Peanut Board, a new multistate collaboration will allow the Auburn University Official Variety Testing (OVT) program to provide its stakeholders access to new data. The OVT first contracted with Medius Ag, a...
Auburn research makes Alabama-grown beer possible
Research shows Alabama barley good for beer, rotational crop The first beer ever brewed from Alabama-grown barley made its debut this past fall, and Auburn University researchers are looking at even more possibilities for a crop that’s not so common to farmers in the...
Chera Howard places second in Tiger Cage Pitch Competition
College of Agriculture student Chera Howard placed second in a competition that started with 21 student-led business startups competing for $80,000 in seed funding. The...
Variety testing program’s stakeholders to benefit from new collaboration
By Henry Jordan Thanks to a grant from the National Peanut Board, a new multistate collaboration will allow the Auburn University Official Variety Testing (OVT) program...
Auburn research makes Alabama-grown beer possible
Research shows Alabama barley good for beer, rotational crop The first beer ever brewed from Alabama-grown barley made its debut this past fall, and Auburn University...
College of Agriculture to host annual Ag Roundup Sept. 16
By Georgia Smith The 44th annual Ag Roundup, hosted by the Auburn Agricultural Alumni Club and the College of Agriculture at Auburn University, will return to campus on Saturday, Sept. 16, offering a special opportunity for agriculture alumni and friends to gather for...
Andre da Silva named national winner of Professional Early Career Award
Andre da Silva, assistant professor and extension vegetable specialist in the Auburn University Department of Horticulture, was recently named the national winner of the 2023 Professional Early Career Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at...
AAES research working to minimize nematode losses in Alabama crops
Farmers have a hard enough time battling the pests they can see. The ones they can’t see — like plant parasitic nematodes — present another challenge altogether. These worm-like, sometimes microscopic animals are major agricultural pathogens that attack Alabama crop...
Auburn part of NSF’s $56 million investment in climate change research
The Auburn University College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station were awarded approximately $6 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for a four-year project entitled “Developing effective adaptation strategies to enhance...
Auburn agriculture researchers receive USDA-NIFA AFRI grants
Two researchers in the Auburn University College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station are recipients of separate grants from the USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation’s leading competitive grant program for...
Advice to new students from senior Morgan Adams
Adams shares her uncommon tips for how to succeed at Auburn Okay, listen up. When it comes to college, everyone has advice and something to say. But I’m here to tell you what they don’t always get to and to set a couple things straight. So, if you’re new to Auburn, or...
Mariannah Harding earns master’s in horticulture at 18
As 18-year-old Mariannah Harding straightened her master’s regalia on Samford Lawn, she reflected on the days she worked in Auburn University’s most iconic building. “I watered the plants in Samford Hall,” she said. “I remember looking outside, watching students take...
Two Auburn agricultural economists recognized for published works
Two faculty members from the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology are being honored nationally for their published works. Assistant Professor Wenying Li has received the 2022 Best Economics Paper in Food Safety and...
Auburn project part of $16.2 million innovative plant breeding effort
An Auburn University researcher’s project is part of a $16.2 million U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) effort to address breeding crops for the future. The Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production program area...
Agriculture degrees set graduates apart from the pack
By Mike Jernigan Why major in agriculture today? There are many reasons, and some of them have a certain degree of urgency. Food insecurity is one of the greatest problems facing our planet. Solving the problems of producing more food in an increasingly hungry world...
Rooftop garden provides unparalleled learning environment
You’ve heard of farm-to-fork restaurants. At Auburn, we offer rooftop to fork, and it’s only an elevator ride away. Atop the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, adjacent to Ag Hill on the Auburn campus, lies an entirely edible rooftop garden operated by...
Research examines effects of food proximity on waste
There’s lot of waste in this land of plenty, with an estimated 30% of the edible food produced annually in the U.S. being wasted. This amounts to more than 133 billion pounds and $160 billion worth of food, with a significant portion wasted at the consumer level. This...
Auburn ag merch available for shipping
You asked, we answered. Shipping is now available for the Auburn Agriculture Merch Store, and orders will start to roll out beginning early next week. While the store launched in January for in-store pickups, we didn’t forget about all those comments and questions...
Microbiome exploration represents a new frontier of research
With scientific research and discovery occurring at a dizzying rate, it’s difficult to imagine there are frontiers yet to be fully explored, but the microbiome is one. While microbiomes have always existed, little is known about their function in plants and animals....
Hague named new head of Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences Department
An internationally recognized cotton breeder has been selected as the next head of the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences in the Auburn University College of Agriculture. Steven Hague, most recently a professor in the Department of Soil and Crop...
Meet 7 outstanding members of the class of 2023
Auburn University will confer degrees upon hundreds of new alumni the weekend of May 6, and the College of Agriculture is proud of its exceptional members of the 2023 graduating class. Read below about seven who excelled during their time here and are headed on to...
The Market at Ag Heritage Park returns May 25
The Market at Ag Heritage Park, operated by the College of Agriculture, is back for the summer. Beginning May 25, vendors will set up at Ag Heritage Park with fresh local produce and other farm-made products every Thursday from 3-6 p.m. Zac Jones, research associate...
Student-led study automates redox tracking with rhizosphere camera
What happens in a wetland? It’s a simple question with a not-so-simple answer that Auburn University graduate student Olivia LeFevre started studying as an undergraduate under the direction of Associate Professor Thorsten Knappenberger. “I came to Dr. Knappenberger...
USDA appoints Bourassa to food safety advisory committee
An Auburn University associate professor and Extension specialist has been appointed to the USDA National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). “I am honored to accept this appointment to the USDA National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry...
Spring 2023 Graduates to be recognized by Auburn College of Agriculture
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2023 Spring GRADUATES! The College of Agriculture announces its spring 2023 graduates. The commencement ceremony for the College of Agriculture will be held on Saturday, May 6, at 6 p.m. We would like to recognize the dedication and perseverance...
Researcher seeks to understand how cover cropping prevents weather-related planting loss
The agriculture industry in the United States is one of the most vulnerable to climate change because of its reliance on favorable weather. Because of this, an Auburn University researcher is seeking to fill a need for rigorous, quantitative evidence of how cover...
Layne honored for Transformation Garden, completion of leadership program
Auburn University’s Desmond Layne, head of the Department of Horticulture, has been honored by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, or APLU, for leading Auburn’s Transformation Garden project and his completion of the APLU’s Food Systems Leadership...
College of Agriculture recognizes fall 2021 award winners & graduates
Two excellent students from Auburn University’s College of Agriculture have been selected as recipients of the college’s Dean’s Award and Student Marshal. The final selection was made by the scholarship committee. Below we also honor our Fall 2021 Graduates. DEAN’S...
Research finds improved soil test for phosphorus in water
In the quest to find a solution to one problem, agricultural research oftentimes finds answers to others along the way. Such is the case with researchers from Auburn University’s College of Agriculture, where scientists are working to ensure that waste or litter from...
September Our Work Seminar to share work inside vertical farms
Students in the College of Agriculture at Auburn University who are interested in learning more about the innovative work happening in the college’s new vertical farms at the Transformation Garden can do so at the Our Work Seminar this month. Six times a year, the...
College, alumni club host 42nd annual Ag Roundup
The annual Ag Roundup, hosted by the Auburn Agricultural Alumni Club and the College of Agriculture at Auburn University, will return to campus on Saturday, Sept. 25, offering a special opportunity for agriculture alumni and friends to gather for a day of hospitality....
Training better scientists: College offers ample undergraduate research opportunities
Research opportunities for undergraduate students in the College of Agriculture are ample, and students are encouraged to take advantage of them prior to graduate school. Madison Dees needed a job. Rather than pursuing the usual part-time retail or service jobs for...
On the Horizon: What’s Next for New Alumni
From graduate school to risk management analysis, recent graduates from the college of agriculture have impressive plans for the future. Check out what these 11 recent graduates who were Ag Ambassadors for the college are up to next.Andie Altemeier (feature image...
Agricultural communications seniors address tough topics
Three years ago, students majoring in agricultural communications built The Comer Connection, a biannual publication made by and for College of Agriculture students at Auburn University. This spring, students in the Agricultural Communications Capstone course created...
Scott McElroy named a Crop Science Society of America Fellow
Professor Scott McElroy in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture at Auburn University was recently named a 2021 Crop Science Society of America Fellow. 2021 award recipients were announced at the scientific society’s...
“AU Chuck” Peanut Cultivar & the Alabama Private Well Program
By Adam McGhee, A New Peanut Cultivar released from Dr. Chen’s Lab in February 2021 The College of Agriculture’s Cultivar and Germplasm Release Committee met via Zoom on Feb. 11 at the request of Dr. Charles Chen, professor and peanut breeder/geneticist, for approval...
Auburn-branded SoilKit gives public access to research-based results
The College of Agriculture at Auburn University recently partnered with AgriTech Corp. on an Auburn-branded SoilKit to deliver digital, easy-to-understand soil test results to homeowners, landscapers and municipalities. This SoilKit marks the first time a public,...
Auburn agriculture honors outstanding students and 2021 summer graduates.
Two accomplished students from Auburn University’s College of Agriculture have been selected as recipients of the college’s Dean's Award and Student Marshal. The final selection was made by the scholarship committee. The following are the award winners by department,...
Beekeepers continue to report high colony loss rates, no clear improvement
From University of Maryland Beekeepers across the United States lost 45.5% of their managed honey bee colonies from April 2020 to April 2021, according to preliminary results of the 15th annual nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership...
Ryan Thomson receives Rural Sociological Society Early Career Award
Ryan Thomson, assistant professor in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology, received The Rural Sociological Society Early Career Award for 2021. Proposals for the award involve small-scale projects that will enhance...
Alumni chart new course for mushroom cultivation in the South
If you’ve eaten a gourmet mushroom in Alabama, there’s a good chance it was cultivated at Fungi Farm in Dadeville. Founded by Allen Carroll, who studied agronomy in the College of Agriculture at Auburn University, Fungi Farm in Dadeville has quickly become a pioneer...
Alabama Cooperative Extension System announces new director
Mike Phillips has been named director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the primary outreach organization for Alabama A&M and Auburn universities, both of which are land-grant institutions with the mission of providing real-life solutions and helping...
Kylie Weis: genetically engineering the future
By Bethanie Hartzog Kylie Weis has no doubt in her mind about why she chose applied biotechnology as her major at Auburn University. She believes other students should take the time to look at the major as well. "Applied biotechnology is using the tools of nature to...
Popular professional development seminar gets makeover for pandemic
On a warm morning, despite COVID-19 limitations, horticulturalist Abra Lee prepared to greet the College of Agriculture’s Student Services team at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. As the featured speaker for the college’s professional development seminar series Our...
Johnathan Hampton: pursuing greater things
By Paul F. Brown In landscape architecture, purpose works itself out in multiple ways. A designer carefully chooses plants and trees for their size, color, texture and suitability to their environment, then arranges them in the soil in relation to buildings and other...
Auburn’s PAR grants cover the gamut of state’s agriculture
From exploring the viability of new crops such as hemp and grapes to protecting traditional crops such as peanuts and cotton, the College of Agriculture’s Production Agriculture Research, or PAR grants program, is working to provide immediate solutions...
Carolyn Robinson named a Distinguished Educator
Associate Professor Carolyn Robinson was recently named the 2020 recipient of the J. Creighton Miller, Jr. Distinguished Educator Award for the Southern Region from the American Society for Horticultural Science. The award recognizes an educator with a distinguished...