Happy Monday, CALS,
Perhaps this is just about perfect summer weather now? Hot, sunny days and cool, dew-filled nights? Although, it'd be good to have daytime temps about 10 degrees cooler! So long as we continue to get some good rains, as well, things are looking good, green and productive across our beautiful state. And here come the tomatoes and more from our gardens!
Last week I was out and about with several stops in southeast Iowa:
- a terrific visit to the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville (see Nature in Focus image below)
- spent half a day with forestry alum and ISU CARET (Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching) delegate Bob Petrzelka, including a visit with him to the Hammes Brothers Sawmill in Ollie (see Nature in Focus image below)
- then overnight in Burlington with a visit to the Leopold House, and great discussion with alum Mitchell Hora in Ainsworth to learn about his Continuum Ag company.
All excellent visits and discussions about the future of the things we work on every day in CALS.
Last Friday, Ben Drescher, animal science farms director, and Tim Goode, research and demonstration farms manager, led a group of us from the dean’s office on a tour of the Ames area farms. It was an excellent introduction to the workings and purposes of those farms. Would you be interested in a half-day tour of our farms, too? Let me know.
Best wishes for a good, safe and healthy week. -Dan
Nature in focus
While vacationing in the Pacific Northwest, Greg Courtney, professor of entomology, captured these photos of a Great Blue Heron and a Bald Eagle being harassed by a seagull.
The image of the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm provides a birds-eye view of the property southeast of Crawfordsville.
Bob Petrzelka snapped this photo of me talking to Jeff Sieren, the mill manager for Hammes Brothers Sawmill.
Please keep sharing your photos with me via email!
