Happy beautiful Monday, CALS — I hope this finds you and yours well. I have been reflecting on the state of affairs of our world; from the totally optimistic to the opposite and everything in between.
The news from Ukraine on the ongoing war and the new suffering from the destruction of a major dam is astounding, sad and disheartening. But still, the Ukrainians inspire us with their determination to rise above this onslaught. You can be sure that their farmers, fishers, foresters and everyone in all the communities and industries that depend on those uses of natural resources are anxiously waiting and acting to get back into business-as-used-to-be-usual.
Elsewhere in the world, we note increases in hunger and poverty, the continued threat of zoonotic diseases and public health challenges, stress and work around sustainability and regenerative and circular systems of production. It is all enough to wonder where we can go from here. But we do know.
We stay at our work and strive to make the world a better place: one student, one research project and one outreach effort at a time. It goes almost without saying that being at a university requires us each to be an optimist. Teaching, studying, discovering and extending information is all about optimism. It's our first and most important commodity. Without it, all else will falter. Indeed, it's our obligation to be optimistic and to push forward against the tides when necessary.
I encourage you to remember all this when you read about the great work being done here at ISU, and in our college specifically, whether it's new thinking about nitrogen management, new ways to image the sub-cellular components of life, advances in our understanding of market fluctuations, innovation in teaching, or the pursuit of more vibrant communities. We do all that and so much more. Let's be purveyors of optimism, always.
Have a great good week, and let me know what you're thinking! My best - Dan
Scenes from CALS
NREM's Lisa Schulte-Moore on stage with none other than Norman Borlaug helping to wrap up the Iowa Smart Agriculture meeting in Des Moines last week.
College partner Tim Couser on his farm in Nevada spoke about innovation in agriculture to the Iowa Smart Agriculture group field tour.
The apple trees are coming out in full force at the Horticulture Research Station! Keep an eye out for them this fall!
