Agribusiness conference focuses on economy, immigration reform
A weak U.S. dollar, war spending and falling housing prices are likely to contribute to weakening the 2008 economy, said a Cornell economist who shared his predictions at a Dec. 18 agribusiness conference at Cornell. (Dec. 21, 2007)

Nina Bassuk awarded the Scott Medal
Nina Bassuk, Cornell professor of horticulture, will be awarded the prestigious Scott Medal at the March 2008 annual meeting of the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College. (Dec. 21, 2007)

Cornell alumnus named president of AGRA
Amos Namanga Ngongi, Ph.D. '76 in agronomy, was named the first president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa on Nov. 14. (Nov. 29, 2007)

Kelvin Grant travels long road to Cornell Ph.D.
Although he has been working only a few months, Kelvin Grant Ph.D. '07 has already pledged $5,000 a year for 10 years so that Mann Library can hire minority students to work at its main desk. (Nov. 28, 2007)

New technologies for renewable fuels to spark ag revolution
Gale Buchanan, U.S. undersecretary for research, education and economics at the USDA, stressed the need to develop renewable, sustainable energy sources with new technologies during a talk at Cornell. (Nov. 20, 2007)

Sun Grant summit hosts experts on biofuels and energy
Scientists and policy-makers from all over the country attended Cornell's Northeast Sun Grant Regional Feedstock Summit, Nov. 11-13. (Nov. 16, 2007)

Love for chocolate is at least 3,000 years old, anthropologists say
The human love affair with chocolate is at least 3,000 years old, according to new evidence from the Ulua Valley region of Honduras. But the first people to appreciate the cacao tree were probably after a fermented drink. (Nov. 14, 2007)

Professor Emeritus Keith H. Steinkraus dies at age 86
Cornell Professor Emeritus Keith H. Steinkraus, a specialist in indigenous fermented foods and food microbiology, died Oct. 24. He was 86. (Nov. 13, 2007)

Brown root rot is found throughout the Northeast
Cornell plant pathologists have detected brown root rot -- a potentially serious forage crop disease -- in the northeastern United States. It already is widespread in New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. (Nov. 9, 2007)

National Dairy Shrine honors Robert Foote, two other Cornellians
The National Dairy Shrine has given the 2007 Pioneer Award to Robert Foote '50, Cornell emeritus professor of animal science, and alumni Richard Keene '57 and Dale Van Vleck, Ph.D. '60. (Nov. 5, 2007)

Using financial markets to pull billions of people out of poverty
Professor Chris Barrett believes that technology, new approaches to financing aid and international markets can pull billions of people permanently out of poverty. (Nov. 5, 2007)

CALS honors students teach children about sustainable strategies
Members of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Honor Society taught local children about strategies to reduce poverty by bringing a sheep to their 4-H Urban Outreach Afterschool Program. (Nov. 1, 2007)

New projects include apple, biofuel and invasive species research
The USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service will fund 94 new programs this year, including projects that teach youths to cook to promote healthy eating. (Oct. 30, 2007)

Researchers explore power of plants to clean up soils
Researchers from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are exploring the potential of plants to clean up polluted soils. (Oct. 30, 2007)

An eye for organic: Dilmun Hill farm photos
Ben Scott-Killian '09, summer co-manager of Cornell's student-run organic farm, uses photography to help sustain a sustainable mindset. (Oct. 26, 2007)

CU researchers discover natural herbicide released by grass
Certain varieties of common fescue lawn grass come equipped with their own natural broad-spectrum herbicide that inhibits the growth of weeds and other plants around them. (Oct. 22, 2007)

CU to break ground for new grape laboratory in western New York
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory in Portland, N.Y., will take place Oct. 29 at the site of the new lab in Chautauqua County at 1 p.m. (Oct. 22, 2007)

New workbook teaches grape growers how to go greener
'New York Guide to Sustainable Viticulture Practices,' published by Cornell Cooperative Extension, is available in both print and online versions. (Oct. 18, 2007)

CU helps Zambian farmers reap profits so they won't poach
In an effort to improve lives and save African wildlife, Cornell researchers are helping farmers in Zambia develop such products as peanut butter and tofu under the It's Wild! brand name. (Oct. 16, 2007)

Marshmallows, candy, soda boost revenues for N.Y. maple producers
New York maple producers are learning how to process their syrup into candies and other products, thanks to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' maple confections initiative. (Oct. 15, 2007)

Diet with a little meat is more efficient than many vegetarian diets
A low-fat vegetarian diet is very efficient in terms of how much land is needed to support it. But adding some dairy products and a limited amount of meat may actually increase this efficiency. (Oct. 4, 2007)

New CALS major offered in agricultural sciences
A new major to give students an interdisciplinary education in the biological, social and economic foundations of agriculture is now offered in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. (Sept. 27, 2007)

Researchers help develop pest-resistant eggplant for South Asia
Cornell researchers and Sathguru Management Consultants have led an international consortium through the first phase of developing a pest-resistant eggplant, which is expected to be the first genetically engineered food crop in South Asia. (Sept. 19, 2007)

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University vice chancellor visits Cornell
India's manufacturing and service sectors are experiencing very high growth rates, but agriculture is stagnating, said C. Ramasamy, vice chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, while visiting campus Sept. 13. (Sept. 19, 2007)

CU supports University of Ghana to train African plant breeders
In a new venture in Africa, Cornell will support a new doctoral program at the University of Ghana to train African plant breeders to tackle issues related to crops vital to Africans' diet. (Sept. 19, 2007)

Thousands celebrate NYS Ag Experiment Station anniversary
About 5,000 people celebrated the 125th anniversary of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Sept. 15, in Geneva, N.Y. (Sept. 18, 2007)

IMPACT initiative looks to improve participation in clinical trials
In a new initiative, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have teamed up to develop strategies to better understand and enhance patient participation in clinical trials. (Sept. 13, 2007)

Open house at NYS Ag Experiment Station celebrates 125 years
The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., will celebrate its 125th anniversary with an open house, Sept. 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The official welcome will take place at 11 a.m. (Sept. 10, 2007)

Art of Horticulture students create earth sculpture
Students in Marcia Eames-Sheavly's Art of Horticulture class created a 10-ton earth-and-sod sculpture Sept. 4 at Cornell's turfgrass plots. (Sept. 10, 2007)

Dilmun Hill highlighted on Farm Aid tour
Farm Aid's 2007 Upstate-Downstate Food and Farm Caravan stopped at Dilmun Hill, Cornell's student-run organic farm and experiential learning center, Sept. 5. (Sept. 6, 2007)

Watching grass grow becomes critical in hunt for new biofuels
Cornell researchers are analyzing every aspect of some field grasses in a multidisciplinary, high-octane search for the next generation of biofuels. (Sept. 5, 2007)

Cornell food scientists keep watch over N.Y.'s dairy foods
Experts in food safety, sensory evaluation and regulatory compliance from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are serving the state's billion-dollar dairy industry and consumers of its products. (Sept. 5, 2007)

MarketMaker Web site links farms and businesses across the state
Small, specialized agricultural producers and marketers in New York state now can find one another with just a few clicks, thanks to an interactive Web service spearheaded by Cornell Cooperative Extension-New York City. (Sept. 4, 2007)

Ag station forges agreement with Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva has entered into an academic agreement with Hobart and William Smith Colleges that allows HWS students to work and study with NYSAES scientists. (Sept. 4, 2007)

CU greenhouses: Hundreds of plant projects
Cornell greenhouses contain plants for teaching, research and public viewing. With 163 complexes, Cornell now has the largest noncommercial greenhouse operation in New York state. (Aug. 30, 2007)

Cornell picks Stewart's Shops in Saratoga as state's best milk
Stewart's Shops of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has been named the 2007 Best Milk by Cornell's New York State Milk Quality Improvement Program. (Aug. 28, 2007)

Today's white rice is mutation spread by early farmers
Researchers at Cornell and elsewhere have determined that 97.9 percent of all white rice comes from a mutation in a single gene and that early farmers favored, bred and spread white rice around the world. (Aug. 16, 2007)

Garden Mosaics wins international award
Garden Mosaics, an interactive urban natural resources extension project available on DVD, has won a Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment. (Aug. 13, 2007)

Cherney wins award for forage production, grass bioenergy work
Jerry H. Cherney, New York state forage specialist and a leading researcher in grass bioenergy production, is the recipient of the 2007 Extension-Industry Award. (Aug. 13, 2007)

Caroline schoolchildren benefit from a FEAST
FEAST for Health is a Cornell food-based nutrition education program in which children prepare unfamiliar, healthy foods in class and the foods become part of school lunch. (Aug. 1, 2007)

Floriculture Field Day draws record crowd
About 175 people, more than ever before, attended Cornell's Floriculture Field Day July 24 to hear about new plants on the market and learn about the younger generation of plant retailers. (July 25, 2007)

CU hosts national sustainable agriculture education conference
More than 150 people attended the July 11-14 conference, which was aimed to help define how agricultural educators might address the growing need for sustainable practices in today's environmentally challenged world. (July 17, 2007)

Changing climate will challenge NE agriculture, CU expert warns
Farmers will grapple with new and aggressive crop pests, summer heat stress and water problems that could strain family farms to the limit, warns David Wolfe, a Cornell expert on the effects of climate change on agriculture. (July 11, 2007)

New rice course in Philippines attracts host of Cornell students
To encourage young scientists to consider careers helping developing nations, a new three-week course, Rice: Research to Production, co-taught by CU's Susan McCouch, was launched in the Philippines in May. (June 20, 2007)

Sour power cherry drink gets economic boost from venture fund
CherryPharm Inc., a start-up company that sells an all-natural, tart cherry sports drink developed in conjunction with Cornell food scientists, has received $2.3 million from the Cayuga Venture Fund. (June 19, 2007)

On-farm research shows farmers that they can use less nitrogen
Ongoing on-farm field trials since 2002 by a team that include farmers and Cornell researchers in 10 counties are showing that farmers can use less nitrogen to save money and reduce environmental impact. (June 19, 2007)

New Visions gives area high school seniors a semester at Cornell
The New Visions program gives high school seniors an on-campus opportunity to explore careers in agriculture and environmental sciences. (June 11, 2007)

$2.5 million awarded to CU to study insecticide risk on humans
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has awarded Cornell insecticide toxicologist David Soderlund two grants, providing more than $2.5 million over five years, to study how insecticides affect human health. (June 9, 2007)

Discovery in orange cauliflower may lead to more nutritious crops
While orange cauliflower may seem unappealing to some, it has distinct nutritional advantages. Cornell researchers have identified the genetic mutation behind the unusual hue, which may lead to more nutritious staple crops, including maize, potato, rice, sorghum and wheat. (June 1, 2007)

CaRDI launches publications and programs on community development
Cornell's Community and Rural Development Institute has issued new publications in its continuing effort to help rural communities development programs, policies and training programs. (May 29, 2007)

Conference assesses priorities for federal research funding
Research related to the effects of climate change should be a high priority for applied federal research funds at Cornell, said participants at a daylong conference May 9. (May 14, 2007)

High schoolers learn about careers in agriculture
At the first annual Technology, Food and Agricultural Career Day on March 22, almost 200 high school students learned about the growing career opportunities in agriculture. (May 3, 2007)

Theory Center supercomputers crunch climate data for agriculture
Scientists in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are using the facilities and expertise of the Cornell Theory Center to turn reams of weather and climate data into practical advice for New York farmers. (May 1, 2007)

CU launches forestry education Internet seminars for landowners
A monthly seminar series on forests and woodlot management is being offered in an interactive Web format and will teach participants strategies to enjoy and utilize their property. (April 30, 2007)

Researchers find plant protein that may aid biofuel production
In a breakthrough that could make the production of cellulosic ethanol less expensive, Cornell researchers have discovered a class of plant enzymes that potentially could allow plant materials to be broken down more efficiently than is possible using current technologies. (April 24, 2007)

Tracking genes for self-pollination in arabidopsis
Cornell researchers are zeroing in on genes that turn a plant's ability to self-pollinate on and off, a key to creating hybrid seed. (April 23, 2007)

Innovations: Professor's biodegradable composites go to market
Biodegradable composites made entirely from plant materials, developed by Professor Anil Netravali, promise to save landfill space, reduce environmental carcinogens and boost the local economy. (April 11, 2007)

India's food system has not kept pace with demand of middle class
In a Cornell Perspectives piece, Cornell's Ronnie Coffman explains why so many in India are not doing so well and why they are ready for the American supermarket. (April 5, 2007)

New site shows forests aren't just timber: think gourmet products
The How, When and Why of Forest Farming Resource Center is a new Cornell online resource to help forest owners learn to cultivate economically viable and environmentally sustainable crops such as shiitake mushrooms and ginseng. (April 3, 2007)

Entrepreneurship@Cornell fosters the entrepreneurial spirit
Entrepreneurial education is not just for business majors anymore, stresses Cornell's universitywide Entrepreneurship@Cornell program, which offers 100 courses across eight colleges. (April 3, 2007)

Bird watchers set new record for Great Backyard Bird Count
In just four days in February, participants in the annual bird count tallied more than 11 million birds across the United States and Canada and submitted a record-breaking number of checklists. (March 30, 2007)

Students get job advice from alumni in New York City over break
Exploit opportunities and dress for the job you want were among the tips alumni offered to 18 students who took part in a three-day field trip for seniors in the Department of Communication. (March 26, 2007)

New biofuel stove using grass pellets heats up the Big Red Barn
A grass-pellet stove has been installed in the fireplace of Cornell's Big Red Barn -- the first public demonstration of such technology in New York state. (March 6, 2007)

World Food Prize laureate honored
Soil scientist and Cornell alumnus A. Colin McClung was honored on campus March 1 for his contributions to converting the Brazilian Cerrado from wasteland into highly productive cropland. (March 6, 2007)

Students put skills to work for Kenya's seed industry
Five students recently traveled to Kenya for an intense 10-day field study. They worked with two local seed companies to lay out business and marketing strategies in Kenya's competitive seed industry. (Feb. 27, 2007)

Schumer tours Cornell's Technology Farm in Geneva
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer toured Cornell's Agriculture and Food Technology Park in Geneva, where he met with Cornell plant scientists to discuss new research in grape genomics and pitched a plan to improve education in math and science nationwide. (Feb. 22, 2007)

Cornell group travels to India to study desert water collecting
A team of graduate students helped excavate gardens that thrived 400 years ago in Rajasthan, India, hoping to glean clues for developing sustainable gardens in desert areas worldwide. (Feb. 14, 2007)

$3.3 billion: Cornell's contribution to N.Y. economy
Cornell powered an estimated $3.3 billion in economic activity and generated over 36,000 jobs in New York state in 2005, according to a university economic impact report released Feb. 8. (Feb. 8, 2007)

Wildlife conservation project will send CU researchers to Zambia
Cornell is partnering on a wildlife conservation project in Zambia that saves animals' lives by addressing a powerful threat: Poverty and hunger that force families to poach or clear-cut forests to create temporary farm fields. (Feb. 7, 2007)

In-sourcing our food: Why it is worth the effort
Virginia farmer Joel Salatin talked about how his farm achieves sustainability at a Jan. 25 lecture on campus. (Feb. 5, 2007)

Come spring, expect fewer blooms, say Cornell horticulturists
With record warmth throughout the Northeast in December and early January, expect fewer blooms on flowering trees and shrubs in the spring, say Cornell experts. (Jan. 29, 2007)

Cornell and local transportation officials adopt biodiesel fuel
Thanks to efforts by sustainability intern Ethan Rainwater, Cornell and several city and county agencies will use the biodiesel blend B5 instead of standard diesel fuel. (Jan. 19, 2007)

$10 million grant will help revamp biofuel research labs
To advance technologies that convert perennial grasses and woody biomass to ethanol, Professor Larry Walker will use a $10 million grant to upgrade Cornell's industrial biotechnology laboratories. (Jan. 18, 2007)

Warm winter leaves grape crops vulnerable to freeze
This winter's warm temperatures have left grapes vulnerable to freezing temps, and a sudden, deep cold snap could be lethal to some Finger Lakes grape varieties, say Cornell experts. (Jan. 16, 2007)

CU research of Chinese cotton farmers named a top story of 2006
A Cornell study of Chinese cotton farmers and pesticides was named one of the top six environment stories and the 30th most important science story of the year by Discover magazine. (Jan. 15, 2007)

Student work trip to Louisiana helps farmers and ranchers
Over winter break, four students in the Cornell chapter of the Alpha Zeta honor society for men and women in agriculture helped farmers and ranchers who are still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. (Jan. 8, 2007)

NYS Agricultural Experiment Station to celebrate 125 years
The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva turns 125 years old in 2007 and will launch a yearlong celebration of this milestone event with a reception Jan. 10 in Syracuse, N.Y. (Jan. 4, 2007)