Home > About the Department > What's Happening > "Gleanings" Newsletter

AGRONOMY GLEANINGS

Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota

411 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108-6026

PHONE (612) 625-7773; FAX (612) 625-1268; E-MAIL agro@umn.edu

WEB http://agronomy.cfans.umn.edu/

June 4, 2009

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RETIREMENT RECEPTION in honor of Deon Stuthman, Monday, June 22, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., 306 Borlaug Hall, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus. Please send letters/photos/gift contributions and RSVP by June 10 to Jean Swanson, 411 BorH (612-625-2740 or swans008@umn.edu).

HEADLINERS, offered by the College of Continuing Education, University of Minnesota, is a chance to meet once a month with University and community experts and listen as they share firsthand knowledge of the day's most intriguing stories--the medical breakthroughs, culture clashes, social trends, and foreign affairs that are at the forefront of current events--and then participate in an open forum discussion on the issue. On May 7th, Steve Simmons, Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, UMN, presented the most personal research project of his long and distinguished career entitled: “Knowing Our Place in Time.” Link for the audio of Steve’s talk:  http://www.cce.umn.edu/headliners/listen/index.html

CELEBRATE U DAY. University of Minnesota Twin Cities staff and faculty are invited to an employee appreciation celebration and sneak peek at the brand new TCF Bank Stadium™ on Tuesday, August 25, 2 to 6 p.m. The U of M buses will run every 15 minutes throughout this event, and both the Campus Connector and the St. Paul Connector will provide transportation to and from work sites on the St. Paul campus. Be sure to bring your U Card in order to claim your gift. 

U CARD. Your U Card is your official U of M photo ID card.  If you plan to attend the employee appreciation event, you must have a U Card with a magnetic strip in order to claim your gift.  If your U Card has an issue date prior to March 16, 1995, you will need to visit a U Card office and get a replacement U Card free of charge.

NEWS RELEASE. Walter F. Wedin & Steven L. Fales, editors of the new ASA-CSSA-SSSA book, “Grassland: Quietness and Strength for a New American Agriculture,” explain the vital role of grassland to sustainable agriculture. Conservationist Wendell Berry provides a moving foreword that also stresses the importance of grassland. Local contributing authors include Craig Sheaffer, Helene Murray, Nick Jordan, and Hans Jung. Copies may be purchased on-line through ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Item No. B40722 at https://www.agronomy.org/

Thursday, July 9

ORGANIC FIELD DAY, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton. Field tour stops will include: organic high tunnel; no-till roller/crimper research; soil pit comparing organic and conventionally managed soils; variety trials; forage research; weed control plots; and much more! Hear presentations on weed control, farm business management, and the University's organic research reports, as well as brief presentations by exhibitors.

2009 NWROC CROPS AND SOILS DAY has been set for Friday, July 17, Crookston, MN.

2009 U OF M FIELD SCHOOL FOR AG PROFESSIONALS online registration is now available. The Field School will be held on July 15-16. The University of Minnesota Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston will be the host site. http://www.extension.umn.edu/AgProfessionals/

NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS for Gary Heichel is garyiris.heichel@verizon.net.

DEPARTMENT HISTORY BOOK “Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota: An account of work in Agronomy and Plant Genetics from 1888 to 2000” has been converted to a PDF file and may be accessed on the Department web site http://agronomy.cfans.umn.edu/, last entry under “About the Department.” [Must use Internet Explorer as your browser]

THE FALCON HEIGHTS FARMERS MARKET has moved to campus and will be open from 8-12:00 each Tuesday on Gortner Avenue, just south of Larpenteur. The weekly market runs through late October, though it will not be open on Tuesday, September 1 due to the Minnesota State Fair. The market will feature many of the same vendors as its previous location nearby, but later this year will also include produce from Cornercopia, the student organic farm on campus, as well as meat and cheese from CFANS.

SEMINARS

Thursday, June 4

FIRST THURSDAY @ 4:00 gathering. Room 100 Skok Hall for the conversation, and then the CFANS Alumni Society has graciously invited everyone to join them for their annual BBQ immediately following.

Wednesday, June 17

APS, M.S. Thesis Defense, “Alfalfa as a Bioenergy Crop: Evaluating Quality among Environments, Harvest Maturities and Germplasms,” Katie Petersen Rock, 9:00 a.m., 306 Borlaug Hall. Advisors: Hans Jung and JoAnn Lamb

Wednesday, June 17

SPECIAL SEMINAR, Dr. Michael Casler, University of Wisconsin, Department of Agronomy, and research genetics, US Dairy Research Center, Madison, WI, “Reed Canary Grass: Friend and Foe,” 1:00 p.m., Seminar, Q and A period; 2:00-3:00 p.m., Roundtable discussion, 105 Cargill Bldg.

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Posted in notebook in 411 Borlaug Hall)

NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

Weed Scientist, Plant Sciences, Fargo, ND.  PhD in weed science or a related discipline. Screening date: July 1, 2009 or open until filled. Posting No.: 0900086.  https://jobs.ndsu.edu

NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

Department Head in Plant Sciences, Fargo, ND. PhD in agronomy, biotechnology, breeding, cereal science, genetics, horticulture, physiology, turf grass, or weed science. Screening date:  Open until filled. Posting No.: 0900010. https://jobs.ndsu.edu

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE

Research Program Manager II (STEM Coordinator), The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR), part of the Division of Academic Affairs, coordinates campus programs designed to engage undergraduate students in faculty research. Masters degree in one of the core sciences, technology, engineering, or mathematics disciplines or in a related field with STEM emphasis. Closing date:  June 15, 2009.  Posting No.: 0800207. Applications must be made online:  https://www.jobs.uwm.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1243528621011

VLADIVOSTOK DEVELOPMENT CO., RUSSIA

US Agronomist, Vladivostok in southern Russia. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Experience with soybean and corn production. http://www.eng.usda.ru

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Assistant Scientist in Soil Testing, Department of Agronomy, Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Manhattan, KS.  B.S. in Agronomy or related discipline with at least two semesters of college chemistry. Screening date:  May 26, 2009 or until filled. Position No.: W0033041.

http://www.k-state.edu/employment/

DOW AGRO SCIENCES LLC

Molecular Biologists, Trait Product Development, Indianapolis or Saskatoon. Bachelors, Masters, or PhD degree in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Plant Biology or related discipline. http://dowagro.com/careers (for US jobs) or http://dowagro.com/ca (for Canadian jobs).

DOW AGRO SCIENCES LLC

Plant Transformation Biologists, Trait Product Development, Indianapolis or Saskatoon. Bachelors, Masters, or PhD degree in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Plant or Cell Biology or a related discipline.  http://dowagro.com/careers (for US jobs) or http://dowagro.com/ca (for Canadian jobs).

DOW AGRO SCIENCES LLC

Biologists, Trait Characterization and Introgression Managers, Trait Product Development. Bachelors, Masters, or PhD degree in Plant Breeding, Agronomy or Horticulture with Molecular Biology expertise or a related discipline.  http://dowagro.com/careers (for US jobs) or http://dowagro.com/ca (for Canadian jobs).