mailing Address: 411 Borlaug Hall
Saint Paul, MN 55108
United States
Areas of Interest
Forever Green Initiative
Biography
I am the Co-Director of the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. I earned my B.S. in Government from Harvard University and my Ph.D. in Agronomy from Penn State.
I oversee research, development, and commercialization efforts for Forever Green’s portfolio of over 15 winter-hardy annual and perennial crops, which have the potential to protect soil and water while driving new economic opportunities for growers, industry, and rural communities. Species range from herbaceous perennials such as Kernza® perennial grain, to winter annuals (e.g., pennycress, camelina, barley), to hybrid hazelnut.
To build support for scaling Forever Green crops, I work with coalitions of farmers, farm organizations, environmental NGOs, companies, agencies, and philanthropists, as well as the Minnesota State Legislature. I draw on my experience and training in agricultural policy, which includes working on the Conservation Title of the 2014 Farm Bill in Washington, D.C.
I also collaborate with Dr. Yesuf Mohammed to lead agronomic research on winter camelina and pennycress.
I grew up in Minnesota and spent 15 years living on both coasts for college, work, and grad school before coming home. I'm a dad, so my main hobby is being a dad, but I also love gardening, cooking, reading, helping out on my parents' grass-fed beef farm, and exploring the wilderness (ideally by canoe).
Select Publications
Jungers, J., Runck, B., Ewing, P.M., Maaz, T., Carlson, C., Neyhart, J., Fumia, N., Bajgain, P., Subedi, S., Sharma, V., Senay, S., Hunter, M., Cureton, C., Gutknecht, J., and Kantar, M., 2023. Adapting perennial grain and oilseed crops for climate resiliency. Crop Science 63: 1701-1721.
Moore, J.M., D.K. Manter, M. Bowman, M. Hunter, E. Bruner, and S.C. McClelland, 2023. A framework to estimate climate mitigation potential for US cropland using publicly available data. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 78: 193-206.
Xie, Y., M. Hunter, A. Sorensen, T. Nogeire-McRae, R. Murphy, J.P. Suraci, S. Lischka, T.J. and Lark, 2023. U.S. Farmland under Threat of Urbanization: Future Development Scenarios to 2040. Land 12: 574.
Hunter, M.C., A.R. Kemanian, D.A. Mortensen. 2021. Cover crop effects on maize drought stress and yield. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 311: 107294.
Hunter, M., A. Kemanian, D. Mortensen. 2021. Maize Ecophysiology and Yield Following Cover Crops and Imposed Drought, V2. Mendeley Data. doi: 10.17632/hg46dkxvd7.1.
Baraibar, B., C.M. White, M.C. Hunter, D.M. Finney, M.E. Barbercheck, J.P. Kaye, W.S. Curran, J. Bunchek, D.A. Mortensen. 2021. Weeds in cover crops: context and management considerations. Agriculture 11: 193.
Jordan, N., J. Gutknecht, K.A. Bybee‐Finley, M. Hunter, T.J. Krupnik, C.M. Pittelkow, P.V.V. Prasad, S. Snapp, 2020. To meet grand challenges, agricultural scientists must engage in the politics of constructive collective action. Crop Science 61: 24:31.
Henkhaus, N., M. Bartlett, D. Gang, R. Grumet, I. Jordon-Thaden, A. Lorence, E. Lyons, S. Miller, S. Murray, A. Nelson, C. Specht, B. Tyler, T. Wentworth, D. Ackerly, D. Baltensperger, P. Benfey, J. Birchler, S. Chellamma, R. Crowder, M. Donoghue, J.P. Dundore-Arias, J. Fletcher, V. Fraser, K. Gillespie, L. Guralnick, E. Haswell, M. Hunter, S. Kaeppler, S. Kepinski, F.W. Li, S. Mackenzie, L. McDade, Y. Min, J. Nemhauser, B. Pearson, P. Petracek, K. Rogers, A. Sakai, D. Sickler, C. Taylor, L. Wayne, O. Wendroth, F. Zapata, and D. Stern. 2020. Plant science decadal vision 2020–2030: Reimagining the potential of plants for a healthy and sustainable future. Plant Direct 4: 1–24. doi: 10.1002/pld3.252.
Hunter, M.C., Sheaffer, C.C., Culman, S.W. and Jungers, J.M. 2020. Effects of defoliation and row spacing on intermediate wheatgrass I: Grain production. Agronomy Journal.
Hunter, M.C., Sheaffer, C.C., Culman, S.W., Lazarus, W.F. and Jungers, J.M. 2020. Effects of defoliation and row spacing on intermediate wheatgrass II: Forage yield and economics. Agronomy Journal.
Kaye, J., D. Finney, C. White, B. Bradley, M. Schipanski, M. Alonso-Ayuso, M. Hunter, M. Burgess, and C. Mejia, 2019. Managing nitrogen through cover crop species selection in the US mid-Atlantic. PLOS one, 14(4).
Hunter, M.C., C.M. White, J.P. Kaye, A.R. Kemanian. 2019. Ground-Truthing a Recent Report of Cover-Crop-Induced Winter Warming. Agricultural and Environmental Letters 4:190007.
Hunter, M.C., M.E. Schipanski, M.H. Burgess, J.C. LaChance, B.A. Bradley, M.E. Barbercheck, J.P. Kaye, D.A. Mortensen. 2019. Cover Crop Mixture Effects on Maize, Soybean, and Wheat Yield in Rotation. Agricultural and Environmental Letters 4:180051
Baraibar, B., D.A. Mortensen, M. Hunter, M.E. Barbercheck, J.P. Kaye, D. Finney, W. Curran, J. Bunchek, C. White. 2018. Growing degree days and cover crop type explain weed biomass in winter cover crops. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 38, article 65.
Williams, A., N.R. Jordan, R.G. Smith, M.C. Hunter, M. Kammerer, D.A. Kane, R.T. Koide, A.S. Davis 2018. A regionally-adapted implementation of conservation agriculture delivers rapid improvements to soil properties associated with crop yield stability. Scientific Reports 8: 8467.
B. Baraibar, M.C. Hunter, M.E. Schipanski, A. Hamilton, D. Mortensen. 2018. Weed Suppression in Cover Crop Monocultures and Mixtures. Weed Science 66: 121-133.
D.M. Finney, E.G. Murrell, C.M. White, B. Baraibar, M.E. Barbercheck, B.A. Bradley, S. Cornelisse, M.C. Hunter, J.P. Kaye, D.A. Mortensen, C.A. Mullen, M.E. Schipanski. 2017. Ecosystem services and disservices are bundled in simple and diverse cover cropping systems. Agricultural and Environmental Letters 2: 170027.
Hunter, M.C., R.G. Smith, M.E. Schipanski, L.W. Atwood, D.A. Mortensen. 2017. Agriculture in 2050: Recalibrating Targets for Sustainable Intensification. BioScience 67: 386-391.
Williams, A., M.C. Hunter, M. Kammerer, D.A. Kane, N.R. Jordan, D.A. Mortensen, R.G. Smith, S.S. Snapp, A.S. Davis. 2016. Soil water holding capacity mitigates maize production downside risk and volatility in US rainfed maize: Time to invest in soil organic matter? PLOS ONE 11: article 0160974.
Murrell, E.G., M.E. Schipanski, D.M. Finney, M.C. Hunter, M. Burgess, J.C. LaChance, B. Baraibar, C.M. White, D.A. Mortensen, J.P. Kaye. 2016. Achieving diverse cover crop mixtures: Effects of planting date and seeding rate. Agronomy Journal 109: 259-271.
Williams, A., D.A. Kane, P.M. Ewing, L.W. Atwood, A. Jilling, M. Li, Y. Lou, A.S. Davis, A.S. Grandy, S.C. Huerd, M.C. Hunter, R.T. Koide, D.A. Mortensen, R.G. Smith, S.S. Snapp, K.A. Spokas, A.C. Yannarell, N.R. Jordan. 2016. Soil Functional Zone Management: A Vehicle for Enhancing Production and Soil Ecosystem Services in Row-Crop Agroecosystems. Frontiers in Plant Science 7: article 65.
Smith, R.G., A.S. Davis, N.R. Jordan, L.W. Atwood, A.B. Daly, A.S. Grandy, M.C. Hunter, R.T. Koide, D.A. Mortensen, P. Ewing, D. Kane, M. Li, Y. Lou, S.S. Snapp, K.A. Spokas, A.C. Yannarell. 2014. Structural equation modeling facilitates transdisciplinary research on agriculture and climate change. Crop Science 54: 475-483.