Please make plans to attend the 56th Annual Iowa State University Shade Tree Short Course and Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association Conference and Trade Show - February 21-23, 2012.
View program and registration information.
New state-of-the-art horticulture greenhouses were dedicated on the Iowa State University campus Sept. 3.
The $4 million teaching and research facility replaces 98-year-old greenhouses that were demolished in 2010. The new 12,000 square-foot greenhouses include space-efficient teaching and research areas equipped with state-of-the-art environmental control and innovative plant production systems.
The greenhouses extend along the south side of Horticulture Hall, home of the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The complex is partitioned into sections dedicated to research, teaching and student club activities. During the next semester hundreds of students from several departments in the college will study and learn in the new greenhouse facility.
“We are very proud of this facility and excited about the opportunities it will provide for our students as they prepare for their careers,” said Jeff Iles, professor and chair of the department of horticulture.
A computerized control system monitors and regulates environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity and light intensity in each greenhouse compartment, providing optimal conditions for plant growth.
“The new facility will provide a first-rate experience for students and researchers,” Iles said. “The environmental controls will improve the quality of the research and allow us to grow plants year-round.”
Funds for the $4 million project included approximately $1 million in private gifts. Iowa State and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences provided the remaining funds.
Above photos by Brian J. Nonnecke
Green Media announces its 2011 selections for “Most Influential People in the Green Industry”
LOUISVILLE, KY. (Oct. 27, 2011) -- Green Media, a division of M2MEDIA360 -- publisher of Arbor Age, Landscape and Irrigation, Outdoor Power Equipment and SportsTurf -- is proud to announce the 2011 selections for “Most Influential People in the Green Industry.”
• David Minner, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University
My name is Dorothy Masinde. I have worked for Iowa State University’s Center for Sustainable rural Livelihoods in Africa since 2004. I now join Iowa State University campus as a Lecturer in Global Resource Systems. I have worked as a rural development and sustainable agriculture practitioner for over 25 years and also had a chance to teach at Colleges and University. I am originally from Kenya but have been spending most of my time in Uganda for the past seven years. I studied in Kenya (Bachelors and PhD, at Egerton and Nairobi Universities) and Cornell University for my Masters. My Ph.D. is in Rural Sociology and master’s degree is in Agriculture, in the field of Agricultural Extension and Adult Education.
I have interacted with the GRS students since 2010 when I taught the first class and look forward to working with the team again. My research interests are participatory approaches to sustainable community development, social context of food systems, and sustainable livelihoods. I am a mother of SIX, and enjoy cooking and knitting when it is optional.
Lisa Orgler, Lecturer in the Department of Horticulture won an award this week for her personal art blog. The award is the Foodbuzz Blog Award for Best Single Topic Blog. Winners were announced at an annual conference in San Francisco. Please visit the following links to learn more about her award:
Plants have been grown on roofs for centuries. However, roofs are now vegetated to help provide solutions to multiple urban environmental issues. With a green roof enthusiast like Jennifer Bousselot recently joining the Department of Horticulture, it was inevitable that a green roof would eventually appear at Horticulture Hall. The ideal location presented itself as a small rooftop area that has a door and windows overlooking it along the first floor of the building (image). Therefore, a green roof for that location is currently being designed by the newly formed Landscape Club and will be installed by the Horticulture Club in early May. Funding and support for this effort is provided by the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association through their Iowa Nursery Research Program. In addition, a green roof company, American Hydrotech, is donating a majority of the materials. Demonstrating the potential of green roofs in Iowa is beneficial, especially since it is a technology associated with the horticulture industry. Placing this technology in an accessible location where horticulture students can observe and evaluate it first hand is ideal and can yield many teaching opportunities.
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