Something to Chew On

When a rural grocery store becomes untenable, the repercussions can be far-reaching. Access to fresh and healthy foods is crucial for community vitality and overall well-being. By cultivating robust partnerships, embracing diverse ownership models, and formulating a comprehensive transition plan, rural grocers can proactively address sustainability and operational challenges before they escalate beyond control. In this episode of Something to Chew On, we feature Rial Carver, Program Leader for the Rural Grocery Initiative and Extension Specialist for K-State Research and Extension. Drawing on her expertise and deep understanding of the challenges faced by rural grocery stores in Kansas and beyond, Ms. Carver identifies, develops, and shares vital resources that sustain grocers and support rural communities across the United States.

Water, the essence of life itself, stands as our most indispensable resource, yet often goes unappreciated. Water scarcity and sustainability pose formidable hurdles with far-reaching implications for communities, economies, and ecosystems. To navigate these challenges effectively, innovative research endeavors, advancements in agricultural technology, and collaborative partnerships across academic, governmental, and community sectors become imperative. In this episode of Something to Chew On, we highlight the work of Dr. Susan Metzger, Director of Strategic Interdisciplinary Program Development, Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (KCARE), Kansas Water Institute, and Institute for Digital Agricultural and Advanced Analytics (ID3A) - Engagement. At the intersection of water resource management, agricultural productivity, and interdisciplinary academic research, Dr. Metzger offers evidence-based solutions for confronting the toughest water challenges of our time.

In an era of transformative global shifts—defined by evolving commodity trade patterns, the rise of online shopping, and economic challenges—a critical reevaluation of biosecurity strategies is imperative. Collaborative efforts through international partnerships, innovative approaches in business and technology, and the integration of multidisciplinary methods are essential for ensuring food security and forging novel pathways to combat pests and pathogens. Join us in this episode of Something to Chew On as we delve into these crucial topics with Simon McKirdy, Professor of Biosecurity, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Global Engagement, and Pro Vice Chancellor of the Harry Butler Institute at Murdoch University. A Fullbright Distinguished Chair in Life Sciences Award recipient, Dr. McKirdy's exploration of biosecurity system resiliency, coupled with his ongoing collaboration with K-State's Biosecurity Research Institute and Department of Plant Pathology, helps to establish policies and future frameworks for international coordination and global food security.

Milling of wheat into flour seems like it would be pretty straight forward.  An application that simply requires running seed though a crushing process and sifting out the flour as the appropriate particle size is reached.  The reality is milling is very complex, technically challenging and requires fully interdisciplinary participation.  Variations in the quality of the flour from the perspective of baking performance in large scale production has always been challenging.  This is particularly true when growing seasons change the seed mix and the impact of temperature, moisture, fertilizer use, pest pressure and more changes the quality characteristics of the flour. The need for highly educated professionals in this area has never been greater and with the expertise of the likes of Dr. Kali Siliveru, K-State is laying the groundwork for preparing the next generation of professionals to better understand the impact of the milling process on the quality and safety of foods we eat every day.

Is our current food system sustainable?  The consumption of seasonal, locally produced food sustains nutritional value, reduces the carbon footprint, and supports the growth of local economies. In many ways we have lost our connection to food — including understanding where our food comes from, how it is produced, the comradery developed in sharing food, and why it is important to eat seasonally and with intention.  In this episode, we talk with Nat and Alison Bjerke-Harvey, co-owners of Piccalilli Farm in Geary County outside of Manhattan, KS. With formal training in history and environmental biology, Nat and Alison’s interest and passion for food has taken them beyond those areas of study headlong into the food system. From baking to cheese making, they have now landed squarely in the arena of sustainable farming and community building.  Is it time to rethink what a sustainable food system is?

There are so many needs when it comes to food, including the availability of food and its impact on health. How does one make a difference to meet these needs? The ability to identify needs and a passion for making a difference is what drives today’s guest, Vickie James, Coordinator of the Manhattan/Riley County Food and Farm Council. In this discussion, Vickie details the Food and Farm Council’s work to increase knowledge, build partnerships and provide solutions to the complex food system challenges in our local community.

Food availability and food security are not always guaranteed on college campuses. Issues of food insecurity and a lack of food certainly do not end at the campus borders, but rather extend out into the city, the region and the world. If we treat these problems individually, we will fail collectively.  Where does student health fit into the global food system? How does nutrition connect to a college student’s overall quality of life? Kathleen Hatch, Morrison Family associate vice president for student well-being, joins the podcast for a conversation about K-State’s role in tackling such issues and questions, including the Cats’ Cupboard and more.

Poetry provides a conduit for engaging readers in fostering feelings and understandings. Food, creativity, language, and words all play a significant role in our lives and relationships. In the latest episode of Something to Chew On, Traci Brimhall, professor in the Department of English at K-State and Kansas Poet Laureate, shares about her passion for poetry and food. She draws a connection between the two and shows that the humanities – including poetry – fit into so many places within the food system.

How do we maintain relevant information on public health in the arena of local food producers?  Is there a connection between food security and food safety? How do we make information on mitigating these challenges available? In this podcast, we will discuss these issues and more with Londa Nwadike, Extension Associate Professor of Food Safety for Kansas State University and the University of Missouri. With a rich background in the international food system along with a passion for food safety and human wellbeing, Nwadike shares her insight into today’s challenges with food quality and availability.

The agriculture industry has advanced in many positive ways, including increases in productivity and efficiency, but the cost of those advancements could be high. Current research in agronomy is seeking ways to manage food production that will feed an ever increasing population with improved efficiency, productivity and nutritional value.    Ignacio Ciampitti, professor of agronomy at Kansas State University, is working with colleagues — both inside and outside of the college of agriculture — and is encouraging students to broaden their view of agronomy due to the increasing need for a multidisciplinary approach to solving problems. He joins the podcast and takes us through his passion and vision for improving the future of agronomy and food production around the world.

The sustainable production of beef cattle and other animal protein is complex, and the achievement of ‘net zero’ production from an environmental perspective is challenging at best, making it difficult to know where to begin. Areas of focus in this field include using food waste streams as quality animal feed, gathering all the areas of expertise need to tackle sustainability, impacting the microbiome of feed and reducing greenhouse gases. Phillip Lancaster, clinical assistant professor and member of the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University, joined “Something to Chew On” to discuss the work he is doing to tackle these issues.

The study of cereal grains comes in many forms, from the fundamental investigation of grain components and their functionality, to processing technologies, to the development of healthy food products ready for consumption.  In this podcast, we welcome Sajid Alavi, professor of grain science and industry, to discuss the importance of cereal grains research in the sustainable production of grain-based foods that represents close to 70% of the world’s calorie consumption.

When a mechanical engineer, a microbiologist and a food scientist collide, big things happen in a very small way. The old adage, “it takes a village,” appropriately describes the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to solving food challenges. In this podcast we talk with Dr. Shih-Kang "Scott" Fan, professor of mechanical engineering at Kansas State, about his work on the development of a “lab on a chip” using microfluidics in the identification of STEC producing e-coli and other pathogenic organisms.

The country of Ukraine is a major worldwide producer of cereal grains and cooking oils.  The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine has put food security at risk for many parts of the world.  Our guest for this episode is Antonina Broyaka, former dean of the faculty of economics and entrepreneurship at Vinnytsia National Agrarian University in Ukraine.  Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Broyaka came to the United States as a refugee with her two children and is now an extension associate of the department of agricultural economics at Kansas State University. Her focus here at K-State is on the economic impact of the Russian military aggression on both Ukrainian agriculture and global food security.

This summer, 24 recipients from the 2022 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders program joined K-State faculty in learning about leadership in civic engagement. In this episode, we are pleased to welcome one of those participants, Saykwayee Harmony Henry from the Republic of Liberia. Saykwayee is a mother, public speaker, entrepreneur, advocate for the rights of women and children and is the executive director at Kids Development Initiative. Children in Liberia go to school hungry while companies from other countries use Liberian land to grow and export crops around the world. The heart of Saykwayee’s work focuses on agriculture development and her country’s need to produce food for themselves through practical education and prioritizing healthy food production as a lifestyle and profession from a very young age.

This podcast episode features a team of K-State lipid researchers to help us understand food through basic lipid research and how this work improves what we eat. For this conversation, we welcome Ruth Welti, distinguished professor of biology and director of the Kansas Lipidomics Research Center; Kathrin Schrick, associate professor of biology; and Timothy Durrett, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics.

In this podcast, Jeongdae Im, Jeffrey and Joy Lessman keystone research scholar and assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering discusses destructive greenhouse gases in the food system. From hay bales to landfills, plastics to wastewater, the intersection of engineering and microbiological science has allowed Im to tackle multiple challenges in studying ways to mitigate the negative effects of those greenhouse gases.

In this podcast, we talk with Prathap Parameswaran, associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at K-State. Parameswaran’s research focuses on the use of anaerobic microorganisms in a continuous system that produces energy and isolates materials that might be used to increase soil nutrients and more. Parameswaran discusses his approach to combating water contamination and its importance within agricultural systems.

In this podcast, we talk with Sonny Lee, assistant professor in the Division of Biology at K-State. Lee’s work touches on many areas of microbiome research and casts a wide net in laboratory studies, mining data from peers to aid in complex evaluations, and working with students and colleagues capable of critical thinking and problem solving. Lee discusses how we are in the infancy of understanding how organisms impact our health, a plant's ability to grow and everything dealing with life as we know it.

Listen to our first podcast of 2022, where we discuss weed management techniques, old and new, and the tools being developed to achieve food crop yield optimization with Vipan Kumar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University. Weeds can reduce food crop yields by more than 30%.  In this podcast, Kumar discusses the ways in which this problem might be solved when the need for food production will continue to increase, and the challenges caused by climate change create a moving target.   Transcript: “Diversity is the key to Sustainability; Challenges and opportunities in the field of Weed Science”.      Diversity is the key for sustainability. You keep doing one thing again and again you will see a problem that we have seen in our herbicide based methods or weed control.   Something to chew on is a podcast devoted to the exploration and discussion of global food systems. It's produced by the Office of Research Development at Kansas State University. I'm Maureen Olewnik, coordinator of Global Food Systems. We welcome back co host Dr. Jim Stack Professor of Plant Pathology, weeds can reduce food crop yields by more than 30%. These interlopers compete for resources including soil nutrients and water. We attempt to control weed growth through chemistry, but over time they manage to mutate, overcome, thrive, and adjust to given management techniques. So how is this problem solved when the need for food production will continue to increase and the challenges caused by climate change create a moving target. Today, we will hear more about weed management techniques old and new. And the tools being developed to achieve food crop yield optimization with Dr. Vipan Kumar, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University, I want to welcome you Vipan would like to before we get started in the technical side of things, just get a little background and understanding of who you are and how you got to the place that you are today as far as your professional interests go.   Sure, So my name is Vipin Kumar, I'm originally from India. I did my bachelor in crop science, but finished in 2008 from Punjab Agricultural University back in India, in the state of Punjab, it's a Northwestern State in India, mainly known for wheat production and rice production. And it's very big in ag, Punjab state. So, my original goal was to help communities there, especially the farming communities to management practices they are doing so I did my bachelor there. And then I started my master actually mastering Weed Science in Pau 2008, fall 2008. But somehow I was also interested to come abroad and expand my education here in the States. So I was looking through some programs and during that time, I got to know there is a master positions open in Louisiana State. So I I applied there and I got invited and came over 2009 That was summer 2009 started my graduate research assistant with LSU, Louisiana State, Louisiana State University. So that program was specifically looking for someone who can help growers in terms of managing their irrigation water irrigation scheduling, developing some crop coefficients for the cotton prop in North East side of Louisiana. So I was based in actually a research center. It was in North East Louisiana, about five, four or five hours from the main campus Baton Rouge. So my whole research was on resource center and I got to know very few people there but I had a very excellent project to work with. So during that time, I was doing a master I got interested in Weed Science because wonderful. One of my committee member was a weed scientist. He was the superintendent with the research center and he was on my committee and glyphosate resistant Palmer Amaranth was kinda getting a lot of attention during that time in codon. So during that conversation and meeting with his students, I got interested in wheat science. So finishing master and then I started applying for PhD program. So I think during that time, there was not a whole lot of opportunity because of the economic constraints, but I found one position in Montana State University 2011 So I started my PhD 2011 in Montana State University, Bozeman, the whole my dissertation research was focused on herbicide resistant weeds, mainly Tumbleweed Kosha, looking at, you know, characterizing herbicide resistance evolution, how we can manage in terms of what strategies growers can use to control herbicide resistant Kosha in Different cropping systems. So, that was for four years I spent there and then just immediately after finishing my PhD, I started my postdoc there and two year postdoc in the same program in Montana State. So 2017 I got here at K State got this position, where I am in his as an assistant professor in Weed Science. Part of my responsibilities. I am 100% researcher. All the focus is on developing integrative weed management strategies for western Kansas. Looking at herbicide resistance evolution in weeds, what are the novel and innovative strategies we can come up for our dry land are no till dryland growers in western Kansas. So that's I have been doing last for more than 40 years in Hays, Kansas. And a little bit history on this tradition. My predecessor, Dr. Phil Stallman, he had spent 42 years on this role. He was kind of He's like one of the pioneer in herbicide resistance management in High Plains specially in dryland cropping system in Kansas. So right now leading a statewide program, research program and little bit outreach program because I've been involved with a lot of growers here are the my appointment is not extension or no extension tents, but the been doing some extension as well. So that's kind of in the nutshell, what I'm doing here.    That’s great. Okay, well, thank you so much for that overview. That's helpful in me understanding a little bit more about what it is you're doing in reading through some of the information I found on your website about what you do, there was a lot of discussion on no till and the impact of no till on managing weeds and that type of thing. Can you tell me a bit more about what that term means and how it impacts the growing period?   Sure, since the dustbowl period, the soil conservation practices have been you know, taken place among growers in the main reason was those soil conservation practices were to conserve the soil and other resources for longer term because soil erosion in these areas, especially the Great Plains area, or High Plains area was pretty obvious. And because we control it was generally achieved by tillage. So folks still the ground and control the weeds in history, if you see that's like number one method it used to be and then USDA NRCS folks came up with this idea of conserving the soil not to till the ground just to preserve the soil from erosion as well as not to blow the surface soil where we have fertile soil. So, so no till is basically a concept brought up after the Dust Bowl period and got adopted by growers throughout the Great Plains. And no tillage equipments also got, you know, into the market after that like no till drills, no till planters, that growers don't have to till the ground to make the seed bed they can directly go and plant or drill their crops. And this idea or concept was achieved with the chemical weed control. So if you look at after 1940s, when the this chemical era started, like the two four D came into the market, or any other cleaning herbicide came into the market, one of those early products came into the market grower started using those and they found very convenient to kill those weeds and not till the ground. So this chemical era helped to adopt that concept of no tillage in High Plains as well as in throughout the Great Plains. So mostly what growers been doing is they don't tell the grounds they clean their fields before planting and after planting and in season crop by using chemicals and by using herbicides, so it's kind of serving to purpose they're controlling the weeds and they are also conserving the soil. Another aspect of doing no tillage is to conserve the moisture. We are in semi-arid regions our annual precip is not that great. If you look at historically we are between somewhere between 12 to 24 inches, you know depending on the place where you are in the Great Plains so doing a no tillage practice also helped conserving the moisture throughout the winters time. So whatever the snow or the moisture comes, if you don't do the ground, you know it stays there for the subsequent crop to plan and have the crop in place. There are two things basically conserving the soil and conserving the moisture that no till practice came into existence. But however, I would I also like to emphasize over the last 1015 years, what has happened is because we have relied too much on chemicals, too much on herbicides, and we are seeing evolution in weeds, they are developing or evolved resistance to these chemistries, what folks have been using in our systems. So herbicide resistant weeds have really, really become a threat to this Nortel production system and chemical industries are struggling in terms of bringing new chemistries into the market, because there is not a whole lot of investment going into bringing a new motor factions, especially from herbicide standpoint. So the dilemma is to control those herbicide resistant weeds, we need alternate strategies, alternate methods of weed control. So that's where my role kind of come into that where that fit is how we can combine different methods of weed control, including chemical or non chemical, and come up with some sort of sustainable system that can go in longer term.   Yeah, if I could follow up with a question. How prevalent is this problem globally?    Herbicide resistance globally, it's, it is the number one problem for Weed Science communities as well as the grower community. Wherever folks have been using herbicides, we have been seeing i