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college of agriculture
 volume 17 • number 2 • spring 2008
“i w dwh snssy, h dds n  v.”
Henry Kissinger 
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Dean Frank Galey 
Dean Frank Galey, College o AgricultureSpring is starting to “spring” in parts o the state. Some have had good winter moisture, others o us(especially in the southeast) are hoping or a wet early season. As o late March, snowpack in much o thestate was normal to above normal, which I hope bodes well or you.In previous columns, I have mentioned the college has an advisory board. This board is comprised o stakeholders representing dierent parts o our mission o sustainability in agriculture, natural resources,applied lie sciences, and our rural communities. Many o our board members are also supporters o the col-lege, engaged to help us achieve our missions o teaching, research, and outreach.Over the past ew years, it has become obvious we have not utilizedthe board to its ullest potential in helping urther our mission. So, thispast all we began to reorganize the board into subgroups that will ocusin three areas. These include developing nancial support or the college,marketing the college and recruiting students, and placement o studentsinto internships and jobs.The development group is chaired by John Clay rom Cheyenne. John’s team is working to help the college with its private as well as publicund-raising. Helping John are Anne Leonard rom my oce along withour new development person, Stephanie Anesi.The marketing group is chaired by Kara Brighton, also o Cheyenne.This team will investigate how we are communicating with all o you and will also look at ways we can better reach people who might be interestedin our programs. A special part o this group’s task will be to help nd ways or us to identiy and recruit top-notch students into our programs.In placement, Tom Davidson, a long-time and avid college supporter,is interested in identiying how other colleges serve their students through internships and job placements.Once he has completed that task, this team will identiy ways we can do a better job o bringing our stu-dents and the many opportunities in the state together.This team o supporters will work to rene the membership o the entire board over the next year, de-ning its missions, and identiying a chair or the overall board o advisers. The board and committees willmeet later this spring. We will keep you apprised o the board’s progress. Among the stories in this issue are articles about the Department o Agricultural and AppliedEconomics producing a report or the Bridger-Teton National Forest planning process, the Ag Ambassadorspromoting the college, a study o the River Njoro watershed in Kenya, a ather and daughter both earn-ing graduate degrees this spring rom the Department o Renewable Resources, a study whether economicsplays a part in obesity, and Department o Family and Consumer Sciences classes attracting students romoutside o the college.I hope you have a productive late spring and summer. Thank you or your continued support o yourcollege! We can be contacted at (307) 766-4133, or e-mail agrdean@uwyo.edu. Our Web site is http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWag/.
 
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The Chronicle of Higher Education
 blogger featuresUW student farm
UW’s student arm andagroecology program waseatured in a recent onlineedition o 
The Chronicle o  Higher Education
. The ad-dress is http://chronicle.com/blogs/architecture/1806/should-a-liberal-education-include-an-agricultural-education.
The Chronicle’s 
Building& Grounds blogger ScottCarlson wrote about the Agricultural and Community Resources or Everyday Sustainability (ACRES)project in his blog “Should aLiberal Education Include an Agricultural Education?”The blog eatured aphotograph o AssistantProessor Rik Smith andstudents Katelyn Parady, apolitical science/environ-ment and natural resourcesmajor rom Rock Springs,and Nate Dittman, majoringin agroecology, rom Omaha,Nebraska.Carlson had seen a pho-to o Smith and the studentsin the arm plot, taken whenthe Eat Well Guided Tour o  America travelled throughLaramie last year. Carlson wanted to know the history o ACRES, how the studentshad been involved in its in-ception, and what they werelearning rom it, says Smith.“When I told the ACRES students, they werereally excited to be recog-nized in the
Chronicle 
andthat, o all the colleges anduniversities across the coun-try that have well-establishedstudent arms, Scott chose usto eature in his blog,” saysSmith, in the Department o Plant Sciences. “The studentsare the key to the success we’ve seen with ACRES. It was their idea. They’ve doneeverything rom writinggrants to planting, harvest-ing, and selling to meet-ing with administrators oncampus.”Stephen Ford, proes-sor and Rochelle Chair inthe Department o AnimalScience and director o UW’sCenter or the Study o FetalProgramming, presented etalprogramming center ac-tivities occurring at UW and with partners across the na-tion at a Washington, D.C.,program March 5.The research, “OptimalNutrition in the Womb:Key to Reducing OspringObesity, Insulin Resistance,and Type II Diabetes in Animals and Humans,” waseatured along with 37 oth-ers during the Nutrition andHealth Exhibition/Reception.The event is sponsored by the Board on Agriculture Assembly and Council onGovernmental Aairs o theNational Association o StateUniversities and Land-GrantColleges (NASULGC).“Wyoming Senator JohnBarrasso visited our exhibit andexpressed lots o support orour college’s land-grant activi-ties,” said Frank Galey, deano the College o Agriculture.“It was very helpul to haveSenator Barrasso’s support.The exhibit on Capitol Hillhelps exempliy some o theimpacts o ederal support.This year’s theme was orientedalong nutrition and health.”
 Joining Proessor Stephen Ford, right, at the program were College o   Agriculture Dean Frank Galey, let, and Wyoming Senator John Barasso.
Those attending Washington, D.C., eventsee UW’s fetal programming research
 Mary Huerter, let, o Omaha,Nebraska, and Willa Mullin,o Albuquerque, New Mexico,work in the student arm plot.
 
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Carlson ties a story about the underground seedvault established in the arcticby Norway, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, and theUnited States to whether any-one could cultivate the seedsi there was a catastrophe.“I think the
Chronicle 
 blog is urther evidence o the shit in awareness among Americans o where ourood comes rom and the ris-ing interest in reconnectingthe consumer – or should Isay the eater – and the pro-ducer,” says Smith. “Whenyou look at the multiple-pagesupermarket ads that comein Wednesday’s paper, eventhe big stores like Saeway are highlighting local andregional produce when they have it available. There are alot o reasons people give ortheir interest in local oods– reshness, transportationenergy costs, and carbonootprints – but the one thatseems to resonate with mosto the people I’ve talked to issupporting local armers.” Adds Smith, “This is agreat group o students witha lot o energy and ideas I’mcondent will build ACRESinto both a very productivearm and a great experientialeducational opportunity atUW.”
UW researchstudies migrant worker impacton Teton County economy 
Immigrant infuence onTeton County’s economy is being studied by theDepartment o Agriculturaland Applied Economics andthe University o WyomingCooperative Extension Service(UW CES).The request came romthe Teton County Board o County Commissioners andTown o Jackson to the UW CES, says Mary Martin, UW CES educator in Jackson.The research is studyingthe economic impact o or-eign workers in Teton County,says Martin. “The outcomesare a better understandingo how immigrant spendingimpacts the community, andas a workorce how it contrib-utes, how and where spendingoccurs, the impact on localbusinesses, and the associatedbenets and costs to govern-ment,” she notes.Leland Christensen o  Alta, who has been a commis-sioner or three years and whois also vice-chair, says the sur-vey will provide a snapshot o the community. “We will useit or planning and perspec-tive,” he says. “It plays intoplanning, to see where thedollars are going and wherethe needs are.”He says Jackson overthe past 15 years has seen anincrease in the number o non-resident work orce. Immigrantsare coming rom Central andSouth America, New Zealand,Europe, and Canada.“There are costs andbenets associated with it,”he says. “We are trying to geta clear understanding o whatthose are. I think that willhelp play into the long-termplanning in Teton County.” A Jackson town coun-cilor also says Jackson andthe county see value in know-ing the community morethoroughly to better plan orsocial services and inrastruc-ture needs. “I also think it willhelp our community mem-bers value one another’s con-tributions and to all get in-volved in the community andlive together,” says CouncilorMelissa Turley.Household inormation was gleaned this tax seasonthrough volunteers who helporeign-born workers letaxes, says Martin. Businessowners are also being askedto ll out a survey rom their2007 records.Households will beasked about occupation,months worked, householdsize and spending patterns,says David “Tex” Taylor, aproessor in the Departmento Agricultural and AppliedEconomics in the UW College o Agriculture.Businesses are being askedabout number o employees,payroll, benets provided, andcosts.
 Mary MartinDavid “Tex” Taylor 
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