{"id":408,"date":"2022-09-23T11:22:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-23T15:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse-draft\/?page_id=408"},"modified":"2023-02-21T10:40:03","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T15:40:03","slug":"sustainable-food-crops","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/research\/sustainable-food-crops\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Food Crops"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As demand for saffron, the world\u2019s most expensive spice, increases in the U.S., researchers at URI\u2019s agronomy fields are sharing their research on growing the crop locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our researchers are developing new techniques to improve soil, manage pollinator habitats, and exploring how culture and food growing intersect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebecca Brown works to improve local sustainable agriculture by conducting trials of vegetable varieties and production methods; integrating of cover crops into vegetable production systems; developing new ways to monitor nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization in high tunnels and improve soil organic matter using urban organic wastes; and examining the potential for new crops such as saffron to be grown in Southern New England. She also developed an automated laser scarecrow system to protect crops from birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Taylor is helping to strengthening local food sovereignty, by studying the social-ecological dynamics of food production in urban and urbanizing systems at multiple scales\u2013from home gardens to commercial farms. Recent research projects focus on immigrant growers’ participation in alternative urban food networks, the design and ecological characteristics of urban food forests, and Rhode Island’s food production capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community outreach and labs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"Apple<\/div>

Integrated Pest Management Program<\/h2>

Our researchers work through the URI Cooperative Extension to help local growers identify, monitor and manage pest problems in ways that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Program details<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Master Gardener Program<\/h2>

Our instructors work with the Cooperative Extension to help educate local communities in environmentally-sound gardening practices through the dissemination of factual, research-based information.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Program details<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Pesticide safety education<\/h2>

A license is required in Rhode Island for commercial use of General Use Pesticides. Our pesticide safety class will help you prepare for the Department of Environmental Management\u2019s license exam.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

details and registration<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div> \n\n
\"A<\/div>

Plant Protection Clinic<\/h2>

Our researchers work through the URI Cooperative Extension program to help members of the local community identify insects and diagnose plant diseases.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Program details<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Vegetable production program<\/h2>

We provide current science-based crop production practices to vegetable producers in R.I. and surrounding communities through site visits, events, and on-farm workshops<\/p><\/div><\/div>

Learn more or register<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
\"Students<\/div>

R.I. Agriculture and Food Systems Fellows Program<\/h2>

Our students are eligible to apply to enter this premier talent pipeline for entry- to mid-level professionals with a comprehensive understanding of food-related science, and social science \u2013 how humans interact with food, where inequities with food access and security exist, and how they can contribute as professionals to build a safer, healthier, more sustainable and just food system.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

How to apply<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

Faculty<\/h2>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Rebecca<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Rebecca Brown<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\t
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Professor and Chair<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

401.874.2755<\/span>
brownreb@uri.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"John<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

John R. Taylor<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\t
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Associate Professor of Agroecology<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

401.874.9027<\/span>
jr_taylor@uri.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Dr.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

David Weisberger<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\t
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Research Associate<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t

david.weisberger@uri.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t

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As demand for saffron, the world\u2019s most expensive spice, increases in the U.S., researchers at URI\u2019s agronomy fields are sharing their research on growing the crop locally. Our researchers are developing new techniques to improve soil, manage pollinator habitats, and exploring how culture and food growing intersect. Rebecca Brown works to improve local sustainable agriculture […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1962,"featured_media":0,"parent":10,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-408","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1962"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":501,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/408\/revisions\/501"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/pse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}