Site Archive

Krishna Nemali

Unsung Diversity Hero Awards honor those who’ve gone above and beyond

May 11, 2022

Founded in 2018, the Unsung Diversity Hero Award is presented annually to a faculty member, staff member and student for their efforts to create an inclusive environment within their department and the college as a whole, going out of their way to lead others by setting a positive example.

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ID that Indiana Tree with Purdue Extension

April 29, 2022

Spring is in full bloom and trees are beginning to look green again. Learning how to identify trees in yards, neighborhoods and local parks provides insight into the diversity and relationships found in nature. Lenny Farlee, Purdue Extension Forester, shares how to identify trees native to Indiana.

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Four Tips to Grow Your Garden

April 13, 2022

April showers bring May flowers and summer produce that you can devour! Whether you’re a beginner or looking to expand your garden, Karen Mitchell, consumer horticulture Extension specialist, reminds us of four simple tips so you can plant confidently.

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Cora working with VOM clients in Trinidad and Tobago. Photo by Brandon Murphy

Purdue Farmer-to-Farmer Program transitions back to in-person volunteer assignments in Trinidad and Tobago

March 29, 2022

Purdue Extension’s, Cora Carter, one of the first to volunteer for the Purdue F2F program, was forced to pivot to a virtual platform. Since the COVID-19 pandemic travel limitations, the F2F program has delivered almost 30 virtual programs to support Trinbagonian farmer groups and institutions. The first in-person assignment, completed in January, focused on providing hands-on training in sheep production to Vision on Mission (VOM), an organization that provides rehabilitation services, empowerment, life skills, employment training and development in agriculture and other areas to individuals in need of re-integration into society.

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Purdue Online Winemaking Certificate Course Honors its First Graduate

March 23, 2022

Wine is one of the most popular beverages in the world. According to Fortune Business, the global wine market is a $340 billion industry, and it’s growing every year. The United States is the largest consumer of wine worldwide, with an estimated one in three American adults drinking wine multiple times a week. The world’s passion for wine is reflected by a robust wine-making culture. Across the globe, wine is being produced, consumed, and exported in massive quantities, and the technologies and processes that go into creating high-quality wine are constantly evolving.

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Student’s research improves nutrition and food safety

January 13, 2022

More than 1,500 miles separate Purdue University and Enrique Velasco’s Honduras-based alma mater, Zamorano. Despite the distance, Velasco formed a new connection to Zamorano when he began his research in West Lafayette. Velasco studied agribusiness management in Honduras and sought a horticulture internship to balance his studies. There, he learned about research done by Purdue associate professor of horticulture and agricultural economics Arianna Torres, who also studied at Zamorano.

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Purdue Extension’s Elysia Rodgers Honored on International Day of Rural Women

October 11, 2021

The United Nations will celebrate International Day of Rural Women on October 15, 2021. We will be celebrating all rural women on this day, but one Purdue woman has been chosen by the Network of Rural Women Producers in Trinidad and Tobago (NRWPTT) to be honored. DeKalb County Director and Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator Elysia Rodgers will be honored at the NRWPTT International Rural Women’s Day celebration event. Rodgers was selected because of her contributions as a goat farmer, mentor and F2F volunteer.

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Karen Mitchell

Purdue appoints new consumer horticulture extension specialist

July 9, 2021

Karen Mitchell’s passion for plants and the environment permeates into every part of her life, professionally and personally.
“I always had an interest in the ecosystem, how things interact and how food is made. As a child, I would refer to my hamburgers as cow burgers because I thought you should recognize that it’s not made of ham or from a pig,” said Mitchell.

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Make the grass greener on your side this spring

April 26, 2021

“When it comes to lawn care, spring is one of the most important seasons for cool-season grasses like those found in most of Indiana,” said Cale Bigelow, a professor of horticulture at Purdue University specializing in turf science and ecology. “With a little intentional effort, you can make a big impact on the health of your yard for the rest of the year.”

Bigelow answered several frequently asked questions about spring lawn care.

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Cell tower

Looking forward to a digitally inclusive world

March 31, 2021

“If given the choice, do you prefer to get online or in line (in-person)?” asks Roberto Gallardo, director of PCRD and Purdue Extension community and regional economics specialist.
After a year of online shopping, zoom calls and social distancing, awareness and knowledge of digital capabilities has increased, but that doesn’t always mean individuals and communities are ready to address these needs.

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Row of papaya trees

Farmer-to-Farmer Program Shares Virtual Good Ag Practices Program with Trinidad and Tobago Extension

March 22, 2021

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded program, Farmer-to-Farmer, provides technical assistance from U.S. volunteers to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. In 2020, Purdue University’s International Programs in Agriculture (IPIA) and Purdue Extension announced the USAID John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program would be implemented in Trinidad and Tobago over the next three years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Purdue F2F program transitioned the project into a virtual volunteer assistance strategy to support host organizations. The virtual assignments have provided real-time and pre-recorded trainings for host groups in Trinidad and Tobago.

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Indiana Small Farm Conference prepares next generation of farmers

March 11, 2021

For eight years, the Indiana Small Farm Conference (Indiana SFC) has brought together farmers, educators and researchers to share knowledge and build a supportive community for those passionate about small-scale farming. While online this year, the conference convened on March 4-6 with the same goal as well as an increased focus on youth.

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Zimmerman with cows

Indiana 4-H’er leads nationally

February 24, 2021

Madelyn Zimmerman, Milford, Ind., began her 4-H story in the third grade with a limited agriculture background. Now, 12 years later, Zimmerman is the 2021 4-H Youth in Action Pillar Award for Agriculture winner, Indiana’s first, and a passionate advocate for agriculture education and inclusion.

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Award Winners with certificates

Purdue Extension: Training Community Leaders

February 15, 2021

Community development is just one area where Purdue Extension provides research-based education in all 92 Indiana counties. As a signature program for Community Development, the Community Leadership Program strengthens individuals’ skills and confidence to assume leadership roles in their communities. Program graduates are serving on local boards, in local government positions and leading in a variety of volunteer efforts.

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Purdue Extension: Championing Mental Health on the Farm

January 29, 2021

Farming is a stressful occupation. Farmers own and operate private small businesses that rely on unpredictable markets influenced by government trade policies, unreliable and extreme weather conditions and ever-changing input costs. Since 2013, net farm income has declined by 50% nationally and, like other industries, the farmers have been burdened by the stress of the past year. Add in traditional negative stigmas associated with seeking help and lack of health insurance or mental health resources, farmers and other agriculture workers need more support and education than ever before.

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How Hoosier BIPOC farmers can change the landscape of agriculture

January 29, 2021

During MLK Jr. Celebration Week, the Colleges of Agriculture and Health and Human Sciences, in conjunction with the Center for the Environment, hosted a Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in Sustainable Farming panel discussion.

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Purdue’s hemp specialist observes birth of a Hoosier industry

December 2, 2020

The hemp plant often thought to be native to North America, originated in the Tibetan Plateau, the world’s largest and highest plateau located in southwestern China. The multi-use plant predominantly harvested for its oil and fiber is gaining popularity with Hoosier growers as regulations change and the hemp byproduct industry grows.

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Curious about canning? Find out how to safely preserve food at home.

November 30, 2020
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Family Discussion

Purdue Extension: Building resilience in communities

November 4, 2020

Crises often leave families feeling helpless and out of control. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception as Hoosiers face the loss of jobs, resources, life experiences and social contacts. With the help of Purdue Extension, Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences is helping families cope with change and even find positivity during the pandemic.

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Jones family portrait

Family farming roots run deep at Purdue

October 12, 2020

Jones’ family began dairy farming in Star City, Ind., in 1942. Four generations later, the family is still milking cows along with growing corn, soybeans and alfalfa, mainly used to feed back into the dairy herd. They were the first dairy farm in Indiana and the tenth in the nation to adopt robotic milking practices. Jones’ parents, Sammy and Pam, manage the day-to-day operations with her brother, Josh, who is a Purdue Agriculture and Biological Engineering graduate. Amy helps on the farm each month along with her sister, Christy, a Purdue Animal Sciences alumna, and her brother, a Purdue Liberal Arts alumnus.

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