Foraging Ahead to Improve Soil Health

Station scientists Rich Smith, Serita Frey, and Jessica Ernakovich are exploring how increasing cutting frequency of forage crops can raise soil carbon levels and improve soil health. They found that cutting forage crops five times a year, rather than three times, resulted in increased soil carbon and higher levels of beneficial enzyme activity in the soil. Finding ways to increase soil carbon not only benefits farmers by reducing the need for added fertilizer, but also demonstrates the potential of agricultural soil to sequester atmospheric carbon and combat climate change. Learn more about these findings and their impacts by reading the full article.

Marine Farmers Receptive to Seaweed Feed

Station scientist Andre Brito conducted a survey of Maine organic farmers, which revealed that nearly half of these farmers were willing to pay, on average, an additional $0.64 per cow per day for methane-reducing algal-based feed. Despite struggles with rising industry costs and supply issues, farmers are still willing to explore means of reducing methane release, which may bring commercial benefits and could also allow them to qualify for assistance from new government initiatives. Learn more about this survey and seaweed's potential to decrease methane emissions by reading the full article.

Meet COLSA Professor Remington Moll

Although he originally had plans to be a professional athlete, assistant professor Remington (Rem) Moll is grateful to have discovered his love of wildlife ecology. Moll’s research focuses on terrestrial animals found in New Hampshire such as moose, bobcats, and white tailed deer. Using camera traps and other methods, he studies what factors affect their population sizes and distribution, and how different species interact with human populations and urban development. Read COLSA's full interview with Moll.