LFS Today Nov 22, 2021

News

LFS in the News

James Vercammen was quoted in an article about BC’s food system as a result of the recent floods. On panic buying, Vercammen says that “shoppers need to think about the pressures they’re putting on the food system when they hoard food — it means a neighbour may have to go without. He suggested that British Columbians buy only what they need right now, especially when it comes to dairy and eggs.” The Tyee

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Indigeneity (EDI.I) Spotlight

Freshour, C. (2020). Poultry and prisons. Monthly Review, 72(3).

Dr. Freshour (assistant professor of geography at the University of Washington), drawing upon scholars in the Black radical tradition, traces the lines of racial capitalism to carceral and abolition geographies through a focus on poultry-processing work in the U.S. South. Poultry-processing work lies within a larger web of carceral geographies that extend beyond the prison walls into factory floors, neighborhoods, and schools. These geographies depend on and are produced through racism, as the production of unequal vulnerability to premature death. Yet, the point is to trace the ways in which racial capitalism connects the poultry plant to the prison alongside the movement for abolition beyond the prison.

United Way Bake Sale – Nov 24^th (11am-1pm) – Call for LFS Volunteer Bakers!

LFS is lucky to have some pretty awesome in-house bakers! We’re looking for baked donations to support the Faculty’s fundraising efforts. Dollars raised locally, stay local. We’ll be hosting the bake sale by the main entrance on the first floor in the MacMillan building. Wednesday, Nov 24^th from 11am to 1pm. Mark it in your calendars! Interested bakers, should contact Barbara Hsiao (barbara.hsiao@ubc.ca).

BC Agriculture Council Establishes Fund to Support Farmers

BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) is accepting donations on behalf of our province’s farmers and ranchers who have been impacted by the recent severe weather events. The organization has already received $100,000 in donations, including $30,000 from Scotiabank, $25,000 each from CIBC and Envision Financial, and $20,000 from Mertin Auto Group in Chilliwack.

Anyone looking to directly support B.C. farmers and ranchers who have been impacted can make a donation on BCAC’s website at www.bcac.ca.

Events

Nov. 26 – SOIL 500 Seminar: Overwinter soil cover strategies

This week, Friday Nov 26, 3:00 pm – join us for Raelani Kesler’s talk on Overwinter soil cover strategies and effects on organic vegetable farms in B.C.

Abstract
Changes in precipitation due to climate change present many challenges for organic growers in British Columbia (B.C.). Increased rainfall during the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) are predicted to further hinder the establishment of overwintering cover crops. This study aims to quantify the short-term effects of over soil cover strategies on soil nitrate and water conditions, as well as impact on crop yield.

Raelani is from Whidbey Island, Washington State, ancestral territory of the Coast Salish, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, and Tulalip peoples. After graduating from the University of Washington with a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences, she worked 5 seasons on various organic vegetable farms in the PNW. During this time, she set her sights on a life as a farmer and work in agricultural education and extension. Raelani joined the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes (SAL) Lab in fall 2019 pursing a M.Sc. in Soil Science under the supervision of Dr. Sean Smukler.

How to Join
Livestreaming via zoom is available for this presentation; pre-registration required.
https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5MvduurrT4oHNF6SJLdx8V34tYVfePOWLyj
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Folks in Plant Science and other programs are encouraged to attend via zoom. Please note that you only need to register once for the term.

In-person McMl 102 if you want to view on the “big screen” – note this presentation is via zoom. Participation in McMl 102 will be limited due to the capacity of the room (n=30) with priority given to folks in the Soil Science program (both LFS and Forestry). IF you are not a regular attendee and wish to come in-person, please email sandra.brown@ubc.ca to save your spot.

Nov. 30 – IAFNS Webinar: Strengthening Research Integrity

Problems with scientific fraud, questionable research practices, and the reliability of scientific results have led to an increased focus on research integrity. A recent study published in Nature (Sørensen et al., 2021) identified research integrity topics that researchers and stakeholders from various research disciplines have prioritized for Research Performing Organizations and Research Funding Organizations.

Join IAFNS for a presentation of the study “Strengthening Research Integrity: Which Topic Areas Should Organizations Focus On?” and a moderated panel discussion on how the topic areas prioritized in this study compare to those prioritized and implemented within the food and nutrition research community.

Speakers:
Mads Sørensen, PhD, Aarhus University, Denmark
Cathie Woteki, PhD, Iowa State University, USA
Robert Bertolo, PhD, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada

Moderator:
Johanna Dwyer, DSc, RD, Tufts University School of Medicine and Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging

Tuesday, November 30
11am – 12pm ET

Deadlines

Dec. 10 – Envisioning Equality Public Art Project

To celebrate the accomplishments and contributions made by women and gender-diverse faculty and staff, the Envisioning Equality project will harness the transformative power of art in public space to highlight and celebrate exceptional women and gender-diverse faculty and staff of the UBC community. The project activates new perspectives on their roles and contributions through a series of banners designed by local artists. These will be displayed on UBC campus poles.

Five eligible faculty members and five eligible staff members who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to their individual academic/professional practice and significant impact through mentoring and community engagement will be featured on the artistic banners.

Candidates can be nominated via a letter (maximum two pages) that describes the nominee’s professional accomplishments, and involvement in and impact on mentoring and community service/impact.

Nominations are due by Dec. 20, 2021. Learn more: https://academic.ubc.ca/envisioning-equality-recognizing-exceptional-women-and-gender-diverse-faculty-and-staff-ubc

Dec. 10 – Research Chair in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at Bishop’s University

The Department of Environment and Geography at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, invites applications for a full-time, three-year Research Chair position in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS; possible extension beyond three years). This Research Chair will join a dynamic and growing team of professors and students who use the Bishop’s University Educational Farm as their principal research and teaching laboratory within the newly created SAFS programs.

See the full job post here.

Review of the applications will begin on December 10, 2021 and will continue until filled.