Plant and Soil Science

09/03/2026

What better way to kick off our review of the works in this year’s ASBA International than this exquisite scene by Abbye Carston? Take a moment to give it your full attention. At the aerial view, our eyes take in the elements at an easy pace, guided by the composition—constrained by the droop of river birch branch on the right and the firm boundary of the wild geranium on the left. Scattered within are the lively inhabitants of a village—bees and caterpillars and moths. If we come closer, we find that they are brilliant with detail. It is that detail that makes this work so much fun to study. Carston created it to tell the story of her daily walks in nature. Read more about it here: https://asba-art.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=92618&module_id=796924

The 29th Annual International will be on view at the Society of Illustrators in New York, NY from September 10, 2026 to January 9, 2027. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, September 10, from 5–9 pm, with an artist walkthrough beginning at 4 pm. All are welcome.

Geranium maculatum, Betula nigra
Spring in the Half Acre Wood
Watercolor and colored pencil on paper
8 3/4 x 8 3/4 inches
©2025 Abbye Carsten

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

💚💛💚Go, Cats, go!💚💛💚

09/01/2026

Reliable, up-to-date fungal and oomycete taxonomy underpins every aspect of plant pathology by enabling accurate pathogen identification, robust host-range analyses, clear assessment of geographic spread, and the development of effective disease management strategies. Yet, despite major advances in systematics and molecular phylogenetics, the integration and use of current names in applied plant pathology remains inconsistent.

To enhance the accuracy, reproducibility, and long-term value of fungal pathogen research, Michael J. Bradshaw et al. propose the following recommendations:

1) Use current names
2) Adopt 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦-compliant terminology
3) Collaborate with taxonomic experts
4) Prioritize education and training
5) Require proper deposition of voucher material
6) Support curated tools and databases

In applied plant pathology, taxonomy and nomenclature are not merely academic concerns; researchers generate the correct identifications and reference data that diagnosticians, extension personnel, and industry translate into reliable diagnostics, fungicide efficacy and resistance management, regulatory information, and economically efficient disease management.

Read the August Feature article to learn more—freely available in Plant Disease: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-12-25-2537-FE

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09/01/2026

09/01/2026

Need a few more days to polish your workshop proposal for the 2027 NOFA-VT Winter Conference taking place at Saint Michael's College in Colchester on February 13-14? You're in luck! We've just extended our deadline to September 15th!

Each year, our Winter Conference brings together farmers, homesteaders, gardeners, land stewards, educators, students, producers, policymakers, and food system advocates for a weekend of learning, connection, and skill sharing.

We’re looking for workshop leaders who want to contribute their ideas, experiences, and expertise to this vibrant community gathering.

We welcome proposals on topics related to food and farming systems, practical skills and knowledge sharing, and policy and advocacy for systems change. We’re especially interested in workshops that:

🥕 Support agricultural resilience in the face of a changing climate

🥕 Advance practices that repair historic and ongoing harms in our food system

🥕 Share innovative approaches and inspire new possibilities

🥕 Strengthen food security, community solutions, and connection

Learn more and submit your proposal by September 15th at the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1S6pzBYkf8IyFc_sqg9GA_RaLiS-hePZbxsyjGJBAY54/edit

Want support writing your proposal? Check out our handy how-to video:

https://youtu.be/k6vCPoThgOc?si=Q9HeY6rOm8xCjpb0

09/01/2026

“Although I share Leopold's preoccupation with the land and its fate, I have not had the benefit of his scientific training and discipline, and so knowing I am on his side has given me a measure of assurance I would not otherwise have had.” –Berry's 2010 testimony that prefaces the Leopold biography

Wendell Berry—author, agrarian, lifelong Kentuckian, and dear friend of the Foundation—has passed away at the age of 92. Deeply rooted in place, particularly rural working lands, Berry's poetry, fiction, essays, and activism celebrated the beauty of the natural world and fiercely critiqued the industrialization that threatened it. Through his work, he also asserted the importance of agriculture, farming, and economic lands to conservation, and he walked the walk for decades on his own family farm. Berry truly embraced that "most ancient… and pleasing responsibility" of caring for the earth in all he did, and his legacy of thoughtful stewardship will live on. Rest now in the grace of the world, Wendell.

“I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. …
… For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”

📷 Wendell stands in front of solar panels at his farm in Kentucky in 2011. Photo by Guy Mendes.

09/01/2026