Summer research and extension (7/18/2024)

It has been a great summer season with some awesome projects underway!

In May, I traveled out to Michigan to begin a very exciting collaboration with the Long-Term Agroecological Research Trial at the Kellogg Biological Station as part of my NSF PRFB work. In this project, we are working together to examine if crop rotations with higher diversity may have higher soil phosphorus cycling activity compared to conventional corn-soybean systems using classical soil physicochemical analyses, metatranscriptomics, and mathematical modelling. Analyses are currently underway, and we should have some data very soon!

Last month, I also began a new partnership with Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont (LEAF) to expand on my urban soils research in the Bay Area. For our project together, we are collecting soil samples from LEAF’s three urban gardens to assess what impacts regenerative agricultural management practices may have had on in ground soil at the site. Specifically, we are examining soil fauna and microorganisms, heavy metals, and soil carbon and nutrition with the help of LEAF’s Science Team and Students for LEAF. You can read more about this project here: https://www.fremontleaf.org/post/leaf-news-july-2024

Finally, I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Urban Tilth’s North Richmond farm last week to facilitate a two-day workshop on soil testing and soil health as part of the Rudy Lozito Fellowship Program. It was so lovely to work with the fellows and to see all the inspiring work Urban Tilth is doing in Richmond!