Authors: Zubair Barkat, et. al. With this viewpoint, we propose the inclusion of nostalgia as a temporal and emotional thread to be woven into the key dimensions of the sense of place (SOP) framework in working landscapes: place attachment, physical-place...

The project is progressing nicely, with Smart Foodscapes 2.0 in the works. This newsletter highlights each of the key scientists on the project and their achievements, and we also get to marvel at the student outcomes. My personal favorite is the book tha...

Authors: Campbell, et. al. Bees are fascinating creatures that play a crucial role in pollination and ecosystem health. However, misconceptions about bees are widespread. Understanding the facts about bees helps us appreciate their significance and take a...

Authors: Muzzo, et. al. Beef production on chemically uniform grass monocultures can limit nutrient synchrony and contribute to uneven pasture use. We evaluated whether supplementing tannins with bioactive plant secondary compounds improves foraging dynam...

Authors: Trundle, et. al. The average family in the U.S. uses about 320 gallons of water per day, with about 30% of that water being used for outdoor purposes like landscape irrigation (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2025a). The EPA (2025b) r...

Authors: Campbell, et. al. Citizen science, also called community-based science or participatory science, provides a way for anyone to gather data, along with scientists, around a scientific question or phenomenon.

Authors: Campbell, et, al. All bees belong in a group of organisms (i.e., order) called “Hymenoptera.” The word Hymenoptera comes from two ancient Greek words: "hymen," which means membrane and "pteron," which means wing.

Get ready for insights and inspiration in our August 2025 Newsletter! Discover the latest breakthroughs from our research team, learn about dynamic projects across disciplines, meet our newest members, and enjoy a visual showcase of milestones and behind-...

Authors: Mohr, et. al. Companion planting is an agricultural practice in which two or more plants are intentionally grown together to enhance mutual productivity. The special relationships that plants have with other organisms help create balanced ecosyst...

Bee Camp Lessons included Flower Dissection, Pollinators Favorite Food, Statistics in the Garden, My Pet Beetle & Mealworms, 3D Insects, Bee Homes, Bee Dissection, Honeycomb Math, Song of the Bugs, and STEM Careers.

Authors: Barkat, et. al. This research explores the application of feminist standpoint theory in rangeland social science to enhance theory and practice.

The following garden-based, interdisciplinary STEAM lesson challenges students to consider the costs of planting, watering, and growing a garden. Students use mathematical thinking to determine if gardening is worth the cost and reward.

Whether you’re a rancher, researcher, educator, or land steward, our 2025 meeting offers a unique chance to see how science, education, and producer experience are shaping the future of sustainable beef production.

Authors: Muzzo, et. al. This study used random test split (RTS) and cross-validation (CV) machine learning data partition methods to test different models to classify cattle behavior, including activity and posture states as well as foraging behaviors, us...

Authors: Weber, et. al. This fact sheet explores using drones to enhance garden projects at home and in schools. It covers the benefits of drones, such as monitoring garden health, planning layouts, and assessing plant conditions through advanced imaging ...

Authors: Mohr, et. al. This fact sheet on organic pest management outlines sustainable gardening practices that promote ecological balance and biodiversity. It defines organic pest management as a proactive method, using natural insecticides like sulfur a...

Authors: Villalba et.al. Researchers used the MINDY model to study how adding tannin-rich legumes to grasslands affects cattle's environmental impact. Methane and nitrogen emissions increased with legume intake, but strategic legume allocation reduced env...

Catch up on the latest in our February 2025 newsletter! MacAdam is testing 10 new plant species this year, while Villalba’s grazing study has produced exciting preliminary results. Plus, explore four new career spotlight videos featuring Villalba and Thac...

On Jan. 14, Utah State University celebrated the launch of the new Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) Center. There, crammed in alongside the other poster session participants, including a few knee-high robots excitedly bouncing up and down a...

Authors: Muzzo et. al. Climate change is a global challenge that impacts rangeland and pastureland landscapes by inducing shifts in temperature variability, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. These changes alter soil and plant conditions...

In this Smart Foodscapes Series video, Dr. Juan Villalba tells us how he became interested in becoming a Rangeland Scientist, and how his career is helping to improve the health of the Earth and its inhabitants.  He explains how to find your passion in li...

In this Smart Foodscapes Series video, Dr. Juan Villalba tells us how he became interested in becoming a Rangeland Scientist, and how his career is helping to improve the health of the Earth and its inhabitants.  He explains how to find your passion in li...

In this Smart Foodscapes Series video, Dr. Eric Thacker explains the details of his chosen career as a Rangeland Extension Specialist and the wonderful surprises that he has encountered throughout his career. This video is designed for high school student...

In this Smart Foodscapes Series video, Dr. Eric Thacker explains the details of his chosen career as a Rangeland Extension Specialist and the wonderful surprises that he has encountered throughout his career. This video is designed for elementary students...

In this Smart Foodscapes Series video, Dr. Jennifer MacAdam tells us about the intricacies of her job as a Plant Physiologist at Utah State University. This video is designed for high school students and serves as an introduction to the possibilities and ...

In this Smart Foodscapes Series video, Dr. Jennifer MacAdam tells us about the intricacies of her job as a Plant Physiologist at Utah State University. This video is designed for elementary students and serves as an introduction to the possibilities and j...

Western rangelands are dominated by native and exotic cool-season grass species. These species exhibit high forage nutritive value in Spring but decline in early Summer as the plant approaches maturity. To address this, costly protein supplementation is o...

Approximately six million beef calves are produced annually in the western U.S., and ranchers must maintain profitable operations while addressing the growing number of consumers seeking environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable food. In res...

Authors: Villalba et al. Landscape interventions can lead to the establishment of resource patches or “islands” with a diversity of bioactive-containing forages (e.g., legumes, herbs, shrubs) in monotonous rangelands or pasturelands, viewed as a “sea” of...

The weather impacts every aspect of our lives, from the clothing we choose to wear each day to our travel plans and activity choices. The weather also impacts our school and home gardens and landscaping. Whenever you check the weather on your phone or any...

Chirps, cheeps, and croaks! Animals use sounds to communicate with each other, just like humans. Humans can listen in on animals by using a bioacoustic monitoring device, a passive device that quietly records surrounding sounds.

Outreach and programs aimed at encouraging the adoption of conservation practices in agriculture often rely upon insights from past, current, and potential users. However, collecting feedback can be challenging, especially for innovative or complex practi...

Insects and arthropods, some of the most abundant residents in school and home gardens, play many significant roles as predators, herbivores, detritivores, and parasites. Predators are particularly important in the garden because they help keep the “bad,”...

Tannins are phenolic compounds that provide benefits to ruminants due to their protein-binding affinities and antioxidant properties. However, tannins may also have negative orosensorial and postingestive effects that decrease feed intake. This study expl...

Compost, a mixture of decayed organic material, can be used as a natural way to enrich soil and fertilize plants. You can create compost for your home or school garden by using food scraps (e.g., vegetable and fruit peels, coffee grounds, tea leaves, egg ...

Tannins are naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds increasingly recognized for their potential benefits to ruminants. Tannins can be extracted from plants' roots, bark, leaves, and seed husks. Management of plant communities to produce a diverse array...

The nutritional value of grasslands declines as the season progresses, negatively impacting cattle nutrition. Protein supplementation may reverse this trend, although high rates of ruminal proteolysis reduce the efficiency of N utilization.

We’re excited to share some fantastic updates in this season’s newsletter! You’ll find a bunch of new project photos, two fresh career videos featuring our very own Dr. Jennifer MacAdam, and some valuable resource sheets we’d love for you to share with yo...

Trail cameras (also called game or wildlife cameras) have been used for decades to document wildlife for personal use (for example, identifying key areas frequented by game animals), education, and scientific use (documenting distributions of animals arou...

Climate change is a global challenge to ecosystem services, altering crop yields and food security worldwide. In the context of climate change, Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. (sainfoin) can offer a multitude of ecosystem services conferred by its multifacete...

Plant secondary compounds (PSCs) were thought to be waste products of plant metabolism when first identified in the mid-1800 s. Since then, many different roles have been recognized for these chemicals

Watch the Zoom recording from the last day of our meeting after everyone has had a chance to see the research in action. This is a three-hour-long brainstorming, integration, and feedback session from everyone involved. We go over: • What we learned

Watch the Zoom recording from the last day of our meeting. It's a three-hour session where we brainstorm, integrate, and provide feedback on: -What we learned -Our plans for the year -Improving integration of research, extension, and education effort

Check out the photos from our annual meeting this year. View the research sites, meeting attendees and speakers.

Raised garden beds, also called garden boxes, are great for growing small plots of veggies and flowers. Raised beds are different from container gardening as they do not have bottoms; they are open to the ground, which offers the benefit of permitting pla...

Vertical gardening is the practice of in-ground gardening that grows plants up a trellis, arch, or vertical support. It can be used in container gardening by growing vertically. Some vertical gardens employ hydroponics to feed their plants. Vertical garde...

Insects play a very important role in your garden as pollinators, prey for beneficial wildlife, predators controlling insect pests, and as soil nutrient recyclers. Follow the best gardening practices below to promote insect conservation and create healthy...

In the United States, many houses have roofs that allow water to flow down the sides, being directed into a rain gutter and then a downspout. Traditionally, this water is dumped into the ground, a ditch, or the street as it flows back into the ground or i...

During this lesson, students engage with the phenomenon of the coevolution of structures of pollen and pollinators and their functions. Students collect pollen, prepare pollen slides, and make observations of the features and structures of pollen. Next, s...

Many flowering plants and trees, as well as vegetables, are critical to healthy and biodiverse habitats. Installing a smart foodscape in which you integrate edible plants into an existing landscape is a great way to do just this! The key is to create mult...

When most people think of a home for a bee, they probably picture the white wooden hives or domeshaped skeps associated with beekeeping. Those homes are just for honeybees, a single social species of non-native bee that is kept around the world for honey ...

Dr. Larry Krissek from Utah State University tells us how much fun it is to be a Geologist.

Dr. Larry Krissek from Utah State University tells how fun it is to be a Geologist. This video is designed for High School students grade 9 to 12.

Co-PI Dr. Katherine Vella describes the sustainable gardens project we are doing in Wellington Utah.

Mark your calendar for our upcoming Smart Foodscapes Annual Advisory Board meeting, May 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 2024. Please RSVP to Resha Whitaker by sending an email to resha.whitaker@usu.edu.

Dr. Kaitlin Campbell, Associate Professor, Biology Department at University of North Carolina, Pembroke explains the interesting diversification of her career as an entomologist. This video is created for High School students from 9th to 12th grade.

Dr. Kaitlin Campbell, Associate Professor, Biology Department at University of North Carolina, Pembroke explains the interesting diversification of her career as an entomologist. This video is designed for a younger group of children, grades kindergarten ...

Children are full of wonder concerning the natural world. They instinctively ask how, what, and why questions about their surroundings. Fostering this interest supports the development of children’s ideas about the world and their budding understanding of...

What do birds and bees have to do with flowers and trees? How do pollinators connect to this thing called “love”? This 3-D lesson distinguishes itself from classic flower dissection lessons in that we tell the flowering plant story from the perspectiv

Social connections are crucial for today’s middle and high school students. We address this social need through a 3-H Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Cycle. Through the Three Sisters Garden activity presented here, we teach secondary school students a...

Authors: Vela et al. A real-world integrated activity allows middle school students to design a scale drawing for a garden at their school.

Legumes and forbs contain bioactives or plant secondary compounds (PSC) with potential to enhance animal health through their antibiotic, antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties that are evident even at small dietary concentrations. In turn, ruminants...

Feed is the greatest input cost for cattle producers. The studies summarized here employed non-bloating, tannin-containing irrigated perennial legume pastures or hay of legumes or a hydrolysable tannin-containing forb that were grown in the Mountain West ...

Check out our February 2024 Newsletter, highlighting the accomplishments the team made in 2023. We also have a few new members that have joined the team. Be sure to check out the two bee camp videos and two entomology career videos.

This is our second annual meeting, one year into the project. We have a handful of short presentations discussing the upcoming research that will be involved and the necessary steps to achieve our transformative paradigm for western U.S. beef production....

Juan Villalba and a team of experts in plant ecology, range management, agricultural production, economics, outreach, and education, have been set with a tough task — developing an eco-friendlier way to create a burger. The issue they face is cow burps.

Researchers at Utah State University are looking at ways to improve the air quality by focusing on methane gas that cows release into the air.

Part 4 of our initial collaboration on the project explores the education component in depth and we have an open discussion regarding this section of the project.

Part 3 of our initial collaboration meeting introduces the education component of the Smart Foodscapes research project.

In this two and half hour zoom meeting the team has an open discussion about the project in general, the goals they want to accomplish.

A continuation of part 1 of our research component of the project delves into the extension wing of the project followed by an open discussion.

This is the first collaboration meeting with everyone involved in the Smart Foodscapes project. Here you will learn the motivating factors behind the research project and get to meet each of our team members as they introduce themselves and explain how th...

We will have our first annual meeting during December 14-15, 2021. We are looking forward to a productive and dynamic meeting that will help delineate a master plan for the future of smart foodscapes.

The Herald Journal: Juan Villalba, a wildland resources professor at USU, is leading a team granted nearly $7 million from the USDA to help improve rangeland for cattle. The researchers hope to study how effective it is to plant “islands” of 24 types of l...

With support from a major new grant from the USDA, Juan Villalba (left), Jennifer MacAdam, Eric Thacker and Kathy Trundle (not pictured) will work on novel ways to produce beef as an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable food.