Purdue Agriculture Report

APRIL 2003

Welcome to Purdue Agriculture Report, an e-newsletter about research and Extension in the Purdue University College of Agriculture.

The impact of Purdue Extension at your fingertips
From Dean of Agriculture Victor Lechtenberg

Purdue Extension touches the lives of people across Indiana every day. Many of our programs impact youth, mothers and small business owners, as well as farmers. To find out more about what Purdue Extension is doing for you, check out the Purdue Agriculture Impact database at:

http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/impact/

The site documents more than 275 Extension efforts around the state that have improved people's lives and livelihoods. The database may be searched by keywords, if you have an interest in a certain topic such as nutrition or money management. The efforts also are grouped by area, such as the environment, economic development, health and education.

Purdue, IU, food industry unveil national food safety program

The first comprehensive, up-to-date food safety training program designed specifically for retail food stores nationwide was launched March 17 at the Food Safety Summit Meeting in Washington, D.C., by the researchers from Purdue and Indiana universities who developed the program.

Richard Linton, Purdue Extension food safety specialist, and David McSwane, IU associate professor of public and environmental affairs, along with independent writer Nancy Rue, collaborated to write a textbook and training program for managers and workers in grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, superstores and any retail store that sells food to consumers.

"This training program for the retail food store industry is important because many states require that at least one person from each food establishment must pass a nationally recognized food safety certification exam," Linton said. "This is a major step in having uniform training to ensure food safety." read more

Student-invented gelatin to help Indiana soybean farmers

A soy-based dessert created by Purdue students will hit the market this spring, thanks to a contract between the Indiana Soybean Board and a California manufacturer. Purdue Agriculture students Ryan Howard and Faye Mulvaney developed a gelatin soy protein dessert that can replace Jell-O, that quivering dessert that is a staple at potluck suppers and family gatherings.

"I think it is a great match for us," said Randy Smith, Indiana Soybean Board New Uses Manager, about the agreement with Lulu's Dessert Corp., one of the largest and fastest growing Hispanic businesses in the United States. Smith has been leading the ISB Soy Gelatin team since 1999 when the soy-based dessert won the State Soybean Utilization Contest sponsored by Purdue and the soybean board. Since that student invention, ISB's Soy Gelatin team has met with countless manufacturers and food scientists.

"We've been looking for a company that will give our soy gelatin the maximum exposure. We believe Lulu's is the company to do just that," Smith added.

Lulu's will market the product as Soy-U-Enjoy, a tasty gelatin-like snack that contains healthy soy protein and comes in an assortment of flavors. read more

Purdue field guide takes a megabyte out of crop problems

Purdue University's Corn and Soybean Field Guide fits in a farmer's shirt pocket, and this year's crop management guide will slide just as easily into a computer.

The 2003 guide, produced by Purdue's Crop Diagnostic Training and Research Center and the Purdue Pest Management Program, features updated sections on crop pests and treatment options. The most noticeable change this year is its availability on compact disc.

"The book is a pocket guide for corn and soybean production, from planting to harvest," said Ben Carter, a Purdue agronomist and the publication's editor. "It covers insects, diseases, weed problems and the recommended approaches to those problems. It also has a section where one can keep some minor field records. There's an area for calculations and capacities for various size containers, calibrating your planter and how to set it, and other things.

The 2003 edition includes new information and illustrations, design changes and a first-ever CD format. read more

Purdue Extension helps Indiana teens Drive Rite

Indiana communities can participate in a Purdue University initiative to help lower Indiana's teen driving fatality rate - one of the highest in the nation - by sponsoring Drive Rite, a community-family partnership to train young drivers.

"Most crashes that involve youth are due to a lack of driving experience on a variety of road conditions and a disregard of safety issues, such as speed limits and seat belt usage," said Juanita Russell, Purdue Extension youth and community leadership specialist and Drive Rite principal investigator. "Drive Rite is a supplement to a school-sponsored or private driver's education course or at-home instruction to help youth develop the skills, habits and attitudes necessary to become safe drivers."

Drive Rite is a community partnership among youth, parents, law enforcement and community leaders that grew out of Community Systemwide Response (CSR), a Purdue Extension-sponsored program that helps communities identify local issues related to children and families and develop a plan of action.

Four one-day workshops will train community-sponsored teams of 2-3 people on how to become a Drive Rite site. read more

Spring Fest offers new and exciting events, plus the usual fun

Fans of the television show CSI can become a forensic scientist for a day. Those enchanted with space can build and launch a rocket. Others can dress up and pretend to take the stage.

This year's Spring Fest, on Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Purdue University campus, will offer a wide array of activities.

"Spring Fest is really growing. We have seven schools participating this year - they include the schools of Agriculture, Consumer and Family Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Science, Education, Liberal Arts and Engineering," said Dana Neary, event coordinator. Returning favorites include Bug Bowl, the Boiler Brick Bowl, the vet medicine open house, and many other activities and games around campus.

All events are free and open to the public. Visitors can obtain a map and a list of all the events at http://www.ces.purdue.edu/sfest/index.html. Questions for a scavenger hunt also are posted so participants can print them off before coming to Spring Fest. For more information, contact (888) EXT-INFO. Free parking for the event is located in Purdue parking garages and lots.