We packed up our bags on a mini road trip to some of Texas' biggest cities over the Fourth of July weekend.
I want to help develop the bridge between each aspect of agriculture, from the farmer to the researcher and to the consumer.
From my first week at the Noble Research Institute, I’ve been growing and taking care of several flats of Setaria viridis, more commonly known as green foxtails.
The Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas, is a famous home to approximately 1.5 million bats during the summer months, and every night at sunset, crowds gather to watch the nocturnal animals swarm out from their nests beneath the bridge.
One of my projects while interning with the Noble Research Institute was a "mob," or high stock density grazing, simulation.
As I watched this ballet of wind and water elementals I thought quietly to myself—actually I had to scream-think it because of the noise of the maelstrom – "Boy, was this Iowa boy ever ignorant. How could I ever have thought that this place was a desert?"
Before I left home to head to Ardmore, I was told numerous times that I needed a boat in order to get around. I didn’t take much heed to this advice, though I almost needed to.
I’m now looking forward to this coming summer in Ardmore with the Noble Research Institute. I can’t wait to unveil the mysteries of science with my fellow scholars and lab members.
This summer, I hope to complete a project that contributes to a larger goal of improving how farmers around the world are able to grow their crops.