Dr. J.C. Raulston Inducted into 2016 Raleigh Hall of Fame

Dr. J.C. Raulston

Dr. J.C. Raulston will be inducted posthumously into the Raleigh Hall of Fame on October 3, 2016 in downtown Raleigh.

Dr. Raulston encouraged his students, colleagues and friends to “plan and plant for a better world.” He did just that himself when he founded an arboretum in 1976 as a faculty member of NC State University’s Department of Horticulture Science. The arboretum began as a teaching and research facility. Today, the ten-acre research garden, now named for JC who died in 1996, is enjoyed and used by students, green industry professionals and visitors from around the world. The JC Raulston Arboretum, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is visited by over 100,000 people yearly and is a vital part of the Raleigh community. In addition to touring the grounds, visitors can participate in a variety of events ranging from educational seminars to fun events for the family. JC’s legacy can also be found throughout the city–he willed funds from his estate for the city’s park system to plant flowering trees for twenty years.

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Inaugural Graduate Student Fellowships Recipients

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) has announced the first recipients of its Graduate Student Fellowships. The CEFS NC State University Graduate Fellows Program was developed to provide financial support and recognition for the future leaders, researchers and contributors to sustainable agriculture and local food systems while they pursue academic research to further their field of study. The Fellowship offers a one-year, $5,000 stipend for Master’s students and a two-year, $5,000-per-year stipend for Doctoral students. Stipend awards can be used at the student’s discretion.

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Barking Up The Right Tree

Aged pine bark is the one of the most common organic substrate components in the US, with bark from loblolly and longleaf pines being the most prominent in the southern U.S.  Aging is a modified composting process (no nitrogen source added) in which the bark is piled on the ground in windrows and allowed to age for a period of time, usually six months to one year. Aging time can vary between suppliers, or even for the same supplier, based on factors such as space shortages, product demand, or preference. The resulting end-products from these various procedures are all sold to the consumer as the same product, but are completely different in terms of percent fines, water holding capacity, air space, and nutrient immobilization, which will cause them to act differently when used in a growing mix. Fresh bark (bark that is sold shortly after removal from a tree, then ground, and screened to an appropriate particle size), may also be sold as a growing mix, and is preferred by some growers. Continue reading