
Agriculture


Briefly noted

Scapes and scallions

Washington’s state fairs

Bad fungus
Not all fungi are good for plants or bees, or even people.
Anyone who has experienced mold outbreaks, wilting vegetable plants, or devastated flowers knows the destructive power of fungi. Washington State University researchers and Extension outreach specialists lead the fight against some these sinister fungi.
Fighting fungus in apples, pears under storage
Molds and fungi can wreck a good apple or pear.
Just ask Achour Amiri, assistant professor and researcher at the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center in Wenatchee. He specializes in diseases that spoil tree fruit and he can be found working in packing rooms … » More …

Touring the turfgrass
A tour of the Washington State University turfgrass research farm with director and plant biologist Michael Neff.
Listen to this episode of the magazine podcast, Viewscapes, on November 15.
Read more about plant biosciences research in “Just a small thing making a big difference.”
Just a small thing making a big difference

A boatload of ideas for fungi
Fungi and mycelium provide a flexible, earth-friendly material for all kinds of products.
Washington State University student Katy Ayers built a world record-setting canoe out of mycelium, her MyConoe. That’s just the beginning of her ideas about materials made from fungus. Larry Clark, editor of Washington State Magazine, talked with Ayers about products made from fungi and mycelium, along with potential fungi items such as fishing bobbers and hunting blinds.
Listen to the podcast:
Find more podcast episodes, and ways to subscribe and listen.
Read more in “It’s fungi to the rescue” (Winter 2022)
» More …

Oh, Christmas trees!

Three cheers for fair food
Of course, the best place to get fair food is the fair itself.
But you can also make your own at home, putting your deep-frying, powdered sugar-dusting skills to the test with recipes for everything from corn dogs to funnel cakes.
Here’s a round-up of recipes to try if you can’t wait for next year’s fair fare.
Make your own fair food at home
The Spokesman-Review recipe-tested a couple of recipes for corn dogs Recommended: the Iowa State Corn Dogs recipe).
Make your own ketchup, mustard, and mayo to go with your corn dogs (Spokesman-Review)