School of Food and Agriculture

News Center highlights corn flea beetle research led by Schattman 

News Center Maine highlighted research led by Rachel Schattman, assistant professor of sustainable agriculture at the University of Maine, that found corn flea beetle infestations could cause more damage to crops in New England as the climate warms. A common pest found in the Midwest, the corn flea beetle causes a disease known as Stewart’s […]

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An aerial image of a field

Expansion of corn crop pest into New England a possibility, UMaine study finds 

While New England is well known for commodities such as maple syrup, wild blueberries and cranberries, its reputation for sweets extends to another crop: sweet corn. The 2023-24 crop production report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed the region produced just under 3 million tons of corn, of which Vermont contributed approximately half and […]

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News Center, WABI cover UMaine’s ‘Battle of the Chefs’

News Center Maine and WABI (Channel 5) covered the University of Maine’s “Battle of the Chefs,” an effort from Sodexo to expand its incorporation of Maine grown grains onto college menus. “College students are the future and planting the seed with them around Maine-grown grain [as] an exciting part of their diet, and a delicious […]

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Texas Tribune interviews Mallory on state responses to PFAS

The Texas Tribune interviewed Ellen Mallory, a professor and specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and School of Food and Agriculture, on Maine’s response to the presence of a group of chemicals known as PFAS. Mallory said the state’s response has been crucial in dealing with PFAS because of the lack of regulations […]

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Press Herald, News Center report on UMaine weather station network initiative

The Portland Press Herald and News Center Maine reported on an initiative from the University of Maine to build a statewide automated weather station network. The effort will be supported by $3.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending secured in the federal fiscal year 2024 budget by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King. The project […]

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Seafood consumers needed to sample squid dumplings for research 

Researchers at the University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture are seeking taste testers to sample a new seafood product that utilizes squid wings, a byproduct of squid processing, on Nov. 13 at the Sensory Evaluation Center in Hitchner Hall. Graduate student Mallory Perry and professor Denise Skonberg are recruiting people who are at […]

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Yankee Magazine highlights Dumas, Maine scallop industry

Yankee Magazine highlighted a trip to France, in which Robert Dumas, food science pilot plant manager at the University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture, participated to learn about scallops. The feature story focused on parallels between Maine and France and the future of the scallop as Maine’s premier seafood.

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The County highlights UMaine involvement in uplifting potato economy

The County highlighted the University of Maine’s involvement in the state’s potato industry. A UMaine study found that the industry contributes $1.3 billion to the state economy. Aroostook Farm in Presque Isle, a large contributor to the potato industry, is using $3 million from the University of Maine System to upgrade the farm’s research center […]

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Washington Post cites Camire on fridgescaping

A story from the Washington Post on fridgescaping, which combines aesthetics and functionality to turn refrigerators into appealing spaces that also promote healthier eating habits, featured Mary Ellen Camire, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine. While there are benefits to the process, there are also potential food safety […]

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