Farming with nature - that is the foundation of Agroecology, "a field of study motivated to understand ecological, evolutionary, and socioeconomic principles and use them in an improvement process that sustains food production, conserves resources, and maintains social equality." Join us this month as Alyssa and Taylor discuss agroecology with Dr. Zachary Brym, an Associate Professor in Agroecology. His research and extension program explores how production systems can remain profitable while conserving natural resources.

⁠⁠Cultivating Curiosity Webpage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Resources

• Introducing Agroecology
• Agroecology Lab
• Agroecology Infographic

Florida is a tapestry of diverse environments and built landscapes, all intricately woven together by our most vital resource: water. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program represents our statewide best management practices for landscaping, aimed at protecting both water quality and quantity. Join Alyssa Vinson and Taylor Clem as they discuss the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program with the new director and our friend, Claire Lewis.

⁠⁠Cultivating Curiosity Webpage⁠⁠⁠⁠

Resources

• The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Webpage
• The Nine Principles
• The Plant Selection App
• Find your county extension office!

What do plants, squashing things, and Indiana Jones have in common? Plant Breeding, of course!

For centuries, humans have utilized forms of plant breeding to help promote desirable traits of food crops and ornamental plants. In the present day, plant breeders can do so much more. In this month's podcast, we are joined by Dr Brooks Parrish, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the University of Florida's Environmental Horticulture Department. Dr Parrish visited with Alyssa and Taylor to share his research, his Caladium discovery, cool plant breeding techniques, and a little about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Alyssa and Taylor also discovered a new career path...(the Indiana Jones reference).