The Food Fix

By Quinn Zimmerman

In the second part of this series on sustainability in the Michigan dairy industry, Quinn Zimmerman continues her discussion with Brooke Wilke, the farm manager and Howard Straub, the dairy manager at Michigan State’s Kellogg Biological station pasture dairy center. Today, they discuss the advantages of robotic milking and some of the difficulties that come with the use of this technology.

By Quinn Zimmerman

In this two part series on sustainability in the Michigan dairy industry, Quinn Zimmerman talks with the Kellogg Biological Station -Pasture Dairy Center farm and dairy managers, Brooke Wilke and Howard Straub. In today's episode, the focus is on economic and social challenges for Michigan dairy farmers. They also discuss ways that consumers can better connect with their local food system.

By Gloria Nzeka

Could a multifaceted education in agriculture be the missing link in solving food insecurity in Africa? Blessing Iveren Agada, professor in the department of Soil Science at the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi, Nigeria, proposes a model for interdisciplinary education that would ensure the sustainability of agricultural policies.

By Gloria Nzeka

The MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources launched a series of science-based community conversations around food, called “Our Table”.

The aim is to help consumers make informed choices as far food and nutrition is concerned. The first discussion focused on the science behind GMOs, and how food labeled as “non-GMO” are not always indicators of healthy food.

On the panel were:

• Alison Bernstein, assistant professor, MSU College of Human Medicine, and founder, Science Moms

• Jennifer Carter-Johnson, associate professor, MSU College of Law

• Paul Thompson, MSU W.K. Kellogg Chair in Agricultural, Food and Community Ethics

• Felicia Wu, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor, MSU Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, and MSU Department of Food Science

On the final episode for our series, 'What does healthy eating look like?', Michigan State University Nutritionist Anne Buffington shares how people can gain control from falling for diet traps by corporations, and ways to tune out the negative messages in social media.

For the second part of the series, 'What does Healthy Eating Look Like?', reporter Naina Rao explores the relationship between body weight and our health. 

She talks to Anne Buffington, the nutrition program coordinator at Michigan State University, on whether weight gain is a good predictor of our health and how the messages and ideas of a healthy lifestyle, have de-regulated the way we control our food consumption.

By Gloria Nzeka

A team of researchers in the department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University work to improve the quality of beans and introduce a variety of healthy ways through which beans can be consumed.

There are lots of ideas out there telling you what to eat and what not to eat. Social media has helped distribute messages about food, nutrition, and weight in a much larger platform. Should I eat gluten? Should I ban bread? Are carbs good for me, or do they make me look 'fat'?

The answers to these questions are usually 'junk science' according to Anne Buffington. She's the nutrition program coordinator at MSU and is a registered dietitian. And she believes that our bodies know what's best for us, not twitter or Pinterest.

Reporter Naina Rao talks to Buffington on what healthy eating looks like when messages like these are ignored.

By Gloria Nzeka

Julia Bella-Bravo and Barry Pittendrigh, researchers in the Feed the Future Innovation Lab - which focuses on improving grain legumes, including beans in Central America and cowpea in West Africa - discuss their project called Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO), an initiative that uses mobile technology to help farmers improve their work.

Julia Bella-Bravo and Barry Pittendrigh, researchers in the Feed the Future Innovation Lab - which focuses on improving grain legumes, including beans in Central America and cowpea in West Africa - discuss their project called Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO), an initiative that uses mobile technology to help farmers improve their work.