Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

UPDATES AT VIRGINIA TECH

D ean of C ollege of Ag and Life Sciences Leaving

January 7, 2009 -- Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Sharron Quisenberry has accepted the position of vice president for research and economic development at Iowa State effective April 1.

Since her appointment in 2003, the college has made tremendous progress in all areas of its missions and is poised for continued success as one of the most progressive agriculture programs in the country.

Senior vice president and provost, Mark McNamee has sought the Academic Council's input in seeking an internal candidate to fill the vacant position on a term basis. Quisenberry plans to step down as dean on March 1 and will prepare the leadership transition.

Quisenberry was appointed by President George Bush to serve on the board for International Food and Agriculture Development, had been the dean of agriculture at Montana State , and headed the Department of Entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, she is a national and international leader on plant/insect interactions and plant resistance to insects.

Nationally ranked among the top research institutions of its kind, Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences focuses on the science and business of living systems through learning, discovery, and engagement. The college's comprehensive curriculum gives more than 2,500 students in a dozen academic departments a balanced education that ranges from food and fiber production to economics to human health. Students learn from the world's leading agricultural and life scientists, who bring the latest science and technology into the classroom.

HOT TOPICS AND DAIRY ISSUES

Soy Milk or Cow's Milk: Which is “Greener”?

It is very difficult to compare soy milk to cow's milk. Soy milk can be packaged and marketed as a substitute for dairy, but environmentally, the products are extremely different. The calcium in soy milk is artificially added, and you don't get anything that remotely looks like milk from soy until the beans have been ground, the okara fiber has been removed, and water, vitamins, minerals, and sugar have been added. Cow's milk needs to be pasteurized and packaged, but what you buy in the store is much closer to what comes from the farm.

Both soy milk and cow's milk are sources of protein. Environmental costs associated with raising cattle include large amounts of feed, waste and methane. Researchers have shown that it takes about 14 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce one calorie of milk protein on a conventional dairy farm. Organically produced milk requires a little less than 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy, and improved farming methods could cut down greenhouse-gas emissions by 25% or more.

In comparison, it takes about 0.26 calories of fossil fuel to make a calorie of organic soybeans, which are used by most soy milk manufacturers. Soy protein accounts for about 35% of those calories, so it will take around 0.75 calories of energy to farm soy to produce a calorie of protein. So, soy protein is approximately 13 times more energy efficient than organic dairy protein.

However, you can drink raw soybeans The other ingredients in soy milk must be shipped, and the process of adding them requires energy and produces a significant amount of waste. Manufacturing soy milk is more similar to making fruit juice than cow's milk. The makers of Silk soy milk (which accounts for about two-thirds of America 's soy milk) purchase wind power to compensate for the energy it uses in production. In spite of this, soybean producers aren't very popular with the environmental movement. The majority of soybeans are genetically modified. And, in South America , farmers responding to the massive global demand for soy have been accused of causing lasting damage to the Amazon rainforest. Silk did not provide info about the percentage of soybeans they import from abroad.

Soy milk is a specialty product, and its market is about one-twentieth the size of dairy milk. Because it is a niche product, it will probably travel farther to the average consumer because fewer people produce it. More centralized production means that the soy will travel farther to reach the plant, too, and production has a larger environmental impact than transport.

Childhood Dairy Intake May Improve Adolescent Bone Health

ScienceDaily — Dairy is recognized as a key component of a healthy, balanced diet. However, until recently it was unclear how long-term dairy intake contributes to the many aspects of bone health in children, including bone density, bone mineral content, and bone area. A new study investigates the effect of childhood dairy intake on adolescent bone health.

Dr. Lynn Moore and colleagues from Boston University School of Medicine analyzed data from the Framingham Children's Study in an effort to understand the relationship between childhood dairy intake and adolescent bone health. The researchers gathered information from 106 children, 3 to 5 years of age at the beginning of the study, over a 12-year period. The families enrolled in the study were given food diaries to complete for the child and were asked to record everything the child ate and drank for several days each year.

The researchers used these diaries, along with information from the United States Department of Agriculture, to calculate the children's average daily intake of dairy and other foods. At the end of the 12-year period, the authors assessed the bone health of the now adolescent study participants. They found that the adolescents who had consumed 2 or more servings of dairy per day as children had higher levels of bone mineral content and bone density. Even after adjusting for factors that affect normal bone development, including the child's growth, body size, and activity level, the authors found that these adolescents' average bone mineral content was 175 grams higher than the adolescents who had consumed less than 2 servings of dairy per day.

The researchers also evaluated the combined effects of dairy and other foods consumed by the study participants. According to Dr. Moore, "Children who consumed 2 or more servings of dairy and 4 ounces of meat or other nondairy protein had bone mineral contents over 300 grams higher than those children with lower intakes of both dairy and other proteins." The study highlights the importance of dairy intake throughout childhood, and Dr. Moore points out that "dairy is a key source of proteins, calcium, and other micronutrients including phosphorus and vitamin D." Parents can promote healthy bone development during adolescence by making dairy a regular part of their child's diet.