CAST

Know a scientist, economist, or communicator doing this kind of work? Nominations for the 2026 Borlaug CAST Communication Award are open through May 31. Nominate them: buff.ly/OGUqdjj

"The work of explaining the economics of our food system is never finished." — Dr. Ortega at the BCCA ceremony. Episode 393 is proof of that.

Our 2025 BCCA honoree Dr. David Ortega is on The Produce Moms podcast (Ep. 393) breaking down food prices, trade, tariffs, and what a resilient produce supply chain looks like. Worth a listen. 🎙️ buff.ly/XMn1oty

Missed the CAST webinar on mental health in agricultural communities? The recording is now on YouTube. Florence Becot, PhD (Penn State) on farm stress, structural barriers, and what the research says works. Watch → youtu.be/3k7epsAJkrM #RuralMentalHealth #Agriculture #CAST

One question: what does U.S. agriculture need for the next generation? Clear direction delivered. More to come. Read more: buff.ly/XWXjoYd #CAST #Agriculture #ScienceThatFeedsTomorrow

CAST's Strategic Advisory Council wrapped its first in-person meeting in Washington, D.C. this week. Two days. Voices from law, policy, Congress, national security, tech, academia, and agriculture.

What explains elevated rates of stress and suicide in farming communities — and what can be done about it? Florence Becot, PhD (Penn State) addresses both at the CAST webinar May 12. Free | Noon CT. Register → buff.ly/wrCkAZ3 @psuextension @AgSafety4u

What invasive plants are doing to wildfire regimes — new CAST publication, just released. Free to read. 📄 buff.ly/UKiK6sj 🎥 youtu.be/gLlq0AiY1O8 @castagscience @IPMWest @WSWeedSci #InvasivePlants #Wildfire #WeedScience

Missed yesterday's CAST webinar on invasive plants and wildfire? 🔥 The recording is up. Watch now and read the full publication, both free. 🎥 youtu.be/gLlq0AiY1O8 📄 buff.ly/SuGp5Nf @castagscience @IPMWest @WSWeedSci #InvasivePlants #Wildfire #Cheatgrass

🔥 The publication examines the science, policy and management tools at the intersection of invasive plants and wildfire — including how species like cheatgrass and buffelgrass create fire cycles that are hard to break. Register: buff.ly/vZoDp2U @IPMWest @WSWeedSci

CAST releases *Integrated Management of Fire-Adapted Invasive Plants That Change Wildfire Regimes* live on May 6 — paper drops during the webinar. Free release webinar with Greg Dahl, Matthew Baur and Brian Mealor (Univ. of Wyoming): buff.ly/vZoDp2U

The recording of the CAST × SIVB webinar is now on YouTube. "From Code to Culture: How AI and Bioinformatics Are Transforming In Vitro Biology" Watch → buff.ly/Yq9BoHm #InVitroBiology #AI #Bioinformatics #CAST #SIVB

A plant culture can look healthy—and still be failing. Machine learning can detect early stress signals in imaging data before the human eye can. Happening today, 12 PM EDT Free → buff.ly/qUgrzQL

One week away. 🔥 Not all invasive plants fuel wildfires — some suppress them. Both matter. CAST’s new publication covers both dynamics, plus integrated management approaches and regional case studies from CA, the Southeast and the Sagebrush Steppe. buff.ly/vZoDp2U

New free webinar from CAST | May 12 | Noon CT "Supporting the Mental Health and Economic Viability of Agricultural Communities" Florence Becot, PhD (Penn State) on farm stress, rural mental health challenges, and what's working. Register: buff.ly/tvrejIH #RuralHealth

We can map structure. We can measure cells. The challenge is connecting them. That’s where computation changes everything. buff.ly/qUgrzQL April 30 · Noon EDT · Free @castagscience @sivbiology #AI #Bioinformatics

Can a farm tour change how someone understands agriculture? National Pork Board's Stephanie Wetter says yes — and explains why in the latest Voices of Agriculture. 🐷 buff.ly/uw1vpL0 ___ Opinions are the author's own and do not represent CAST's positions or policies.

🎬 The recording is up! Lyle Cowell (Nutrien) walks through the eKonomics calculators and platform in our April 23 webinar. Free to watch! ▶️ youtu.be/Mj4AVXCnvjs

Mapping arthropod brains to decode cellular function. Matthew Gruner (@UNR) presents on connectomics + single-cell atlases at the CAST × @SIVB webinar April 30. Free | Noon EDT → buff.ly/z8Ibcsk #Connectomics #SingleCell #Neuroscience

More data won't automatically build public trust in ag science. @Corteva's Melissa Merlau Johnson makes the case for a different approach in this month's Voices of Agriculture. 🌾 Read it here: buff.ly/91h2ZJr Opinions are the author's own.