Professor knows how to get her hands dirty
When hearing, “I would shake your hand but mine are covered in manure,” students know that this is a woman who is not afraid to get her hands dirty.
Jennifer Reeve, assistant professor of organic and sustainable agriculture, said she grew up on a small hobby farm in rural Norfolk, England, where her love for agriculture was created.
However, it wasn’t until she came to the states and worked for a small Virginia company making compost starter that her interest really took flight, she said.
Reeve’s specialty areas are sustainable agriculture and agro ecology.
According to the 1990 Farm Bill, “the term sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant and animal production which practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long-term, satisfy human food and fiber needs, enhance environmental quality and the natural resource based upon which the agricultural economy depends.”
Currently, Reeve is working with Dan Droust to help Utah onion growers. She said there is a yellow spot virus that is attacking their crops.
Reeve said her and Droust are trying to identify cultural changes that may get rid of the insect, the onion thrip that transmits the virus.
Reeve said she is very passionate about her work with these farmers and also her work at the organic student farm, which started last spring.
The farm is located on a five acre of land in North Logan. She said the students harvest potatoes, summer and winter squash, beets, tomatoes, melons, berries, swiss chard and cabbage every Tuesday morning at 8:30.
The harvested produce is then brought to campus to sale.
The sale is located at the fountain by the TSC. All of the proceeds of the sale go back into the farm.
“We are always looking for more help out to the farm,” Reeve said.
“Thursday nights we throw work parties, we harvest for an hour and then someone brings refreshments and we have a party afterwards and everyone takes home something. “
Reeve said she hopes to one day have a teaching facility at the farm.
She said she also hopes to work with other faculty and other departments on campus, like nutrition and food science to create a certificate in food production.
If interested in helping with the organic farm or learning more about sustainable agriculture, contact Reeve at jennifer.reeve@usu.edu