Director: Kevin Murphy
Kevin is an Associate Professor of International Seed and Cropping Systems in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at WSU, where he leads the Sustainable Seed Systems Lab and their work on specialty crop breeding and agronomy program. The goal of his lab is to increase the genetic- and bio-diversity of cropping systems across Washington State through the development of new cultivars and implementation of ecologically-rooted production practices. Internationally, he conducts participatory breeding and agronomic research on quinoa, barley, and millets in Rwanda, Malawi, and Ecuador. His group focuses on breeding and/or cropping systems research in barley, quinoa, spelt, buckwheat, perennial grains, and millets. He and his team emphasize crops, varieties, and/or farming systems that optimize nutritional value and provide tolerance to heat, drought, and diseases while improving yield, flavor and end-use quality, and their cropping systems research has included studies on intercropping, cover crops, crop rotation effects, no-till farming, crop-livestock integration, and optimal planting dates and nitrogen, irrigation and seeding rates.

About the Organizers:
WSU FOOD SYSTEMS TEAM

The Washington State University Food Systems Program delivers multidisciplinary expertise across academic, research, and extension, providing specialized resources for farmers and food systems contributors. We seek to work with communities throughout the state to foster viable farm businesses, optimize sustainable natural resource stewardship, and to promote scaled processing and distribution, always in the pursuit of access to healthy food for all. Our work is guided by an interdisciplinary team made up of WSU Faculty, Staff, and critical non-WSU partners. The WSU Food Systems Team collaborates on initiatives that promote research, implement change, and provide unparalleled educational opportunities for farm and food systems stakeholders throughout the state. The WSU Food Systems Program has grown from historical roots of what was the Small Farms Program, built on many years of dedicated support for Washington Farmers. We now venture to broaden our objectives, taking a holistic approach to supporting the Washington food system. We are organized as a collaborative program supported by both the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) and WSU Extension. All housed within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. READ MORE AT WWW.FOODSYSTEMS.WSU.EDU.