Texture and Bulk Density Training Event – Buncombe County, NC
April 25th, 2025
Doctoral student Alam Ramirez Reyes, and masters student Carlee Epting headed to the NC Cooperative Extension – Buncombe County Center in Asheville, NC. Here Alam lead the discussion on the importance of bulk density and texture for soils, specifically after Hurricane Helene. In lab and outdoor field sampling techniques were discussed and demonstrated such as; hand texturing, intact core sampling, and in lab texture analysis.
Flood Recovery Event – Warren Wilson College Farm in Swannanoa, NC
March 8th, 2025
Dr. Ekrem Ozlu and Masters Student Carlee Epting headed out to Western North Carolina (WNC). During this event, various extension agents walked farmers, students, and visitors through the effects of flooding from Hurricane Helene on physical, chemical, and microbial properties of the soils. Dr. Ekrem Ozlu presented his topic on Best practices for removing/mitigating impacts of flood deposits.
Soil Strike Team – Buncombe, Avery, Mitchell, Madison, Watauga, and Yancy Counties in NC
November, 2024
Dr. Ekrem Ozlu was involved in an outreach mission in Western North Carolina (WNC). A team of 4 researchers from the NC State Crop and Soil Sciences department headed out to the most affected counties in WNC from Hurricane Helene. During their time here, the group worked with local agents to assess soil and water conditions across 18 different farms, for contaminants and evaluated agricultural risks.
Extension training – The Vernon G. James/Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth, NC
June 5th, 2024
During this training in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, the Ozlu Soil Management Lab members, walked extension agents through the sampling techniques used for soil health assessments. The team also discussed best management practices for salt water intrusion, and sandy soils.
