Vermont Research News: Mount Holly mammoth, police costs, Solzhenitsyn, more rain more phosphorus, voting in prison, growing saffron

Heavy Rain leads to more Phosphorous Runoff
Researchers from the University of Vermont completed a study on the effects of tile drainage, a method for draining subsurface water, on phosphorous runoff and pollution from the use of fertilizers and manures. Examining three Vermont dairy farms near Lake Champlain with tile drainage from 2018 to 2021, the scholars found that the total amount of phosphorous runoff varied by season and with the drought conditions that characterized the period of the study, with heavy rain leading to more runoff. The scholars note that climate change has an impact on rainfall patterns and conclude that more research is needed to understand its future impact on runoff, particularly for Vermont’s clay soils.

Growing Saffron in Vermont
Saffron has become a more popular crop in Vermont for its culinary and medicinal uses. A group of UVM researchers investigated the ideal growth and drying conditions to determine how to produce the highest concentrations of Saffron’s medical compounds, which include potential applications treating cancers, digestive disorders, and Alzheimer’s. The scholars planted 7000 saffron plants at UVM's Horticulture Center and subjected them to a variety of temperature conditions. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy—the scholars found that drying at 100 degrees Celsius was ideal for preserving the medicinal qualities of the plant, as well as a new technique for extracting the compounds.

Winter Road Maintenance Cost Calculator
Researchers at the Transportation Research Center released a new tool to predict the cost of snow and ice controls for winter weather. The tool, which is implemented in Microsoft Excel, works by simulating 10,000 winter seasons matching the user’s specifications and calculates costs for each simulation. The researchers hope that it will assist policymakers in making appropriate investments in snow and ice control. The project was funded by the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Russian dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was drawn to Vermont in part because of town meeting, according to Russian Scholar Kevin McKenna. Solzhenitsyn lived for almost twenty years in Cavendish inspiring a community book about him. McKenna suggests that if he were alive today, Solzhenitsyn would oppose the invasion of Ukraine, especially under the leadership of a strong-handed President Putin. In a number of his fictional (One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich) and non-fictional works (Gulag Arkhipelago), Solzhenitsyn demonstrated great respect and admiration for Ukrainian people, McKenna writes.

Milkweed Farms Host Diverse Insects

Milkweed is gaining popularity as a cash crop in the northeast; its fluffy seed has found use in mopping up oil spills and as insulation. The ecological impacts of growing it are less well-known. A recent study conducted in Alburgh found that among cultivated milkweed, forest, conventional hay and corn farms, milkweed fostered significantly more taxonomic diversity in insects above ground. Milkweed also had larger insects compared to hay and forest. The scholars suggest that with the development of viable markets, milkweed could provide “both economic and ecological benefits.”

Gary Shattuck, author of a new book on the “Irasburg Affair” – an infamous incident from Vermont's 1960s when a white man fired into a black family’s home -- will debate Steve Terry live on the Center for Research on Vermont’s Facebook page March 3 at noon. Terry covered the story for the Rutland Herald and disagrees with Shattuck about some of the books' findings. The conversation is moderated by the Center's Meg Little Reilly.

March Meditate and Create - Art and Fear in Mixed Media and Collage - March 3
March Paint & Sip at Black Flannel Brewing - March 6
March Paint & Sip, At Home With Anharad Llewelyn - March 9
SB Artmix 2022 - March 12