A flock of students, faculty and food sustainability supporters sampled beer, chocolate and sourdough bread at Hunt Library’s Duke Energy Hall last Thursday night. These three guilty pleasures, each made with underused crops, proved that these crops are necessary in satisfying everyday cravings. Rob Dunn, professor in the Department of Applied Ecology, highlighted the necessity of utilizing underused crops in his recent book“Never Out of Season.” The book launch took place last Thursday evening.

Conservation biologist and award winning author Thor Hanson is one of many to appreciate Dunn’s work for the way he relates such an abstract issue to the everyday man.

“Rob’s work stands out because he approaches big issues — like food sustainability — with the perspective of a hands-on biologist,” Hansen said. “His work is always firmly grounded in the tangible ways that we relate to, and depend upon, our environment.”

The primary function of “Never Out of Season” is to explain the history of the modern food system, highlighting the danger of depending on few crops grown on an overwhelmingly large scale. However, Hanson advises readers that an important underlying message exists — that is, that individual action matters. Hansen adds that “Never Out of Season” reminds consumers to act responsibly when buying, eating, throwing away or growing crops.

 Dunn’s overall message is portrayed in an understandable way, through colorful anecdotes and connections to everyday society that will draw in a wide variety of readers.

“Rob Dunn is a communicator,” Hanson said. “He finds the storyline in complex ideas, making the book not just informative, but entertaining and a pleasure to read.”

At the book launch, Dunn focused on explaining the necessity of a few of the underused crops he touches on in his book: rubber, yeast and the tropical yuca plant. Dunn noted Henry Ford in his attempt to preserve and utilize rubber by planting rubber trees in the widely known, broad-leafed Amazon rain forest. Ford’s attempt to develop a rubber plantation ultimately failed due to improper planning and limited knowledge of Brazilian culture.

“He planted a monoculture and didn’t plan ahead, and it collapsed,” Dunn said. “So Henry Ford said, clearly, ‘I’m Henry Ford, so I’m just going to plant another one.’ He gave back that part of the Amazon to Brazil and he bought another part of the Amazon and did the same thing again, he planted a monoculture again and didn’t plan and it collapsed.”

Dunn adds that these collapsed Brazilian monocultures can be visited today.

Dunn then focused on the importance of the underestimated yuca plant, an essential root crop for those living in Tropical regions, rich in calcium, potassium and vitamin C. The next crop introduced was yeast. Yeast, arguably one of the most necessary underused crops to modern day Americans, is used to make beer, wine, bread and more. After the informative talk, guests were then able to sample beer made with yeast found in an unlikely place. 

“We’re looking to nature for new kinds of yeast that we can use,” Dunn said. “One of places we’re looking is in bees and wasps. So, you can taste a new kind of beer, which is based from a new kind of yeast, found in the bumblebee, and can brew into sour beer which would usually take a year to make — in a month.”

Greg Raschke, NCSU Libraries’ associate director for collections and scholarly communication, has worked to bring together NCSU Libraries and the booming science community at NC State to bring attention to critical scientific issues to the entire Triangle area.

“The libraries have worked together quite a bit with the public science cluster to engage the university community and the Raleigh community and Triangle community on issues related to public science and public health,” Raschke said.

Raschke advises students to pick up a copy of “Never Out of Season,” as it shows how to communicate science effectively, and how to connect science to one’s everyday life. He also adds that students will realize much about the food supply that they were not previously aware of.

“NC State does a lot of crucial research about feeding the world,” Raschke said. “Rob’s message is one that’s very important about monoculture.”

NC State’s very own Agroecology Farm and Center Environmental Farming Systems, (CEFS) takes action by implementing local homegrown crops into University Dining services. The local farm is currently growing spring crops such as carrots, beets, kale, lettuce and spinach.

More information about the Agroecology farm can be found on their website.