Fostering constructive dialogue about food and agriculture will be the focus of the March 3 Heuermann Lecture by Tamar Haspel, food columnist for The Washington Post. The presentation at Nebraska Innovation Campus will be part of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture’s IMPACT 2026 Conference.
The title of Haspel’s presentation is “The Elephant in the Room: Building Bridges for Better Agricultural Solutions.”
Her Post column, “Unearthed,” addresses a broad range of food issues, commenting on agriculture, nutrition, obesity, the food environment and do-it-yourself tangents. In 2015, her commentary earned a James Beard Award for exceptional reporting and analysis in food writing.
On March 3, the Nebraska East Union will host the Water and Integrated Cropping Systems Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. At 4 p.m., Haspel will deliver the Heuermann Lecture in the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Transformation Drive.
Following her presentation, the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture invites faculty, staff, students and stakeholders to remain on Nebraska Innovation Campus to attend the Agronomy and Horticulture IMPACT 2026 Conference kickoff mixer at 6 p.m. and the full conference on March 4.
The conference, with the theme “Innovation and Partnerships for the Future” is 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nebraska Innovation Campus. The department-wide showcase and strategy conference will highlight the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture’s collective achievements in teaching, research and extension while fostering collaboration across disciplines and with industry, agencies, commodity boards and community stakeholders.
Haspel has written for The Atlantic, Discover, Vox, Slate, Fortune and Eater. At home, she and her husband grow their own tomatoes, catch their own fish, hunt their own venison and raise their own chickens.
The Heuermann Lecture series in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources focuses on providing sustainability in the areas of food, natural resources and renewable energy for people, as well as securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs.
The series is made possible through a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, Nebraska, as an enduring commitment to Nebraska’s production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.
