{"id":3429,"date":"2025-02-03T22:03:19","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T22:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/?p=3429"},"modified":"2025-02-03T22:03:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T22:03:20","slug":"sustainable-solutions-tarleton-alumnus-cosette-taggart-blends-viticulture-and-biochar-research-to-drive-sustainable-farming-practices-at-wayfarer-vineyards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/coanr\/2025\/02\/03\/sustainable-solutions-tarleton-alumnus-cosette-taggart-blends-viticulture-and-biochar-research-to-drive-sustainable-farming-practices-at-wayfarer-vineyards\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Solutions: Tarleton Alumnus, Cosette Taggart, Blends Viticulture and Biochar Research to Drive Sustainable Farming Practices at Wayfarer Vineyards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Modern problems call for modern solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of these solutions would not be possible without researchers and agronomy professionals like Cosette Taggart striving to make changes in modern agriculture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\nTaggart racks Wayfarer wine from a barrel into a tank. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cThe thing that I like the most about agronomy is that it takes a holistic approach to crop production,\u201d Taggart said. \u201cIt makes you look at the environment as a whole and not just the pieces. Because at the end of the day, that\u2019s how our world works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just the organisms living in the soil or the climate or the rain or the composition of the soil. It\u2019s all of those things working together in unison which create our losses and our wins in the field. Being able to research those pieces and bring them together for a solution, I think is really rewarding work to do.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taggart, a Tarleton State Master\u2019s in Agriculture and Natural Resources alumnus, is a Production Assistant for Wayfarer Vineyards in Sonoma County, CA. Her role at the vineyard is two-fold. Her role involves tracking the phenology of the vines, water needs through stem water potential, preparing and coordinating the fall harvest, and overseeing the organic pest and nutrient management plan each year. Additionally, Taggart assists in the wine cellar and lab, running all analyses on fermenting and finished wines. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt has been really interesting to see a product from field to bottle and how our practices in the vineyard affect the wine itself,\u201d Taggart said. \u201cI\u2019m continuing to learn all the time and that keeps the job fun and interesting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following graduation with a biochemistry degree from American University in Washington, D.C., in 2016, Taggart worked as a Research Technician in Dr. Mala Mahendroo\u2019s lab at UT Southwestern. Her work there focused on the biology of cervical remodeling in term and preterm birth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a really great professional experience,\u201d Taggart said. \u201c[I realized] I wanted something different than being stuck inside all day. I loved the natural world, and I still really loved research, so I knew my next step was graduate school.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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This realization led Taggart to Tarleton State in the fall of 2019. She took on the thesis track soon after under the direction of Dr. James Muir. Taggart\u2019s thesis research focused on the determination of appropriate biochar levels for implementation in production agriculture and future field-scale trials. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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“I believe that if we want to continue using land year after year and adapt to what consumers want and the plants need, we will need to look to our agricultural past and innovate it for the future.” <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Biochar is a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, such as wood chips or manure, that resembles charcoal. Taggart\u2019s research with Muir led to an impressive publication record for the young alumnus, which are linked at the conclusion of the article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe demand on the soil of our modern agriculture is not sustainable…and consumers of the products are less and less happy to see synthetic nutrients being used to bolster \u2018spent soil,\u2019\u201d Taggart said. \u201cI believe that if we want to continue using land year after year and adapt to what consumers want and the plants need, we will need to look to our agricultural past and innovate it for the future \u2013 I think biochar will definitely have a role to play in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taggart\u2019s past and present will soon collide as Wayfarer Vineyard begins implementing biochar – sourced from their prunings – into their production practice. The vineyard\u2019s mission to seek continuous improvement has given Taggart the freedom to make suggestions and implement new ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf someone told me 10 years ago, I would be working in a vineyard, I would have probably laughed,\u201d Taggart said. \u201cBut I love it. So, really, [my] end all be all goal is to enjoy the ride and enjoy life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pieces of Taggart\u2019s young career have worked together to present her success found in the industry. These experiences have provided a unique wisdom that she offers to other young people searching for success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChase your interest and find what makes you excited about work,\u201d Taggart said. \u201cApply for the job that you might not be qualified for, you never know where taking a chance can take you. Find a good mentor. They have experiences and wisdom that you do not have and are able to support you along the way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\nTaggart determines summer irrigation needs through a pressure tool attached at the front of an ATV for stem water potential assays.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\nTaggart holds a pinot noir grape bunch that is ready for harvest. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
See the articles below to read more on research in which Taggart contributed. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brady, J.A., C.B. Taggart<\/strong>, C. Leija, K. Sefcik, L.J. Entio, E. Kan, J.P. Muir. 2025. Warm-season plant interactions and dairy manure biochar alter soil microbial communities and soil functional capacity. Frontiers in Microbiology. (in composition).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choi, G., J. Brady, O. Obayomi, E. Green, C. Leija, K. Sefcik, D. Gonzalez, C.B. Taggart<\/strong>, J.P. Muir, and E. Kan. 2024. Wood-and manure-derived biochars reduce antibiotic residues and shift microbial communities in manure applied forage-soil systems. Agronomy. 14(9), 2100. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/agronomy14092100<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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