“I have an affinity for a mountainous landscape, so I’ll likely not venture too far away from the Appalachians if I can help it,” says Slashcheva, who was born in Kazakhstan but moved with her family to Dayton, Va., when she was five.

As a recipient of a competitive full scholarship from the , Slashcheva has already begun thinking about life after her four-year dental program. In return for funding her dental studies plus a monthly stipend, the NHSC will require Slashcheva to spend four years practicing in a designated “Health Professional Shortage Area” of her choosing.

The administers the NHSC and designates the regions of the country with serious shortages of health professionals where scholarship recipients must work. Slashcheva was notified of her scholarship in August.

“I hope I can find a location where there are other clinicians and dentists who can mentor me,” says Slashcheva, who briefly visited her family and EMU in late September after finishing her first anatomy class.

The workload so far has been difficult but manageable – “likely reflective of the excellent preparation I received at EMU,” she says. She has also attended lectures on operative dentistry and practicing cavity preparations on porcelain teeth.

Her second round of classes will include dental neuroanatomy, infection and immunity, periodontics and dental practice management.

While she intends to spend most of her four-year NHSC service commitment somewhere in Appalachia, Slashcheva also hopes to arrange shorter periods at clinics in remote and underserved communities like Indian reservations or in Alaska.

Though just 19 years old, Slashcheva has already gained hands-on experience as a healthcare worker in underserved areas.

After graduating early from EMU last December, Slashcheva spent four months in Honduras and Peru with the , a medical mission organization that works around the world. In Gracias, Honduras, she observed and assisted a dentist who worked in the region. In Peru, based in the town of Moyabamba, Slashcheva filled a public health role, educating people in the surrounding communities about the importance of oral health.

In areas where good healthcare is difficult or impossible to access, she says, people can develop apathetic attitudes about their health. Education and encouragement, she found, can empower them to change this attitude and to value improving and preserving their health.

“I think that’s almost more important than coming in and extracting an infected tooth,” says Slashcheva.

Since moving to Richmond in May, Slashcheva has been adjusting to city life and a large, secular university.

“But I am eager to take advantage of the many service and leadership opportunities that the large city and institution offer,” she says.

“Sustaining Organic Blueberry Production: Analysis of Practices and Assessing Outcomes,” a research projected directed by , PhD, professor of at ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř (EMU), will look at the merits of organic horticulture as it relates to blueberries.

“[The $26,300 grant] will fund a model system of quantifying sustainable blueberry production as a specialty crop,” said Miller. “In addition, it will provide support for students doing horticulture research, create a model system for area farmers interesting in diversifying their operations and encourage the local community on organic agriculture.”

The EMU team of Miller, professors and , will be overseeing the project. Participating in the project are EMU student assistants Jonathan Fretz and Travis Riesen, representatives, and and , president of .

A system of sustainability

A recent study found a rising demand for organic products, with over 80 percent of grocery stores featuring an organic section as of 2008.

“There continues to be a huge demand for small fruits and vegetables, particularly for blueberries, strawberries and brambles,” said Bendfeldt.

A principal goal of the project is to develop a model system of quantifying sustainable organic blueberry production in the Shenandoah Valley. Research will integrate plant foliar nutrient, growth, and vigor analysis; measurement of photosynthesis; and berry quality and composition to determine quantity and quality of the berries.

“Since there are limited sources of local blueberries in the Valley, the project will fill some of the gap between supply and demand of local and organic produce,” said Kishbaugh. “Additionally, the information at the project website will be an invaluable resource for gardeners and others interested in raising blueberries themselves or about the process of organic farming.”

The information from the project could also motivate farmers to diversify their current agricultural systems, according to Cessna. “Through this project we are hoping to become better informed about best practice for highbush blueberry growers and which soil and plants work best in the Valley,” said Cessna.

Coming to fruition

While the grant officially began on Nov. 1, and will run until Oct. 31, 2013, preparation for the project began several years ago. Miller started in 2008 by setting up an experimental design for growing blueberries at , an organic farm four miles outside Harrisonburg.

“My initial experimental design was to select a hillside site which is rocky and not tillable for the organic plot,” said Miller. “Four subplots were formed based on the soil amendment treatments: horse manure compost; sheep manure compost; pine needle compost; and a commercial compost, Planters Choice.”

About 180 bushes were planted in December 2009, 160 of which were in organic plots representing five cultivars: Duke, Jersey, Bluegold, Chandler and BlueCrop. Soil conditions and plant growth were monitored and an irrigation system was installed during the 15 months after planting.

“This is a long-term project to demonstrate that a farmer can initiate a small commercial organic blueberry operation that is sustainable and cost effective,” said Miller. “These blueberry bushes will likely be productive for 20 years or more and the grant will support the extended analysis that most horticulturalists do not bother doing because of time, labor and direct expenses involved.”

Impact on the community

The project will be beneficial to local farmers and consumers in Virginia, according to Bendfeldt. “Farmers and consumers are keenly interested in and aware of best agricultural practices, economic and environmental sustainability and the potential health benefits of organic blueberry production,” said Bendfelt.

Bendfelt feels the project will allow students to work in a “living laboratory” and assess the research they gather and the impact it has on development and production differentiation for farmers.

“The proposal builds on the values and ethos of EMU’s efforts to engage their students and the community in sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship and creation care,” said Bendfelt.