Melanie Stock
PSC Dept
Urban and Small Farms Specialist

Educational Background
Licensures & Certifications
Biography
Dr. Stock is a soil scientist. Her lab focuses on high-value crops and resource use efficiency to improve the environmental sustainability and economic viability of small farms. Visit the Small Farms Lab on Instagram! @usu_smallfarms
Teaching Interests
Community-based education through Extension outreach with microfarmers, master gardeners, and community gardens. Topics include cut flowers, high tunnels, backyard livestock, manure management, and soil fertility.
Research Interests
Adapting cut flower crops for Utah from basic cultivation methods to nutrient management and physics-based season extension, overwintering, and water-use efficiency.
Awards
DC Faculty Fellows , 2019
Utah State University
Champ Tanner Agricultural Physics Award, 2018
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Soil Science
Best Student Speaker Award, 2017
American Water Resources Association, Wisconsin Chapter
Champ Tanner Agricultural Physics Award, 2017
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Soil Science
Soil and Water Management and Conservation: Student Oral Competition, 2nd place , 2017
Soil Science Society of America
William Rothermel Soils Scholarship, 2017
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Soil Science
Champ Tanner Agricultural Physics Award, 2016
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Soil Science
Ruth & Carl Miller Academic Merit Award, 2016
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Soil Physics and Hydrology Division Lightning Round, 2nd place, 2016
Soil Science Society of America
Jaya Iyer Student Presentation Award, 2015
University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Soil Science
Richard D. Powell Memorial Scholarship, 2015
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ruth & Carl Miller Academic Merit Award, 2015
University of Wisconsin - Madison
G.A. Harris Fellowship, 2014
Decagon Devices, Inc.
William T. Dible Terra International, Inc. Scholarship, 2014
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Richard D. Powell Memorial Scholarship, 2011
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Publications | Abstracts
- Stock, M., (2019). Cut Flowers. Utah Urban and Small Farms Conference *
- Stock, M., Arriaga, F., Vadas, P., Ward-Good, L., Karthikeyan, K., (2018). Tillage, manure, and winter runoff. Wisconsin Agribusiness Classic *
- Vadas, P.A, Stock, M.N, Feyereisen, G.W, Arriaga, F.J, (2017). Processes Controlling Nutrient Loss in Runoff from Winter Applied Dairy Manure. Agronomy Society of America *
- Stock, M., Arriaga, F.J, Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, Karthikeyan, K., (2017). Reducing winter runoff losses from dairy agroecosystems through tillage and manure application timing. Soil Science Society of America *
- Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, Karthikeyan, K., Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, (2017). Reducing winter phosphorus losses from dairy agroecosystems through tillage and manure application timing. American Water Resources Association *
- Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, Karthikeyan, K., Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, (2016). Does tillage increase frozen soil infiltration?. Soil Science Society of America *
- Vadas, P.A, Jokela, W., Good, L.W, Arriaga, F.J, Karthikeyan, K., Stock, M.N, (2016). Impact of seasonal and short-term manure application decisions on phosphorus loss in runoff. American Society of Agronomy *
- Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, Karthikeyan, K., Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, (2016). Reducing winter phosphorus losses from dairy agroecosystems through tillage and manure application timing. American Society of Agronomy *
- Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, Karthikeyan, K., Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, (2015). A water-energy balance approach to quantify manure management under frozen conditions. Soil Science Society of America *
- Stock, M.N, Hart, D.J, Balster, N.J, (2012). Using Ground-Penetrating Radar to detect eastern American toads (A. a. americanus) belowground. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists *
- Stock, M.N, Balster, N., (2012). The effects of soil temperature on belowground amphibian hibernation in an urban versus rural environment. Wisconsin Wetlands Association *
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Fact Sheets
- Lewis, M., Stock, M., Ward, R.A, Black, B.L, Drost, D.T, (2020). Snapdragon cut flower budget for one field. USU Extension
- Lewis, M., Stock, M., Ward, R.A, Black, B.L, Drost, D.T, (2020). Snapdragon cut flower budget for one high tunnel. USU Extension
- Hansen, S., Drost, D.T, Stock, M., Wagner, K.M, (2020). Beginning and Small Acreage Farms: Nonmotorized Tool Selection. USU Extension
- Pratt, A., Stock, M., Hadfield, J., (2020). Nutrition Guide for Rabbits. USU Digital Commons
- Maughan, T., Stock, M., Lewis, M., (2020). Zinnia Cut Flower Production in Utah. USU Digital Commons
- Wagner, K.M, Stock, M., Sagers, L.A, (2020). Preparing and Improving Garden Soil. USU Digital Commons
- Pratt, A., Wagner, K.M, Stock, M., (2020). Utah Visual Farm Guide: What is Healthy Soil? . USU Digital Commons
- Pratt, A., Wagner, K.M, Stock, M., (2020). Utah Visual Farm Guide: Year-round Soil Care. . USU Digital Commons
- Stock, M., Maughan, T., Grossl, P., (2020). Urban Garden Soils: Testing and Management. USU Digital Commons
- Lewis, M., Stock, M., Maughan, T., Black, B.L, Drost, D.T, (2019). Sweet Pea Cut Flower Production in Utah. USU Digital Commons
- Stock, M., Maughan, T., Miller, R., (2019). Sustainable Manure and Compost Application: Garden and Micro Farm Guidelines. Utah State University Extension
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Curriculum
- Curtis, K., Ward, R.A, Stock, M., (2018). Start-to-Farm. USU Extension
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Journal Articles
Academic Journal
- Stock, M., (2020). High Impact Extension Programming with Instagram. HortTechnology, 30:6, 654–658. doi: 10.21273/HORTTECH0469320
- Nocco, M.A, Feinstein, N.W, Stock, M., McGill, B.M, Kucharik, C.J, (2020). Knowledge co-production with agricultural trade associations. Water (Switzerland), 12:11, 1-15.
- Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, Casler, M.D, Karthikeyan, K.G, Zopp, Z., (2019). Fall tillage reduced nutrient loads from liquid manure application during the freezing season. Journal of Environmental Quality, 48:4, 889-898.
- Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, Vadas, P.A, Karthikeyan, K.G, (2019). Manure application timing drives energy absorption for snowmelt on an agricultural soil. Journal of Hydrology, 569, 51-60.
- Vadas, P.A, Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, Good, L.W, Karthikeyan, K.G, Zopp, Z.P, (2019). Dynamics of measured and simulated dissolved phosphorus in runoff from winter-applied dairy manure. Journal of Environmental Quality, 48:4, 899-906.
- Vadas, P.A, Stock, M.N, Feyereisen, G.W, Arriaga, F.J, Good, L.W, Karthikeyan, K.G, (2018). Temperature and manure placement in a snowpack affect nutrient release from dairy manure during snowmelt. Journal of Environmental Quality, 47:4, 848-855.
- Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, Jokela, W.E, Karthikeyan, K.G, Arriaga, F.J, Stock, M.N, (2017). Quantifying the impact of seasonal and short-term manure application decisions on phosphorus loss in surface runoff. Journal of Environmental Quality, 46:6, 1395-1402.
- Forshay, K.J, Johnson, P.T, Stock, M.N, Penalva, C., Dodson, S.I, (2008). Festering food: Chytridiomycete pathogen reduces quality of Daphnia host as a food resource. Ecology, 89:10, 2692-2699.
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Technical Reports
Other Reports
- Stock, M., Lewis, M., Ward, R.A, (2019). Peony Cut Flower Budget for One High Tunnel. Utah Agricultural Statistics and Utah Dept. of Agriculture and Food 2019 Annual Report *
- Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, (2017). Estimating winter albedo in dairy agroecosystems for researchers conducting plot-scale studies: A technical report. North Central SARE *
- Stock, M.N, Arriaga, F.J, Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, Karthikeyan, K., (2017). Linking nutrient transport to soil physical processes during freeze/thaw events to promote wintertime manure management, nutrient use efficiency, and surface water quality. North Central SARE *
- Stock, M., Arriaga, F.J, Vadas, P.A, Good, L.W, Karthikeyan, K., (2017). Fall tillage and manure application timing after corn silage affect winter runoff losses. North Central SARE *
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Other
Bulletins
Newsletter
- Stock, M., (2019). A Closer Look at Utah’s Manure and Compost. Summit County Agriculture Producer Newsletter *
- Stock, M.N, Black, B.L, Drost, D.T, (2019). Improving production schedules for high-value perennial flowers in Utah: Peony. Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) Cut Flower Quarterly *
- Stock, M.N, (2019). It’s SOILS Time! . Utah Cut Flower Farm Association Newsletter *
- Stock, M., Lewis, M., (2019). Reflecting on 2019: Incredible Economics to Devastating Disease. Utah Cut Flower Farm Association Newsletter *
- Stock, M., (2019). Ongoing Research at USU. Utah Cut Flower Farm Association *
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.