Carol Miles

Carol Miles is a Professor and Horticulture Extension Specialist at Washington State University (WSU), where she also serves as Director of the WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center. Her work focuses on vegetable crop production and sustainable agricultural practices in the Pacific Northwest region, with particular emphasis on developing environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional farming methods.

Dr. Miles earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Vegetable Crops from Cornell University and her B.S. in Bio-Agricultural Sciences from Colorado State University. Her educational background provided a strong foundation for her career in horticultural research and extension, which has spanned multiple institutions and international experiences including work with Helen Keller International and the Peace Corps in Cameroon.

Dr. Miles specializes in high-value vegetable crops including edamame, wasabi, pea shoots, icebox watermelon, sweetpotatoes, melons, niche-market dry beans, grafted watermelon, bulb fennel, and hard cider production. She is internationally recognized for her pioneering research on soil-biodegradable plastic mulch, investigating sustainable alternatives to traditional polyethylene mulch in agricultural systems. Her work addresses critical environmental concerns related to plastic waste in farming while maintaining crop productivity and economic viability for growers.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong interdisciplinary focus spanning sustainable agriculture, environmental science, horticulture, and crop physiology. The research portfolio shows consistent attention to practical solutions for growers facing environmental and economic challenges, with particular emphasis on plastic mulch alternatives, specialty crop production systems, and grafting techniques for improved crop performance.

Dr. Miles has received numerous prestigious awards for her extension work and research contributions:

• ASHS Fellow (2024)
• ASHS Extension Materials Award for "Establishing a Cider Apple Orchard for Mechanized Management" (2020)
• National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Western Region Communications Educational Curriculum Package 3rd Place Award for "Pulse on Health" (2019)
• Multiple ASHS Extension Materials Awards (2018)
• USDA NIFA Partnership Innovative Projects and Programs Team Award (2013)
• Washington State University College of Agriculture Interdisciplinary Team Award (2012)
• USDA/CSREES Western SARE Professional Development Program recognition (2008)

As Director of the Mount Vernon NWREC, Dr. Miles leads significant research initiatives funded by USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative projects and other sources. Her extension programming reaches growers across multiple states through field days, webinars, and professional development trainings that have educated thousands of agricultural professionals about sustainable practices. She has developed comprehensive training materials on soil-biodegradable plastic mulch that have been accessed by stakeholders in 78 countries.

Dr. Miles oversees the Vegetable Research and Extension program at the Mount Vernon NWREC, which includes research on screening new crops, testing soil-biodegradable mulch, and vegetable grafting techniques. Her team includes research technicians, assistants, and communications specialists who collaborate on projects addressing the needs of Pacific Northwest growers through on-farm demonstrations and direct engagement with agricultural producers.