By University of Georgia
On April 29, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a bill to allow Georgia’s horticulture industry to hold a referendum to create a commodity commission for ornamental horticulture. Town hall-type meetings will be held across the state to give producers a chance to learn more about the program, the way it would operate and the people who would be elected to shape the program’s future. The meeting dates and locations are: June 9 - Sugar Hill Nurseries, 2122 Highway 341 South, Yatesville, Ga., 31097 June 11 - Wakoola Water Gardens, 5235 Union Hill Rd, Cumming, Ga., 30040 June 16 - Casa Mexico, 311 GA Hwy 49 North, Byron, Ga., 31008 June 17 - Ag Center, 65 11th Avenue, NE, Cairo, Ga., 39828 June 18 - ABAC, Horticulture Building, Tifton, Ga., 31793 June 23 - Christ Church at Whitewater, 1577 Highway 85 South, Fayetteville, Ga., 30215 June 30- Jasper Extension Office, 109 Depot Street, Jasper, Ga., 30143 All producers of ornamental horticulture products are encouraged to attend, regardless of their operation’s size. Meetings will begin at 6 p.m. with a complementary cookout. For directions to the meetings or to learn more, go to the Web site www.gahortcommission.org.Published on 06/04/09
New commission may be on horizon
CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.
CAES News
Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame
An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.
CAES News
Growers hopeful 2024 peach season will rebound from disastrous 2023
Last year, the peach industry lost $60 million due to the late freeze that hit much of the Southeast in mid-March 2023, said Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent for Peach and Taylor counties. With no freezing temperatures in the forecast and hope for strong pricing during the upcoming season, peach growers are looking forward to a much-needed rebound year.
CAES News
Creature Comforts partners with UGA wheat breeder to create 2024 Get Comfortable brew
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile. These two exacting professions came together this spring when Athens-based Creature Comforts Brewing Co. reached out to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to find a sustainable wheat variety they could use to make a good beer for a great cause.