News

Staking tomatoes CAES News
Help your tomato plants stand tall: Staking and pruning homegrown tomato plants
Now that we’ve announced the winners of the tomato sandwich slicer showdown and your plants are taking off, it’s time to address our first tomato gardening issue: supporting unwieldy tomato plants through staking and pruning. For the best chance at productive plants with healthy fruit, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturalist Bob Westerfield urges home gardeners to invest in providing plants a strong support structure all season long. “No other vegetable comes close to bearing as much produce in such a limited space,” Westerfield said.
Combination plantings CAES News
Grow food with style: Edible landscaping blends beauty and bounty
Not everyone likes the look of a traditional vegetable garden — or has the space for one. Maybe you already grow vegetables and want to integrate more edible plants into your existing landscape. Either way, edible landscaping offers an attractive and practical solution to planting out your yard. Edible landscaping is the practice of incorporating food-producing plants into ornamental garden spaces, following basic landscape design principles.
The University of Georgia hosted an alumni reception at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta to celebrate their ongoing partnership in 2024. (Photo by Decisive Moment Event Photojournalism) CAES News
UGA hospitality program takes flight with $5M from The Delta Air Lines Foundation
The Delta Air Lines Foundation has committed $5 million to the University of Georgia Hospitality and Food Industry Management program, which is housed in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. A leader in the hospitality and travel sector, Delta’s commitment to investing in communities and enhancing the student experience at UGA will make an impact on the industry for years to come.
UGA entomologist William Snyder CAES News
CAES research contributes to $1M global award for sustainability breakthroughs
Multifaceted research on the social and environmental impacts of diversified agriculture from institutions around the world, including the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been named one of three International Frontiers Planet Prize winners. An initiative of the Frontiers Research Foundation, the Frontiers Planet Prize recognizes transformational research that shows the greatest potential to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges.
Agricultural climatologist Pam Knox monitors the effects of climate change on agiruclture throughout the U.S. Here, she checks a weather monitoring system at Durham Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia. CAES News
UGA climatologist answers our burning questions on weather and climate
From peach orchards to porch conversations, weather is always part of the story in the South — and University of Georgia climatologist Pam Knox brings clarity, science and common sense to every weather event. Whether you’re wondering why the seasons feel out of sync, how climate change plays out in your backyard, or what to expect before the next storm, Knox offers answers grounded in decades of research and a deep connection to the land. It’s your forecast with context.
Selecting heirloom collard plants. CAES News
CAES collaborates with grassroots organizations to steward heirloom collards
The Heirloom Collards Project is a nationwide, community-driven effort to preserve and evolve heirloom collard varieties through seed saving, education and collaborative research. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has joined the effort to promote seed sovereignty and strengthen resilient food systems across the South, engaging students in hands-on seed stewardship.
iStock image of a hurricane approaching the Southeast. CAES News
Forecasting the storm: Expert tips for hurricane preparedness
June marks the start of hurricane season in Georgia — and there’s no better time to prepare than on a sunny day. In this episode of Cultivating Curiosity, we’re joined by Pam Knox, agricultural climatologist and director of the University of Georgia Weather Network, to unpack what hurricane season means for Georgia residents. Pam breaks down the difference between weather and climate, how El Niño impacts hurricane activity, and how Georgia’s farmers rely on real-time data from UGA’s 90 weather stations across the state.
PoultryScienceBuilding October 2023 Sean Montgomery 9 web CAES News
Wayne-Sanderson Farms gift boosts total support to $4.1M for UGA Poultry Science Building
Wayne-Sanderson Farms has announced an additional $2 million donation for the new Poultry Science Building at the University of Georgia. The gift brings project support from the Georgia-based poultry producer to $4.1 million. The combined gift will name the Poultry Science Building student lobby, a 1,300-square-foot space for students to study and network with industry partners. Situated on UGA’s South Campus, the 70,000-plus square-foot Poultry Science Building provides nearly double the space per student in each classroom than the previous facility.
Illustration of the Asian Needle Ant CAES News
Are Asian needle ants your backyard’s next invasive threat?
Make room, Joro spiders. There’s another invasive species taking over Georgia yards this summer. The Asian needle ant is becoming infamous as a “medical pest.” Although this type of ant has been around in the U.S. since the 1930s, its spread through the Southeast marks a significant danger for those with allergies to other insects like wasps or yellowjackets, said Dan Suiter, an Orkin Distinguished Professor of Urban Entomology in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension.