CAES Newswire

A record-breaking 173 products were entered into the 2025 Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest, setting the stage for an exciting competition on April 17 at The Classic Center in downtown Athens. First-round judges tasted their way through a delicious gauntlet to whittle down the 173 contestants to 37 finalists that will compete for top product of the year. The highest number of products entered was previously 148 in the 2008 and 2022 contests. The Flavor of Georgia contest is offered annually by the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The CAES Signature Event showcases the tastiest offerings from market-ready small businesses in Georgia.

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences generated a statewide economic impact of $899.3 million in 2024, marking a fourth consecutive record-breaking year for contributions to the state’s economy. Divided among the arms of the college's tripartite mission of teaching ($265.6 million), research ($258.8 million) and outreach ($374.9 million), the total impact of CAES in 2024 was third highest among schools, colleges and units at UGA, factoring into the university’s total economic impact of $8.4 billion in the same year. The 2024 total represents a 7% increase over 2023, when CAES had an economic impact of $838.4 million.

While bees and butterflies often feel the public’s love, less conventionally attractive creepy-crawlies like cicadas and Joro spiders are left out in the cold—or, worse, squished. “I think insect conservation is one of the most overlooked areas of conservation biology,” says William Snyder, a professor of entomology in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “They’re not huggable; not many species of insects are charismatic. But insects support so many ecosystems.” Why should you care? Well, for starters, bugs are everywhere. Insects alone make up more than half of all the animals on Earth.

Andres Villegas knows a thing or two about trees, and he wants you to know them as well. Throughout his career in the agriculture and forestry industry, Villegas has become an advocate and bridge builder connecting rural and urban communities through sustainable food and fiber products. Villegas was born in Colombia but moved to Athens at 8 months old when his parents, Pedro Villegas and Angela Villegas, returned to the University of Georgia for his father to become a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine. From a young age, Villegas was interested in natural resources and agriculture.

Approximately 18 million U.S. households experienced food insecurity at some point in 2023, representing more than 13% of the population. One effective solution to confront this harsh reality on the local level is community gardens, but specific effects of climatic changes like altered rainfall patterns are introducing new hurdles for many grassroots efforts dedicated to growing and producing healthy, fresh foods, according to research from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Leadership came to life for the largest-ever Georgia 4-H Day at the Capitol delegation in Atlanta as 4-H’ers engaged with the civic process. Elected officials joined nearly 800 youth, staff, volunteers and supporters on Feb. 25 to celebrate the impact of 4-H in Georgia. State Sen. Larry Walker and Georgia Rep. Rick Jasperse served as legislative hosts for the 4-H delegation. County 4-H groups explored and toured the Capitol building, and many 4-H leaders arranged direct meetings with senators and representatives from their districts. Georgia’s current slate of elected officials includes many 4-H alumni, parents and supporters who welcomed students to the place where government comes to life.

Angela Dupree’s office is overflowing with elfin magic. Her office mate is Ernie the Elf, the Hollow Tree conference room is around the corner, and it’s her job to make sure the cookies you buy in the store are perfect, batch after batch. Dupree, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental health and a minor in environmental soil science from the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 1992, is the food safety and quality manager at Ferrero Bakery in Augusta, Georgia.

Over a Zoom call from Switzerland, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences alum Consuelo De Moraes shows a video of a bumblebee nibbling on a leaf in a semicircular motion, a behavior that accelerates the flowering process when pollen is scarce. As she explains the movements of the bumblebee, she is wide-eyed and fascinated. This insect behavior is one of the latest discoveries for De Moraes, a chemical ecologist and professor who directs the Laboratory of Biocommunication and Entomology at ETH Zürich.

From the small village of Batloun in the mountains of Lebanon to the American University of Beirut, Jouman Hassan carried the lessons her parents instilled in her. Their guidance has served her well at the University of Georgia. At the graduation ceremony for the UGA Griffin campus in December, Hassan shared powerful wisdom from her mother. “Jouman, the word ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist in my dictionary — I erased it,” Hassan recalled her mother saying to her, and she has used the words as a talisman throughout her academic journey.