Chuck Leavell, the Deen Brothers and Gov. Sonny Perdue were on hand March 16 for the 7th annual Georgia Agriculture Day, the traditional kick-off of Georgia Agriculture Awareness Week, which runs March 15-19. During the event, Leavell and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue recognized the regional winners of the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award given annually to farmers who do an exceptional job protecting their land and promoting environmental practices in agriculture. The Deen Brothers, Jamie and Bobby, announced the winners of the 2010 Flavor of Georgia contest.

Salibo Somé, founder of Africa’s Sustainable Development Council, will deliver the 2010 Darl Snyder Lecture March 4 at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga.

There is nothing quite like the taste and freshness of homegrown vegetables. While growing them in the South can be a challenge – thanks to weeds, disease and insects – many of us prefer a more simplistic, environmentally-friendly approach to growing our veggies.