From the time that our ancestors began cultivating food in the Fertile Crescent thousands of years ago, agriculture has been a life-sustaining practice that has enabled early civilizations to evolve into modern societies. Today, the science behind agriculture and the decisions farmers and leaders make in production and policy affects every aspect of our lives.

The University of Georgia’s fall 2023 Signature Lectures series will feature a broad array of renowned scholars and thought leaders from the worlds of art, literature, law, health care, journalism, government, the sciences and more. “Each semester, this series brings groundbreaking speakers from a wide range of disciplines to campus to share their insights and expertise with faculty, staff, students and members of the Athens community,” said Provost S. Jack Hu.

While peach production in Georgia peaked in 1928 at nearly 8 million bushels, production has slowly dwindled ever since, and the blueberry industry, which started taking root in the state in the 1960s, has captured the top spot among the Peach State’s fruit crops. While Georgia ranks third nationally for both blueberry and peach production, the blueberry far outstrips it’s fuzzy cousin.

Peter G. Chiarelli has been awarded an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative predoctoral fellowship from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture for his research on Georgia-caught cannonball jellyfish. Chiarelli is spearheading efforts to create a domestic market for collagen peptide powders derived from cannonball jellyfish.

When the coronavirus pandemic first began in 2020, there was much that officials did not know about the virus and how to combat it. One area of concern was how to disinfect surfaces that were contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. Institutions such as schools and daycares especially needed to know how to clean high-touch surfaces to reduce the risk of infection.

Will Harris still works the same land in Bluffton, Georgia, that his great-grandfather first tended in 1866, but he will leave a very different operation to his children and grandchildren than the one he began working on as a child. A nationally recognized figure in the regenerative farming movement, Harris has transformed his family’s holdings from a traditional farming and cattle operation into a model for regenerative practices.

Georgia 4-H celebrated top 4-H’ers from around the state during the 80th annual 4-H State Congress in Atlanta July 18 to 21. State Congress features the state-level Project Achievement and Leadership in Action contests as well as recognition of youth development professionals, supporters and public officials for their contributions to the success of 4-H in Georgia.

Georgia’s steadily growing wine industry has a new advocate with the hire of a new University of Georgia Cooperative Extension viticulture specialist to support the more than 85 vineyards throughout the state. Sarah Lowder joined the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences this spring as the state viticulturist, a position dedicated to providing the best methods for the cultivation and harvest of wine grapes in Georgia.

With the heat dome holding tight over the South and sliding east over Georgia, it is more important than ever to remember the basics of mosquito prevention. Most mosquito species — and there are 63 in Georgia — tend to thrive when it gets hot. The increased temperatures promote mosquito development to their fastest rates of the season.