What began as a grassroots growers cooperative in the 1970s has become one of the Southeast’s most prestigious, member-supported nonprofit farming organizations. Having just wrapped up its 25th annual conference in Perry, Georgia, the organization continues its long-standing partnership with the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension.

Each semester, the University of Georgia welcomes scholars from across the globe to promote collaborative research. The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program awards merit-based grants to international academics who seek to further their education and participate in research projects at American universities. More than 800 international scholars come to universities in the U.S. annually, with visits ranging from three months to one year.

Supporters from every county in Georgia will have the chance to boost youth programming during the “$4 for 4-H” fundraiser for the Georgia 4-H Foundation on April 4, an online giving day that has become an annual tradition. In the spirit of friendly competition, each Georgia county asks local donors to make donations of $4 or more that day, with the goal of receiving at least four donations per county.

Barlow’s Foods won the grand prize at the 2023 Flavor of Georgia food contest for their product Barlow’s Peach Cobbler Syrup. Barlow’s Foods is a packaged foods company located in Atlanta and founded by Tiffani Neal. The woman-owned business creates pancake mixes and assorted breakfast staples, including their winning syrup.

The University of Georgia has recognized three faculty members with the Russell Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the university’s highest early career teaching honor for outstanding and innovative instruction. The 2023 Russell Award recipients are Gino D’Angelo in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Jillian Bohlen in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and Krista Capps in the Odum School of Ecology.

The University of Georgia Center for Food Safety is home to some of the world’s leading experts in food microbiology. This year, it celebrates 30 years of research that has helped to make the food supply safer for all. A linchpin of the center’s success is the relationship the center has built with public health officials and the food industry.

The University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences recently launched a virtual agrileadHER community platform to offer a welcoming space for women in farming and other agricultural professions. The new platform includes access to monthly webinars on a wide array of topics, from production to stress management, and an online community for women farmers from across the country to network.

As the backbone of Georgia’s No. 1 industry, farmers face insurmountable pressures that are often beyond their control. Increased input costs, market variability, environmental disasters and labor shortages are just a few of the challenges. The 2023 Farm Stress Summit, held at Mercer University this week, brought leaders from around the state to learn more about the unique stressors farm families experience and strategies for building a network of support.

The University of Georgia Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty enters its third year with 12 faculty members working in partnership with units of UGA Cooperative Extension and Public Service and Outreach for grants to help solve rural challenges. The workshop is designed to help drive community-engaged research in rural Georgia communities.