By University of Georgia
On April 29, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a bill to allow Georgia’s horticulture industry to hold a referendum to create a commodity commission for ornamental horticulture. Town hall-type meetings will be held across the state to give producers a chance to learn more about the program, the way it would operate and the people who would be elected to shape the program’s future. The meeting dates and locations are: June 9 - Sugar Hill Nurseries, 2122 Highway 341 South, Yatesville, Ga., 31097 June 11 - Wakoola Water Gardens, 5235 Union Hill Rd, Cumming, Ga., 30040 June 16 - Casa Mexico, 311 GA Hwy 49 North, Byron, Ga., 31008 June 17 - Ag Center, 65 11th Avenue, NE, Cairo, Ga., 39828 June 18 - ABAC, Horticulture Building, Tifton, Ga., 31793 June 23 - Christ Church at Whitewater, 1577 Highway 85 South, Fayetteville, Ga., 30215 June 30- Jasper Extension Office, 109 Depot Street, Jasper, Ga., 30143 All producers of ornamental horticulture products are encouraged to attend, regardless of their operation’s size. Meetings will begin at 6 p.m. with a complementary cookout. For directions to the meetings or to learn more, go to the Web site www.gahortcommission.org.Published on 06/04/09
New commission may be on horizon
CAES News
UGA study shows all students benefit from healthy school lunches
04/24/24 Erica P. Techo
School lunches have come a long way from square pizza and fish sticks, and students across the board are benefiting from improved nutritional standards in the cafeteria. A new study from the University of Georgia found that children from all walks of life improved their diet quality when they ate school-prepared lunches following the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act nutritional guidelines instead of home-prepared lunches.
CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year
04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs
04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation
04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies
04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms
04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.