CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 11/16/06

4-H dimes help build Habitat house in Atlanta

By Faith Peppers
University of Georgia

For the past five years, 4-H’ers from across America have been collecting and donating dimes to finance building a Habitat for Humanity house in Atlanta. On Saturday, Nov. 25, at National 4-H Congress, more than 1,200 4-H members will make a final donation during a citizenship ceremony that will bring the total funds raised to $52,000.

“When 4-H celebrated its centennial in 2002, each Congress participant brought 100 dimes to donate to a good cause to mark the anniversary,” said Susan Stewart, executive director of National 4-H Congress. “They have continued the tradition each of the past five years to reach their goal of more than $50,000 to fund the house.”

Lt. General Russel Honore, commander of the 1st Army at Fort Gillem near Atlanta and an outstanding former Louisiana 4-H’er, will speak to the 4-H'ers during the citizenship assembly. Honore gained national attention when he commanded troops in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

The 4-H’ers partnered with employees of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta to build the house. Building began in October, and the ribbon will be cut Monday, Nov. 27. Miss America 2006, Jennifer Berry, will be on hand for the ribbon-cutting.

Besides the money collected, each state will bring the new homeowner a housewarming gift. Each region of the country was given a designated room to donate gifts for.

National 4-H Congress is the annual gathering of selected 4-H members from across the nation in the ninth through the 12th grades to participate in leadership, citizenship and community service.

The 4-H program is a nationwide youth development program of land-grant universities in each state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.

There are 6.5 million 4-H’ers in the United States. The 4-H program is supported by 538,000 adult volunteers and more than 60 million 4-H alumni.

Among the many notable 4-H alumni are Johnny Bench, Rosalynn Carter, John Glenn, Vince Gill, Al Gore, Archie Manning, Reba McEntire, Pat Nixon, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Alan Shepard, John Updike and Herschel Walker.

Faith Peppers is the director of public affairs with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Susan Stewart
Graduating students take selfie photos during the fireworks display at UGA's 2023 undergraduate Commencement ceremony at Sanford Stadium. By Dorothy Kozlowski 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.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. 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.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 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.
2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree in 1982 and education specialist degree in 1984 from UGA’s College of Education. CAES News
Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame 04/11/24 Maria M. Lameiras
An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.
Peach growers are looking forward to a fruitful season as the weather this winter and spring have been near-perfect for the sensitive crop. This year is projected to be a much-needed comeback from the disastrous season they experienced after a late freeze in March 2023 took out more than 90% of the state's crop. (Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA) CAES News
Growers hopeful 2024 peach season will rebound from disastrous 2023 04/10/24 Emily Cabrera
Last year, the peach industry lost $60 million due to the late freeze that hit much of the Southeast in mid-March 2023, said Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent for Peach and Taylor counties. With no freezing temperatures in the forecast and hope for strong pricing during the upcoming season, peach growers are looking forward to a much-needed rebound year.
UGA wheat breeder and geneticist Mohamed Mergoum smells one of several test brews created by Creature Comforts on its annual Get Comfortable collaboration using a variety of wheat Mergoum developed at CAES. CAES News
Creature Comforts partners with UGA wheat breeder to create 2024 Get Comfortable brew 04/09/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile. These two exacting professions came together this spring when Athens-based Creature Comforts Brewing Co. reached out to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to find a sustainable wheat variety they could use to make a good beer for a great cause.