CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/31/13

Gordon County agricultural community celebrates opening of new agricultural services hub for northwest Georgia

By Merritt Melancon

With the opening of the Gordon County Agricultural Service Center this month, farmers in northwest Georgia now have a one-stop shop for information and help.

The new 14,000 square foot facility, located on five acres off of SR 53 Spur in Calhoun, houses the Gordon County office of University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, UGA research and education staff, representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission and the Gordon County Young Farmers.

The new building is adjacent to the Northwest Georgia Livestock Pavillion, which hosts the annual UGA Calhoun Bull Test Sale and many other agriculture related events.

Gordon County officials built the $2.5 million ag service center on five acres provided by the Gordon County Development Authority.

“We are very lucky to have a county that has shown its commitment to agriculture in the county; one that understands how important agriculture is to the county and to the community,” said Greg Bowman, Gordon County UGA Extension coordinator.

Community members, as well as state leader Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black and Rep. Jack Meadows of Calhoun filled the building’s auditorium on Oct. 23 for the dedication. In addition to representatives from local, state and federal governments, several farmers attended to see the new space.

"I think the one-stop concept where a producer can come to one place and get all the information that they need is very helpful,” Bowman said. “For young farmers, it eliminates questions like, 'Where do I need to go to apply for this or sign up for this?

“For the older producers, it helps them because they may have had to make two or three trips, they can just come to one place and handle all of their business.”

The new facility should also allow Gordon County to host regional producers meetings on a more regular basis. The new center’s auditorium should seat about 200 people.

Bowman hopes that sharing a building with the regional agricultural offices will lead to collaboration between the agencies and better services for farmers in northwest Georgia.

Merritt Melancon, a public relations manager for the UGA Terry College of Business, previously served as a public relations coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.

Authors:
Merritt Melancon
Experts/Sources:
Greg W. Bowman
Former Gordon County Extension Agent Steve Moraitakis, current Gorden County Extension Coordinator Greg Bowman and Joan Sutherland, Gordon County Extension Secretary wave hello from their new headquarters at the Gordon County Ag Service Center. Community members gather with Gordon County Extension Coordinator Greg Bowman as he prepares to cut the ribbon at the Gordon County Agricultural Service Center.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Kelvin Awori and Brooke Stefancik, UGA graduate students, attended the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue, a global agriculture conference, through the CAES World Food Prize Travel Award. Todd Applegate, Assistant Dean for International Programs, accompanied the student on the trip. CAES News
CAES students gain global insights at 2024 Borlaug Dialogue 11/11/24 Claire Sanders Kinnard
Every October, top leaders in food security and agriculture come together for the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, the premier conference on global agriculture. Attendees participate in sessions covering the current state of agriculture around the world, new technologies being deployed in the field, and projects in the works to ensure a safe and sustainable global food supply.
A research team from the University of Georgia's Regenerative Bioscience Center has received $3.7 million to investigate the use of mesenchymal stem cells to treat traumatic brain injuries. CAES News
Regenerative Bioscience Center receives $3.7M award to study new TBI treatment 10/09/24 Charlene Betourney
Can the brain heal itself after a traumatic injury? Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising treatment that could help the brain self-repair, and University of Georgia researchers have received a $3.7 million award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to study MSCs’ potential for treatment of traumatic brain injury, or TBI.
Krysta Harden CAES News
D.W. Brooks lecturer brings policy expertise to address future of agriculture 10/03/24 Claire Sanders Kinnard
Krysta Harden, former United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and current president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, will be the speaker for the 2024 D.W. Brooks Lecture and Awards, an annual event hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. From her parents’ farm in Camilla, Georgia, all the way to Capitol Hill, Harden has been a strong advocate for agriculture.
Caroline Hinton is the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA) CAES News
Director of experiential learning herds students toward new fields of education 10/02/24 Averi Caldwell
Caroline Hinton wants to foster a love of learning for all students who walk through her door. As the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Hinton helps students connect with their fields of study outside of the classroom. “I find joy and excitement in getting to watch students experience different parts of agriculture and find a place in our state’s own agriculture industry,” she said.
CAES AgFellows April 2024 SeanMontgomery 1 CAES News
Congressional Agricultural Fellowship offers students a look behind the political curtain  09/04/24 Liz Newlin
The Congressional Agricultural Fellowship is a transformative program for students in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, offering unique opportunities to engage with the legislative process and gain practical experience in agricultural policy. In partnership with the offices of U.S. representatives Sanford Bishop, Austin Scott, Buddy Carter and Raphael Warnock, CAES offers a prestigious 12-week summer fellowship program that provides selected students with firsthand exposure to the legislative process and the creation of agriculture policy.