CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/18/17

UGA President Morehead visits 40th annual Sunbelt Agricultural Expo

By Clint Thompson

University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead discussed the future of Georgia agriculture with industry leaders at the 40th annual Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 17.

“I look forward to the Sunbelt Expo every year,” Morehead said. “Speaking with agricultural leaders from across the state always serves as a constant reminder of the critical role the University of Georgia plays in supporting our state’s most important industry.”

Morehead, who has attended the expo every year since becoming UGA president in 2013, visited the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) building, where he spoke with CAES Ambassadors and met Southeastern agricultural leaders. He also delivered remarks at a listening session hosted by U.S. House Committee on Agriculture members, and he encouraged policymakers to continue looking to UGA as a source for data to inform agricultural policy.

CAES contributes to Georgia's food, fiber and horticultural sectors through research conducted at various experiment stations, research and education centers, and farms statewide. The college has an annual student population of about 2,000 and more than 11,000 alumni living in Georgia. 

UGA Cooperative Extension serves Georgians in all of the state's 159 counties through local Extension offices and reaches 180,000 elementary, middle and high school students through the Georgia 4-H Youth Development program.

“Many Georgians, especially young people, may not be aware of the total impact that UGA CAES faculty and staff have on the economy and in their lives,” said CAES Dean Sam Pardue. “Sunbelt Expo is a perfect opportunity to showcase our great partnerships and our educational programs across the state that are available to everyone.”

At the expo, UGA Extension specialists lead daily seminars on topics like beef cattle management, forages, dairying, aquaculture and poultry. There are also field demonstrations at the 600-acre, on-site working research farm. Visitors can see peanuts being dug and cotton, peanuts, soybeans and hay being harvested.

“We work very closely with the CAES researchers on a daily basis on the Darrell Williams Research Farm on various row crop and forage studies. During show time, these researchers, along with the livestock specialists, participate in our demos and seminars. It is all tied together with the CAES exhibits in their permanent exhibit building. We appreciate our great relationship with CAES as we work together to make life better on the farm,” said Chip Blalock, executive director of the expo.

The expo is one of many events where CAES Ambassadors — CAES students selected to aid in college recruitment efforts and to represent the college — serve as hosts and provide information to guests. On Wednesday, Oct. 18, Southeastern middle and high school students flocked to the expo for the event's Student Day. Many visited the college's building to learn more about agriculture and CAES opportunities.

“The Sunbelt Expo is one of the largest agricultural events every year, and it’s literally held in our backyard. This is a great chance to showcase our college and educate high school students about the degree programs offered on our UGA campus in Tifton,” said Katie Murray, student recruiter for the UGA Tifton campus. “This is an excellent opportunity to recruit students who aspire to a career in agriculture.” 

For more information, visit sunbeltexpo.com.

 

Clint Thompson is an agriculture writer based in Tifton, Georgia.

Authors:
Clint Thompson
Experts/Sources:
Samuel L. Pardue
Katie Murray
University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead (right) and 2017 Georgia Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Farmer of the Year Everett Williams (left) are pictured at the 40th annual Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 17. University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences student Mollie Cromley talks with a visitor to the college's building at the 2017 Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie, Georgia.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Helenedamage web CAES News
Hurricane Helene: Preliminary damage assessment on Georgia agriculture and forestry industry 10/10/24 Claire S. Kinnard, Matthew Agvent
Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, in coordination with Governor Brian P. Kemp, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the Georgia Forestry Commission, announced the preliminary estimate of Hurricane Helene’s economic impact on Georgia agriculture is $6.46 billion. This figure represents the sum of direct crop losses, losses to businesses that support agriculture and forestry, losses to workers in those related industries, and estimated recovery and restoration costs that agricultural businesses will face.
Nino Brown stands in front of a peanut field holding up a red net bag of harvested peanuts above his head as he speaks to participants in the Georgia Peanut Tour in 2022. CAES News
CAES experts study oil production to boost Georgia’s peanut power 09/05/24 Maria M. Lameiras
A new study by experts in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is seeking to increase the value of Georgia’s peanut crops for new markets while reducing losses caused by aflatoxin, a consistent threat to the No. 1 peanut-producing state in the United States. The four-year, $490,000 grant will take a systems-based approach toward developing high-oil peanut varieties bred to withstand the unique climate and pest pressures of the Southeast.
An employee of Pyxus Agriculture Malawi shows a map explaining the various sites where the Feed the Future Peanut Innovation Lab works with 147 local farmers, Pyxus and the national agriculture program in Malawi. The demonstration was part of the 2024 Groundnut Tour in Malawi, a three-day event modeled after the Georgia Peanut Tour. CAES News
Georgia Peanut Tour inspires Malawi to host first groundnut tour 05/01/24 Allison Floyd
Ten years ago, the Georgia Peanut Tour welcomed its first visitor from the southern African nation of Malawi, where peanuts are part of the local cuisine but are only grown in small gardens or bought in informal markets. Over the next decade, visitors from Malawi attended the tour every year, traveling halfway around the world to see how farmers, shellers, researchers and others work together to get a large crop of peanuts to consumers every year.
A field of corn at sunset. CAES News
UGA Extension protects family farms and sensitive species 04/04/24 Emily Cabrera
Stanley Culpepper has dedicated the length of his career to supporting farmers in their mission to feed and clothe the world. For the past 25 years, Culpepper has been a weed science specialist for University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and a College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences faculty member. Recently his job has become increasingly complex as mounting challenges around the availability of pesticides — primarily herbicides — have taken center stage in agricultural production.
Cotton being harvested and loaded into truck. CAES News
Georgia growers riding high on cotton boom during 2022 season 06/06/23 Emily Cabrera
Georgia cotton growers are starting the 2023 season with a boost from near-record-breaking yields last year. The United States Department of Agriculture released final yield data in late May, confirming the second-highest yields on record, as forecasted by University of Georgia cotton experts in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Danielle Ama Essandoh, a Ghanaian student studying at Makerere University, works in a greenhouse on a research project in Uganda led by UGA’s Soraya Leal-Bertioli in 2021. Essandoh completed a master’s degree and is now working toward a doctorate at UGA. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Peanut Innovation Lab receives $15 million 04/13/23 Allison Floyd
Farmers around the world grow peanuts because the plant adapts to poor soils and produces a crop even as droughts become more common. Smallholder farmers around the world grow the crop on modest plots and cook the nuts into traditional dishes or sell the crop for money to send their kids to school. On April 12, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the University of Georgia announced a five-year extension of their collaborative research and outreach work in peanut innovation.