News Stories - Page 192

Agriculture is Georgia’s top industry, and students from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are learning about the diversity of agriculture during a weeklong tour across the state.

After two years of learning about Georgia’s largest industry and developing leadership skills, the second class of the Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry (AGL) program has graduated.

It may be too cold in parts of Georgia to put plants in the ground, but it’s just the right time to start seedlings. Those looking for new varieties or just a little gardening inspiration can join gardeners from across northeast and middle Georgia at the Rock Eagle Seed Swap on Saturday, March 18.

Nothing ruins a good cookout or run through the sprinklers like a mound of fire ants. With warmer weather around the corner, early spring is the time to tackle fire ant problems before they spoil summer fun.

Avian influenza has not been found in Georgia yet, but officials with the Georgia Department of Agriculture urge chicken producers, especially backyard flock owners, to remain vigilant and follow established safeguards to protect birds and their owners.

Double Take Storm flowering quinces have the most shocking blooms you ever imagined. Three selections from the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center are ‘Scarlet Storm,’ ‘Pink Storm’ and ‘Orange Storm.’ They are all double flowered and will cause you to first think of a camellia. With a group of three that now fall under a series called Double Take, you will most likely find Double Take ‘Scarlet Storm.’

Researchers working as part of the University of Georgia’s Regenerative Bioscience Center have developed a new way to identify and sort stem cells that may one day allow clinicians to restore vision to people with damaged corneas using the patient’s own eye tissue. The UGA researchers published their findings in Biophysical Journal.

Nothing could be more local –or make you more of a locavore – than eating locally grown produce that comes from your own garden plot. You may be thinking that you don’t have room for a garden, but I assure you that the vegetable garden has become “sweet ‘n’ neat” over the past few years for a couple of reasons.

The Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA) recently recognized University of Georgia professor John Ruter and UGA Cooperative Extension agent Keith Mickler for their service to the industry.