Browse General Agriculture Stories - Page 50

There is nothing more frustrating than planting a vegetable garden and not producing a substantial crop. Numerous problems can contribute to low yields, but, fortunately, most of them can be avoided.

There is nothing quite like the taste and freshness of homegrown vegetables. While growing them in the South can be a challenge – thanks to weeds, disease and insects – many of us prefer a more simplistic, environmentally-friendly approach to growing our veggies.

Welcome to the 35th annual Spring Garden Packet from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Written by CAES faculty, editors and graduate and undergraduate students, these articles are provided to help you with timely, valuable statewide gardening information.

Outrage from recent food safety incidents – which range from E. coli in spinach to salmonella in peanut paste and jalapeño and serrano peppers – has driven state and national leaders to take action, making the coming year one for some major food policy changes, said Mike Doyle, director of the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety in Griffin, Ga.

On March 16, the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development will reveal the winners of the 2010 Flavor of Georgia contest. As part of Georgia Ag Day, Gov. Sonny Perdue will present awards for top products and a grand prize for the overall winner.

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will host its fourth annual Ag Forecast Breakfast Series 7:30 a.m. -10 a.m. Jan. 25 in Rome, Jan. 26 in Gainesville, Jan. 27 in Statesboro, Jan. 28 in Tifton and Jan. 29 in Macon. Participants will hear from farm and food safety experts and be able to ask them questions.

Nearly 15 percent of the food Americans eat is imported from other countries, mostly from Canada, Mexico and China. This may sound like a small percentage, but it represents 80 percent of seafood and 45 percent of fresh fruit consumed in the U.S. A University of Georgia expert says increased food imports bring new challenges to ensuring a safe U.S. food supply.

In recent years, the stink bug has become a major problem for Georgia crops, particularly in cotton fields, where it costs farmers millions in losses annually. To develop more efficient methods to control the pest, a University of Georgia researcher wants to learn more about it, especially its travel habits.

Many Georgians remember hiking into nearby woods as children to chop down that most iconic of all holiday decorations: the family Christmas tree. These days, a suitable one is less likely found in the backyard. But the experience can still be found, along with that perfect tree, among the acreage at a choose-and-cut tree farm.

Farmers with physical disabilities are often a little too self-reliant to ask for help or don't know where to find it. But help is out there. Soon, they’ll have an entire farm dedicated to equipment and training especially designed to help them farm more comfortably.