ag in space p.13 more than one million strong p.14 100 ... uga college of agricultural &...

southscapesUGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

Ag in SpAce p.13 more thAn one million Strong p.14 100 YeArS of extenSion p.19

Spring 2014

Class ActAg alum expands family business

UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Volume 10 • Issue 1

plus…5 Noteworthy: News from the college.

12 Sowing seeds: Sustainable ag principles cross cultures.

17 UGA-developed plant cultivars breed success: The economics of ag.

18 Off guard: The final installment of our “Ag in Afghanistan” series.

27 CAES by the numbers

27 From Four Towers

28 Gifts at work

30 Then & now: Four Towers

32 Lead dogs

37 How it works: Field research

38 Destinations: Costa Rica

spotlight9 Educating the experts: Clarke Co. Extension agent shares lessons on leadership.

13 Ag in space: Ag engineer goes from greenhouse to NASA.

features10 Growing success in Tifton: Hands-on teaching turns out top talent.

14 More than one million strong: 4-H’s environmental ed program lets Mother Nature teach the course.

19 100 years of UGA Extension: A century of learning and leading in Georgia.

cover22 Man with a plan: How Ryan Rutland’s senior-year agribusiness project became The Market at Rutland Farms.

14

30Four Towers: It’s not just the view that’s changed

southscapes | contents

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cover photo: BrITnI mArTInez

On the cover: Ryan Rutland’s The Market at Rutland Farms offers visitors a taste of farm-fresh fare.

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from the deanOver the past two years, the college developed a strategic plan to solidify our position as one of the world’s preeminent colleges of agriculture. Working under this plan, we continue to strive to:

• Move CAES educational programs to the forefront of U.S. land-grant institutions.• Create vital, dynamic and engaged county Extension education programs.• Focus on the pressing issues of food, health and wellness; breeding and genetics in plant and animal science; environmental stewardship; and sustainable food production systems.• Develop strong, well-supported basic and applied research programs.• Have the most productive, innovative and respected faculty and staff in the land-grant system.• Maintain current funding, expand existing sources and seek new, diversified resources.• Ensure our organization and the public understand and appreciate the value of our programs.

Shifts in global food production dictate an enhanced education system that encourages innovation to make that possible. Each part of the massive engine that drives worldwide food production is vital for successfully feeding the world. Like colleges of agriculture across America, CAES has faced a multi-faceted problem: soaring enrollments, dwindling budgets, pressure to focus on sustainability and questions about the safety of high-yield technologies. These issues arose as many of our researchers, teachers and experts retired, creating a college-wide knowledge drain.

To meet these challenges, we developed a five-year strategic plan to ensure a prosperous future. We will build upon our traditional strengths to educate the agricultural workforce, search for new discoveries and deliver Extension education, addressing Georgians’ most pressing needs. We have already begun assembling the brightest minds in agriculture to lead the charge.

We will target resources and expertise on areas in which we excel and can have the most impact. Traditionally, our greatest strengths have been plant and animal breeding, food safety, production efficiency and local education efforts to get innovations into the field. New market demands make it imperative that we increase sustainable practices to produce an abundant, safe food supply with minimal environmental impact.

Our action plan, which details the path we will take to reach these goals, is online at: caesplan.caes.uga.edu. I hope you will take a moment to review it and see what the future has in store for our college.

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J. Scott AngleDean and DirectorCollege of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Managing Editor Amanda E. Swennes

dEsign dirEctor Cindy Allen

assistant Editors Sharon Dowdy, Andrea Gonzalez

copy Editor Kathyrn Schiliro

contributing WritErsMaria Bowie, Sharon Dowdy, Juli Fields, Andrea Gonzalez, Brent Marable, Josh Paine, Faith Peppers, Stephanie Schupska, Amanda E. Swennes, Erica Techo, Amanda Tedrow, Clint Thompson, Bob Waldorf contributing photographErsCindy Allen, Sharon Dowdy, Juli Fields, Leigh Lister, Britni Martinez, Merritt Melancon, Clint Thompson

dEan and dirEctor J. Scott Angle College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

dirEctor of ExtErnal rElations Robert Cooper Office of External Relations

dirEctor of aluMni rElations Juli Fields Office of External Relations

dirEctor Angela Rowell Office of Communications and Creative Services

suggEstions? [email protected]

Southscapes is published semiannually for alumni, friends and supporters of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences by the CAES Office of External Relations and produced by the CAES Office of Communications and Creative Services.

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Spring 2014 | southscapes 5

Student garden resourcesBy Andrea Gonzalez

UGA Extension now offers a free, online resource center for teachers and volunteers looking to start a school garden or improve the use of existing school gardens. The one-stop shop provides advice on starting and maintaining a school garden, lesson plans based on the Georgia Performance Standards, and grants and funding opportunities for those who want to create hands-on,

educational experiences outside of the classroom.

CAES horticulture professor David Knauft developed the content for the site. Former middle school agriscience teacher and incoming CAES master’s student Alicia Holloway worked closely with Knauft to adapt and organize the lesson plans for use in kindergarten through eighth grade classes.

Making agriculture a priorityStory and photo by Clint Thompson

University of Georgia President Jere Morehead has made connecting with the state’s agriculture industry a top priority since assuming his post last July.

One of his first tasks was taking an agricultural tour of the state, coordinated by Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, in September. The tour included stops at Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, the UGA Vidalia Onion and

Vegetable Research Center in Lyons and UGA’s bull test station in Rome.

“This is the most important industry in the state of Georgia,” Morehead said during the visit. “The University of Georgia has always been supportive of the state of Georgia, so I thought it was very important that I get out across the state and do this farm tour.”

UGA President Jere Morehead (center) meets the Tifton campus ambassadors as part of his farm tour with Dean Angle (far right).

Move more, live more: Walk Georgia partners with The Coca-Cola Foundation By Stephanie Schupska

A University of Georgia Extension program designed to help Georgians live healthier, more active lives has received a boost of $1 million through a three-year grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation.

Through Walk Georgia, Georgians have virtually “walked” the state since 2008. With a goal of 100,000 participants by 2016, these new funds will improve the program and accommodate the growth.

“Supporting the program is another example of Coca-Cola’s commitment to help people lead active, healthy lifestyles. This commitment starts with our home state of Georgia,” said Lori George Billingsley, vice president of community relations, Coca-Cola North America Group.

Focusing on movement and nutrition, Walk Georgia strives to lower obesity rates of children and adults, and reduce the number of physically inactive people in each Georgia county by 5 percent.

“The partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation is extremely important in benefitting the health of Georgians in particular because the obesity issue is so huge in our state,” said Deborah Murray, associate dean for Extension and outreach in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “Not any single entity has the amount of resources to

address this, so we all have to partner together with public and private organizations to help Georgians.”

Each Walk Georgia session provides motivation to individuals or teams of four, including a leaderboard, county facts and a newsletter that gives information about healthy lifestyle changes, state parks and nutritious recipes.

“We need to make physical activity a part of our culture and daily lives, through programs that are not dependent on a fee or a gym,” Murray said. “To me, the beauty of Walk Georgia is that it meets people where they are.”

For more information or to participate, visit walkgeorgia.org.

Walk, garden, dance, swim,

yoga your way across Georgia. It’s time to get moving!

You’re invited to join us for a virtual stroll through Georgia.

Walk Georgia is a 12-week program sponsored by

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. It is designed

to increase your physical activity in a fun, interactive,

community-oriented way. Participate individually or as part

of a four-person team. The goal is to be active, whether

you’re walking, biking or playing Ultimate Frisbee. Move

more, and enjoy living more!

Pull on your shoes and join us as we move more

and become healthier. Walk Georgia is a free

program open to adults, youth, families, schools,

community organizations and employers.

Visit www.walkgeorgia.org to register yourself or

your four-person team. An email address is required

to register. Don’t have one? Join a team – only the

team captain needs an email address to register.

This program is sponsored through

your local Cooperative Extension office. For more

information about Cooperative Extension or this program,

call 1-800-275-8421 or go to www.extension.uga.edu.

Join us!

www.walkgeorgia.org

The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.

CAES Office of Communications and Technology Services 2012 Printed on recycled paper.

Registration opens September 1

See our group/school registration kits and other

promotional material at www.walkgeorgia.org/promo.

For more information, visit extension.uga.edu/k12/school-gardens.

6 southscapes | Spring 2014 Spring 2014 | southscapes 7

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To reach the growing portion of Georgia’s population who rely heavily on smart phones and mobile devices, UGA Extension specialists have created several mobile apps.

Native plantsBased on a popular printed UGA Extension publication, Native Plants of North Georgia: A Photo Guide for Plant Enthusiasts, this free mobile app helps users identify and learn about common native plants through photographs and descriptions of plant parts, bloom times, habitat and more. iOS and Android versions can be downloaded at extension.uga.edu/mobile.

Integrated pest managementAnother app, IPMPro, helps green industry professionals make pest management decisions, train employees and keep pesticide records.

Newest research and education center essentialStory and photo by Merritt Melancon

In the year since it’s been up and running, the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center in Watkinsville, Ga., has become essential to the research, teaching and Extension missions of the college, as well as to the surrounding community.

Through a preliminary agreement with the federal government, the University of Georgia took over management of what was then the J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resource Conservation Center in August 2012 after closure of the facility by the USDA. The research station was subsequently deeded to the University System of Georgia in September 2013.

Currently the center hosts projects on pasture management, crop and watershed management, and grass-fed cattle diets.

“Our goal was to rebuild the Campbell facility as a center of excellence for research, teaching and Extension in agriculture and natural resource management,” said Harald Scherm, CAES assistant dean for research. “We want to build a synergistic team of research and Extension scientists at the facility to address critical issues related to sustainable crop and

animal production systems, soil protection, and water quality and conservation.”

In addition to providing the land needed for faculty to complete long-term agricultural research projects, the Campbell center also serves as a hub for sustainable farming outreach and Extension programs — including field days,

workshops, technology and technique demonstrations, and the Piedmont Beginning Farmers Development Partnership.

Oconee County Extension agents, who moved into one section of the center’s main building in early 2013, help host these events and make sure the research reaches the local community.

In addition to Oconee County 4-H meetings and Extension workshops, the center allows community members to come together once a week to pack grocery boxes for the Food to Kids program, said Denise Everson, family and consumer sciences Extension agent for Oconee and Athens-Clarke counties.

“We’re only able to do this because we have the space, and we would not have been able to do this before,” Everson said. “This is one more way that Extension can give back to the community and make Oconee County healthier and stronger.”

Left to right: CAES Dean J. Scott Angle, UGA President Jere Morehead, Rep. Jack Kingston, state Rep. Terry England, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black and Oconee County Commission Chairman Melvin Davis cut a ceremonial ribbon at UGA’s J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center on Jan. 21.

“Our goal was to rebuild the Campbell facility as a center of excellence for research, teaching and Extension in agriculture and natural resource management.”

~Harald Scherm, CAES assistant dean for research

Smartyplants: CAES mobile apps help professional, home landscapers By Sharon Dowdy

IPMPro works for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 through 9, which includes 22 states from west of the Mississippi River, northeast to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and south to the Gulf Coast.

UGA faculty created the app with their colleagues at Clemson University, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State University and University of Maryland. The app costs $24.99 and can be downloaded at IPMProApp.com.

A home version, IPMLite, is available for $9.99 and provides research-based information on how to keep home landscapes healthy.

TurfA series of four turfgrass apps were designed by UGA faculty for the green industry,

homeowners and students. The most popular, Turf Management Lite, includes photos of turfgrass varieties, pests, weeds and diseases. It comes in three versions: Turf Management Lite, Turf Management Subscription and Turfgrass Management — Spanish. The lite and Spanish versions are free. The subscription version costs

$20 per year and includes everything from the lite version, plus information on pest control applications and a pesticide database.

The Turfgrass Management Calculator app covers all types of applications, pesticide rates, fertilizer requirements, topdressing sand requirements, and calibration of sprayers and spreaders. It converts units from standard to metric, includes more than 16,000 pre-programmed calculations and costs $5.

The Turfgrass Weeds app teaches users about turfgrasses and weeds through a series of flashcards. It’s a free application, as is the newest app — Turfgrass Management Quiz, a trivia-style education game. The UGA turf apps can be downloaded at GeorgiaTurf.com or through iTunes.

Leading leadersBy Faith Peppers

After a nationwide search, the college named Kathleen (Kay) D. Kelsey head of the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication in April 2013.

“ALEC is home to a large segment of our student body,” said J. Scott Angle, CAES dean and director. “It is an area of study that has grown rapidly over the past decade and continues to grow. We need a dynamic leader to guide that growth, and I’m confident Dr. Kelsey is that leader.”

Kelsey comes to UGA from Oklahoma State University where she was a professor of evaluation.

“I am excited about engaging with the agricultural community about the most pressing issues of our time, including

reducing world hunger and easing human suffering through micro and macro agricultural practices,” Kelsey said. “Leading the dynamic ALEC faculty to support UGA’s agricultural education, communication and leadership programs, we will educate the next generation of critical thinkers to help solve problems globally.”

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SOMETHING TO BARk ABOUTCompiled by Amanda E. Swennes The National Science Foundation ranks UGA’s College of

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences fourth in the nation based on total expenditures for research and development.

According to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, UGA ranked 17th in total number of master’s degrees in agriculture and related sciences awarded to all minorities.

UGA is No. 49 out of 100 for the number of U.S. patents granted in 2012 (No. 66 worldwide) based on data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.


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Members of the inaugural Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry program met with both state and national legislators in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., as part of their leadership training.

spotlight

Educating the expertsBy Amanda Tedrow

When I first applied to the Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry program, I really couldn’t have anticipated all that I would be getting into. Here is what I knew at the beginning: The program lasted two years, I would be away from my office and family for about 52 days, and our group would be embarking on eight regional trips within Georgia, one national trip and one international trip to learn about agriculture both across the state and around the world. I knew I was doing something outside of my comfort zone, but I went into it thinking, “Nothing worth doing is ever easy.”

Now halfway through the program, I’ve seen leadership across many sectors of the agriculture industry and met people along the way who have become friends as well as colleagues. I’ve also had to look at myself in a different light after participating in personality and leadership assessments to better learn about my strengths and weaknesses and how I work with others.

My class — the first group to go through this leadership and training program — is made up of 21 individuals from the forestry, turfgrass, grocery, row crop, livestock and green industries, farm insurance and credit, economic development and agribusiness, UGA Extension and other CAES departments. We learn so much about and from each other both professionally and personally.

I have contacted quite a few of my classmates when I had a question or a need for my Extension programs. They have also learned from me about the role of Extension in the community and state as well as my specific areas of expertise with community gardens, small farms and farmers markets. Many of us have also become friends who share about our careers, families, children and even pets.

Before this program started, I assumed that I was relatively familiar with agriculture in Georgia. I have two ag degrees and have been a UGA Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for more than eight years. This program is showing me otherwise. For example, I knew that there was a growing olive industry in the state, but I had no idea of the acres of olive trees being grown, how long it takes for the trees to reach full production, or how to properly taste olive oil. Who knew you were supposed to slurp it across your tongue to get a true taste?

Last year, our group toured the port in Savannah. I had toured the port in the past with another group, but to see it with a focus on the agricultural products coming into and out of our ports was eye-opening. It was also interesting to hear from other participants about how products from their businesses move through the port. That’s a perspective I wouldn’t have gotten if not for this program.

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We’ve also been given the opportunity to meet with our legislators, both in Atlanta and in Washington, D.C. For me it was enlightening to see that our congressmen were so approachable. Even though they were in session during our visit, I was able to call one of my representatives “to the ropes” and introduce myself, ask a few questions and thank her for her service.

I cannot wait for the remaining sessions between now and the end of 2014, including our trip to India in July to experience agriculture in a different part of the world.

I have gleaned so much more from my time in this program than I ever anticipated, and I would recommend this program to anyone interested in furthering both their agricultural knowledge and their leadership skills. No matter how much you think you know, there’s still so much to learn.

For more information about the Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry program, visit agl.caes.uga.edu.

Making ag your businessBy Andrea Gonzalez

In 2013, the CAES Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics launched its revamped Master of Agribusiness program. What makes this degree different from some other master’s degree programs is that it’s more applied and focuses on completing a technical paper, such as a business feasibility plan, instead of a traditional research thesis. Program coordinator Joshua Berning hopes to increase enrollment from seven to about 20.

The Master of Agribusiness degree is designed for people looking

for more in-depth knowledge of food and agribusiness company leadership, marketing, management, finance, accounting and other key elements of business administration. Similar to traditional MBA programs, the MAB is also suitable for students who do not have a formal educational background in economics or business, whether they are recent college graduates or mid-career professionals.

The year-and-a-half-long program is based in Athens and offers several assistantships, internships and research opportunities.

For more information, visit caes.uga.edu/departments/agecon/ academics/graduate.

Did you know? Starting salaries for undergraduate agribusiness majors range from $45,000 to $55,000. Graduates from the department’s master’s degree programs can start out earning $60,000 to $70,000 a year.

Bo Ryles named to National 4-H Hall of FameBy Sharon Dowdy

Retired Georgia 4-H State Leader Roger “Bo” Ryles has been inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame. Affectionately called “Dr. Bo” by Georgia 4-H’ers, Ryles led the Georgia program from 1994 to 2009.

Under his leadership, Georgia 4-H centers received more than $20 million in public and private funds for improvements. He was instrumental in acquiring what is now Fortson 4-H Center. He also co-founded and led the biennial Georgia Youth Summit, a program designed to increase youth awareness of state and local issues.

While leading the program, Ryles established the Georgia 4-H Green Jacket Award, the volunteer-led Legacy Ball and 4-H partnerships in Tunisia and Puerto Rico.

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Ryles retired in 2009 but remains actively involved in Georgia 4-H.

“No matter how long I live, I can never give back all 4-H has given to me, but I surely can keep working at it,” Ryles said. “4-H gave me a forum to gain confidence, gain knowledge, learn to communicate, and a safe place to fall down and get back up. This recognition is huge in my mind and even bigger in my heart.”

In the newsCompiled by Stephanie Schupska

CAES had three of the top 10 UGA faculty most-quoted in the media from November 2012 to October 2013.

Mike doyle, director, UGA Center for Food Safety1,518 media mentions | Quoted on: food safety topicsAd value: $537,871.70*

ynes ortega, associate professor, UGA Center for Food Safety 520 media mentions | Quoted on: cyclosporaAd value: $154,617.26*

stanley culpepper, weed science specialist, UGA Extension221 media mentions | Quoted on: Palmer amaranthAd value: $134,463.49*

*A calculation of what the space of a news article would have cost if an ad of the same size was purchased.

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Vellidis, who was instrumental in the academic program’s 2003 startup, says he wanted the opportunity to share his agricultural wisdom by teaching locally.

“A lot of us have always wanted to teach. Before this program, people on the Tifton campus had to drive to Athens to teach two or three times a week,” he said. “It just takes up your entire day to teach one 50-minute class. I just stopped doing it. I had this desire to be able to teach here.”

hAnDS-on ApproAchOne benefit of having scientists and researchers doubling as teachers is that students are able to study alongside while the research is being conducted. For example, in Vellidis’ class, students learn about yield monitors while observing a cotton picker or peanut combine. In Harris’ soils and hydrology class, students travel to Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin, Ga., to learn first-hand about erosion.

“We knew we could do things a little differently here versus Athens. We’re right in the heart of Georgia’s production ag area,” Harris said. “My course is very hands-on. I’m not going to apologize for that. I had a student one time on my evaluation say I teach the course like job training. I said, ‘Wait a minute, was that supposed to be a derogatory comment?’ I think that’s a compliment.”

Vellidis acknowledges that students can get easily fatigued if they’re stuck in a class every day during a semester, which is why he believes lab work serves as both an important teaching tool and career preparations.

“You see students in labs and a spark is there. They’re so excited to get their hands on stuff and be able to use it. That translates to when they’re out there getting jobs. When you tell a student their prospective employer has interest in someone with precision ag experience — that they can say they’ve used all the equipment and are familiar with all the equipment — they

he University of Georgia Tifton campus, long known for world-renowned research from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, is now making a name for its academic program. Case in point: Last spring’s graduating class had a 100-percent job placement rate.

“People want our graduates. The only complaint we get about our graduates is there aren’t enough of them,” said Joe West, assistant dean of the UGA Tifton campus.

UGA Tifton’s graduates are in high demand because they are being trained and taught by scientists known across the world for their agricultural expertise. Such instructors include Dr. George Vellidis, an expert in precision agriculture; Dr. Glen Harris, a soil fertility expert; and Dr. Craig Kvien, the brain trust behind the Future Farmstead Project — a model for new and emerging technologies, renewable energy, equipment advancements and conservation techniques.

“The success of academic programs on the UGA Tifton campus is built around world-class researchers who are teaching the Tifton students. There is no substitute for having the researchers directly engaged in student learning,” said Jason Peake, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication and the director of academic programs on the Tifton campus.

Peake has been instrumental in educating middle school and high school agriscience teachers across the state, more than 60 of whom are UGA Tifton campus graduates.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see Tifton agricultural education graduates directly engaged in teaching and growing Georgia’s future agriculturalists and making an impact on the lives of young people,” Peake said.

A DeSire to teAchMuch of the success of UGA Tifton’s academic programs can be attributed to the work ethic and selfless nature of the campus faculty. Scientists such as Vellidis and Harris dedicate time to help educate future agricultural leaders.

“I thought it was good for the campus, that’s why I volunteered,” said Harris, who started out solely as an Extension specialist, and truly did volunteer to teach classes for about five years before officially getting a teaching appointment. “I went into teaching 11 years ago having no idea if I’d like it or not. But I guess it’s no surprise that a guy with an Extension personality can take that experience to the classroom and like it.”

Harris credits a unique teaching style for his classroom success.“I never teach a class the same way twice. I try to let the students guide the topics,”

he said. “If they have an interest in one area, we’ll go a little further in that area.”

Growing success in TiftonBy Clint Thompson

Blake Jones (left) and Justin Youngblood, students in Jason Peake’s floriculture for educators class, prepare to transplant hybrid and genetically modified seed they germinated to the greenhouse for production.

Soil fertility expert Glen Harris takes his students to visit Providence Canyon in Lumpkin, Ga., to see first-hand the effects of soil erosion.

Starting in May, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tifton campus will get a makeover.

The Tift Building — built in 1922 and the campus’s oldest building — will undergo renovation. The Georgia legislature approved $4.7 million in the state budget last May for the project. The building, which has been vacant for several years, will house administrative offices and a classroom.

While the building’s renovation will help alleviate much-needed space concerns, due in part to six new scientists being hired over the past year, it will also serve as a recruiting tool for prospective students. The Tift Building’s renovation is the first step in a major makeover coming for what is essentially the front door of the UGA Tifton campus. Assistant Dean Joe West hopes future updates will bring a complete renewal to the front of the campus.


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have a competitive advantage over someone who may have just seen a picture of it in a PowerPoint presentation,” Vellidis said.

Alumni-ApproveDIn a little more than a decade, the UGA Tifton campus has demonstrated a propensity to produce top-notch leaders in all areas of agriculture. Past graduates are quick to credit Tifton’s professors for their professional success.

“I was told by two or three different administrators that the way I handle my classes, it looked like I had been teaching for 10 to 15 years. I attribute all that to UGA Tifton and the staff there,” said Micheal Lee Barnes, a second-year agriscience teacher at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga.

Brittaney Schwing, a 2013 UGA Tifton graduate and first-year agriscience teacher at Northeast Campus in Tift County, echoes Barnes’ sentiments.

“I know that graduating from the University of Georgia has prepared me for my future. Without a doubt, I know that I have received the best education in my field.”

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Story and photo by Bob Waldorf

Sowing seedsIn June 2013, Sam Ingram (Jackson County agriculture and natural resources Extension agent) and I traveled to Mukono, Uganda, to bring 16 farmers from six different areas of the country together to learn new farming practices based on our knowledge of sustainable agriculture. The goal was to have these farmers act as mentors, first implementing these practices on their own farms and then teaching their neighbors how to raise crops using the same techniques.

The workshop covered key principles of sustainable agriculture. We explained how to build soil fertility through crop rotation, cover crops and composting. We also taught methods of better seed selection, weed control and planting. For example, a common planting method in Uganda is to walk through a field and throw seeds out. This results in clumps of three or four plants and a lot of open space. Instead, we taught the farmers

how to plant in rows using a spool of string and sticks to mark seed spacing. It might sound simple, but this method will help increase their yield, which will increase what they can raise to both eat and sell.

We also covered how to scout for insect and disease pests and how to use pesticides safely. Finally, with the help of a farm budget worksheet provided by the Georgia Small Business Development Center, we discussed ways to evaluate whether their farms were economically sustainable.

After the workshop, we traveled with a local leader throughout the country, visiting the workshop participants’ farms. We were able to observe existing farming practices and offer specific advice on ways to implement the methods we’d taught at the workshop. The hope is to go back for a follow-up visit later this year.

Jackson County agriculture and natural resources Extension agent Sam Ingram (wearing hat) teaches a Ugandan farmer how to properly adjust the harrows on a “walking tractor” before plowing a field.

Cross-cultural education in sustainable agriculture

Editor’s note: This was Bob Waldorf’s third ag-focused trip to Uganda. On his most recent visit, one farmer was excited to show off his raised beds with leafy greens — a technique he learned from Waldorf’s 2012 workshop. “He was so proud because he’d planted and sold enough greens to pay for his daughter’s education for the next year,” Waldorf said. And that’s why he’ll keep going back. Bob is the agriculture and natural resources Extension agent in Banks County.

L ike many Georgia farmers,

farmers in eastern uganda face

challenges with soil fertility, insects

and diseases. unlike most Georgia

farmers, ugandan smallholder

farmers cultivate their land with

a hoe and their hands, typically

farming between 1 and 5 acres

per family. There’s no mechanical

equipment or grain storage

facilities.

spotlight

Ag in spaceBy Merritt Melancon

Russ Fortson (BSA – Ag Engineering, ’83, MS – Ag Engineering, ’87) took his knowledge of agriculture and engineering from CAES all the way to NASA.

Fortson started his career as a UGA Extension engineer conducting energy audits of greenhouses and tobacco drying barns. Over the years, he turned the hours he spent driving around south Georgia in a dusty, old, state pick-up truck into the experience and background he needed to work for NASA.

“I had a very strong foundation that I got here at the University of Georgia studying agricultural engineering,” he said.

First at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and later at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, Fortson was part of a team of scientists who worked on controlled ecological life support systems for future space stations or moon bases.

“When you travel in space you have to take food, water and air,” Fortson said. “Everything that keeps people alive, you have to take it with you when you travel in space.”

Fortson’s team studied water and nutrient cycling inside a closed system and grew crops that could be used to generate oxygen, clean the water supply and feed the space crew.

“I was well versed in that [after] having worked with greenhouses,” he said. “Some of the engineers from other disciplines, the more traditional aerospace engineers, felt like, ‘Wait, I’ve already got to keep humans alive and now you want me to keep plants alive, too?’ No, the plants are keeping you alive. It required a little bit of a change of thought.”

Fortson continues to work on life support and reliability projects for spacecraft as a contractor for both NASA and several private space exploration companies, and still gives credit for his space work to his education at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Russ Fortson: From CAES greenhouses to NASA’s moon missions.

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Fortson was part of a team of scientists who worked on controlled ecological life support systems for future space stations or moon bases.


on the activities and participate, they are [having] experiences that they will always remember,” said Carol Payne, a teacher from Rome City Schools who has brought her students to EE programs for nearly two decades.

“We’ve had kids that this is the first time they’ve ever seen a campfire or the ocean,” she said. “It’s just a great program and I wish all of the kids in the state of Georgia got to participate.”

While the programs emphasize science, lessons also touch on history, language arts and mathematics in

4-h CuLTIvATes envIronmenTAL eduCATIonone million strong

more than

With more than 44,000 public, private and home-school students attending courses annually, the program has inspired an entire generation of youth through classes that draw on Georgia’s unique ecosystems to teach lessons in biology, environmental science and ecology.

“Too many children have not been afforded the chance to experience nature,” said Arch Smith, Georgia 4-H state leader. “The 4-H Environmental Education program provides hands-on learning in the natural environment at our five 4-H centers, from the mountains to the Piedmont to the sea.”

The professional staff at the five centers (Rock Eagle in Eatonton,

Wahsega in Dahlonega, Fortson in Hampton, Burton on Tybee Island and Jekyll on Jekyll Island) hire and train college graduates as seasonal instructors to deliver a research-based curriculum linked directly to the Georgia Performance Standards.

“Teachers and parents recognize the program for bringing school concepts to life and connecting students to the natural world using the outdoors as a classroom without walls,” said Melanie Biersmith, the Georgia 4-H Environmental Education state Extension specialist.

“I could teach about [these topics] in the classroom all day long, but when the kids actually get out and get their hands

Story by Josh Paine | Photos by John Amis

continued next page

n its 35-year history, the Georgia 4-h environmental education

program has reached more than 1 million students with its

science-based field study programs and set the standard for

similar programs nationwide.

while Georgia 4-h may be best known for youth development

programs offered through uGA extension’s 4-h clubs, the

organization has offered environmental education to young

people across the southeast since 1979.

Last october, the environmental education program’s staff,

administrators and founder, diane davies, celebrated the millionth

student to attend classes through the esteemed program.

i


Story and photos by Sharon Dowdy

The natural history museum at Rock Eagle 4-H Center was recently named in honor of Diane Davies, the now-retired Georgia 4-H educator who created the Georgia 4-H Environmental Education program in 1979 with a $300 budget and a basketful of dreams.

Davies was instrumental in the museum’s creation, and she wasn’t shy about using creative and unconventional ways to generate funds for exhibits, like asking the Georgia Egg Commission to fund the dinosaur egg exhibit.

“I approached them saying, ‘kids are already interested in dinosaurs, this is one way you can get them interested in eggs,’” she said.

UGA Extension Associate Dean Beverly Sparks remembers the early phases of the museum design, and Davies’ passion for the project.

“I toured the building with Diane when I was a young UGA entomologist,” she said. “Diane lit up when she told me what her vision was for the museum as she pointed at the blank walls.”

First housed in the Barkaloo-Rich Building at Rock Eagle, the museum has played an important part in teaching children in the Environmental Education and summer camp programs about the world around them.

“I wanted all the (Environmental Education program) resources, like the museum, to be a window to the world for the thousands and thousands of children we serve in this program. To see the enthusiasm for learning in their eyes, there is no greater reward than that,” Davies said.

Diane Davies (center) cuts the ribbon at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center museum that now bears her name.

Georgia 4-H State Leader Arch Smith (right) unveils the sign at the natural history museum, named for EE program founder Diane Davies (left).

Museum named for Diane Davies


Honoring a visionary

continued from previous page

addition to promoting team building and communication skills.

“I have seen those ‘light bulbs’ go off in [students’] heads as they make connections between what goes on in nature and what goes on in their daily lives,” said former instructor Sarah Gray (MAL – Ag Leadership, ’10).

For the seasonal staff, the program is often one of their first professional experiences after graduation, and an opportunity to put their knowledge and communication skills to use.

“Working as an environmental educator has impacted my life far more than any other decision I have made,” Gray said. “I had never felt like I was making such a real, tangible difference in people’s lives as I felt when I was working for Georgia 4-H EE. This position is not only fun, but gives [instructors] the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.”

Many instructors take the skills they acquire from teaching youth about environmental education to other professional roles, from national park rangers to schoolteachers to nature center naturalists — including Gray, who now serves as an education manager for the Orlando Science Center.

According to Diane Davies, former state Extension specialist and founder of the Georgia 4-H Environmental Education program, they also carry with them the program goals, values and curriculum. In turn, these resources are used by or adapted for other organizations both nationally and internationally, impacting the lives of youth not just in Georgia but also across the globe.

For more information about the Georgia 4-H Environmental Education program, visit georgia4h.org/ee.

By Brent Marable

f you’ve played a round of golf lately, chances are your ball rolled onto a green or fairway carpeted in TifEagle or TifSport, two turfgrass cultivars jointly developed by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that have become famous across the golf industry for their overall playability and adaptability. The grass that helps you sink that perfect putt is just one of many plant cultivars developed by our college’s researchers that has become a backdrop to everyday life, yet has a massive impact on our state’s economy.

CAES-developed plant cultivars have generated more than $66.8 million in royalty revenue since 1990 and currently contribute more than $1 billion in annual Georgia farm gate values. Up to 50 percent of royalty revenue from those plant cultivars is reinvested back into research at CAES.

Since 1990, CAES research efforts in plant breeding alone have yielded more than 350 commercially available plant cultivars. Of those, 139 are agronomic crops, such as peanuts, forages, wheat, cotton and soybeans; 102 are horticultural food crops, such as blueberries, pecans, peaches, muscadines and vegetables; 95 are ornamental plants, such as flowering shrubs, trees and bedding plants; and 14 are turfgrass varieties, such as seashore paspalum, centipedegrass and bermudagrass, like TifEagle and TifSport.

Around the state, CAES-developed plant cultivars have a significant impact on market share. For example, in 2012, CAES-developed peanuts accounted for 95 percent of all peanuts

produced in Georgia, with a corresponding farm gate value of approximately $847 million of the total — more than a 200-fold increase since 1993. In the same year, CAES-developed hydrangea cultivars, such as Endless Summer®, Lady in Red™ and Twist-n-Shout™, comprised more than half of all the hydrangeas sold in the U.S.

Perhaps most striking has been the impact of CAES-developed blueberry cultivars. Rebel, Suziblue and Titan™, for example, have led the upsurge of Georgia’s blueberry industry. In 2011, this previously emerging crop had a farm gate value of more than $255 million — and CAES-developed blueberry cultivars accounted for more than half of the market share ($135 million) of all blueberries produced in Georgia. Quite a difference from a farm gate value of only $2 million in 1993.

Moving technology from the lab or field to the marketplace can help establish incentives for research and development, and connecting industry with university expertise and innovations promotes economic development and increases research visibility.

The next time you eat a PB&J sandwich, enjoy blueberries with your cereal or pick out a new plant for your garden, you’re helping a little piece of our college make a big difference in your state, nation and the world.

Brent Marable (BSA – Horticulture, ’96, MAL – Ag Leadership, ’13) is a plant licensing manager for UGA’s Technology Commercialization Office, a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Research.

ugA-developed plant cultivars

UGa-developed plant cUltivars have Generated more than $66.8 million in royalty revenUe since 1990.


100 years of UGA ExtensionCompiled by Josh Paine, Maria Bowie, Amanda E. Swennes and Andrea Gonzalez

The men and women of UGA Extension improve lives, build economies and help protect the state’s precious natural resources by providing practical solutions to an ever-changing, modern society. This year, UGA Extension celebrates its rich 100-year history in Georgia and looks forward to what lies ahead.

By Merritt Melancon

Off guard

ince 2011, more than 150 Georgia National Guardsmen have worked with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to help villagers in Afghanistan develop more productive and profitable farming operations.

Each year, the Georgia National Guard has deployed about 50 guardsmen as part of three separate Agribusiness Development Teams. While some of these guardsmen had a background in agriculture, others received their first exposure to agronomy, animal husbandry and basic entomology from UGA Extension specialists during their pre-deployment training.

“The training was very basic and tailored to the best of our ability to the conditions we thought these teams might find in Afghanistan,” said Steve Brown, assistant dean for Extension and UGA’s training coordinator for the ADT missions. “When they got on the ground, they had to take what we taught them and apply it to some very unique situations.”

U.S. Army Maj. Eugene Johnson, a veterinarian with Georgia ADT III, Regimental Combat Team 7, explains how to aid livestock with birthing problems to staff members of the directorate of agriculture, irrigation and livestock during veterinary classes in Kajaki District, April 24, 2013.

Ag in Afghanistan completes its missionEach Agribusiness Development Team

has focused on different projects, from working directly with herdsmen and fruit growers to develop stronger growing practices and business plans, to working with government officials to set up Afghanistan’s version of the Cooperative Extension System. Other teams worked with women’s groups, teaching the basics of small-flock chicken rearing and food preservation.

While the U.S. Department of State reports that only 12 percent of Afghan land is arable, agriculture is one of the largest industries in that country. Farmers in the region are known primarily for livestock production, but the countryside is also filled with fruit orchards and wheat fields.

Guardsmen from each ADT group deployed to Afghanistan have reported that Afghans know how to farm their land, but they want to make their operations more productive and profitable. The goal of the UGA-trained Agribusiness Development Teams was to provide them with the knowledge and training they needed to make that leap.

“We used a train-the-trainer approach,” said Col. Barry Beach, commander of the Georgia National Guard’s ADT III.

“We provided agricultural and veterinary knowledge instead of spending money on projects or purchasing specific equipment. … This method allowed us to connect with the villagers and connect them with their government through agriculture.”

While the training provided by UGA Extension focused solely on the agricultural conditions the guardsmen might find on the ground in Afghanistan, the faculty who participated in the training also felt as if they were helping the Afghans build a more stable society.

“It has been a pleasure working with the men and women of the Georgia National Guard for the past three years,” Brown said. “The faculty who participated in the training stepped up to the plate and went beyond what was expected of them.

“Agriculture is a fundamental component of the human condition on Earth, and political stability is often associated with an ability to feed yourself and your family,” he said.

For more information about earlier missions, visit tinyurl.com/ADTFall11 and tinyurl.com/ADTSpring13.

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AgricultureAgriculture and natural resources agents continue to work with farmers through traditional face-to-face workshops as in the early days of Extension. They also work with schools on programs like farm-to-school workshops and provide training through technology, including online classes, DVD series and smart phone applications.

Spring 2014 | southscapes 21 20 southscapes | Spring 2014

niversity of Georgia Cooperative Extension was founded in 1914 through the Smith-Lever Act, a federal law that established and funded a state-by-state national network of educators who bring university-based research and practical knowledge to the public. A hundred years later, UGA Extension remains committed to providing unbiased, research-based information to Georgians in the areas of agriculture, the environment, families, food, lawn and garden, and youth.

Through a well-organized network of specialists, agents and staff covering nearly every county across the state, information is delivered both online and in person in the form of classes, workshops, programs, events, publications and more.

The early Cooperative Extension Service was based in agricultural and home demonstration work and helped farmers, homemakers and young people with their daily lives. Through the years, Extension projects may have changed, but the core goals haven’t. This year, we celebrate Extension’s commitment to working for and with the people, always meeting them where they are, whether that’s the home, field or classroom.

“We have the best Extension service that I know of anywhere. Our agents provide a lot of research and initiatives for us to learn about different crops, which helps us fuel the economy.” Bill Brim, owner, Lewis Taylor Farms, Tifton, Ga. “We’re trying to help growers make better decisions and ultimately be more profitable and more sustainable.” Phillip Roberts, Extension entomologist, cotton and soybean IPM specialist, UGA Tifton campus. “We get a lot of homeowners and farmers requesting information on using solar technology, especially in remote locations in their pastures where it’s too expensive to run power lines. We are also working with anaerobic digestion – taking animal waste (or fruit and vegetable waste) and converting it into methane gas that can be used for either energy or heat.” Gary Hawkins, alternative energy specialist, UGA Crop and Soil Sciences Department, UGA Tifton campus. “My goal for each person that I work with is to see an improvement in their diet, an improvement in their children’s diets and an improvement in what and how they are preparing their food for their family.” Beffie Morse, EFNEP program assistant, Athens-Clarke County. “Georgia’s always been a part of the development of food preservation and food safety through Extension. One of the reasons why we think it’s really important to be able to provide the ServSafe program to people is that that certification enables them to either keep a job or to get a job.” Elizabeth Andress, Extension food safety and preservation specialist, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “A typical day here in the Hall County Extension office is varied, but we have a lot of people who get their soil tested, and a lot of homeowners bring in weed samples or insects for identification.” Michael Wheeler, Hall County Extension coordinator and ANR agent. “I loved being a camp counselor in 4-H because you get to not only show children new things during that week, but you also get to be a role model for them. I’m just so thankful that even though camp was the thing that hooked me, I had amazing Extension agents that kept pushing me to try new things that I had never tried before. 4-H has definitely had a huge impact on my life.” Nekeisha Randall (BSA – Ag Communication, ’08), former 4-H’er and current UGA residence hall director.

environmentUGA Extension helps increase environmental awareness and ongoing efforts to protect natural resources by offering expertise in topics like invasive species, pollution prevention and soil and water conservation.

FAmilyUGA Extension helps parents and families make informed decisions to create healthy home environments. Family and consumer science agents give direction in areas such as childcare, financial planning, healthcare, home businesses, sustainable living, home safety and more.

FoodFamily and consumer science agents help consumers make confident and informed decisions on topics from nutrition to food costs. They also provide safe food handling, preparation, serving and preserving guidelines for consumers — and teach ServSafe trainings to food service businesses — to help reduce foodborne illness.

lAwn And gArdenAs the number of urban gardeners increases, so does the number of phone calls and emails to UGA Extension offices asking for advice on everything from controlling pests to selecting plant varieties. To help agents answer these questions, volunteers are trained in “backyard gardening” through the Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program.

4-H youtH developmentIn the early years, Extension agents led tomato clubs for girls and corn clubs for boys. Today, UGA Extension coordinates the state’s largest youth development program, Georgia 4-H, which assists youth in acquiring knowledge and developing life skills that will enable them to become self-directing, productive and contributing members of society.

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For more information or to share your Extension story, visit 100years.extension.uga.edu.


man with a planAlum turns class business plan into reality

yan rutland’s dream has become a reality.

what began as a business plan rutland (BsA – Agribusiness, ‘08)

developed as a student at the university of Georgia College of

Agricultural and environmental sciences has quickly transformed

into a successful and popular south Georgia agritourism destination.

The market at rutland Farms, located on a 2,500-acre family

farm in southern Tift County, is a year-round venture that stocks

fresh produce and southern specialties, educates visitors about

agriculture and entertains people of all ages.

Story by Clint Thompson

Photos by Britni Martinez

continued next page

r


FArm-Fresh FAreToday, The Market sells produce grown on about 60 acres at Rutland Farms, including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, peas, tomatoes, greens and cucumbers. The Rutlands also harvest and sell pecans every fall.

“We wanted to be able to give people farm-fresh produce. Most people can’t get that in their local grocery store,” Ryan said. “When you think about an apple pie, if you are like me, you think about your grandmother’s recipe. My grandmother always used fresh apples straight from the orchard because they make the best pies. I think everyone should have that same opportunity.”

Throughout the year, The Market also hosts fun, educational activities for kids of all ages. For the fall, the Rutlands plant a giant corn maze (see sidebar) and a pumpkin patch. In the spring, visitors can enjoy picking their own strawberries right out of the fields. This past fall, a new petting zoo allowed children to get up close and personal with goats, rabbits, a cow and a miniature donkey named Jack.

The Rutlands feel that it is important to not only provide an agritourism venue but also to educate the next generation about agriculture. To that end, The Market also hosts numerous school field trips.

“There’s so many families that don’t understand agriculture. I told Ryan if we do anything, we need to help educate kids and help them understand where their food comes from and what life is like on the farm,” Greg said.

The PLAnOne of Ryan’s final tasks in his agribusiness class was to create a business plan, which included an analysis of what it would cost to actually implement an idea, from doing a demand analysis to calculating advertising and budgeting for day-to-day operations to projected profits five years down the road. Rutland’s hope was to develop an idea that could be carried out in the real world, ideally on his family’s farm.

“Both my grandfather and my dad added value to the operation with

various ideas and implementations, and I didn’t want to be any different. My idea was to put together a retail agritourism business that was profitable,” he said.

Rutland pitched his plan to multiple professors, who insisted he follow through on the idea.

“As I recall, he had really great potential with his plan, and I told him that he did,” said James Epperson, an agricultural and applied economics professor. It was in Epperson’s class that Rutland formed his agritourism business plan.

“I made him aware of all the attributes as to why this business would work. He had some unusual advantages that other people don’t have — he’s close to the Interstate, already had the land and had family down there.”

Although The Market has proven to be successful so far, the fear of the unknown initially made the Rutlands hesitant to pursue it.

“It’s not easy to take a leap of faith,” Ryan said, “but that’s exactly what we did. Obviously, starting a new business requires a lot of capital and planning. In this instance, we didn’t have any models to go by because the concept of agritourism didn’t really exist yet.”

The store, fall festivals and field trips have far exceeded Rutland’s original business plan. In two years of operation, The Market has attracted between 90,000 and 120,000 people a year.

“We had two ‘fall fun’ days two weekends in October, and one of those days was the biggest day for The Market yet,” said Valerie Noles (BSA – Agribusiness, ’13), The Market’s manager. “We saw more than 800 people on that one day.”

“The basic idea was to give people that don’t have the opportunity or chance to come to a farm every day the ability to experience what we experience out here,” Rutland said. “I knew agriculture was Georgia’s biggest industry and second was tourism. I felt that if you combined the two industries into one, it would be a pretty good marriage.”

Rutland Farms is owned and operated by Ryan and his father, Greg. Together they grow a variety of crops such as watermelons, peanuts, cotton and tobacco. In 1998, Greg saw an opportunity to sell a portion of his strawberry crop in a retail shop located on the farm, and so began the Strawberry House — a precursor to today’s Market.

A decade later, Ryan’s college business plan would begin to play a major role in the growth of the retail aspect of the farm, but as businessmen, both Rutlands wanted to be sure that whatever steps they took were the right ones because, in essence, they would be permanent.

“I told him, ‘Anything we do here and put on this farm is forever,’” Greg said. “That’s the way I looked at it growing up. That’s the way my dad looked at it. I wanted Ryan to have that same vision. So whatever we put here, it had to work.”

So far, so good. Business last year doubled what it generated in 2012, The Market’s first year.


Visitors to The Market at Rutland Farms’ annual 5-acre corn maze have puzzled their way through the shape of a Georgia Bulldogs football helmet, the UGA mascot Uga and a bulldozer with the word “Papa” at the bottom — a moving tribute for Ryan Rutland’s grandfather, Bruce, who passed away in July 2013.

To make the corn maze, Ryan called upon the expertise of UGA students in Tifton. This past fall, Amanda Miller, Benjamin Pope and Hannah Homansky, students in George Vellidis’ precision agriculture class, earned extra credit by implementing the skills they learned in class to turn Rutland’s bulldozer drawing into a life-size corn cutout.

The students first mapped the perimeter of Rutland’s cornfield with a professional-grade GPS receiver mounted on a backpack and connected to a small hand-held computer. Then they used specialized precision ag software to convert Rutland’s drawing into a GPS-capable map, which they used to guide them through the 10-foot-tall corn along the paths of the maze. Rutland followed behind the students on a tractor and mowed down the stalks.

“It’s a challenge for the students, but it’s also fun because it allows them to apply their knowledge to solve a real problem,” Vellidis said.

Mapping a mazeBy Clint ThompsonPhotos courtesy of Rutland Farms

CAES students helped Ryan Rutland map and cut a corn maze on his family farm based on a sketch of a bulldozer in honor of his late grandfather.

Ryan Rutland created The Market at Rutland Farms based on a business plan he initially developed as a CAES student. Today, The Market sells fresh produce and local goods, and offers visitors a chance to learn about agriculture first-hand on a family-owned and -operated farm.


“The basic idea was to give

people that don’t have the

opportunity or chance to come

to a farm every day the ability to

experience what we experience

out here. I knew agriculture was

Georgia’s biggest industry and

second was tourism. I felt that if

you combined the two industries

into one, it would be a pretty good

marriage.” ~ ryan rutland

continued next page


“Sixty years young with the best yet to come!” That’s how I was greeted on my 60th birthday. It’s a nice way to celebrate a milestone while focusing on the great years ahead. This is how the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences wants to celebrate the CAES Alumni Association’s 60th anniversary this year — honoring the thousands of alumni and friends who have poured countless hours of service into this organization to bring us where we are today.

From the very beginning, through contributions of time, talents and money, volunteers have enthusiastically dedicated themselves to making sure that our college would continue to significantly contribute to local and world communities. In 2014, just as in 1954, our alumni volunteers work together — little by little, step by step — to turn ideas like the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame; the scholarship program; the Eterna Endowed Fund; state, regional, national and international alumni events; the South Campus Tailgate, and Southscapes magazine into great things for CAES! All of these events and programs started as a small idea and are now among our strongest alumni outreach efforts.

As the legendary coach John Wooden put it, “It’s the little things that are vital, for little things make big things happen!” One volunteer with one idea can make all the difference. That’s why your time, ideas and contributions are needed now more than ever. Make 2014 more than a birthday celebration. Make it the year you pledge to give back to CAES. With teamwork, fellowship and support, we will maintain the accomplished programs of the past and build new and innovative programs to support the ever-changing needs of our community.

Let’s celebrate big in Athens on Sept. 19 at our 60th Annual Alumni Awards Banquet. I would love to see 600 of you at the banquet to celebrate our organization’s 60th birthday, all proudly sporting a CAES donor ribbon. Thanks to you and so many before you, we are 60 years young and the best is yet to come!

Sincerely,

John McKissickBSA – Ag Economics, ’74MS – Ag Economics, ’78

from Four TowersCAES by the NUMBERSCompiled by UGA’s Technology Commercialization Office, a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Research


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CAes royalty income

Peanuts developed by CAES accounted for a 95 percent share of all peanuts produced in Georgia.

CAES-developed hydrangea cultivars comprise more than half of all hydrangeas sold in the U.S.

CAES-developed blueberry cultivars made up more than half of the market share of blueberries produced in Georgia.

CAES-developed products account for more than 73 percent of UGA’s total licensing revenue.

FY11-13

CAESrest of UGA

SiNCE 1990

from plant cultivars

Agronomic crops

Turfgrass

Ornamentals

Horticulture food crops

$9.2 million

$4.4 million

$2.2 million

$51 million

uGA licensing revenue

LOOkiNG bACk,LOOkiNG AHEAdThe Rutlands have continued to improve on Ryan’s initial plan for The Market as it has grown. They’ve built pavilions to accommodate more visitors, added the petting zoo and planted more orchards, strawberries and pumpkins.

“One of the most important things I learned at UGA in my business classes was that it’s a lot easier to keep a customer than it is to make a new one,”

Ryan said. “It was and is very important for me to know that when people come out to our farm that they have a good experience and want to come back.

“My dad and I are the fourth and fifth generations of this farm, and maybe my son will be the sixth. For us, it’s about passing this experience down for generations, and we want our visitors to feel that way, too.”

So far, that dream seems to be going according to plan.

“One of the most important

things I learned at UGA in my

business classes was that it’s a

lot easier to keep a customer

than it is to make a new one. It

was and is very important for me

to know that when people come

out to our farm that they have

a good experience and want to

come back.” ~ ryan rutland



giftsatworkgiftsatworkgiftsatworkFamily gives back with scholarship for upperclassmenBy Merritt Melancon

Larry Cunningham (BSA – Ag Economics, ’80) and his wife, Sharon (BSHE – Home Economics, ’77), have always had a special place in their hearts for UGA’s South Campus and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The couple met at an Alpha Gamma Rho social, and Larry asked Sharon to marry him at a bus stop near Stegeman Coliseum. Their ties to South Campus became stronger when their son Chris (BSA – Agribusiness, ’07) chose to pursue a degree there.

new generation, new ideasChris was instrumental in helping R.L. Cunningham and Sons, Inc., his family’s fourth-generation peanut shelling operation and buying point in Quitman, Ga., acquire cutting-edge drying equipment and develop state-of-the-art transport, shelling and drying techniques.

“When Chris came back to work with us after graduation, with everything that he had learned, that’s when the growth became exponential,” Larry said.

But Chris isn’t the only Cunningham to join the family business after graduation. His brother, Robert, a 2004 Georgia Tech grad, created a Microsoft Access program that organized the company’s records electronically.

“It used to be that everything was written down on paper tickets and then transferred from one log book to another,” Chris said. “Today, that database allows us to track loads of peanuts when they come in, create an electronic ticket when they’re sent to the grade room and publish data on the Web so growers can log in and track their peanut shipments in real time.”

Due in part to Chris and Robert’s improvements, R.L. Cunningham and Sons has twice been named to the Bulldog 100, the list of the 100 fastest-growing UGA alumni-owned businesses. The company was ranked No. 60 in 2013 and No. 49 in 2014.

time to give backAlthough they’ve been long-time Georgia football season ticket holders and UGA Athletic Association supporters, last year Larry and Sharon decided to put an equal emphasis on academics.

Larry credits part of his success to the knowledge he gained as a CAES student and to the research-based information the college provides.

“What the college has done with Extension and research in terms of

peanut breeding and engineering has really benefitted our business,” he said.

The newly endowed Cunningham Family Scholarship was created to specifically help CAES upperclassmen. The scholarship, which will first be awarded in fall 2014, will be given to a sophomore, junior or senior studying agriculture, with preference given to students from Brooks County or south Georgia.

giftsatworkgiftsatworkgiftsatworkBreaking groundStory and photo by Merritt Melancon

A leg upBy Amanda E. Swennes

Getting the green: Georgia Master Gardeners endow scholarshipStory and photo by Sharon Dowdy

Fourth-generation peanut shelling operation and buying point R.L. Cunningham and Sons was once again named to the Bulldog 100 (No. 49). With strong ties to South Campus, Larry and Sharon Cunningham (left, with sons and daughters-in-law Kristin and Chris (center) and Susan and Robert (right)) recently endowed a scholarship to help CAES upperclassmen complete their education.

Jim and Barbara Andrews (center with red ribbons) helped break ground on the Andrews Visitor and Education Center at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens at the Historic Bamboo Farm in Savannah on Nov. 24, 2013.

The facility, which was funded with a gift from the Andrews, will serve as a center of learning and social activities as the garden undergoes major renovations over the next several years.

The 5,000-square-foot low-country-style building will include a large community room, a media room, a gift shop and a large terrace that leads to a formal garden.

Construction on the building is scheduled to be completed in fall 2014.

The UGA Block and Bridle Club has committed $25,000 to establish the Block and Bridle Scholarship, which will provide support for undergraduate club members who exhibit leadership and good character and who have helped to advance animal agriculture. Funding comes from proceeds raised during the annual Great Southland Stampede Rodeo, which the club organizes.

For more information, visit ads.uga.edu/ academics/clubs.

Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers across the state are known as overachievers. Just last year, 3,266 Master Gardeners volunteered 203,888 hours of their time working in Extension offices across the state. So CAES Development Officer Montrese Adger Fuller was not surprised when Georgia Master Gardener Association members took only three years, not the allotted five, to raise the $25,000 in endowment funds needed to start a scholarship.

The Georgia Master Gardener Scholarship will be awarded to a UGA junior or senior majoring in horticulture. This isn’t the first time Georgia Master Gardeners have created a scholarship to help educate the next generation of horticulturists.

“Our mission is education, our alliance is with the horticulture department and our philosophical rationale is to encourage young gardeners to have the same passion for growing, learning and teaching that we have,” said former Georgia Master Gardener Association President W.H. Smith.

The new scholarship will help students like Mason Westmoreland of Commerce, Ga., who received the Athens-area Master Gardener Scholarship.

“The generosity of the Master Gardeners gave me the freedom to devote more time to my academics by providing valued financial support, and every bit counts,” he said. “I’m very proud of the investment they made in my future.”

Mary Lewis, a horticulture major from Charleston, S.C., credits her scholarship for allowing her to attend CAES.

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“Because of the Master Gardeners’ scholarship, I am able to come to a school where I am not just an ID number, but a person who is valued, not only for my brain, but for my personality and myself,” she said.

When classes start this fall, there will be one more horticulture student benefiting from the generosity of a group of the state’s biggest overachievers.

Left to right: GMGA Past President W.H. Smith and GMGA President Marjorie Stansil present a check to Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program Coordinator Sheri Dorn and CAES Development Officer Montrese Adger Fuller for a new scholarship endowed for junior and senior horticulture majors.

Block & Bridle members and Great Southland Stampede Rodeo organizers Caitlin Quinn, Heath Whiddon and Chloe’ Boullon.

Four TowersBy Andrea Gonzalez

2007Part of the student activity space was redesigned to become a lounge for students, alumni and visitors, complete with computers and an electronic display, which shows CAES news and announcements.

1995-1996The southern end of the building was converted into space for the University of Georgia’s first visitor’s center, which opened the summer of the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta and welcomed the spectators of the events held at UGA. Since it opened, the center has provided individual and group tours for more than 186,300 visitors.

1997-1998The northern end of the building was renovated after the Agricultural Alumni Association and the Ag Hill Council worked together to create an activity center where student groups could hold meetings — a project in the making since the 1940s.

The space also became home to the CAES Office of External relations and the Georgia Ag Hall of Fame.

Visitors could learn about the college’s history; current research, teaching and public service efforts; and future direction on kiosks — it was a one-stop shop to see what the college was working on across the state.

The brick walkway leading to the front door of the activity center is paved with engraved bricks naming alumni, students and friends of the college who support the renovation for such a venue. bricks are still available for purchase; the funds help sponsor CAES’s many programs. Learn more at caes.uga.edu/alumni/gifts/brick.html.

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when Four Towers was built in 1940, no one expected it to serve as more than just a dairy barn –

and that’s all it was known as until the mid-1970s. Today, the east Campus building is home to the

university of Georgia visitors Center, the CAes department of Agricultural Leadership, education and

Communication, the state’s north region Agricultural education offices, the CAes student activity

center and the CAes office of external relations.

& NOWthen

1937-1940A barn was built for UGA’s dairy cows to replace the former dairy barn, which was destroyed by a fire in 1935. The building was one of the smaller campus construction projects funded in part by the Public Works Administration. The estimated cost was $35,000. The dairy barn complex consisted of a storage barn, stanchion barn, milking parlor, cow test barn, calf barn and silos.

1953Aerial photo of Four Towers and the surrounding landscape.

1952Governor Henry Talmadge dedicated the dairy Cattle Nutrition Laboratory in may. The lab, located in the northern wing, was used for biochemistry, bacteriology and histology research for dairy cattle, livestock and poultry nutrition.

1976The Georgia Poultry Federation rescued the “Old dairy barn” from demolition and converted the space into offices and conference rooms for Extension Poultry Science and the department of Poultry Science. Live chickens were housed in the northern end of the building until 1997.

Four Towers (a reference to the building’s four silos) was coined during the renovation and remains today.

“We received a call that the

Old Dairy Barn was to be

destroyed, and that if the

Georgia Poultry Federation

could raise $32,000, the

building would be made

available to Extension poultry.

The wrecking equipment

was already there, but the

wrecking balls were held to

allow the effort.”

~ Abit masseypresident emeritus of the Georgia

Poultry Federation

1979Extension plant pathologists also moved their offices into the building, using part of the space for the plant disease clinic and the nematology laboratory.


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*(http://digitalcollections.library.gsu.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/lane/id/5250/rec/61 asks for citation: LBGPF4-039e, Lane Brothers Commercial Photographers Photographic Collection, 1920-1976. Photographic Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.)

Share your memoriesVery little is recorded regarding the history of the Old Dairy Barn, now known as Four Towers. Did we miss a key milestone in this storied building’s history? Tell us at: tinyurl.com/ CAESFourTowers.


leaddogschi Wah chan (MS – Food

Science, ’93) is a principal

consultant with Best Global

Consultant in Hong Kong.

John Kerry courchaine

(BSA – Animal Science, ’94,

MS – Animal Science, ’96)

serves as a research and

development manager for

Protein Products, Inc., a

protein rendering company

that manufacturers pet food

and livestock feed ingredients.

Based in Gainesville, Ga., Kerry

manages technical services for

the catfish meal and oil plant

located in the Delta Region of

northwest Mississippi, as well

as new product development

for the ingredient company.

He recently helped the owners

of Protein Products diversify

their business by establishing

Big Creek Foods, LLC, a pet

treat company currently under

construction in Gainesville.

Kerry will also serve as research

and development manager

at Big Creek Foods, where

his focus will be on product

development.

brent Marable (BSA –

Horticulture, ’96, MAL – Ag

Leadership, ’13) is a plant

licensing manager with

the University of Georgia

Research Foundation, where

he is responsible for managing,

licensing and protecting

intellectual property of CAES-

developed plant cultivars,

including peanuts, wheat,

blueberries and ornamentals.

Brent currently serves on the

board of directors for the

CAES Alumni Association as

vice chair of the awards and

recognition committee, and is a

member of the Oconee County

4-H development team. He and

his wife, Mandy (BA, ’94, MED,

’96), and their two sons live

in Oconee County and attend

Antioch Christian Church,

where Brent serves as an Elder.

Eric Eugene skinner (BSA

– Ag Economics, ’99) is the

Southeastern regional manager

for Terra Renewal Services,

a wholly owned subsidiary

of Darling International,

Inc. Terra Renewal Services

performs land application

of wastewater from food

processors for beneficial use

as fertilizer.

leaddogsstephen roy (BSA – Ag

Mechanization, ’86) was

recently named president of

Mack North American Sales

and Marketing. Mack Trucks,

Inc., is part of the Volvo Group,

one of the world’s leading

manufacturers of trucks, buses,

construction equipment and

marine and industrial engines.

1990ssteve Morgan (BSA – Ag

Economics, ’90, MS – Ag

Economics, ’92) is a financial

advisor with Wells Fargo

Advisors, LLC, and works in

Villa Rica, Ga. His business

focuses on 401k and retirement

plan rollovers and income

planning in Villa Rica and

Newnan, Ga., and serves clients

in the surrounding counties.

He holds the Series 7, 63 and

65 registrations, insurance

license and Chartered

Retirement Plan Counselor®

designation.

John benefield (BSA – Ag

Economics, ’93) is a technology

consultant for Hewlett-

Packard, working on the AGCO

Corporation account. He

manages their North American

virtual server infrastructure.

1970spaul J. bello (BSA –

Entomology, ’79) recently

published his second book,

The Cockroach Combat Manual

II, which he co-authored with

former CAES professor Austin

M. Frishman. Paul works

as an urban and industrial

consulting entomologist

and lives in Alpharetta, Ga.

He serves as a technical

advisor for the Certified Pest

Control Operators of Georgia,

has appeared on National

Geographic Television and

is an industry trade journal

contributor and sought-

after speaker on various pest

management issues.

1980sbrice nelson (BSA – Animal

Science, ’85) was recently

named director of student

and employer engagement for

the College of Agricultural

and Environmental Sciences.

Brice coordinates student

recruitment activities for the

college and interacts with

employers wanting to fill job

openings. If you know of a

student interested in attending

CAES or if your company

needs to fill an internship or

full-time position, contact

Brice at [email protected] or call

706-542-8814.

To include your professional class notes in the next issue of Southscapes, email Juli Fields at [email protected] or call 706-542-3390.

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Ag Hall of Fame

The Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame welcomed two new inductees on Sept. 20. George Claud “GC” Adams, known as Georgia’s founding father of 4-H, and Louis Boyd, a retired CAES animal scientist, were selected by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association awards committee.

The Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame was established in 1972 to recognize individuals making unusual and extraordinary contributions to agriculture and agribusiness industries in Georgia.

“In this day of rapid progress and change, it is more important than ever to preserve Georgia’s rich agricultural history,” said Juli Fields, director of alumni relations for the college. “The 2013 inductees have contributed in extraordinary ways to agriculture in Georgia. They serve as excellent examples of how one individual can make a significant and profound impact on the lives of Georgia’s citizens.”

Inductees are nominated by members of the public and selected by the awards committee. Those nominated are required to have impeccable character and outstanding leadership, have made noteworthy contributions to Georgia’s agricultural landscape, and have been recognized for achievements in agriculture as well as other areas.

george claud “gc” Adams“GC” Adams organized the first Boys’ Corn Club in Newton County, Ga., in 1904. In 1913, the Girls’ Tomato Canning Club, an offshoot of the boys’ agricultural clubs, was created. These clubs are widely known as the predecessors of the Georgia 4-H program.

“His effort to teach 151 boys how to grow a better crop of corn was the beginning of the 4-H program in Georgia,” said Arch Smith, Georgia’s state 4-H leader. “These young students carried back to their parents the message of better agricultural practices, which improved farm production methods in the early 1900s.”

Adams extended his impact on the agricultural community when he was elected to the Georgia House of

Representatives in 1926. He served on agriculture and education committees. In 1932, he was elected commissioner of agriculture.

He was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame in 2002. “Adams’ legacy as an educator and public servant lives

through the 4-H program,” Smith said, “which today reaches more than 184,000 of the youngest students of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.”

louis Boyd Louis Boyd was a champion of the animal sciences at UGA in the 1960s and ’70s. He merged the CAES departments of animal science and dairy science and brought in new sources of external funding to strengthen the department and operations at UGA Experiment Stations across the state.

“This willingness to think outside the proverbial box led to CAES becoming one of the premier UGA units for generating private support,” said Rep. Chuck Williams, who graduated from the college in 1977.

When Boyd retired from UGA in 1992, he was asked to develop and lead the statewide Advisory Board for Agricultural Experiment Stations in Georgia. This board later merged with the Extension Advisory Council, forming the CAES Advisory Council.

“Dr. Louis Boyd epitomizes those traits that qualify one for the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame,” Williams said. “The Hall of Fame is Georgia’s singular most significant recognition of exceptional service to agriculture in our great state.”

For more information and to read about all Hall of Fame inductees, visit caes.uga.edu/alumni.

By Erica Techo

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Hall of Fame inductees George Claud “GC” Adams and Louis Boyd.

Find us on Facebook and “like” the UGA CAES Alumni Association. Search “CAES Alum.”


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Alumni achievement awards

Six outstanding alumni were recognized during the 2013 Alumni Association Awards Banquet on Sept. 20 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. These awards recognize outstanding CAES alumni who have achieved excellence in their chosen field and/or in their community.

michael edward rasher (BSA – Agronomy and Geology, ’78) used his degrees to launch a career pioneering new technologies and developing techniques to protect the nation’s farmlands and waterways. His efforts to use GIS satellites and other remote-sensing technologies to create more accurate maps earned him recognition from NASA and the United Nations.

Stanley lamar coley (BSA – Agriculture, ’65, MS – Agriculture, ’70, Ph.D. – Reproductive Physiology, ’76) pioneered embryo transfer techniques and helped teach cattle breeders across the globe how to improve their cattle stocks. Coley also worked to help northeast Georgia build a new economy around the life sciences and life science research.

Sydne moody Smith (BSA – Ag Communication, ’05) has worked with U.S. legislators to bring about positive change for agriculture. Smith began working with former Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2005 as one of 30 interns. In this position, she served as a liaison between Perdue and the Georgia House and Senate. Within four years, she was nominated to deputy director for government affairs. In 2011, Smith became director of public policy for Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black’s office.

Betsy macmillan mccorkle (BSA – Ag and Applied Economics, ’08) has used her knowledge of environmental science and environmental economics to work with sustainable energy groups and politicians. She currently works as director of government affairs at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association and as managing partner at Beyond Consulting, LLC.

robert lawton Stewart, Jr. (BSA – Animal Science, ’01) has used his education to help Georgia cattle farmers make their operations as efficient as possible. As a UGA Extension beef specialist, Stewart uses technology to deliver materials and programs to help improve farmers’ livelihoods. He also researches management and nutrition strategies to improve the efficiency of cattle and the economic livelihood of beef producers.

Deann Akins-lewenthal (BSA – Food Science, ’02, MS – Food Science, ’05, Ph.D. – Food Science, ’08) has used what she learned at UGA to help develop safe foods at ConAgra Foods in Omaha, Neb. She played a leading role in the development of a groundbreaking flour that helps to keep food safe by blocking the growth of E. coli, salmonella and other pathogens. Her work on food safety led to her being named the youngest member of the Innovation Council at ConAgra Mills and earned her three patents.

By Erica Techo

2010sJessie turk (BSA – Animal

Science, ’10) obtained a

master’s degree in agricultural

communications from

Oklahoma State University and

now works in Tifton, Ga., as

a project coordinator for the

Georgia Peanut Commission.

Jessie also volunteers for the

CAES Alumni Association.

libby carter (BSA – Ag

Economics, ’11, MAL – Ag

Leadership, ’13) is the

development research

coordinator for Georgia

College. Her job entails

prospect research and

management. She’s also

involved with the Golden

Retriever Rescue of Atlanta and

the CAES Alumni Association,

where she serves on the awards

and recognition committee.

andrea gonzalez (BSA – Ag

Communication, ’11) has

been working as an editor

and social media coordinator

for the CAES Office of

Communications and Creative

Services in Athens for the

past two years. In November,

she began a new position

as associate editor for UGA

Extension publications.

Katie gazda (BSA – Ag

Communication, ’12) is the

special events and donor

relations coordinator for

CAES. Based out of the Office

of External Relations in Four

Towers, she works closely

with alumni, donors, faculty,

staff and students, and loves

continuing to be a part of the

CAES family.

Left to right: Lawton Stewart, Stanley Coley, Sydne Smith, Michael Rasher, Deann Akins-Lewenthal and Betsy McCorkle were honored for their contributions to their chosen fields and/or communities at a ceremony on Sept. 20, 2013.

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2000slauren Jarrett (BSA – Ag

Communication, ’02) was

recently named teacher of

the year for Chattooga, Ga.,

County Schools. She is an

agricultural education teacher

at Summerville Middle School.

She completed her master’s

degree in agriculture from

Oklahoma State in December.

carter dunn (BSA –

Agribusiness, ’05, MS – Ag

and Applied Economics, ’08)

is an agricultural economist

for the University of Arkansas

Cooperative Extension Service.

Katie gillespie (BSA –

Agribusiness, ’05) is a market

development manager and

manages several food service

on-premise customers in

downtown Atlanta, including

the Georgia Dome, Philips

Arena, GWCC, Georgia

Aquarium and the World of

Coke. In her spare time, Katie

enjoys attending UGA alumni

events like the Women of UGA

lunches, Calling All Dawgs

and Bulldogs After Business

Hours through the Metro

Atlanta Chapter.

adam godfrey (BSA –

Turfgrass Management, ’05) is

the senior assistant golf course

superintendent for The Reserve

Club at Woodside Plantation.

He and his wife Amanda live in

Evans, Ga.

anna yeager lacey (BSA –

Horticulture, ’05) is a nursery

specialist for the Augusta

National Golf Club.

brett tucker (BSA –

Agribusiness, ’05, MAL

– Ag Leadership, ’08) is a

land acquisition agent for

the Georgia Transmission

Corporation, an electric

cooperative owned by 38 of

Georgia’s EMCs, in Tucker,

Ga. He acquires land rights for

substations and transmission

lines. Brett currently serves on

the public affairs committee

for the CAES Alumni

Association. In his spare time,

he farms pecan trees to keep

him connected to his south

Georgia roots. He and his wife,

Janna (ABJ – Public Relations,

’07), live in Johns Creek, Ga.

Mitchell goff (BSA –

Agribusiness, ’06) is a financial

advisor for Capitol Street

Financial Services Group in

Macon, Ga.

cliff riner (BSED – Ag

Education, ’06) was recently

promoted to Vidalia onion

area agent and coordinator of

the UGA Vidalia Onion and

Vegetable Research Center.

Cliff and his wife, Sandy,

welcomed their first child,

Kylar, in May 2013.

Jay porter (BSA – Ag

Communication, ’07) became

the new agriculture and natural

resources UGA Extension agent

in Dooly County in July 2013.

He and his wife, Ashley, live in

Hawkinsville, Ga.

Find us on Facebook and “like” the UGA CAES Alumni Association. Search “CAES Alum.”

Kayla calhoun (MS –

Environmental Economics,

’13) started a new job in 2013

with CCI, on location at the

Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention in Atlanta.

She does immunization-

related economics research for

CDC’s Immunization Services

Division. She and her husband,

Nick Whitehead, are involved

with the Atlanta Mission and

are assembling a team for

the organization’s annual 5k

fundraiser.

Jessica harston (BSA – Animal

Science, ’13) competed in the

2014 Miss Rodeo USA pageant

and won the People’s Choice

Award and Fourth Runner

Up. She was one of 10 finalists

in the week-long competition

which, included horsemanship,

interviews, exams and

modeling. It is put on by the

International Finals Rodeo and

hosted by the International Pro

Rodeo Association. While at

UGA, Jessica’s emphasis was in

equine management. She was

also part of the Large Animal

Critical Care Team at the UGA

College of Veterinary Medicine

and was a teaching assistant for

equine classes.

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Field researchCompiled by Amanda E. SwennesPoP

Quiz:

CAES Alumni Association Challenge

This year, the CAES Alumni Association celebrates its 60th anniversary. Take our quiz to find out how well you know your alumni association.

Sept. 19, 1-3 p.m. | 60th Annual CAES Alumni Association Meeting and Past Presidents Reunion Athens Classic Center

Sept. 19, 6-9 p.m. | 60th Annual CAES Alumni Awards Banquet | Athens Classic Center

Sept. 20 | 20th Annual South Campus Tailgate | UGA vs. Troy | Legion Field, Athens

Mark your calendar

1. The CAES Alumni Association was chartered on __________.2. ______________ was elected as its first president.3. The purpose of the association is a. to support strong programs of teaching, research

and Extension.b. to bring about a closer spirit of fellowship and cooperation among students, alumni and faculty of the

UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.c. to guide and recruit young people to pursue careers in

the agricultural sciences.d. to support agribusiness for the purpose of developing

a sound and profitable agriculture industry in Georgia. e. all of the above.

4. The association established the Georgia Agricultural Hall

of Fame, which provides the highest recognition and

historical preservation for Georgia’s extraordinary

agribusiness leaders. Since 1972, ______ members have

been inducted.5. Each year, the association provides tuition scholarships

for _________ and _______ students seeking an education

in agricultural and environmental sciences.6. The association established the ________________, the

largest alumni event held on the UGA campus.7. The association serves _________ CAES alumni.8. The CAES Alumni Association is governed by a ____-member

board of directors and 50 to 70 ______________ who

serve on program committees.9. The __________ Endowed Fund was established in 1972 to

support activities of the CAES Alumni Association and the

UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

It has provided more than $_________ in scholarship funds

in the past 35 years.

ansWEr KEy:1. Oct. 21, 19552. W. A. Maddox Jr.3. e4. 665. freshman; transfer6. South Campus Tailgate7. 19,0008. 13; volunteers 9. Eterna; $450,00010. 1,500

how it works

ATHENS-AREA4,230 total acres divided among five farms: J. Phil Campbell Sr. research and Education Center, horticulture research farm (durham farm), plant science farm, iron Horse farm and department of Animal and dairy Science Farm are

used by researchers to study row crops, annual ryegrass, soybeans, grain sorghum, wheat, cereal rye, timber, ponds, riparian areas, cattle handling facilities, ornamental breeding (both woody and herbaceous perennials), pecan breeding, peach disease management, blueberry physiology and disease management, pumpkin and watermelon breeding and evaluations, student landscape management laboratory plots, organic vegetable production, honeybee disease management, weed science, biofuels, sugar cane, switchgrass, turfgrass, cotton, corn, maize, millet, insect/pest management, wheat and soil judging, wetlands and floods, dairy and beef cattle, meat science, swine, and horse and forage research programs.

Sources: Eric Elsner, J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center superintendent; Ryan McNeill, horticulture research station superintendent; Joshua Griffin, senior agriculture specialist; and Mike Mathis, senior farm manager

GRIFFIN1,134 total acres divided into 237 research plots used by 20 researchers*studying turfgrass, blueberries, azaleas (deciduous and evergreen), abelias, woody ornamentals, small fruits, Christmas trees, floriculture, vegetables, wheat, rye, small grains, seashore paspalum, tall fescue, zoysiagrass, creeping bentgrass, corn, soybeans, daylily, muscadines, grapes and pine trees (loblolly and longleaf).

Source: George V. Granade, research station superintendent

TIFTON5,675.35 total acres divided into 670 test plots used by 59 researchers* growing 46-50 crop varieties, including: grasses (turf, annual and perennial grass, switchgrass and ornamental grasses), pasture land, forage land, silage, millet, blueberries, pomegranate, banana, muscadines, planted pines, alfalfa, clover, legumes, pecans, cotton, peanuts, corn (sweet, yellow and mixed), vegetables (bell pepper, poblano pepper, cabbage, cucumber, squash, zucchini, broccoli, onion, soybean, carrot, sweet potato), tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkin, sugar beets, kale, tobacco, sorghum, grain and ornamental plants, and researching dairy, swine, aquaculture and bull tests.

Sources: Tim Ross, research station superintendent, and Tiffany Wiggins, UGA Tifton campus facilities management and operations office

*Researchers from UGA Tifton, Griffin and Athens campuses, plus USDA ARS researchers, conduct experiments here.

CAES field research offices manage land assignments, plot boundaries, crop rotations and the nitpicky behind-the-scenes details of hundreds of research trials. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening on our farms.

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ES ALUMNI

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By Juli Fields and Amanda E. Swennes

10. Volunteers contribute approximately ______ hours each

year to CAES Alumni Association programs and projects.


destinations

Costa Rica: Coffee from bean to cupCompiled by Andrea Gonzalez Photos and captions by Leigh Lister

niversity of Georgia students spent last Thanksgiving break in Costa Rica learning about the challenges, practices and cultural significance of growing, harvesting and processing coffee. Led by Associate Food Science Professor Ron Pegg, 20 students traveled to the UGA Costa Rica campus and toured both small and large coffee operations for nine days during the coffee-harvesting season.

Coffee is the second-most widely traded commodity in the world and the premier agricultural commodity of Costa Rica. Coffee: from bean to cup is one of the many CAES study abroad programs aimed at helping students become better global citizens. CAES students who participated were offered a $500 travel allowance from the Deans’ Promise program to help offset expenses.

For more details about this study abroad program and how to apply for the 2014 course, Nov. 22-30, please visit UGA Costa Rica’s website: tinyurl.com/CostaRicaCoffee.

A. Coffee at each stage of processing, from ripe cherry to roasted bean, arranged next to a traditional Costa Rican chorreador. A chorreador is a coffee-making device, consisting of a stand and cloth filter, that holds ground coffee while boiling water is poured over.B. Two students rake coffee beans after the cherry has been removed. Coffee is usually dried in this manner at a beneficio (coffee processing facility) for several days or even weeks before it is roasted.C. Students learn about shade-grown coffee on a family farm. Some students can be seen wearing canastas, baskets worn around the waist by workers to collect coffee cherries.D. A Costa Rican coffee farmer explains the intensive labor that goes into harvesting coffee. E. Students tour the roasting facilities of Coopedota, a large coffee cooperative in San Jose. F. Coffee beans cool down after being roasted in a small drum roaster. G. Ripe, red coffee cherries grow alongside green, unripe cherries. Not all coffee cherries ripen at the same time, making the harvest process very labor intensive.H. Large, industrial roasters can roast up to several hundred pounds of coffee beans at a time. I. Students learn about coffee processing equipment at Coopedota.

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office of external relations117 Four Towersuniversity of GeorgiaAthens, GA 30602-4352

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Athens, Georgia

Top turfBy Sharon Dowdy

Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club, located along the southeastern coastline of China’s Hainan Island, was selected by Golf Digest as the No. 1 New Golf Course in China for 2013. University of Georgia alumnus Mark Hollinger (BLA – School of Environmental Design, ’76), a golf architect with JMP Golf Design Group, designed the course, which he chose to cover with Sea Isle 2000 Paspalum, a turfgrass bred by CAES scientists. The salt-tolerant turfgrass grows on the course’s greens, tees, fairways and roughs.

A warm-season perennial grass, seashore paspalum is well adapted to the moist and salt-affected areas commonly found in coastal regions. It tolerates sandy and infertile soils, high concentrations of salt and occasional inundation by seawater.

“Paspalums do so much better in Asia because the quality of water there is [often] so poor. This grass is a lot more tolerant [of that],” Hollinger said. “We are starting to have a lot of success with UGA-bred paspalums now that there are seeded varieties.”

CAES developed the first seashore paspalum breeding program in 1993 in Griffin, Ga., with core funding from the U.S. Golf Association. The UGA seashore paspalum breeding program, led by CAES agronomist Paul Raymer, has released five cultivars and is recognized as the major contributor to seashore paspalum’s success. UGA-patented cultivars currently dominate the world market share.

read more about cAeS-developed turfgrasses and other plant cultivars on pages 17 and 27.

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