Browse Sustainable Stories - Page 12

From wood pellet and biodiesel production or mining landfills for methane to running county patrol cars and busses on everything from propane to peanut oil — Georgia has become a laboratory for testing new energy technologies.

Daniel Hillel, the 2012 World Food Prize Laureate and a 1950 graduate of the University of Georgia, spent the better part of his career perfecting arid- land farming methods in Israel and sharing them with farmers across the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia. On Nov. 8, Hillel will return to Athens to deliver the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ 2012 D.W. Brooks Lecture at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

Cover crops may be your secret weapon to a better harvest next spring. Any gardener who was disappointed in their corn, tomato or squash harvests this summer might want to start planning for next summer’s crop now by thinking about planting cover crops.

Forecasters initially projected that rains from Hurricane Isaac could erase or at least put a large dent in Georgia’s drought, but the state has seen little relief.

U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored research at the University of Georgia campus in Tifton is looking into the potential of using a cover crop system to improve soil and prevent tomato spotted wilt virus.

Georgia farmers grow more than 45 percent of the nation’s peanut supply, but almost none of the organic peanuts that a growing number of consumers want.

Drought conditions in most parts of the state stabilized in July, although there was an increase in exceptional drought in west-central Georgia due to the heat and lack of rainfall.

In the ongoing search for cleaner, renewable energy sources, biofuels derived from trees, shrubs and grasses have emerged as a strong candidate. But creating the next generation’s energy source is not as simple as growing a few crops; extensive research is required to ensure these plants produce enough biomass and fuel per acre to make biomass farming economically viable.

If your family is one of the many considering raising a flock of backyard chickens, there are a few things you may want to consider before you bring the birds home to roost.

Barry Martin is the 2012 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Georgia Farmer of the Year.