News Stories - Page 24

Established in 2017, the University of Georgia Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center helps companies develop new food products and market those products through a robust network of experts both at the university and within the industry in food technology, engineering, food product development, sensory analysis, storage and shelf-life evaluation, consumer testing and marketing.

Madagascar is particularly vulnerable to climate change. To help Madagascan farmers adapt, the U.S. Agency for International Development has awarded the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut at University of Georgia an additional $2.5 million to work in partnership with the Global Collaboration on Sorghum and Millet at Kansas State University on a resilient rotation of peanut, sorghum and millet that will improve soil conditions, make farms more productive, feed people and protect the natural environment.  

Plant geneticist Edward Buckler will give insight into how quantitative genetics and genomics hold the potential for greater agricultural sustainability when he presents the keynote for this year’s D.W. Brooks Lecture. The annual event, which will recognize six University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension faculty, will be held in Mahler Hall at the UGA Center for Continuing Education and Hotel at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 16.

A team of researchers from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is partnering with colleagues from Texas A&M University to find more effective production practices for organic onion growers in the Southern United States. Bhabesh Dutta, associate professor in the UGA Department of Plant Pathology is leading the team over the next four years through a recently funded $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Distinguished Research Professor Katrien Devos specializes in plant genetics, studying ways to optimize species like Panicum virgatum — commonly known as switchgrass — for use as feedstocks for biofuels. She is one of many UGA researchers affiliated with the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, based on Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

A new home for the University of Georgia’s next generation of poultry scientists and industry leaders officially opened its doors on Oct. 6 as the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences dedicated its new Poultry Science Building. “The University of Georgia is a land-grant institution that serves our entire state through teaching, research and service, and UGA’s strong relationship with the poultry industry exemplifies this land-grant mission,” President Jere W. Morehead said.

If you’ve ever driven down a rural road lined with fields of cotton plants festooned with fluffy bolls and wondered how much cotton is grown in your county, forget Google — the University of Georgia’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development has what you need. Each year experts in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences perform the Sisyphean task of compiling agricultural production data for every commodity produced in the state.

Across Georgia, the fall school term is in full swing. While most conform to the traditional classroom setup — rows of desks, bulletin board and pencil sharpener — one classroom in particular looks quite different from the rest. The Georgia Ag Experience is a 36-foot mobile classroom that showcases Georgia agriculture on the road. Technology and digital learning enable students to take a deep dive into several Georgia agricultural commodities.

When Kristen Dunning, a University of Georgia MBA student and founder of Gently Soap, launched her sensitive skincare brand in 2021, she made a goal to appear on Shark Tank in 2025. She marked that goal off her bucket list two years early. Dunning appeared this weekend on the season 15 premiere of the popular business pitch show, landing a deal with Candace Nelson, founder of the Sprinkles Cupcakes bakery chain.

Georgia 4-H is celebrating National 4-H Week and recognizing more than 100 years of excellence in positive youth development from Oct. 1 through 7. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension delivers 4-H programming at the county level and reaches young people from all backgrounds and communities. As the premier youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H engages hundreds of thousands of students each year, typically in fourth through 12th grades.