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Georgia 4-H recognized the achievements of youth participants, adult leaders and community supporters during the annual 4-H State Congress, held July 23–26 at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta. This weeklong capstone event featured state-level competition in Project Achievement and Leadership in Action for top 4-H’ers from across the state.

In Winterville, Georgia, a small market grew into a movement. Meet the people behind the Marigold Collective, where farmers, volunteers and neighbors band together to transform fresh food into shared growth. With support from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Marigold Collective is working to make local food more accessible while creating economic opportunities for small agribusinesses.

We have already ranked the best tomato cultivars for stacking high on a slice of bread and covered the essentials of pruning and staking to tame those wild, vining plants. Now comes the gritty middle of the growing season — when the heat bears down and the battle against pests, diseases and plant stress ensues. Whether you have only just started harvesting or are already preparing for a second planting to carry you into fall, Georgia’s hot, humid climate creates the perfect environment for problems.

Earlier this year, commercial beekeepers across the U.S. faced unprecedented winter colony losses, with some reporting over 60% of hives perishing — more than double the typical overwintering loss rates. Hobbyists and sideliners — those who keep bees as a secondary source of income — also saw catastrophic declines, with total economic impacts to beekeepers estimated at over $600 million. Now, scientists are linking the losses to high viral loads and mite resistance as they work to develop solutions to protect the industry moving forward.

A group of new University of Georgia faculty members will leave Aug. 4 on a five-day trip across the state as part of the 2025 UGA New Faculty Tour, designed to help them connect their research and expertise to the needs and opportunities of rural communities and show them how deeply their university is tied to Georgia. Traveling through 45 counties and making 19 total stops in 15 cities, the tour highlights the state’s rich economic, geographic, social, and cultural diversity — offering faculty insight into how their work can support and strengthen communities across Georgia.

From her cozy office at the J. Phil Campbell Research and Education Center in Watkinsville, Georgia, Pam Knox has a clear view of the sky, and that is the way she likes it. In fact, she’s built a career on it. “One of the nicest things about studying meteorology is I can look outside the window and understand what's going on in the atmosphere, what's causing the kinds of clouds we get, and where the rain is happening and where it's not,” said Knox, director of the University of Georgia Weather Network.

Renowned mycologist Marin Brewer has been appointed as the new head of the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. A distinguished scholar and educator, Brewer joined CAES in 2011 and was named the William Terrell Distinguished Professor in 2022. Her research has focused on the evolution and diversity of plant-pathogenic fungi, with particular interest in fungicide resistance, host specialization and fungal mating systems.

For the third consecutive year, the University of Georgia ranked No. 1 among U.S. universities for number of commercial products brought to market by industry partners based on university research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM. These products span a range of industries including poultry vaccines, biodegradable plastics, virtual reality tools for disaster preparedness, biomedical research tools and new plant varieties of turfgrass, blueberries, wheats — and peanuts, developed by newly elected National Academy of Inventors Fellow Bill Branch — to name a few.

Georgia, traditionally known as the Peach State, is famous for its peaches, pecans and peanuts. But thanks to its mild climate, the state also supports a variety of uncommon fruits and nuts — like black walnut. In a series inspired by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension publication “Minor Fruits and Nuts in Georgia,” we’re highlighting lesser-known fruits and nuts that can thrive in Georgia home gardens.

When outdoor temperatures climb into triple digits and the humidity becomes suffocating, most people head inside. But for Georgia’s farmers, farmworkers and landscape professionals, the work doesn’t stop when the heat index rises to dangerous levels. As the hottest weeks of the year stretch ahead, the physical, mental and emotional risks of working outdoors increase. Extreme heat doesn’t just threaten crops, turfgrass and livestock — it wears down the people who grow our food and maintain our green spaces.