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The University of Georgia’s Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty has awarded a series of seed grants to help faculty address challenges in rural Georgia ranging from veterinary practices to telehealth clinics and early childhood care. The 2025 seed grants range from $5,000 to $10,000 and will support faculty from a wide array of disciplines as they engage with rural Georgians on issues that are critical for their communities.

Multifaceted research on the social and environmental impacts of diversified agriculture from institutions around the world, including the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been named one of three International Frontiers Planet Prize winners. An initiative of the Frontiers Research Foundation, the Frontiers Planet Prize recognizes transformational research that shows the greatest potential to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges.

University of Georgia food science alum Andrew Vasina leads Biospringer by Lesaffre’s North America Culinary Center, a laboratory-kitchen hybrid where his team designs prototypes and learns how to use these natural ingredients in new ways. Here, they may tackle a specific product need for a client company or develop an entirely new product for the market. Describing his role as part technical salesperson and part product developer, Vasina and his team partner with food manufacturers across North America to develop new products and taste profiles using one versatile product: yeast extract.

From peach orchards to porch conversations, weather is always part of the story in the South — and University of Georgia climatologist Pam Knox brings clarity, science and common sense to every weather event. Whether you’re wondering why the seasons feel out of sync, how climate change plays out in your backyard, or what to expect before the next storm, Knox offers answers grounded in decades of research and a deep connection to the land. It’s your forecast with context.

The Heirloom Collards Project is a nationwide, community-driven effort to preserve and evolve heirloom collard varieties through seed saving, education and collaborative research. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has joined the effort to promote seed sovereignty and strengthen resilient food systems across the South, engaging students in hands-on seed stewardship.

Each year, as planting season approaches, one of the most common questions Robyn Stewart receives is how to safely and effectively use manure in home gardens. Stewart, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Lincoln County, said the benefit of incorporating manure into garden soil is that it provides some fertility and nutritional value, but the real advantage is in the addition of organic matter, which improves soil composition and drainage.

June marks the start of hurricane season in Georgia — and there’s no better time to prepare than on a sunny day. In this episode of Cultivating Curiosity, we’re joined by Pam Knox, agricultural climatologist and director of the University of Georgia Weather Network, to unpack what hurricane season means for Georgia residents. Pam breaks down the difference between weather and climate, how El Niño impacts hurricane activity, and how Georgia’s farmers rely on real-time data from UGA’s 90 weather stations across the state.

Wayne-Sanderson Farms has announced an additional $2 million donation for the new Poultry Science Building at the University of Georgia. The gift brings project support from the Georgia-based poultry producer to $4.1 million. The combined gift will name the Poultry Science Building student lobby, a 1,300-square-foot space for students to study and network with industry partners. Situated on UGA’s South Campus, the 70,000-plus square-foot Poultry Science Building provides nearly double the space per student in each classroom than the previous facility.

As summer approaches and regular rainfall continues, now is the time to focus on managing local mosquito populations. During recent work around my home, I found mosquito larvae in nearly every object that could hold water: the birdbath, plant trays, dog water bowl, garden buckets — you name it. If they are in my yard, they are probably in yours, too. Mosquitoes require standing water for their eggs, larvae and pupae to develop.

Make room, Joro spiders. There’s another invasive species taking over Georgia yards this summer. The Asian needle ant is becoming infamous as a “medical pest.” Although this type of ant has been around in the U.S. since the 1930s, its spread through the Southeast marks a significant danger for those with allergies to other insects like wasps or yellowjackets, said Dan Suiter, an Orkin Distinguished Professor of Urban Entomology in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension.