News Stories - Page 18

Athens brewery Creature Comforts creates a saison beer that contains tulsi, also known as holy basil, a Southeast Asian herb grown at student-run farm UGArden. CAES News
UGA CAES serves as a source of local produce and goods
Athens, Georgia, is known for three things — University of Georgia football, music, and food. Food is as much a part of the Athenian identity as the Bulldogs. Every weekend, football or not, restaurants around Athens are filled with both locals and students enjoying the communal environment a good local dish or beverage can offer.
The 2021 CAES Ratcliffe Scholars (clockwise from top left) are Amaja Andrews, Ashley Dombrowski, Zaharia Selman and Sofia Franzluebbers. CAES News
CAES Ratcliffe Scholars enrich their education with experiential learning
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) offers an exceptional array of courses taught by world-renowned professors — but it is often experiences beyond the walls of the classroom that truly set students apart.  
John Ruter, Allan M. Armitage Professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, was named UGA’s 2021 Inventor of the Year, recognizing his many years of work developing and testing new ornamental plant cultivars, many of which are sold commercially and adorn landscapes around the country. (Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski) CAES News
Master gardener: John Ruter talks ornamental plant breeding
John Ruter realized at a young age that he belonged in a garden. He came to UGA in 1990 to serve as the nursery crop research specialist at the Tifton Campus after earning bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees in horticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida, respectively. He now serves as the Allan M. Armitage Professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, specializing in ornamental plant breeding and production.
UGA Extension consumer horticulturist Bob Westerfield checks bean plants for signs of disease and insects on the UGA campus in Griffin. Westerfield grows vegetables at work to be prepared to answer home gardener questions. He grows them at home for his dinner table. CAES News
Unusually cool spring temperatures may impede Georgia vegetable gardens
To call this past spring in Georgia normal would be a mischaracterization. Typical springs in Georgia seem to last about three days — and then we hit the hot weather. This spring, the cooler temperatures were most pleasant and hung on through the middle of May. Rainfall has also been feast or famine, and wind patterns have been higher than normal. Together, these conditions have made for a challenging time in the vegetable garden.
On May 10, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the fiscal year 2022 state budget that designated $26.1 million for capital projects at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. CAES News
Georgia governor signs 2022 budget that funds UGA poultry science, horticulture projects
Gov. Brian Kemp signed the fiscal year 2022 budget for the state of Georgia on Monday, May 10, securing $21.7 million for the construction of phase one of a new Poultry Science Complex on the University of Georgia’s Athens campus.
The Passion hibiscus, developed by UGA plant breeder John Ruter, has burgundy and red leaves and bright-green flower buds that bloom into massive pink flowers. CAES News
UGA plant breeders have developed vivid varieties ideal for Mother's Day
Plants and flowers are popular choices for Mother’s Day gifts each year and University of Georgia plant breeders are responsible for many beautiful varieties available in garden stores.