University of Georgia dedicates former USDA research farm (2014)

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently opened its newest research and education center, once operated by the USDA.

24663294-bg1.jpg

The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently opened its newest research and education center.

Formerly a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) research station, the 1,055 acre-farm and laboratory complex was formally transferred to the university to help expand its research, education, and outreach programs.

In 2011, as the USDA was moving to close similar sites across the nation, Congress approved a provision specifying that 10 land-grant universities could take ownership of such facilities provided they agreed to utilize the property for agricultural research for a minimum of 25 years.

UGA is the first university in the nation to complete the transfer process and take over the management of a former USDA facility.

“Today is important in the sense that it is going to allow the University of Georgia faculty to now to expand and continue their research at this particular facility,” said UGA President Jere Morehead.

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black praised the transfer, saying it helps keep the state’s flagship college of agriculture continuing its mission to improve Georgia farming.

Congressman Jack Kingston said the addition reinforces the state’s long heritage of agriculture research.

“So we have to have Ag research that shows us how to get more production per acre than ever before,” said Kingston.

Many UGA College of Agriculture experiments are ongoing in the facility.

This report is from our partners at the Georgia Farm Monitor.

Related Stories
It is in there, the mold — those rich blue veins in creamy blue cheese that make you either love it or loathe it — but how does it get there? This bonus scene from “Clemson Dairy,” Season 4, Episode 4 of Where the Food Comes From, explains how and why that happens.
No, it is not some new college course — Clemson has been making blue cheese since 1941, and the product has developed a worldwide following and won some pretty big awards. With good reason — it is fantastic stuff. It is also fascinating to see how it is made. Check out this sneak peek look at the latest episode of Where the Food Comes From, “Clemson Blue.”
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, and the pampered cows get on-demand service. The team at Where the Food Comes From shares a special, behind-the-scenes account filming the show’s newest episode, Robot Dairy, premiering this Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV!
How does a robot milk a cow?
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, where the pampered cows get on-demand service. They make a premium cream line of milk you still have to shake. It is so good it is used to make the world-famous Clemson blue cheese.
Researchers out of the United Kingdom are using gene editing technology to help make High-Path Avian Flu less of a threat to poultry.
A recent news story involving a group of farmers in Mississippi reveals the potential downside of selling grain under a deferred payment contract. The risk of deferred payment ag commodity sales and what can be done for protection—that is the topic of today’s blog post.
Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute have constructed the perfect watermelon—returning “lost” genes from the domesticated fruit’s wild relatives that improve both taste and resilience during the growing process.