New Local Food Grant from Food Well Alliance

Food Well Alliance has scheduled an information session to be held at Cobb Extension about its next Local Food Grant.

The session will be Monday, August 23, 10:00 a.m., at Cobb Extension, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, 30060, in the second floor classroom. This is in the white, metal, 2-story building that shares a parking lot with the Tag Office and is across the street from MNI Nurseries.

See the flyer below:

Food History of African Americans in the South

In celebration of Black History Month, join Terri Carter, Cobb Extension Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences staff member, in an exploration of the food contributions of early African Americans to cuisine of today. The exploration will include a closer look at the foods brought to America on slave ships and how the slaves survived on these foods after they arrived.  

The presentation, which includes a cooking demonstration, will take place at two locations in Cobb County, on different dates:

February 10
7:00-8:00 p.m.
Switzer Central Library
266 Roswell Street
Marietta, GA 30060

and

February 17 
7:00-8:00 p.m.   
South Cobb Regional Library
805 Clay Road
Mableton, GA 30126

Master Goat Farmer Training

 UGA's next Master Goat Farmer Certification Training for North Georgia is offered through Whitfield County's Extension Office.

Location: North Georgia Fairgrounds,  500 Legion Dr., Dalton, GA 30721
Dates: Thursdays,  January 28, February 4, 11 & 18
Times: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. on each date, with a meal served at 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $100. Includes study materials, manuals, meals, refreshments, door prizes and graduation certificate

Preregistration required by January 21, 2016
To register, contact the Whitfield County Extension Office at 706-278-8207.

For topics, presenters, and additional details, see information online linked here.

Farming in Cobb County?

"The U.S. Agricultural Census of 1850 reports that in Cobb County the county's largest crops were cotton, wheat, corn, oats, rice, and sweet potatoes." (from Mable Property Rural Preservation Plan)

The Mable House planning document linked above also tells that, after the Civil War, chickens became a larger part of agricultural activity in the county, and, after WWI, cotton ranked higher in productivity. By 1935, Cobb County's farms were producing "cotton, corn, hay, truck garden crops, and sweet potatoes." After WWII, agriculture in Cobb County was still an important economic activity, but the amount of land in agricultural production has been in decline, generally, since then.

Today, as area residents consider beginning new agricultural businesses, UGA's consumer horticulturalist Bob Westerfield has some words of advice, offered through an interview published on Georgia FACES: 

“Think small to begin with, unless you have a lot of help and equipment,” he said. “I recommend a quarter- or half-an-acre plot.”

Vegetable Growers Workshop

This program about growing food for yourself or for profit, coordinated by Bob Westerfield, Extension Horticulture Specialist, is for both beginning and experienced growers.

Participants will learn how to select varieties, grow their own transplants, understand their soil, plant and maintain vegetable crops, troubleshoot vegetable problems, and select and maintain equipment, and they will gain insights into how to successfully market and sell a crop.

Date:             Friday, January 30
Time:             9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location:       UGA Griffin Student Learning center Room 105
                      1109 Experiment Street
                      Griffin, GA 30223
Cost:             $30, includes handouts, lunch, and refreshment breaks

Pesticide credit in both commercial and private category 21 will be offered.

Preregistration is required. To pay online, visit UGA's  Vegetable Growers Workshop webpage; for additional information, call Beth Horne at 770-228-7214.

Sustainable Ag Workshop Set for March 6 in Griffin, GA

UGA Extension in Spalding County is hosting a workshop on maximizing both production and market potential for sustainable small farms and market gardens.

When: Thursday, March 6, 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Where: Kiwanis Center in Griffin, GA - Kiwanis Club of Griffin, 1025 South Hill St., Griffin, Ga 30224
Cost: $5 fee includes instruction, materials, and lunch.
Registration: Preregistration by March 3 is required. Please call 770-467-4225, or email uge2255@uga.edu to preregister.

The workshop is second in a series organized by Spalding County Agent Wade Hutchinson. For more information, read the description, which includes the list of topics to be covered, in the Georgia FACES article "Sustainable Ag Workshop Set for Griffin," or call 770-467-4225, or email uge2255@uga.edu.

Egg Candling Classes Scheduled in Paulding County

The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) has scheduled four back-to-back classes in Paulding County for certification in egg candling:

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

UGA Extension/Paulding County

530 West Memorial Drive

Dallas, GA 30132

The classes will be offered at two hour intervals, starting at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12 noon, and 2:00 p.m.

Anyone planning to sell eggs to individuals or at a farmers market must hold an egg candling certificate. According to GDA information, the license can be obtained by successfully taking and passing both written and candling exams.

Classes are open to any Georgia resident, without age restrictions. There is no charge, but preregistration is required. Time slots will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. Study materials will be mailed by the GDA after registration.

To register:
Call the GDA at 770-535-5955, and provide your name, mailing address, email address, and preferred class time.

Plan Carefully to Avoid Mistakes with Expensive Sod

Beautiful lawns in Georgia often begin with high quality sod.  The turfgrass type, whether it is fescue, Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, or other, is selected to match the needs and characteristics of the site. High quality sod, however,  can be pricey, and this year the per-square-foot price of sod is forecast to be higher than it was last year.

The Georgia FACES article Georgia Sod Inventories Low, Prices High , by UGA's Sharon Dowdy, tells about the forecast higher prices for sod this year, as discovered in a recent UGA survey of sod producers.  She writes:

"The delivered price is expected to increase for all grasses in the survey. A truckload of bermudagrass delivered to the Atlanta area, or within 100 miles of the farm, is expected to rise 14 percent.

The delivered price of zoysiagrass is expected to rise 1.4 percent to 35.8 cents per square foot...

The price of delivered centipedegrass is also expected to rise to an average of 23.5 cents...

Tall fescue’s delivered price is expected to rise 1.7 percent to an average of 24 cents per square foot. The average price should fall between 20 and 30 cents.

Clint Waltz, turfgrass specialist with UGA Extension, interviewed for the article, explained that the price hikes resulted from unfavorable growing conditions -- particularly the lack of direct sunlight -- during the 2013 growing season. Producers just could not grow enough good sod in the cloudy weather.

For homeowners and professionals who are planning to invest in some new sod this coming year, higher prices are not good news, but there are steps they can take to avoid wasting the investment in high quality sod.

The first is careful selection of an appropriate turfgrass for the site, and second is proper site preparation, so that the newly laid sod has the best chance for success. UGA's publication "Lawns in Georgia" provides information regarding both of these steps, and also includes sections on weed control, pests, diseases, and lawn care.  

Aquaculture Presentations in Soperton, GA

Fish farmers and aquaponics entrepreneurs will all be interested in an upcoming set of talks scheduled to take place at the annual meeting of the Georgia Aquaculture Association (GAA). 

The meeting is set for January 16, 2014, in Soperton:

Dennard's Pond House 
5111 GA Highway 29 
Soperton, GA

Presentations will provide information about: 

• Georgia Fish Inspections 
• Food Safety and Aquaponics 
• GATE Agriculture Tax Exemption 
• Fish Stock Checks by Electrofishing 
• Aquatic Plant Control 
• Plant Management in Aquaponics 
• Aquatic Applicator Credits 

Catfish lunch and presentations are from noon until 4:00 p.m. 
The business meeting for GAA begins at 4:00 p.m. 
Tours of local farms will follow the meeting. 
Cost for non-voting interested individuals is $15.

Preregistration is requested (so they know how much catfish to have on hand for frying). To register, please send your contact information to 

Kim and Keith Edge 
2829 Briarcliff Rd.
Soperton, GA 30457 

Egg Candling Class in Paulding County

Paulding County Cooperative Extension is working with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to offer an Egg Candling Certification Class in winter of 2014.

If you would be interested in obtaining your egg candling license by attending a certification class in Paulding County, please:

1. Contact Bradley Brown or Deborah Ingram at Georgia Department of Agriculture (770-535-5955)
and
2. Provide your Name, Address, Phone number, and Email address.
3. Be sure to specify that you are interested in attending a class in Paulding County
and
4. Call before December 2. 

A class will be scheduled when enough people have called in to register their interest.

High Tunnel Organic Vegetable Production Workshop

High tunnel organic vegetable production workshop

Monday, December 16, 2013

Olin Tatum Agricultural Building at Stiles Auditorium

320 W. Cherokee Ave.

Cartersville, GA 30120

12:30 - 1:00 p.m.     Registration (be sure to eat lunch before you arrive); check in at Stiles Auditorium

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.       Organic Vegetable Production and Variety Selection; Dr. George Boyhan, UGA Vegetable Specialist

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.      High Tunnel Production and Irrigation Setup; Dr. Tim Coolong, UGA Extension Vegetable Specialist

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.      Break

3:15 - 4:15 p.m.     Soil Fertility and Organic Systems Management; Julia Gaskin, UGA Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator

4:15 - 5:15 p.m.     Organic Disease Control; Dr. Elizabeth Little, UGA Extension Plant Pathologist

5:15 - 5:30 p.m.     Break

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.    Organic Certification; Johnny Luke, Georgia Crop Improvement Association

6:30 - 7:00 p.m.    Wrap-up and Evaluation

Preregistration is Required by Friday, December 13, 2013

Cost is $10 per person payable to Bartow County 4-H

Check and registration information (click on link to go to the registration form) can be mailed to 

Bartow County Cooperative Extension

320 W. Cherokee Ave., Room 112

Cartersville, GA 30120

Call 770-387-5142, FAX 770-386-3488, or email uge1015@uga.edu for additional information.

Vegetable Growers Workshop in Griffin, GA

Vegetable Growers Workshop

Friday, September 20, 2013

9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

 

On the University of Georgia campus in Griffin, GA

This workshop for small-scale farmers and home gardeners interested in growing and marketing vegetables for profit will be taught by UGA Cooperative Extension vegetable horticulturist Bob Westerfield.

The class will cover the basics of how to begin earning extra income by growing and selling vegetables. Workshop topics will include which vegetables to grow, how to grow them, the use of plastic mulch and high tunnels, understanding soils, equipment selection, and pest identification and control.

The workshop is designed for beginning growers or homeowners who would like to sell their produce at a farmers market, at a roadside stand, or to individuals.

The program will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the UGA Research and Education Garden off Ellis Road in Griffin. 

The cost of the workshop is $39, which includes all materials, lunch, and break refreshments. 

For more information or to register, call Beth Horne at (770) 228-7214 or email her at bhorne@uga.edu.

Small Vegetable Growers Workshop

This workshop is designed for anyone who is considering starting a small vegetable farm or any type of produce as well as gardeners wanting to learn more about how to market their vegetables; it is for any beginning grower or homeowner who has ever considered selling his or her produce at a farmers market, roadside stand or by word of mouth.

The program will cover the basics of how to begin the process of earning extra income through growing and selling vegetables. Topics will include what vegetables to grow, how to grow them, developing a plan, and how to market, as well as selection of equipment.

The program will be held at the Demonstration and Research Garden at the University of Georgia Griffin campus. Bob Westerfield, Extension Vegetable Horticulturist, will be coordinating the program. The registration cost is $45.00 and includes all materials, lunch and breaks.

Date:  March 15, 2013

 Time: 9:00am - 3:00pm

 Location: UGA Griffin Research & Education Garden Classroom

UGA Griffin

121 Ellis Road

Griffin, GA 30223

Cost: $45.00 Lunch and refreshment breaks included

Pre-registration is required!   Register online 

Or print and mail the registration information below:

Send check or cash along with this registration form made payable to: University of Georgia

Mail to:  

Att. Beth Horne

UGA Center for Urban Agriculture

1109 Experiment St.

Griffin, GA 30223

Name(s):  

Phone #:

Email:

Address:

Number of people attending …… x $45.00= Total $................