News Stories - Page 231

A parent’s top priority is the safety and health of their child, but many parents may unknowingly make mistakes when purchasing toys for their children. As the holidays roll around and wish lists are compiled, a UGA Extension specialist urges parents to be aware of potential dangers.

November 2015 was one of the 10 wettest, warmest Novembers on record for Georgia. Some areas of the state received as much as 10 inches more rain than is normal, and temperatures were generally 3 to 7 degrees above normal.

Agricultural lawyer Terence Centner’s focus on current issues and his cultivation of thoughtful debate have made him a favorite instructor at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

A member of the University of Georgia’s inaugural class of the Women’s Leadership Fellows Program, Peggy Ozias-Akins is more focused on learning from colleagues than imparting words of wisdom.

Good information is the best defense against the unforeseen circumstances — like changing governmental regulations and weather patterns — that can impact agriculture. That’s why the University of Georgia’s team of agricultural economists kicks off each year with the Georgia Ag Forecast seminar series. There, they present valuable insights into what the upcoming year will hold for the state's largest industry.

This daylong course, hosted by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s Beef Team and the staff of the J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center, will focus on low-stress animal handling methods that leverage the prey-predator relationship and the psychology of the herd. Cattle experts from Hand 'n Hand Livestock Solutions, founded by gentle herd-handling expert and Bud Box inventor Bud Williams, will present the class.

As a young man working on his family’s farm in Perry, Georgia, Jerry Johnson loved the sight of wheat growing in the fields. Decades later, Johnson, now a respected plant breeder and crop and soil sciences professor, received the 2015 Inventor’s Award from the University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF) for his work breeding wheat varieties for farmers in Georgia and across the Southeast.

There’s a huge buildup to the winter holidays. With so much happening, we have little time left to take care of ourselves, and physical and emotional resources may become depleted. Some stress can provide motivation to be productive, but too much stress can be detrimental to health and enjoyment of the season. To make this holiday less stressful and more enjoyable, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offers the following tips.

Because of their popularity as holiday decorations, poinsettias are the best-selling potted plants in the United States. Here are some facts and history about America’s favorite houseplant.