Recent Posts

  • A huge pile of trash and a rear view of a dump truck.

    As the county’s population continues to grow, residents grapple with some serious issues. Nearly 6,000 tons of trash rumble down county roads to the landfill six days a week. Land disturbance for road expansions and new buildings causes widespread soil erosion. Home and business owners struggle to grow lawns and landscape plants on construction damaged…

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  • A kitchen facet slowing dripping water.

    Winter weather can cause water pipes to freeze and bust. Take these precautions to protect your pipes:

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  • A dark image of dark green leaves with dark purple berries, Chinese privet.

    Chinese privet has held the #1 ranking for worst invasive plant in the Georgia Forestry Commission’s Dirty Dozen list since 2009. In use since the mid-1800’s as hedges and ornamental plantings, the shrub escaped cultivation during the 1930s and had colonized forests across the southeastern U.S. by the 1950s.

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  • Circle graphic with a city skyline at the top and two cows at the bottom.

    Although we may not see them, farmers are part of nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Farmers produce the raw materials for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the wood that supports and furnishes our homes, the grapes in a celebratory bottle of wine, and even the cork that stoppers the bottle.…

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  • Setting is a Christmas Tree Farm. A person is squatting at the base of a tree sawing it down.

    Heather N. Kolich, ANR Agent, UGA Extension Forsyth County The tradition of bringing greenery into the home during winter has a history that spans many centuries and several cultures. For most of them, evergreen branches symbolized renewal of life and anticipation of the fresh fruits and vegetables that spring brings. So how did the tradition…

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  • A bunch of red and green apples.

    Did you know that once an apple tree begins to bear fruit, it will do so for a century? Today, there are over 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States. Fall weather brings the best fresh apples in bushels. While we are in a season of peak apple production in many states, you…

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  • Outline of the state of Georgia, inside images depicting agriculture in Georgia.

    Over the years, numerous factors influenced where and how our food is grown. In this century, economic downturns, mirroring war-driven scarcity of the previous century, renewed interest in backyard food gardens. Concerns over pesticide safety fostered a trend of smaller, intensely-managed farms with fewer chemical inputs.

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  • Heavy rainfall and flooding can contaminate wells with pollutants and bacteria. Here are actions to take if your private well is overtopped with flood water during a storm. As soon as possible after flooding, pump a minimum of 2 to 3 times the well volume out of the well. This action helps to clear the…

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  • Care for storm-damaged trees

    A tree with a huge split through a branch.

    Strong winds and ice storms create stress factors in trees that can break branches, snap trunks, and expose or lift roots from the ground. Trees with minor damage may be salvageable, but severely damaged trees pose hazards for people and property, and should be removed. Before beginning any work on a storm-damaged tree, carefully assess…

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  • An ear of corn still on the stalk

    Barbara Worley, FACS Agent, UGA Extension Forsyth County Corn is a delicious and nutrient dense food that’s used as food for humans and animals throughout the world. Fresh corn is 74% water and has 96 calories per ear. Canned corn has 133 calories per cup. A 1 cup serving of corn provides 5 grams of…

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