Recent Posts
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Thanksgiving has great trimmings. Family, favorite foods, fall weather, football, and a fridge full of leftovers. What more do you need? Answer: a plan for safe food preparation and handling. Every year, one in six Americans comes down with a case of foodborne illness, or food poisoning. Most experience a day or two of diarrhea…
Posted in: FACS -
In the elementary school version of Thanksgiving, the English settlers of Plymouth colony feasted with Native Americans and gave thanks for their first successful harvest. As always with history, there’s more to the story. William Bradford, who served as Governor of the settlement for over 30 years, recounted much of that history in his journal,…
Posted in: Uncategorized -
Long before our landscapes became landscapes, they were habitat. In natural environments, hundreds of species share unrestricted acres in which to move, nest, and hunt. They occupy niches in horizontal and vertical space, above and below the soil line, on land and in water. When humans settle an area, we alter the environment to better…
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A recent study by University of Georgia (UGA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)researchers found significant increases in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. from 2012 to 2022, a continuation of trends noted from 1988 to 2012 and 1999 to 2016 in previous research. The highest rates of diabetes increases…
Posted in: FACS -
Halloween is still a week away, but the stores are already stocked with Christmas items and many of us are thinking about gift purchases. So are merchants and credit card companies, who are anticipating $979.5 to $989 billion in holiday-related decoration and gift purchases in November and December, according to the National Retail Federation. This…
Posted in: FACS -
Based on preliminary damage assessments conducted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and the University of Georgia, Hurricane Helene left behind an estimated $6.46 billion in damage to Georgia’s agriculture and forestry industries, more than three times the damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. Georgia’s largest industry, agriculture contributes over $83…
Posted in: ANR -
Earlier this year, I received a call from man who was urgently reporting a large number of spotted lanternflies (Lycorma delicatula) that were landing on trucks all over the depot. He was absolutely correct to call and report sighting them. These invasive planthoppers congregate in huge numbers, suck the sap from plants, and produce copious…
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On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, I had the honor of joining 29 arborists, tree care professionals, U.S. military veterans, and other volunteers at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton for the 10th anniversary of Saluting Branches. Across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico, over 4,000 volunteers came together at 110 veteran-dedicated hospitals, homes, and cemeteries…
Posted in: ANR -
er Service issues alerts about potential dangerous weather conditions, including floods. Alert messages include different words – watch, advisory, or warning – to indicate the level of danger. Watch– A flood watch means that widespread flooding is possible in the area specified in the alert. The flood is expected to happen 6-12 hours after heavy…
Posted in: ANR -
Nature is generally successful in keeping our North Georgia hills and mountainsides stable and covered with verdant plant life. In home landscapes, however, slopes and hills can present challenges. When developing a management plan for hills, we need to address all the normal considerations of landscaping, such as soil and drainage, sun exposure, irrigation, and…
Posted in: ANR