ALMANAC

Science in service of humanity and the environment

VOLUME 4: 2025

2024 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence Gold Award for Magazines, 2024 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Georgia Award of Excellence for Magazines, 2023 PRSA Georgia Phoenix Award for Magazines, 2023 Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) Gold Award, 2023 ACE Outstanding Professional Skill Award, 2023 National Agricultural Alumni Development Association (NAADA) First-Place College Magazine

Simple line art illustration of clouds, with a partial view of a yellow butterfly in the top left corner.
Illustration of a large butterfly with blue and yellow wings flying over a pastoral landscape with cows, flowers, and a horse-drawn plow under a cloudy sky.

SURVEY

News, perspectives and points of interest from the college and UGA Extension

A large, abstract iron statue of a horse glows with the warm light of sunset. It is surrounded by large, yellow sunflowers.

The refurbished Iron Horse sculpture glows among a cover crop of sunflowers as the sun sets on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Katie Walker)

The refurbished Iron Horse sculpture glows among a cover crop of sunflowers as the sun sets on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Katie Walker)

A person drives a red Kubota tractor pulling a trailer of produce along a dirt path, with colorful wildflowers in the foreground and green trees under a blue sky.

Dean Place hauls a load of peaches on a flatbed trailer at Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia. (Photo by Lavi del Carmen Astacio)

Dean Place hauls a load of peaches on a flatbed trailer at Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia. (Photo by Lavi del Carmen Astacio)

We grow the future of agriculture

A letter from CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place

As we look back on the past year, I’m filled with immense pride and gratitude for the extraordinary work taking place across the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. At CAES, we’re not just keeping pace with change – we’re helping shape the future of agriculture, environmental stewardship and human health through innovation, collaboration and an unwavering commitment to service.

These stories reflect the strength of our mission and the people who carry it forward every day, from our labs and classrooms to our research and education centers and UGA Cooperative Extension offices. This edition of the Almanac features a variety of stories that highlight the innovation, community focus and global reach of our college.

From the “field-to-fabric” journey of Georgia cotton to the rise of agritourism across the state, our Extension efforts are on full display. International collaborations, such as our decades-long partnership with Kyushu University in Japan, sit alongside groundbreaking research updates, from the launch of UGA Grand Farm to innovations in cage-free poultry systems and the next steps for UGA’s Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture. Additionally, we showcase alumni shaping agriculture and health at local, national and global levels.

As you explore this edition of the Almanac, I hope you’ll feel the same excitement and optimism I do about what lies ahead. The future of agriculture and environmental sciences depends on bold thinking, strong leadership and innovative solutions — and CAES is ready to meet that future head-on.

– Nick T. Place, dean and director

Man standing with arms crossed in front of a blue agricultural machine, wearing a light shirt and jeans, outdoors.

Tech-driven, farmer-focused

Multidisciplinary expertise powers UGA’s new Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture.

Read the story
Group of eight men standing together at an outdoor event, dressed in business casual attire, with UGA banners in the background.

UGA Grand Farm is a launchpad for visionary agricultural partnerships

A 250-acre farm is paving the way for the future of farming in the Southeast.

Read the story
Man standing in a greenhouse, wearing a blue shirt, surrounded by lush green plants and hanging grow lights.

Tailor-made for tomorrow

How UGA’s Scott Jackson is reimagining crops with synthetic biology.

Read the story
Aerial view of a field with uprooted and fallen trees, scattered debris, and patches of green grass, indicating storm damage.

After the storm

Georgia farmers push for policy reform in the wake of Hurricane Helene

Read the story

CULTURE

mutually supportive relationships among people, their communities and the land

Illustration of a yellow and black butterfly flying near the UGA arch, surrounded by purple flowers, grazing cows, and a barn in a scenic rural landscape.
Group of UGA students posing in front of a large orange torii gate at a Shinto shrine, holding a UGA banner, surrounded by green trees.
Rows of red lacquered gourd-shaped charms hanging on a wooden rack, with a sign in Japanese explaining their use for wishes at a shrine.
Group of students sitting on outdoor steps, engaged in conversation, with a modern yellow building and green tree in the background.

From Tokyo to Usa City

How UGA students discovered culture, agriculture and connection in Japan

Read the story
Illustration of a farmers market with people shopping at colorful tents selling produce and goods.
Two women smiling beside a yellow tandem bicycle decorated with marigold flowers, standing in front of a brick building.

Collective Good

How a Georgia farmers market grew into a movement:
Inside Winterville’s Marigold Collective

In Winterville, Georgia, a small market grew into a movement. Meet the people behind the Marigold Collective, where farmers, volunteers and neighbors band together to transform fresh food into shared growth.

Founded in the 1840s as a train depot, Winterville is a modest city with deep agricultural roots. Known as the City of Marigolds — a tribute to the resilient flower that symbolizes friendship — this close-knit community is home to farmers, artisans, musicians, nonprofits and small businesses, all connected by a spirit of collaboration.

Keep reading
Three men standing outdoors on a campus lawn, smiling near a white bulldog statue wearing a red jacket.

Dream big, stay local

For students from rural communities who want to pursue higher education while staying close to home, the UGA Tifton campus has long provided an accessible path to a top-tier agricultural education.

Read the story
Surgeon in green scrubs and blue cap standing in an operating room, with surgical lights and medical equipment in the background.

A doctor's journey

Many bright rural students go off for an education and never return home. Before leaving his Valdosta home for college, Colby Ruiz was challenged not to forget where he came from.

alumni profiles // colby ruiz, bsa — biological science, ‘15

Read the story

Forecast

the ideas that will advance agricultural and environmental sciences

Illustration of hands slicing a red apple, with the cut surface forming a DNA double helix.

Man standing in a field of green crops, wearing a dark polo shirt and jeans, with farm equipment visible in the background.

From Field to Fabric

UGA researchers innovate to secure the future of Southern cotton

Imagine a plant so valuable it helped shape the course of human civilization — a plant that has stitched together empires, economies and entire ways of life. That plant is cotton.

Keep reading
Illustration of a whole red apple beside a halved apple, revealing the star-shaped core and seeds.
Illustration of two scientists testing water quality at a dock, one collecting a sample while the other observes a test tube; a child floats nearby in a life ring with a fish swimming below.

275,000 Solutions

Inside UGA’s testing lab that fuels smarter farming in the Southeast and around the globe

Tucked away in Athens, the University of Georgia’s Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratory (AESL) doesn’t usually make headlines. But step inside, and you’ll find a team of experts testing soil, analyzing water, checking the quality of crops, and helping farmers make smarter decisions every single day.

The team’s work touches nearly every corner of Georgia agriculture — and it started with a few soil samples back in 1938. AESL has since grown from a small station in Griffin to a state-of-the-art facility using some of the most advanced technology in the country.

Keep reading
A close-up of a green apple on a tree branch, glistening with water droplets, surrounded by lush green leaves.

Core memory

In Blairsville, researchers work to revive Georgia’s apple heritage tree by tree. Now, UGA's Heritage apple orchard bears the fruit of their work.

Read the story
A red apple with a short stem.
Woman speaking at a podium labeled "2025 EIS Conference," with an American flag and a patterned backdrop behind her.

Tracking the threat

A veterinarian-turned-disease detective works to stop outbreaks, safeguard communities during disasters, and serve on the front lines of America’s public health response.

alumni profiles // tori moore, bsa — animal science, ‘08

Read the story

Implement

solutions to secure the future of agriculture and the environment

Illustration of a man sitting on a red tractor, petting a brown and white dog, with a blue sky and green field in the background.
Man standing in front of a red Kubota tractor with a backhoe attachment, on a grassy area with trees in the background.

Farming with resilience

UGA’s AgrAbility program delivers adaptive tools and hope for Georgia farmers

When a half-ton bale of hay fell off a wagon in 2019, striking the back of Donald Adams’ head, the future of his family farm fell into immediate uncertainty.

Keep reading
Six people posing in a modern lab space with robotics equipment, including robotic dogs and devices.
Six people posing in a modern lab space with robotics equipment, including robotic dogs and devices.

Building breakthroughs

At UGA, student researchers build the future of agriculture through robotics and solar innovation

Weed-pulling robot with four wheels, sensors, and mechanical arms, positioned on a patch of green grass.
Read the story
Illustration of a woman lying on the floor in a cluttered room, surrounded by clothes, books, and scattered items.

Cut the clutter: UGA experts share strategies for taming the mess

Read the story
Woman with long dark hair smiling, wearing a gray top and pearl necklace.

CAES alum channels Peace Corps lessons into financial wellness leadership at major health care company

alumni profiles // madelyn jackson, bsa - biological science, '12

Read the story
Five researchers in protective lab suits holding chickens inside a poultry research facility.

Lilong Chai’s research looks to a cage-free future for poultry farming

Read the story

NURTURE

inquiry, inspiration and the next generation of leaders

Illustration of hens gathered around a nest with two newly hatched chicks emerging from cracked eggs, on a soft teal background.

Two researchers crouch in a field surrounded by a flock of brown, pastured chickens while they collect fecal samples for testing.

Litterary analysis

UGA researchers undertake ChickEES study to determine how free-range chickens influence farm sustainability

Researchers in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are using molecular genetics to determine how pastured and free-range chickens influence the ecosystem on farms where crops and livestock are raised together.

Keep reading
Simple illustration of chicken poop.

(Photo by Maria Lameiras)

(Photo by Maria Lameiras)

Colorful fairground with a Ferris wheel, rides, and food booths reflected in calm water under a clear blue sky.
Girl in a purple shirt and jeans holding a goat by the head, standing in a livestock arena with a clock tower in the background.
Illustration of three red and yellow striped circus tents with small red flags on top.

Beyond the Midway

Past the lines for funnel cakes and thrill rides, a deeper kind of work unfolds in the barns, rings and exhibit halls of the Georgia National Fair. For Georgia’s 4-H youth and their UGA Extension mentors, the fair is a proving ground for skills that go far beyond agriculture.

Read the story
Man in a pink shirt holding a large, vibrant floral arrangement with pink, white, and green flowers, surrounded by blossoms.

UGA horticulture alumnus and flower expert Scott Shepherd fills a unique niche in a fertile field with The Flower Podcast

Read the story
Man holding a yellow golf flag on a green course, wearing a black jacket and red striped shirt, with a misty background.

UGA turfgrass alumnus finds his calling in golf course management and natural spaces

alumni profiles // jim evans, bsa - turfgrass management, '98

Read the story
Woman in a white hat and floral dress smiling in a sunflower field, adjusting her hat with one hand.

A larger-than-life legacy: CAES student’s contagious enthusiasm inspired others

Read the story

Check out recent issues of the Almanac for more great stories like these.

Illustrated cover of the "Almanac: Science in Service of Humanity and the Environment," Volume 1, showing a person in a hat observing a farm with cows, crops, and a barn.
Click to read Vol. 1
Illustrated cover of "Almanac: Science in Service of Humanity and the Environment," Volume 2, featuring a large sunflower with bees on its center against a starry sky.
Click to read Vol. 2
Illustrated cover of "Almanac: Science in Service of Humanity and the Environment," Volume 3, featuring a red cardinal flying over an autumn forest toward Atlanta’s skyline, symbolizing the connection between nature and urban life.
Click to read Vol. 3

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences' Almanac is produced by
the Office of Marketing and Communications.

Letters, photos and stories with a CAES connection are encouraged.
Please send content ideas, letters to the editor and questions to maria.lameiras@uga.edu.
Interested in illustrating for the Almanac? Please contact kewalker@uga.edu.

TopBuilt with Shorthand