Browse Sustainable Stories - Page 4

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is offering a new virtual seminar, “Solar Energy in Rural Georgia: Opportunities and Considerations for Landowners,” on Tuesday, June 8. The event is free and open to the public, but participants must register online.

For people dealing with substance abuse, establishing a healthy routine and lifestyle without triggers can be one of the biggest challenges. With the help of University of Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers, one impactful organization is creating a path to recovery from addiction that incorporates an age-old sustainable practice — planting seeds.

Every pet owner wants their pet to feel safe and secure, especially on daunting trips to the veterinarian’s office. One major hurdle is the frigid stainless steel tables that offer an unappealing surface for animals that are used to the comfort of home.

For some residents, a pristinely manicured lawn free of weeds and undisturbed by insects is the ultimate goal. However, a new program from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension encourages creating a more natural landscape that reduces chemical use and incorporates native plants to promote biodiversity and protect the environment.

The names tick off like racehorses or colors from some fancy catalog: Carolina Red June, Duchess of Oldenburg, Hewe’s Crab and Rabun Bald, Limbertwig, Nickajack, Parks’ Pippin and many more. But these aren’t paint chips — they’re apples, hundreds of varieties that thrived in orchards across North Georgia a century ago, before an evolving apple industry swept them off shelves and tables, never to return.

In developing countries, the sustainable production of nutrient-dense crops is a critical need. A team of University of Georgia researchers have identified an affordable and local organic practice that can increase nutrient density in soybeans, or edamame, and improve soil health.

Modeling clay isn’t limited to art classrooms and sculpting studios. University of Georgia researchers developed a tool to track beneficial insects in turfgrass systems using clay models. Tracking these good predators can help develop eco-friendly pest management techniques for both home lawns and commercial sod growers.

Professional and home gardeners alike can grow landscapes sustainably with the help of biodegradable plant containers, but gardeners may wonder whether these containers decompose quickly enough to avoid hindering plant growth.

Lee Nunn of Madison, Georgia, planted his first wheat crop on 50 acres of his wife’s family farm when it became available to rent just over a dozen years ago. He quickly realized his passion for farming and began renting more land, now growing wheat, soybeans, field peas, corn and cotton on more than 1,500 acres.