When most people think of wine country, they automatically think of California, where three out of four bottles of wine sold in the U.S. come from. California wine producers have a reputation for quality wine and inviting people to see their vineyards, generating more tourism dollars. In North Georgia several vineyard owners believe the idea could also work in Georgia. Phil Brannon, a scientist with the University of Georgia's College of Agicultural and Environmental Sciences says the grapes could also provide a boost to farmers looking for a new crop to grow, while boosting the mountain country's tourism industry. "I think that where we are going to be really good is in trying to develop a tourism industry in North Georgia associated with the kind of wine and bed and breakfast type atmosphere that they have up there." Phil Brannen with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences . Brannen and North Georgia officials expect a lot of people, especially from the Atlanta metro area, throughout Georgia, perhaps as far South as Florida and from the Carolinas to come to the North Georgia mountains to see the grapes hang on the vine, and to see how they make wine. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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The hot, humid days of the summer of 2000 will soon be history, and many people will store their lawn mowers away until next spring. Gil Landry, a Turf Scientist with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says don't put those lawn sprinklers away. "We need to continue to irrigate our turf grasses as long as we have some green color, and they're still actively growing, particular when it gets real dry, and even sometimes during the wintertime when it's real dry it's not a bad idea to provide a little bit of irrigation, particularly on sandy soils for our lawns". Gil Landry with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. If you want your grass to keep it's green color and continue to grow late in the season, make that last application of fertilizer about one month before the first killing frost. In North Georgia the average time for the first killing frost is late October, and early December for South Georgia. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Lead is an element that can be toxic, since long term exposure can cause serious physical problems. With this in mind it may seem people that use these supplements should be alarmed. But a nutrition specialist with the University of Georgia Extension Service says there are fewer contaminated calcium supplements now than ten years ago. She adds the amounts of lead found did not exceed federal limits. "And the amount of lead in those few supplements that still have it is far lower than nearly ten years ago and in fact now none of them exceeded the federal limit on what traces can be allowed and still pass". Marilyn Wright with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, who adds consumers should not stop taking calcium supplements, since the benefits from calcium are much greater. Consumers concerned about lead contamination should look for labels of some brands that state they have been tested and found to be lead free. Also avoid calcium supplements made from oyster shells and dolomite. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Fears about high fat and cholesterol in butter caused many people to switch to margarine several years ago. Then it was reported margarines were also bad for your heart. But a Nutrition Specialist with the University of Georgia Extension Service says special margarines are now on the market that contain special compounds that could reduce the risk of heart disease. "But in these margarines they're being found in very large amounts because, for the manufacturing process, and what these plant stanol and sterol esters do is block the absorption of some of the cholesterol in your diet". Marilyn Wright with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Special margarines or spreads made with larger amounts of plant stanol and sterol esters have been on the market for more than a year. But nutrition labels on the special margarines were recently changed to say that regular consumption of the spreads, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Georgia is expected to produce between 70 and 80 million pound of pecans this year. Tom Crocker, a Horticulturist with the University of Georgia Extension Service says pecans enter a critical stage known as nut fill, when the edible part of the nut fills the hull. He adds the 3 to 5 inches of rain that fell in early September will help increase the pecan yield this year. "This is a critical time for pecans because if we can get rainfall on those first two weeks of September, we can increase our yields by 5 to 10 million pounds so we're in excellent shape on that, we were glad to see the rain". Tom Crocker with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds Tropical Storms Gordon and Helene, which passed thru Georgia in mid-September caused very little damage to the pecan crop. Growers should now be preparing groves for harvest by removing limbs and keeping the grass mowed closely. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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