|
|
| This Week's Titles: |
| Foster
Care Teens Learn Important Skills |
|
|
Corn Agrimaze Instructs
People About Agriculture |
|
| Bottled
Or Tap Water Best |
|
| X-Ray
Technology Helps Vidalia Onion Growers |
|
| Program
Developed For Insect Control |
|
|
|
| Foster
Care Teens Learn Important Skills |
1:51 |
Teens in foster homes in a
North Georgia county are learning important skills they will
need when they become adults. |
Young people in the Georgia
Foster Care System have a need to develop life skills they will
need when they reach the age of eighteen. In Floyd County a
program called "Training for Teens in Foster Care," has been
helping teens in foster care prepare for the tough choices they
will have to make when they are on their own. Sylvia Johnson,
a county extension agent in Floyd County says the program offers
training in several important areas. "Yes it is, we go through
training with the young people to teach how to formulate resumes,
what to do as far as job interview skills, working with them
on household budgets, just basic wise shopping tips, and also
some financial management on making wise monetary decisions."
Sylvia Johnson with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, who adds sessions are held once
a month, with around twenty students attending each training
session. Six of the young people are currently employed in jobs
that pay minimum wages. Five others are exploring advanced education
through college, or vocational education at technical schools.
John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
 |
| Corn
Agrimaze Instructs People About Agriculture |
1:19 |
A Central Georgia farm developed
an interesting program to help people learn about agriculture,
and increase profits. |
Taylor Orchards in Taylor
County set up a corn agrimaze, and invited people to walk the
maze and learn about corn production. Wade Green a county extension
agent in Taylor County says schools have brought children to
take part in the agrimaze during the day, and family groups
normally come tour the agrimaze during the late afternoon. "Kind
of cater to the school-age kids some, as well as families and
large groups to come out and get some education at the same
time, learning about agriculture." Wade Green with the University
of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
By planting a silage corn variety much later than is recommended,
the maze remained green for almost two months longer than the
previous year, which brought in more people to Butler County,
to walk through the agrimaze. John Harrell, University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting
from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
|
| Bottled
Or Tap Water Best |
1:26 |
Many people wonder if bottled
water is better than water that flows from the tap. |
People are much more aware
of the health benefits of drinking plenty of water than they
were in the past. Reports indicate Americans purchased around
five billion gallons of bottled water in 2001. But a food specialist
with the University of Georgia Extension Service says concerns
about the safety of tap water is not the reason more bottled
water is being consumed. "It's convenient, that's probably the
number one reason, and you know it's convenient when you're
going to the gym, when your kids are going to a soccer match,
when you're going hiking." That was Judy Harrison with the University
of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences, who adds
tap water is also highly regulated. The EPA requires any municipal
water system that serves twenty-five people or more to be tested
constantly for dangerous contaminants. But until the experts
agree that one type of water is better than the other, consumers
should know the facts, and make a decision that best fits their
lifestyle. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
|
| X-Ray
Technology Helps Vidalia Onion Growers |
1:38 |
College scientists are using
x-ray technology to identify diseased onions in packinghouses. |
Every year Vidalia onions
growers lose money when bacterial and fungal pathogens attack
the crop. Chemicals are on the market that will slow down a
disease, but cannot provide adequate control. But scientists
with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences have found x-ray imaging technology can
identify diseased onions in a packinghouse. "We basically image
the onion and we have learned that particular features of that
image give us a pretty good idea that the onion is either healthy,
or diseased." That was Bill Tollner with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. During the test, three-hundred onions
passed through the x-ray inspection machine, and were then manually
evaluated for disease presence. The machine was accurate more
than ninety percent, and had a false positive rate of only eight
percent. More research and testing are planned with the x-ray
technology, and scientists hope to soon be able to use automation
to sort out the onions. John Harrell, University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting
from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
|
| Program
Developed For Insect Control |
1:41 |
College scientists have developed
a program to help organic farmers keep insects under control. |
Many non-chemical options
for plant protection exist, but most have not been widely adopted.
Scientists have been working with organic farmers because they
represent the most informed group to study the use of alternative
practices. To help the farmers understand these non-chemical
methods for insect control, an econometric model was developed
by scientists with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Using less insecticides would provide
advantages to farmers other than saving dollars. "Without applying
chemicals that are fairly risky, one can expect to have better
overall farmer health in Georgia with reduced exposure to chemicals,
and possibly reduced pesticides on the crops as they show up
in the consumers play." That was Luanne Lohr with the College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Data from a national
survey of organic farmers was used with the econometric model
to identify the factors that influence the insect management
techniques chosen by organic farmers. The top two adopted by
organic farmers were crop rotations, and the development of
beneficial insect habitat. John Harrell, University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting
from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
|
| |
|
|
|
