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| This Week's Titles: |
| Video
Camera Discovers Well Problems |
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Leaner Beef For Meat Lovers |
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| More
Work To Improve Irrigation Efficiency |
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| Simple
Technology Helps Farmers Schedule Irrigation |
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| Northeast
Georgia County Helps Hungry Families |
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| Video
Camera Discovers Well Problems |
1:41 |
A video camera is helping a
Central Georgia county learn about water quality problems in
private wells. |
The population in Putnam
County has increased significantly over the last several years,
especially around Lake Oconee. Most of these people rely on
private wells to get their drinking water. Due to varying underground
geology, traditional granite water wells and bored surface water
wells may not be established properly. Many people report problems
with their drinking water, including odor, off flavor, and surface
water intrusions. Keith Fielder, a county extension agent in
Putnam County says a video camera that can go under water has
helped unlock some of the mysteries causing the problems in
wells. "We've been able to use this camera to go down well and
find out things that we haven't been able to see before, we've
been able to help people make decisions when they bought a piece
of property where an old home and an old established well maybe
some of them drilled as far back as maybe even the fifties and
sixties where we don't have an accurate or any historical reference
or data on that well." Keith Fielder with the University of
Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The video footage allows lab scientists to work with the well
drilling contractor, county health department, and the property
owner to find workable solutions to water quality problems.
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.)
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| Leaner
Beef For Meat Lovers |
1:30 |
You may soon be able to say
"Pass The Steak," and not worry about consuming a lot of fat. |
For years health experts
have warned consumers to limit the amount of steak and other
red meat they eat, to reduce their chances of cardiovascular
diseases. But scientists with the University of Georgia's College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have found beef products
from forage-finished animals contain less total fat and more
omega-3 fatty acids that we need. "About a forty percent reduction
in total fat content, so, it's a leaner product. That means
you would have less intake of total fat if you consumed this
product and a lower intake of saturated fatty acids. Actually
the beef from pasture finished animals would be pretty similar
to chicken breasts, so they're able to compete with some of
our other animal products that are very lean." That was Susan
Duckett with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The information from this research allows cattle farmers that
finish their cattle on forages to sort out their product in
the marketplace, and attract health-conscience consumers, who
are willing to pay more for a healthier beef product. 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.)
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| More
Work To Improve Irrigation Efficiency |
1:56 |
College scientists continue
working with farmers on irrigation efficiency. |
Several years ago, Alabama
and Florida filed a law suit against the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineering over proposed water use in metro Atlanta, and West
Georgia. Later, the Flint River Basin was added to the suit.
Claims of farmers' excessive water use could not be supported,
or disproved, since there was no reporting mechanism for agricultural
water use. To help with these water use problems on farms, scientists
with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and
Environmental sciences teamed up with 680 growers, who allowed
university personnel to visit their fields and record irrigation.
A technical advisory group was also formed to address the problems.
"In trying to come up with a water development and conservation
plan. Part of that plan is where are we going to go with permitting
in the future in that area. It also has to deal with how do
we protect the river from being dried up in various stream reaches,
how do we protect endangered species, how do we keep multiple
uses of the river, and so on." That was Jim Hook with the College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The Ag Water Pumping
Program provided the state with a complete examination of water
use amounts by Georgia farmers during drought years of 2000
and 2002, and wetter years of 2003 and 2004. Results are now
available to assist water planning efforts that began recently
in the Flint Basin, and the Coastal Zone. 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.)
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| SImple
Technology Helps Farmers Schedule Irrigation |
1:35 |
An object many of our great
grandfathers used could help take some of the stress out of
trying to decide when to irrigate. |
Irrigation scheduling remains
one of the most critical management decisions on farms in the
state. A system can be properly designed, but if water is not
applied at the proper time, and at the proper amount, water
will be wasted, or crop production will be reduced. In 2001,
scientists with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences began working with an "EASY" Pan
Irrigation Scheduler. This scheduler uses a simple object and
design for scheduling irrigation. "Can we use something smaller,
less expensive, and get just as good results and we embarked
on using wash tubs. So hence the wash tub terminology for this
particular device but that's exactly what it is, it's a variation
of a evaporation pan set out in a field." That was Kerry Harrison
with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The EASY pan takes into account the water holding capacity of
the soil, the water used by the crop being grown, and water
applied by the sprinkler irrigation, and rainfall. More than
500 units are now in use across the Southeast, and as far away
as North Dakota. 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.)
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| Northeast
Georgia County Helps Hungry Families |
1:26 |
A program in a Northeast Georgia
county is helping people struggling to put food on the family
table. |
Around fifteen percent
of the people in Stephens County live below the poverty level.
They need to purchase fresh produce and other food products
at a low cost. Last year the Women, Infants, and Children's
Program was set up in Stephens County. The program provides
coupons for families that are nutritionally at risk, so they
can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets,
run by farmers. Bob Waldorf, a county extension agent in Stephens
County says farmers that work in the market have to go through
training. "Person nutritionally at risk will apply through the
health clinic and that's where they are associated with the
health clinic anyway and, then they actually receive the coupons
which are two-dollar coupons, and then they have to actually
use them at the local farmers market. The farmers in turn have
to go through small training program so that they can understand
how the program works." Bob Waldorf with the University of Georgia's
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The program
provided a large increase in profits for members of the Farmer's
Market Association in Stephens County. It also provided a service
to families who are nutritionally at risk because of their low
income status. 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.)
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