UGA Cooperative Extension is a collaboration between UGA CAES and UGA FACS.

UGA Extension Office

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Heard County does not currently have an ANR Agent. 

For more ANR information, please feel free to contact our neighboring counties:

Carroll County  call 770-836-8546

Coweta County  call 770-254-2620

Harris County  call 706-628-4824

Troup County call 706-883-1675


Below are some of UGA Extension's most broadly useful resources for those involved in agriculture on the farm, in schools, and around the home.

Production Agriculture

Statewide Variety Testing Which varieties should you plant? The variety testing team does the work and research for farmers.
UGA Weather Network Reliable weather information for agricultural and environmental applications, including soil temperature, rainfall, wind speed, and more.
Pesticide Safety Education Everything you need to achieve certification and maintain the knowledge to safely and effectively make use of restricted-use and all other types of pesticides.
Sustainable Agriculture A collection of resources for those interested in production and marketing practices that are profitable, environmentally sound, and that improve the quality of life for farmers, farm workers, and the community.
Ag Budgets and Economics Resources for production economics, farm management, marketing, situation and outlook, risk management, financial management, farm policy, labor, and taxation.
Farmgate Value Report Annual county-level reports documenting the value of all food and fiber commodities grown in the state.

Home & Garden

Soil Testing Ensure that your soil is productive! Get your soil tested to determine the amount and kind of nutrients that should be added for the best growth.
Pest Management Recommendations for pest control around homes, on pets, in the home garden, and more.
Household Water Quality Water quality has an immediate and a prolonged effect on the health of your household. This publication series contains basic information about home water quality and treatment.
Home Garden Publication Series Topics include garden planning, soil preparation, weed control, pollination, disease and insect control, harvesting, and preserving.
Georgia Green Industry Professional Development The UGA Center for Urban Agriculture offers professional training and certifications for the Georgia Certified Landscape Professional, Georgia Certified Plant Professional exam and Super Crew employee training series.
Georgia Green Landscape Stewards The Georgia Green Landscape Stewards program provides fact-based information to help businesses and residences in Georgia implement sustainable green practices in their landscape.

Schools

Community and School Gardens This Community and School Gardens blog is designed to help community and school gardeners succeed by connecting them to UGA Extension and other research-based resources.
Lesson Plans and Teacher Resources Whether you'd like to help protect the environment, teach your students how to avoid chronic diseases with healthy food and physical activity, or train food handlers in your cafeteria, University of Georgia Extension can help.

Extension Publications

Home Emergency Preparedness Handbook (B 1428) Communities across Georgia are subject to a number of potential disasters such as fires, flooding, severe storms, earthquakes, dam failures, tornados and hurricanes. While we all hope that such occurrences never happen, it has been shown time and again that being prepared for disasters is prudent. This handbook contains a step-by-step guide to disaster planning along with other essential information you will need in building a comprehensive home emergency preparedness plan. Be sure to involve all the members of your household when developing your plan. A plan will only work when everyone knows about it and agrees to operate within its guidelines.
Home Emergency Preparedness Checklist (B 1428-1) A two-page checklist of the basic list of supplies you should have ready for emergencies. Keep the items you will most likely need during an evacuation in an easy-to-carry, waterproof container. Be mindful that this is a basic list of supplies. A more comprehensive list can be found in the Home Emergency Management Guide.
Predicting Nitrogen Release from Cover Crops: the Cover Crop Nitrogen Availability Calculator
Predicting Nitrogen Release from Cover Crops: the Cover Crop Nitrogen Availability Calculator (B 1466) Cover crops have many benefits for farmers, including erosion control, weed suppression, and feeding the food soil web. Cover crops also play an important role in fertility, particularly for nitrogen. One of the challenges facing farmers who use cover crops is quantifying the available nitrogen supplies to the following cash crop by the decomposing cover crop residues and how they might change their fertilizer management to account for this. This publication is intended to educate farmers on the nitrogen cycle, cover crops, and nitrogen; how nitrogen is released from cover crops; and the new Cover Crop Nitrogen Availability Calculator, including the steps necessary to use the Calculator.
How to Safely Make Infused Oils: Best Practices for Food Safety
How to Safely Make Infused Oils: Best Practices for Food Safety (C 1334) Making homemade infused cooking oils comes with food safety risks, particularly for those infused with garlic and herbs. Infused oils can enhance flavor and food presentation, but the combination of oil, garlic, and herbs creates an anaerobic (low-oxygen) environment, which is ideal for the growth of the bacteria that causes botulism, which can produce a deadly neurotoxin. The publication provides essential safety tips, such as sterilizing containers and thoroughly washing and drying ingredients, to prevent contamination and ensure safe oil infusion. By following these guidelines, home food preservers can create flavorful infused oils without compromising safety.
San Jose Scale: A Pernicious and Persistent Pest of Peaches
San Jose Scale: A Pernicious and Persistent Pest of Peaches (C 1225) San Jose scale, Comstockaspis perniciosus (Comstock), is a pest of peaches, nectarines, plums, and other tree fruits including apples, pears, and cherries. San Jose scale is considered a secondary pest in many regions of the country, but in the Southeast U.S., it has been one of the most common and most destructive pests to the peach industry since the early 2000s.
Plum Curculio: An Incessant Pest of Peaches
Plum Curculio: An Incessant Pest of Peaches (C 1224) Plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), is a key insect pest of peaches in the Southeast region of the United States. It is a snout beetle native to North America and is found east of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. and Canada. Plum curculio drives the insect pest management program for Georgia peach producers. This circular covers the biology, damage, and current management recommendations for plum curculio in Georgia peach production.