The Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center opened its gates to the public on Wednesday, July 22, for its biennial Field Day, giving attendees a chance to learn about the agricultural research taking place there directly from the scientists conducting it.
The program lasted from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and featured guided tram tours across the center’s 415-acre property with stops at multiple research sites. At each stop, University of Georgia scientists and Extension specialists gave brief presentations on their research involving corn, sweet sorghum, beer hops, tomatoes, apples, soybeans, muscadines and turf grass.
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“So, part of our mandate is to have a Field Day,” said GMREC Superintendent Ray Covingon. “A Field Day is a time when we open this place up to the general public and they can engage with our scientists and learn a little bit about the agriculture, the industry and the projects that we support.”
Covington explained that while many residents drive past the Experiment Station regularly, few actually know about the research happening there. He said events like Field Day help to unveil the mystery.
“I’m excited to show you what we’re about, what we do here,” Covington said to those gathered; 90 members of the public attended, coming from all over the state and some from North Carolina. “This is your time, your moment, to see what we’re about.”
Daniel Mailhot, director of UGA’s statewide variety testing program, was the first researcher to speak. He explained the importance of evaluating corn hybrids under different growing conditions to help farmers determine which varieties perform best in their region.
According to Mailhot, the Blairsville testing location is one of his favorites because of its exceptionally fertile soil and favorable growing conditions.
“In a lot of ways, what you see here is what you’d see in just a truly remarkable year somewhere else or if you did a remarkable job of irrigating it,” Mailhot said. “We really appreciate the opportunity to get to do our research here.”
Union and Towns County Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent Jacob Williams spoke next about his ongoing research into sweet sorghum, a traditional Appalachian crop used to make syrup.
Williams said sweet sorghum has been at risk for roughly a decade, ever since the sorghum aphid appeared in the United States and began wiping out crops in the early 2010s.
As he passed around samples of homemade sorghum syrup for guests to try, Williams explained that he and other researchers are working alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop sweet sorghum varieties that are resistant to the aphid. He said their research also focuses on increasing the plants’ sugar content.
“The results of this trial are very promising,” Williams said. “I came out here and checked yesterday; I didn’t really see any sorghum aphids.”
Other presentations throughout the morning featured research on beer hops, tomatoes, apples, ornamental plants, genetics, fruit diseases, turf grass and several other crops important to Georgia agriculture.
Speakers included UGA graduate student Zach Hutzell; UGA Professor Esther van der Knaap; UGA Research Professor Wayne Parrott; Ph.D. graduate research assistant Jake Spittle; UGA Assistant Professor Phillip Vines; UGA Professor Donglin Zhang; Assistant Professor Sarah Lowder; Cherokee County Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent and County Extension Coordinator Josh Fuder; and Extension Fruit Disease Specialist Phillip Brannen.
Around noon, the tram convoy stopped at a pavilion for lunch sponsored by the Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D Council. The meal was catered by Rib Country and organized by CC RC&D Council Executive Director Frank Riley.
Following lunch, guests returned to the GMREC office for a demonstration by Covington on the uses of drones in agriculture.
“I’m so impressed,” said Sharon Kridel, a Dahlonega resident and member of the Georgia Mountains Master Gardeners who attended her first GMREC Field Day that Wednesday. “I’ve taken pictures and sent all kinds of information to my classmates that didn’t come and to my husband. It’s an amazing facility.”
GMREC Field Day is held every two years and will return in 2028.
