Faculty
James Affolter
Professor
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia
2450 South Milledge Avenue
Athens, Georgia 30605
Phone: 706-542-1244
E-mail: affolter@uga.edu
Doug Bailey
Professor and Head
Department of Horticulture
1111 Miller Plant Science Building
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-2471
Fax: 706-542-0624
E-mail: dabailey@uga.edu
Dr. Bailey is a leader of the certificate program and teaches the required seminar.
David Berle
Assistant Professor
Horticuture
1111 Plant Science Bldg.
Univ. of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-0781
Fax: 706-542-0624
E-mail: dberle@uga.edu
David Berle has a life-long interest in organic agriculture. His role in the Organic Agriculture Certificate Program is primarily as an adviser and in curriculum development. His experience with GPS/GIS is being used to create a mapping system for documenting land use and production within the organically certified area at the Horticulture Research Farm.
George Boyhan
Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist
Horticulture
University of Georgia
1111 Miller Plant Sciences Building
Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-2471
Fax: 706-542-0624
E-mail: gboyhan@uga.edu
Dr. Boyhan had worked for many years in southeastern Georgia in the heart of Vidalia onion production region. His work was primarily on onion variety, cultural, and fertility evaluations. He also conducted work on organic Vidalia onion production. Recently Dr. Boyhan was transferred to the main campus in Athens where the focus of his program has changed to organic and sustainable vegetable production. He has research, extension, and teaching responsibilities. He teaches both Organic Gardening and Introduction to Vegetables.
Miguel L. Cabrera
Professor
Crop and Soil Sciences
4119 Miller Plant Sciences Building
Athens, GA 30602-7272
Phone: (706) 542-1242
Fax: (706) 542-0914
E-mail: mcabrera@uga.edu
My research is focused on agronomic and environmental issues related to the application of animal manures (especially poultry litter, a mixture of poultry manure and bedding material) to cropland and pastureland as fertilizer. The application of poultry litter to land is currently the best way of recycling nutrients, but must be done in a way that protects the environment. When manures are not used properly, nutrients present in the manure can be transformed into forms that may contaminate air and waters. Some of our current projects with poultry litter evaluate the effect of management practices on nitrogen transformations and processes, such as nitrogen mineralization, ammonia volatilization, nitrification, denitrification, and transport of inorganic N in surface runoff. Research efforts are also dedicated to the evaluation of P concentration in surface runoff as well as soil test P buildup in pastures that are routinely fertilized with broiler litter.
K.C. Das
Professor
Engineering
Room: 509 Driftmier Engineering Center
Athens Campus
Phone: 706-542-8842
Fax: 706-542-8806
E-mail: kdas@uga.edu
Julia Gaskin
Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator
619 Driftmier Engineering Center
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
Phone: 706 542 1401
Email: jgaskin@engr.uga.edu
Julia Gaskin is a soil scientist who has worked for many years with practices that build soil quality. As an extension specialist, she has conducted applied research and programming on using organic fertility amendments including animal manures and composts. She has also developed and taught programs on reducing tillage as well as using cover crops and crop rotations to increase productivity and reduce the environmental impacts of farming. Her recent research has focused on the use of biochar in agricultural production and the effects of crop rotation on soil quality. As the Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator, she has garnered input from farmers and other stakeholders across Georgia on challenges they face with organic and sustainable production, and brought together groups to help address these needs.
L. Paul Guillebeau
Professor
Entomology
University of Georgia
413 Biological Sciences Building
Athens, GA 30602-2603
Phone: (706) 542-9031
E-mail: bugman@uga.edu
Paul Guillebeau is a professor of entomology. His primary responsibilities revolve around pesticide education and pesticide risks. Organic production helps provide growers with additional pest management options that minimize pesticide risks. Many principles developed or revised in organic production could also be used by conventional growers to reduce their need for pesticides.
Peter Hartel
Professor
Crop and Soil Sciences
3111 Miller Plant Sciences Building
Athens, GA 30602-7272
Phone: (706) 542-0898
Fax: (706) 542-0914
E-mail: pghartel@uga.edu
http://www.cropsoil.uga.edu/people/faculty.php?id=hartel
Peter Hartel is Professor of Soil Microbiology in the Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, where is he is well known for his love of chocolate. He is also Georgia Power Professor of Environmental Ethics, where he is responsible for the intellectual leadership of the University of Georgia's nationally known Environmental Ethics Certificate Program. He comes from a long line of farmers, and comes to organic farming specifically through his strong support of family farms.
Marc van Iersel
Professor
Horticulture
1111 Miller Plant Sciences Building
Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-583-0284
Fax: 706-542-0624
E-mail: mvanier@uga.edu
Dr. van Iersel conducts research on the production of organic highbush blueberries in high tunnels, with the aim to produce berries during a period of low supply (early spring). He also works on more efficient irrigation practices, especially in greenhouses and nurseries.
Carl Jordan
Senior Research Scientist
Odum School of Ecology
Ecology Bldg.
Athens, GA 30602-2202
Phone: (706) 542-6019
Fax: (706) 542-4819
E-mail: cfjordan@uga.edu
Dr. Carl Jordan is a Professor Emeritus in the Odum School of Ecology. He is also founder of Spring Valley Ecofarm, the site of his research in organic agriculture. The Ecofarm <http://www.springvalleyecofarms.org/> is the location of "Organic Agriculture", one of the introductory courses of the Certificate Program.
David Knauft
Professor
Department of Horticulture
1111 Miller Plant Sciences Building
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-2471
Fax: 706-542-0624
Email: dknauft@uga.edu
Dr. Knauft is director of the certificate program. In that regard he coordinates the program, serves as the liaison for the internship requirement, advises students in the program, and spreads the word about the Certificate Program in Organic Agriculture.
Dr. Michael P. Lacy
Department Head and Professor of Poultry Science
215 Poultry Science Building
Athens, GA 30602-2772
Phone (706) 542- 1337
Fax (706) 542-1827
Email: mlacy@uga.edu
Mike Lacy has an interest in Organic livestock production. He served on the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) from 2001-2006. He chaired the NOSB Livestock Committee from 2005-2006.
Elizabeth L. Little
Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology
Rm 3311, Miller Plant Sciences Bldg.
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
Phone: (706) 542-4774
Fax (706) 542-1262
Email: elittle@uga.edu
Dr. Little has a 45% teaching/65% extension appointment in the Department of Plant Pathology. Her teaching responsibilities include the plant disease management section in AESC3126/Fertility and Pest Management in Organic Agriculture. Her extension program involves the development and deployment of information on sustainable agricultural practices for the management of plant diseases/plant health in the Southeast, as well as promoting practices that reduce environmental impacts in the home landscape and garden.
Anish Malladi
Assistant Professor
Department of Horticulture
1121 Miller Plant Sciences
Athens, GA-30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-0783
Fax: 706-542-0624
Email: malladi@uga.edu
I teach the course, ‘Fertility and Pest Management in Organic Agriculture’ (AESC 3126). My research interests are in growth and developmental physiology of small fruit and tree fruit crops.
Cecilia McGregor
Assistant Professor
Department of Horticulture
1119 Miller Plant Sciences
Athens, GA-30602-7273
Phone: 706-542-0782
Fax: 706-542-0624
Email: cmcgre1@uga.edu
Cecilia is interested in breeding vegetable crops with useful traits for organic production. Traits of particular interest are disease resistance and weed tolerance.
Harald Scherm
Professor
Plant Pathology
2311 Plant Sciences, 120 Carlton St.
Athens, GA 30602
Phone: (706) 542-1258
Fax: (706) 542-1262
E-mail: scherm@uga.edu
http://www.plant.uga.edu/faculty/Scherm/index.html
In Georgia's warm and humid climate, plant diseases are a significant impediment to crop production in general and organic production inparticular. With this in mind, my research program here at the Universityfocuses on the integrated management of diseases of fruit crops such as peaches, blueberries, and grapes. As part of this effort, I am closely involved in an interdisciplinary project to develop and evaluate production and pest management practices for organic blueberries in the Southeast.
Harry H. Schomberg
USDA ARS JPCS-NRCC
1420 Experiment Station RD
Watkinsville, GA 30677-2373
Phone: 706-769-5631 x 222
Fax: 706-769-8962 fax
E-mail: Harry.Schomberg@ars.usda.gov
Dr. Harry Schomberg is a Cropping Systems Ecologist for the Agricultural Research Service located at Watkinsville, GA. His research focuses on understanding interactions among cropping system components with an emphasis on nutrient use efficiency. His interest in organic systems stems from his research on sustainability using combinations of best management practices, like cover crops, conservation tillage, and integrated pest management, to optimize economic returns while minimizing environmental impacts of crop production.
Robert Tate
Program Coordinator
Horticulture
1111 Miller Plant Sciences Building
Athens, GA 30602-7273
Phone:706-614-0322
Fax: 706-542-0624
E-mail: rotate@uga.edu
Robert is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill where he received degrees in Philosophy and US History. After completing a Sustainable Agriculture Program in NC taught by well known growers in the industry, he has gone on to operate and co-own two organic farms: one in the mountains of NC--near the base of Mount Mitchell, and the other near Punta Uvita along the Southwest coast of Costa Rica. Both of these farms are successfully operating today. Aside from farming, Robert has been published for Alzheimer’s research involving protein signaling in May 2007 of Molecular Pharmacology and very much enjoys participating in the University research environment. His enthusiasm for agriculture and research continue as he earns a Masters degree in Plant Protection and Pest Management. He currently functions as a farmer, an educator, and a statewide networker of organic agriculture as the Organic Certificate Program Coordinator for the University of Georgia in Athens.
