Seminars
2023 Calendar of Events
A History of Apples
February 17th, 10 am until 12 pm
Apples have journeyed far from their native range and been an important food supply for thousands of years. But how did they get here? Dr. Stephen Mihm, Department Head for the History Department at UGA’s Franklin College, will dive deep into this story. This tale includes the silk road, Jonathan Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed), and even prohibition. He will end his presentation discussing his efforts to save lost varieties and how he has partnered with the College of Agricultural & Environmental
Sciences to explore their potential. Attendance is open to the first 75 at the GMREC auditorium. NO SIGN UP REQUIRED. First come, first serve.
2023 Gardens Grand Opening
June 9th, 10 am until 1:00 pm
Mark Warren, award-winning writer and owner of Medicine Bow-A Primitive School of Earthlore in the North Georgia Mountains will be our presenter. The one-hour presentation will be on how the Cherokee used native plants in their daily lives. Following the presentation, Guided Tours will be offered in the
Ethnobotanic Gardens. Attendance is open to the first 75 at the GMREC auditorium. NO SIGN UP REQUIRED. First come, first serve.
Gardening For Arthritis Sufferers
July 28, 10 am until 12 pm
Arthritis is a debilitating disease that affects many and can be made worse doing what we
love....gardening. Rebecca Brightwell from the UGA Institute on Human Development &
Disability will be coming to GMREC to talk about this issue. Attendees will learn what exactly arthritis is and what tool adaptation, choice of tools, and working methods can reduce the effects of the disease while working in our beloved gardens. Attendance is open to the first 75 at the GMREC auditorium. NO SIGN UP REQUIRED. First come, first serve.
Compact Tractor Safety and BCS Implements
November 3rd, 9am-4pm
This course will cover tractor safety, specifically targeting compact tractors and safely hooking up
implements. The BCS equipment is a walk behind system with multiple attachments that is
available to borrow once training is completed. Attendance is limited to the first 25. A Qualtrics
signup will be available 30 days prior to the event at gamountain.caes.uga.edu
Registration closed, event cancelled due to low registrations.
Farm Tour of GMRE Center
June 28, July 26, & August 30, 10am & 1PM
Attendees will be taken all over the 415 acres farm where they will hear about the numerous
projects and their importance to Georgia's agricultural industry. It will conclude with a visit
to the on-site public gardens. Tours will be in a climate-controlled bus, limited to 10 passengers.
A Qualtrics signup will be available 30 days prior to the event at gamountain.caes.uga.edu. A Qualtrics signup will be available 30 days
prior to the event at gamountain.caes.uga.edu
These programs will take place at the Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center, 3 miles
south of the Blairsville Square on Hwy 19/129. You may sign up to receive our eNewletter by emailing your request to gmrec.uga.edu.
2024 Programs will be published here after the first of the year. Thank you.
2022 Events
Vegetable Garden Planning
February 18th, 9 am until 11:30 am
Now is the time to plan your summer veggie garden. Site preparation, soil amendments, post-season care, weed control and how to properly fertilize will be discussed. Jacob Williams, UGA Extension Agent, Towns and Union Counties. Ray Covington, Superintendent of the GMRE Center. Dr.Tim Coolong, UGA Professor, UGA Extension Vegetable Specialist
Planting a Pollinator Garden
Registration Closed- we are at full capacity
April 20th, 9 am until 11:30 am
Pollinator gardens require a few design elements that are different than a typical garden. We will cover the tips and tricks of designing and planting a successful, sustainable pollinator garden, including plant selection, site selection, raised beds and garden maintenance. This class will have you ready to participate in The Great Georgia Pollinator Census.
Becky Griffin, UGA Extension Community and School Garden Coordinator.
iNaturalist Project Seminar- We are excited to host Will Rogers, a conservation research specialist, from the State Botanical Garden on Friday, May 6th. Mr. Rogers will be discussing a new iNaturalist project documenting native plant species in Georgia. If you enjoy hiking and looking for wildflowers in our beautiful mountains, this program will be of interest to you
The presentation will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the GMREC auditorium and is open to the first 100 people. Registration is not required. GMREC is located south of Blairsville on Hwy 129. The auditorium is in the main office. Follow signs to the upper parking lot just above the main office.
Growing a Moss Garden- June 3rd, 9AM until 11:30AM. Valuable insights about how to garden successfully with mosses will be provided. Practical advice based on years of research and experimentation will be offered. Our speaker, Annie Martin is the author of the book , The Magical World of Moss Gardening. Her website: https://www.mountainmoss.com/. No registration required, open to the first 100 participants.
Ethno-botanical Gardens Kick Off- Every year we like to celebrate the beautiful gardens with inviting all to come out, meet our volunteers, and to see the beautiful native plants. There will be tours of the gardens and some small educational events on various subjects. The kick-off will be at the GMREC Gardens from 9-12 on June 3rd. Registration may be required for special guest speakers.
Cold Season Gardening
August 12th, 9 am until 11:30 am
This seminar is geared toward the new vegetable gardener. Soil preparation, weed control, plant selection and timing will be discussed. Jacob Williams, UGA Extension Agent, Towns and Union Counties. Ray Covington, Superintendent of the GMRE Center. Dr.Tim Coolong, UGA Professor, UGA Extension Vegetable Specialist.
Tractor Safety
November 4th, 9 am until 4:00 pm
New and experienced farmers should join us to learn how to safely operate a tractor and see the potential dangers of operating powerful machinery. Morning session will cover tractor parts in detail. Afternoon session will include hands-on training stations, including driving a tractor, how to connect accessories and maintenance. Our presenters will be Kyle Haney, CFACS - Extension Educator, Farm Again and Glen Rains, UGA Professor of Entomology and Co-Director of Agribility in Georgia Project. This seminar will be limited to 20 participants.
These seminars will take place at the Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center, 3 miles south of the Blairsville Square on Hwy 19/129. You must be registered via Qualtrics to attend. To register via Qualtrics, see the appropriate link for the seminar or your eNewsletter.
You may sign up to receive our eNewletter by emailing your request to gmrec@uga.edu.