Georgia Magazine - June 2010 - (Page 8)

COMPILED BY JENNIFER J. HEWETT Georgia glimpses • Under the stars. The National Wildlife Federation encourages families to get off the couch and celebrate the outdoors as part of the sixth annual Great American Backyard Campout, June 26. Visit online.nwf.org/site/Page Navigator/gabc_2010_ home to learn about locally hosted campouts and download wildlife guides, nature activities and campout recipes. • Notable works. The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia, in Sautee Nacoochee, recently recognized Mike Craven, Rex Hogan and Kevin “Turkey” Merck as significant contributors to the 200-year tradition of folk pottery in the region. Distinctive pieces of each artist’s works are now part of the museum’s permanent collection, and the potters and their locations have been added to the Folk Potters Trail of Northeast Georgia. For more on the museum and trail, visit www.folk potterymuseum.com. • Helping the hungry. Atlanta was one of eight cities chosen by Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. to be part of their national community garden outreach program in 2010. Last month, the consumer lawn and garden company dedicated DeKalb Memorial Park Niambi Umolara, left, Scotts Community Garden as Miracle-Gro Give Back To Gro part of its Give Back Youth Gardener Award winner, To Gro partnership and Amber Greer-Weaver, with local civic and director of Keep DeKalb national communityBeautiful, prepare a plant for based groups. Through one of the plots during the the program, residents dedication of the DeKalb and students learn to Memorial Park Community grow their own food, Garden on May 4. tend their gardens and donate a portion of their harvests to the Atlanta Community Food Bank. 8 Georgia 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award The Georgia 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Dr. M.K. “Curly” Cook on Aug. 14 at the 4-H Gala at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, an event held every three years. The award was established in 2001 to recognize an individual who has made a significant contribution to the Georgia 4-H program in his or her lifetime. Cook joins other influential recipients such as the late Edgar Rhodes, Tom Rodgers and the late Wayne Shackelford. After receiving his degree in animal science from Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla., Cook moved to Georgia in 1959 to manage a cattle farm in Barnesville. He then attended the University of Georgia and received both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in animal science. He joined the UGA Extension Service as an assistant county agent in Mitchell County, beginning what would become a 31-year career at UGA. Cook, a product of the Junior Livestock Program himself, then moved to a district livestock specialist position in Southwest Georgia and, in 1981, was named head of the Extension Animal Science Department. Under his leadership, the educational and youth livestock programs flourished. Today, the youth livestock programs remain the largest east of the Mississippi, and countless 4-H and FFA members attribute their start in agricultural careers and development of life skills to these programs. A lasting testament to Cook’s commitment to Georgia’s youth livestock programs stands in Perry at the Georgia National Agricenter and Fairgrounds. Even though the facility www.georgiamagazine.org Dr. M.K. “Curly” Cook hosts many events, it was built for the 4-H and FFA members of this state to support their livestock programs. Cook was the driving force behind the vision for a facility that could host all of the state junior livestock shows at the same time, which became a reality in 1991. An estimated 30,000 youth have exhibited more than 60,000 head of livestock in Georgia’s Junior Livestock Program. In 1989, Cook became the associate director for agricultural programs at UGA and served there until retiring in 1992. Nomination forms for Cook said: “He was such a powerful force and such an advocate for youth. He did not hope and dream; he planned and did. Over the years, several generations of kids saw the tall, rambling man in the cowboy hat at livestock shows and events, and even if they did not know his name or exactly what he did—they felt his passion and they respected him and knew he cared about them. Why? Because he told them so, but even more because his actions spoke louder than his words. He showed up and he cared!” To attend the 4-H Gala honoring Curly Cook go to www.georgia4h foundation.org/gala. —Mary Ann Parsons, Georgia 4-H GEORGIA MAGAZINE http://online.nwf.org/site/PageNavigator/gabc_2010_home http://online.nwf.org/site/PageNavigator/gabc_2010_home http://www.folkpotterymuseum.com http://www.folkpotterymuseum.com http://www.georgia4hfoundation.org/gala http://www.georgia4hfoundation.org/gala http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - June 2010

Georgia Magazine - June 2010
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Special Energy Report
Winning Reader Stories
Honorable Mentions: More Vacation Stories
Georgia on a Budget
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Gardening Tips
Georgia Cooks
Cookbook of the Month
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - June 2010