SARE in Georgia

The Georgia SARE program is facilitated through a joint collaboration between the University of Georgia and Fort Valley State University. We are dedicated to helping farmers and consumers find the reliable information they need to pursue sustainable ag farming practices.

Georgia SARE partners with researchers, extension faculty, producers, and community organizations to research and implement the best science-based practices available in all aspects of Georgia’s agricultural system. In addition to research, SARE is dedicated to providing education in sustainable agriculture through various trainings offered each year.  

Our SARE State Coordinators are vital for expanding sustainable agriculture training for Extension, NRCS, and other agricultural professionals, who will then help producers transition to a more sustainable agriculture.

University of Georgia: Julia Gaskin coordinates extension programming in sustainable agriculture at University of Georgia's Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Her research specialties include land application of agricultural, municipal and industrial by-products, water and soil quality, and the use of biochar for carbon sequestration. She is part of the Biorefining and  Carbon Recycling Program at the University of Georgia, as well as the Agricultural Pollution Prevention Program. Julia received a B.S. at Duke University and a M.S. at the University of Georgia.

Fort Valley State University: Mark Latimore, Jr. is interim head, Department of Agricultural Instruction, and professor and Extension specialist in Plant and Environmental Soil Science at Fort Valley State University. His research interests include native grasses, vermicompost, water quality, and small farm outreach, training and technical assistance. He began his career as a research agronomist in Wichita, Kansas, and became assistant professor at Fort Valley State University in 1983. He has held his current position since 2004. Mark received a B.S. in Agronomy at Fort Valley State University, a M.S. in soil microbiology and biochemistry at University of Georgia, and a PhD in soil microbiology and biochemistry at the University of Missouri.

Georgia SARE Program Assistant: Kate Munden-Dixon is the program assistant for Georgia's SARE PDP program. She is a program specialist at UGA's Driftmier Engineering Center in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.