Busting the Myths of the Holiday Season

Dec 16, 2022

Christmas trees, pickles, Boxing Day and Cola: watch next week’s Seed Speaks and bust some Christmas myths!

On Dec. 21, the Seed Speaks crew will gather for a special holiday episode where they’ll bust some big myths about the holidays, namely:

You should get a fake Christmas tree because cutting down real trees is bad for the environment. The Nature Conservancy notes that real trees don’t require the intensive carbon emissions that it takes to produce and ship artificial trees. Also, buying real trees will help keep tree farms in business, and in turn keep their lands covered in the healthy forest habitat that wildlife depends on to survive.
The modern legend of Santa was created by Coca-Cola. According to the soda pop company itself, Coca-Cola didn’t create the legend of Santa Claus, but Coca-Cola advertising did play a big role in shaping the jolly character we know today.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.