Georgia grown: a guide to Georgia's farms, forests, food and exports [2014]

GAagriculture.com
A Guide to Georgia's Farms, Forests, Food and Exports
To Market We Grow State farmers markets boost georgia economy Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture // 2014-15

FEATURING

36 Harvesting Innovation
Lewis Taylor Farms has become one of the largest and most innovative farming operations in the Southeast. With more than 5,000 acres of row crops, including 600 acres of cotton and peanuts and a greenhouse operation, the farm employs hundreds of workers annually.

18 To Market, We Grow!
The Atlanta State Farmers Market opened its doors in 1959 with a handful of vendors. Today, the market features up to 50 vendors and stretches across 160 acres.

24 Like a Well-Oiled Machine Equipment companies are a driving force in Georgia's economy. Big names like John Deere and Kubota join originals like Newton Crouch, Inc., in creating jobs.
5 gaagriculture.com //

CONTENTS

24
A Guide to Georgia's Farms, Forests, Food and Exports
On the Cover
Bell peppers are the signature crop at Ken Corbett Farms of Valdosta. Photo by Michael Conti

14 Georgia Agriculture Overview 23 Boosting the Markets
Farmers showcases prove a win-win for consumers, producers
30 Financing Farm Country
Farm Credit keeps Georgia agriculture going and growing
42 Planting to Packing
Ken Corbett Farm grows peppers in Lake Park
49 fun on the farm
Agritourism helps connect farm with its customers
50 Georgia Is Still Going Nuts
Peanut industry is profit leader
55 Georgia's Nut Crackers
University of Georgia Tifton campus researchers breed new peanut varieties
56 Sweet harvest
Georgia is among the top five blueberryproducing states in the country
61 Blueberry Bonanza
Years of innovation lead to hearty blueberry industry
62 Striking Oil
Olives, canola, nuts and seeds add flavor to Georgia's ag economy
68 Mouthwatering Marketing
Executive Chef Program promotes state products
72 Extreme Menu Makeover
Feed My School program gives students a taste of agriculture
77 What's cooking
Georgia Grown Test Kitchen puts students in control of their nutrition
78 What's Your Flavor
Annual contest brings great exposure for Georgia farmers and producers
7 gaagriculture.com //

CONTENTS

84 Partnerships

94

promote products

Retailers of all sizes carry

Georgia Grown products

88 Training Grounds
Georgia's tech colleges prep students for ag fields

94 First Responders
Georgia's veterinarians stand on agriculture's front line

97 Animal Advancement
UGA breaks ground on new veterinary teaching hospital

98 Families on the Farm
Southern Belle Farm makes learning fun

104 Value Beyond the Farm
Poultry industry helps drive Georgia's economy

108 raising quality

Georgia cattle and hog farms

88

satisfy many tastes

112 Centennial Celebration

UGA commemorates 100 years

of Cooperative Extension System

116 A Beacon for agriculture
Georgia National Fair and Fairgrounds enjoy tremendous growth

119 honoring history
Historical marker celebrates Georgia's first Commissioner of Agriculture

120 Fields of Gold
Georgia firm sparks new interest in canola with biodegradable plastics

124 Safe and Sound
Food Safety Division benefits both consumers and businesses

9 gaagriculture.com //

READ
ON THE GO
OPTIMIZED FOR ONLINE
Each article can be read online, as a web article or within our digital magazine. Additional photos and statistics are also available on the website.
SHARE THE CONTENT
Easily share an interesting article, stunning photo or useful advertisement via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or email.
EMBED IN YOUR SITE
Embed our digital magazine in your website to offer compelling information
about Georgia agriculture to your site visitors.

Welcome to Georgia Grown
Welcome to the third edition of Georgia Grown, a magazine highlighting Georgia's diverse and evolving agricultural industry.
This edition focuses on the great economic impact agriculture has on the state. Contributing nearly $77 billion to Georgia's economy, the industry continues to be our main economic driver. This theme is highlighted throughout the magazine, with various articles emphasizing the grand economic scale and technological proficiencies of today's family farm. From crop mainstays such as the peanut to our rising new star, the blueberry, Georgia farmers continue to surge ahead through research, innovation and a whole lot of determination.
The magazine also digs a little deeper to uncover related industries and organizations that further the mission and economic impact of agriculture. Extension, equipment manufacturing and financial institutions are all examples of vital pieces of the puzzle that help keep agriculture progressing along the path to prosperity, and also add yet another layer of economic enrichment.
The goal of this magazine mirrors that of the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Grown program: to not only improve the understanding and importance of the agricultural industry to the public, but also to solidify the connection between the grower, the supplier and the consumer.
Many people across our great state put a lot of work into this publication and I want to personally thank all who contributed their time to this project. Georgia Grown will give insight to the abundant economic impact of our great industry and highlight many of the great families and people that provide it.

Visit us online at
GAagriculture.com

Gary W. Black Commissioner of Agriculture

11 gaagriculture.com //

Georgia Agriculture
Calendar of
EVENTS

Agricultural events are a chance to show the public the importance of the state's agriculture industry. These events also bring producers together and allow them to exchange knowledge and expertise.
These events give producers the opportunity to improve their products while educating the consumer about where their food comes from.
For more information about Georgia agriculture events including locations, contact information, event agendas and more, visit GAagriculture.com.

Sunbelt Ag Expo Georgia Peanut Festival Georgia Farm Bureau Convention Georgia Urban Ag Council Edge Expo SE Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference Georgia Dairy Conference Georgia Peanut Farm Show Ag Forecast
gainesville (Brenau Georgia Mountain Center) cartersville (Clarence Brown Conference Center) bainbridge (Cloud Livestock Facility) lyons (Toombs County Agri-center) tifton (UGA Tifton Conference Center) macon (Georgia Farm Bureau)
Georgia Green Industry Association WINTERgreen International Poultry Expo Georgia Young Farmers Convention Georgia Ag Day Georgia Cattlemen's Association Convention Georgia FFA State Convention State 4-H Council Georgia Peanut Tour Georgia National Fair

October 14-16, 2014 october 18, 2014 December 7-9, 2014
December 10-11, 2014 January 8-11, 2015 January 12-14, 2015 January 15, 2015
January 14, 2015 January 15, 2015 January 16, 2015 January 21, 2015 January 22, 2015 January 23, 2015 January 22-23, 2015 January 27-29, 2015 January 30-february 1, 2015 March 10, 2015 April 1-4, 2015 April 23-25, 2015 June 26-28, 2015 September 2015 October 8-15, 2015
13 gaagriculture.com //

overview

Georgia Agriculture Overview
Explore Georgia's fascinating agriculture industry

From poultry to peaches, Georgia's diverse agricultural industry is a leading force of the state's prosperity.
An impressive 42,257 farms raise livestock and cultivate crops that feed and fuel the nation. Many of these farms are family-owned and continually adapt to the ever-changing industry.
Innovation in agriculture has propelled Georgia's industry to new heights. Production is up in several commodities including wheat and cotton. Wheat production increased from 9.2 million bushels in 2007 to 10.87 million bushels in 2012. Cotton bales increased from 1.6 million bales to 2.4 million bales in that same timeframe.
And now, the Peach State is shining the spotlight on another fruit. Georgia's blueberry industry is a global player. Blueberries in Georgia took off in the late 1990s, and in the past decade, the industry grew by an impressive 15 to 20 percent annually. The state is filling a national lull in the fruit's regular season, providing freshmarket berries mid-April through early July.
Georgia's second most valuable row crop, peanuts, are also set to

increase in production in the coming years. Researchers at the University of Georgia received $256,280 from the Georgia Peanut Commission to fund various projects, including the development of hardier, disease-resistant varieties.
Home to numerous agricultural schools, research labs and facilities, Georgia's stellar research and education efforts made significant contributions to the state's ag economy.
The continued progress of Georgia's agriculture industry bodes well for those it feeds, clothes and fuels. Farms, processing plants and more are major sources of revenue for the state, providing jobs for tens of thousands of Georgians. These jobs range from working on the farm to manufacturing farm equipment and from growing food to marketing Georgia products globally.
In addition to growing, processing and selling crops and livestock, Georgia is experiencing an agritourism boom. Berry picking, pumpkin patches and petting zoos are among the exciting opportunities the public has to learn more about agriculture while having fun.
Hannah Patterson

14 // georgia grown

15 gGAaAaGgRrIicCuULltTuURrEe.CcoOmM //

The Peach State
Georgia's agriculture industry continues to expand, but the state's most famous crop will always be the delicious sweet peach. The state's nickname-sake fruit was first planted in Georgia in the eighteenth century, and is still an important fruit crop today, ranking third in production in the U.S. Georgia produces more than 40 different commercial varieties of peaches, and almost all are sold into the wholesale fresh market, with a small amount sold at farmers markets and roadside stands. Concentrated in the middle of the state, Georgia peaches are grown mainly in Crawford, Peach, Taylor and Macon counties, thanks to the favorable sandy loam soils in the region. And though the fuzzy fruit is only available for 16 weeks each year, from mid-May to August, Georgia peaches are arguably the sweetest in the country.
Georgia is home to more than 42,000 farms, occupying more than 9.6 million acres of land in the state.
Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture, 2012

16 // georgia grown

Have a boll
Georgia farmers sure know how to have a boll, evidenced by the state's rank as No. 2 in the nation in cotton production. Also the No. 2 commodity in the state, farmers produced 2.32 million bales of cotton in 2013, bringing $936 million in production value.
The key crop has a rich history in Georgia too, as the cotton gin was first patented by Eli Whitney here in 1793. Georgia's cotton industry, including farmers, gins, warehouses and more, provides many jobs for the state. Other uses have been found for cotton byproducts, such as cottonseed oil, making the crop even more profitable.

top 10 ag commodities
A glimpse of Georgia's top agricultural products

1 / broilers
In 2013, 2,689 farms raised broiler chickens for meat with a production value of $3.81 billion. Georgia grows approximately 16 percent of all the broilers produced in the nation.
2 / cotton lint
Georgia cotton farmers produced 2.32 billion bales of cotton or enough to make approximately 500 million pairs of jeans. Georgia ranks second nationally in cotton production and acres planted.
3 / chicken eggs
A whopping 17.7 million laying hens produced eggs in 2013 and generated $532.38 million in production value.
4 / peanuts
Peanuts brought in nearly $470 million in production value in 2013 and were grown on 430,000 acres. Georgia is the No. 1 producer of peanuts in the United States.
5 / cattle and calves
Approximately 17,188 Georgia farms raise cattle, generating $445 million in production value in 2013. Georgia cattlemen own approximately 1.48 million head of cattle.

6 / corn
Georgia corn is used for food, fuel and livestock feed, and generated $435.36 million in 2013. Seminole and Calhoun are the state's top corn-producing counties.
7 / greenhouse and nursery
Greenhouse and nursery products, such as potted flowering plants, bedding/garden plants and bulbs, earned a production value of $374.22 million in 2013.
8 / dairy products
Dairy products produced by 348 Georgia farms brought in $336.96 million in production value in 2013.
9 / pecans
The most common pecan varieties grown in Georgia are Cape Fear, Desirable, Elliot, Schley, Stuart and Summer. This commodity generated $170 million in production value in 2013.
10 / cottonseed
Cottonseed can be fed to livestock or processed into oil, meal, and other products. Georgia cottonseed earned $140.11 million in production value in 2013.

10.8%
Livestock and aquaculture made up 10.8 percent of Georgia's total farm gate value in 2012. Livestock and aquaculture production and
processing generated a total economic contribution of
$5.5 billion to Georgia and led to nearly 37,400 jobs around the state.

The state ranks No. 1 in the country for broilers
(chickens raised for meat), peanuts and pecans.

nearly
18M hens produced eggs in 2013.

georgia produced 89 million pounds of pecans in 2013.
17 gaagriculture.com //

farmers market
The Atlanta State Farmers Market is the largest of its kind in the Southeast. 18 // georgia grown

Atlanta State Farmers Market helps boost state's economy
Story by Teree Caruthers

Staff Photos by Michael Conti

19 gaagriculture.com //

A shopper buys tomatoes at the Atlanta State Farmers Market.

The Atlanta State Farmers Market is an impressive tribute to the bounty of farms throughout the Southeast, with stall after stall piled high with fresh fruits and vegetables.
"What began as a small farmers market more than 50 years ago has evolved into the largest wholesale terminal fruit and vegetable market in the Southeast," says Paul Thompson, market manager.
The market stretches across 160 acres that's the equivalent of 112 football fields and welcomes visitors from Atlanta and beyond 365 days a year with a delicious display of regionally grown foods, from fresh Georgia blueberries in late spring and summer to fall pecans just in time for holiday pies.
The market features between 40 and 50 wholesale vendors, 55 year-round tenants, a garden center with 10 vendors and two restaurants. All these combined, the market provides close to 3,000 jobs. It hosts growers and producers

from across the Southeast and is considered one of the largest markets of its kind in the world.
"The Atlanta State Farmers Market serves a variety of consumers from big-box retailers, grocery stores and restaurants, all the way to your local fruit stand," Thompson says. "If you've eaten in a restaurant in or around Atlanta, chances are some of the products passed through the Atlanta market. Customers can buy fruits and vegetables from the farmer, plants and garden supplies in our garden center, as well as conventional and organic produce, meats and dairy from the larger vendors. Our farmers market offers a unique experience that cannot be found anywhere else."
More than just an experience, the market is a significant driver for Georgia's economy. Almost $1 billion worth of produce passes through the market each year, and in the 2014 fiscal year, the market brought in more than $7 million in state revenue.

Rooted in Success
The market opened its doors in 1959 with a handful of vendors that included Sutherland's Foodservice, a family-owned and operated food wholesaler.
Sutherland's distributes Georgia-grown vegetables and meats to restaurants, bakeries, state facilities, schools, day cares, universities, health care facilities, correctional institutions and retail operators. The 67-year-old company has operated from the farmers market since the market's inception.
"Being part of the Atlanta Farmers Market allows us to be part of the growth and movement the Georgia Department of Agriculture continues to have. We live in Georgia, and we need to support the farmers and products that this state produces," says Chelsea Glass, marketing coordinator for Sutherland Foodservice. "We also need to give that knowledge to kids growing up. We love having field trips come to

21 gaagriculture.com //

Georgia State Farmers Markets
1. Atlanta Farmers Market 16 Forest Pkwy., Forest Park (404) 675-1782
2. Augusta Farmers Market 1150 5th St., Augusta (706) 721-3004
3. Macon Farmers Market 2055 Eisenhower Pkwy., Macon (478) 752-1097
4. Savannah Farmers Market 701 U. S. Hwy. 80 W., Savannah (912) 966-7801
5. Cordele Farmers Market 1901 U.S. Hwy. 41 N., Cordele (229) 276-2335

6. Moultrie Farmers Market Quitman Hwy., Moultrie (229) 891-7240
7. Cairo Farmers Market 1110 N. Broad St., Cairo (229) 377-4504
8. Thomasville Farmers Market 502 Smith Ave., Thomasville (229) 225-4072
9. Valdosta Farmers Market 1500 S. Patterson St., Valdosta (229) 225-4072

1

3

5

6

78

9

2 4

The Atlanta State Farmers Market is home to more than 150 small businesses that employ close to 3,000 employees.
22 // georgia grown

the farmers market and are happy to give them a tour of our facilities. Kids these days need to be aware of where they live and how the farmers market and the Georgia Department of Agriculture contribute to the great state we live in."
Destiny Organics has also been with the market since its creation in 2001. The company is the premier certified organic distributor of Georgia. They work with local farmers and producers including more than a dozen Georgia Grown members to connect them with the consumer, aiming to be the "to" in farm-totable. As for their presence at the market, General Manager Diana Earwood says it was a logical step.
"Where else can you be centrally located to all the major interstates and airport?" she says. "Plus, we really appreciate the relationship forged between other vendors, the Department of Agriculture and Clayton County."
She adds that the amount of meats, dairy and produce whether fresh, frozen, refrigerated or dry that moves through the market is astonishing. She cites Destiny partner producers Vidalia Valley, Hunter Cattle Co. and more as successful examples of the market's vendors.
Another longtime vendor is Collins Brothers Produce. The company began selling fruits and vegetables from the back of a truck, and now supplies fresh fruits and vegetables, exotic fruits, milk and egg products to grocery stores throughout the Southeast.
Thompson says companies like Destiny Organics, Collins, Sutherland's and J.J. Jardina Co., which all began as small retailers and grew over the years to major wholesale distributors, exemplify the mission of the Department of Agriculture.
"Ultimately, we're trying to help people get into the market," he says.

regional Markets
Boosting the Markets
Farmers Showcases prove a win-win for consumers, producers

Though the events occur only one day at various farmers markets across the state, the long-term effects from the Georgia Grown Farmers Showcases last throughout the year.
That has certainly been the case for the Savannah State Farmers Market, which has hosted a farmers showcase the last two years in conjunction with its annual Summer Fest. If visitors enter as strangers on that day, they leave as friends, according to Rita Davis, manager for the Savannah Farmers Market. She says more than 5,000 vendors attended the 2014 event.
"There were all kinds of vendors, and our farmers had a very big day," Davis says. "I think it really helps the market. It seems like after [the farmers showcases], things really pick up. More people learn about us, and we get more visitors. You'd be surprised at the people who don't even know this place is here. So it is definitely good advertisement."
In addition to Savannah, the Georgia Grown Farmers Showcases were held in Atlanta and Macon. A showcase was also added to the Moultrie Farmers Market for the first time in 2014.
"We're one of the biggest agriculture counties around and have a good location, so we have lots

to offer," says Cindy Jursik of the Moultrie State Farmers Market on the decision to hold a showcase.
The market recently added a lot of new features, including a feed store, western wear store and meat market, and a showcase seemed like the perfect way to introduce them to the public, Jursik says.
Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, visitors to the farmers showcases can expect to find a range of locally grown seasonal vegetables and fruits, and locally raised meats. They'll also come across a variety of other items such as olive oil, jams, soaps, candles and beeswax lip gloss.
The showcases includes activities for kids and adults, too, such as watermelon seed-spitting contests and kiddie train rides.
Davis says the event at Savannah Farmers Market included a wine tasting, which was quite popular among visitors, plus cooking demonstrations and an antique car and tractor show. In addition, Extension agents were on hand to offer tips for gardeners of all levels.
The Farmers Showcase originated at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in 2012, then expanded to include more in 2013 and 2014.
John McBryde

23 gaagriculture.com //

Farm Equipment
Like a Well-Oiled
machine
An employee assembles a spreader at Newton Crouch, a fertilizer equipment company located in Griffin. Staff Photo by Michael Conti

Equipment companies are a driving force for state's ag industry
Story by John McBryde
If it's agriculture-related, chances are good that Newton Crouch Inc. in Griffin has been involved. That's been true since Newton Crouch Sr. purchased what was then a cotton gin and a fertilizer business in 1940. The company had been in operation as Walker Brothers since 1901. "We've been everything in agriculture," says Steve Crouch, the founder's son who has led the company since 1989. "We've been a seed plant, a fertilizer house, a cotton gin. As times have changed, we've adapted and changed with them." Newton Crouch is now a fertilizer equipment company, having manufactured more than 15,000 units that have been distributed all over the U.S. and several other countries. Its economic reach is seemingly endless, according to Crouch. "You start talking about the number of pieces of equipment we've got out there that are being used in the agriculture market, and the impact of that is millions and billions of dollars," he says. "It multiplies beyond your imagination."
25 gaagriculture.com //

Kubota has three divisions in Georgia, employing approximately 2,500 workers.

Brand Loyalty
Newton Crouch, the country's second-largest supplier of truckmounted fertilizer spreaders, is but one of the major agriculture equipment companies in Georgia that help keep the job-generating ag industry ranked No. 1 in the state. Others include Kubota,

a Japanese company with three locations in Georgia, and the iconic John Deere, with an assembly plant in Columbia County.
Through the jobs they create and revenue they generate, equipment companies like these three go a long way in pumping up the state's economy. But they're also of great

"We've been everything in agriculture. We've been a seed plant, a fertilizer house, a cotton gin. As times have changed, we've adapted and changed with them."
Steve Crouch
president of Newton Crouch Inc.

value to the Georgia farmers who benefit from their equipment and innovations. Newton Crouch, for instance, may distribute to countries in South America, but it's also providing equipment to producers throughout Georgia.
"We certainly sell globally, but we also sell directly into the Georgia market," says Scott Harward, vice president of sales for Newton Crouch. "We have a special relationship. Our folks are from this area, and the individual relationships with farmers and growers are very, very important to us. There's a lot of brand loyalty."
State's Strong Workforce
Kubota, which is headquartered in Osaka, Japan, made itself at home in Georgia over the last couple of decades. The company established Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation in 1988 in

27 gaagriculture.com //

Kubota: Georgia P. Zumwalt

Kubota headquarters: Courtesy of Kubota // John Deere: courtesy of john deere

Gainesville, where it began making tractor implements such as backhoes and front loaders. It introduced other types of tractor products in ensuing years, and in 2005, the company opened Kubota Industrial Equipment Corporation, or KIE, in Jefferson. KIE manufactures all tractor implements and performs reassembly of Kubota tractors built in Japan for sale in U.S. markets.
Kubota also has a sales office and parts distribution center in Suwanee.
"We do more in Georgia than we do anyplace else," says David Bell, a regional sales manager for the company. "Between the three divisions [in Georgia] we employ roughly 2,500 people. There's a lot of subsidiary plants that do sub-assemblies for our manufacturing all over, so there are lots of other manufacturing that supports what we do."
Georgia is a good fit for Kubota, according to Bell.
"It has a good workforce for one thing," he says. "Georgia is more attractive economically than, say, somewhere in the Northeast."
John Deere, which is based in Moline, Ill., and one of the world's largest makers of agriculture machinery, has its John Deere Commercial Products plant in Grovetown. The plant assembles mostly subcompact utility tractors and mowers including the 1 Series machine designed as a high performance tool for property owners who need to do more than just mow the grass.
Employment at the plant changes throughout the year, ranging from 200 to 500, depending on peak season. Production levels are at the highest in the spring to meet the summer demand.
John Deere opened the Grovetown plant 20 years ago, with the first tractor rolling off the assembly line on March 15, 1991.

John Deere assembles its subcompact utility tractors at its plant in Grovetown.

Farm financing 3St0af/f/PhgoetoorsgbiyaMgricohwanel Conti

Financing Farm
Country
Farm Credit keeps Georgia agriculture going and growing
Story by Joanie Stiers

A t age 21, Leighton Cooley signed his first Farm Credit loan to build broiler houses. It was 2005 and he was officially the fourth generation to enter the family business. It's his plan to pass the business along to a fifth generation.
With the aid of this agriculturespecific lender, the Cooley family is continuing to grow their farm in Crawford County.
"One of the greatest assets is to have a lender that understands agriculture and its importance

to the rural economy," says Cooley, who raises poultry, beef cattle and hay.
Nearly 100 years old, the Farm Credit System proves just as vital today as in 1916 when it began lending to farmers.
The system represents the largest agricultural lending network in the nation, and it remains a critical component to keep the machine of commerce moving in modern-day Georgia agriculture, the state's No. 1 industry in jobs and economic activity.
A vast majority of Georgia farms

of all sizes and types rely on lending services to operate and grow their capital-intensive farms.
In fact, total loan volume for the entire Farm Credit System in Georgia exceeds $2.2 billion, says Rhonda Shannon, senior marketing specialist for AgGeorgia Farm Credit.
"Agriculture is a different kind of profession, and you need someone to understand the way agriculture operates," Shannon says. "The Farm Credit System provides farmers operating capital so they can continue with daily routines to

Brenda and Leighton Cooley plan to pass their Roberta farm along to their children.

31 gaagriculture.com //

Cattle graze at Cooley Farms in Roberta.

get products produced, and it is important to our economy. With these people being local producers, their money goes right back into the economy, so it's basically sustainable agriculture."
Investing to Keep Ag Growing
Congress established the Farm Credit System to provide a reliable and fair source of credit for the nation's farmers and ranchers. The system serves only agriculture and operates as a borrower-owned cooperative, Shannon says.
In Georgia, Farm Credit includes three associations with 177 employees and 38 offices that operate territories throughout the state: AgGeorgia, AgSouth and Southwest Georgia Farm Credit.
Each association provides financing for land, equipment, buildings, operating expenses and more to help ensure farm success, says Christy Smith, marketing

director for AgSouth Farm Credit. The system also offers leasing and insurance to help farmers protect their investments.
"Unlike traditional lending with monthly payments, we offer loans based on when our farmers get their payments," she says. "Farm Credit was organized to meet a specific lending need for farmers, and our loan plans and payment schedules are designed with that in mind."
As a cooperative, each Farm Credit association's memberelected board sets direction and influences profitability, which is shared among member-borrowers. In 2014, the three Georgia associations collectively distributed more than $31 million in cash patronage refunds, Smith says.
young farmers good for georgia's Future
Support for the next generation is a key focus for Farm Credit,

Smith says. The associations throughout Georgia advocate for agriculture. They participate in outreach programs such as AgSouth's award-winning AgAware program to educate the public about agriculture.
The associations also provide free workshops for young and beginning farmers. The sessions help them form business plans, teach about the lending process and provide guidance on marketing and record keeping.
In that spirit, Farm Credit offers special loans for several categories of young and beginning farmers. The loans often require less collateral and lower down payments than typical loans. The Georgia associations also award scholarships to students who major in agriculture.
"Supporting the next generation of farmers is a strong focus for Farm Credit," Smith says. "It's what we were created to do, and it's our passion."

32 // georgia grown

"The Farm Credit System provides farmers operating capital so they can continue with daily routines to get products produced, and it is important to our economy. With these people being local producers, their money goes right back into the economy, so it's basically sustainable agriculture."
rhonda shannon
marketing specialist, AgGeorgia Farm Credit
ag capital
The Farm Credit System's nationwide network of lending institutions provide more than $199 billion in loans, leases and related services to farmers, ranchers, rural homeowners, and other agriculture businesses. Nationwide, Farm Credit covers every county in all 50 states, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
source: FarmCredit.com

there are more than
42K farms in the state of georgia.
source: AgSouth Farm Credit

33 gaagriculture.com //

farming
Bill Brim, left, co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms, inspects plants at his greenhouse operation with county agent Brian Tankersley.
36 // georgia grown

harvesting innovation Lewis Taylor Farms adapts, diversifies and grows Story by John McBryde
37 gaagriculture.com //

Bill brim: Herb Pilcher

Chances are, if you live in Georgia, something on you've eaten was grown at Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, one of the largest and most innovative farming operations in the Southeast.
Owners Bill Brim and Ed Walker incorporated modern technology and new techniques into their diversified specialty crop farm, including hydro-cooling and food safety strategies.
They also have an expanding greenhouse operation that produces 210 million vegetable transplants and 57 million pine tree seedlings annually, making it one of the largest producers of pine tree seedlings in the country.
Like most farmers, they've had some tough rows to hoe.
"I had been working since 1972 for my father-in-law and his father, both of whom were exceptional mentors," Brim recalls, noting that Walker joined the business in 1975.
Brim says he always knew he wanted to be a farmer, and he was pushed along the way by his older sister, a math teacher who was "hell-bent on me getting a good education," and his high school FFA instructor.

"Food safety is a big issue for us, and the safety of our produce is the most important aspect of our operation."

bill brim
co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms

"When we bought the business in 1985, it was a bare-root transplant business, selling 300 million plants a year," Brim says, noting that Two years after we bought the farm, we lost most of it because of the invention of the carousel planter that would not plant a bare-root plant. So we had to turn our business into a row crop and greenhouse operation."
Today, with more than 5,000 acres of row crops, including 600 acres of cotton and peanuts, Lewis Taylor Farms supplies vegetables to grocery store chains, including Kroger and Food Lion.
Brim and Walker have to react quickly to changing weather and changing palates. The drought

in California meant an increase in the production of different lettuce varieties and other winter and early spring crops to meet demand, and the country's new interest in kale as a healthy vegetable instead of a garnish created the need for more acres to be planted in the leafy green.
"In 2012, we had 25 acres planted in kale," Brim says. "Last year, we planted 130 acres."
Advanced Processes
The hydro-cooling operation was something Brim and Walker picked up from Texas corn farmers. Melons are picked and placed immediately into a water bath, bringing the internal temperature down to 45 degrees; cabbages and

Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton grows fruits, vegetables, peanuts and cotton.

39 gaagriculture.com //

greens are placed by pallets in a clamshell with ice over the top.
"The cooling process really extends the shelf life," Brim says. "It allows us to pick, cool, pack and ship right away."
Working with Dr. Stanley Culpepper, a University of Georgia Extension weed scientist, the partners are leaders in identifying and implementing safe pest control practices.
"Food safety is a big issue for us. The safety of our produce is the most important aspect of our operation," Brim says. "As growers, we want to do the right thing; we don't want anyone to get sick from eating vegetables grown on our farm, and we do everything we can to make sure our produce is safe."
Those safety concerns pose a challenge because farms are audited by several different agencies at any given time, and there currently isn't a uniform system of food safety in place. Brim has been working with other farmers and agencies to put together a food safety matrix that will be more effective.
economic generator
An operation as large as Lewis Taylor Farms is a strong economic generator, with considerable investment in new machinery and innovations and the hundreds of jobs that are created. The farm's full-time employees, including directors of food safety, the greenhouses, the field crew, maintenance and manufacturing staff, are augmented by seasonal employees.
"We have a good operation with people who have great talent and don't mind working," Brim says. "We've worked hard, and we've expanded and grown. We've looked at new things, finding niche markets for new products and staying on the cutting edge."

"We've worked hard, and we've expanded and grown. we've looked at new things, finding niche markets for new products and staying on the cutting edge."
bill brim
co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms
41 gaagriculture.com //

farming 42 // georgia grown

planting topacking
Ken Corbett Farm grows peppers in Lake Park

Story by Matthew D. Ernst
For Ken and Kim Corbett, farm and family come first. In fact, the pair take such care in their farm, that Kim almost gave birth to their oldest son, Justin, while transplanting bell pepper plants in the field in 1987.
Now the sixth generation of Corbetts to work on the farm, Justin and his siblings keep it in the family. They continue the tradition of growing high-quality produce, providing jobs in the Lake Park area and adopting new farming technology while connecting more personally with consumers.

Harvesting fresh produce takes a lot of hard work. Young people growing up nearby spent many summers working on produce farms, almost as a rite of passage. Before they married, Ken Corbett shuttled Kim to the family's fields when she worked as one of the harvest "hands."
Justin Corbett has done every job necessary on the farm, from long days operating planting equipment to countless early morning harvests. He says he benefits from the hard work his parents modeled.
"Mostly what I learned from growing up on a farm is a strong

work ethic," he says. "Your success [in vegetable farming] is based on your hard work, which you can control and weather, which you cannot control."
Ken Corbett Farm LLC employs 10 full-time and 350 seasonal workers to harvest 500 acres of vegetables in both spring and fall.
The farm focuses on bell peppers as its signature crop, but has smaller acreages of jalapeo, long hot, cubanelle and Hungarian wax peppers. The Corbetts also grow eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini and cucumbers.
Georgia's bell pepper crop generated nearly $27 million in

Staff Photo by Michael Tedesco

43 gaagriculture.com //

"It gives us peace of mind to know that from the day that it is planted, until it ships to the customer, our quality and safety measures are consistent in every package."
Ken Corbett
produce farmer in Lake Park

farm gate value during 2013, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. That ranks peppers among Georgia's most valuable vegetable and melon crops, accounting for 12 percent of a $936 million vegetable industry.
According to USDA, per capita fresh bell pepper use increased some 67 percent since the 1990s, reaching a high of almost 12 pounds per American in 2012.
When the Corbetts started growing peppers in the 1970s, they sorted out lower-quality peppers and washed vegetables with a garden hose, delivering the best grades to a produce wholesaler. Their commitment to delivering high-quality vegetables hasn't changed, but Corbett says new

methods and technology allow them to guarantee large volumes of fresh, safe produce.
"Our produce is sanitized immediately, then graded and packed," he says. "Then it is forcedair cooled within minutes of packaging. The product is held in a refrigerated warehouse until it is loaded directly onto refrigerated trucks from our refrigerated loading dock. The cold chain is never broken."
It all happens in a completely enclosed climate-controlled 70,000 square-foot packing facility. Machines sort peppers according to size, using photographic-imaging technology. The farm maintains a stringent food safety certification, only packing vegetables grown there.
"We are adamant about having

100 percent control of the vegetables that we produce," Corbett says. "It gives us peace of mind to know that from the day that it is planted, until it ships to the customer, our quality and safety measures are consistent in every package."
Growing all the food they ship also helps the younger generation.
"In a family business, you have vested management," Corbett says. That means the decisions he is making are impacting his own future, as well as that of the family.
"Each generation can learn from the past as well as the next," he says. "We need to keep up with technological changes while building from our past experiences."

Above: Ken Corbett Farms grows produce on 500 acres and employs more than 350 seasonal workers.

45 gaagriculture.com //

ken corbett farms: Courtesy of Brandi Corbett

The Corbett farming operation includes Kim and Ken Corbett; Justin and Brandi Corbett and daughter Madison; Jared Corbett; and Jessica Corbett Bolesta and her husband Eric and son Ashton. Jessica started a farm market/agritourism business in 2013.

diversified business
Fun on the farm
Agritourism helps connect farm with its customers

Jessica Bolesta had her sights set on a career off the family farm.
"I originally planned to be an athletic trainer," Bolesta says.
But that all changed when Ken Corbett Farms LLC, owned by her parents, acquired some land bordering Highway 41. Bolesta says driving through that field stoked an idea of a farm market, something the Corbett family had long discussed.
"Seeing the traffic pass by, the idea of a farm market really started to get legs," she says.
A seminar on roadside markets and agritourism gave the Corbetts other ideas on how to attract farm visitors. As a result, Bolestra founded Raisin' Cane in 2013.
"I am really passionate about our family's farm, and the decision was easy to continue to work alongside the rest of the family," she says. Her husband Eric also works for Ken Corbett Farms.
Raisin' Cane combines a

year-round farm market with seasonal agritourism activities like a fall corn maze. In 2014, the brand new venture will feature a professionally designed, interactive maze with a Wild West theme in the fall, complete with a cowboy on a horse and 18 game stations, which visitors navigate with a game sheet. Raisin' Cane also hosts year-round school tours, where students learn about the operation of the farm. Guests can find seasonal produce and prepared and ready-to-bake foods in the market.
Raisin' Cane already has seven employees, plus part-time help during the busy season. "We have had to double our workforce since we first opened our doors and are looking forward to expanding in the future," Bolesta says.
The name "Raisin' Cane" came from the family's sugar cane crop. This year, a sugarcane syrup room is being set up so that visitors can

watch sugarcane being ground and made into syrup in the fall. The farm also features an observation beehive. In March 2014, Raisin' Cane hosted a professional rodeo for the Lake Park Chamber of Commerce and plans to repeat that event.
The addition to the Corbett's farm business gives the family a new way of looking at their own products.
"Our family has always sold our produce wholesale to distributors," Bolesta says. "Raisin' Cane is completely different because our products are being sold directly to consumers."
That helps the family farm build relationships with the community.
"We are able to connect with the people who are putting food on their table," she says. "The biggest compliment is having customers come back regularly."
Matthew D. Ernst

47 gaagriculture.com //

Vegetable industry production and processing generated a total
economic contribution of
$2.3B
and more than 13,750 jobs in 2012.

Georgia vegetables
The vegetable industry in Georgia is one of agriculture's most diverse and fastest growing sectors. Due to mild winters, south Georgia can produce vegetables year-round including Vidalia onions in the winter and watermelon in the summer.

top 5 vegetables produced

33.3%
Watermelon

14.2%
Onions

11
In 2012, Georgia ranked 11th in the nation in vegetable production.

9%
Cucumbers

7.3%
Sweet Corn

5.5%
Snap Beans

top 5 Counties by value - bell peppers

CountyFarm Gate ValueAcres

1. Echols $38,179,000 1,650

2. Colquitt $37,200,000 2,000

3. Tift

$10,238,425 600

4. Brooks $10,215,180

620

5. Lowndes $8,569,800

345

source: http://www.caes.uga.edu/center/caed/pubs/agsnapshots/ documents/2014AGSnapshotsFinal.pdf
49 gaagriculture.com //

Peanuts
georgia is still
going nuts
Peanut industry is profit leader
Story by Teree Caruthers
Staff Photo by Jeffrey S. Otto

51 gaagriculture.com //

Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Corn
404-656-3678 www.georgiacorn.org
Promoting research for Georgia corn growers.
Educating the public on Georgia corn and corn production and its impact on Georgia's economy.
Committed to good stewardship of our resources and sustainable farm practices for all corn growers.
Grower-supported research, education, promotion and market development on behalf of all Georgia corn growers.
The Georgia Corn Growers
229-386-3006 2360 Rainwater Rd., Tifton, GA www.georgiacorngrowers.org
Come meet us and join.
Serving as a collective voice on issues related to corn research, education, public policies, production and marketing that benefit all Georgia corn growers and their families. Farm gate value: $463 million
Want to know all about corn in Georgia and the U.S.?
Go to www.georgiacorngrowers.org and www.ncga.com (The National Corn Growers Association).

If you ask Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, he'll tell you that the peanut is a wonder food. He should know. He's been involved in the peanut industry for more than 28 years.
Koehler may have a bias toward peanuts, but his assessment of Georgia's largest cash crop is spot-on.
Recent studies link peanut consumption to the reduction of cardiovascular disease, adult onset diabetes and the risk of some cancers. This is all good news for Georgia's peanut growers, particularly since the state already produces 45 percent of the peanut crop in the U.S.
Koehler says that on average, peanut growers farm a combined 500,000 acres, and a typical harvest yields about 1.1 million tons of peanuts.
"The farm gate value is about half a billion dollars, and if you look at related industries, [the value of peanut production] is over $2.5 billion," Koehler says. "Related industries would be everything from seed, equipment, fertilizer providers and processors that shell and clean the peanuts, or who make peanut butter or salted nuts."

Secrets to Success
Koehler says one reason for the continued success of the peanut industry is the availability of research and development at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
"Our new varieties have really moved us forward by leaps and bounds," Koehler says.
He adds that having a supportive state legislature and proactive agriculture organizations also help. But when asked what sets Georgia peanuts apart from those grown in other states, his response is the growers.

Hardy Farms opened a new peanut roasting plant in Hawkinsville.

53 gaagriculture.com //

"We have the finest climate, the finest soils. We have everything it takes to grow a peanut that's fully mature and has all the flavor a peanut can have," he says. "But the first thing I'd tell you is that it's the growers that make Georgia peanuts so special."
One of those growers is the 2014 Georgia winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award, Philip Grimes, owner of Docia Farms in Tifton.
Grimes has been growing peanuts for more than 20 years. He farms about 600 acres of peanuts on his 2,000-acre farm, which also includes corn, cotton, broccoli, snap beans and cantaloupe. He says peanuts are profitable because they work so well in crop rotation. His 600 acres yield about 2,000 tons of peanuts each year.

"Georgia has good soil and good irrigation for peanuts and south Georgia peanuts have a better flavor than [peanuts grown] anywhere else in the country," Grimes says.
Economic Impact
A robust peanut industry has been a boon to communities like Tifton. The peanut farm gate value in Tift County was $26 million in 2012, according to Grimes.
"For a county like Tift, that's a lot of money being pumped back into the local economy," he says.
A healthy yield can sometimes mean an excess in supply, which is why peanut farmers in central Georgia were glad when Hardy Farms opened a new roasting facility in Hawkinsville.
At full production, the plant can operate three shifts a day, 350 days

a year. The facility's central location also means shorter production lead times and faster delivery to distributors. But more importantly, the company is able to provide another market for Georgia peanut growers.
"The peanut industry is doing well, and we're absorbing a lot of that supply," says Brad Hardy, president of the roasting division for Hardy Farms Peanuts. "A lot of the oil roasting business has been taken out of the state over the last several years. We started this facility to bring some of that back and show the rest of the country how great Georgia peanuts really are."
Read more about Georgia's peanut industry at gapeanuts.com

50k jobs are attributed to the Georgia peanut industry.
It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
45%
Georgia accounted for 50 percent of U.S.
peanut production in 2013.
54 // georgia grown

in 2012, approximately 2,800 georgia farmers
grew peanuts.
peanuts accounted for more than
20%
of the state's agricultural income in 2012.

research
Georgia's Nut Crackers
University of Georgia researchers breed new peanut varieties in Tifton

Peanuts will remain a top agricultural product in Georgia for years to come, thanks in part to research and development efforts at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Robert Shulstad, associate dean for research, and his team focus on breeding new varieties of peanuts that result in a successful yield at harvest.
"We're constantly changing the variety and improving the traits of the peanut to increase yield and improve the quality of the product, so there's less breakage during shelling, for example," Shulstad says.
Shulstad says the UGA-bred Georgia 06 variety that was grown in Tifton is responsible for 80 percent of the state's peanut acreage.
In 2014, the Georgia Peanut Commission, which is funded by the state's peanut farmers, awarded UGA with a grant of $256,280 toward research projects. The university plans to designate some $89,000 to its peanut-breeding program, which is focused on developing more drought- and diseaseresistant varieties.
The research is proving successful. The yield for peanuts is up 25 percent over the last decade, compared to approximately 5 percent with most other Georgia commodities. That translates to an extra thousand pounds per acre, which is significant.
The UGA research team which

includes a peanut physiologist and an ag economist, among other disciplines works with peanut farmers to solve economic and marketing issues and make production more efficient through effective uses of insecticides, fertilizers and water resources.
"We have research going on about how to manage diseases and weeds, for example. It's really an interesting part of what makes our farmers the most efficient producers in the world," says Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

"A decade ago, I couldn't say that. We're also the most cost efficient. Georgia has the lowest cost of any origin right now in the international peanut market."
With the continual dedication to peanut research efforts, Georgia's industry isn't slowing down any time soon.
"We have all of this research going on simultaneously," Shulstad says. "As a result, peanuts continue to be one of the state's top commodities and will continue to be so for a long time to come."
Teree Caruthers

55 gaagriculture.com //

Fruit
sweet harvest
Staff Photo by Michael Conti

Left: Rustin Goodman co-owns Cogdell Berry Farms in Homerville. Above: Blueberries are harvested.
Georgia is among the top five blueberry producing states in the country
Story by Jessica Mozo

Blueberries pack quite a punch when it comes to nutrition, and Georgia farmers are taking note. As consumer demand for antioxidant-rich blueberries increased over the past decade, so has their production in Georgia a state long known for peaches.
"Blueberry production has really blossomed in Georgia, thanks in part to the fact that we have a lot of good, sandy soil with organic matter being a key component," says Joe Cornelius Jr., chairman of the Georgia Blueberry Commission and owner of J&B Blueberry Farms in Manor. "Georgia farmers produced 65 million pounds of blueberries in 2013, and there's a good chance we

will produce 75 million pounds in 2014. Blueberry production is going through the roof."
Georgia's climate is also ideal for blueberry growing, with short winters giving the berries the chilling they need and warm spring and summer temperatures perfecting their sweetness. One of the top five blueberry producing states in the nation, Georgia has the longest growing season for blueberries, lasting from late April to the end of July. Most Georgia blueberries are grown in the region south of Interstate 16 and east of Interstate 75 because that area has the best soil for the berries.
Along with his wife Brenda and adult sons, Cornelius grows

180 acres of blueberries. He plans to clear more of his timberland to expand blueberry production.
"Blueberries are a really viable industry in Georgia, not to mention they're very healthy and good to eat," Cornelius says.
Cogdell Berry Farm
In nearby Homerville, Russ Goodman and his father-in-law, Johnny Crumbley, own Cogdell Berry Farm, where they grow more than 500 acres of blueberries. Their farm has been in the family since 1913.
"We started growing blueberries in 2000 because their health benefits were being well-publicized, and it was a growing crop in Georgia,"

57 gaagriculture.com //

Goodman says. "We also wanted to find a way to keep my wife's family's land in our family. Our farm is ideally suited for blueberries because it's near the Okefenokee Swamp, and blueberries like the organic, acidic soil."
Blueberries are annuals, so farmers only have to plant them once, and they continue to produce year after year.
"It takes about three years before you get many berries, and we've seen 20-year-old blueberry plants that are still producing," Goodman says. "We typically harvest them from mid-April through July."
Once picked, the blueberries are placed in one-gallon buckets and carried in a refrigerated truck to a packing shed. Berries are then cleaned, sorted, weighed and graded for quality. Finally, they are packed into clam shells, shipped to distribution centers and sent to grocery stores.
Cogdell's berries are sorted by a laser that separates ripe and overripe berries, so only the highest quality berries end up in consumers' shopping carts.
During peak season, Cogdell has about 200 employees, including blueberry pickers, tractor operators, mechanics and those who work on the packing line.
"It's nice to know we're producing something that's healthy for people ... something full of antioxidants," Goodman says. "Blueberries are brain food."
Also part of the Cogdell team are Goodman's wife, mother-in-law and two sons. The family grows blackberries too, and makes valueadded products such as jellies, jams and ciders to sell at local farmers markets.
"The blueberry industry is full of good people," Goodman says. "We're part of a co-op of 300 growers, and we own it together and market together. I wouldn't trade being part of this industry for the world."

Blueberries are harvested from April through July in Georgia.

georgia ranks
4th in the nation for blueberry production.

Blueberries have only 80 calories
per cup.

Blueberries contain vitamin C, which boosts your immune system.

59 gaagriculture.com //

Why Georgia?
www.georgiablueberries.org

Georgia soil is sandy and acidic, the perfect environment for growing blueberries!
Georgia has one of the longest harvest seasons in North America.
Georgia's two most common blueberry varieties are Highbush and Rabbiteye.
Georgia's short winters give the berries the right amount of chill and warm spring and summer temperatures help produce delicious Sweet Georgia Blues!

60 // georgia grown

research
Blueberry Bonanza
Years of innovation lead to hearty industry

Dr. Scott NeSmith and his fellow researchers have left a delicious legacy to the state of Georgia.
Plentiful harvests in the "Blueberry Belt" region of south Georgia are thanks to innovative research and breeding programs in the state.
In 1990, a young NeSmith began working at the University of Georgia and contributed to a blueberrybreeding program that had been in existence since the 1926.
"My first projects were related to increasing production through crop management and use of plant growth regulators," NeSmith says. "I was the third-generation blueberry breeder."
Building on existing research and exploring new possibilities, NeSmith and other blueberry researchers revolutionized the Georgia industry by developing numerous new varieties. The breakthrough came when the team developed varieties that grow well in Georgia.
"We must have varieties adapted to our area, otherwise, we could not be competitive," NeSmith says. "Our winters and springs are very different than other geographic regions, and we have to have varieties that can function in our climate."
NeSmith and his colleagues studied the two main species grown in Georgia, the southern highbush and rabbiteye. Within these two major species, Georgia is home to 10 to 12 different varieties of blueberries.
Rabbiteye blueberries are native to south Georgia, and the UGA breeding program has been

In 2013, UGA recognized NeSmith with the university's prestigious Inventor's Award.

developing varieties for nearly 75 years. The varieties developed by NeSmith and his associates at UGA gained recognition on a global scale.
"Our blueberry varieties have actually become popular internationally in the past 10 years," NeSmith says. "We have licensed UGA-developed blueberry varieties on every continent except Antarctica."
One new variety developed by UGA and expected to grow in popularity is the trademarked Titan berry, which can grow four times the size of the average berry.
In Georgia, the blueberry industry generates vital revenue and job opportunities. Sales for fresh market blueberries, frozen berries and value-added products are booming.

"When I started in 1990, there were around 3,000 acres of blueberries being grown, with a value of maybe $3 million," NeSmith says. "Today, we have acreage approaching 20,000 acres, and a crop value of $250 million-plus."
In 2013, UGA recognized NeSmith with the university's prestigious Inventor's Award.
In addition to commercially sold berries and products, Georgia blueberries are important to the agritourism industry. U-Pick operations and other attractions engage the public and educate them about agriculture.
Sticky-fingered children delight in munching fistfuls of berries fresh off the bush, while parents appreciate the opportunity to teach their children where their food comes from.
Hannah Patterson

61 gaagriculture.com //

local food 62 // georgia grown

striking
oil Olives,canola,nutsandseeds add flavor to Georgia ag economy
Story by Teree Caruthers
63 gaagriculture.com //

Clay Oliver produces sunflower, pecan and peanut oils on his family farm with his wife Valerie and their daughters Maggie and Mollie.

W hen you think of Georgia agriculture, peanuts, pecans and peaches typically come to mind, but Jason Shaw, co-owner of Georgia Olive Farms in Lakeland, wants to add olive oil to that list. Shaw and his partners embarked on a mission to resurrect production of the oil with olive production in south Georgia.
Shaw's company was the first in the Southeast to produce culinary olive oil.
"I had a chance to study abroad in Italy in the mid '90s, so I learned to appreciate good olive oil," Shaw says. "I knew we had serious issues here in the U.S. with a fresh product not making it to the grocery shelves and restaurants. Then, seeing how the California olive oil industry was

blossoming, we decided to try olives in Georgia."
Shaw says a little-known fact is that olives are as native to Georgia as peaches or peanuts.
"There's a history of olive farming on the Georgia coast dating back to the early Spanish settlers, but the last recorded information about olive farming was in the 18th century and into the mid-19th century. The cottonseed oil industry replaced olive farming," Shaw says, adding that he suspects the Civil War and hurricanes played a major role in the industry's hiatus.
Shaw and company planted their first olive trees in 2009 and now own or manage more than 24,000 trees. Since it takes five years for trees to mature, the company sought out additional growers,

even selling trees to new growers and offering turn-key grove installation services. In 2013, the farm completed construction on its first commercial processing plant.
"We're working with a lot of new growers. The industry has been jump-started since we opened the new mill last year," he says.
Georgia Olive Farms uses super high-density production. Where conventional production groves plant 100 to 150 trees per acre, high-density groves plant 500 to 700 trees per acre.
The technique was developed by Spanish growers to help increase production and is used by groves in California, Texas and Florida. Georgia Olive Farms also uses mechanical harvesting methods, decreasing the time between when the fruit is picked and when it

65 gaagriculture.com //

DEPE

NDABI

LITY

EXPERIENCE

American Label specializes in the manufacturing of

custom-printed labels and tags to

meet your company's individual needs.

Our production staff is qualified to assist you

with your project from design to application, regardless

of its size or complexity. We have a large selection of shapes

and sizes from which to choose, as well as the ability to create

new configurations for your needs.

SERVICE

Our experienced staff is eager to assist you with any questions or comments you may have concerning your labels and tags.

You will find we inventory a large variety of face stocks and adhesives, enabling us to tackle even your most difficult and unusual applications in a timely manner.
Our Promise to You

Other companies often boast customers, quality and service first ... at American Label, we have built our reputation on it.

You will find our quality, service and dedication to our customers is unsurpassed.

QUALIT Y

America's Source for Labels
Since 1993
Have a Question? Need a Quote? 800-585-7418
sales@americanlabel.net www.americanlabel.net
3214 Dodds Ave. Chattanooga, TN 37407 423.698.5322 tel 423.698.5432 fax

enters the mill. Shaw says this process is key to the company's superior quality product.
"What really put us on the map was our chef customers like Linton Hopkins in Atlanta and Hugh Acheson in Athens who jumped on board to what we were doing and really supported us," Shaw says.
Oil Renaissance
Clay Oliver of Oliver Farm in Pitts says if it weren't for the support of local chefs, he might not be in business. Oliver produces sunflower, pecan and peanut oils.
"I got some really lucky breaks right off the bat," Oliver says. "People put me in touch with Chef Steven Satterfield, executive chef and co-owner of Miller Union in Atlanta. He is a huge proponent of farm-to-table, and he's shared the oil among his circle of friends and people he meets, and they've begun using the oil."
Oliver started making food grade oil in 2013. He says local support and culinary oil expertise from professional olive oil taster, olive researcher and Georgia Grown member Mary Squires

and Strippaggio specialty foods owner and founder Celia Tully were fundamental to his learning how to profile culinary oils.
"Understanding oil flavor profiling from Mary and having my product available for retail at Strippaggio's Atlanta location, right next to some of the finest U.S. olive oils, has complemented the wordof-mouth marketing among local chefs," he says.
Oliver says the Georgia Grown program and the farm-to-table movement have made that leap of faith a little less daunting.
"The Department of Agriculture has been a tremendous help," he says. "I know I wouldn't be as far along as I am without the Georgia Grown program. The biggest help to me is networking that's where I've come in contact with threefourths of my customer base is through Georgia Grown events."
Growing Opportunity
A major advantage of the culinary oil production industry is it opens up an additional market for growers. And that's exactly what Robert Davis, president and

CEO of canola oil producer Hart AgStrong set out to do.
The Bowerville company works with about 250 canola growers across the Southeast and processes nearly 50 tons of canola each day.
"We started as a company with a goal to strengthen family farmers and help new farmers get established. Our efforts to strengthen family farmers connected us to northeast Georgia where there had been a decline in agriculture, but there was a strong history in agriculture. So we saw our role as providing a good crop that could be profitable and low risk for farmers," Davis says.
Davis says canola is a good rotational crop because Georgia's mild climate, ample rainfall and rich soil allow it to grow into the winter to produce a profitable yield.
"I think culinary oil is an excellent additional source of income for farmers," he says. "It also allows food companies and restaurants to support locally grown products that can lead to better quality of their foods."

Georgia Olive Farms is the largest producer of olive oil in the Southeast.

99%
of olive oil consumed in the U.S. is imported from other countries.
Source: North American Olive Oil Association

The U.S. consumes more than
3 billion pounds of canola oil each year.
Source: U.S. Canola Association
67 gaagriculture.com //

Local food 68 // georgia grown

Mouthwatering marketing
Executive Chef Program promotes state products
Story by Teree Caruthers

Chef Holly Chute knows local. Through the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Georgia Grown Executive Chef Program, a partnership with the Georgia Restaurant Association designed to engage chefs across the state with Georgia products, Chute has traveled across the state introducing chefs and consumers, schoolchildren and teachers to the state's commodities and the people who grow them.
During her 33 years as the executive chef at the Governor's Mansion, the occupancy changed six times. But one thing that never changed was Chute's dedication to serving dishes made with Georgia-grown products.

"We were proponents of using Georgia-grown products and loved serving food made with these products to dignitaries and other guests," she says.
Chute says engaging chefs and restaurateurs has become less challenging thanks to other farmto-table champions, such as Chef Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta. Hopkins is passionate about sourcing locally.
"To be a good chef is to know your ingredients, and here that means cooking `Georgia,'" Hopkins says. "It's important for chefs and growers to stand side-by-side to help create systems around good, wholesome food."
Hopkins says he enjoys teaching through his food and educating

consumers about the entire farm-to-table process.
"It requires a lot of different people, farms and ingredients to help build a robust cuisine and culture of food," he says.
Hopkins says he wants people to know that they can go to a farmers market, buy a Georgia watermelon in July, and that it'll be at its most delicious because it's in peak season, and that Vidalia onions a month out of the ground taste amazing.
"People will come into the restaurant, eat a tomato and ask `Why are these tomatoes so good?' or, `Why are these peaches so great?' I can respond with transparency because I know exactly where all of my food comes from, but a lot of times

Chef Linton Hopkins prepares a snack at Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta.

69 gaagriculture.com //

that surprises them," he says. "People are surprised by good food and that good food is available just outside their back door."
Roberto Leoci, a newly appointed Georgia Grown Executive Chef and head chef at both Leoci's Trattoria and Pacci Italian Kitchen and Bar in Savannah, adds that sourcing local is not only important to educate consumers, but also to keep the industry viable.
"The more local ingredients you use, the more acceptable it becomes," Leoci says. "It works on supply and demand, and those small farms and businesses will be able to thrive."
Leoci relocated to Savannah after being drawn by the fresh year-round vegetables and the closeness of the ocean. He makes fresh sausage and salamis using local meats from Hunter Cattle Co., and sources other local ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, cream and eggs.
"My favorite dish is carbonara, which uses diced pancetta, a cream sauce, local eggs and pasta made from scratch," Leoci says.
As with Leoci's carbonara, Hopkins says that providing deliciousness is at the core of the Executive Chef Program.
"My favorite dish on Restaurant Eugene's menu is the vegetable plate," he says. "Even in the culture of a fine dining restaurant, there is community in a shared vegetable plate. Everything is Georgia-grown and of the season, so it changes throughout the year. I think it is really reflective of what food is to me more than any other plate."
Chute agrees that her favorite menu items are those she creates totally from Georgiagrown products.
"I love working with Vidalia Onions," she says. "But I also make a great country ham, shrimp and grits."

Chef Holly Chute's Georgia Shrimp and Country Ham and Cheddar Cheese Grits

cup canola oil pound country ham, diced 2 cups Vidalia Onions, diced 2 cups bell peppers, diced (assorted colors) cup minced garlic 1 cup white wine 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes 6 sprigs fresh thyme 1 quart shrimp or seafood stock salt and pepper to taste 2 pounds Georgia shrimp
Instructions 1. In a deep skillet, heat canola oil. 2. Add diced country ham to hot pan.
Cook ham until slightly crisp, about five to 10 minutes. 3. Add onions, peppers and garlic, cooking until soft. Deglaze pan with wine, cooking until almost evaporated. 4. Add tomatoes, thyme and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Be mindful of salt as ham is very salty. Allow this to cook for 20 to 30 minutes. 5. Add shrimp to pan, and cook until shrimp turns pink and opaque. Serve over grits.

For grits 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups grits pound butter pound cheddar cheese 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions for grits 1. Bring six cups of water to a boil
with salt. 2. Using a whisk, stir grits into
boiling water. 3. Add butter and continue to stir
until it comes back to a boil. 4. Reduce heat and continue to cook
for 45 minutes to one hour, stirring periodically and adding water if they get too thick. 5. Just before serving, add grated cheddar. Stir grits until cheese is melted. 6. Check for seasoning and serve.

71 gaagriculture.com //

local food 72 // georgia grown

extreme
Menu Makeover
Feed My School program gives students a taste of agriculture
Story by Jessica Mozo

School cafeteria lunches have a reputation for being bland and boring. But at Sharon Elementary in Forsyth County and other schools across the state, students and staff enjoy a lot of tasty surprises on the cafeteria menu.
Sharon Elementary participated in the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Feed My School for a Week program and made it a year-long celebration. The school kicked off the program with a Dress Like a Farmer Day, and it wrapped up in April with a week-long cafeteria menu consisting of at least 75 percent Georgia-grown products.
"We worked with our produce

vendor to ensure that as many fruits and vegetables as possible were Georgia grown," says Valerie Bowers, director of the School Nutrition Program for Forsyth County Schools. "We highlighted menu items grown and processed in Georgia so students could make that connection."
Feed My School Week
Throughout Feed My School Week, students had the opportunity to engage in taste tests and sample local products, after which they gave cafeteria employees feedback about new foods they tried.
"We served a tomato, cucumber and basil salad in the cafeteria,

highlighting the fact that the basil was grown in the school garden," Bowers says. "Recipes were made for home use, and students were encouraged to try making the salad at home. We also sampled blueberry juice from Georgia and talked about apples from north Georgia."
Along with Sharon Elementary, other Georgia schools are making agriculture education a priority.
Schools in Madison, Grady, Bibb and Chatham counties all hosted mini ag expos, allowing students to interact with local farmers, products and industries in their communities. In Bibb County, students were treated to a traditional low-country boil made with fresh

The Feed My School program helps young people understand the path of their foods, from the field or garden to their lunch trays.

73 gaagriculture.com //

74 // georgia grown

Georgia shrimp, and each planted their own tomato plant with the help of Master Gardeners.
Grady County's expo featured representatives from the county's largest agribusiness industry, logging. Students there also had the opportunity to learn about about growing their own food by planting a tomato with help from Georgia Master Gardeners.
The Bleckley County School System has been participating in the Feed My School program for three years.
For the third year, they focused not only on fresh Georgia produce, but products produced by agribusinesses in the state. Students learned about Frito-Lay, Naturally Fresh and Cheerios, all of which have a presence in the state.
Kathy Peavy, school nutrition director at Bleckley County Middle School says the program has been the perfect way to turn the cafeteria into a true learning lab for students.
"Seeing the excitement on the students' faces has made this so enjoyable," she says. "They're

thrilled to learn about the location of where the food is grown, have the chance to taste that product and then make a connection with the farmer."
Since the initial year at the middle school, Peavy says they've served a Georgia-grown product in the cafeteria every month, plus during the Summer Feeding Program.
"This year, Bleckley County High School is participating, too," she adds.
a Farmers Market at school
Back at Sharon Elementary, they closed out Feed My School Week with a farmers market in the school parking lot. It was free for vendors and a way to get school families exposed to locally grown foods.
"The impact on our school was enlightening. The kids and staff were very excited about the program throughout the whole year," says Randi Weimer, a Sharon Elementary PTA member who helped coordinate the farmers market. "Even the parents who joined their students for lunch were

able to see their enthusiasm for trying new things. The students know a lot more about where their food comes from now that they have been exposed to Feed My School."
Bowers says that students are far more aware now of the Georgia Grown logo and its meaning.
"They are beginning to make the connection between the food they eat and the fact that a lot of it is grown here in our state, in some cases very close to home," Bowers says. "As we work to expand the farm-to-school concept in our district, I hope students and parents realize the quality and care that goes into their school meals."
Learn more about Georgia's Feed My School program at agr.georgia.gov.

Left: Children learn about Georgia-grown foods during a hands-on session at Sharon Elementary School. Above: Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black visits one of the participating schools.

75 gaagriculture.com //

76 // georgia grown

local food
wyhoautr 's flavor
Annual contest brings great exposure for Georgia farmers, products
Story by John McBryde

W hen Weeks Honey Farm owner Ray Crosby introduced a new product in the jams and jellies category of the 2014 Flavor of Georgia contest, his eventual win was all the more impressive because it was his first time to enter.
It wasn't his only first, however. "I jokingly tell people it's our first new item in 54 years," Crosby says of his cinnamon honey spread, which is made at the farm his grandfather started in 1960.

"I started researching it and was fascinated about it," he says of the different attempts at finding the right formula. "We went through tens of thousands of pounds of honey to see what worked best. It's nothing but pure honey mixed with Ceylon cinnamon."
spotlighting good foods
The Flavor of Georgia contest, which has been held annually since 2007 and is sponsored by the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic

78 // georgia grown

Honey at Weeks Honey Farm in Omega. Staff Photos by Michael Conti

From top: Weeks Honey Farm's Ray Crosby works with hives, while owner Sharon Weeks Crosby fills jars of honey. M Chocolat of Atlanta is renowned for its Georgia Blues bars.
80 // georgia grown

Development is designed to spotlight market-ready food made in the state. Entries are judged on flavor, best use of Georgia ingredients, theme, unique or innovative qualities, commercial appeal and originality.
most see sales increase
Nearly 900 food products have gone through the contest since its beginning, and finalists indicated that nearly 11 percent of their revenue has been due to contest participation. It is estimated that the Flavor of Georgia contest accounts for about $3.1 million in economic contribution to the state.
There are nearly a dozen categories participants can enter, including meats and seafood, barbecue and hot sauce, beverage, dairy, snack food and others. Awards are also presented to a grand-prize winner and a people's choice selection, which were won in 2014 by Nature's Harmony Farm in Elberton and Leoci's Fine Foods in Savannah, respectively.
Nature's Harmony Farm won for its Georgia Gold Clothbound Cheddar cheese, a traditional English cheddar made from raw cow's milk and wrapped in cheesecloth to age for six to 12 months.
"We entered it into the contest because we're very proud to be one of the few farmstead cheesemakers in Georgia that complete the cycle of grazing to milk to cheese," says Tim Young of Nature's Harmony.
He adds they were surprised that they won, given the outstanding competitors they were up against, but are honored and thrilled to bring attention to the excellent artisan cheese Georgians can produce.
Young says the recognition has been wonderful for Nature's Harmony, and the Georgia Gold variety has become its most requested cheese. They've also

www.gapeaches.org
Dickey Farms Lane Southern Orchards Pearson Farm Taylor Orchards
81 gaagriculture.com //

dine out. dine often. dine Georgia.
Dine Georgia, served up fresh by the Georgia
Restaurant Association, helps you find the right
restaurant. We put thousands of restaurant options at your fingertips. Plus, our upcoming events, featured restaurants, and Dine Georgia blog keep you
updated on the latest food news.
Better produce, better packing, better trading ...
South Georgia Produce Inc.
PrimusGFS Certified, USDA GAP/GMP Harmonizing Audit Certified, GS1 Certified, Woman-Owned Business WBEN

www.garestaurants.org 404.467.9000
82 // georgia grown

1286 Hwy. 376 E. Lake Park, GA 229.559.6071 229.559.1091 Fax
www.sgproduce.com

doubled the number of cows they have to produce enough milk to meet demand.
Winners also earn the right to have their products stamped with the Flavor of Georgia logo, and about 80 percent of the finalists see an increase in sales and business contacts after the contest.
"It gives them a lot of publicity," says Kent Wolfe, CAED director. "We help with press releases to go out to the media where the winners and some of the other finalists are located. The contest itself generates a lot of publicity. A lot of retailers, food brokers and people who make purchase decisions go to the contest, so participants get great exposure."
After a half-century of producing only honey at their farm in Omega growing from a two-hive beekeeping hobby to nearly 6,000 hives today and sales at retailers throughout Georgia Crosby and his family broadened business by introducing the cinnamon honey spread. He says the win in the Flavor of Georgia contest helped in particular.
"It's been a huge benefit," he says, "and gave us some bragging rights. It shows that people have tried it, judged it and really thought a lot of it. We're really honored by that."
Dick Byne's family at Byne Blueberry Farms in Waynesboro was also honored in the 2014 contest, winning in the beverage category with its organic blueberry juice. His blueberry products also won three previous years in different categories. Byne says the most recent was just as important as the first.
"[The contest has] kept the quality up, so you know that if you've won something, you've beaten somebody who has had excellent success," Byne says. "I'm very proud of the times I've won, and I think it has helped propel me to the next level."

2014 Flavor of Georgia Prize Winners
2014 Grand Prize Winner: Georgia Gold Clothbound Cheddar Cheese by Nature's Harmony Farm, Elberton
2014 People's Choice Award: Raspberry Jalapeo Jam by Leoci's Fine Foods, Savannah
Adult Beverages Category: Richland Rum by Richland Distilling, Richland
Barbecue and Hot Sauce Category: Causey's Sweet'N Smoky BBQ Sauce by Causey Foods Inc., Smyrna
Beverage Category: Organic Blueberry Juice by Byne Blueberry Farms, Waynesboro
Confections Category: Peachy Keen Pecan Praline by Loose Sugar, Harrison
Dairy Category: Georgia Gold Clothbound Cheddar Cheese by Nature's Harmony Farm, Elberton
Jams and Jellies Category: Cinnamon Honey Spread by Weeks Honey Farm, Omega
Meat and Seafood Category: Vidalia Onion Sausage by Ogeechee Meat Market, Savannah
Miscellaneous Category: Southern Sriracha Boiled Peanut Rub by Hardy Peanuts Inc., Hawkinsville
Salsas, Chutneys and Condiments Category: Sweet Onion Confit by Preserving Place, Atlanta
Sauces and Marinades Category: GA Mustard Marinade by Q Sauce LLC, Dacula
Snack Foods Category: Georgia Blues Bar by M Chocolat, Alpharetta
83 gaagriculture.com //

hloecaadlerfohoedre
partnerships
promote products
Retailers of all sizes carry Georgia Grown products
Story by Joanie Stiers
Cutline 84 // georgia grown

Big chains and small specialty shops are beginning to stock Georgia Grown products.

W ithin a month of meeting Kroger officials at a Georgia Grown event, a Georgia family's jellies earned space on the major retailer's shelves.
"You can't imagine how exciting it is for a little business like us to have an opportunity to meet a company like this, let alone sit down in their office and talk to them about what they need," says Kathy Senft, who owns One Screw Loose in Barnesville with her husband and two sons.
One Screw Loose produces jellies as condiment for meats, cheeses and vegetables. Their popular flavors of beers, sweet

teas and balsamic vinegars tantalize taste buds, yet the family credits membership in the Georgia Grown program for more than doubling their sales.
"It's not just the partnership with Kroger through Georgia Grown," Senft says. "It's also the partnerships with other small Georgia companies that have helped us grow."
Craft beer stores and specialty food shops also carry their products. And they now source beer and other ingredients from Georgia Grown members.
This business' overwhelmingly positive response proves common among Georgia Grown's more than 400 members, says Matthew

Kulinski, deputy director of marketing for the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
"I think that the Georgia Grown program has exceeded all of our expectations especially because it's been able to benefit small businesses in Georgia and create new jobs," he says.
Georgia Grown Prospers
Georgia Grown serves as a marketing and economic development program that GDA relaunched in early 2012. The program helps new and established agribusinesses grow and thrive as it brands and promotes products grown or made in Georgia. It also brings together producers,

85 gaagriculture.com //

"The accessibility of Georgia Grown is the No. 1 asset that we have. If you
pick up the phone or meet with them, they offer you the very best advice
they have. They not only put us in touch with people who can help us grow
our business, they offer information that helps us do the same."
Kathy Senft
owner of One Screw Loose
a favorable cooking medium for all types of meat, such as ribeye steaks, pork ribs, salmon and whole chickens, as well as vegetables. All the while, the Georgia hardwood varieties, such as pecan, cherry, red oak and hickory, add flavor to the meat. The cooking method also maintains the food's juices, Sell says.
"With Georgia Grown, I get my product out to a lot more people in Georgia much faster than I would have been able to do by myself," he says.
In fact, just a few months into sales, he sold hundreds of grilling planks from the Georgia Grown Building at the Georgia National Fair. He now sells products in various retail locations from small to large, including Kroger.
"The Georgia Grown publicity is by far outweighing any other way we can do publicity," Sell says. "We're also getting a chance to meet a lot of other Georgia Grown producers, and some of them are going to be handling our product. We wouldn't be where we are today without Georgia Grown, and we will go a lot of further with Georgia Grown."

Find Georgia Grown products like jams and condiments at georgiagrown.com

87 gaagriculture.com //

agricultural education
training
grounds

Georgia's tech colleges prep students for ag fields
Story by John McBryde

To get an idea of what the agriculture industry in Georgia sought from current and future employees, officials at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College made the most logical move.They went straight to the source. "We met with area agricultural-based companies and local farms to identify the skills they need in their employees," says Angela Hobby, executive director of community and college relations for the technical college in Valdosta. As a result, Wiregrass added two new programs that specifically prepare students for careers in agriculture. The Agribusiness Manager Technical Certificate of Credit program, which began in the 2014 fall semester, is designed to help students gain the tools for employment in agribusiness operations. The other is an Agricultural Technology Diploma program, which begins in the 2015 spring semester and is "designed for a jack-of-all-trades in agriculture," Hobby says. "It's sort of a conglomerate of things needed for someone who is basically an entrepreneur. That's what most of our farmers are," she says.

Students have the opportunity to get hands-on training in the forestry management program at Moultrie Technical College's Tifton campus.

Staff Photos by Michael Conti

89 gaagriculture.com //

90 // georgia grown

In addition to Valdosta, Wiregrass has campuses in Fitzgerald and Douglas.

Hands-on Training
Wiregrass is one of several technical colleges in Georgia that educate students to enter careers in agriculture, offering training that includes industrial systems programs, Horticulture, Diesel Mechanics and Accounting.
Ron Jackson, executive director of the Technical College System of Georgia, which oversees 24 colleges, says that traditional agriculture jobs such as raising livestock and crop management tend to come out of four-year colleges.
"We have a large number of programs that support the agriculture industry, anything that keeps a farm or agriculture business running. Many of our agriculture companies hire the

Wiregrass Technical College welding programs prepare students to work in the ag industry.

Wiregrass Technical College: courtesy of Wiregrass Technical College

georgia's technical colleges

1. Georgia Northwestern Tech 13. Central Georgia Tech

2. North Georgia Tech

14. Oconee Fall Line Tech

3. Lanler Tech

15. Augusta Tech

4. Chattahoochee Tech

16. Ogeechee Tech

5. Gwinnett Tech

17. Southeastern Tech

6. West Georgia Tech

18. Savannah Tech

7. Atlanta Tech

19. Albany Tech

8. Georgia Piedmont Tech 20. Moultrie Tech

9. Athens Tech

21. Bainbridge College

10. Southern Crescent TEch 22. Southwest Georgia Tech

11. Columbus Tech

23. Wiregrass Georgia Tech

12. South Georgia Tech

24. Coastal Pines Tech

2

1

3

45

9

6

78

15

10

14

11

13

12

16 17
18

19

20

24

21 22 23

Source: Technical College System of Georgia

91 gaagriculture.com //

"We have a large number of programs that support the agriculture industry anything that keeps a farm or agriculture business running."
Ron jackson
executive director of the Technical College System of Georgia
92 // georgia grown

folks who have the certificates and can do the work to help make their industry work," Jackson says.
In addition to the new programs it developed, Wiregrass has several programs that are traditional to a technical college, but also give students the skills to work in the ag industry.
"Some of our traditional programs give hands-on skills, as far as operating or maintaining equipment," Hobby says. "These are probably the most common."
Stephen Robert of Alapaha thought he might work at a factory when he first started in Wiregrass' Industrial Systems program, but he soon realized the skills he was learning could be applied to work he had been used to on a farm.
"Working inside wasn't for me," says Robert, who does mechanical and electrical work on the irrigation system and other machinery at Dixon Farms in Tifton. "I had farmed my whole

life. The education I got and all the stuff we learned in class kind of falls in line out here."
Fish & Wildlife Is Popular
Like Wiregrass, Moultrie Technical College has a range of programs that can lead to careers in agriculture. With campuses in Moultrie and Tifton, MTC's lineup includes Welding and Joining Technology, Industrial Systems Technology, Commercial Truck Driving and Marketing Management.
One of the more visible programs at MTC is its Fish & Wildlife Management diploma that focuses on natural resource management and policy, outdoor recreation and parks management. The college has a 100-acre working laboratory in Tifton.
"Many of our graduates from that program tend to go to the large plantations, either working or managing them," says Tina

Wiregrass Technical College: courtesy of Wiregrass Technical College

Left: Moultrie Technical College students learn in the school's 100-acre working laboratory. Above: Wiregrass Technical College
Strickland, the college's assistant vice president for academic affairs. "We have fisheries in this area as well, where many graduates can find jobs. We're very pleased to have this program, and we've had good placement rates with it."
MTC also offers an Environmental Horticulture program highlighted by dual enrollment opportunities for students at Tiftarea Academy. The program prepares students to work in the landscape, greenhouse and nursery businesses. It emphasizes hands-on learning .
Other MTC ag-related certificate programs include floral assistant, garden center technician, lawn maintenance specialist and turfgrass maintenance.

Animal Care

first
Responders
Georgia's veterinarians stand on agriculture's front line

Story by Maggie Ginsberg-Schutz

Back when Dr. Stephen Everett was a high school kid riding along in his boss's truck for those late-night emergency farm calls, he didn't mind staying up until the early hours. It was thrilling, important work, and he didn't yet have a wife and two kids. Those experiences led him to partner with his former boss, Dr. Sam Evans, at Sandersville Veterinary Clinic, and today, his own son rides along with him on occasion. Working as a team, Everett and Evans continue the thrilling, important work, keeping farm animals healthy across 15 Georgia counties.
"Sometimes you might get a call an hour away from the clinic, and you get there and pull the calf, then you get a call two hours the other direction, so it can be a lot of driving. There can be some very long days," Everett says, noting that it's worth it. He feels like he's making a difference in the community where he was raised. "We really help with the management on

a lot of the operations we treat. Whether it just is simple herd health vaccinations, advice on nutrition or advice on reproduction, pretty much anything that can help our producer be as profitable as possible."
It's that collaborative relationship between Georgia's veterinarians and producers that's sometimes lost on the general public, and it's a critical one to the state's agricultural economy. Whether it's keeping horses and llamas healthy for hobbyists or protecting public health by monitoring the state's food animals, large animal veterinarians are the first responders of the animal world. There are 1,466 United States Department of Agriculture-accredited large animal veterinarians in the state, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture also contracts between 50 and 90 veterinarians to visit farms regularly and collect disease control samples for two state diagnostic labs.

Veterinarian Dr. Stephen Everett serves the ag industry across 15 counties.

Staff Photos by Michael Conti

Dr. Steve Everett performs a checkup on a dairy cow at the Young Dairy Farm in Tennille.

"Veterinarians are very, very important to the animal industry in Georgia. They're the first line of defense for us," says State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Cobb. "We don't have the staff and manpower to be out there in the field looking for all this on our own, so we're very dependent on these veterinarians to be our eyes and ears."
For Dr. Mark Zager of Blue Ridge's Ocoee Animal Hospital, those 2 a.m.-in-a-thunderstorm breachedbirth calls are as rewarding as the strategic herd health preventative care relationships he's built with farmers during his nearly 40-year career. A 1979 graduate of University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Zager still relies on the cutting-edge research coming out of his alma mater.
"The veterinary school is a huge resource that I think a lot of people don't realize. They have an open door and open phone policy, and I have the cellphone numbers of several professors," Zager says. "We also refer animals to them, and they bring students out to experience what we do, too."
Producers, animals and the veterinarians who serve them all drive Georgia's agriculture forward, and Zager is proud to be part of the engine.
"The veterinarian and producer have to partner, and when they do that successfully, everybody comes out better," Zager says. "It's a win-win-win situation. The animals win because they're healthier, the farmer wins because they're more efficient and not spending money on sick animals or losing them, and the veterinarian is paid for his expertise. I'm grateful for such a rewarding career. It all works together."

The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine admits 102 students each fall and has graduated 4,555 students since it was founded in 1946.
source: UGA

There are
1,465
large animal veterinarians in the state, accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
96 // georgia grown

sampling for safety
The Georgia Department of Agriculture contracts with 214 veterinarians to visit farms regularly and collect disease control samples for three state diagnostic labs.

UGA's new 14,000-square-foot veterinary teaching hospital will open in 2015.

Veterinary medicine
Animal Advancement
UGA breaks ground on new veterinary teaching hospital

The University of Georgia in Athens is stepping up its game with the construction of a brand-new veterinary teaching hospital.
"The new facility will further enhance the international reputation of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine," says Dr. Sheila Allen, dean of the college. "Having an advanced teaching hospital will substantially help faculty recruitment and retention, plus it will allow the College of Veterinary Medicine to plan for future enrollment growth to meet the needs of veterinary medical care in Georgia."
The proposal for the new hospital was approved in 2005, after several needs for a new building were identified with the existing facility. The next six years were spent obtaining funds through fundraising and state funds, and ground was broken on the hospital in 2013.
Allen says there were multiple reasons a new building was needed. The hospital couldn't

accommodate advanced technologies that are now standard in veterinary medicine, nor would it hold expected enrollment increases. The location proved difficult for large livestock trailers to enter, plus there was no pasture space left for large animals to recover.
With the new advancements of the teaching hospital, students, faculty and the community can expect a significant improvement.
"The new facility will allow future veterinarians to learn in a state-of-the-art facility, so they can be better prepared for meeting the needs of society for veterinary care," Allen says.
The new 140,000-square-foot hospital, nearly three times larger than the existing one, will feature many improvements for large animals, including multiple fenced pastures; separate, stand-alone buildings for large animal isolation; and a base for all farm services, as well as a covered outdoor arena for evaluating horses.

There will also be advanced imaging capability for both small and large animals, including MRI and CT equipment.
The hospital will allow UGA to increase veterinary medicine enrollment from 102 to 150 students per year and is expected to open March 2015.

Other State Programs

Along with UGA, six other

Georgia schools contribute to

the world of veterinary medicine,

offering various degrees and

programs for hopeful professionals.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural

College, Berry College and Fort

Valley State University all offer

pre-veterinary programs for those

who want to continue on to a college

of veterinary medicine along with

other animal science degrees.

Gwinnett, Athens and Ogeechee

technical colleges offer veterinary

technology programs for students

who want to pursue a career as a

vetinary techician after school.



Rachel Bertone

97 gaagriculture.com //

uga veterinary render: courtesy of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

agritourism 98 // georgia grown

families
FARM on
thE
Southern Belle Farm makes learning fun
Story by Teree Caruthers
99 gaagriculture.com //

A child picks blackberries at Southern Belle Farm in McDonough.

W hen Jake Carter returned home from the University of Georgia in 2003 to work on the family farm in McDonough, he had no idea what he was in for.
"It was a different operation at that time," says Carter, who is the fifth generation to farm the land. "We had some beef cattle and hay. But the community around us was growing, and pretty soon we realized we needed to diversify what we were doing to keep up. So we decided to transition to agritourism."
In 2006, the farm that has been in Carter's family since 1938 opened its gates to the public. Today, Southern Belle Farm is a sterling and profitable example of what happens when the state's two largest industries, agriculture and tourism, merge.

During the autumn months, the farm hosts church groups, school field trips and families searching for the perfect pumpkin. Children enjoy getting lost in the corn maze, taking a leisurely hay ride tour of the 330 acres or getting to know the farm's barnyard inhabitants.
And in December, families from Atlanta and surrounding areas

descend on the farm to pick out a Christmas tree. The farm opens up again in April through June for strawberry, blackberry and blueberry picking by the gallon.
Rooted in Education
"What we offer is an opportunity for families to come out and enjoy time together," Carter says. "It's a

"What we offer is an opportunity for families to come out and enjoy time together. It's a unique experience that often takes people back to their roots."

jake Carter
fifth-generation farmer at Southern Belle Farm

101 gaagriculture.com //

unique experience that often takes people back to their roots. Most people can trace their heritage back to agriculture in some form or another."
Carter says the farm also helps educate his neighbors about agriculture and the source of the foods they eat.
"A lot of the consumers and public were asking a lot of questions. When I was growing up, [we operated] a dairy farm, and neighbors would ask questions about farming, so we saw a need to create something that would educate the public about agriculture," Carter says.
He adds that educating children is incredibly important, especially once he realized how little they knew about agriculture.
"We really had our eyes opened during our first season of school tours," he explains. "We had children in the dairy barn, and when we asked them where milk comes

from, a lot of them said Kroger and Publix. Allowing them to see how food is grown first-hand is a unique and important experience."
Carter is quick to emphasize that Southern Belle is a working farm, and he says he hopes its agritourism will dispel some of the myths about farming.
"You have a lot of misconceptions about how food is grown, and people are asking questions because of those misconceptions," he says. "But we still farm conventionally, so we have the opportunity to show people that what we grow and what other farmers grow is safe for the community."
Fun For The Family
"In the north Georgia mountains, you can find apples and cherries, and in deep south Georgia, you get peanuts. It's such a diverse crop base in Georgia,"

Carter says of the state's agritourism scene.
The farm has also proven to be a boon for the local economy. The Carters employ up to 80 seasonal employees annually and are looking to expand the operation in the near future.
"One of the things we want to do is continually add things that families can do and enjoy together," Carter says. "We're looking at expanding the farm market to include a bakery and extending our operating days so that we're open year-round. Folks can come out and enjoy the farm more than once or twice a year."
Learn about more Georgia agritourism destinations at GAagriculture.com.

When the berries are in season, families visit Southern Belle
Farm to fill baskets of the sweet fruit.

102 // georgia grown

visit a farm
Use the Georgia Grown Locator to find an agritourism destination near you, including wineries, event venues, pick-your-own farms, bed and breakfasts and more. Visit GeorgiaGrown.com/Locator to get started.

Agriculture and tourism are Georgia's
No. 1 & 2
economic generators, respectively
agritourism, defined:
Activities that include visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural or agribusiness operation to enjoy, be educated or be involved in what is happening at that locale.
Source: Agricultural Marketing Resource Center

103 gaagriculture.com //

poultry
Value
Beyond
THE FARM Poultry industry helps drive Georgia's economy Story by Matthew D. Ernst

Much has changed in the last 25 years, but not Georgia's position as the nation's leader in broiler production. In terms of total poultry production, if Georgia were a country, it would rank fourth in the world.
More than 5,000 Georgia farms produced $5.7 billion in poultry meat and eggs in 2012. That supports more than 100,000 Georgia jobs, contributing to a total economic impact to the state of well over $18 billion, according

to the Georgia Poultry Federation. One reason why Georgia's
poultry industry is so successful is their business model of vertical integration.
"Vertical integration has evolved over the past 50 to 60 years, but the idea is to bring together various business entities which were originally separate, such as the feed mill, hatchery, processing plants and more, under one company," says Mike Giles, president of the Georgia Poultry Federation. "It makes everything more efficient and gives farmers a

way to diversify their operations, leading to more income."
Two of the state's poultry companies, Claxton Poultry and Springer Mountain Farms, illustrate how the poultry industry is creating jobs while growing Georgia's economy.
Claxton Poultry
Savannah native Norman W. Fries formed Claxton Poultry in 1958, opening a broiler processing plant in 1959.
"Today, Claxton poultry is one of Georgia's largest family-owned

104 // georgia grown

105 gaagriculture.com //

georgia is the no. 1 state in the u.s. for broiler chicken production.

that year-round invites qualified workers from throughout the region to join a growing workforce, enjoying competitive wages and benefits," Spirer says. In addition, the company works with a variety of state and federal agencies to supplement its workforce recruitment efforts.
Springer Mountain Farms
Springer Mountain Farms started in the mid-1990s, an effort of two families with deep roots in the poultry industry.
"We started talking about new ways to raise chickens. Everything we did was cutting a new trail," says Gus Arrendale, Springer Mountain Farms president.

In 2001, Springer Mountain Farms was the first poultry company in the world to gain the American Humane Association poultry production certification. The certification requires a farm family to live on the farm where Springer Mountain Farms' chickens grow.
"Every single Springer Mountain Farms chicken is grown on a family farm," Arrendale says.
The company estimates 1,000 members of farm families throughout northeast Georgia receive economic benefits from raising chickens according to the humane standards and the company purchases feed ingredients from more than

200 Georgia farm families. Springer Mountain directly
employs 4,500 workers to process and distribute its chicken. As a result of internal promotions, many of the company's managers worked in the processing plants during the beginning stages of their employment.
The company sees demand growing for its products. Its chicken is sold nationally, with a focus on Georgia and surrounding states.
"We're on the shelves at many grocery stores in the region, and we have a particular affinity for the better restaurants in the southeast, too," says Dale Faunce, marketing manager.

Feeding the World.

GAagriculture.com
A GUIDE TO GEORGIA'S FARMS, FORESTS, FOOD AND EXPORTS
To Market We Grow STATE FARMERS MARKETS BOOST GEORGIA ECONOMY Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture // 2014-15
Tablet Edition
The digital magazine is available for tablet and phone viewing.

Fueling Georgia's Economy.
Georgia Poultry Federation | (770) 532-0473 | www.gapf.org
107 gaagriculture.com //

livestock
Staff Photos by Michael Conti

raising
quality

Georgia cattle and hog farms satisfy many tastes
Story by Matthew D. Ernst

W hether you're firing up the grill for a juicy steak or serving pork tenderloin to dinner guests, Georgia's cattle and hog producers satisfy every taste with local flair.
"The main thing people want to know is where their meat comes from," says David Whitehead, who raises cattle on the 1,200-acre Brush Creek Farm in Colbert. "Everything we sell is born and raised here on the farm."
The Whiteheads sell their beef in 30-pound packages to customers all over northeast Georgia, as well as to local restaurants and other vendors.
The Whitehead family's 250 "mama cows" are part of the

480,000 brood cows counted in Georgia in January 2014. Georgia tallied 1 million cattle at that time, including younger bovines growing toward harvest weights. The beef industry provides a $2 billion annual economic impact in the state, according to Georgia Cattlemen's Association.
Many Georgians raise cow-calf herds, historically sending calves west to be grain-fed in the Corn Belt. Though that is still the most common marketing practice, some cattle farmers are finding growing demand for beef fed in Georgia.
"We have 100 brood cows, raising 100 calves per year," says Del Ferguson of Brooklet. He started Hunter Cattle Company

Cattle graze at Brush Creek Farms in Colbert.

with his wife, Debra, and her parents and brother about 10 years ago. It's now a family operation with three generations working on the farm.
Hunter Cattle Company processes its own beef, pork and chicken in the farm's United States Department of Agricultureinspected facility, selling meat locally and to restaurants in Savannah and Statesboro.
Georgia pastures can be grazed much of the year.
"We move our cattle from one field to another, using rotational grazing," says Ferguson, who feeds his cattle grass from birth until slaughter.
Whitehead uses a similar grazing system, and also feeds corn and other feedstuffs purchased locally.
"We like to say that we feed our beef the old-fashioned way, using

real commodities [crops]," Whitehead says.
Green Grazing
Georgia's pastures can also support hogs.
"Our hogs are always on something green," says Andrew Thompson of Thompson Farms Smokehouse in Dixie. He keeps about 350 sows on ryegrass in the winter and millet in warmer months, raising more than 4,000 pigs for market.
Georgia's swine herd of 155,000 produced about $65 million of pork in 2012.
Pork production methods in the state include hog barns designed to feed large numbers of hogs as well as pasture-based systems like Thompson's and Hunter Cattle, who produce pork along with beef.
Thompson Farms opened its

smokehouse in 2004 with one employee. The business now includes a processing facility, employing 18 full-time and some part-time help. The farm processes all of its own animals and some hogs from nearby farms.
Andrew Thompson and his wife, Jenifer, raised their family on the farm and say their son is very interested in staying involved in the farm's future. The family business, Andrew says, is a progression of their farm history.
The late Raymond Thompson enjoyed helping tend the farm store.
"It was Daddy's passion to start the smokehouse," Thompson says. "We think consumers are becoming more and more interested in hogs raised the way we can raise them here."

Top Left: Mille Whitehead feeds the cattle at her family's Brush Creek Farms. Top Right: Georgia swine producers are looking to raise pigs intended for local markets through building their own processing facilities and smokehouses.

111 gaagriculture.com //

history
Centennial Celebration
UGA commemorates 100 years of Cooperative Extension System
Story by Rachel Bertone
112 // georgia grown

The 109 land-grant universities across the country are celebrating a milestone this year, as the passing of the Smith-Lever Act the federal law that established the Cooperative Extension System turns 100.
University of Georgia Extension, known as one of the leaders of public service in the country, is no exception. The state even has a special connection to the original legislation, as Sen. Hoke Smith, co-author of the Smith-Lever Act, was from Georgia.
"Extension was created out of a need that existed 100 years ago," says Dr. Scott Angle, dean and director of the UGA College of

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "There was a realization that something was missing in terms of getting information out of the university to the people in the community who needed it. That was really the genesis for the service."
And that need is still very relevant today. The delivery mechanisms may have changed and evolved, but the core mission has not, Angle says.
"It's equally important today for people working in Extension to get out and talk to farmers, and for the community to share what types of problems they're having and to send those concerns back with agents to the university for research. It comes full circle," he says.

113 gaagriculture.com //

Adapting to the Times
The organization began with a focus on farming it was originally called the Agricultural Extension Service but grew to encompass service areas beyond agriculture. Corn clubs for boys and canning clubs for girls evolved into the 4-H Youth Development program, while the home economics division now family and consumer sciences deals with topics including nutrition, food safety and financial education.
"4-H is one of our greatest accomplishments," Angle says. "Looking at the past, present and future leaders of Georgia, many of them have been in 4-H."
The program is delivered to large numbers of urban, suburban, and students. 4-H maintains a presence in every Georgia county and in many public schools in the state, and is growing its participation in homeschool programs.
Brian Tankersley, Tift County Extension coordinator, agrees that 4-H is a big part of Extension. "I've worked with 4-H judging contests and have coached six teams that won national titles," he says. "I'm grateful those kids have gotten the opportunity to be national winners."
Both Tankersley and Angle believe that the future of UGA Extension lies in staying ahead of the game in technology and research. According to Angle, Georgia already is one of the top agricultural states in the Southeast, thanks to research. For example, UGA Extension was one of the first to promote irrigation programs this gave the state a 20- to 30-year head start over neighboring states in this agricultural technology.
"The Southeast is becoming the main agriculture hub of the country," Angle says. "The college will continue to research and Extension will continue to deliver information to people who need it in order to increase food yield.

Movement of information and good communication will be critical."
Angle adds that the goal of the college, with the help of UGA Extension, is to become the Silicon Valley of high-tech agriculture.
UGA Extension will continue to be strong, given the great support from government and university leaders, according to Tankersley. "It will continue to change and adapt with new technology and research. The audience will grow

as well," he says. To celebrate the milestone
anniversary, the university, college and Extension program have held events throughout the year. One of the highlights of the commemorative festivities involved video interviews of state residents influenced by Extension that will go into a digital archive.
Take a look at the celebration video and find more information at 100years.extension.uga.edu.

Georgia Extension Timeline

1904
The first corn club is established by Newton County School Superintendent, George Claude Adams.
1904
Negro youth clubs are established.
1906
Youth programs include girls' clubs and state contests.
1907
Carroll County is the first county in Georgia to receive an agent.
1908
"College on Wheels" travels across the state exhibiting modern machinery and farming practices.

1987
UGA Extension launches boll weevil eradication program.
1978
UGA Extension hosts first annual Sunbelt Expo.
1938
Georgia Experiment Station begins soil testing.
1915
Boll weevils first appear in Georgia.
1914
SmithLever Act establishes cooperative extension services connected to land-grant universities.

celebrating agriculture
A
Beacon
for agriculture
Georgia National Fair and Fairgrounds enjoy tremendous growth
116 // georgia grown

Story byJohn McBryde

A time-honored tradition celebrates its 25th anniversary this year as visitors flock to the annual Georgia National Fair and they have no trouble finding something to do. From midway rides to concerts, and nightly fireworks to all types of food, the 11-day fair offers entertainment for people of all ages.
"Agriculture is Georgia's No. 1 industry by far, so we exist in support of that," says Randy Moore, the fair's executive director. "We also exist to support economic development."
Because of the anniversary, that is particularly true for the 2014 edition, held in early October at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry. Using the theme "Georgia Grown," the 25th Georgia National Fair continues the trend of impressive

growth since the first one was held in 1990. "In the beginning, the state provided about
80 percent of the funding [for the fair], and the program generated 20 percent of its own," Moore says. "And currently the program has generated 90 percent of its own revenue, and the state was funding it at 10 percent. That's been the trend over the past 25 years."
the center of success
The most recent numbers, for fiscal year 2014, show that the 2013 fair generated nearly $5.3 million in revenue, with more than $2.3 million in gate receipts. Additional events held at the GNFA throughout the year brought the total to a record $9,030,600. When the Georgia National Fair began in 1990, it drew a crowd of 270,000 people. Today, it attracts, on average,

The Georgia National Fair, offering fun for the whole family, celebrates 25 years in 2014.

117 gaagriculture.com //

Youth livestock shows are a highlight of the Georgia National Fair.

more than 440,000 visitors, and attendance has steadily increased over the past two years, helping bring tourism dollars to Georgia.
The Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority, or GAEA, is an agency at the GNFA working to promote the state's agriculture, agribusiness and youth at the National Fair, plus other events throughout the year. The agency administers the yearly event.
"The strength of this program is the diverse mission that it was given and the continuity we've had on the Authority through our board members," Moore says of the GAEA. "We have had very good support from our governors and legislators, recognizing the importance of agriculture in this state."
The fair, of course, is the main event. Through its livestock and horse shows and agriculture-related competitive exhibits, the fair shines a bright light on Georgia's farmers, producers and youth from groups such as 4-H and FFA.
One of its newest features is the Georgia-grown building, a joint project of the Georgia National Fair and the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which debuted during the 2013 fair. It features space specifically for Georgia-grown products, manufacturing and agribusiness.

"The idea was to have a building for Georgia producers to come in and display their products and educate the fair-going public on the diversity of agribusiness in the state," Moore says. "We thought the repurposing of that building was a resounding success and is only going to grow each year."
In addition to the fair, the 1,100-acre GNFA holds many other events including the Georgia National Rodeo and the Georgia National Junior Livestock Show, both in February. The facility is also designed for meetings and conferences, and hosts concerts, RV rallies, trade shows, sporting events and dog shows.
To give the place a facelift of sorts, the Georgia state legislature voted to allocate $3 million for upgrades in fiscal 2015. Improvements will include resurfacing parking lots and roads, buying new equipment, painting, redeveloping the north gate entrance, updating bathrooms in Reaves Arena, paving and making heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements in three buildings.
"During the course of the year we feel every county in the state of Georgia is represented here at some point. We feel that we serve and are responsible to the entire state, Moore says. "We're very proud this program has that kind of reach."

118 // georgia grown

history
Honoring History
Historical marker celebrates Georgia's first Commisisoner of Agriculture

Posted along a picturesque sidewalk in downtown Greensboro, just outside the Greene County Courthouse, a sturdy historical marker emblazoned with Georgia's state seal commemorates Thomas P. Janes, the state's first Commissioner of Agriculture.
Georgia's Department of Agriculture was established in 1874, and Janes served as commissioner through 1879, carving the successful path for a long line of commissioners to follow.
An agriculture pioneer, Janes was born on Sept. 11, 1823, in Crawfordville and grew up on Redcliff Farm. He later died there on Mar. 11, 1885. He was a hardworking man in his early life, attending Mercer Institute, then entering Columbian College (now George Washington University), where he received his bachelor's. He was also awarded master's degrees from three universities.
Along with farming cotton, corn, clover and grasses, he also received his medical degree from the University of the City of New York and worked as an assistant surgeon in the 16th Regiment, Georgia militia in 1861.

The marker was erected by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Historical Commission as directed in a resolution passed by the 1961 session

of the Georgia General Assembly. It serves as a reminder of Janes' leadership, and the state's strong beginnings in its most valuable sector.
Hannah Patterson

119 gaagriculture.com //

new products
fields
ofgold Georgia firm sparks new interest in canola with biodegradable plastics Story by Betsy Williams
120 // georgia grown

The canola oil a restaurant cooked with today could become the plastic fork you eat with tomorrow. "Growing canola in south Georgia is good for the community, good for the region, good for the state and good for the country," says Michael Smith, chief operating officer for Meredian Holdings Group. "When used in biopolymers, it is helping to make the U.S. less dependent on foreign oil."
Meredian Group developed technology that could revolutionize the plastics industry by turning canola into cups, bottles and

packaging that are biodegradable in 60 to 90 days.
The Bainbridge-based group is a collection of three companies, each with a specific role in creating the biopolymer: Meredian Inc. commercializes biopolymer technology sold by Proctor & Gamble; Danimer Scientific LLC makes biopolymers; and AgroCrush LLC purchases canola seed to crush into oil used in the biopolymer production process, as well as for outside customers who cook with canola oil, Smith says.
"This new technology included a way to make

polyhydroxyalkanoates [or PHAs], a completely biodegradable polymer made when bacteria eat vegetable oil such as canola," Smith says. "The bacteria that produce the PHA can do so with virgin oil or used oil."
The road map that turns canola into biodegradable plastics starts out with a non-genetically modified canola seed, Smith says.
Once the canola is harvested, the seeds go through a cold press process to extract pure canola oil. The canola oil is placed in a bio-reactor alongside naturally occurring microorganisms, water

121 gaagriculture.com //

Meredian Inc., manufactures bioplastics from renewable, natural resources at its Bainbridge plant.

and oxygen. It's in this fermentation environment that bacteria convert the oil into PHAs.
PHA powder results from separation, purification and drying. These are then turned into pellets through a process known as reactive extrusion, and shipped to major brand partners to create plastic utensils, packaging, inks and more.
Opportunities for Farmers
Greg Calhoun of Brinson, one of the farmers providing Meredian with the canola seed needed to begin this process, is full of praise about the company, its job-creation potential and support of the farming community. He learned about the technology in 2007 and realized that by using a renewable resource canola to create a biodegradable plastic, the end products could be produced at a competitive price.
"I invested in Meredian, got a seat on the board, and we were

talking about the seed stock and how it had to be brought in from another state," Calhoun says. "I mentioned that I had grown canola 15 years earlier. Meredian bought the rights to a non-GMO seed, I grew about 350 acres of it on my farm this past season, and two other farmers also grew seed on their farm."
Canola fit well on Calhoun's PGC Farms, which he expanded from 108 acres into thousands that cultivate peanuts, wheat, cotton,

soybeans, sweet corn and cattle. The entrepreneurial farmer also heads up operations for shelling peanuts, ginning cotton and distributing sweet corn throughout the U.S.
Even though it was a tough growing season, Calhoun says the canola crop is a stronger financial producer than the winter wheat he would have planted in its place.
"This is a viable winter crop for southwest Georgia," Calhoun says.

"Growing canola in south Georgia is good for the community, good for the region, good for the state and good for the country."

michael smith
chief operating officer for Meredian Holdings Group

123 gaagriculture.com //

food safety 124 // georgia grown

safe&sound
Food Safety Division benefits both consumers and businesses
Story by John McBryde

The goal of the Food Safety Division of the Georgia Department of Agriculture is clear. "Basically, we are all about food safety," Director Natalie Adan says. "We affect people's lives every day. Everybody's eating food, so they're relying on that food safety aspect."
The division has approximately 50 inspectors working in different regions on one of four programs that ensure food safety. Particularly notable is the fact that the staff logged more than 24,000 hours of training in the past four years.
"We've been able to get a lot of training in, and this has been little to no cost to taxpayers," Adan says.
The division has four main programs retail, manufactured foods, poultry and egg graders, and farm safety. The retail program regulates facilities such as grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, mobile food trucks and food warehouses. This division includes checking scanners and scales to make sure consumers are being charged accurately for the correct weight.
The manufactured food program regulates food

production facilities, particularly the larger ones where products for wholesale are stored. This also includes the dairy program, covering ice cream plants, cheese facilities and dairy farms.
The poultry and egg graders program checks that poultry and egg purchases meet quality, condition, temperature, packaging and storage requirements, to name a few.
The newest program focuses on farm safety, an important topic in the agriculture community.
Education a Key Component
"We strive toward the educate-as-you-regulate approach," Adan says. "For instance, we will typically work with a facility before they open so we can make sure that they are putting everything in place so they can operate safely and effectively. We work with business to let them know what the expectations and regulations are, reviewing plans or labels, and to get them up and running and licensed."
Kerry Dunaway, who owns Greenway Farms of Georgia in Roberta, attests to the cooperation that

A food inspector with the Georgia Department of Agriculture checks the produce case temperature to keep food safe for consumers.

Staff Photos by Michael Conti

125 gaagriculture.com //

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors worked with Greenway Farms to help Kerry and Robin Dunaway establish a certified kitchen.
"The inspectors have been terrific working with us. When we have questions or aren't sure about something, they're there to help.
They want to see farmers succeed."
Kerry Dunaway
owner of Greenway Farms

exists between the division and Georgia's producers. The Dunaways began their farm in 2008, raising
livestock and growing vegetables while staying very conscientious about producing natural food and farming sustainably.
"We have had a good bit of contact with inspectors, and they have been terrific working with us," Dunaway says. "When we have questions or aren't sure about something, they're there to help. They want to see farmers succeed."
The Food Safety Division was particularly helpful when the Dunaways wanted to add a certified kitchen to their operation in 2013, where they teach canning classes using their fresh fruits and veggies. To operate a community or commercial kitchen, GDA has certain guidelines operators and facilities have to meet to become certified.
"We had never done that before, and we didn't really understand everything we needed," Dunaway says. "Our inspector told us things to do and not do, so when we were ready for the final inspection, everything was perfect."
In 2012, the division implemented cottage food regulations to help small and new companies who specialize in non-potentially hazardous foods to get started with their business. These include products such as biscuits, dried fruits, jams and jellies, granola, popcorn and more.
"It gives them a chance to get their products out there before they have to spend a whole lot of money," Adan says. "It actually allows individuals to produce their products in their home kitchen. We do an initial inspection of their kitchen, and they're able to sell their product within the state, at farmers markets and even over the Internet to consumers in Georgia."

126 // georgia grown

2014-2015 Edition, Volume 3
journal communications inc.
Project Manager Kim Madlom Marketing Director Sara quint Agribusiness Content Team rachel bertone, Samantha cobb, hannah Patterson, jessy yancey Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Contributing Writers Teree Caruthers, Matthew D. Ernst, John McBryde, Jessica Mozo, Maggie Ginsberg-Shutz, Joanie Stiers, Betsy Williams Art Director Laura Gallagher Senior Graphic Designers kacey passmore, Jake shores, Kris Sexton, Vikki Williams Graphic Designers LINDSEY HIGGINS Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Michael Conti, Frank ordoez, Michael Tedesco Color Imaging Technician Alison Hunter Advertising Production/Sales Support Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Patricia Moisan Ad Production/Sales Support Coordinator Courtney cook Web Services Team david day, nels noseworthy, richard stevens
Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Senior V.P./Agribusiness Publishing KIm Newsom Holmberg Senior V.P./Agribusiness Sales Rhonda Graham Senior V.P./Operations Casey Hester V.P./Sales Herb Harper Controller Chris Dudley Senior Accountant lisa owens Accounts Payable Coordinator maria mcfarland Accounts Receivable Coordinator Diana Iafrate Web Creative Director Allison Davis Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Creative Services Director Christina Carden Creative Technology Analyst Becca Ary Executive Secretary kristy giles Human Resources Manager peggy blake Integrated Media Manager Justin Melton
Georgia Grown is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by email at info@jnlcom.com.
Georgia department of agriculture:
Commissioner Gary W. Black Inspector General stewart hicks Chief Operations Officer Dr. James Sutton Chief of Staff joyce white Chief Information Officer dan brown Chief Communications Officer Julie mcpeake Chief Financial Officer robert orange Special thanks to all Department staff for their support.
For more information about the Georgia Department of Agriculture, call (404) 656-3600 or visit www.agr.georgia.gov.
To learn more about the Georgia Grown program, contact Jack Spruill, director of marketing, or Matthew Kulinski, Georgia Grown program director, at (404) 656-3368 or visit www.GeorgiaGrown.com.
No public funds were used in the publishing of this magazine.
Copyright 2015 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Visit Our
ADVERTISERS

Abraham-Baldwin Agricultural College www.abac.edu
ACC for Corn www.georgiacorn.org
ACC for Peaches www.gapeaches.org
ACC for Soybeans www.certifiedseed.org
AGCO Corporation www.agcocorp.com
Ag-Pro Companies www.agprocompanies.com
Agri Supply www.agrisupply.com
AgriTrust of Georgia www.agritrust.biz
AgStrong LLC www.agstrong.com
Aimtrac Farm Implement Distribution Network www.aimtracco.com
American Label Company Inc. www.americanlabel.net
American Proteins Inc. www.americanproteins.com
Bi-Lo Supermarkets www.biloholdings.com
Chateau Elan Winery & Resort www.chateauelan.com
City of Forsyth www.cityofforsyth.com
Destiny Organics www.destiny-organics.com
Farm Credit Associations of Georgia www.aggeorgia.com
Fort Valley State University www.fvsu.edu
FPL Foods LLC www.fplfood.com
GA 4-H Foundation www.georgia4h.org
GA Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association www.gfvga.org
General Produce Inc. www.generalproduceinc.com
Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Apples
Georgia Blueberry Commission www.georgiablueberries.org
Georgia Chamber of Commerce www.georgia2georgia.com
Georgia Development Authority www.gdaonline.com
Georgia EMC www.georgiaemc.com
Georgia Farm Bureau www.gfb.org
Georgia Federal State Inspection Services www.gafsis.com

Georgia FFA Association www.georgiaffa.org
Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter www.georgianationalfair.com
Georgia Peanut Commission www.gapeanuts.com
Georgia Pecan Commission www.georgiapecans.org
Georgia Poultry Federation www.gapf.org
Georgia Power www.georgiapower.com
Georgia Restaurant Association www.garestaurants.org
Georgia Seed Development www.gsdc.com
Georgia Watermelon Association www.georgiawatermelonassociation.org
Golden Peanut Company www.goldenpeanut.com
Ison's Nursery & Vineyards www.isons.com
Kelly Products Inc. www.kelly-products.com
Lane Southern Orchards www.lanesouthernorchards.com
Mercier Orchards www.mercier-orchards.com
Nickey Gregory Company LLC www.nickeygregory.com
Pearson Farm www.pearsonfarm.com
Snyder's-Lance Inc. www.snyderslance.com
South Georgia Produce Inc. www.sgproduce.com
Springer Mountain Farms www.springermountainfarms.com
Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition www.sunbeltexpo.com
Terminix www.terminix.com
The Coca-Cola Company www.coca-cola.com
The Southeast United Dairy Association Inc. www.sedairy.org
UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences www.caes.uga.edu
Union County Comissioner's Office www.uniongov.com
University of Georgia Research Foundation www.research.uga.edu/tco
Vidalia Onion Committee www.vidaliaonion.org
White Oak Pastures www.whiteoakpastures.com

127 gaagriculture.com //