Author Archives: John Holcomb

Georgia Farm Bureau Unites County Leaders to Strengthen Agriculture Advocacy

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Perry, GA |

Georgia Farm Bureau recently hosted more than one hundred and fifty county presidents from all over the state under one roof – an event that’s meant to facilitate the chance for county, grassroot leaders to fellowship, communicate, and learn more about the organization they are representing on a local level.

“Everything we do and everything we advocate for starts at the county level. At the local level, it doesn’t come from top down, it comes from the counties up. Which is why we say we are the grassroots organization, for agriculture in Georgia. So when you get all of the people from all over the state together in one place where they can talk to each other, and they all got similar problems, they all have some of the similar solutions. And, when they can talk to each other and maybe sit in some of these breakout sessions that we’re doing, it speaks some ideas that they can take back home, or they can tell us how they want things to be done as a state organization,” says Georgia Farm Bureau President, Tom McCall.

Of course, being a grassroots organization that is the voice for the state’s ag industry comes with an active and engaged membership, which is why during one of the breakout sessions, county presidents were educated on the political landscape and empowered to become advocates and promote advocacy efforts back in their counties.

“Legislators, they are very busy people and it makes the most difference when they can put a face with a name behind an organization. So when we have this huge member base behind us and more members reaching out, calling, even texting, writing, or hosting events and meeting those legislators face to face, then it creates more of a physical community for them to connect with rather than sending a letter and then maybe just seeing a signature or a bunch of signatures and a bunch of names,” says Amelia Junod, GFB Advocacy & Policy Development Specialist.

Of course, having engaged members that advocate is vital to the future of the industry and the organization, however, one important part of that is having a unified and consistent message for those outside of the industry and organization to hear.

“We know that consistency builds credibility and as an organization that’s been around for more than a hundred years, we’ve got a lot of credibility already, but there’s still so many people that don’t know who we are and what we do as an organization. It’s our hope that we can empower these really talented, grassroots level leaders, to go out and have those conversations with prospective Farm Bureau members, and having consistency in that messaging helps to ensure that whether they’re joining in North Georgia or South Georgia or middle Georgia, that they understand that Farm Bureau is the trusted voice of agriculture; that we serve farmers and ranchers and rural communities of all types, that they understand that we support one another, that we speak with the united voice and that we give back to our communities. We do that because everyone depends on a successful American agricultural system, and it’s our job as Farm Bureau to work alongside farmers and ranchers to make sure that our food, fuel and fiber, supplies are safe, sustainable, and secure,” says Austin Large, Senior Director for Membership & Organization Development for AFBF.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Peanut Farmers Face 2025 Challenges: Weather, Yields & Market Outlook

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Tifton, GA |

With Georgia growing six times more peanuts that any other state in the country, keeping those farmers up to date on the latest research, technology and equipment is vital for the health of the industry as a whole. Events like the Georgia Peanut Farm Show help accomplish this by gathering all those involved under one roof.

“Number one, it’s very good information. It’s a chance for farmers to get together and rub elbows with their neighbors and friends that they may not have seen from people come from all over the state and the Southeast, but you also get to see the latest and greatest in machinery, technology, chemicals, and peanut production practices. We’ve got Scott Monfort is going to lead our production session, and we’ve got a seed session. It helps to just give us an opportunity,” says Joe Boddiford, Chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

Even though the number of acres dedicated to peanuts in Georgia remain high, yields did take a major hit in 2024, thanks in large part to the unpredictable climate.

“Weather for the last two years have taken some yield from us. This past year has taken more than it has in a long time. You know, we lost some top end irrigated yields in ’23 of about a thousand pounds. This year, fifteen hundred pounds or better and across the state when you look at the state average, we didn’t move that much in ’23. We were at forty-one hundred and something. This year, we dropped down to thirty-eight fifty, and that’s the lowest we’ve been in twenty years,” says Scott Monfort, Extension Peanut Agronomist.

With that in mind, growers must now walk a fine line in 2025 between cutting costs and maximizing production.

“We know you need to make change. We know you need kind of cut back if you can, but the biggest thing is we know you need to make money. That’s the highest yields possible. And what we’re here trying to get them to understand is that it’s easy to say I’m going to cut this out, this out and this out. And that’s going to save me money, but in retrospect, every time you cut something, it’s going to affect your yield or potentially affect your control of a pest that affects your yield,” says Monfort.

The silver lining created by that drop in numbers is a potential for the prices to remain steady through these uncertain times.

“We did get lucky by not producing as much in the state of Georgia. So, that kind of helped us potentially. I’m not going to say it is, but it potentially did. If we would have yielded forty-one, forty-two hundred pounds, we know where we would be this year. It would be starting way low. I’m hoping that’s not going to be the case this year and we can at least keep that price up to where we can at least pay some returns back on our investment,” says Monfort.

As for advice to growers preparing for the new year, Monfort suggests working with your local county extension and sticking with the basics.

“The main thing is don’t forget your base programs. Make sure fertility, fungicides, pest management, lyme, calcium, the things you need to do, let’s make sure we do them and we’ll be okay,” says Monfort.

By: Damon Jones

Wild Hog Supper 2025: Celebrating Agriculture & Unity Before Georgia’s Legislative Session

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Atlanta, GA |

As the sun began to set on the Capitol the night of January twelfth, the smell of barbecue filled the air just outside of the Georgia Freight Depot as this year’s hog was being smoked, which could only mean one thing:  the 62nd annual Wild Hog Supper, an event that’s traditionally held on the eve of the legislative session, was underway.

“For sixty-two years there’s been a party where they’ve all come together. Members of the General Assembly, members of the public have all come together, sort of celebrate being together. There are no bills moving yet, nobody’s mad. Everybody’s really having a good time. And so it’s just a great tradition that brings the members of the General Assembly together, along with the public,” says Danah Craft, Executive Director of Feeding Georgia.

As Craft stated, the event is meant to be a friendly one, bringing together legislators, lobbyists, and the public before the serious business of lawmaking begins. However, it also serves to celebrate the great partnership between Feeding Georgia, Georgia Grown, and the state’s farmers and farm families.

“The partnership between the Department of Agriculture and Georgia Grown is a phenomenal partnership where we bring our number one industry in partnering with those groups like Feeding Georgia and our food banks all across the state that are helping our families that are food insecure get food on their table. I think that is an important partnership, because our farm families all across Georgia that produce that food ends up on that plate. We help be the conduit in helping provide that access to those food banks for those farm families as well as for those families that need that additional assistance,” says Tyler Harper, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture.

Beyond celebrating partnerships, the event also serves as an opportunity to highlight agriculture and its importance as Georgia’s number one industry.

“It’s the unofficial official kickoff to the General Assembly. So, it’s awesome to get our legislators and state leaders together, obviously with a focus on our number one industry. So, obviously the department and Georgia grown and being the commissioner and our friends in the agricultural industry that are that are involved in this, along with Feeding Georgia; we get that first opportunity to have those conversations with legislators as the session gets kicked off here tomorrow, and gives us that opportunity to remind them how important our number one industry is, how important it is to support our farm families, how important it is to ensure that those families that are insecure, that they’re able to have access to high quality food that Georgia farmers produce every single day,” says Harper.

“Our hosts are the House and Senate agriculture committees and Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. All of those members of those committees are here, as well as other members of the General Assembly. So it’s an opportunity to lift up the importance of agriculture. A lot of our sponsors are from the agriculture community, and they are here as well. So, yes, it’s a celebratory event, but it’s also a networking event, right? It’s an opportunity to bring your issues here to members of the General Assembly, but also to celebrate the work that General Assembly does to help keep Georgia’s number one industry strong,” says Craft.

By: John Holcomb

2024: A Tough Year for Georgia Soybean Farmers – What’s Next?

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Macon, GA |

2024 was a challenging year for Georgia agriculture across the board. That includes soybean growers around the state as they saw a significant drop in yields to go along with falling commodity prices.

“For Georgia soybean growers, the hot summer that we had in June really hurt some of the yield potential we had. Then, also with the lower prices, it just made for just a bad year for soybeans. So, I’ve talked to several farmers around and it’s just not an exciting time right now,” says Greg Mims, Chairman of the Georgia Soybean Commission.

So, getting things back on track is the top priority for the Georgia Soybean Commission, who recently held their planning and budgeting meeting to determine the best path forward.

“We get together with committee members because we have some missions of research products. And we have to approve those every year. We have to go through them and evaluate and see which one’s the best and then make a decision on what we want to approve with the budgeted money that we have,” says Mims.

And there are a number of programs they are excited to support that will help maximize yields in the near and distant future.

“A lot of the soybean breeding is always a pretty significant funding for us, just trying to create varieties that work for us here in the southeast and in Georgia. So, that’s kind of a big push that we try to every year. Another thing is just insect trials. This year, we’ve seen a lot more insect damage and more insect problems than we have in the last five years. So, just trying to keep up with what’s coming down the pipe and new things that are coming around that we’re going to be running into for the next couple of years,” says Jesse Patrick with the United Soybean Board.

Looking at 2025, the increase in global production specifically in Brazil and Argentina, has resulted in greater supplies. That means the industry must now find creative ways to market their product.

“As a Georgia soybean farmer and a US soybean farmer, I think our biggest thing is competition right now. Trying to find newer export markets to be able to push some of these newer products that we have; high oleic soybean mill with aviation fuel coming into effect with soybean oil and some biodiesel,” says Patrick.

While Georgia might not be the one of the larger production states, it is still important growers around Georgia voice their issues and concerns on the national level.

“To have that big voice across the US, we still need a voice in the southeast and specifically in Georgia. Just because we don’t grow the same amount of acres doesn’t mean we don’t have the same problems or want to see the same things accomplished across the US,” says Patrick.

By: Damon Jones

Southeast Farmers Tackle Herbicide Compliance & Sustainability at Regional Conference

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Savannah, GA |

Fruit and vegetable growers from all over the Southeast made their way to the annual Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable conference – an event that’s meant to equip producers within the industry with all the tools and knowledge that they need to see success back on their operations and remain sustainable for years to come.

“There is an intrinsic value in coming together and visiting with old friends and strengthening those existing relationships; those matter, because in these tough times, those are the people that you can count on. So, it’s great just to bring everybody together in the same room. It’s also great to bring everybody together and get them up to date on rules for compliance, on things like the H-2A labor program, pesticide regulations and other regulations. They face a whole host of agencies that are worried about what’s going on, and we need to make sure that we’re providing them with the correct information to stay on the right side of compliance,” says Chris Butts, Executive Vice President for the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.

Compliance of course a huge topic of concern for growers as they adapt to changing herbicide requirements as the EPA works to develop a framework to ensure growers and producers are applying herbicides in a way that is on target and adheres to the Endangered Species Act: one of which has to do with mitigating surface runoff.

“We will have specific mitigation requirements to prevent the pesticide from leaving the field through runoff, and we will be given certain points on a herbicide label that we must meet. For example, there’s a product out now called Liberty Ultra, it’s the first real example. It has three points for runoff. So, me as a grower, to apply that product I have to achieve three points in mitigation measures on my field to be able to use that product. So we have this new restriction, but we also are providing the mitigation measures, right? It’s not just one or two measures; there’s a bunch of measures to help ensure the product stays on target,” says Stanley Culpepper, Extension Weed Scientist.

Culpepper says they also have specific requirements when it pertains to mitigating particle drift, which again is meant to ensure producers are remaining on-target when using.

“There’s certain measures that we can do as applicators to make sure what goes on target. Just to give you an example, if we’re twenty-four inches above the target versus forty-eight inches above the target, we cut off target or drift movement by fifty percent just from that one measure, and they have developed a credit system where we can reduce buffer. Again, each time we implement one of these measures, that I promise our science based, you’re doing a better job,” says Culpepper.

Culpepper says that growers shouldn’t be worried about this right now as this is the time to become educated, however, he believes growers need to be engaged with this process as much as possible.

“We’ve been working on this for three to five years. We have a lot of growers in the state of Georgia that have monumentally changed where we’re at on the Endangered Species Act today versus two years ago. I am not kidding when I tell you what was proposed two years ago, we wouldn’t have a farm left. We would not have a farm left if it was not for the engagement from our agricultural community, including our farmers. Working together with a little time, we will not only overcome these challenges, we will be better for putting the product on target, keeping it there. Keep in mind, long term, everybody knows what’s happening in our country, but long term, if we cannot make sure these products go exactly where they need to go and they stay there, you’re not going to have them,” says Culpepper.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Farmers Brace for 2025: Weather Challenges, Crop Shifts, and Survival Strategies

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Watkinsville, GA |

No matter how much time, money and effort farmers put into growing their crop, they are ultimately at the mercy of the weather. And in 2024, it provided more downs than ups, especially with Hurricane Helene causing more than six billion dollars’ worth of damage to Georgia’s agricultural industry. And even though another active storm season is forecast in 2025, growers shouldn’t be alarmed just yet.

“Just because it’s active doesn’t mean it’s going to have any impacts on Georgia because we don’t know where those storms are going to go. Some years they go to Texas. Some years they go more up the east coast. And this is a pretty unusual year that Georgia doesn’t often have two big storms that come over the state, especially the same part of the state in year. So, it’s not likely that we’re going to see another year like that next year even if it is active, there’s no guarantee they’re going to come over Georgia,” says Pam Knox, Director of the UGA Weather Network.

Another major problem most of the farmers in Georgia faced was record drought conditions in a number of counties around the state.

“If you took the tropical rain away, almost the entire state would have been below normal in precipitation, and in areas that didn’t get hit by the tropical storms, it was quite dry. We see drought expanding. And so, I know people in areas that did not get hit by the tropical storms were really frustrated because it was so dry that the crops were just not doing well,” says Knox.

If you thought it was a hotter than normal summer, you wouldn’t be wrong as temperatures were up across the board. And with La Nina officially here, it’s a pattern that will likely continue in the coming year. That could bring with it altered farming practices and different types of crops.

“There are a number of different things that farmers are doing, changing the way they manage their crops, changing the way they have workers work, looking at the livestock and making sure that they can handle those changes in temperature. They’re also introducing some new crops, things like satsumas and olives. And so, those are crops that are a little bit more tropical, they can handle warm temperatures. They like warm temperatures better,” says Knox.

Higher humidity is also in the forecast, which means growers should plan accordingly.

“Our humidity levels are going up and that causes some problems because it’s more likely we’ll see fungal diseases. And so, you might have to change the way you plant things so that there’s more ventilation through the canopy of different crops that you’re growing to help reduce the amount of fungal diseases, or you might have to change the kind of chemicals you use and how often you apply them,” says Knox.

As for the big piece of advice for farmers if it is in fact a hot, dry growing season.

“With drier conditions, whatever irrigation you can get is probably going to be a good thing. A lot of years you don’t really need that much irrigation. You may only need four inches, but you have to put it on at the right time. And so, even for smaller farmers, if you can use a way to use a farm pond or something like that, that can help to get your crops through the dry spell,” says Knox.

By: Damon Jones

Georgia Farmers Face Another Tough Year in 2025

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Tifton, GA |

It’s officially time to ring in the new year and hopefully time to turn the page on a tumultuous 2024 for agriculture as well. With higher-than-expected production and lower than expected demand for some of Georgia’s staple crops, a number of farmers here in the state struggled staying out of the red.

“Unfortunately, throughout the growing season, commodity prices kept going down and down and down. And so, we kept hearing more about financial stress and concern about how are growers going to make it work this year in 2024, just because margins that were tight already, they were getting smaller to potentially negative,” says Amanda Smith, UGA Economist.

However, those looking for a big bounce back in 2025 should temper their expectations, as signs are pointing to another depressed market for a number of row crops.

“Really, the outlook for 2025 is for commodity prices to stay low again. Unfortunately for those growing the commodities. It’s good news for those that are using the commodities to feed like the livestock industry and the poultry industry because they’re going to see low feed prices there. So, good news on that side of the spectrum, but for those that are growing the commodities, the outlook is for continued low prices,” says Smith.

The news isn’t all bad, as the cost of production appears to have stabilized after seeing a nearly thirty percent jump in the past four years.

“On the input side of things, we’re really not seeing too much change from 2024. Interest rates are going to be relatively the same, maybe down just a little bit from 2024. Fertilizer prices, the prices that we are looking at right now, they’re really consistent to what we saw last year in 2024 and the same with fuels,” says Smith.

So, with margins once again expected to be tight, producers are encouraged to set a budget and plan ahead.

“If they did the calculations last year, we’re looking to see similar numbers as we saw for 2024 as far as cost of production.Just making sure that they’re watching the markets, if they can do any risk management tools like forward pricing, some of what they plan to produce to help reduce price risk, especially if they can forward price above their cost of production,” says Smith.

There is also growing optimism for a new Farm Bill in 2025, which could help mitigate some of the financial issues agriculture currently faces.

“In order for rural areas and farmers to survive, it’s important to have government policies that support agriculture and provide a safety net so we can continue to see a sustainable ag industry,” says Smith.

By: Damon Jones

Hurricane Helene’s Devastation and Recovery: Improving Rural Power

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Waynesboro, GA |

Hurricane Helene is a storm that certainly will not be forgotten, as it was a storm that caused more devastation than ever seen as it ripped through the heart of rural Georgia, destroying anything in its path, including critical infrastructure such as the power grid.

“Hurricane Helene was the most devastating storm to hit Georgia Power ever. Many people remember the damage that was caused by Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Matthew. Hurricane Helene actually did much more damage than those three storms combined. Hurricane Matthew took down about 2000 power poles – Hurricane Helene took down twelve thousand,” says Kim Greene, Georgia Power CEO.

Though the destruction was no doubt overwhelming, Kim says they immediately went to work restoring the more than one million customers without power, but says they didn’t just work to restore the grid, they worked to restore it better than it was before.

“In many cases in this storm, we weren’t just restoring power, we were rebuilding the grid. The grid had been so terribly damaged that we actually had to start all over, and when you do that, you have the opportunity in some cases, for example, instead of using a wooden pole, you might be able to use a concrete or a steel pole. So you have a more resilient system. We also have upgraded much of our equipment and are in the process of doing that across the state. It really does give us an opportunity to make improvements to our grid that we would normally have been planning to do anyway and we’ll just do it while we’re out there restoring after the storm damage,” says Greene.

Though most will never notice the improvements on a day-to-day basis, the technology can have a big impact by increasing efficiency when nature strikes.

“You see transformers everywhere. A lot of people know what transformer is, but there’s other devices, like sectionializers and re-closures, trip savers. Those type devices are what allows us to keep the power on in a more timely manner, opposed to where you may have just a fuse blow in and your power stays out until somebody can come fix it; a re-closer and a trip saver device that’s on these poles; these automatically restore power,” says Denver Barrett, Georgia Power Engineering Rep.

According to Barrett, these improvements and investments are essential for everyone, but especially those in rural parts of the state that tend to be at the edge of service areas.

“What we do is we go around our areas, rural areas, where in the past, you just don’t see equipment like that. Usually you see that in kind of technology in your more populated areas. We’re trying to focus on our more rural areas. Those customers matter, they’re just as important as everybody else. A lot of our farmers, with their pivots and irrigation systems, they’re at the end of these lines in these rural areas. That’s where we’re trying to get a lot of this system implemented, so we can have quicker restoration time and just provide them with a more reliable system,” says Barrett.

By: John Holcomb

How Meaningful Conversations Are Shaping the Future of Agriculture | Meet Cain Thurmond

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Jefferson, GA |

For Cain Thurmond, competing this Summer in the GFB YF&R Discussion Meet competition was a no brainer, as the competition is one that fosters conversations that can lead to meaningful solutions – something he says is vital to agriculture’s overall success.

“I think the beautiful thing about discussion meet is that it’s not a debate. You’re not sitting across from someone, you’re sitting with someone. So it allows all of the competitors while they are still competitors, to work on solving an issue together and that’s actually how the scorecard is based, is that we’ve got to work together, and that’s what you get points for. Coming up with a solution together in a cohesive way is how you get points. It’s the purpose of the competition,” says Cain Thurmond, 2024 GFB YF&R Discussion Meet Winner.

“It really made me dig deeper and have great discussions inside and outside of the competition, not only for, what the farming community is facing as a whole, but also what young producers are facing. Most of the questions are really geared towards young members, how we get those young members involved, how do we even create sustainability within the ag industry through getting young producers involved? So, um, there’s purpose to this competition. It’s not a mock competition we throw out there. These are the conversations we should be having,” added Thurmond.

For Cain, that need and desire for meaningful discussions surrounding the issues in ag is second nature, as his passion for the industry and its success is deeply ingrained in him.

“I attribute a lot of where my life is today to the industry of agriculture. I was involved in FFA when I was younger. I actually met my wife through FFA, I got my first job through connections that I found within FFA and agriculture, and even the job that I work today is based within agriculture. So my wife, Whitney, and I get really passionate when speaking about agriculture and passing that on to the next generation. I’m really passionate about the industry of agriculture, and my wife and I actually just started a Christmas Tree Farm on the other side of town. So we are getting our hands dirty and actually getting back involved into agriculture as opposed to our nine to five. We’re spending weekends and nights planting Christmas trees here, coming up as we plant our second crop, and then we’ll hopefully be selling Christmas trees in 2026,” says Thurmond.

Cain will now head to San Antonio where he’ll be competing for national recognition at the upcoming annual AFBF convention – an opportunity he says is an honor and is ready to give it his best shot.

“Certainly an honor to represent Georgia on a national scale. The level of competition within the state of Georgia was immense, so having an opportunity to represent those who sat at a table with me, in July at Jekyll, certainly an honor. I look forward to going to nationals and representing Georgia and just hopefully give them my best shot,” says Thurmond.

By: John Holcomb

Kaleb & Kaitlyn Marchant: Passionate Advocates for Georgia Agriculture

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Athens, GA |

Few couples embody the spirit of Georgia Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers program more than Kaleb and Kaitlyn Marchant. Currently serving as the fourth district’s representative on the YF&R committee, each have dedicated their lives to advancing the industry here in Georgia. And for that reason, they were recently named this year’s Excellence in Agriculture winners.

“We were very excited. It was a goal that Kaleb and I have had for several years that we had been working towards. We’ve been really invested in the Young Farmers and Ranchers program for ten or twelve years now. So, to see that kind of pan out into that recognition was really rewarding,” says Kaitlyn Marchant.

“We have a passion for agriculture. I know a lot of people say that, but we really had a passion, and we are ingrained in this industry, and we just feel really glad that we were able to receive this award,” says Kaleb Marchant.

Both Kaleb and Kaitlyn developed their passion for agriculture at an early age growing up around family farms. And it’s a something they are hoping to pass down through Ag education.

“Both Kaleb and I did grow up in families who had been involved in production agriculture, but we didn’t have that opportunity necessarily to inherit or take over those operations, both of us kind of went into careers where we could make sure that those opportunities were still available for future generations,” says Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn, who is also the 2019 GFB Young Farmers and Ranchers discussion meet winner, spent her first twelve years in the classroom as a teacher and recently took on a new role as the North Region ag education coordinator.

“Being in the classroom, I really enjoyed getting to work with students who were passionate about agriculture, and as I’ve transitioned to working with the Department of Education, it’s been being that support person for Ag educators because I did that job for so long and kind of understood some of the struggles and the challenges that are faced by Ag education in the state. Being able to work to promote that on the state level on the government level for teachers has been really rewarding,” says Kaitlyn.

Kaleb is now the farm manager at UGA’s Double Bridges Farm beef and sheep unit, where he not only trains the next generation of large animal vets, but also oversees some cutting-edge research.

“I help assist with hands on learning for students who want to be veterinarians primarily, and also students who want to get into farming. We also do research on beef cattle and a little bit on sheep where we’re looking at different types of feed ingredients and methane production that they do and different grazing experiments as well,” says Kaleb.

Thanks to educators like the Marchants, agriculture has a bright future here in Georgia.

“I feel like in my role as an agriculture educator, and in the work that Kaleb has done working with the University and in research, we’re really working to promote the industry and make sure the industry stays viable in Georgia for many years to come,” says Kaitlyn.

By: Damon Jones