Author Archives: John Holcomb

Turning a Dream Into an Agriculture Venture

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Buena Vista, GA

With a number of businesses being shut down and the supply chain being disrupted, nearly everyone’s way of life has been altered by the pandemic. And that’s certainly the case for the owners of Blackbird Farm, as they traded in the hustle and bustle of city life for a long-time dream.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, we were living in metro Atlanta and had been exploring opportunities and ways to possibly get some land of our own, move out. We knew that we wanted to be growers. We knew that we wanted to be invested in agriculture and the state of Georgia. We didn’t know what that looked like. So, we were exploring a couple of different opportunities,” says Charity Ravn with Blackbird Farm.

As for what they settled on, that inspiration came from a duck pond they managed in the back yard of their suburban home.

“So, I started using plants to help filter the water. And I was realizing these plants were doing great growing in the water. So, I was looking on the internet about things, reading stuff. Aquaponics popped up. I thought, ‘wow, that’s really cool.’ I started doing some research and I came to Charity, and I said, ‘I got an idea.’ And it may be crazy but, it’s something unusual. It’s something different,”says Jeff Clark with Blackbird Farm.

From there, they jumped in feet first, putting not only their money, but also spare time into making it a success.

“For the most part it was me down here by myself for three, four months putting a lot of bolts and screws and drilling holes in concrete and everything else. The first thing I always tell people is I built this myself. I mean, because it was so much work. And having done that and feeling like it was going to kill me at the time, having it done and being able to actually grow things and see these beautiful plants we can produce has been very rewarding,” says Clark.

That feeling extends to their efforts in the community, where they hope to provide a fresh and nutritious option to this underserved population.

“Having a local source of produce. That allows us to give food back to our community through sells or donations or whatever that looks like. And so, it creates a local outlet for things that people don’t have around here,” says Clark.

Thanks to the closed system and controlled environment hydroponic growing offers, this produce is literally available any time of year.

“We grow 365. So, that’s one of the benefits of the greenhouse is that we can grow all year long. When we’re thinking about produce being in season, agriculture being in season, our season is three hundred and sixty-five,” says Ravn.

While that is an advantage, it is also a huge responsibility, as there is no off season. However, it’s a way of life they wouldn’t have any other way.

“There’s a lot that we have to take care of. There’s a lot that we have to manage. And being involved in every step of the way with that, is so exciting because I’m learning so many different things about plants, but even just so many different ways about how we get that harvest to people. Interacting with the community, I think, is my favorite part,” says Ravn.

By: Damon Jones

Georgia Couple Pioneering State’s Olive Industry

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Eastman, GA

While it might be relatively new to the scene, olive production here in Georgia has taken off over the past decade with the state accounting for more than nine hundred tons of olive oil every year. And that growth in popularity can be attributed to farms like Five Otters in Eastman, which is run by a pair of first-generation farmers.

“I saw the fact that Georgia was trying to have a new industry with olives, and I read about it in the Farmers and Consumers bulletin and saw pictures of an orchard that they were talking about, and I thought, I want to do that. I was retired and I needed something to do, and I love to learn and I love olive oil,” says Sharon Cobb Flanagan, Owner of Five Otters.

Even though this year’s crop was affected by the late winter freeze, there is somewhat of a silver lining to the decrease in production.

“About sixty gallons, which is really low. However, it’s a lot higher than last year. So, I’m very, very thankful,” says Flanagan. “I had some large olives and some small olives because I was told I had double flowering. So, there’s a good thing about small olives. So, I wasn’t concerned about the taste. The smaller the olive, the better the taste is going to be for my taste buds.”

That taste was recently recognized with a gold award from the prestigious NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition. It’s an honor that literally left her at a loss for words.

“I was just silenced because it was my second harvest. You have to do everything almost perfectly, so, getting that gold award is something I can’t explain it,” says Flanagan.

Unlike many of the larger operations, Five Otters hand picks their crop and allows for a little more spacing between trees in order to maximize pollination.

“The pruning process is extremely important. These trees pollinate by wind which is why I like to prune them where they’re open kind of conical kind of like, close to but not quite like a peach tree. That way the wind gets through it,” says Flanagan.

Even though starting up an operation like this on your own might seem daunting, Cobb Flanagan says it’s something she really embraces and thinks others should also look into.

“I would highly encourage it. You might run into some hurdles but just get over that hurdle. And just remember when you first started your other career, you probably had some hurdles. You reach forks in the road. You go one way or the other. And it’s the same thing with farming here. Do I do this kind of tree, or do I do that kind of tree? Do I try this one or try that one. If you like research, farming. If you like to watch things grow, farming. If you like to eat, farming,” says Flanagan.

Seed to Shirt Exhibit Showcases Georgia’s Cotton Industry

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Perry, GA

Cotton is certainly big business here in Georgia and this new exhibit inside the Georgia Grown Building at the Georgia National Fair is aimed at making it even bigger by showcasing the value of cotton grown here in the state and hopefully benefitting those that produce it.

“One of the great things about Georgia agriculture, it’s the number one industry in the state, but it could be by far and away the number one industry if we could conceive of and develop ways to add value to Georgia agricultural products and retain more profit in the hands of those who produce it,” says David Bridges, Director of Georgia’s Rural Center. “We could have an even far greater impact in terms of employment, economic activity and whatever. So, Cotton’s a great example, a great example. We grow one of the best cottons in the world. We’re very good at it. But we have no capacity within the state to use that cotton.”

However, as Bridges explains, that has changed thanks to Zeke Chapman, Owner of Magnolia Loom – a company dedicated to producing shirts made of one hundred percent cotton that’s grown in Georgia.

“This is this exhibit is sort of an experiential embodiment of what has happened in the last few years. So, we have a young entrepreneur from rural Georgia, from Sandersville, who has taken it upon themselves to buy cotton from Georgia farmers and produce garments right here in the state that reflect the use of our products, adding value to Georgia cotton in a way that helps the farmer, helps this small upstart business created by a young entrepreneur from rural Georgia. It definitely helps economic development in that small town of Sandersville. So, that’s what this exhibit is about, is us demonstrating to the people who come through the fair that we can add value to Georgia agricultural products in a way that benefits everyone,” says Bridges.

According to Zeke, he hopes the exhibit will help with rejuvenating the textile industry here in the state, as he says one of his biggest challenges is the fact that not all of the parts of the shirt making process are done here in Georgia.

“Doing what we do isn’t easy,” says Magnolia Loom Owner, Zeke Chapman. “Finding the supply chain that we have has been really tough. Just learning the garment industry as a whole has been really hard to know that cotton is spun into yarn and then knit and then finished and then cut and sewn and garment dyed. There’s a lot of different steps and what we do and part of why we’re doing this is to bring that supply chain back to the state of Georgia. It was here years ago and our goal was to see that come back. Right now, our cotton’s grown in Georgia and our sewing is done in Georgia, and our goal is continue to move parts of that supply chain back to the state of Georgia.”

In the end however, the most important thing they hope to achieve is just making that connection to agriculture with anyone that comes to the fair by telling the important story of Georgia cotton.

“I think it’s important for individuals, especially those coming to the fair, to know what agriculture is about, where their food comes from, where their fiber comes from, where their shelter comes from. And this is an awesome opportunity for us to tell that story, that seed to shirt story of how cotton started and how it ends up in processing to the shirt that you have on your back,” says Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, Tyler Harper.

By: John Holcomb

Annual Georgia Peanut Tour Highlights State’s Impressive Industry

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Bainbridge, GA

Unlike many of the farm tours held around the state each and every year, the Georgia Peanut Tour is specifically designed to attract guests unfamiliar with agriculture and peanut production. It’s a three-day crash course that provides guests with the most up-to-date look at the industry.

“You know, things are evolving in the peanut world as new research, new information, and we want people that are not in the industry to understand better what goes on in the peanut world. And so, it’s a wonderful opportunity for people that don’t know anything to come. It’s a wonderful opportunity for those who do know a lot to come and learn more about what’s going on and to see what the latest research and information and also to get an idea of what the crop is,” says Joe Boddiford, Chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

“It’s really for people new to the industry, is who we target; legislators, aides, to see what it takes to farm. And we try to educate people. And that’s the purpose of this tour, is to educate people,” says Tim Burch with the Georgia Peanut Commission.

That knowledge can be beneficial outside production agriculture as it gives those in attendance a new appreciation for all the challenges that go into growing a crop.

“Each part adds to the puzzle to give you a clearer picture of what’s going on,” SAYS Boddiford. “We want people to understand the opportunities, but also the difficulties of trying to produce these crops and some of the things we deal with as we go through a season, Year to year can be differently too, and this year has been a pretty tough one. We’ve had a lot of cool and wet early and hot and dry during the summer, which is not quite the way we want it.”

While there was major concern about the crop early in the growing season, it does appear that conditions have improved. Now, it’s just a matter of getting them out of the field.

“We thought it would be delayed and it was delayed in May and June. But July and August really pushed that maturity back up to where it ought to be. So, the challenge is now going to be able to get the peanuts dug if the ground gets too hard and dry. And, of course, we hope it doesn’t get too wet, but there’s a lot of variability out there in the crop. Some places are stressed significantly in the growing season and how that’s going to pan out at the end remains to be seen,” says Boddiford.

Of course, harvest is just the first step in a long process, which those on the tour got an up-close look at.

“You got the digging. You got the picking. You got the hauling. You got drying. You got grading. You got storage, ultimately transportation to the shelling plant, shell the peanuts. And then, they’re shipped to a manufacturer. A lot of Georgia’s peanuts go to Jif to go into Jif peanut butter, and then from there to the grocery store shelves and then to your home,” says Boddiford.

As for the overall goal of this yearly event, it’s to impress just how much this commodity means to the state.

“South Georgia is the hub of the peanut industry. We grow fifty one percent of the peanuts the last couple of years and most of them are grown in Southwest Georgia. So they’re getting a look at the heart of the peanut industry while they’re on this tour this year,” says Burch.

By: Damon Jones

UGA Extension’s Mission Still the Same Since 1914

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Athens, GA

Since 1914 UGA Cooperative Extension has been working to maintain its mission which is to be an agricultural resource that’s used to advance agriculture and ensure quality of life for Georgians. Of course, a lot has changed with extension since 1914, as they’ve worked to develop programs that help benefit Georgians in all walks of life.

“Most people are familiar with our AG and natural resource program area. That’s what we’re really known for supporting that production agriculture side of things. We also have tremendous urban agriculture programs and that’s definitely an emerging sector of our clientele. But we also have wonderful programs in 4-H and youth development and in family and consumer sciences. Most people do know about 4-H, they’ve heard of 4-H, but many people don’t realize that 4-H is the youth component of UGA extension. And in our family and consumer science programs span the gamut from birth to the elderly, and they help people in a variety of areas home, family, nutrition, financial literacy, all of those types of things that will enhance quality of life,” says Associate Dean for Extension, Laura Perry Johnson.

Of course one big area that extension has been working on the last few years to improve quality of life is in the area of behavioral health, which became a big topic following Hurricane Michael’s devastating blow to the state’s ag industry and rural communities. According to Johnson, they’ve made significant headway but still have a lot of work to do.

“As people that work in extension, that work very closely with that farm population, we wanted to help but weren’t sure that we had all the resources we needed. So we reached out and partnered with those in public health and in the School of Social Work. We became much more knowledgeable about stress and rural health issues, farmer suicide. And then we started trying to integrate those programs at the local level. It really was challenging because it wasn’t a subject that our ag specialist or ag agents or even farmers really wanted to talk about. But we got a few champions and we started by going to production meetings, just doing some simple health screenings, taking blood pressure, just giving information out. The first time we did that was in Colquitt county in January of 2020 and the next day to farmers called the counselor resource that we had lined up. So that continued to show us how vital and how important that was,” says Johnson.

According to Johnson, the challenges aren’t slowing down, as farmers continue to face unprecedented obstacles and issues on the farm, whether that’s hurricanes or steepening overhead costs, but says Extension will continue to work towards being a great resource for anyone that needs it.

‘The issues that we will face now and moving forward will continue to be more and more complex. And I feel like for us to be able to do everything we can to address those needs, we’re going to have to continue to partner with other entities,” says Johnson.

By: John Holcomb

Generational Farm Turned Agritourism Destination

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Cave Spring, GA

Here in Northwest Georgia, this centuries old farm has been transformed into a picturesque agricultural landscape. The farm, which has been in the same family for several decades, is now in the hands of Kaye and Kent Dyer, who have made it into a beautiful wedding venue and engaging agritourism destination, one that offers several fun activities like a zipline, a petting barn, and perhaps their biggest attraction – they’re pumpkin patch.

“I don’t think we really had an idea as to what we were getting into or how much work it was really going to be at our age. But it is been very rewarding and enjoyable. We visited pumpkin patches and when my grandchildren would leave I would ask them what was their favorite activity? So those were activities that we decided to include in our pumpkin patch when we opened,” says Kaye Angel-Dyer.

After doing researching and brainstorming ideas, they decided to plant their first, small patch of pumpkins six years ago, and since have expanded their patch to five acres and now grow twenty-five varieties of pumpkins.

“It was important for us to have pumpkins grown here on the farm. We do have to supplement by buying a few pumpkins and as the business increases and growth, that tends to happen a little bit more. As it increases too, we’re also increasing our number of acres that we plant. This year we have about five acres of planted pumpkins. We originally started with about a two-acre field and are up to about five acres now. We probably really need to double that size and will over the next few years,” says Kent Dyer.

However, as Kent explains, growing pumpkins is no easy task, as the Georgia heat has caused a plethora of issues for them this season, which between the weather and issues with deer, has caused them to lose a significant part of their crop, but are still happy about opening up the patch to the public this Fall.

“The weather has really hurt us this year because of so many days of heat index above one hundred and ten heat index and high temperatures approaching one hundred degrees. The pumpkins do not do well in temperatures that excessive. Neither do they do well when we have a lot of rain. So the dry year this year helped us in some ways but hurt us because it’s been excessive heat. So, no matter what type of pumpkin we planted during this time season, we’re not going to have a good crop. We’re probably at about a maybe a forty percent crop this year,” says Kent.

By: John Holcomb

Backyard Poultry Operation in Haralson County a Thriving Business

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Tallapoosa, GA

When you think poultry farming operations around the state, this is probably the picture that comes to mind. But that’s not the case here at Chewy’s Backyard Farm, where they raise and sell pasture raised chicken on an operation that has really evolved over the years.

“After twenty-five years of being in the military, I knew I wanted to get back to the land. So, my wife Katie and I started out small on an acre and a half in Polk County just growing vegetables, going to farmers markets. Then the demand kind of exceeded what we had. So, we decided in 2021 to pull up operations and go look for more land,” says Chewy’s Backyard Farm Owner, David Bridges.

With that new land came a new idea. As for the moment of inspiration, it came about while selling their produce at a local farmer’s market.

“One day at one of our farmers markets, I talked to another beef vendor, and I asked him about chicken. And he was like, ‘yeah, people are constantly asking me for chicken and I just don’t want to do it. It’s a lot of work and I don’t want to do it.’ And basically a lightbulb went off in my head, ‘there’s a market, there’s a market opportunity there,'” says Bridges.

A lot of work might even be an understatement, with the process of raising these birds to maturity being a daily grind that begins from day one.

“We actually go down to Ray City, Georgia and pick up the birds from the hatchery. That’s the first time we handle them, put them in the brooder. We then monitor the brooder constantly. Then we move them out on the field. Then we move the chicken tractors every day to fresh grass. So, they’re not sitting in their waste. They’re constantly getting fresh grass, fresh feed, fresh sunlight, that type of thing. I spend probably five to six hours a day either moving them, monitoring them or feeding them,” says Bridges.

All that time and sweat equity pays off in the final product, as they are able to oversee every step of the process in order to maintain the highest quality possible.

“I definitively feel like you control the quality better. Of course, they’re getting sunlight. They’re getting all that vitamin D. They’re getting all the vitamins and minerals that are in the ground, in the grass and I can kind of also monitor their health as well when we’re moving them and stuff. I can see if they’re alright, I can tell if something’s wrong with that one. I can maybe pull that one out of the flock or out of that tractor and isolate it maybe so I don’t have loss,” says Bridges.

As for the farm’s name, while it might sometimes be confused for a dogfood company, it’s actually an ode to its actual boss.

“In our other property that we lived on, we had this big, back window in both the breakfast nook and in the living room. He would sit out at that window and look in the backyard. So, that was the area we were actually going to start to turn over and grow produce in. And I said well, that’s Chewy’s backyard, so, we need to ask him if we can farm it. So, basically, there’s where it stuck,” says Bridges.

By: Damon Jones

Ag Field Day Designed to Help Overcome Challenges

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Tifton, GA

Every year brings a unique set of challenges for cotton and peanut growers here in Georgia, as they must deal with pests, diseases and even the weather. But the University of Georgia is making sure they are well prepared by hosting a Research Field Day that showcases all the new options available to them.

“Today, here on the Tifton campus, we got scientists working in peanuts and working in cotton and they’re sharing information on the most up to date research and recommendations that have been generated here and across the state,” says Phillip Roberts, UGA Extension Entomologist.

“You know, we talk in meetings, in different counties, but this is a chance we show some of what we are actually doing and, and why it’s important and why we’re doing things. Now this also gives us a chance to hear from growers to say, ‘yeah, this is important, but I also have this problem,'” says Scott Monfort, UGA Peanut Agronomist.

One of the exciting advancements has been the cotton industry’s first biotechnology ThryvOn, which offers protection against a couple of major pests.

“One of the highlight’s we’ve observed is that planting date really has a significant effect on thrips, which we knew that already, but we also saw the same type trend on tarnished plant bug, which is an occasional pest for us. So, our early planted cotton, cotton planted in April and the first week of May really appears the place to put this technology to get the most value from it,” says Roberts.

With harvest right around the corner, Roberts encourages growers to create a strategy that gets the cotton out of the field as soon as it’s ready.

“When we ride around Georgia, the most important thing we can do is try to be timely with harvest. Harvest time is a very difficult time for our growers. You know, we have a lot of peanuts that need to be harvested in a very timely manner, and sometimes cotton just kind of gets put off to the side for a little bit. But in terms of maximizing yield and maximizing quality of the crop, we need to defoliate and pick this crop in a very timely manner if at all possible,” says Roberts.

Peanuts also face a number of questions heading into harvest, as a long stretch of hot, dry weather might have some growers looking to move up their time table in order to salvage the crop.

“That dry period for our non-irrigated crop really has caused that crop to go backwards. Even though we got rain the other day, there’s a lot of areas that didn’t get much of it. And then there’s a lot of them that the dry land crop had already gone so far the other way that the rain won’t bring it back. And so, we probably need to be looking at some of that, whether we need to dig it early. That’s biggest thing that I’m worried about right now. So, it may not be the bumper crop we’re after, but at least it’s a crop,” says Monfort.

It’s a crop that could be looking at some new varieties in the near future, as there’s been some promising results over the past year.

“The new varieties that are coming along, we finally got some that look good that in the next two to three years, it might offset some of the Georgia zero six G acres that we have. That’s a good thing because we need new technology and new things to come out to help us manage pests and that’s what we’re working on,” says Monfort.

By: Damon Jones

Annual Fall Field Day Unites Producers

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Byron, GA

Recently at the USDA Research Farm in Byron, pecan growers gathered for their annual Fall Field Day – a day that allows producers from around the state the chance to fellowship and hear from industry experts – something that’s vital to the industry and its success.

“It’s not just for the education of how to grow nuts and what to do, but it brings everybody together as a community and makes you feel like you’re really part of something. Makes you know that Georgia’s not just here as a state, but we are a farming state and that we need to come together as a unit to work together more than away from each other. That’s what these meetings do. They bring us all together to learn and to meet the new folks and to keep this farming industry alive in Georgia,” says Chris Clough, GPGA President.

Of course, this event came just days after Hurricane Idalia ripped across the state, leaving damage and chaos behind, especially in the state’s pecan crop, which was just weeks out from harvest.

“Hurricane Idalia did definitely hit the pecan industry pretty hard, especially in the extreme southern part of the state. Probably as you go from Brooks County over to Lowndes and then up into Berrien County is probably some of the worst damage that I have seen from it. As you go north from there, it gets a little less. There’s still some serious injury and damage in those areas, but it’s a little more sporadic, but certainly that Brooks, Lowndes, Berrien Counties and a few counties surrounding that had some really serious damage,” says Lenny Wells, UGA Pecan Specialist.

They won’t know the full scope of the damage for some time, but Wells says a large percentage of this year’s crop was most certainly lost due to the path Idalia took, which was straight through part of Georgia’s pecan growing region.

“If you look at the path of the hurricane through the southeastern part of the state, that area probably accounts for about a third of the pecans grown in the state and I would say somewhere around a third of the nuts in that region have been affected,” says Wells.

According to Clough, the industry has again been dealt a heavy blow, but says there’s a silver lining in all of this, and that’s the opportunity to rebuild.

“Everybody looks at it as a disaster that was along the hurricane path. It’s really not a disaster. Once you look past the fallen trees and the lost crop it’s really an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for growth, it’s an opportunity to replace some of your older varieties and start regenerating your orchards back to young stuff again,” says Clough.

By: John Holcomb

Hurricane Idalia Wreaks Havoc on Georgia Agriculture

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Hahira, GA

With wind speeds topping fifty miles an hour, Hurricane Idalia carved a path of destruction through South Georgia, wreaking havoc on a number of farming operations along the way. While it is sure to be significant, the final loss is still being calculated.

“Our extension service is out trying to meet with farmers and see what the extent is. I mean, half of the state’s corn crop isn’t in yet. It’s tough, especially in Lowndes, Brooks, Clinch, and Echols County area. Cook County took it on the chin as well,” says Russ Goodman,  Chairman of the Senate Ag Committee.

With agriculture being so diverse in the area, everything from cotton to pecans were affected. In fact, over at Shiloh Pecan Farms, the losses include around 10,000 trees and a significant portion of this year’s crop.

“Probably half of the crop is on the ground. It’s thrashed off. None of it is mature enough. So, that’s a direct loss. It, it feels as though it’s fifty percent and especially if you add to clusters of nuts that are in the trees that are twisted, damaged that haven’t even hit the ground but from past experience, you’re going to have some of that too. So, I feel pretty certain that half the crop is laid to waste,” says Buck Paulk of Shiloh Pecan Farms.

However, farmers will have little time to mourn, as they must try and salvage what they can with harvest season right around the corner.

“Right now we’re going through and sawing them off at the trunk where they’re laid over. If it’s leaning more than thirty degrees, those trees from past experience, they’re not viable to try to post up. So, that’s the first criteria. We saw that off and then we skitter them out. I have to get it out of the orchard to be able to get back in and continue our normal work of preparing for harvest, which is mowing, herbiciding, ground control that we need to be ready to for nuts to start falling on some varieties as early as three weeks from now,” says Paulk.

With all the crop loss and structural devastation, these communities are in need of government assistance to help them rebuild. And while it won’t happen overnight, the process of getting them help is in already in progress.

“When the governor issues the declaration, he’s going to work in conjunction with our partners in Washington and that’s going to free up some emergency loans and that kind of thing. But that’s also going to begin the process of trying to get some disaster funds appropriated to these farmers. I do know that our two US senators have already reached out to the administration in Washington trying to shepherd all the resources. So, this is really just a all hands on deck kind of moment,” says Goodman.

Even though there is plenty of frustration and disappointment following the storm, the only thing for farmers to do now is try and keep moving forward.

“We’re going to plan on the faith that the good Lord is going to let the sun shine. That we’re going to get rain and that God is going to bless our efforts because the American people are depending on us to fed them. You know, we just have to pick up the pieces. Farmers are some of the most resilient people there are earth and farmers have to be optimists. Otherwise, they wouldn’t do what they do but it is tough and these things take years to overcome,” says Goodman.