Author Archives: John Holcomb

Georgia Soybean Crop Thriving Despite Hurdles

Posted on by

Dudley, GA |

While the Midwest might be king when it comes to soybean production, it is a crop that has a strong foothold here in Georgia, as the state is responsible for more than eight million bushels a year. And that number might be even bigger in 2024, as production is expected to be up despite some difficult growing conditions.

“I bet we went probably forty something days with no rain, but that could be worse too, because I got some buddies that’s seven or eight miles from me right here that went about two months without no rain. So, it could be worse, but it was a good growing season other than we had to pump a lot of water. Light bills were higher, fuel bills were higher, but other than that, it was pretty good,” says Cody Lord, a Laurens County Farmer.

However, those dry conditions didn’t extend into the harvest season, as heavy rains from Hurricanes Helene and Milton delayed growers from getting out into the fields. And with warmer than normal conditions sticking around, it’s important to harvest wrapped up as soon as possible.

“I wish they were in the bin because that’s what can mess your beans up, when they stay wet and it’s hot, they can germ and they can get damage to them. But, typically if it’s a normal October, November, where it’s in the forties at night and in the sixties and seventies in the day, it’s not as hot, they won’t germ and go bad. So, normally a bean can take a good bit more weather, but I need these in the bin with the weather we’ve been having. It’s been a little too warm and a little too moist for the bean crop this year,” says Lord.

However, it’s a delicate balancing act as harvested beans have to be at a certain moisture content before they can be stored away in order to maximize their earning potential.

“If you get too much moisture content in a bin, they’ll go through a heat mold and it will ruin your beans as far as seed quality for sure. Then, end users, they want them dry and beans at thirteen percent. If you go in at thirteen point one, they start knocking money per bushel off. So, it’s very important, you want your moisture to be right because if you mess around and have fourteen, fifteen percent moisture on soybeans, they just dinged you a lot of money,” says Lord.

And more than ninety percent of these beans will be going towards seed for next year.

“I grow those for Pioneer and for mixing different varieties, but what I’m growing, they’ll come pick up out of my bins. I’ll keep them and they’re actually cleaned, bagged, and sold back to the farmer to grow for next year,” says Lord.

You can bet Lord will be one of those farmers, as it’s a crop he both enjoys growing and can get the most bang for the buck.

“From the help standpoint, I can take one of those machines behind me and do what three of them roller pickers will do in a day by itself. I’m just rigged up to grow grains so, I like grain. I’d rather run the combine any day than the cotton picker,” says Lord.

By: Damon Jones

Food Bank Helping Rural Families Hurt by Hurricane

Posted on by

Valdosta, GA |

Holidays are always a busy time of year around The Second Harvest Food Bank of South Georgia. However, this year, thanks to Hurricane Helene, things are kicked up into overdrive, as they also look to help those families rebuilding after the storm.

“Thirteen of our twenty-six counties were affected by the storm. So, we have been doing our kids café program, which is children’s meals. We have been doing our mobile pantry program. We’ve been doing our large pods, which are points of distribution, which are large scale drive thru distributions and we have been working with our partner agencies as well as the EMA’s in most of these communities to put resources on the ground as they’re needed,” says Eliza McCall with Second Harvest Food Bank of South Georgia.

So far, this food bank has provided more than two million meals worth of food and nearly a million bottles of water to those in need. And that’s all thanks to an increase in donations both big and small.

“We have been seeing help come from locally and we have been seeing a great response nationwide from food vendors and from retailers and from businesses and individuals and congregations,” says McCall.

It’s not just food and water that have seen an increase, but also volunteers. Because of that rise in manpower, they are now able to extend their help far and wide.

“We have been building disaster boxes not only for South Georgia, but also for other Hurricane Helene affected areas. So, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee for other food banks, other Feeding America food banks. And so, the people of South Georgia have been wonderful about coming in and helping us build boxes or showing up at our events and helping us hand out those boxes or other items once they’re built,” says McCall.

That also includes the farming community. While they might now have extra produce to donate due to the crop damage following Helene, they are finding other ways to help out the community.

“Right now, they’ve not been able to do much because they’ve all been so heavily affected. And I know that they want to do more, but they just can’t. But we have seen them volunteer. We’ve seen situations where they’ve called and said what can I do? What can my family do to help you get resources out in say, Clinch County, in Homerville? And so, we’ve been able to use folks as volunteers or as points of contact,” says McCall.

Even though this recent surge has been beneficial in helping those affected in the short term, it’s important to remember, this is just the start of a long rebuilding process.

“We have in this area, been hit by three name storms in a thirteen-month period. And so, now we have a whole bunch of people who were not food insecure before, who now are, on top of the one in six people who are on a normal basis or who experience it from time to time. So, this is going to be a process that’s going to take twelve, eighteen, twenty-four months for South Georgia to get over,” says McCall.

By: Damon Jones

Protecting the U.S. Cattle Industry on Multiple Fronts

Posted on by

Macon, GA |

The US cattle industry is the largest and most sustainable in the world, and in order to protect that prestigious title, the USDA has been working on the concept of traceability for the US cattle industry since 2003, after a disastrous disease outbreak that had huge, lasting ramifications for the industry.

“Traceability within the cattle industry is something that we have been using for many, many years. Many producers will be used to the fact that those cows have had a metal nues tag in their ear, that’s our current tracking system for beef cattle. Many of those tags are used and utilized to ensure that if there is a disease outbreak, we can we can easily find it, and hold that down. Much of the traceability in this country, winds is going to help provide confidence to both consumers as well as other countries that we are trading with internationally that have a higher standard there. And the U.S. produces the most, sustainable and wholesome beef in the world, so this is this is a program that is critical to the success of our industry long term,” says Dale Sandlin, Executive Vice President for the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association.

In an effort to further strengthen traceability measures, a new USDA traceability rule recently went into effect that requires the use of electronic ID tags.

“Even though it creates more technology, it’s not something that the average producer needs to be overly concerned about having to learn and identify all these things, and all the ways that the technology works, the biggest thing you need to know is that if you’re going to ship your cattle, breeding stock, eighteen months of age or older out of state, you’re going to have to put a tag in their ear. If they’re only staying in the state, that’s fine. You won’t have to buy a wand. You won’t have to delve into that technology, but at the same time, it does provide a safety net for our industry to be able to prevent undue burdens on your operation if your neighbor down the road winds up having a situation. The worst possible thing that we could have in our industry is another disease outbreak,” says Sandlin.

Sandlin says that the ultimate goal of course is to protect the industry, but not while putting producers’ sensitive information at risk, which is why he says only certain data is being collected and securely stored.

“One thing that we did want to make absolutely sure of was the protection of the data that’s being collected through the program. So when that tag is put in that cows ear and she is going to an approved citing location or to, say a veterinarian that’s required to list the citing, what information is being pulled, is the premise I.D. number of the operation, the tag number, the location that it was cited at, and the date. That’s the only information that’s being collected through there,” says Sandlin.

Sandlin encourages producers to reach out to the Georgia Department of Agriculture for help with implementing electronic ID tags on their operations, including how to get them.

By: John Holcomb

Peanut Producers Impacted by 2024 Weather & Prices

Posted on by

Donalsonville, GA |

For a farmer, there’s nothing quite like seeing the fruits of your labor come to fruition, and farmers here in Georgia are getting to do a lot of that as the 2024 harvest season is in full swing. One farmer who’s busy doing that now is Brad Thompson, a peanut producer in Seminole County who is busy in his fields after a long growing season.

“We’ve had a really good harvest season so far. Hopefully in two days we’ll be through with the peanuts. We’ve started out and we’ve got very little rain. Of course, we had a threat from a hurricane and we got like probably three or four inches at one time, but that was nothing compared to what we could have got. We were really fortunate and dodged a bullet on that,” says Brad Thompson, Owner of Thompson Family Farms.

However, according to Thompson, despite having good harvest weather, the yields he’s getting are disappointing, as he says this past summer’s heat must have been too much for the crop despite most of it being under irrigation.

“Our yields are probably off 500-700 pounds and every year it seems like we’re dropping fifty pounds, one hundred pounds. I would say part of our yields being down, I guess it’s everybody’s guess because we’ve had years that we felt like our yields were going to be off and they were actually up, but this year I feel like it was the heat, the stress on the peanuts. The dryland was kind of average crop on dry land, but our irrigated crop, that’s where we were so much off and we’re about ninety-eight percent irrigated,” says Thompson.

According to Thompson, what’s most disappointing is the fact that this isn’t what he or any other producer needs right now, as he says the price for a great crop was already too low.

“This was a year that I was really hoping we was going to have an outstanding crop, because we really need it. The price of our inputs is going up. The price of equipment is just through the roof now. What it’s costing us an acre to plant a crop and harvest a crop is not really looking good on paper, not with the yields that we’re receiving. I really don’t know how we’re going to continue to go on, but I know a lot of people say, ‘well the prices in the grocery stores are up,’ but our commodities, we’re not getting any more for them than we did thirty years ago,” says Thompson.

Thompson says that despite the situation producers all over the state and country are in, he hopes to make it through this season, but is afraid that might not be the case for others that have endured many years of hardship and will have no choice but to call it quits.

“Last year, I would say that there was probably ten to fifteen percent of people that is not farming this year; backed out of farming. I would probably say we’re going to be looking at another fifteen to twenty percent that’s not going to be farming. Farming in general, it’s not about the money. It’s about planting a crop, growing a crop, and living for the Lord because really, that’s what keeps us going. I mean, it’s faith that next year’s going to be better, that things are going to get one day where we can relax,” says Thompson.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Citrus Growing Despite Some Setbacks

Posted on by

Tifton, GA |

Not even a decade ago, citrus production here in Georgia was almost nonexistent. But thanks to a recent boom there are now more than half a million trees planted on nearly four thousand acres of land within the state. And while some growers were affected by the recent storms, it is still shaping up to be some huge yields.

“We’re estimating that we lost about five percent of our trees statewide, but in the grand scheme of things, that’s not as bad as some of the other commodities. When we look at individual groves, we saw anywhere from zero to forty percent fruit loss, just depending on where in the path of the hurricane they were, what variety it was, and how old those trees were. It’s looking very promising even though we got hit by Hurricane Helene, it’s still looking like this is going to be a record year for citrus,” says Mary Sutton, Citrus Extension Specialist.

That is very good news for the industry, as it suffered through two straight years of little to no production due to the late freeze in 2022.

“So, this year especially, was a very heavy crop load. So, after the freeze in 2022, 2023 was a rebuilding year for a lot of trees. So, we didn’t see a big crop last year. So, the trees are kind of overcompensating this year. If you go out and look at trees, most of the limbs are almost laying down, they have so much fruit on them, which is good for this year, but that means in the future, like next year might be a lower year just because they’ve invested all their resources into this year,” says Sutton.

With that in mind, it’s imperative growers are well prepared for the coming harvest and what to do with the crop once it is off the trees.

“In the coming months, just keep a very close eye on your crop. With all this cold weather we’ve been having you can expect the fruit to start coloring up and just make sure you’ve got a good plan in place for where you’re going to send the fruit. I’ve heard some interest in exporting the fruit to Florida and make sure you’ve got the right certification so you can actually get them over the state lines,” says Sutton.

That’s because citrus production in the Sunshine State has fallen more than ninety percent over the past quarter century due to hurricanes and citrus greening. And while it is a relatively new industry here in the state, Georgia is well positioned to help fill the void.

“Right now, research is really just getting started. So, one of the things we want to focus on is freeze protection methods because that is one of the things that most threatens the industry here. We don’t have the disease pressure that places like Florida do. Right now, the Georgia citrus industry is still pretty small, so you have pockets of citrus, so they’re pretty isolated and that keeps them safe from most of that disease,” says Sutton.

That being said, there is still plenty of research to be done in order to maximize yields year in and year out.

“A lot of the questions are just cultural management practices, fertilizer questions, when they should be fertilizing? How much? Similarly with canopy management, should they be pruning? When should they be pruning? Also with irrigation, how much water should they be putting out and stuff like that. So, there’s a lot of questions that still need to be answered. So, it’s an exciting new area of research for the state,” says Sutton.

By: Damon Jones

Ellijay Mushroom Producer Strengthens a Community

Posted on by

Ellijay, GA |

Known as the fungus among us, mushrooms are one of the most versatile ingredients to any dish. And this farm in Ellijay is looking to get them out of the dark and into the spotlight here in Georgia by inviting the public out to see exactly what goes into growing these culinary delicacies.

“We started out with agritourism with our farm shop, which is open Thursday to Sunday, which allows people to come to our U-pick flowers and also come check out these amazing mushrooms that our team grows, and getting them out here and going into the greenhouses allows them to kind of figure out what is a mushroom farm and what do we do here,” says Howard Berk, President of Ellijay Mushrooms.

What they’ll see is plenty of hard work and attention to detail, as growing three different types of mushrooms requires proper timing and constant attention each and every day of the year.

“The logs take about seven to fourteen days and then they start growing pins. After they start growing pins, they start growing fully every day. So, we harvest about three a day. So, every morning, we have to harvest. Once they’re fully open, you can tell that’s when we need to harvest. If they’re not fully open, we can leave them, wait until tomorrow, they’ll eventually grow big,” says Israel Bautista, Farm Manager at Ellijay Mushrooms.

Growing big is exactly what their client list has been doing over the past few years as they ship these mushrooms all over the region. However, despite their initial success, Ellijay Mushrooms is still looking to expand in a big way.

“We currently sell to Whole Foods in the south, Ingles, Michelin star restaurants. We sell to all the restaurants in Ellijay, Blue Ridge, all over the eastern seaboard. We’re trying to keep growing. We’re looking for more opportunities every day. For us to make this farm work, we need more volume. Currently, we grow five thousand pounds a week. We’d love to double that or even triple that,” says Berk.

That would not only help the business, but the community as a whole, as providing both good jobs and opportunity to those within the area is one of the main goals for this family run operation.

“It’s the thing that drives us, because if we didn’t have our community, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, meaning that if we don’t have any employees, we couldn’t harvest mushrooms, and mushrooms don’t sleep so, we need everybody. So, every dollar spent goes right back into our community. Meaning that we can hire more young men and women in our community and give them opportunity to grow as well, like our mushrooms,” says Berk.

While it’s not easy starting up your own business or growing mushrooms, it is a decision Berk doesn’t regret one bit.

“We’ve had a lot of trial and error, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of scratching our head, but it’s been very rewarding to figure out all those challenges and to be able to feed people good, healthy, organic mushrooms. It might sound silly but, every day you go into the greenhouse and you see these little fellas just popping up, it still makes me happy every time I see one even though they don’t sleep and they have to be harvested even at three o’clock on a Sunday. It’s still very rewarding knowing that we’re growing great food for people to eat and consume,” says Berk.

By: Damon Jones

Developing the Next Generation of Agricultural Leaders

Posted on by

Perry, GA |

For the second year in a row, kids coming through the Georgia Grown building at the Georgia National Fair got the chance to be a part of a unique educational experience known as the Georgia Grown Classroom – a small, learning center that was meant to expose elementary school aged children to agriculture and did so with a variety of lessons and activities.

“One of our department’s priorities is to promote the next generation of ag leaders and this fits right in with that priority because we’re bringing in elementary aged students and getting them exposed to Georgia agriculture in different ways by different entities. We have students coming in from different colleges talking to students, we have Farm Bureau coming in and talking to students as well, and then different divisions within our department are actually coming in and talking about food safety, pest management, pesticide safety, and things like that. So this is just a really great way to not only tell Georgia’s story of agriculture, but to also promote that next generation of ag leaders,” says LeAnna Merritt with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Throughout the ten days of the fair, numerous groups and industries got the chance to lead some of the sessions, and Georgia Farm Bureau was certainly no exception as volunteers from different parts of the state came together to hopefully give the kids an impactful perspective on Georgia’s sheep industry.

“What we’re doing today is just so important. The kids are already excited coming out to the fair, getting to see so much, but a lot of these children have never been exposed to the different types of agriculture that we’re able to provide from Georgia Farm Bureau. We all have different knowledge, and we all come from different backgrounds, and by joining together and being able to provide this 45 minute class today, I feel like they are at least going to take home something that they did not know and it may spark an interest to go down a different path, whether it be raise livestock or maybe become more interested in learning some of the different skills to raise livestock,” says Stephanie Branch, Georgia Farm Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee Chair.

The dividends were two-fold as GFB not only got the chance to interact with students, but the opportunity also gave them the chance to speak with teachers and fill them in on all the ways that Farm Bureau can help them promote ag in their classrooms.

“This is an opportunity for us to talk to students from who knows where. So, we’re getting a diverse population. We’re able to also interact with teachers. So, we created teacher bags for the school to take that with them that has books based around sheep and knitting, how those wools are dyed to be used for scarves and things like that. So, in our outreach, it’s not just for the students, but for the teachers as well to let them know what is AG in the classroom and what is Farm Bureau. Get to know us a little bit more to be part of the organization and help us continue our mission to educate anybody about agriculture,” says Lauren Goble, GFB’s Educational Programs Coordinator.

By: John Holcomb

Several Firsts at Annual Sunbelt Expo Luncheon

Posted on by

Moultrie, GA |

One of the highlights of each and every Sunbelt Ag Expo is the annual Willie B. Withers luncheon, where farmers, legislators and university officials gather under one roof to recognize all the good work being done across the industry. It’s an event that takes on even more significance this year.

“After what the region’s been through in the last month, it’s really great to see the family of agriculture come together and celebrate agriculture. It’s a chance for our friends that’s been devastated by the hurricanes to come in and be with like-minded people and be consoled to a certain extent and be around positive people that gives them light at the end of the tunnel,” says Chip Blalock, Executive Director of the Sunbelt Ag Expo.

That’s exactly what the Weathered but Strong hurricane relief fund is hoping to provide as well, with the goal of reaching one million dollars. And thanks to a donation from the Sunbelt Ag Expo, it’s off to a strong start.

“We have that Weathered But Strong relief package going on and anything that we can do to help our farmers is a big deal. We appreciate Chip and the Expo contributing to it. The farming community is what the Expo is all about. All I can do is say ‘thank you’ and good luck to everybody that we are going to help with this fund,” says Tom McCall, Georgia Farm Bureau President.

As always, there was plenty of anticipation for the announcement of this year’s Southeast Farmer of the Year. And for the first time in the competitions 34-year history, it was a woman that took home the award, with North Carolina’s Faylene Whitaker claiming the 2024 title.

“Wow is all I can say, is wow. It’s such an honor. There’s so many good farmers in the United States and the Southeast and it’s just humbling. It’s not about being proud. It’s just being humbling. It is such an honor. It gives my hope that women in agriculture will continue to be recognized for the job they do and for how they contribute to US agriculture,” says Faylene Whitaker, Sunbelt Expo Southeast Farmer of the Year.

Speaking of firsts, Georgia Farm Bureau recognized the winner of their inaugural Farm Dog of the Year contest, Belue. This Shetland Sheepdog provides not only constant companionship, but also plenty of important work both on and off the farm.

“Belue goes to school with me every day and he’s part of the education process. Just the chance to give back and utilize Belue to promote agriculture is a great experience and we appreciate the opportunity. He’ll round up a sheep on the farm or he’ll round up kids out on the football field. Just a lot of companionship when the kids are depressed or I’m depressed, he’s right there for you,” says Brinson Brock, owner of GFB’s Farm Dog of the Year.

“The dog that won this year does a lot with Ag in the Classroom and teaching kids, which is what we do. So, we are proud that we’re able to present that in front of a bunch of different states this time at this Farmer of the Year luncheon,” says McCall.

By: Damon Jones

Long Road to Recovery from Hurricane Helene for Georgia’s Forestry Industry

Posted on by

Ailey, GA |

When the sun rose on the morning after Hurricane Helene, many in Southeast Georgia woke up to what can only be described as devastation, as mother nature left her mark on the region. In that moment however, many sprang into action, agencies from all over, like the Georgia Forestry Commission, who had teams in place ready to do whatever is necessary to assist the region.

“When our response began, it started small and grew as the incident grew. As requests started coming in from counties, we partner with a lot of other state and federal agencies to form the best response that we could. We work closely with GEMA, D.O.T., Georgia Department Natural Resources, but throughout the response, the peak of our response was about 247 personnel, ten chainsaw strike teams, and 24 heavy equipment teams, consisting mostly of our bulldozers as you see behind me,” says Gabe Outlaw, Region 4 Manager for the Georgia Forestry Commission.

From there, that’s when the recovery process began, as crews shifted their focus and set out to access the damage in the affected areas – a process that allows them to know how to begin to best assist landowners in the wake of such wide-spread damage.

“Soon after, the week after the hurricane hit, we started a timber damage assessment; driving around looking at what areas were hit hardest. We can use these numbers to determine what areas of the state need the assistance and we can then get on the ground with landowners, help them with our federal partners, help people start over and get them set in the right way,” says Matthew O’Connor, Region 4 Forester for GFC.

After assessing the damage, officials are saying that Hurricane Helene traversed 8.9 million acres of forest land, equating to what is being estimated at almost 1.3 billion dollars as the region is a huge timber producing area, with many “prime timber” stands now having to be salvaged for a fraction of what they were worth.

“Forestry is one of the biggest economic drivers, it employs many, many people here in these local counties and brings in a lot of money to the local economy. So, this devastation obviously is going to send shockwaves throughout the communities here. So, the hardest hit stands were the most variable stands. So, landowners are seeing their most valuable stands devastated with fifty percent or more loss. That requires a salvage operation where landowners only getting cents on the dollar for what they originally would have got,” says O’Connor.

According to O’Connor, this is a storm that will no doubt have huge, long-lasting affects for years to come for forest landowners, as he says many will have to start completely over by salvaging and replanting, meaning it will be at least 15 years before their stands are profitable again.

“Not only have they just lost their long-term investment, they’re having to start over from ground zero and to grow a stand of timber, to get to where it’s merchable, where they can make money back off it as fifteen, twenty years time. So, this is this is a very long-term issue and will have ramifications for many, many years,” says O’Connor.

By: John Holcomb

Fascinating Story Behind Calhoun Corn Maze

Posted on by

Calhoun, GA |

What started off as just a food truck and plot of land, has now transformed into this sprawling agritourism destination, tucked away in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. And now, Copper Creek Farm in Calhoun has become one of the go to attractions in North Georgia.

“From selling ice cream on the road for thirteen years, my dad said, ‘we have this land here and I think we could host an event here.’ So, it took us three years to build this and then we opened in 2013. It began to be a small corn maze, but then it just started to grow. Now, we got what we have today,” says Aspen Grogan, Event Coordinator for Copper Creek Farm.

And that list is pretty extensive, as families can enjoy everything from hayrides to games and even a candy cannon. It’s that type of entertainment that allows each and every visitor to unwind and enjoy a nice, fall afternoon with the family.

“What we like to provide here at Copper Creek Farm is a safe, friendly, fun atmosphere where you can just, really just forget, detach about what’s going on in the world and come here and really just have an organic, fun time with the family. It’s a pumpkin patch. It’s a corn maze. We’ve got twenty-five adventures here on the farm for you and your family to experience, all the way from the gem mine, to the zip line, to the pony rides, hundred-foot slides, jumping pillow, and we have a one of a kind pig races,” says Grogan.

However, the highlight might be this expansive corn maze that takes months of planning and hard work in order to get it ready for the public. It’s the kind of perseverance and dedication around the farm they are proud to share with the kids.

“Things are getting more built around and sort of congesting areas, and the farm atmosphere, it’s hard to find. So, I think, especially for children nowadays, I think them coming on a farm and seeing what it takes to work a farm, plant the pumpkins, plant the corn, milk the cows, take care of the animals; I think that’s something that’s begin dwindling in our society today. It’s really good, I feel, to bring that back to our hometown,” says Grogan.

However, the main goal is to pack as much fun as possible into one afternoon. And if the growing crowds and repeat customers are any indication, it’s fair to say mission accomplished.

“Now is our tenth year and a lot of these faces I have seen throughout the years, and they bring their family back. It’s really awesome to see their kids grow and them just to create an annual tradition here at the pumpkin patch. They get their pumpkin very year. They take their hay ride every year and, of course, new faces along the way, but we just want to make sure to provide a clean, Christian atmosphere here at Copper Creek,” says Grogan.

By: Damon Jones