Author Archives: John Holcomb

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

Preparing the Future of Golf: How ABAC Cultivates Skilled Graduates for Course Management

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Tifton, GA |

While it might be off season for golfers, there is no such thing for those who are tasked with maintaining the fairways and greens. It’s why ABAC, with their turfgrass and Golf Course Management program, as well as this course just a few miles off campus, is so important, as students get both the classroom and real-world learning experience before joining the workforce.

“They are hopefully taking the knowledge they are getting in our lectures and labs and then putting it into practice on a day-to-day basis. Because out here, the superintendent allows them to do pretty much everything under his supervision,” says James McCrimmon.

And there is plenty to do out here, as keeping a golf course in pristine condition requires numerous tips of the trade that can only be learned through experience.

“There’s a lot more to it than people realize because behind the scenes you have a lot of irrigation repairs on an aging irrigation system, you have a lot of spraying that we have to do to keep the turf looking very healthy. A lot of technical aspects of golf course maintenance that you have to learn and little secrets that you have to apply that keep that grass looking like carpet,” says Austin Lawton, Superintendent of Forest Lakes Golf Course.

Even though keeping each aspect of the course in good shape is always the goal, much of the focus and hard work goes into one area in particular.

“The greens are your bread and butter of the golf course. You’ve got to keep consistent greens twelve months a year. We probably mow greens three hundred and twenty days, three hundred and twenty mornings a year. There’s also the other aspects like spraying greens. We spray greens probably forty out of the fifty-two weeks a year,” says Lawton.

That year-round effort pays off in the end, as graduates are well prepared to join a job market that not only is in high demand, but also has opportunities all over the country.

“Students really benefit, good careers, so they get to all around the state and the nation and we do a lot of hands-on learning here for our program. And so, we try to provide these students with opportunities and skills to really see what’s out there in the industry and succeed in the areas where they want to work and live,” says John Layton.

Because of this, it’s a program that has seem some major growth over the past decade in both numbers and status.

“We’ve probably got one of the highest numbers in the country as far as our turfgrass program, but it’s picking up. I know when I started, we had probably sixty-five, seventy in the program. We’re now over one hundred. So, that’s over a ten-year span basically. So, it’s going up every year. I think it’s an excellent program. I mean, I came through it and when I graduated, they hired me on at ABAC. We get multiple calls a day from other people that are alumni and companies and golf courses saying ‘hey, we want your kid to come'”, says Justin Exum, Horticulture Technician at ABAC.

By: Damon Jones

From Passion to Tradition: How the Moss Family’s Christmas Tree Farm Became a Holiday Destination

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Adairsville, GA |

This Christmas season, as many families are embracing their timeless traditions, the Moss family are embracing their own – running this Christmas Tree farm; a tradition that was started by a simple desire to have a real Christmas tree a decade ago.

“On Christmas Day, I decided I was sitting there looking at my tree, what was left of it, and decided I wanted to start something for the family. Just a little small farm, a little small plot, so I cleared a little spot on the property here and planted about ten to fifteen trees. Just trying to see which ones liked the ground, the soil, and all that stuff. Before the next year about forty of my friends said, ‘well, we would like to have a tree as well.’ So we started the process,” says Jared Moss, Owner of Moss Family Christmas Tree Farm.

From there, it definitely was a learning experience, as Moss found out fairly quickly that growing Christmas trees isn’t as simple as he thought and ended up bush-hogging them down after the first year.

“I started planting all these different varieties of trees, because I had always grew up knowing the fraser fir and planted all of them that first year. Out of the seven hundred trees I planted, all of the North Carolina species died because unfortunately, we can’t grow those here. So, I actually went through with a bush hog and cut everything down and kind of restarted,” says Moss.

However, as you can tell, Moss decided to regroup and restart and now grows beautiful, picturesque trees that are sought after by families from near and far, with news traveling by word of mouth.

“Really ninety-five percent, if not more, are customers that are returning and bringing friends or telling their neighbors about our trees and where to go and actually get to experience this. There’s quite a few farms around, but many people could live next door and never know it was there. Many people just find us through their friends, honestly. That’s pretty much our marketing campaign is, ‘hey you tell your family come out and see Moss Family Tree Farm’,” says Moss.

Of course, growing and managing an operation like this one isn’t a task for the faint of heart, but Moss reassures me that all of the hard work is worth it in the end, as they work all year to sell memories, not a product.

“We sell memories, we don’t sell Christmas trees. The Christmas trees are something that you get here. While you’re here, you hear kids laughing, families smiling, people, children running around the bounce houses, just seeing things that many of them have never seen before in their lives. Yes, it is hard work, but those things make every bit of it worth it. Just seeing the smiles on kids’ faces, the wonder, the awe, and the families and the parents as well,” says Moss.

By: John Holcomb

Citrus Continues to Make Strides in Georgia

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Tifton, GA |

Georgia is considered of the most agriculturally diverse states in the country with everything from apples to zucchini being grown. However, until recently, that lists did not include citrus, as it needed farmers taking a leap of faith in order to get the ball rolling.

“Rarely do you get to be a part of something that’s a first generation of anything, and really, everyone growing citrus right now in Georgia, this is the first time it’s ever been done. So, I’m not saying people haven’t played around with a few citrus trees in the back yard, but as a commercial industry, this is new for our state and it has grown into something spectacular,” says Will McGee, Owner of Genuine Georgia.

That progress didn’t come without some trial and error, as each experience provided a new data point for these first-time growers.

“The tree changes, the market changes, we’re learning. We’re trying one thing that doesn’t work, and we find out next year to try something different. So, we’re still trying to fine tune in on exactly what we can do to keep the fruit small, to keep the flavor there. So, it’s a really fine balance on how to get the right size and the right quality,” says Dennis Wright, a Dougherty County Farmer.

All that hard work and patience is coming to fruition this year, as growers finally get to harvest their first fully mature crop. That means consumers can expect some of the highest quality fruit grown right here in the state.

“A tree needs a few years to kind of get up and going, not only from a yield perspective, but also flavor. We have found that juvenile citrus trees don’t really have the same flavor as a more mature tree, so what we’re trying to do is really trying to get those trees into year five, six and seven when that brix and that acid is a perfect reading for an experience that you just can’t find anywhere else; you don’t get the same experience off a one or two year-old tree,” says McGee.

After almost no production over the past couple of years due to a late freeze in 2022, trees are overflowing as harvest season gets underway. That means this new packing facility in Tifton will be working overtime in order to keep up with the yields.

“I was surprised that they put on this much this year. We do a lot of pruning, we do an extensive fertility program, we scout real hard, but it takes a lot of money to get these trees to where they’re at now. It takes a lot of people and a lot of money, but it’s a good experience. You finally see something where five years of hard work comes together and getting our first harvest. It’s a good, quality fruit; Genuine Georgia are doing a good job of marketing and selling. We’ve got a place to go with the fruit, so it’s a good feeling,” says Wright.

This could be just the beginning, with production in Florida falling more than ninety percent over the past couple of decades.

“With what’s going on in Florida, an opportunity in the citrus business was natural for it to flow north and there is a hole in the market that I feel like our particular citrus is going to be able to fill and it’s being met with wide open arms. Our retailers and our whole sellers and the customers are ready for it. It’s almost like a breath of fresh air that we’ve got this burgeoning industry right here in the South,” says McGee.

By: Damon Jones

YF&R Chairs Reflect on Their Year As Leaders

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Cave Spring, GA |

For Cleve and Emilia Jackson, the choice to serve and lead as the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher State Committee Chairs was an easy decision, and was something they had a shared desire to do to further a cause they both deeply believe in.

“Cleve and I have always wanted to jump into the opportunity of leadership positions if they’re available, because we want to do something better with what’s around us. So we figured this is a great next step and when the opportunity came open for district one, we put our hat in for it and we were excited to take the chance to be able just to be on the committee. Then when the chance came open to run for chairs, we were at that point again where we were hoping to do something for everybody else around us, and we thought, ‘why not?’,” Say Emilia.

However, their decision wasn’t just about personal growth, it was also about a passion they both have for agriculture and making sure the industry has a voice.

“Every day, farmers like us across the state and across the nation are working hard to put food on our tables, but if we don’t take that next step and get involved in organizations like Farm Bureau that is serving as our voice at the state and the national level, that serving as a unifying body for agriculture in Georgia, then we lose our seat at the table. So, it’s vitally important that farmers like us continue to be engaged in organizations like Farm Bureau, because through organizations like that, we can tell our story,” says Cleve.

For the Jacksons, leaving a lasting legacy was a must, which is why they put a lot of their focus and attention on growing the program.

“Our end goal was to leave the Young Farmer Rancher program better than we found it. The best way we knew to do that was to get more people involved, because we know that serving on the young farmer and rancher committee and doing the young farmer and rancher events are really going to sink the teeth into the other young farmers and ranchers across the state. So what we focused our committee efforts on were to increase participation at all of our events, culminating in our summer leadership conference, where our goal was to have at least one person from every county represented at the conference. We didn’t quite make that, but our attendance increased from last year to this year, and we were really proud of that. From the engagement we had across the state we saw people that had never been, a lot of first time attendees come to the conference that had never been and we know that they will come back because of the experience they had and make our organization stronger,” says Cleve.

Though their time has come to an end, Cleve says the work is far from over, as he believes the need for engagement must continue in order to develop the next generation of ag leaders.

“There’s no doubt that Farm Bureau and the counties and the groups across the state do a wonderful job of educating consumers, of connecting with legislators and representatives, but that work is never done. Just like a farmer in the field has always has things to do, our list is endless, right? The same can be said for opportunity to engage and to connect with the consumer, legislator, the representative and not just us personally, but collectively across the state. We have great engagement from our members, but we could always do better, especially in the Young Farmer and Rancher program to continue to develop that next generation of Farm Bureau leaders,” says Cleve.

By: John Holcomb