Statesboro, GA |
In an age of constant change, traditional industries like agriculture are always at risk of being left behind. And that was never more evident than in the latest Ag census conducted by USDA, which shows more than twenty million acres of US farmland being lost to development since 2017. It’s a trend that is not so recent here in Georgia, as the state has really been feeling the effects for decades.
“Since 1974, we’ve lost two point four million acres of farmland to developments, and that’s row crop land. That’s not counting forestry land, to developments and warehouses. So, if you take that number and multiply, do another thirty years, you’re talking about another two point four million acres and of course, very, very fortunate Georgia is growing so fast and provide so many opportunities for people, but also, we also got to be cognizant that we’ve got to be able to feed our people too and feed the world,” says Sen. Billy Hickman, from Georgia’s 4th Congressional District.
It’s a delicate balancing act that the Georgia legislature is hoping to navigate with the newly formed Senate Study Committee on the Preservation of Georgia Farmlands chaired by Senator Hickman. Him along with six other state senators will hold meetings across the state in order to find the best solution in bridging this gap.
“We met last summer with thirty-five farmers in our community, and we heard their concerns about farmland. We got farmland in our community that’s renting for a hundred dollars and acre but it’s selling for twenty-five thousand dollars an acre for development or warehouse and all. So, we decided that with the Hyundai plant coming, that we’re very much supportive of it but we’ve got to have a balance between economic development and farmland,” says Hickman.
The goal is not just to gather facts, but also bring awareness to the problem. And in doing so, getting the attention of lawmakers in Atlanta in order to make some real change.
“I just finished my fourth year in the Senate and what I’ve learned in a very short period of time is that we can talk about all these things, and we can stand on the outside and sit on the curb and talk about it, but until the legislature buys in on something, that’s when things really gets happening. So, you know, we’ve had in the last, I guess every year I’ve been in the Senate, four years, we’ve had different, very good, significant farm bills, and this study committee is another thing that we’ll probably have two or three bills that will come out of this study committee,” says Hickman.
And that would be good news not just for the state’s number one industry and the tens of thousands of farmers that keep it running, but also future generations that hope to follow in their footsteps.
“What I have learned throughout this whole process is the biggest detriment to our farmland, the preservation of our farmland, is uncontrolled growth. I’m from a small community; Statesboro, Georgia. And I’ve always said that I want our children to have an opportunity to live in Statesboro and Bulloch County if they choose to. I want it to a situation where they don’t have to move somewhere else to make a living. So, it really is a two-fold situation trying to maintain a balance between economic development and also maintain a balance between farmland,” says Hickman.
By: Damon Jones