Tag Archives: Tyler Harper

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

Georgia Legislature Protecting State’s Farmland

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Atlanta, GA

In the last few decades, the state of Georgia has seen rapid growth, but that growth has come at a cost. That cost: land that was once used to produce food, fiber, and shelter. In fact, since the seventies, Georgia has seen a twenty percent reduction in land that was once used for farming. However, as a result of this year’s legislative session, legislators have passed a measure to combat the issue – Senate Bill 220, or the Farmland Conservation Act – a policy recommendation from Commissioner Harper’s office that creates a fund to help protect the state’s farmland by allowing agricultural landowners to give up all or some of their development rights to a conservation trust or similar entity.

“The Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund is a fund that would be established under the Department of Agriculture that will allow farmers to participate in conservation easements,” says Georgia Ag Commissioner, Tyler Harper. “This is not new. It’s something that’s been done in 29 other states around the country. It’s something that we’re building off of what other states have done, but it gives us an opportunity to allow family farms and producers across the state, if they so choose, to put their farms in a conservation easement to protect their production ag land for generations to come.”

As Harper stated, this measure is nothing new, as Georgia is now the thirtieth state to create such a fund, which according to Senator Russ Goodman, the lead sponsor of the bill, has been very successful, as he says millions of acres across the country have been protected due to measures like this one.

“Through these programs we’ve been able to protect about 3.2 million acres across the country,” says Russ Goodman, State Senator from Georgia’s 8th District. “For instance, in the state of Florida, they’ve protected 58,000 acres of land, I believe it is, and North Carolina is 28,000 acres. But there’s a federal match that comes down from the federal government for this. It’s a dollar-for-dollar match, for any private money, any state money, any local money that goes into it.”

According to Goodman, Harper, and others alike, preserving farmland not only is crucial for the future of our farmers, but it’s also a vital part of our national security.

“Food security is an essential element in national security. You can’t, you can’t grow crops and you can’t grow food without land, right? And so that’s what the purpose of this bill. It’s to try to protect farmland and perpetuity. And you think about what the implications are for, like I say, generations down the line. That’s the intent of the bill. Um, and it’s important to me that years and generations down the line, that we have the ability to feed ourselves,” says Goodman.

“Agricultural land is a very vital part of the ag sector. Without land, we can’t produce the crops and the livestock that we need to help ensure that we’re providing a safe, secure, food supply and that we have the food, the fiber, and the shelter we need right here at home without relying on foreign sources to do that for us,” says Harper. “It makes us more independent when it comes to our food supply chain, our fiber supply chain, and our shelter supply chain right here in the state of Georgia. Protecting Georgia families, Georgia Farms, and Georgia producers is vital, but at the same time, by doing that, we’re able to ensure that consumers are protected across the state as well, because they can rest assured that we continue to have a safe, secure food supply on those grocery store shelves all across the state.”

By: John Holcomb

Peanut Show speakers discuss allergies and farm bill

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Tifton, GA

Peanut producers and industry allies attending the 46th Annual Georgia Peanut Show Jan. 19 heard updates on numerous policy issues from various speakers during the event lunch.

National Peanut Board President & CEO Bob Parker encouraged members of the peanut sector to submit comments before Feb. 21 asking the USDA Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) to include peanut butter in the food packages given to families through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Parker explained that the USDA FNS has proposed updates to its food package program that do not include peanut butter, which research has shown should be introduced to infants beginning as early as 4-6 months help prevent peanut allergies.  The early introduction of peanut-containing foods is encouraged in the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Allergies are the biggest single barrier too peanut consumption,” Parker said. “Research has shown that giving children a little bit of peanut butter starting between four and six months of age reduces their risk of developing a peanut allergy by up to 86 percent. Early introduction of peanuts to children has the potential to prevent an estimated 34,000 peanut allergies each year among WIC recipients alone. If peanut protein is not included in the WIC food packages, peanut allergies could disproportionately affect food insecure families and health inequity will increase.”

Peanut groups calculate the cost of feeding an infant the amount of peanut butter it needs from six through 11 months to prevent allergies to be $4.88 while the estimated annual cost of managing a peanut allergy for a child is $4,184.

Visit www.earlyintroductionforall.org to learn more about the issue and to submit comments encouraging the USDA to include peanut butter to Food Package II for infants ages six through 11 months.

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, a member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee and Washington lobbyist Bob Redding discussed efforts being made to pass a new farm bill before the current one expires Sept. 30.

“It’s probably one of the toughest bills to get passed, so you need to work closely with your associations, and we need to know what you need sooner rather than later,” Scott said. “Over half of the House members have never voted on a farm bill and about one-third of the Senate hasn’t.”

Redding predicted that the new farm bill would result in minor changes to existing programs.

“These farm bills are evolutionary with minor changes or revolutionary with major changes,” Redding said. “This year is likely to be an evolutionary year, which is what you want.”

Georgia’s new Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper thanked his predecessor Gary Black for his service and for leaving Georgia’s Department of Agriculture in good standing.

“The transition we worked on together went very smoothly. We’re working hard to make certain your department of agriculture is one you can continue to be proud of,” Harper said. “You’ll see a few new faces but most of Commissioner Black’s staff we’re keeping and I told them to keep  working hard to promote Georgia Grown products, including peanuts.”

By: Jennifer Whittaker