James Jan-Feb 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 17
L: Commissioner Tyler Harper
prints his own Magnolia Loom
Shirt at the Ribbon Cutting in
October 2023, Perry, Georgia.
R: Governor Brian Kemp, his
family, Commissioner Tyler
Harper, and Zeke Chapman
show off their new Magnolia
Loom t-shirts.
“Magnolia Loom originally began as
a vision to produce a shirt that utilizes
as many of our state’s agricultural
and industrial resources as possible,”
Chapman explains. “We have to work
creatively to combat challenges in the
manufacturing chain in order to
produce a 100% cotton garment that
never leaves the United States in the
production process.”
Ultimately, Chapman says, his company
hopes to one day market a 100%
Georgia-made product, just as the Seed
to Shirt Experience at the fair illustrated.
It is a realizable goal, and one that could
dramatically alter the economic future
of struggling rural communities all over
Georgia according to David Bridges. As
the director of Georgia’s Rural Center in
Tifton, Bridges leads efforts
to address issues like this by building
vibrant rural communities through
collaborative partnerships.
Established by the state legislature in
2018, Georgia’s Rural Center works
to rediscover all that is unique and
extraordinary in the state’s less populated
areas while reminding all Georgians of
the vital role that rural people and places
play in statewide success. Partnering with
companies like Magnolia Loom allows
the center to connect the entrepreneurial
spirit of rural business owners with the
array of resources available within
entities like GDA and Georgia Grown.
This type of collaboration facilitates the
development of ideas that will, in turn,
elevate Georgia’s industries: in this case,
agriculture and manufacturing.
“Georgia farmers and the communities in
which they live will benefit greatly from
the return of businesses that add value
to Georgia-grown cotton and put more
profit in the farmer’s pocket,” Bridges says.
“At the same time, these businesses will
create much-needed jobs and enhance
economic activity in rural Georgia.”
PA I D A DV E R T I S E M E N T
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler
Harper shares Bridges’ view, expressing
both pride in the Seed to Shirt Experience
and an urgency to “re-shore” once-vibrant
Georgia industries.
“Georgia’s farmers are the best in the
world, but the lack of processing facilities
in our state often leads to Georgia crops
being processed elsewhere, resulting
in a smaller share of the retail dollar
making it back to the family farm,” Harper
explains. “We’re working to change that
so more goods can be produced from
start to finish in our state, and we’re
proud to partner with Magnolia Loom
and Georgia’s Rural Center to begin this
significant work.”
To learn more about the Seed to Shirt
Experience and the entities involved, visit
seedtoshirt.com.