James Jan-Feb 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 58
AS COMMISSIONER I’M COMMITTED
TO CONNECTING DIRECTLY WITH FARMERS,
PRODUCERS, AND CONSUMERS IN EVERY
CORNER OF THE STATE. —Tyler Harper
conducted over 125,000 inspections
across our different divisions, our lab
has tested over 38,000 samples and
our licensing division has issued or
renewed more than 78,000 licenses.”
Additionally, the department
has had many other successes over
the last year. They helped get the
Georgia Farmland Conservation
Fund passed during the last General Assembly session. And Harper
helped secure disaster relief for a
series of severe weather events
including the March freeze that
wiped out 70 percent of our peach
crop, tornado and hail events across
South Georgia, Hurricane Idalia
and the ongoing drought impacting
much of the state.
Georgia farmers are also getting
to know Harper better in his new
role. “As Commissioner I’m committed to connecting directly with
farmers, producers, and consumers
in every corner of the state, and in
just under a year I’ve been to over
115 events across the state, visited
53 of our 159 counties and more than
60 cities,” the commissioner says.
GEORGIA GROWN
Perhaps the most visible of the
Department of Agriculture’s initia58
JAMES
JANUA RY/F E B RUA RY 2024
tives is the Georgia Grown
program. It is the marketing
brand and economic development arm created several
years ago by then-Commissioner Black. Under Harper,
the program has continued
to grow, partnering with the
Atlanta Braves in 2023 to promote Georgia Grown products to a new audience. This initiative
provides exposure for certified local
producers to customers, suppliers
and other partners.
With more than 100,000 followers
on social media, the program is on
the road all year long, sharing the stories and people who make food and
products across the state. They also
help alert the agriculture industry
and people across Georgia of potential problems or issues, such as the
recently identified yellow-legged hornet. The department uses its social
media channels to spread awareness
and remind people to report hornet
sightings via an online form.
An example of a community that
has taken advantage of the Georgia
Grown program is Madison County,
located in northeast Georgia outside
Athens. Danielsville (population
around 700) is the county seat, but
the largest city is Comer, with about
1,500 people— although there are
about 30,000 people spread across
the county. Named for the fourth U.S.
president, it was created in 1811. The
Broad River runs across the county,
making it a great spot for recreation,
and the Watson Mill Bridge (Georgia’s longest covered bridge) spans
nearly a football field across the
South Fork of the Broad.
MADICO MADE
Anna Strickland is the executive director of the Madison County
Chamber of Commerce. Part cheerleader, part community organizer
and part marketing wizard, Strickland credits her 4-H upbringing for
her interest and passion for rural
Georgia. She studied agricultural
communication and agricultural
leadership and has spent her career
working in rural Georgia.
Having seen the success of the