The Winter Farmer Series consisted of in-person networking and educational events hosted at farms across Georgia in February and March. These farmer field days took place in lieu of the annual Georgia Organics Conference & Expo, which has evolved to engage regenerative farm and food advocates across the U.S. Southeastern region under the moniker “SOWTH.”
On February 19, 2024, Georgia Organics kicked off the Winter Farmer Series with a Collective Organic Purchasing and Accessing Organic Markets Organic Growers Farmer Field Day in Keysville, Georgia. This Farmer Field Day, in particular, highlighted the strength that collective farming and selling models have in accessing more markets.
Last May, we engaged multiple organizations for anti-racism audits, ultimately choosing Widerstand Consulting, whose process involves document review and focus groups with staff, board, farmers, and partners to inform necessary changes.
Georgia Organics hosts a series of educational workshops, Organic Growers Farmer Field Days (OGFFDs), as part of the Farmer Services GO Organic! program to provide a portfolio of services geared specifically towards transitioning and Certified Organic farmers.
At Grateful Pastures Farm — the only Certified Organic poultry farm in Georgia — field day attendees took an autumnal farm tour while learning about pasture management and, later, the importance of record keeping.
The Winter Farmer Series consisted of in-person networking and educational events hosted at farms across Georgia in February and March. These farmer field days took place in lieu of the annual Georgia Organics Conference & Expo, which has evolved to engage regenerative farm and food advocates across the U.S. Southeastern region under the moniker “SOWTH.”
On February 19, 2024, Georgia Organics kicked off the Winter Farmer Series with a Collective Organic Purchasing and Accessing Organic Markets Organic Growers Farmer Field Day in Keysville, Georgia. This Farmer Field Day, in particular, highlighted the strength that collective farming and selling models have in accessing more markets.
Georgia Organics hosts a series of educational workshops, Organic Growers Farmer Field Days (OGFFDs), as part of the Farmer Services GO Organic! program to provide a portfolio of services geared specifically towards transitioning and Certified Organic farmers.
This Farmer Field Day, attendees gathered at Bread and Butter Farms in Sparta, GA, to learn about diagnosing engine problems and indulge in some southern style farm-fresh eats at Harvest Kitchen and Market.
By Michael Wall
Michael Wall is Georgia Organics’ Director of Advocacy and previous Director of Farmer Services.
In 2021, the Georgia Organics board of directors passed a Strategic Plan that put the organization on a new path for advocacy, farm policy, and movement building. A new division of Georgia Organics, Farmer Advocacy, was launched in January 2022.
To better understand the policy priorities of our farmers, Georgia Organics Farmer Advocacy, with input from Listen4Good and the Georgia Organics Advocacy and Programs Committee, launched a survey initiative. Over the spring and early summer of 2022, Georgia Organics distributed a survey to more than 1,000 farmers to determine their highest policy priorities.
The results of that survey, featuring the input from 128 organic and sustainable farmers, are below. The survey data has also been published as a report (available here) that has been shared with dozens of advocacy partners and Congressional lawmakers.
Demographic data on the farmers who filled out the survey is also provided at the conclusion of the survey’s results summary below.
(Note: Funding to support the facilitation of this report was received from The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Georgia Organics’ Farmer Advocacy efforts have also received funding from Organic Valley and Farm Aid.)
Rep. Austin Scott, vice chair of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, second from left, with farmer Russell Brydson of Narrow Way Farms, Director of Farmer Advocacy Michael Wall, and Legislative Director Zach Roberts.
The majority of survey participants cited USDA programming on conservation as most important to their farm’s success.
The following statistics reflect the total survey participant responses, ranked by highest to lowest percentages:
USDA Programming on conservation, such as the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS); 58.6%
USDA Programming on crop insurance and access to capital, such as the Farm Service Agency (FSA); 40.23%
Local zoning code and ordinances and code enforcement; 29.89%
State regulations and enforcement; 21.84%
State licensing; 18.39%
National Organic Program (NOP) standards and enforcement; 12.64%
Local licensing; 10.34%
National Organic Program (NOP) organic transitioning support; 8.05%
The majority of survey participants cited USDA offices and Land Grant universities as the two institutions most important to their farm’s success.
The following statistics reflect the total survey participant responses, ranked by highest to lowest percentages:
USDA offices, such as FSA, NRCS; 49.43%
Land Grant universities, because of their research, education, and extension offices; 44.83%
Other farmer services organizations, such as the Southeastern African-American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON), Global Growers, Food Well Alliance, Southwest Georgia Project, etc.; 36.78%
Advocacy groups that address issues such as climate change, soil health, and racial equity; 35.63%
The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA); 33.33%
The majority of survey participants cited healthy soil and access to capital and USDA programs as issues most important to their farm’s success, followed by a tie between conservation programs and land-ownership.
The following statistics reflect the total survey participant responses, ranked by highest to lowest percentages:
Healthy soil; 52.87%
Accessing USDA programs; 42.53%
Access to capital; 32.18%
Climate change; 29.89%
(tie) Conservation programs: access and cost share amounts; 28.74%
(tie) Land-ownership; 28.74%
Health insurance costs and access; 25.29%
Racial equity; 18.39%
Building a statewide sustainable ag policy coalition; 13.79%
Succession planning; 8.05%
Access to land zoned for agriculture; 6.9%
Crop insurance and subsidies; 5.75%
Heirs property issues; 4.6%
POLICY IMPLICATIONS: What We Gathered from Listening to Georgia Farmers
Based on the feedback provided by our farmers, Georgia Organics recommends the following policy shifts:
Increase funding and access to the Farm Bill’s Title II: Conservation section.
Double the cost-share rates for all soil health-related conservation activities and contracts available in the National Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental Quality Improvement Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).
Invest more deeply in organic research, including the SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) program.
Provide training and outreach for Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to ensure equitable access to RMA’s crop insurance programs for small-scale and organic producers.
Ensure organic integrity and a strong organic marketplace by continuously improving the National Organic Program (NOP).
Increase and consolidate the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) organic cost-share reimbursements from two applications capped at $750 to one application capped at $1,500 per farm per year.
Make the recently announced Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) a permanent program.
Allow the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grant funds to be spent on infrastructure needs, such as seeds, inputs, implements, irrigation, harvest bins, and washing stations.
Demographics of Survey Participants
The following statistics reflect the total survey participant responses, ranked by highest to lowest percentages:
The majority of survey participants identified as farm owners. There was a small tie between those identifying as aspiring farmers and farmer support providers.
Farm owner – 77.91%
Farm Manager - 22.09%
Farm Worker – 17.44%
Community organizer – 13.95%
Other – 9.3%
Agricultural educator – 6.98%
Aspire to own farmland – 5.81%
Agricultural researcher – 3.49%
Don’t farm but aspire to (tie) – 2.33%
Farmer support service (tie) – 2.33%
Ag student – 1.16%
The majority of survey participants claimed their main production to be diversified vegetable crops, along with fruits and eggs.
Diversified veg - 78.67%
Fruits – 46.67%
Eggs – 34.67%
Mushrooms – 20%
Goats or other small ruminants for meat – 10.67%
Beef cattle (tie) – 8%
Commodities (tie) – 8%
Chicken for meat – 5.33%
Hogs for meat – 4%
Grains (tie) – 2.67%
Goat milk (tie) – 2.67%
Row crops for livestock feed (tie) – 2.67%
The majority of survey participants claimed to farm on somewhere between less than an acre and 20 acres.
<1 acre – 19.05%
1 to 3 – 17.86%
4 to 10 – 17.86%
10 to 20 – 14.29%
30 to 50 – 9.52%
50 to 100 – 7.14%
100 to 300 – 7.14%
300 to 500 – 2.38%
500 to 1,000 – 3.57%
1,000 to 2,000 – 1.19%
The majority of survey participants identified as ages 35 to 64.
35-44 years – 38.55%
45-54 – 20.48%
55-64 – 15.66%
65-74 – 14.46%%
25-34 – 7.23%
17 or younger – 2.41%
75 or older – 1.20%
18-24 – none
The majority of survey participants identified as white.
White – 65.85%
Black or African American – 25.61% *
Asian or Asian American – 6.10%
Native American or Alaska Native – 6.10%
Hispanic or Latino/a/x – 4.88%
Middle Eastern or North African – 1.22%
*In the U.S., Black farmers make up 1.4 percent of the farming community, and in Georgia, 4 percent, according to the USDA Census of Agriculture.
The majority of survey participants identified as men.
Man – 57.5%
Woman – 41.25%
Non-Binary – 1.25%
The majority of survey participants claimed they were in favor of supporting an advocacy committee and were willing to meet with Georgia-elected officials.
Are willing to support an advocacy committee – 40 farmers
Are willing to meet with state-level elected officials – 38 farmers
Are willing to meet with USDA/GDA officials – 35 farmers
Are willing to meet with federal-level elected officials – 29 farmers
Not interested - 22 farmers
To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn by searching the handle @GeorgiaOrganics or Georgia Organics.
By Michael Wall
Michael Wall is the Director of Advocacy at Georgia Organics.
(Left to right) Director of Advocacy Michael Wall, Farm Manager Logan Petrey of Grimmway Farms, and Rep. Austin Scott, vice chair of the House Ag Committee.
Over the past 12 months, Georgia Organics has traveled to the U.S. Capitol three times to argue for a more organic-friendly Farm Bill. On each of the trips, Georgia Organics brought along farmers who are active advocates for more support for small- to mid-scale sustainable growers.
In all, Georgia Organics, along with farmers Russell Brydson of Narrow Way Farm in McDonough, Ga., Logan Petrey of Grimmway Farms in Lake Park, Ga., and Georgia Organics Board Chair CheFarmer Matthew Raiford of Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, Ga., have met with the following members of Congress, or their legislative staff:
Rep. Austin Scott, R-GA 8th District, Vice Chair of the House Ag Committee
Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-GA, Member of the Senate Ag Committee
Sen. John Boozman, R-AR, Ranking Member Senate Ag Committee
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, Chair of the Senate Ag Committee
Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R- PA 15th District, Chair of the House Ag Committee Chair
Rep. David Scott, D-GA 13th District, Ranking Member of the House Ag Committee
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-GA
Rep. Nikema Williams, D-GA 5th District
Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-GA 2nd District, Member of the House Ag and Appropriations Committees
Almost all of the conversations were civil and respectful, with Congressional members and staff who are working hard for their constituents and the agriculture community.
“One of our top goals during these meetings is to encourage members of Congress and their staff to visit certified organic operations in Georgia, to hear more directly from our farmers and observe their operations firsthand. ”
Georgia Organics, and the farmers with us, pushed for more support for organic and sustainable farmers, especially when it comes to safety nets and risk management, conservation programs operated by the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the needs of farmers who are attempting to transition to organic certification. The trips to Washington, D.C., are made possible because of partnerships and support provided by the Organic Trade Association, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and funding provided by Organic Valley and Farm Aid.
(From left to right) Farmer Julia Asherman of Rag & Frass Farm surveys crops with Sen. Jon Ossoff’s Legislative Correspondent Caroline Li and Legislative Director Anna Cullen.
One of our top goals during these meetings is to encourage members of Congress and their staff to visit certified organic operations in Georgia, to hear more directly from our farmers and observe their operations firsthand.
Two such meetings occurred this Summer. The first was with hosted by farmer Julia Asherman of Rag N Frass Farm in Jeffersonville, Ga., where we met Sen. Ossoff’s Legislative Correspondent Caroline Li and Legislative Director Anna Cullen.
The second on-farm meeting was held at Grimmway Farms with Rep. Austin Scott and farm manager Logan Petrey. Grimmway Farms, with facilities and acreage in Georgia, Florida, California, Washington, and Colorado, operates the largest certified organic farm east of Mississippi, and the largest certified organic carrot farm in the world.
“The trips to Washington, D.C., are made possible because of partnerships and support provided by the Organic Trade Association, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and funding provided by Organic Valley and Farm Aid. ”
The farm tours and discussions led to a deeper understanding of the unique challenges and promising economic opportunities that accompany certified organic production in Georgia.
Most of the obstacles our farmers and ranchers face could be resolved with a Farm Bill that prioritizes soil health and recognizes the multitude of solutions organic farmers provide for battling climate change and preventable, health-related illnesses.
Curious about our current policy priorities? Learn about the importance of the Farm Bill, as dictated by our farmers, here.
To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn by searching the handle @GeorgiaOrganics or Georgia Organics.
By Ain Chiké
Ain is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics. She currently leads progress with connecting farmers and ag workers to Kaiser Bridge Health Insurance and is the creator and manager of the Georgia Organics Apprenticeship Program.
Farming is inherently hard work and managing risk becomes a daily practice. Farm owners who are part of the farm’s labor force cannot afford to take days off due to sudden illness or injury. The time away equates to loss of income and increased medical bills. The same is true of farm workers. In 2017, Georgia Organics partnered with Kaiser Permanente to bring metro Atlanta area farmers affordable healthcare under the Kaiser Permanente Bridge Healthcare Program.
The Kaiser Bridge Program supplies uninsured, low-income individuals and families with subsidized high-level health insurance. This program helps to “bridge” the gap for agricultural workers who do not qualify for Medicaid and find the monthly premiums of the Affordable Care Act burdensome.
“...the coverage limit [of the program] has been expanded beyond the previous two-year coverage rule. ”
Pictured above are some farmers felllowshiping at a tour of Woape Farm (woh-ah-pay) in Houston County. All attendees of our 2023 Georgia Organics Conference in Perry, GA were invited to chose from eight surrounding farms to tour before heading back home. Photo by Jenna Shea Photojournalism.
Since the program’s inception, Georgia Organics has helped over 50 farm owners, farm workers, and their qualified dependents receive healthcare. Our farmers have saved thousands of dollars on unexpected medical fees, follow-up care, and annual physicals. In some cases, participants who would normally ignore a lingering ache, progressive cough, or twisted joint, were able to schedule a visit at a Kaiser Permanente office to receive top tier medical care. This helped them get back on the farm in good physical condition and prevented their ailments from exaggerating.
“Former two-year beneficiaries are encouraged to re-apply through Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.”
LOVE IS LOVE COOPERATIVE FARM, Worker-owners from left to right: Joe Reynolds, Judith Winfrey, Demetrius Milling, Monica Ponce, and Russell Honderd. Photo courtesy of the farmers’ website.
One of our Farmer Members, Hanna Brown, a fifth-year farm worker and current part of the Love is Love farm crew, spoke about an often overlooked benefit of being in the program and insured when she stated that
“…being a part of the Kaiser Bridge Program has greatly improved my peace of mind. With as many healthcare concerns that could come as a direct result of farm work, knowing that I could easily and affordably receive healthcare has been an enormous relief.”
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM?
Eligible individuals:
Farm owners, farmer employees (this includes undocumented workers), agricultural contractors, those who work in forestry, those in a farm mentorship program, etc.
Live or work in Bartow, Butts, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Lamar, Newton, Paulding, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, or Walton counties of Georgia.
Meet annual or monthly income requirements of the program.
Maintain membership with a Georgia Organics or SAAFON for the duration of enrollment.
PROGRAM UPDATES
Past participants and those familiar with the program should be aware that the coverage limit has been expanded beyond the previous two-year coverage rule.
WHEN AND HOW TO APPLY
The upcoming open enrollment period will begin in Nov. 2023 and close in Jan. 2024. Former two-year beneficiaries are encouraged to re-apply through Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.
If you read this article after the deadline, re-apply between Nov. 2023 and Jan. 2024 during the open enrollment period.
New to Kaiser Bridge? Email gofarmerservices@gmail.com to sign-up for open enrollment updates and learn more about the program for you and your farm employees.
READY TO JOIN OR RENEW YOUR GEORGIA ORGANICS MEMBERSHIP TODAY? Find the right membership level for you at www.georgiaorganics.org/membership.
To learn more about Georgia Organics visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube by searching (Georgia Organics).
By Ain Chiké
Ain is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics
On a sunny and moderately breezy morning in June, the Georgia Organics Farmers Services team, representatives from Seven Springs Farm Supply, researchers from the University of Georgia, and over 50 attendees gathered at Crystal Organic Farm in Newborn, GA for a Farmer Field Day to discuss the ins and outs of Integrated Pest Management. The definition of Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, varied from one presenter to the next, but all agreed that it is an environmentally sensitive tiered approach to long-term pest management.
Armed with a bullhorn and a combined lifetime of farming and IPM experience, farm hosts Nicolas Donck and Jeni Jarrard-Donck started the field day farm tour by welcoming participants with a condensed overview of the farm’s thirty-year history as a Certified Organic farm. Once acclimated, participants walked the 30-acre farm and learned more about how their hosts manage insect pests and crop diseases.
IPM is a core pillar of organic farming, and the seasoned growers at Crystal Organic Farm demonstrated this foundational organic principle in their farm planning and systems. Certified Organic farms must have a pest, weed, and disease management plan to comply with the National Organic Program (NOP) standard 205.206. This standard states that Organic growers must use a hierarchical approach to managing pests, weeds, and disease, meaning they must first use prevention practices, then control practices, and as a last resort, input applications may be used. IPM strategies use non-chemical and chemical approaches to suppress and control pest populations. To determine how to respond to an outbreak, farmers using IPM strategies monitor the pest or disease, accurately identify the issue, assess and consider the economic injury threshold (a threshold is the point at which action should be taken), implement a treatment strategy, and evaluate the success of treatments.
Daniel Sweeney of Seven Springs Farm Supply standing in front of aging cucumbers
Photo by Meg Darnell of Georgia Organics
One of the first stops on the tour was a swath of perennial herbs. While taking in the herbs and flowers Jeni explained how this type of planting uses cultural practices and biological control. The native plants encourage beneficial species and predators to remain on the land, helping to keep pesky bugs populations in check. Further down the row, attendees came upon season-extending high tunnels filled with cucumbers in varying degrees of age and health and were asked to determine if the presenting issues were pest or disease-related. Attendees learned from Daniel Sweeney, a Seven Springs Farm Supply crop adviser, that a “pest” is any animal or plant harmful to crops or humans. In this case, the cucumbers were suffering from age and heat. At this point, Nicolas explains that part of his strategy was not spending lots of time keeping the fast-growing, disease prone crop alive past its initial harvest. However, he does use successive plantings to keep a good flow available throughout the growing season. To keep disease from spreading, Nicolas and Jeni’s team harvest the youngest and healthiest fruits first before tending to the older vines.
Within an IPM system, farmers employ multiple tactics and levels of control to reduce crop damage. The IPM control tiers are:
Cultural Practices: Agricultural practices using biodiversity to make the environment less favorable to crop damaging insects and disease. Examples include crop rotation, plant selection, trap crops, and adjusting the timing of planting or harvest. These strategies are considered ‘prevention practices’ in the NOP standard 205.206.
Physical and Mechanical Control: Mulching to suppress splash back from the soil, placing barriers that keep birds or insects out, reducing breeding sites through mowing, and physically removing pests from plants. These strategies are considered ‘control practices’ in the NOP standard 205.206.
Biological Control: Using beneficial predators, parasitoids, pathogens, and plants to combat and control the insect pest, or “bad bug,” population. These strategies are considered ‘control practices’ in the NOP standard 205.206.
Chemical Control: Applying natural or synthetic chemical substances to repel or eradicate pests. This is usually a last resort as chemical control can affect the beneficials within the area. Pheromone disruptors or specialized bacteria like Bacillus Thuringiensis (B.T.) are specialized means of control that target a specific type of pest. These strategies are considered ‘input applications’ in the NOP standard 205.206. Certified Organic and transitioning to Organic growers should verify that any synthetic inputs they use are included on the National list of synthetic substances allowed for use in Organic crop production.
Photo by: Alena Ivakhnenko of Seven Spring Farm Supply
As the tour continued, the group split in two. Jeni took one group to learn more about various herbs and their medicinal properties, while others went with Nicolas to learn more about crop production and management.
As the sun began to make its presence known, everyone settled in the shade and recharged with a delicious lunch from Taqueria El Futuro. Following the intermission, UGA professor and entomologist Dr. Jason Schmidt, presented on how to deal with insects through identification and learning about their life cycles. Knowing when a pest population will peak and what it likes to eat is instrumental in crop planning. Dr. Henry Sintim, a UGA professor in the Crop & Soil Sciences department, followed with an impassioned speech about the necessities of soil fertility and nutrient management. He performed a percolation test which he mentioned is one of the fundamental keys to determining if your soil will allow water to penetrate and move through the medium, and it evaluates the ability of the soil to absorb nutrients. Last but certainly not least, the final presenter Daniel Sweeney, gave insight into the services that Seven Spring Farm Supply provides and an overview of foundational and practical integrated pest management.
As the day wrapped up, attendees left with their heads full of information on how to tackle the issues presented within their growing operations, equipped with a multitude of different IPM strategies to quell the influx of pests that routinely visit their crops.
RESOURCES
To learn more about Integrated Pest Management, visit the University of Georgia IPM handbook for home and commercial growers.
Curious about performing a percolation test? Follow these step-by-step directions
Visit the Seven Springs Farm Supply website to view their pest management solutions and check out their field day recap blog!
Access the Farmer Field Day presentations by Dr. Jason Schmidt, Dr. Henry Sintim, and Daniel Sweeney via Google Drive here.
Are you transitioning to Organic Certification and have questions about IPM or the other NOP standards Organic growers have to adhere to? Visit Georgia Organics’ GO Organic! page for resources and more information on receiving one-on-one technical assistance.
Are you a current Certified Organic grower in Georgia? Visit Georgia Organics’ GO Organic! page for cost-share resources and more information on joining the Georgia Certified Organic Network (GCON).
By Kimberly Koogler, with contributions from Ben Sterling, Meg Darnell, and Lauren Cox
Kimberly Koogler is Georgia Organics’ Community Collaborations Manager, Lauren Cox is the Farmer Services Director, and Meg Darnell is a Farmer Services Coordinator. Ben Sterling is McIntosh SEED’s Program Manager.
Everyone gathered in the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative. Photo by Lauren Cox.
In mid-April, when spring was still feeling like spring and not yet like summer, the Georgia Organics Farmer Services and Community Collaborations teams and McIntosh SEED brought a group of about 30 Southeast GA farmers together at the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative in Glennville, GA for a full farmer field day all about conservation programs and crop rotation systems. Georgia Organics has been making concerted efforts to engage farms outside of the metro-Atlanta area, and this instance proved to be even more successful and rewarding than we could have hoped.
Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative tour. Photo by Meg Darnell.
Ben Sterling of McIntosh SEED speaking at the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative. (Left to right) Kimberly Koogler and Meg Darnell of Georgia Organics. Photo by Lauren Cox.
Our gracious hosts at the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative gave us a tour of their farm and facilities and shared with us the history of their Cooperative, their process for getting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified, as well as their hopes and concerns about there being young people to take over operations and keep the Cooperative running and consistently producing and selling.
Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative processing facilities. Photo by Lauren Cox.
Everyone partook in a delicious lunch catered by local restaurant Sho’ Nuff Smokin’ Good BBQ. While folks ate, Farmer Services Director Lauren Cox went over the tiers of farmer services available to growers through Georgia Organics; Meg Darnell of Georgia Organics and Ben Sterling of McIntosh SEED introduced an exciting, new Climate Smart Farmer Program available to Black growers in Southeast GA through funding that the two organizations just received from Drawdown Georgia; Connie Oliver of WayGreen presented about the Family Farm Share program, what it currently looks like in Waycross, and their need for more growers as they expand into neighboring counties; and Mr. Charlie Grace of NRCS explained and answered growers’ questions about NRCS programs and services.
Daniel Parson of Oxford Farm at Emory presenting at the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative. Photo by Lauren.
To finish out the day, Daniel Parson of Oxford Farm at Emory University presented a crop rotation workshop in which he provided a tried-and-true crop rotation system for growers to use on their own farms. Each farm also received a certified scale, a soil testing probe, a crop rotation guidebook for organic farms, and two rolls of 83”x250’ Agribon-30 row cover to take back to their farms.
Key takeaways from this gathering:
Two communities of growers from the region came together to learn about things that can help all of their unique farming operations.
This gathering was rich in diversity of farms and people in terms of race, age (small children to 80+ were involved), diversity of crops grown and held certifications, and backgrounds of farms (homesteaders to generational farming).
NRCS representative, Charlie Grace was able to provide a level of transparency that some farmers had not yet been exposed to about NRCS programs.
Networking of farms in the Southeast is said to be “rare”, according to a couple of farmers in attendance, and they seem to be hungry for more of it. In other words, more opportunities like this, please!
The crop rotation workshop gave context to and details about the importance of and science behind participating in this conservation practice.
The participants went home with many valuable supplies, including Agribon row cover, soil testing probes, certified scales, and crop rotation guidebooks.
The Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative, of which Common Market Southeast is currently a customer, strives for consistency and quality in all of their products, which include collard greens, squash and zucchini, peas, melons, and more. Their growers recognize a need for young people to join as they head into the future.
Sho’ Nuff Smokin’ Good BBQ sho’ nuff makes some smokin’ good BBQ!
To learn more about McIntosh SEED, visit mcintoshseed.org or follow them on Facebook facebook.com/mcintosh.seed.5 and Instagram @mcintoshseed.
To learn more about Georgia Organics visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube by searching (Georgia Organics).
By Lydia Hsu
Lydia Hsu is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics.
The Farmer Services team here at Georgia Organics is excited to formally introduce the farmers in the 2022-2024 Accelerator cohort!
The Georgia Organics Accelerator Program combines expert coaching with tailored on-farm investments to grow the vitality and resiliency of Georgia farms and improve the quality of life for farmers.
The seven farms selected for the 2022-2024 cohort are all doing incredible work to grow their farm products and businesses, sustainably and organically. Each farm was chosen based on their proposed utilization of the program, which includes identifying three focus goals and one in-hand resource that the farms work towards achieving and completing by the end of the program.
The Farmer Services team is working closely with each farm to develop their goals and in-hand resource, and to support them over the next two years as they execute their Accelerator plan. We have a robust directory of coaches that will be working hand-in-hand with the farmers to provide technical assistance, guidance, and training on a vast array of topics that help them with long-term farm business planning. In-hand resources can look like a Soil Fertility plan, a Food Safety plan, a Labor plan, a Transition plan, and more!
The coaches will also advise farmers on how to maximize their Accelerator funding for their strategic capital investments. This funding can be applied towards farm expenses — including on-farm infrastructure, labor, healthcare, and marketing.
Accelerator Coaches, Case Managers, and Farmers mingle at December 2022 Networking Session. Photo by M.F. Espinoza (@healianthusfarms).
In addition to the individual support farmers receive from coaches and case managers, a key part of the Accelerator program is the cohort community itself, and the peer-to-peer connections the program provides space for. The farmers have the opportunity to participate in networking sessions with their fellow cohort members, as well as Accelerator alumni farmers. These networking opportunities, hosted by Georgia Organics both online and in-person throughout the year, allow the cohort to learn from each other, discuss the Accelerator program together, and connect with other Georgia farmers while visiting each other's farms. Our hope is that these networking sessions become an invaluable way to grow community and friendships with other farmers.
The seven farms in the 2022-2024 cohort are located across the state of Georgia and range from diversified vegetable operations to fiber and livestock farms. Without further ado, here are the 2022-2024 Accelerator farmers!
Andrew Douglas and family of Crossroad Farm and Garden. Photo credit: Southern Soil.
Crossroad Farm and Garden (Facebook, Instagram)
Andrew Douglas | Alma, GA
Crossroad Farm and Garden is a Certified Naturally Grown farm owned and operated by Andrew Douglas. The farm uses sustainable practices to cultivate the soil and grow vegetables, herbs, and fruits. As a member of WayGreen, a local food coalition in southeast Georgia, the farm provides food for the community through the Family Farm Share program in Waycross.
Brendan Gannon of Gannon Organics. Photo credit: Gannon Organics.
Gannon Organics (Facebook, Instagram)
Brendan Gannon | Savannah, GA
Gannon Organics was founded by Brendan Gannon in December 2019. The operation is a 4-acre sustainable and diversified vegetable farm serving Savannah, GA. Brendan has been farming organically for over a decade, uses 100% organic methods to grow his produce, and uses cover cropping and field rotation as means for a regenerative growing environment.
Keisha and Warren Cameron of High Hog Farm. Photo credit: High Hog Farm.
High Hog Farm (Facebook, Instagram)
Keisha and Warren Cameron | Grayson, GA
High Hog Farm is run by returning generation farmers Keisha and Warren Cameron. They officially started cultivating the land in 2014, regenerating the soil, and quickly becoming students of permaculture, agroecology, and indigenous practices. They produce locally grown fibers and plant-based dyes from heritage breed sheep, rabbits, and heirloom seeds.
Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington of Phoenix Gardens. Photo credit Kayla Williams.
Phoenix Gardens (Facebook)
Gwendolyn and Brennan Washington | Lawrenceville, GA
Phoenix Gardens was started in 2006 and is owned and operated by Gwendolyn and Brennan Washington. The farm is Certified Naturally Grown and uses sustainable methods to grow vegetables, herbs, and fruits. The farm has been a mainstay in Gwinnett County for over fifteen years, hosting farm tours and educational events for the community.
Stephanie Simmons of PolyCulture Production at Gaia Gardens. Photo credit: Food Well Alliance.
PolyCulture Production at Gaia Gardens (Instagram)
Stephanie Simmons | Decatur, GA
Stephanie Simmons started PolyCulture Production at Gaia Gardens in 2022. With 2.5 acres in production, Stephanie grows a variety of vegetables and fruits organically. The farm focuses on soil health as the foundation for plant, community, and cultural health and on mimicking the biodiversity of nature by producing multiple crops in the same space.
Ashley Rodgers of Rodgers Greens and Roots Organic Farm. Photo credit: Rodgers Greens and Roots Organic Farm.
Rodgers Greens and Roots Organic Farm (Facebook, Instagram)
Ashley Rodgers | Douglasville, GA
Rodgers Greens and Roots Organic Farm is a Certified Organic farm owned and operated by Ashley Rodgers on 64 acres of historic farmland along the Chattahoochee River. Currently, 15 acres are under cultivation; 10 acres in vegetables, and 5 acres in perennial fruit orchards. The farm’s growing style is medium-scale and sustainable practices are the backbone of the farm.
Rahul Anand of Snapfinger Farm. Photo credit: Snapfinger Farm.
Snapfinger Farm (Facebook, Instagram)
Rahul Anand | Covington, GA
Rahul Anand started Snapfinger Farm in 2016, when he took horse pastures and turned them into vegetable fields, built a walk-in cooler, wash station, hoop houses, and more. The farm is Certified Naturally Grown and uses sustainable growing methods. The farm expanded onto a new property in 2022 and will be scaling up from 2.5 acres to 30 acres of production.
JOIN US IN WELCOMING THE NEW COHORT OF ACCELERATOR FARMS!
GIVE THEM A FOLLOW AND SHARE THE LOVE AS WE LAUNCH A GREAT YEAR.
MAP OF CURRENT & ALUMNI ACCELERATOR FARMS
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Our full suite of programs and services is accessible to our Farmer Members at no additional cost and can be discovered by visiting farmerservices.georgiaorganics.org. Not a member yet? Visit georgiaorganics.org/membership to become a member today!
By Meg Darnell
Meg Darnell is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics .
Want to know how you can help support our GA farmers? Building resiliency against climate change is a great place to start.
Do your part by ensuring your local farmer can supply the community with fresh, local produce and meat. Click here to learn more about The Farmer Fund and how to invest in farmers—when they need it most.
All photos by M.F. Espinoza, Georgia Organics 2022-23 Communications Fellow.
On Oct. 31, 2022, Georgia Organics hosted over 25 participants at 3 Porch Farm in Comer, GA, for a farmer field day.
The event centered on the many benefits of on-farm solar energy and conservation projects for climate change resiliency. Mandy and Steve O'Shea, owners of the farm, jumped right into things. Informed by their experience, they shared how to best source and install solar panels on a farm. The O'Sheas also covered how the USDA Rural Energy for America (REAP) grant and the Federal Tax Credit offset the cost of their solar installation. The farm owners even shared their breakdown of associated costs and savings to detail how farmers in attendance could follow the process.
Mandy and Steve discussed the many conservation projects 3 Porch Farm has implemented with the assistance of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Specifically, we discussed how the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was a valuable resource for the farm. NRCS agent, Bryan Barrett, was also on hand to explain the program and how to apply.
We organized the field day so attendees would leave with the following:
A better understanding of solar-power benefits for a nine-acre, Georgia farm
How this solar-based sustainable operation does/doesn’t translate to their farm
Examples of real on-farm solar projects, funded through the REAP grant
An outline of considerations, costs, challenges, and best practices for installing solar
How to apply for the REAP grant & Federal solar tax credit
Examples of on-farm infrastructure, funded through the EQIP grant
An understanding of EQIP’s High Tunnel Initiative
Knowing if they qualify for EQIP and, if so, what projects to select
An open-ended barn at 3 Porch Farm (Athens, GA). Built by farm owners Mandy and Steve O-Shea, the barn doubles as a covered storage area and solar array system.
We began our field day under an open-sided barn built by Mandy and Steve. The do-it-yourself project was inspired by their desire to cover farm equipment and provide roof space to install a solar array system. Thanks to their ingenuity, we were able to stay out of the rain and take turns introducing ourselves; attendees were primarily farmers — some traveling from hours away.
As the rain let up, we ventured into the fields. There, participants discovered how sustainability is woven into everything Mandy and Steve do at 3 Porch Farm. They discussed their journey of transitioning from selling in-person at farmers markets to selling online and providing nationwide shipping.
They spoke with a climate-science professor who informed them that the carbon footprint of shipping was much lower than they previously thought, so they were able to move past some preconceived notions and pivot their whole business model.
The O’Sheas explained how they choose to ensure the offset of their carbon footprint by using all biodegradable/recyclable packaging and rounding up their mileage, paying 1.5 times in carbon offsets.
Guineafowl (also known as Guinea hen or original fowl) are native to the Western region of Africa and rank among the oldest of the landfowl birds.
Their flock of guinea hens joined us briefly, a pleasant surprise, so Mandy and Steve took the opportunity to explain the fowls’ presence as organic pest control, more specifically, tick eradication. Our hosts explained that the guinea hens allow them and their employees to work in the fields without the stress of contracting tick-borne illnesses. They went on to share their philosophy on employing workers, providing them with a living wage, year-round work, and health benefits to support high employee retention.
The O’Sheas were able to secure installation of their high tunnel systems with funding from an EQIP initiative. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program is accessible through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
We meandered on a path through the farm’s different growing fields, stopping next to one of 3 Porch’s many high tunnels made possible through EQIP’s high tunnel initiative. Mandy explained that they added extra trusses and propane heaters with temperature sensors to the tunnels to mitigate damage from snow storms or sudden cold fronts with freezing temperatures.
Bryan Barrett, NRCS agent (pictured far right) attended our Farmer Field Day in Comer, GA. Above, he shares details about EQIP’s struggle to keep up with US economic inflation. Farmer Russell Brydson (pictured far left) of Narrow Way Farm in McDonough, GA shares his experience navigating farm life post-2020.
They explained that the cost of high tunnel additions is offset by the standing protection they offer against chaotic weather. Since a single, sudden storm or cold front has the capability to impact the entire farm, the O’Sheas learned that having year-round protection is essential to crop retention. We spent some time discussing how prices for high tunnels have gone up dramatically in the past ten years. Bryan Barrett, an NRCS agent, joined us and explained that the EQIP program has not increased its cost share accordingly. EQIP reimbursement to farmers approved for the program in 2012 was around 75 percent of the cost. Today, reimbursement rates have dipped to around 50 percent. In light of the increased cost and smaller reimbursement rate, Mandy and Steve remained firm in their positive endorsement of the benefit of high tunnels.
3 Porch Farm’s four-stall compost barn sits amongst a small bamboo forest.
We left the high tunnel and headed to the compost barn, another conservation project that the NRCS supported. The barn helps organize waste, turn it when necessary, and produce quality compost that goes back into their soil, improving its health.
The tour concluded back at their old packing barn, where Steve broke down the cost of their most recent solar energy project, completed in 2019 — totaling a sizable 13kW power supply. They have completed five solar array projects in all, including rooftop panels on the barn, workshop, lumber/tractor shed, and parking structure. This comes to 36.5kw that powers the whole farm, producing twice the amount of energy needed so they can sell power back to the grid at a profit. They explained that between installing the solar themselves, taking advantage of the USDA’s REAP program and the federal tax credit, the return on investment was as little as 1 to 2 years. In addition, they benefit from a 80 percent reduction of their energy bill, plus, the ability to profit from selling the excess energy they produce. You can see the cost analysis from Mandy and Steve O’Shea of 3 Porch Farm below, along with links to all other shared resources from our field day.
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