Georgia Farm Bureau celebrates 85 years at convention

Dec. 11—MACON — Some 1,416 Georgia farmers and agribusiness leaders from across the state met on Jekyll Island last week for the 85th annual Georgia Farm Bureau Convention. The three-day event included a trade show, awards presentations, and educational sessions that briefed farmers on policy and production issues affecting Georgia's major commodities.

GFB President Tom McCall delivered his annual address during the general session on Dec. 5. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall, outgoing Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner-elect Tyler Harper also addressed convention attendees.

The convention's "85 Years & Growing" theme highlighted how GFB has given Georgia farmers a united voice in the legislative halls of Atlanta and Washington, D.C., since it was founded in 1937. Convention events also highlighted the leadership development and ag awareness programs the organization's 158 chapter offices and volunteer members hold statewide to prepare the next generation of ag leaders and connect with consumers.

While delivering his annual address, McCall discussed the significant changes Georgia farmers have seen in the past 85 years.

"Our advancement in technology is mind-blowing — from the early days of steel-wheeled tractors, like my granddaddy bought new in 1934, to tractors that drive themselves using Global Positioning System Satellites — technology has improved our lives and made us more efficient and productive." McCall said. "It's hard to grasp what agriculture may look like in 85 years, but I believe strongly that Georgia Farm Bureau must continue our work in making it better, just like those original farmers did for us."

McCall presented Black with a Georgia Farm Bureau honorary lifetime membership in recognition of the many contributions Black made to Georgia agriculture during his 40-year career.

"We appreciate Gary's wife, Lydia, sharing Gary all these years as he worked for Georgia farmers," McCall said. "We thank you, Gary, for everything you have done for Georgia agriculture and wish you the best in the next chapter of your life."

As he took the podium, Kemp acknowledged the importance of Georgia farmers saying, "Agriculture is our No. 1 industry. I know that and won't forget it."

Kemp acknowledged Black's service and said he looks forward to working with Harper.

"Some folks say we've got to keep chopping. Tyler says we've got to keep plowing," Kemp said. "We will continue to make sure Georgia farmers' voices are heard."

The governor reviewed legislative wins Georgia agriculture had in the 2022 General Assembly, including passage of the Right to Farm Act, expanding the ag education program for elementary schools from a pilot program to permanent statewide status, and passing Senate Bill 396, which establishes the framework for Georgia food banks to purchase fresh produce directly from Georgia farmers, Kemp said.

Kemp said the Georgia General Assembly invested $800,000 in the food bank program for the current fiscal year, acknowledging outgoing Rep. Terry England, who chaired the House Appropriations Committee.

"I thank Rep. Terry England for securing these funds," Kemp said. "I want to thank him for his service to Georgia as he retires. It's never a bad thing when a farmer holds the state's purse strings."

Kemp said he and the 2022 general assembly made significant investments in UGA Cooperative Extension and research, ag education, and soil and water conservation programs.

"Farming means business and here in the Peach state — the best place to do business — I want to keep it that way," the governor said. "I still have that chainsaw that Gerald Long gave me here at the 2018 Georgia Farm Bureau convention, and I plan on using it because we have more wood to chop."

Black expressed appreciation for his time in office.

"I'm thankful for the 12 years you've allowed me to serve as your agriculture commissioner," he said.

With his usual dry wit, Black shared lessons he's learned from serving in and running for public office. These lessons included: Be prepared to work hard once you're in office and take responsibility for everything that happens in the office you lead.

"You own everything: not your staff, not your spokesperson and not your political spokesperson," Black said.

He encouraged convention attendees to realize that reporters are people, too.

"I have found in life that if you tell them [reporters] the truth and don't avoid things, amazing things can happen," Black said.

Duvall, a Greene County native, said that while his travels have taken him to state Farm Bureau conventions across the country, he expressed appreciation for GFB's efforts to promote agriculture. During his remarks, he touched on supporting the military, surviving trade wars and the COVID-19 pandemic, waters of the U.S. regulation, labor, input costs, California's Proposition 12 and mental health issues.

Duvall said that looking ahead, one of the biggest challenges is that almost half of Congress — 260 representatives and senators — is either new or has been in office less than four years and has never been part of writing a farm bill. Duvall emphasized that while AFBF can make contacts and present the organization's stance on policy issues, the real power lies in members contacting their members of Congress and sharing how the farm bill has helped them.

"They need to know you are the geniuses, you are the experts," he said. "You are the ones they need to hear it from. Because when you tell them that story, because when we're engaged with Farm bureau at that level, we can make things happen."

Harper said agriculture has great potential and that this is an exciting time for the state's farmers, despite the challenges they face. A seventh-generation farmer from Irwin County, he touted some of agriculture's biggest legislative victories — the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption, Freedom to Farm Act — and stressed that constituent engagement would be key to pushing forward to support Georgia's farmers in other ways.

"We've got to work that together to ensure that agriculture continues to thrive, to ensure that your business and your industry every day continues to thrive," he said, "We can do that as a team."

He praised Georgia Farm Bureau's efforts to affect public policy decisions and legislation and urged GFB members to help by cultivating relationships with lawmakers.

"If you don't know your member of the general assembly, if you don't know your legislator, your state senator or state representative, I want to encourage you to get to know them," Harper said. "Take them out to eat. Get to know them before the session starts in January, because when your public policy staff sends out that alert to you, you can pick up your phone and call your legislator and let them know the issues that you're dealing with because you have that one-on-one relationship."

Harper celebrated Georgia's establishment of elementary school agricultural education programs, noting that Georgia is the first state with ag education available from kindergarten to adulthood, a crucial effort to ensure that agricultural business can thrive and that consumers have a clear understanding on the origins of their food.

In support of education, Harper said it's also essential to continue expansion of broadband internet availability. Harper closed by emphasizing agriculture as a national security issue.

"I don't know about you, but I don't want some foreign entity providing food and fiber and shelter here on our own shores," he said. "I want us to be doing it here at home."

Jekyll Island Authority Executive Director Jones Hooks welcomed GFB to the island and celebrated how the organization's history is closely connected to Jekyll, which is celebrating 75 years of operation under state ownership.

"During your convention, Jekyll Island becomes Farm Bureau Island," Hooks said.

GFB has held its convention on the island since 1961, except for 1963, 1967, 1975 and 2020.

Hooks also emphasized his personal connection with GFB, noting that both of his grandfathers were farmers and his paternal grandfather, V.H. Hooks, was a president of the Emanuel County chapter of United Georgia Farmers, which became Georgia Farm Bureau. Hooks said he and his wife still own a portion of his maternal grandfather's farm in Candler County.