Author Archives: John Holcomb

Georgia’s Right to Repair Law Gives Farmers More Control Over Equipment Ahead of Harvest

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Albany, GA |

For Georgia farmers, equipment downtime is both frustrating and expensive — which is why new Right to Repair legislation is a welcome development with harvest season just around the corner. Under the new law, John Deere, which holds more than half of the large tractor market, will grant independent mechanics access to electronic repair tools and diagnostic software. It’s a necessary step given just how sophisticated modern farm equipment has become.

“The MOU simply allows independent mechanics or a farmer to have access to the computer and understand what the codes mean so that we can repair our own equipment,” said Clay Pirkle, President of Georgia State Inspection Services. “The problem for farmers is it can be something as simple as a two-dollar sensor. But unless you have the diagnostic ability to identify what the problem is, you can’t repair it. And most of the problems we see on the equipment are somewhat minor.”

MORE OPTIONS MEAN LOWER COSTS AND FASTER FIXES

Having more people qualified to work on their equipment will benefit Georgia farmers on two fronts: more competitive repair rates and, equally important, fewer delays.

“When you increase the universe of people that can repair your equipment, two things happen. One, it will happen cheaper — prices to the consumer always fall. And just as important as being competitively priced is the time factor,” Pirkle said.

TIMING COULDN’T BE BETTER

The legislation comes at a critical moment for growers who are about to push their tractors to the limit during harvest — the narrowest, highest-stakes window of the entire farming year.

“As farmers, we have a perishable product and a narrow window to get the crop out. I cannot afford a two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar piece of equipment to sit during the biggest part of the year that I need it,” Pirkle said. “When I have this window to harvest a perishable crop — the most important time of the entire year — I cannot have that equipment down.”

RELIEF ON ONE FRONT IN A TOUGH YEAR

The stakes are even higher considering how much money Georgia producers have invested in their crops — and how hard rising input costs have squeezed margins throughout 2026.

“The price for fertilizer, chemicals, diesel — everything we purchase has gone up. And everything we sell has gone down. Margins are squeezed,” Pirkle said. “We could use relief on many fronts. But this is a good start.”

For Georgia’s farmers, the Right to Repair legislation won’t solve every problem facing the industry — but heading into harvest season, having more control over their own equipment is a step in the right direction.

By: Damon Jones

Tunnel Hill Farm Camp Is Teaching Kids Where Their Food Really Comes From

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Tunnel Hill, GA |

It started simply enough — a few friends visiting the farm, playing with the cows, and asking if they could come back and do it again. For Lyla Beckler, that was all the inspiration she needed. What grew out of those visits is a summer farm camp in Tunnel Hill built around one core idea: showing kids what agriculture really looks like up close.

“We wanted to show kids what it’s like to live on a farm and why agriculture is so important. We have a couple of farm animals on our farm, so we talk about each type of animal — plus a few others we may not have — and we do a lot of garden activities, just trying to get the majority of agriculture in its entirety,” Beckler said.

CHANGING THE WAY KIDS THINK

The lessons Beckler and her family put together are intentionally hands-on. The goal isn’t just to teach kids facts about farming — it’s to shift the way they think about the everyday things they may never have questioned before.

“We like to really focus on how much work farmers put into stuff that we use every day. We ask kids, ‘Where do we get our fruits and vegetables from?’ — and they’ll say the grocery store or Walmart. And we do, but there’s a lot behind that,” Beckler said. “We want to make sure kids understand what the people are doing behind the scenes when we’re using everyday things.”

YOU CAN SEE IT HAPPENING

Based on what Beckler has seen so far, the message is getting through. By the end of each camp session, she can already see a shift in how the kids talk — and think — about the world around them.

“This morning we were talking about what animals provide for us, and they were able to answer without us even bringing it up,” she said. “Seeing kids at the beginning of the week not really knowing anything about agriculture, to the end loving it and wanting to tell me everything they’ve learned — it’s really cool to see the kids excited about farming.”

WHAT THE KIDS DON’T SEE

What campers experience during their week, however, is only a fraction of what it takes to make it all happen. While camp runs for a short stretch, the farm itself never takes a day off. Long before any camper arrives — and long after they leave — the animals still need feeding, the garden still needs tending, and the work continues just the same.

“We start out planning everything — we try to do things that kids will remember, make snacks that incorporate the animals we’re learning about, and get our gardens ready. We even have to get certain animals sometimes because we like them small for the kids,” Beckler said. “It really takes a lot all year long. Feeding animals in the cold every morning and every night — the kids don’t see that, but we do it. It takes a lot.”

For Beckler, that invisible effort is part of the point. The farm camp isn’t just about one week of fun — it’s about planting something that lasts. And for the kids who leave knowing a little more about where their food comes from, it clearly does.

By: John Holcomb

Flint Energies Safety Expert Urges Georgia Farmers to Stay Alert Around Power Lines

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Marshallville, GA |

Farmers deal with enough pressure every season — rising costs, unpredictable weather, the constant push to get the job done and stay profitable. But amid all of that, one important hazard can easily be overlooked. Brad Knowles, Manager of Safety and Loss Control for Flint Energies, is urging farmers not to let familiarity breed complacency — because on a farm, that’s often when accidents happen.

“When you’ve got a harvest going on or a bunch of sod that needs to be picked up, you’ve got a lot of things on your mind. Overhead power lines might not be one of them — especially if it’s a line that was just built a month ago and isn’t something you’re used to,” Knowles said.

WHEN FAMILIARITY BECOMES A RISK

Knowles has seen firsthand how quickly a routine task can turn dangerous. One case he returns to often involves a truck driver who had worked the same stretch of road for years — until the lines shifted slightly.

“He had dealt with that road for years, but the lines had shifted just a little too far toward the road. When he raised the bed of the truck, it hit our three-phase power line — it caused damage to the truck, blew out the tires, broke some of the trailer mounts, and did damage to the electronics,” Knowles said. “Luckily, our protective devices opened up, the line was knocked off, and everything was okay.” The farmer walked away unharmed — but it didn’t have to end that way.

Not every incident has that outcome. Knowles references one especially sobering case in his safety presentations.

“A little girl climbed on top of a pivot and came into contact with an overhead power line. It ended up being a fatality — and it’s awful,” he said.

WATCH WHAT’S OVERHEAD — AND UNDERFOOT

Overhead power lines aren’t the only concern. Flint Energies recently finished installing more than 2,000 miles of fiber across their system — lines that hang lower than traditional power lines and weren’t there before.

“We’ve had tractors get into wires, and we’ve also had irrigation systems where the stop didn’t work. By the time we got called out, the irrigation system had almost flipped — it was caught on our wire,” Knowles said.

Underground utilities present their own risks, especially after erosion or washouts alter the depth of buried lines.

“You really don’t think about underground safety much, but if we have wires underground that used to be four feet deep and a washout brings them to two feet deep, whenever someone goes to plow, they can get into our wire,” Knowles said.

NEW EQUIPMENT, NEW CLEARANCE ISSUES

Another often-overlooked hazard: new farm equipment is frequently taller than what a farmer previously operated — meaning lines that were never a problem before suddenly are.

“You buy new equipment and it’s taller. Those lines that you might have always made it under, you might not make it under this time,” Knowles said.

He also cautions against piling dirt beneath power lines, which gradually reduces clearance over time. As grass grows over the mounds, the reduced clearance becomes invisible — but the danger doesn’t go away.

COMMUNICATION IS THE BEST TOOL

Knowles says the farmers in his service area generally do a good job of communicating with the co-op when they’re working near lines — and he points to a recent example where a farm needed to move a grain bin that didn’t have clearance beneath an existing power line.

“They called us, and we came out and lifted the power lines probably fifteen feet or more so they could get underneath with the excavator that was holding part of the silo,” he said. “That’s exactly what we want.”

What Knowles doesn’t want is the alternative: someone hitting a guy wire, a pole, or a line and not reporting it — leaving a compromised structure in the field until something worse happens.

“People will hit our guy wires that hold back our poles and won’t tell us. Without that guide wire holding back the strain, if it breaks, the pole’s going to lean — and when it leans, that wire sags. People have run into lines exactly like that,” he said.

His message to farmers is simple: if something doesn’t look right, make the call.

“We’re here for them. If something doesn’t look right, call us. We’ll come out and check it out,” Knowles said.

By: Jennifer Parson

Franklin County’s Garren Hall Wins GFB Hay Contest and a Year With a New Vermeer Rake

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Carnesville, GA |

In Franklin County recently, hard work and dedication were getting their due reward. Garren Hall, winner of the Georgia Farm Bureau Hay Contest, was being shown the ropes of his new Vermeer rake — the grand prize for a competition that has long encouraged friendly rivalry and high-quality forage production across the state.

“The Georgia Farm Bureau Hay Contest really helps farmers lean on each other and develop the best management practices for forage production in Georgia. Farmers submit samples and get back the nutritional value of their hay — that way they can see what management practices are working well for them and what they can do to improve quality. Better hay leads to better animals,” said Eliza Jane Glover, Agricultural Programs Specialist with Georgia Farm Bureau.

A LONG TIME COMING

Hall has been entering the contest for years, coming close multiple times without taking the top prize. But through it all, quality has remained at the center of every decision made on his operation — and this year, that commitment finally paid off.

“We’ve had a lot of second and third place finishes. I think we’ve got three of the Farm Bureau coolers, but this is the first year we’ve actually topped out and got the grand prize,” Hall said. “High quality hay is really important to us. We’ll even cut our hay a little bit earlier before a rain rather than waiting until after — even though we get a little more quantity by waiting, we don’t have quite the quality. We prefer to cut every twenty-eight days, and it takes two inches of rain to make a cutting every twenty-eight days.”

A PRIZE BUILT TO MAKE FARMING EASIER

Along with the title, Hall took home the use of a Vermeer high-capacity rake for one year — a piece of equipment that reflects everything the Vermeer brand has stood for since its founding.

“Vermeer was started to make things easier for the farmer. In the late seventies, Gary Vermeer invented the round bale after hearing a farmer talk about how hard it was getting their hay up. His iconic saying was that ‘we’ve got to make this easier’ — and that is one of our driving pillars: making things simpler for the farmer,” said Daniel Elliott, Territory Manager for Vermeer.

That philosophy is built into the design of this rake, which stretches to a twenty-eight-foot working width — allowing operators to cover more ground with fewer passes through the field.

“That wide width means traveling through the field fewer times, which is better for fuel costs and better for your grass — less tracking means it recovers a lot faster after the cut,” Elliott said. “And the hydraulic suspension adjusts to the terrain as it goes, so it really doesn’t miss any spaces even at that width.”

For Hall, the win is validation of years of consistent management and a commitment to doing things right — even when cutting a little early costs a little yield. For Georgia’s hay producers, it’s a reminder that in forage, quality and consistency almost always win in the end.

By: John Holcomb

USDA Secretary Rollins Visits Carroll County Sod Farm, Announces Georgia Joins Interstate Meat Shipping Agreement

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Whitesburg, GA |

The nation’s top agricultural official recently paid a visit to one of the country’s premier sod farms in Carroll County, joining state leaders for a roundtable discussion and farm tour. For U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, it was both a unique and gratifying experience — and one that came with a significant announcement for Georgia’s cattle and meat processing industries.

“For you, Mr. McQuarter, and your family — to see and live and experience what you have built here — this is the American Dream, sir, and you have lived it in full,” Rollins said during the visit. “In the year and a half I’ve been in office, this is the first sod farm I’ve been able to visit and understand just how really important this work is to our country.”

A MAJOR WIN FOR GEORGIA MEAT PROCESSORS

With Carroll County being the state’s second leading cattle-producing county, it made for the perfect backdrop for a major policy announcement: Georgia has finalized a Cooperative Interstate Shipment agreement with the USDA, allowing state-inspected meat processors to sell their products across state lines for the first time.

“Georgia has just become the eleventh state to enter a Cooperative Interstate Shipment agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This means that Georgia’s state-inspected meat processors can now ship their products across state lines using the USDA seal of inspection — without cutting any corners or sacrificing any food safety standards,” Rollins said. “This is a huge opportunity for the twenty-three state-inspected plants here in Georgia and certainly for the Georgia cattlemen that rely on those twenty-three plants.”

BREAKING THE BIG FOUR’S GRIP

The announcement carries particular weight for an industry in which just four major companies currently process eighty-five percent of the nation’s meat supply — two of them foreign-owned. The new agreement opens up fresh markets for small and mid-size processors and the producers who depend on them.

“The cattle industry across the nation has been faced with four major processors, only two of which are owned by U.S. producers — the others are foreign owned,” said State Representative Jutt Howard of District 71. “This announcement allows two hundred and forty small and medium-sized processors in Georgia to ship their products around the nation. Getting back to the small American producer — that’s what helps our state and helps everyone in this nation with food security.”

HEARING FROM THE GROUND UP

Beyond the announcement, the visit gave Secretary Rollins an opportunity to hear directly from state leaders and producers about the challenges facing Georgia agriculture — from poultry and cattle to the timber industry that underpins much of rural West Georgia’s economy.

“Poultry, cattle, and the timber industry are such an important part of the number one industry in our county,” Howard said. “There was a keen focus and sincere determination from the Secretary to listen to farmers — to get back to the producers and what makes American producers successful, which will ultimately make American agriculture successful.”

For Georgia’s cattlemen and small meat processors, the Cooperative Interstate Shipment agreement represents more than a policy change — it’s a new door opening at a time when the industry needs it most.

By: Damon Jones

Southern Peanut Growers Conference 2026: Progress, Technology, and the Next Generation

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Panama City Beach, FL |

For peanut farmers, the future isn’t some distant idea. It’s something they plan for every single day — navigating rising costs, shifting weather, and a constant stream of new technology. The decisions made today will help determine what the next generation of peanut farming looks like. And while the challenges are real, so is the progress.

That progress was on full display at the 2026 Southern Peanut Growers Conference, where researchers, producers, and industry leaders gathered to share the data, the tools, and the hard-won knowledge that is pushing peanut production to levels once thought unreachable.

YIELDS THAT WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE POSSIBLE

“Look at where we’ve been from 2012 all the way out to 2025 — significant improvements in yield every year,” said Marshall Lamb of the USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory. “I asked one of our elder gentlemen earlier: back in the early nineties, did you ever think the United States would be averaging right at four thousand pounds to the acre? And he said, ‘No, I would have never believed that.’ But we’ve done it. It’s good research, good extension, our private sector partners, and good farmers implementing technology on their farms.”

Technology is poised to take things even further. Simer Virk, Precision Agriculture Specialist at Auburn University, says the next wave is already approaching.

“Autonomous operations and machinery in agriculture — it’s a big thing right now, and we’re going to start seeing a lot more autonomous tractors and implements over the next three to five years,” Virk said. “Hopefully the field will continue to grow and, with all the technology excitement, even bring some younger farming generations back on the farms or help them adopt new technologies.”

NOT A SILVER BULLET — AN EDGE

After two days on the ground in Panama City Beach, one thing stood out: there was no single conversation happening. One room focused on disease management, another on markets, another on new equipment. But no one was looking for a miracle fix. They were looking for an edge — whether that came from a new peanut variety, a better spray program, more accurate weather data, or simply learning from another grower’s experience. In today’s farm economy, sometimes the smallest advantage makes the biggest difference.

TAKING CARE OF THE FARMER, TOO

While most conversations in Panama City centered on production, markets, and profitability, this year’s keynote speaker took the discussion in a different direction. Florida farmer and national mental health advocate Marshal Sewell reminded growers that during tough times, taking care of themselves is just as important as taking care of the farm.

“I think we’ve actually been making progress in terms of having more conversations around these difficult and even uncomfortable topics, and we need to continue having those open conversations — being upfront about the reality of our situations, understanding what one another is going through, and checking in on each other,” Sewell said. “It is a beautiful life, but it also comes with challenges, difficulties, and stresses. Who better understands those than other farmers and other farm families? So really rallying around that and joining together — remembering that we can support one another.”

RESPECT FOR WHAT CAME BEFORE

Eventually, all of the big-picture discussions find their way back to the farm — where every decision has a cost, every acre matters, and every generation hopes to leave the land better than they found it. For fifth-generation Georgia farmer Adam Curles of Mitchell County, that responsibility is personal.

“There are many things my granddad did, many things my dad did — it goes back through the generations before them. There are so many pieces to the puzzle that got us to where we are, and I have a lot of respect for that because there was a lot of hard work, a lot of determination, a lot of money spent,” Curles said. “We really need to respect what the generations before us have done, because if it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t have anything to go with in the first place.”

Like so many young producers, Curles is learning to balance that tradition with innovation — respecting the lessons passed down, while embracing the research and new ideas that will keep the farm strong for the future.

“Every year is a different challenge. You’ve got different storms, insects, diseases — what happens this year isn’t going to happen next year. So there’s always this big hope that next year is going to be better,” Curles said. “And it always is that way.”

The challenges facing peanut farmers aren’t going away. But after spending time with the people helping shape this industry, one thing became clear: the future of peanut farming won’t be built by any one discovery, any one policy, or any one conference. It will be built by farmers willing to learn, adapt, and keep moving forward.

By: Ray D’Alessio

Georgia Farmland Conservation Program Gives Farming Families a Way to Protect Land Forever

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Hawkinsville, GA |

Since 1985, Georgia has lost at least one and a half million acres of working and wild lands to development — and that pressure isn’t slowing down. For farming families who have worked the same ground for generations, the threat of losing that land for good is very real. According to Katherine Moore, President of the Georgia Conservancy, the stakes for Georgia’s agricultural economy couldn’t be higher.

“The predominant landscape in our state is, in fact, working lands. We have over twenty-two million acres in forestry and about ten million acres in working farms — that is by far the bulk of our state’s land,” Moore said. “Our working lands are the factory floor. If we do not have these acres protected and operated by good stewards, then we’re not going to have the products and the jobs that those working lands produce.”

A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND PROGRAM FOR GEORGIA

In 2023, the Georgia General Assembly responded with the Georgia Farmland Conservation Program — a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state dedicated solely to keeping farmland in farming. At the heart of the program is a legal tool called a conservation easement, and for landowners thinking about how to protect their property long-term, Moore says it’s one of the most powerful options available.

“A conservation easement is a simple legal agreement that allows the property owner to continue to see their land in their ownership, their enjoyment and use — be it simple recreation or as a working landscape — but they are giving up some of the development rights,” Moore explained. “Those rights are given up in perpetuity. The conservation easement is attached to the deed, and the property owner has the comfort of knowing the land is always protected from certain types of development.”

PERMANENCE IS THE POINT

In perpetuity — a phrase that carries significant weight for farming families. Moore says that permanence is exactly the point. Georgia has lost too much ground to development that can never be undone, and the program gives conservation-minded landowners a way to make that commitment binding — not just for themselves, but for every generation that follows.

“A conservation easement gives a lot of property owners who are focused on the legacy of the land — on protecting it from future development pressures — that peace of mind to know that the acres they have cared for, some of them for generations before them, have a future as a working or natural land versus being under threat of development,” Moore said.

A LEGACY CHOICE WITH A FINANCIAL REWARD

The program doesn’t just ask landowners to give something up — it rewards them for it. Participating landowners can receive a one-time payment for the development rights they permanently surrender, making the decision both a legacy choice and a meaningful financial one.

“The landowner walks away at the end of a transaction like this with the comfort that they have protected their land forever, to continue in the use that they have enjoyed and prospered from as a family — and also they have been provided with financial compensation for the value of the rights they have given up,” Moore said.

For Georgia farming families looking to protect their land for future generations, the Georgia Farmland Conservation Program offers a path forward. More information is available at the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s website.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia’s Shrimping Fleet Is at a Twenty-Year Low — Here’s Why Local Shrimp Still Matters

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Brunswick, GA |

It’s officially shrimping season off the coast of Georgia, where crews are hard at work pulling in the more than two million pounds harvested every year. But the number of vessels on the water has now shrunk to a twenty-year low — due in large part to the growing competition from overseas imports.

“Imported shrimp can generally come in at a lower cost, and that is one challenge Georgia shrimpers face. And because of the cost of just keeping a ship running — a fish house, fuel costs, time, workforce — they really need to be able to compete in the market and get the price they need to support their businesses,” said Erin Arneson, Seafood Specialist with UGA Marine Extension.

WHY LOCAL STILL MATTERS

While ninety percent of the shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported, there is still meaningful room in the marketplace for Georgia’s local, wild-caught product — and for consumers willing to seek it out, the difference is worth it.

“It’s going to be fresher a lot of times, and it’s really high in nutrients. When you know where your food is coming from, you can also trust the safety of it,” Arneson said. “It’s really good to get to know the people who are producing the food you’re eating — so you can feel good not only about what you’re eating, but about supporting the people who make that possible.”

PROCESSING CAPACITY UNDER PRESSURE

Supporting Georgia shrimp also means supporting operations like Anchored Shrimp Company, which grades, packs, and peels freshly caught shrimp to meet consumer demand. That kind of processing infrastructure is becoming increasingly rare as coastal development continues to squeeze out working waterfront space.

“The other challenge Georgia shrimpers face is the demand for already peeled and deveined shrimp, which requires a great amount of processing, working waterfront space, water resources, and more,” Arneson said. “As our coastlines change and get developed without thinking about the seafood industry, a lot of that capacity to provide the market with what it wants for domestic shrimp becomes very hard.”

EVERY LOCAL DOLLAR COUNTS

Even though Georgia shrimp may cost a little more at the store, those local dollars go a long way toward supporting an industry that has been struggling for more than a quarter century — and one where domestic supply simply cannot keep up with demand.

“The United States does not currently capture enough shrimp to fulfill consumer demand. Imports will probably always be here,” Arneson said. “But the thing is, we need to make space for Georgia shrimp in the market as well.”

For Georgia’s shrimping communities, the season may be short and the competition steep — but the case for choosing local, wild-caught shrimp has never been stronger.

By: Damon Jones

Madison County’s Russ Moon Says His Farm Isn’t for Sale — and Neither Is His Family’s Legacy

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Colbert, GA |

Where Moon Farms Country Market now stands in Madison County, Russ Moon’s great-grandmother once had her home. The road took it out in 1997, but the land itself has never left the family. As the fourth generation to farm this ground, Moon carries that history with him every day — and he’s fighting to make sure it doesn’t end with him.

“When you’re a farmer, agriculture is just in you. I want to see it thrive. I want to see the next generation come on and pass it on to them,” Moon said. “So much of what we do is looking forward to the next generation — and that’s so important to me, that I pass it on to my kids and hopefully they’re going to do it too.”

A STATE THAT’S CHANGING FAST

Over the course of his farming life, Moon has watched Georgia transform around him — and the pressure that comes with that growth is impossible to ignore.

“It’s the amount of people. The amount of people moving into this state, this area — it’s definitely growing. The traffic on the roads, the amount of people looking for houses — that’s what’s driving the development,” Moon said. “I know it’s coming, but the amount of people in this state has really grown over the last ten years.”

That growth has introduced new concerns beyond housing and development. Among the newest: the rise of massive data centers consuming enormous amounts of power and water in rural parts of the state.

“What’s the quality of water they’re producing? None of us really know the impact of the data centers,” Moon said. “In one sense, we all need them — but nobody wants one right here next to them. And that’s kind of where we’re at.”

ONCE IT’S PAVED, IT DOESN’T COME BACK

Georgia has long been known as the number one state in which to do business — but for farmers, that growth comes with difficult questions. Every year, productive farmland disappears, replaced by neighborhoods, warehouses, and data centers. And once that land is paved over, it rarely comes back.

When asked why he doesn’t simply sell — take the money and walk away — Moon’s answer was immediate.

“My life’s not for sale. This is my passion. It was my grandparents’ passion, my father’s passion, and hopefully my kids’ passion. That’s not for sale right now — and I hope it’s never for sale,” he said.

BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL ON CONSERVATION

Moon is a vocal supporter of the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund, a program he believes is essential — but one he worries may already be falling behind the pace of development.

“We can have growth as we preserve as much farmland as we can — I think we’ve got to have both. You can’t stop growth, I get it, but we’ve got to preserve what we can when it comes to farmland,” Moon said. “We’re kind of behind the eight ball on that. We’re several years behind where we need to be because the growth is outpacing this program that we just started. I feel like we’re a few years behind, and hopefully we’re going to catch up.”

BORROWED FROM THE NEXT GENERATION

For Moon, the weight of what came before him and what comes after is never far from his mind. He thinks about his father and grandfather, the sacrifices they made, and the obligation he now carries.

“I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now without my father and my grandfather — and we’ve got to remember that and hopefully pass it on a lot better than we received it,” Moon said. “We are borrowing it from the next generation. Land prices are kind of outrunning what we can afford to buy now, so we just have to try to pay for what we’ve already purchased and maybe do things with fewer acres.”

As for what he hopes future grandchildren will see when they look out over this land one day, Moon’s answer speaks to something deeper than crop yields or commodity prices.

“I hope agriculture is just engraved in them, just like it is in me — that desire. Because it’s not easy,” Moon said. “It goes back to passion. It takes passion to get up every day and fight through the droughts and the low prices and the adversity that hits us — and it hits us quite often. It’s not just row crop farmers. It’s chicken farmers, cattle farmers. It’s all of us.”

By: Ray D’Alessio

GFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Gather on Jekyll Island for Annual Summer Leadership Conference

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Jekyll Island, GA |

Future agricultural leaders made their way to Jekyll Island for Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Summer Leadership Conference, with more than two hundred and fifty attendees representing not only every corner of the state, but every sector of the agricultural industry.

“I’m not sure there’s an event in the state of Georgia where you can have so many different people from so many different aspects of the industry in one place at one time — whether it be a chemical salesman, an equipment dealer, or even educators. It’s people of all walks of life in Georgia ag, here at one place at one time,” said Garrett Hurley, Chairman of the GFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.

MORE THAN NETWORKING

Networking is just one of the many reasons attendees make the trip to Jekyll Island each July. The conference also includes sessions focused on advocacy, education, and the importance of political engagement — because according to one of the event’s featured speakers, agriculture’s voice in Washington is growing quieter by the year.

“Just looking at Congress, there are very few members now who have any type of agriculture background. You look at the way districts are drawn — you have these oddly shaped districts where a person from a suburban or urban area gets elected but is representing a rural area, and they’ve never seen a real blade of grass in their life,” said Mike Sistak, Director of Advocacy and Political Management for the American Farm Bureau Federation. “You want to be involved because you want to help those people. You have to show up and advocate for yourself, for your business, your family, and your community.”

RECOGNIZING THE BEST IN THE PROGRAM

One of the highlights of the conference each year is the announcement of competition winners — and the class of 2026 represented the state well. Allie Andrews of Lamar County took home the Achievement Award. Bryan and Addie Tucker of Wilcox County won the Excellence in Agriculture Award. And Michael Howard of Hart County was named the Discussion Meet winner. What they all have in common: they got their start at events just like this one.

“A lot of the application is your involvement — so get involved on your county level, your local level, and try to get involved on the state level. Come to events like this one on Jekyll Island,” said Levi Davis, GFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Program Coordinator. “This is one of those things you can add to your application to boost your involvement. And there are also opportunities here through breakout sessions and keynote speakers where you can gain ideas and insight on what might make you a better applicant the next time you apply.”

A MESSAGE FROM THE SKY

Among this year’s keynote speakers was Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney — a fighter pilot and founder of Folds of Honor, an organization that provides scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled service members and first responders. His message to the group was both straightforward and personal.

“Showing up in a disciplined way every day — that’s what I’ve been able to learn as a fighter pilot. We talked about the concept of CAVU: ceiling and visibility unlimited. At its core, that is my code of living, to get the most out of every day,” Rooney said. “It’s about faith, family, farming, and freedom — and it was just such a huge blessing to be with our future leaders and great, traditional American farmers and families.”

For Georgia’s next generation of agricultural advocates, Jekyll Island offered more than a summer getaway. It offered a roadmap — and a reminder that showing up is where leadership begins.

By: Damon Jones