Tag Archives: agriculture advocacy

Lynn Smith Named 2026 GFB Commodity Award Winner for Decades of Water Policy and Agriculture Advocacy

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Tifton |

Long before she became one of the Georgia legislature’s most respected voices on agriculture and natural resources, Lynn Smith was a kid growing up in Florida with a love for the outdoors — and a habit of going out to dig and grow things whenever life got hard. That instinct, it turns out, was a preview of a career defined by a deep belief in the balance between people, the land, and the resources that sustain both.

This year, that career earned her Georgia Farm Bureau’s 2026 Commodity Award — recognition for decades of advocacy and stewardship that left a mark on Georgia’s water policy, agricultural legislation, and the communities that depend on both.

A BALANCED APPROACH TO TOUGH ISSUES

“She’s very protective of our natural resources — our water, our coastline, and all the things that make Georgia great. But she also wants to take private property rights into consideration. It’s a real balance to how Chairman Smith has approached every issue that has come across her committee,” said Robert Dickey, Chairman of the Georgia House Agriculture Committee.

Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns echoed that sentiment, describing Smith as someone who could always be counted on when conversations got difficult.

“Lynn has always been one of those people you could count on when the chips were down and the conversation got very difficult — she was willing to stand her ground and ensure she still took the opportunity to protect what she knew was important,” Burns said. “That was people, their livelihoods, but with a main focus on balancing the interests of people — how we make a living and how we provide for others — while also protecting this great Earth and these resources that we have been given.”

FIGHTING THROUGH THE WATER WARS

Much of Smith’s legacy is rooted in Georgia’s long-running water policy battles — a contentious multi-decade fight that pit regions of the state against each other over one of the state’s most essential and contested resources.

“We were the four people who were steady throughout the water wars — Tom McCall, Bob Hanner, Richard Royal, and myself,” Smith said. “Water doesn’t know its boundaries. And the piece of legislation I am most relieved passed — it didn’t happen until 2008 — was the resolution that meant we could go forward with all the decisions we had been working up to. It was the bridge that gave our state agencies the tools they needed.”

That legislation — helping create the framework for the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District — represented years of patient, often contentious work. For Smith, it was the payoff for refusing to treat a shared problem as a territorial battle.

“Think of cowboys and Indians — nobody was going to let go of what they had,” she said. “My point is, we needed to start solving problems. I put my heart into what I did, and I was a problem solver as opposed to a problem creator.”

A CHAMPION FOR AGRICULTURE WHO UNDERSTOOD BOTH WORLDS

For GFB President Tom McCall, what made Smith so effective as an agriculture advocate was precisely that she came from outside the farming world — yet chose to go to bat for it anyway.

“Lynn understands that you eat three times a day, you wear clothes, and you live in a house made out of two-by-fours. That’s the importance of agriculture and forestry in this state,” McCall said. “Anybody that maybe has a different perspective or was raised differently than all of us — and will still go to bat like Lynn did for agriculture — is going to be missed.”

For Smith, the award is a reflection of the people she served alongside as much as the work itself — legislators, advocates, and farmers who believed, like she did, that the right people at the right time could find a way to move forward together.

By: Damon Jones

The 2025-2026 Georgia State FFA President Shares how She got Involved in Agriculture

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Macon, GA |

The newly elected 2025-2026 state FFA president, Remiya Stephens shares her story with her involvement in agriculture and how she began. Stephens comes from the Rutland High FFA chapter. 

“It means so much. It’s surreal every day, but ultimately, I know I’m just living out that dream that my eighth-grade self had,” says State FFA President, Remiya Stephens.  

“When I remember going to that second state convention my eighth-grade year and I looked at the 2022 state officer team, just seeing how much joy they had on that stage, that was really the moment that I was like ‘I want to be able to have that same impact that they had on me. The one-on-one conversations and just being able to instill great confidence in others.’ I knew I wanted to be able to do that,” explained Stephens.  

And now, Remiya will get that opportunity, despite joining the organization six years ago with very limited agricultural experience. It’s just the latest example of how FFA is now appealing to a much broader base. 

“You don’t have to start in agriculture from the moment you’re in diapers to be someone and be an advocate for agriculture. Get involved. Learn about FFA. Find your place. There’s so many different aspects in FFA that you can be involved in to learn more about agriculture,” says Stephens. “So, don’t think that your roots have to start in agriculture to be someone and something involved in FFA and agriculture.” 

While Remiya’s passion for agriculture has grown over the years, it was one particular segment of it that really drew her attention from an early age. 

“Ultimately, just my love for plants. I started in sixth grade. My first plant was a rosemary plant and this year I kind of was able to have a full circle moment being able to plant rosemary again. But ultimately, I’ve been able to have different experiences,” says Stephens. “Through my supervised agricultural experience, I was able to go down the road to a local florist. And she helped me learn so many things about the horticulture industry– the marketing side, the money side and then honestly, just how she’s able to grow her business.” 

Creating a sense of community is an aspect of FFA that has left a lasting impression on the new state president, as her ever growing network of friends and followers showcase what the organization is all about. 

“Honestly, I think FFA means support and family. Being able to know that family is outside of blood,” says Stephens. “I feel like I spend twenty-four hours here at my school whether it’s eating snacks, hanging with my teammates, or we’re just in the hotel, just being able to be friends and family, just being able to have that support. I know that ultimately, that if I didn’t have my FFA family, I would not be here today where I am,” Stephens explained.  

Along with that support, it did take plenty of hard work and determination to realize her dream. However, it’s a sacrifice Remiya has zero regrets about. 

“From the process, from area office to state office, it was a lot of work, a lot of dedicated time, a lot of time to train my focus only on state office and having to sometimes say no to other things to completely focus on this,” says Stephens. “But ultimately, I knew it was going to be worth it in the end. And it one hundred percent was.” 

By: Damon Jones

Georgia Farmers Advocate for Relief & Reform at State Capitol

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Atlanta, GA |

Recently in Atlanta, Georgia Farm Bureau showed off its grassroots strength as nearly 600 members attended this year’s GFB Day at the Capitol event – an annual gathering full of advocacy, education, and fellowship between members and their legislators.

“As a true grassroots organization, that is what we’re here for. We’re connecting the constituents and our members back home with their elected officials so they can hear directly from the experts what kind of hurdles they’re having to deal with on the farm. And there are thousands of bills that get introduced every year, they cannot be experts on every topic. So they rely on not only the folks that represent organizations, but especially when we can bring the members here directly so they can hear from them,” says Alex Bradford Director of Public for GFB.

Of course, the timing of the event couldn’t come at a better time as there are several ag issues being discussed this year; the main one being Hurricane Helene Relief, like increasing funding for the Safety 24 low interest loan program that would put money into farmers’ pockets.

“The Georgia Development Authority is overseeing the safety twenty-four low interest loan program. So one of the things we’re doing is advocating for more funding to be made available through that loan program so that low interest loan offers producers the loan at two percent, which is, well below market rate right now. Helps get them some cash quick as they begin the rebuild process and prepare and plan for this coming up growing season,” says Adam Belflower, GFB State Affairs Manager.

Another huge Hurricane Helene Relief measure comes with House Bill 223 – a bill that aims to provide relief to the sixty-six counties under disaster declaration: First and foremost, it would exempt state income tax on federal disaster assistance. Second, it would create a reforestation tax credit for all trees in the commercial production of timber, food, or wood products. Lastly it would provide a sales tax exemption for building materials for poultry houses and livestock barns – all things Belflower says would be great for the ag sector, but says they’re still working to find other helpful relief measures.

“There’s some other ideas in the chambers right now of what we can do to build on the work that’s already happening. So we’re working with members to try to see what the best path forward is, just to provide relief for our folks,” says Belflower.

Another big issue being worked on this year is tort reform as insurance premiums have undeniably gotten out of control, which has left small businesses, farmers, and their operations in a vulnerable position.

“What we’re seeing is it becoming more and more expensive to get insurance, access to insurance for some of these people that carry really high liability coverage, for different things whether that might be commercial trucking, different businesses in general. And really on all Georgians, it’s driving up the cost of doing business, and it’s driving up the cost for just everyday insurers to keep that coverage that they need. But overall, the goal is to drive down the cost of doing business and to ease a burden on Georgians that are really just constantly getting hit with skyrocketing insurance rates, small business owners, farmers that are constantly at threat of a lawsuit,” says Belflower.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Farm Bureau Unites County Leaders to Strengthen Agriculture Advocacy

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Perry, GA |

Georgia Farm Bureau recently hosted more than one hundred and fifty county presidents from all over the state under one roof – an event that’s meant to facilitate the chance for county, grassroot leaders to fellowship, communicate, and learn more about the organization they are representing on a local level.

“Everything we do and everything we advocate for starts at the county level. At the local level, it doesn’t come from top down, it comes from the counties up. Which is why we say we are the grassroots organization, for agriculture in Georgia. So when you get all of the people from all over the state together in one place where they can talk to each other, and they all got similar problems, they all have some of the similar solutions. And, when they can talk to each other and maybe sit in some of these breakout sessions that we’re doing, it speaks some ideas that they can take back home, or they can tell us how they want things to be done as a state organization,” says Georgia Farm Bureau President, Tom McCall.

Of course, being a grassroots organization that is the voice for the state’s ag industry comes with an active and engaged membership, which is why during one of the breakout sessions, county presidents were educated on the political landscape and empowered to become advocates and promote advocacy efforts back in their counties.

“Legislators, they are very busy people and it makes the most difference when they can put a face with a name behind an organization. So when we have this huge member base behind us and more members reaching out, calling, even texting, writing, or hosting events and meeting those legislators face to face, then it creates more of a physical community for them to connect with rather than sending a letter and then maybe just seeing a signature or a bunch of signatures and a bunch of names,” says Amelia Junod, GFB Advocacy & Policy Development Specialist.

Of course, having engaged members that advocate is vital to the future of the industry and the organization, however, one important part of that is having a unified and consistent message for those outside of the industry and organization to hear.

“We know that consistency builds credibility and as an organization that’s been around for more than a hundred years, we’ve got a lot of credibility already, but there’s still so many people that don’t know who we are and what we do as an organization. It’s our hope that we can empower these really talented, grassroots level leaders, to go out and have those conversations with prospective Farm Bureau members, and having consistency in that messaging helps to ensure that whether they’re joining in North Georgia or South Georgia or middle Georgia, that they understand that Farm Bureau is the trusted voice of agriculture; that we serve farmers and ranchers and rural communities of all types, that they understand that we support one another, that we speak with the united voice and that we give back to our communities. We do that because everyone depends on a successful American agricultural system, and it’s our job as Farm Bureau to work alongside farmers and ranchers to make sure that our food, fuel and fiber, supplies are safe, sustainable, and secure,” says Austin Large, Senior Director for Membership & Organization Development for AFBF.

By: John Holcomb

How Meaningful Conversations Are Shaping the Future of Agriculture | Meet Cain Thurmond

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Jefferson, GA |

For Cain Thurmond, competing this Summer in the GFB YF&R Discussion Meet competition was a no brainer, as the competition is one that fosters conversations that can lead to meaningful solutions – something he says is vital to agriculture’s overall success.

“I think the beautiful thing about discussion meet is that it’s not a debate. You’re not sitting across from someone, you’re sitting with someone. So it allows all of the competitors while they are still competitors, to work on solving an issue together and that’s actually how the scorecard is based, is that we’ve got to work together, and that’s what you get points for. Coming up with a solution together in a cohesive way is how you get points. It’s the purpose of the competition,” says Cain Thurmond, 2024 GFB YF&R Discussion Meet Winner.

“It really made me dig deeper and have great discussions inside and outside of the competition, not only for, what the farming community is facing as a whole, but also what young producers are facing. Most of the questions are really geared towards young members, how we get those young members involved, how do we even create sustainability within the ag industry through getting young producers involved? So, um, there’s purpose to this competition. It’s not a mock competition we throw out there. These are the conversations we should be having,” added Thurmond.

For Cain, that need and desire for meaningful discussions surrounding the issues in ag is second nature, as his passion for the industry and its success is deeply ingrained in him.

“I attribute a lot of where my life is today to the industry of agriculture. I was involved in FFA when I was younger. I actually met my wife through FFA, I got my first job through connections that I found within FFA and agriculture, and even the job that I work today is based within agriculture. So my wife, Whitney, and I get really passionate when speaking about agriculture and passing that on to the next generation. I’m really passionate about the industry of agriculture, and my wife and I actually just started a Christmas Tree Farm on the other side of town. So we are getting our hands dirty and actually getting back involved into agriculture as opposed to our nine to five. We’re spending weekends and nights planting Christmas trees here, coming up as we plant our second crop, and then we’ll hopefully be selling Christmas trees in 2026,” says Thurmond.

Cain will now head to San Antonio where he’ll be competing for national recognition at the upcoming annual AFBF convention – an opportunity he says is an honor and is ready to give it his best shot.

“Certainly an honor to represent Georgia on a national scale. The level of competition within the state of Georgia was immense, so having an opportunity to represent those who sat at a table with me, in July at Jekyll, certainly an honor. I look forward to going to nationals and representing Georgia and just hopefully give them my best shot,” says Thurmond.

By: John Holcomb