Tag Archives: Farm Monitor

From Hospital Halls to Farm Fields: Haley Scruggs Honored for Excellence in Agriculture

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Macon, GA |

For Haley Scruggs, life is anything but ordinary. By day, she’s a nurse practitioner specializing in vascular surgery—working long shifts, saving lives, and navigating the nonstop pace of hospital life. But when the scrubs come off, she steps into a very different role: fourth-generation farmer.

“Our farm is over a hundred years old,” said Scruggs. “We grow Christmas trees—choose and cut Christmas trees—pecans, and coastal Bermuda hay. But when I’m not here, I’m a nurse practitioner. So that is my full-time job. And this is my second full-time job. So, it keeps us very, very busy.”

That contrast—between the sterile hospital halls and the quiet beauty of the farm—is exactly what Scruggs says keeps her grounded.

“This is such a great way to just become grounded because that hospital can get very crazy and become very stressful,” she explained. “When you’re trying to save lives all day and handle patients’ situations, it is so nice to be able to come out and literally enjoy what God has given us and spend time on the farm with my family.”

Her unique story recently earned her top honors as the Georgia Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award winner—recognition she says left her nearly speechless.

“Honestly, I was completely speechless,” said Scruggs. “Tears filled my eyes. I could not have been more excited. This is such a tough competition. And any competition with Farm Bureau—when you make it to the top level—you’re not competing with someone they just drug off the street. These are very top competitors, who are all extremely active in agriculture and are passionate about what they do.”

That passion—both for healing and for growing—is what sets Scruggs apart and helps connect two very different communities that she says often don’t understand each other.

“People at the hospital see a nurse practitioner. They don’t see someone in agriculture,” she said. “They don’t understand everything else I’m doing behind the scenes and how we’re involved in the community with our farm. Same thing with people on the farm—they don’t understand that we actually all work full-time jobs. So I think with that award, it is very important to show people both in and out of agriculture how you can become involved in the community.”

That sense of community is what first drew her to Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program—and what keeps her coming back.

“What an incredible experience the Young Farmer and Rancher program has been,” Scruggs said. “A lot of times you think farmers are old and there’s no one out there you can really reach out to. But that’s completely wrong. There are so many young farmers and ranchers from across the state. It’s absolutely incredible to know that you have that support out there with people who are your age—some a little older, some a little younger.”

Whether in a hospital gown or work boots, Scruggs proves that passion and purpose can thrive in more than one field—and that the line between healing people and feeding them is not as far apart as it seems.

By: Damon Jones

Why Healthy Hooves Matter: The Skilled Work of Georgia Farriers

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Clayton, GA |

Known for their strength and endurance, horses are often considered one of the most resilient animals on the farm. But despite their rugged appearance, there’s one part of their body that’s surprisingly fragile—and vitally important: their hooves.

“In horses, the hooves are probably just as important as the heart,” said Stephanie Branch of Branch Farms on Coleman River. “And that’s always been said, you know that the hooves do carry heartbeats in them. If you do not have healthy hooves, then you are going to be pulling from all other parts of the horse’s health.”

It’s why farriers—specialists in equine hoof care—play such a critical role in maintaining the overall wellbeing of the animals. Cade Rogers, who trims and shoes horses throughout northeast Georgia, says hoof care is where it all begins.

“Basically the easiest way to think about how important the farrier is, is a horse is a very big animal. And all that weight comes down to four little support beams,” Rogers explained. “You can have the healthiest horse in the world, and if his feet aren’t taken care of, he’s not going to be worth anything.”

Rogers says farriers do far more than just trim and shoe hooves. Their work requires precise attention to balance, structure, and movement—and a deep understanding of each horse’s anatomy and behavior. For many, it’s a skill honed over years of formal training and hands-on experience.

“As far as putting a shoe on that foot—you’re adding something that shouldn’t be there onto that foot,” said Rogers. “It has to flow with the horse. You throw a piece of metal on there the wrong way, it can easily start making interference. It takes a lot of skill.”

Even basic maintenance work can be a challenge. Trimming a horse may take 20 to 30 minutes, while shoeing can take well over an hour—especially if the horse is uncooperative or unfamiliar with the farrier.

“When I first started, it took me half a day to do one horse,” Rogers laughed. “But you’ll be surprised—once you’ve worked on them before, it becomes like maintenance work. It gets a lot easier.”

And while the job is physically demanding, those like Rogers and Branch believe it’s well worth the effort to ensure these animals stay sound and able to perform the tasks their owners ask of them.

“So, we’ve just got to stay up on that, make sure that they’re sound,” Branch said. “And for whatever we may be using the horse for, they’ve got to be able to fulfill that job.”

For both farriers and horse owners alike, it’s clear: healthy hooves are the foundation of a healthy horse.

By: John Holcomb

Rooted in Family, Rising in Leadership: Kylie Sizemore Wins GFB Discussion Meet

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Carnesville, GA |

Before the spotlight. Before the pressure of judges’ questions. There was simply home.

For Kylie Sizemore, that home was a family farm where agriculture wasn’t just a topic of conversation—it was a way of life. From an early age, she was surrounded by the rhythms and values of rural living: hard work, patience, and responsibility. And guiding her through it all was a strong support system of family members who saw her potential long before she stepped into any arena.

“I would say that my dad probably encouraged me the most when it came to agriculture and encouraging me to get involved in FFA,” Kylie said. “My older sister showed pigs, so of course I wanted to be like her and I wanted to show pigs, and that was really my start—showing pigs in 4-H. Then once I went to middle school, I showed pigs in FFA and became more involved doing leadership development events, LDEs, and career development events, CDEs. And that really is where I got my start in agriculture.”

That start paved the way for Kylie to compete in—and win—the 2025 Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet, a competition that rewards not confrontation, but collaboration. But her journey to the state title was years in the making, and her family played a central role in every step.

“My family’s always encouraged me to be actively involved and just shoot for a hundred percent no matter what I’m doing,” she said. “I can remember in sixth grade I wanted to do meat judging in FFA and I started it and I didn’t like it, but my mom and dad were like, you can’t quit. Even with Discussion Meet and being involved in Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers, and the women’s committee here in my local Franklin County Farm Bureau chapter—it’s my family that has encouraged me to do more and be the best that I can be.”

That encouragement followed her all the way to this year’s state convention in Jekyll Island, where she decided to give the Discussion Meet another shot after taking a break for a few years.

“I love being a part of active conversation and I love getting to meet and mingle with new people,” she said. “I hadn’t been [to convention] the past couple years, and Discussion Meet is a great thing to do while I’m there. So I was just ready to get into it again.”

And while the competition may be solo on paper, Kylie is quick to point out it was very much a team effort—especially with her husband Willie by her side. A former Discussion Meet winner himself, Willie offered encouragement, coaching, and the occasional push when Kylie needed it most.

“Willie said, ‘It’s time for you to do Discussion Meet again and we’re gonna try to win.’ And I said, ‘We? We are gonna try to win?’” she laughed. “But it really was a team effort. As a question was drawn, we would go back to the room or go to a restaurant and talk about the topic. He would 100% help me prepare.”

Now, with the state title under her belt, Kylie’s eyes are set on the next challenge: competing on the national stage and continuing to serve as a voice for Georgia agriculture.

By: Ray D’Alessio

From Tragedy to Triumph: Amberley Snyder’s Unstoppable Rodeo Journey

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Jekyll Island, GA |

For Amberley Snyder, dreams of rodeo stardom started early. Raised in a competitive and athletic family, her love for horses and the thrill of the sport led her to a successful youth career in barrel racing—culminating in a national title before she was even out of high school.

“I feel like everyone had something and that was the way we were raised, is to be competitive and athletic and dedicated,” says Snyder. “For me, that was the rodeo world. I did it through junior rodeo up into high school, made the national high school finals, won the world title with Little Britches.”

But in January of 2010, everything changed. At just 18 years old, Snyder was involved in a devastating car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down.

“I thought I had this whole plan of what I was going to be, who I was going to be,” she recalls. “And then now here I am getting told, hey, that whole life that you had—that doesn’t exist anymore.”

The road forward wasn’t easy. Snyder stepped away from her horses for nearly a year as she navigated her new reality. But with time—and determination—she found her way back to the saddle.

“I’m glad I did that because I was able to just take that challenge on to start with before coming back to the horses,” she says. “It really shifted my perspective. Even if it wasn’t the same, it was something I still truly love to do. So when I got back to my horses, then from there I never looked back. I don’t just want to be a participant—I want to be a competitor.”

That spirit led her to make history as the only paralyzed professional barrel racer in the country, earning a spot to run at The American Rodeo. Her journey was later immortalized in the Netflix film Walk. Ride. Rodeo.

“I still get messages every single day… somebody who has watched it and been inspired by it,” Snyder says. “And I still don’t even know if that really resonates with me all the time. That that’s real life.”

Today, Snyder travels the country—competing in rodeos and inspiring others as a motivational speaker. It’s a life she never expected, but one she says is only possible because of three things: her faith, her family, and her horses.

“I am who I am, and I am where I am because I have the support system of my family—the people who love me and believe in me,” she says. “Even on the days where this isn’t what I wanted, my faith to know that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be and that God has a plan for me. And then my horses… they’re my freedom. They really are.”

By: John Holcomb

Farming with Purpose: How Liam Tewksbury Uses Social Media to Advocate for Agriculture

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Madison, GA |

For Liam Tewksbury, farming isn’t just an occupation—it’s a lifelong passion. A third-generation cattleman, Liam’s love for agriculture was instilled in him from an early age and has only grown stronger through the years, especially when it comes to livestock and the cattle industry.

“I started showing club lambs when I was about eight years old,” says Tewksbury. “I did that all the way up until middle school and then got into showing some dairy cattle. We’re a pretty big dairy county around here back in the day. My love of cattle and farmers kind of came through showing livestock. Then, in high school, I started showing beef cattle and joined FFA. I was very active in FFA with livestock judging and competitions, and that really bolstered my love for agriculture.”

Today, Liam continues his journey in the cattle industry, whether managing cattle operations or consulting with producers. But for him, the work goes beyond animals—it’s about supporting farmers, strengthening communities, and advocating for agriculture’s future.

“I have the utmost admiration for those producers that get up every single day,” he says. “I want to be able to fight for them and their story and their legacy, and for the next generation to carry that forward. It starts with feeding the communities in your area. If you can start there, I think that’s a big thing.”

One way Liam is fighting for producers is through a platform he knows well: social media. By sharing his daily life on the farm, he’s bridging the gap between consumers and agriculture.

“Social media has been a wonderful outlet for me because I get to not only share my story with my friends, but also with the daily consumer—folks who may not have that connection with cattle or farm life,” says Tewksbury. “That might be the thing they look forward to: what’s Liam up to today on the farm? I think if we did a better job of telling our story—because the consumer is so far removed from what we do as cattle producers, and there’s so much misinformation out there—we could really help our industry as a whole.”

At the heart of it all, Liam says, is remembering the human side of agriculture.

“At the end of the day, we’re in the people business as much as we’re in the cattle business.”

Dairy Industry 2025: Challenges & Optimism for Farmers

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Perry, Ga |

It’s been quite the roller coaster for dairy producers over the past few years as fluctuating prices and input costs have resulted in quite a bit of uncertainty. However, things are currently trending upward after a promising 2024.

“In 2022, you had some supply and demand. You had increased demand for milk. There’s not that supply to go with it. Prices went up, but like with everything else, with inflation, those input costs skyrocketed with it. So, you didn’t really have a margin. You just had higher prices for everything. Supply and demand will reverse itself. You get enough supply; demand goes back down. Price goes back down. But those input costs didn’t come with it. So, ’23 you saw the margins shrink or disappear completely. ’24 you finally had those feed costs, labor, fuel, some of these things the farmers really can’t control come back down to where the milk price was and demand had been relatively stable,” says Bryce Trotter, Executive Director of the GA Milk Producers.

With nearly twenty percent of all US milk products being exported, a recent trade war with Canada and Mexico is a point of concern as it has the potential to reduce that demand.

“Is the export market going to stay where it is? We don’t export a lot of milk products in the southeast. But the dairy economy nationwide kind of feeds off of itself. So, if those export markets go away, you got excess supply of milk. That all kind of trickles back down and affects the demand, which will affect the price for milk. So, export markets and what’s going on with tariffs and trade policy is going to a big thing that our farmers are going to watch,” says Trotter.

They will also be keeping a close watch on the current avian influenza outbreak that has found its way into more than 900 dairy herds across seventeen different states.

“Our producers are keeping an eye on it. I wouldn’t say that anyone is worried, but we’re paying attention and that’s what we should be doing. We’re in constant communication with the Department of Agriculture here in Georgia to come up with a plan if it does come to the Southeast. But our farmers are just keeping an eye on it, doing what they can on their farm to beef up biosecurity and prepare,” says Trotter.

The health of the industry will also depend on a number of dairy operations bouncing back from the storms that swept across southeast Georgia late last year.

“Not only did the storms come through during harvest season, but our harvest season is every day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. So, a lot of the impacts that we see aren’t just the day of and the day after the storm, but those effects on the cows and their milk production, the stress from the storm, you can feel that for weeks afterwards, decreased milk production,” says Trotter.

In spite of some of these issues and hardships within the industry, 2025 is shaping up to be a promising year for producers thanks in large part to the rising number of consumers around the region.

“We’re seeing a trend here in the Southeast where a lot more people are drinking fluid milk which is what we produce, especially whole milk. So, we’re quietly optimistic for a good year for dairy farmers and we’re just happy to see that trend in fluid milk consumption and dairy consumption overall continue to tick up,” says Trotter.

By: Damon Jones

Rising from the Ashes: Livestock Exhibitors Rebuild After Devastating Barn Fire

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Perry, GA |

Last Winter, these livestock exhibitors’ lives were drastically changed, as their school’s barn burned down, taking their animals and months of hard work, time, and energy along with it. It was a moment that can only be described as devastating, however, now just over a year later, they’ve rebounded, put in the work, and are competing at the show they missed last year.

“It burnt down just exactly two weeks before Perry. So, we had went in October and we kind of got to see that side of things, but it was very sad to get to see your animal grow, and you would put so much time and effort into it, and you were working up to this point. And then for you not to be able to go through with it, and then you got to watch everybody still go and compete without you; it was definitely sad, and you kind of just felt let down, like all you had done was kind of to waste, but definitely this year has been nice to get back in the swing of things, and I’ve been able to learn from it that you can still move on, you can still work better this next year, and it’s gonna be okay,” says Kate Bearden, Southeast Whitfield Livestock Exhibitor.

This year, their show team is significantly smaller, as only a handful were able to house their animals at their homes, which of course, as Bearden says, presented new challenges.

“It definitely has impacted us since it’s burnt down, because you’re not able to have as big of a show team. It’s nice whenever you have the convenience of sharing the stands and the blowers at the school. But once it burnt and it’s at you’re at your house, you don’t have all those things at your access and you’re not able to have as many members, because a lot of the kids rely on the school to provide for the things that they need,” says Bearden.

Though the incident was no doubt a tragedy, the team turned it into an opportunity – one that demonstrates passion, resilience, and determination, especially when you have a great support system.

“It doesn’t matter whether we have a barn at the school. It doesn’t matter whether our group’s small or big, we’re still able to compete. We’re still able to do good and be able to come to Perry. I still was able to work with my goat at my house. I was able to send pictures back and forth to my ag teachers, and they were still able to give me input, even though it wasn’t in person. They were still able to say, ‘hey, you should brace it this way. You need to work with walking it and here’s just a few tips.” So I was able to move past whether the barn was there or not,” says Bearden.

“Our kids are tough, and their parents are tough, and their families are tough, and they work hard. And so, obviously when that happened, it took some time to grieve and to look back and reflect, but these students that decided to take that adversity and learn from it. And so, they decided, I’m not going to let something that frankly, they can’t control hold them down. So, they decided we’re going to house our animals at home. We’re still going to work hard, and we’re going to do what we love to do and that’s show livestock. And essentially, I think that comes back full circle with exactly why we do this, exactly why our students show livestock. They show livestock to learn how to handle adversity, to work hard and work with one another to get through issues that might occur,” Logan Hunter, Agriculture Teacher at Southeast Whitfield High School.

By: John Holcomb

Labor Shortages & Rising Costs: Can the H-2A Program Save U.S. Farmers?

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Atlanta, GA |

Over the next few months some of Georgia’s signature fruits and vegetables like peaches, onions and blueberries, will all be ready to come out of the field. And in order to maximize both quality and quantity, it’s essential to have a reliable workforce.

“You have to have enough labor there on the busiest day to get them harvested, get them packed. This is timely work. It’s so timely to have harvest at the right days. So, we’re always very conscious. That’s our number one issue behind probably weather is labor availability,” says Robert Dickey, Chairman of the Georgia House Agriculture Committee.

That’s where the H2A program comes in, as it helps supplement a small number of domestic workers, while also complying with stronger immigration policies.

“If we’re going to continue to feed America with American grown crops, vegetables, and fruits, we got to have a labor force. Unfortunately, we don’t have a domestic force to do that. And that is why we have transitioned to this H2A program. You see other industries desperately wanting that, with our shortage of labor in this country. And so, this has been a good program for us. It has kept us all one hundred percent legal,” says Dickey.

Despite their workers being documented, many Georgia farmers are hoping there can still be some compromise on the recent immigration crackdown.

“I hope the administration can look at the history of some of our workers from whatever industry they’re in, in this state who have been here for many, many years and contributed to the economy and have families here, maybe even homes and things. Maybe give them some pathway to citizenship, some legal status so they can continue working and helping our industries,” says Dickey.

Labor shortages aren’t the only concern, as growers have seen wages increase exponentially over the past few years, which has opened the door for more foreign competition.

“So far, we haven’t had any real issues, a few little hiccups but, that program has worked well. I hope it’s no changes to it other than trying to get some costs back in line. Those costs for us have gone up over thirty or forty percent in the last two or three years and just raising our grower cost to not be competitive with foreign imports. So, that’s one of our big concerns,” says Dickey.

And it’s a concern that will likely continue into the future, unless some changes are made to the program.

“We don’t have that labor and don’t have it at a competitive rate, it’s just going to make foreign imports from Mexico, Chile, and South America much more available to domestic grocery stores. There’s going to be less costs and our industry will just really go away if we don’t do something to stem it,” says Dickey.

By: Damon Jones

Growing Georgia’s Citrus Future: Innovation, Challenges & Expansion into Juicing!

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Tifton, GA |

In Tifton recently, citrus growers gathered for their annual conference. This year’s theme: “Growing Georgia’s Citrus Future” – a fitting one, as attendees got to hear from experts and industry professionals on how to keep the citrus industry thriving in the state for years to come.

“It’s not only a membership meeting, but it’s a conference to talk about the challenges that Georgia Citrus has had and just how we can work to cultivate success. And it’s important to come and, network, not only network but just hear about the latest innovation and technology and what other people are experiencing; that’s how you grow and that’s how you learn is to hear from others and try to not make the same mistakes and come up with ways to solve problems,” says Lindy Savelle, Executive Director of the Georgia Citrus Association.

One problem that’s on the minds of most producers is citrus greening, which has decimated more than eighty percent of Florida’s citrus industry, however there is research being done that will hopefully eliminate the disease and will greatly benefit the industry in Georgia.

“It was four or five years before we realized we had it. By then it had spread throughout the entire state and the Florida Department of Agriculture declared that it was not able to be eradicated. We were going to have to try to live with it. As we’ve seen, that has been very, very difficult to do. We do have a number of therapies, though, that are working, and these are therapies that we hope are going to keep our industry alive long enough to get to where this tree of the future, this resistant tree, or a tree that’s more tolerant is going to bail us out once and for all, but what I mean for Georgia is that you’re going to be the beneficiary of this long runway. In other words, you have many years before your disease is going to become endemic, if it ever gets to that point. And my message today was, don’t let it get there. Your goal needs to be eradication. You can still do it,” says Rick Dantzler, C.O.O. of the Citrus Research & Development Foundation.

However, despite those concerns, Savelle says growers are still optimistic about what the future holds for the industry, as she explained there is some excitement around expanding from just being a fresh fruit industry to possibly a juicing one.

“I just see that this industry in Georgia is going to continue to grow. Continue to diversify. We are likely going to have a window of opportunity to go into the juicing industry as well as the fresh fruit industry. Florida has become known more for its juice industry, whereas Georgia has been fresh fruit, but I see that kind of turning the corner a little bit. And it’s not only South Georgia, but it’s North Florida that we’re joining forces together to kind of make this a regional citrus industry and I think those are all good things. Anytime you can collaborate with another state and have a bigger footprint, that’s a good thing,” says Savelle.

By: John Holcomb

Georgia Corn Comeback? Farmers Prepare for 2025 Amid Rising Costs & Drought Challenges

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Tifton, GA |

After seeing a significant drop in acres of corn being planted in Georgia last year, those numbers look to be on the rebound in 2025, especially with the issues other crops around the state are experiencing.

“I think that given some of the constraints with some of the other commodities, that we’re probably going to see an increase in corn acreage this year. I have a prediction but we’ll see if it comes to fruition this year, but I think there’s going to be a significant increase with the crop,” says Nicholas Shay, Extension Grains Agronomist.

Despite seeing prices surge by more than thirty percent over the past six months, growers must still walk a fine line in order to turn a profit, especially with the ever-increasing cost of production.

“To navigate that, we have to try to really manage our input efficiency the best we can, and really go back to the drawing board and count our pennies to make sure that we’re being as efficient as possible with our agronomic management or crop management plan in that, for the season,” says Shay.

Another major issue for growers is the long periods of dry weather throughout the state each and every year. It’s a factor that should always be accounted for when planning crop management.

“I think we can bet that every single year, there has been some sort of level of intermittent drought that has occurred. And so, I think really staying on top of your nutrient management and understanding how a crop responds to drought or to a treatment or a fertilizer application that you’re going to apply in the growing season,” says Shay.

The biggest defense against drought conditions is to implement preventative strategies as soon as possible.

“We have to prepare that crop for those stressful environments instead of reacting to a common symptom entomology we may see in the field. If we’d be proactive and have a proactive mitigation strategy, then maybe we can alleviate some of that stress in the growing season, especially when it comes to drought,” says Shay.

With that in mind, it’s never too early to start preparing, especially with planting season right around the corner.

“Growers should obviously be focusing on making sure their equipment is ready, land preparation this time of year, making sure that they have a good plan in place to start the year as far as fertility, as far as weed management, preparing that ground. Then making sure that they have that plan A, plan B in place to be proactive in their approach to mitigate those midseason or early season stresses that we can almost expect are going to occur,” says Shay.

By: Damon Jones