Carrollton, GA |

Long before stepping under the Gold Dome, Representative Jutt Howard was working the fields of his family’s turfgrass operation in Carrollton. Today, while he serves in the Georgia House of Representatives, farming remains at the center of his daily life.

Howard works at NG Turf, a family business that has been producing sod for decades and ships turfgrass to landscapers, golf courses, and homeowners across the state.

“I’ve been working on our family farm, NG Turf, for about seventeen years now,” Howard said. “I married into the family business, which has been in the turfgrass and sod business for about forty years this year. We grow and harvest ten different varieties of sod and turf grass and ship that to landscapers, golf courses, and homeowners around the state.”

A Farmer’s Perspective in the Capitol

For Howard, agriculture is more than a profession — it’s a perspective that shapes how he approaches public service. His involvement in industry organizations over the years helped prepare him for the legislative role he now holds.

“I think it’s important to be engaged,” Howard said. “I’ve been involved with a lot of agricultural industries through the years, like the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Georgia Crop Improvement Association, and I’m a member of Farm Bureau. It’s important for everybody to be engaged and address the issues that we all face to keep the number one industry in our state going in the right direction.”

That experience, he says, helps him advocate for agriculture in Atlanta while also encouraging other producers to stay active in the policymaking process.

Keeping Agriculture Front and Center

As Georgia continues to grow and urbanize, Howard believes maintaining agriculture’s voice at the Capitol is more important than ever. With fewer lawmakers coming directly from farming backgrounds, education and communication play a critical role.

“As our state grows and the rural part of our state becomes less known, it’s important to keep agriculture the number one industry,” Howard said. “Through some of the legislation we got done this year that focused on plant protection and CUVA and a lot of the things our industry depends on, it was great to be a part of that.”

Beyond passing legislation, Howard says one of his most important responsibilities is helping fellow lawmakers better understand agricultural issues from firsthand experience.

“They hear a lot from the great lobbyists that we have at the Capitol every day,” he said. “But as a member, it’s important when I hear about issues that I don’t understand from a fellow member. So it’s very important that we have agriculture representation in the House and Senate so when we do have issues, we can speak on that from firsthand knowledge.”

Collaboration Across Agriculture

Howard also emphasizes the importance of teamwork between farmer-legislators and agricultural organizations such as Farm Bureau. Because no one person can represent every commodity, collaboration is key to making informed decisions.

“We’re all farmers,” Howard said. “I’m in the sod industry, so I’m not an expert on some of the other commodities. But as a group of legislators engaged in agriculture full-time, we can help with that. We can go to the lobbyists and leaders in other ag industries and say, ‘Who do I need to speak with?’ and help educate the other members.”

As one of the few full-time farmers serving in the legislature, Howard hopes his background continues to help bridge the gap between the field and the Capitol — ensuring agriculture remains a priority in Georgia’s future.

By: John Holcomb