Perry, GA |
Agriculture is Georgia’s number one industry — and each year at the Georgia National Fair, a new exhibit inside the Georgia Grown Building works to make sure it’s a well-known fact. This year, the spotlight was on the pecan — the only nut native to North America and Georgia’s official state nut — with an immersive educational exhibit designed to showcase the industry in a way that connects people of all ages to the crop.
“Being part of the Department of Agriculture, we’re all about ag education — being able to educate our youth and even those who may not be familiar with the main commodity crops in our state,” said Charlie Fiveash, Executive Director of Georgia’s Rural Center. “Whether it’s forestry, cotton, peanuts, or pecans, we’re excited to highlight how pecans are grown, how they’re harvested, and the nutritional impact that pecans have on the consumer.”
The exhibit was designed to be interactive — giving fair goers a chance to handle and crack pecans, learn about the tree’s history, and even weigh in on the great debate: is it puh-KAHN or PEE-can? The goal was simply to connect people to the crop in a meaningful and memorable way.
“The Georgia pecan exhibit is an interactive way that we are introducing the impact of Georgia pecans — having some fun with how to handle the product, and hopefully people walk away learning a bit about the tree, about the traditions behind it, and about the importance that Georgia pecans play in the state, in our economy, and in our rural communities,” said Amy Howell, Interim Director of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association.
In Georgia, the pecan story runs deeper than most people realize. Orchards stretch across middle and south Georgia — communities where the crop represents far more than agriculture. It represents jobs and livelihoods.
“Georgia pecans are grown mostly in Middle and South Georgia, which are very rural areas. The economic impact on those communities is huge — for the farms and how they support employment, local businesses, all kinds of ways,” Howell said. “Within the state, we are in the top ten of agricultural commodities produced here. And in the U.S., we are the top producing state out of fifteen states that grow pecans.”
Beyond the economics, Howell says she hopes the exhibit leaves visitors with something less tangible but just as important — a renewed sense of pride in a tree that has been rooted in Georgia culture for generations.
“The pecan is such an interesting tree. It’s the only native nut to North America, and it’s so important to our economy in Georgia. I hope people will learn about the whole process of producing a pecan while they’re here,” Howell said. “I hope they walk away with a new or renewed sense of pride about the Georgia pecan — as it is our state nut.”
For the thousands of fairgoers who passed through the Georgia Grown Building this year, the exhibit offered something that goes beyond the midway — a reminder that the food on their table has a story, and that story starts right here in Georgia.