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PAGE 16 FARMERS AND CONSUMERS MARKET BULLETIN – 404-656-3722 – agr.georgia.gov WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Got Georgia Grown?

The Georgia Grown brand appeals to all ages on a farm tour that visited Hardy Peanuts in
in all corners of the state, from Ellijay to Jekyll Hawkinsville, Ellis Bros. Pecans in Vienna and
Island and everywhere in between. Year-round, Stripling’s General Store in Perry.
the Georgia Grown marketing team puts the logo And finally, more than 30,000 elementary and
and the wide range of Georgia-grown and Geor- middle school students got a taste of Georgia’s
gia-made products it represents before a diverse dairy industry with the first “I Heart Georgia Milk
audience of consumers. Day,” an event that celebrated Georgia’s dairy in-
Over a week’s time in February, that effort in- dustry in 41 school districts statewide. Georgia
cluded three disparate events, starting with Whis- Grown Farm to School Coordinator Misty Fried-
key, Wine and Wildlife, a fundraiser for the Jekyll man worked with the Georgia Department of Ed-
Island Foundation. Some 30 Georgia Grown ucation to coordinate the event, which included
members introduced their products to an affluent classroom instruction and menu components.
audience on Jekyll Island, a popular tourist attrac- Ricky Martin, the only dairyman still operat-
tion that once served as the winter playground for ing in Banks County, visited Banks County Mid-
America’s industrial-age millionaires. dle School to encourage young consumers to read
Next up was the Georgia Grown Symposium the labels on milk jugs and buy milk processed in
in Macon, an annual gathering of Georgia Grown the South. “Georgia’s dairy industry is troubled,” Ellijay Elementary School Daphnie Hice checks the
Harmony Klemp, 8, fell hard members for networking and learning more about Martin said. “We used to have 1,600 dairies in the Principal Lauree Pierce sports temperature of hot chocolate
for Georgie the Georgia making a successful agribusiness. Attendees got state. Today we’ve got less than 200.” a milk mustache in honor of bound for students’
Grown mascot during his to see a few successful agribusinesses firsthand -Amy Carter/GDA “I Heart Georgia Milk Day” breakfast trays at Ellijay
visit to Ellijay Elementary Feb. 14. Elementary School. The
School on Valentine’s Day, school cafeteria served 400
otherwise know as “I Heart I HEART GEORGIA MILK DAY: cups of hot chocolate with
Georgia Milk Day.” marshmallows on “I Heart
Georgia Milk Day” Feb. 14.

Whiskey, Wine & Wildlife:

A balanced meal for students at Banks County Middle School on
Valentine’s Day included a yogurt bar with fruit, grain, nut and
candy toppings, a special treat on “I Heart Georgia Milk Day.”
Nydia and Garrett Ganas of Waycross brought a full
complement of pecan products from their fourth-generation
farm located about 60 miles west of Jekyll Island. Their
product line includes pecan brittle and Cheecans – pecan-
Georgia Grown Chef Olivia Rader grills infused cheese straws.
burgers and steak from the Reedy
Creek Meat Company in Metter. Rader
seasoned the meats with products from
The Salt Table, Beautiful Briny Sea and
Wisham Jellies, then grilled them on a
Big Green Egg, a long-time supporter
of Georgia Grown. Samples of the beef
were handed out to the crowd along
with a Spring Mix Salad from Better
Fresh Farms in Metter drizzled with Terra
Dolce olive oil from Lyons and lemon
Eight-year-old Connor Anderson is serious about the placement juice from The Fruit Factory in Pavo.
of marshmallows in his hot chocolate. Connor was one of 400
children who got a special breakfast treat at Ellijay Elementary
School on Valentine’s Day.
Jonny Womack, founder of Big Boy Cookies based in
Statesboro, discusses his involvement with Georgia Grown on
the Atlanta Magazine stage at Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife Feb.
8. Big Boy offers “cookies for grownups” with flavors like
Banana Puddin’, Jalapeno Corn and Maple Bacon Bourbon.

Banks County Middle School cafeteria staff Juanita Ledford, Maddox Wood Design of Sugar Hill wowed the crowd with custom serving trays and cutting boards,
Amanda Morris, Cindy Low, Peggy Bosclair and Jennah Hamilton including one specially made for Georgia Grown.
dressed for the occasion.
Georgia Grown Symposium:

Companies that make value-
added products from Georgia
fruits and vegetables are a The second day of the Georgia
big component of the Georgia Grown Symposium consisted
At Hardy Farms in Hawkinsville, Grown program. The homegrown of a farm tour through Middle
the tour included a view of product line at Stripling’s General Georgia. At Ellis Bros. Pecans
raw skinless peanuts being Store in Perry was on display at in Vienna, the tour saw
oil-roasted. the farm tour Feb. 12. workers sorting pecans.