Farms, Factories, and Labs

September 08, 2015
by Jere W. Morehead, President

I was pleased to participate in the third annual farm tour this week with Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black and Dean Scott Angle of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. We were joined by Chairman of the state House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Terry England; and Chairman of the state Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, Sen. John Wilkinson.

The farm tour provided a great opportunity to see firsthand the strong partnership between the University and the state’s largest industry. This year’s tour include trips to Hillside Orchard Farms and Tiger Mountain Vineyard in Tiger, Jaemor Farms in Alto, the headquarters of the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network in Gainesville, King's Hawaiian Bakery in Flowery Branch, and Sonstegard Foods in Gainesville.

From the technical assistance offered through Cooperative Extension to research advances that enhance agricultural practices, farmers and industry leaders continue to rely on the expertise of UGA faculty and staff to drive agriculture forward in Georgia.  As an institution with a land-grant mission, UGA has a longstanding commitment to agriculture in this state. During the tour, I was proud to see the significant role this mission plays in the lives of Georgians.