Column: There's Magic in the Fair

Originally published in the Sept. 18, 2013, issue

 

By Randy Moore

 

Moore

Welcome to the 24th annual state-sponsored Georgia National Fair, Oct. 3 through 13: “There’s Magic in the Fair!”

 

The fair highlights some of Georgia’s greatest assets: our youth and agriculture. During the 11-day event, you will experience every facet of the fair; horse and livestock shows, youth competitions, Georgia Living exhibits and contests, food, rides, circus, vendors, family entertainment, concerts and nightly fireworks.

 

The new Georgia Grown building highlights Georgia’s diverse agricultural industry by showcasing its products, services and education. Fairgoers will learn why agriculture is the state’s No. 1 industry. The Georgia Grown Pavilion sells unique Georgia-made products such as jams and jellies, nuts, baked goods, sauces and relishes.

 

The third annual Legislative Livestock Showdown, Oct. 5, pairs Georgia House and Senate legislators with an experienced 4-H or FFA livestock show participant as their "teacher."  Dressed in their special showmanship shirts, the legislators go through the process of preparing an animal for the show ring. In the showmanship class, the judging process focuses on how they handle the heifer. The first-place winner receives 10 points; the 10th place winner, one point. Scores are tallied and the winning team will be presented with the Showdown Trophy. The House has won the trophy the past two years.

 

Reaves Arena concerts include Hunter Hayes with Love and Theft, Oct. 5; Justin Moore and Thompson Square, Oct. 12. All seats are reserved and on sale at www.georgianationalfair.com.

 

The Georgia National Fair is special and unique. It’s the perfect time and place for families and friends to gather and have fun. We encourage you to visit the many educational aspects of the fair. We also encourage you to participate in the fair. It’s a sense of great pride to win a blue ribbon at the Georgia National Fair.

 

The Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority and staff hope you enjoy everything the fair has to offer. From Georgia’s outstanding youth and top livestock to the lights and sounds of the entertainment and rides, the Georgia National Fair is magical!

 

The Georgia National Fair has won many awards and honors, but nothing gives us more pleasure than knowing you and your family and friends are having a great time. The staff is here to assist you in any manner. We look forward to seeing you in Perry!

 

Randy Moore is the executive director of the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter and the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Ga.



Consumer Q&A: A Compilation of Fruit Questions

Q: Why are tomato plants called vines? What exactly is a "vine-ripened" tomato?

A: Tomato plants don't twine as morning glories or pole beans do. They do not cling with rootlets the way Boston or English ivy do. They do not attach themselves with tendrils the way grape or cucumber vines do. However, because of the loose, sprawling habit that cause some varieties to need staking or trellising, tomato plants are sometimes called vines.

A true vine-ripened tomato is a tomato that is allowed to grow and mature on the vine and is not picked until it is actually ripe. A tomato that has been allowed to ripen on the vine is sweeter and juicier than one that is picked while it is still green and ripened off the vine. Some tomatoes you see at the supermarket are picked green or nearly green, and gassed with ethylene to ripen them.

One note of caution, there are some sellers who will call a tomato "vine-ripened" if it is picked when showing any redness or color other than green. A true vine-ripened tomato is less suitable for shipping because of its susceptibility to bruising and shorter shelf life. You are most likely to get a true vine-ripened tomato by growing the crop yourself, or buying directly from a farm or farmers market.

Q: Is there a place in Georgia that offers witch finger grapes?

A: With curiously tapered fruits, witch finger grapes look like a grape version of a ristra of purple chili peppers. These table grapes are beginning to appear in some supermarkets. All of them that we have seen in stores were grown in California. We do not know of any farmers in Georgia growing the fruits or nurseries producing the plants to sell.


Q: I heard a fig can have a regular crop and a breba crop. What is a breba crop?
 
A: Figs can bear two crops a year. The early crop is called the breba crop. It is borne on the old wood and ripens in early summer. The regular crop is borne on new wood and ripens later in the summer.

Q: I saw a strange item called "dragon fruit" at the grocery store. What exactly is it? How do you eat it? Can we grow this in Georgia?

A: Dragon fruit, sometimes called "pitaya," is a fruit that grows on several tropical cactus species. Dragon fruits are often red, pink or fuchsia on the outside with white flesh on the inside and small, edible black seeds. Some dragon fruits have yellow skin or red flesh. It has a very striking appearance inside and out.

The fruits have a mild, sweet taste. They can be sliced in two and the flesh scooped out and eaten with a spoon. You can also peel them and cube the flesh to use in fruit salads or as an addition to green salads of spinach, mache or microgreens along with avocadoes and Georgia pecans. In fruit salads, it blends well with pomegranate, blueberry and oriental persimmon. Slices of dragon fruit are an attractive garnish on a plate of chicken salad. The flesh is also used in juices, teas, sorbets, smoothies and shakes.

Dragon fruits are grown commercially in Central and South America, south Florida, south Asia and Australia. They cannot be grown in Georgia except in a greenhouse, which protects them from freezing temperatures.

Got a question? Visit our website, write to us at 19 MLK Jr. Drive, Room 128, Atlanta, GA 30334, or email arty.schronce@agr.georgia.gov.

RECALL: Garden Fresh Foods Recalls Ham, Chicken Products

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of select lots  of ready-to-eat chicken and ham products produced by Garden Fresh Foods. Garden Fresh Foods, a company from Milwaukee, Wis., announced the recall of 19,054 pounds of products on Sept. 25. An expanded recall was announced Oct. 17.

The following products are subject to recall:

• Market Pantry All White Meat Chicken Salad, 12 ounce packages with product code 24103 and code date Sept. 24, 2013 - Oct. 14, 2013
• Archer Farms Rotisserie Chicken Salad, six-ounce packages with product code 002216 and  code date Sept. 28, 2013 - Oct. 9, 2013
• Archer Farms Bacon Parmesan Dip, 11-ounce packages with product code 99017 and code date Oct. 12, 2013 - Nov. 8, 2013
• D'Amico and Sons Chicken Salad with Rosemary, 14-ounce packages with product code 101025 4; code date Sept. 24, 2013 - Oct. 10, 2013
• D'Amico and Sons Chicken & Dried Cherry Pasta, 14-ounce packages with product code 101216 and code date Oct. 2, 2013 - Oct. 10, 2013
• D'Amico and Sons Chicken & Dried Cherry Pasta, six-ounce packages with product code 101223 and code date Oct. 2, 2013 - Oct. 10, 2013
• D'Amico and Sons Ranch Pasta Salad with Chicken, Spinach & Bacon, 14-ounce packages with product code 100240 and code date Sept. 24, 2013
• D'Amico and Sons Ranch Pasta Salad with Chicken, Spinach & Bacon, six-ounce packages with product code 100233 and code date Sept. 24, 2013
• Finest Traditions Ham Salad Spread, 12-ounce packages with product code 388648 and code date Sept. 28, 2013 - Oct. 18, 2013
• Garden Fresh Ham Salad with Sweet Relish, 12-ounce packages with product code 6163 and code date Oct. 3, 2013 - Oct. 12, 2013
• Weis Ham Salad, eight-ounce packages with product code 05334 and code date Sept. 27, 2013 - Oct. 2, 2013
• Garden Fresh Ham Salad with Sweet Relish, five-pound packages with product code 5121
• Garden Fresh Ham Salad, 12-ounce packages with product code 6163
• Premium Chicken Salad, five-pound packages with product code 5167
• Reduced Fat Chicken Salad, five-pound packages with product code 5305
• Chicken Salad, five-pound packages with product code 5113
• Chicken Salad, 12-ounce packages with product code 6164
• Sandwich Spread, five-pound packages with product code 5190
• Weis Ham Salad, five-pound packages with product code 5212
• Weis Ham Salad, eight-ounce packages with product code 05334
• Weis Wonder Chicken Salad, five-pound packages with product code 5219
• Finest Traditions Ham Salad Spread, four-pound packages with product code 38642
• Finest Traditions Ham Salad Spread, 12-ounce packages with product code 38648
• Finest Traditions Chicken Salad Base, eight-pound packages with product code 38770
• Finest Traditions Chicken Salad Spread, four-pound packages with product code 38886
• Finest Traditions Chicken Salad Spread, 12-ounce packages with product code 38892
• Finest Traditions Dill Pasta and Chicken Salad, eight-pound packages with product code 38600
• Finest Traditions Gemelli Pasta with Chicken, eight-pound packages with product code 38578
• Finest Traditions Liver Pate, four-pound packages with product code 38726
• Finest Traditions Nevada Chicken Salad Base, eight-pound packages with product code 38802
• Finest Traditions Spiral Pasta With Chicken, eight-pound packages with product code 38576

Microbiological testing by the Food and Drug Administration resulted in discovering the potential for Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

FDA, the Food Safety Inspection Service and the company have not received reports of illnesses due to consumption of these products.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking retail stores and food warehouses to make sure the recalled products are removed from sale.

Questions about this recall?

Consumers who purchased the recalled products can call 800-645-3367 or the company's vice president of sales, Steve Mueller, at 414-645-1000. Consumers with food safety questions can contact Ask Karen, the virtual FSIS representative available 24 hours a day, online or via smartphone. Live Ask Karen chat services are available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-888-MPHotline and is available in English and Spanish between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To view a comprehensive list of food and feed recalls affecting Georgia, visit our Food Safety Division recall website. If this recall expands or additional details become available in the future, the website will provide the most up-to-date information.

Feature Recipe: Georgia Grown Watermelon Gazpacho with Cheesy Bruschetta

Originally published in the Aug. 7, 2013, issue

Editor’s Note: The summery flavors in this Southern take on a traditional Spanish soup are perfectly complemented by the warm bruschetta – one of my favorite things to make for parties and events.

Ingredients:

For the gazpacho, courtesy of Georgia Watermelon Association:
1 garlic clove, minced
3 pounds watermelon flesh, seeded and chunked
2 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut in wedges
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup olive oil
½ cup chopped fresh basil

For the bruschetta:
1 baguette, cut into ½-inch thick slices
1 ball fresh mozzarella
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Put the garlic, watermelon, tomatoes, lemon juice and some salt and pepper in a food processor. Add a few ice cubes one at a time and pulse until desired consistency – chunky or smooth – is reached. Chill in the refrigerator.

2. While gazpacho is chilling, prepare the bruschetta. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Put baguette slices on the sheet and top each slice with mozzarella.

3. Place baguette slices in the oven and heat until cheese is slightly melted. While cheese is melting, remove gazpacho from the refrigerator and ladle into bowls. Season with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired.

4. Remove baguettes from oven and top each slice with tomato and basil mixture. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

5. Just before serving, top each bowl of gazpacho with crumbled feta cheese, basil and a few drops of olive oil.

Sharon Elementary Kicks Off "Feed My School" Program

What originally began as a barren field of weeds became the star of the Feed My School for a Week kick-off at Sharon Elementary in Suwanee, Ga., last week.

With the help of parent volunteers, teachers and community leaders, the school courtyard was transformed into the DIGS -- an interactive learning space that includes life-size simple machines, an amphitheater for chorus concerts, outdoor musical instruments and a school garden.

Sharon Elementary kindergarten students, dressed as farmers,
wait to hear from United Egg Producers representatives during
their Feed My School for a Week kick off on Sept. 20.

"Before we knew it, it was one of those things that grew legs and just had a life of its own. It has transformed not only the courtyard, but really the spirit of outside. The energy is phenomenal," said Jenny Spartz, Sharon Elementary assistant principal. "The learning that takes place is just A-plus. You can't replicate it."

On Sept. 20, the learning taking place was all about Georgia agriculture. Students started their day with a presentation from United Egg Producers, learning about the state's poultry and egg industries and the important parts they play in economics and nutrition. After a brief question-and-answer period, classes headed out to the DIGS for an agriculture expo.

Students hopped on an orange Kubota tractor with fifth-grade parent Michael Hardin and learned about agriculture story.

"I grew up on a farm in Kentucky, so it was just a good day for me to come and spend it with the kids, answer questions," Hardin said. "Kids in this area think everything grows at the store. And it's very important they understand where their food comes from ... It's very important that we don't lose that as a society."

Students examine the roots of hydroponic lettuce during Sharon
Elementary's Feed My School for a Week kick-off expo.

From there, classes taste-tested hydroponic lettuce from Circle A Lettuce; shook their own butter at a station manned by Butter Sensations and Great Harvest Bread; and came face-to-face with bees courtesy of the Forsyth County Beekeepers Club.

"Today's kick off to the Feed My School program exceeded our expectations and was a spectacular success," Principal Amy Bartlett said. "All 900 students were able to participate in learning stations featuring locally grown products."

In the garden, students examined peppers, pumpkins and other crops, some planted next to black-and-white QR codes to scan.

"They scan the QR code and it gives them information about what that plant is," Spartz said. "A lot of crops here we use in our science labs to feed our animals."

Blaze, a resident of the Sharon Elementary science lab, enjoys
Georgia-grown vegetables from the DIGS garden as part of
her daily meals.

To prepare for their official Feed My School Week in April -- when Sharon Elementary will serve 75 to 100 percent Georgia-grown products to its student body -- students are already planting beets, broccoli and other seedlings in their science lab, carefully cultivating them until they're big enough to be planted in the DIGS garden.

"We'll be hopefully harvesting some things that we can eat in April when we culminate the project," Spartz said.

Sharon Elementary faculty, students and parents are looking forward to learning and teaching about agriculture throughout the school year, and Bartlett said she is honored the school was chosen for the program, a joint project by the Georgia departments of education and agriculture.

"It's always good to know where your food is coming from," John Kim, a kindergarten parent from Suwanee, said after watching the morning presentation. "You get the appreciation that somebody's behind where your food comes from, it doesn't just magically just come from the supermarket."

Seedlings grow in the Sharon Elementary science lab until they
are big enough to be planted in the DIGS garden.

View the full photo album on our Facebook page.

RECALL ROUNDUP: Sept. 7 - Sept. 16

Editor's Note: Food recalls related to a foodborne pathogen will be featured on individual blog posts. Food recalls related to food allergens, mislabeling or other causes will be rounded up each week, when applicable, in a Recall Roundup blog post. For up-to-the-minute information on food recalls, follow @GaMktBulletin and @GDAFoodSafety on Twitter, and visit the Georgia Department of Agriculture's food recall website.

Recalls were issued for select lots of the following products:

Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto: Talenti German Chocolate Cake Gelato pints with UPC 1 86852000063 1 and best by dates of Nov. 4, 2014 and Nov. 24, 2014
Recalled Sept. 9; undeclared almond allergen. Read more ...

Dutch Valley Food Distributors, Inc.: Honey Roasted Peanuts with a UPC code 8 77245 00143 3; all products with a best by date of Jan. 21, 2014 and before, sold in 11-ounce retail packages.
Recalled Sept. 12; undeclared wheat and milk allergens. Read more ... 

The Roundup: Calling All Ag-Letes

Editor's Note: Due to space constraints in the Sept. 18 issue, we were unable to run a print version of The Roundup and this story.

The Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center in Covington invites all Market Bulletin readers and agriculture enthusiasts to get down at dirty this month at the first ever Udder Mud Run. The course is between three and four miles of climbing, crawling, jumping, running and plenty of muddy obstacles to test athletic prowess and have a great time bonding with friends and family.

“The Udder Mud Run is designed for everyone … to accommodate everyone from the mud-run aficionado to first time mud run participants,” said Leroy Bagley, educational program specialist for the FFA-FCCLA Center. “The 5K run will have over 20 obstacles, and the one-miler will have over 10 obstacles.”

The longer course is for participants age 13 and up, and a competition heat will result in awards for top finishers. The one-mile course is designed for all participants, but those under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. In addition, a family-friendly spectator area will include entertaining booths, and everyone who survives the fun-filled Udder Chaos will receive a finisher’s medal and a T-shirt.

Registration for the long course is $60 per person by Sept. 22, and $65 the day of the event. The one-mile course, with a minimum group of two, is $30 per person. For participants running both courses, discounts may be available.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. on Sept. 28. Since there’s a high probability participants will get muddy, it’s advised to bring a change of clothes, a towel and a trash bag to hold race clothes. Wear regular running shoes, but be sure to tie the laces tight to avoid losing them on the course. Food will be available for purchase at the FFA-FCCLA Center the day of the event.

Proceeds from the Udder Mud Run benefit the FFA-FCCLA Center, a 500-acre facility that hosts groups and camps year-round to teach integrity, responsibility, respect and dependability, as well as other core values prized by the two programs.

For more information about participating in the Udder Mud Run and other events going on at the FFA-FCCLA Center, visit www.uddermudrun.com. Event details are also available on the Market Bulletin calendar of events in this issue and on our website.

RECALL ROUNDUP: Aug. 22 - Sept. 6

Editor's Note: Food recalls related to a foodborne pathogen will be featured on individual blog posts. Food recalls related to food allergens, mislabeling or other causes will be rounded up each week, when applicable, in a Recall Roundup blog post. For up-to-the-minute information on food recalls, follow @GaMktBulletin and @GDAFoodSafety on Twitter, and visit the Georgia Department of Agriculture's food recall website.

Recalls were issued for select lots of the following products:

Westlake Foods: Tay Ho Cured Pork Artificially Colored, 11 to 13-pound cases; Tay Ho Cured Pork Sausage with Pork Ears and Snouts, 14-ounce packages; Don Café Cured Pork Meat and Binder Product pork skin added, 11 to 13-pound cases.
Recalled Aug. 23; undeclared wheat allergen. Read more ...






ConAgra Foods: Kroger Break 'N Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, 16-ounce packages, with UPC 11110 87530 and use by date 24NOV13C21.
Recalled Aug. 25; contains peanut butter cup cookie dough instead of chocolate chip. Read more ...






Terri Lynn, Inc.: Deluxe Mixed Nuts No Peanuts, 16-ounce bags with lot code 3180; Deluxe Mixed Nuts with Macadamias, 12-ounce bags with a best buy date of 12/29/14.
Recalled Aug. 26; undeclared peanut allergen. Read more ... 
 







Premier Foods, LLC: Meyer Lemon Braising Base, one-pound, 8.5-ounces retail units; Clove Garlic Chicken Braising Base, 24.5-ounce retail units; Tangine Sauce, 16-fluid ounces retail units; Artichoke Pecorino Sauce, 16-fluid ounces retail units; all sold at Williams-Sonoma stores.
Recalled Aug. 28; undeclared milk, soy and wheat allergens. Read more ...

Nestle Purina PetCare Company: Purina ONE beyOnd Our White Meat Chicken & Whole Barley Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food in 3.5-pound bags with a best by date and production code OCT 2014 31071083 and UPC Code 17800 12679.
Recalled Aug. 30; could contain Salmonella. Read more ...

GoPicnic Brands, Inc.: GoPicnic Black Bean Dip & Plantain Chips and Hummus & Crackers, containing Professor ZimZam's Extraordinary Sweets Dark Chocolate with Orange and Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt, with best by dates ranging from Sept. 24, 2013, to May 29, 2014.
Recalled Sept. 3; undeclared milk allergen. Read more ...







Cains Foods: Olde Cape Cold Chipotle Rand Dressing, 16-ounce package with best by date of Nov. 30, 2014.
Recalled Sept. 5; undeclared milk and egg allergens. Read more ...



Chobani, Inc.: All flavors Greek Yogurt in six-ounce cups, 16-ounce tubs, 32-ounce tubs, 3.5-ounce cups; all flavors Chobani Bite 3.5-ounce cups; all flavors Chobani Flip 5.3-ounce containers; all flavors Chobani Champions 3.5-ounce cups; all flavors Chobani Champions 2.25-ounce tubs; best by date cotes range from Sept. 11, 2013, to Oct. 7, 2013, and an IMS number of 16-012.
Recalled Sept. 5; product concerns. Read more ... 
 
 
 

ARTY'S GARDEN: Crape Myrtle, a Gold Medal Plant for All Seasons

Originally published in the Aug. 7, 2013, issue

It has been 17 years since Atlanta hosted the Olympics, and I cannot remember any of the star athletes. But I do remember the horticultural star of the games – crape myrtles. They were stunning as they are every summer with their large trusses of crinkled blossoms. In 1996, however, they had a large audience of visitors who had never seen them before.

I remember being in a crowd downtown overhearing a woman from New Jersey asking, “Are those lilacs? They’re beautiful!”

Being the horticultural ambassador that I am, I stepped forward to tell her and her friends about them. A dignitary from Nigeria even came to the garden center where I worked to see if we had crape myrtle seeds he could take back to Africa.

Drought or rainy weather, crape myrtles put on a beautiful floral display every summer. Those without discernment will say their flowers are pink, purple, red or white. But connoisseurs are apt to differentiate between pale pink, watermelon red, rose, plum, mauve, orchid, hot pink and crimson.

If summer flowers were their only virtue, crape myrtles would still be garden stars. They are not just a one-season wonder, however. In the fall their leaves turn yellow, orange and red. Depending on the variety, crape myrtles have smooth, even silky, exfoliating bark that ranges in color from peachy gray to cinnamon and is attractive all year.

Crape myrtles need little except full sun. They will tolerate less but flowering is reduced and the plant is more prone to powdery mildew. Once established, they are drought tolerant. They require no special fertilizer, and really don’t need any fertilizer.

The biggest problem with crape myrtles is not a disease or an insect pest; it is people. Too many people butcher their crape myrtles and call it “pruning.” They try to turn crape myrtle trees into crape myrtle shrubs. If crape myrtles are pruned correctly, you can’t tell they have been pruned. Instead we see maimed crape myrtles with stubs of limbs from which long canes of new growth emerge. These canes are weak and more prone to aphids and powdery mildew. And the overall effect is ugly.

You should prune to enhance the natural shape of the crape myrtle. You do not have to prune them to get them to bloom, and you do not have to massacre them just because your neighbor does. If you need a smaller crape myrtle, plant a dwarf variety. Some of these dwarf selections reach only a few feet tall.

Southerners often bemoan what we cannot grow due to our heat. Many of us daydream of the garden paradises of England and the Pacific Northwest, where the weather is very temperate with abundant rainfall and almost everything thrives. But crape myrtles don’t do well there. It’s not hot enough. One of my best friends moved to Seattle in the 1990s. Besides being homesick for friends and family, he longed to see crape myrtles again. On a trip back to Georgia he told me, “The crape myrtles are taunting me.”

One final thing: is it crepe myrtle or crape myrtle? Actually, either spelling is acceptable. Crape is the dominant spelling in America, although many nursery catalogs and garden writers will describe the “crepe-like flowers” of the crape myrtle.

Go figure.

Arty Schronce is the Department's resident gardening expert. He's a lifelong gardener and a horticulture graduate of North Carolina State University who encourages everyone to discover the pleasures of plants and gardening.

Georgia Grown Profile: Ivy Mountain Distillery

This story is published in the current issue of the Market Bulletin and is provided as a special sneak-peek for the Sept. 4 issue. To read more in this issue, log in to our website with your subscriber number, or enjoy the hard copy in the mail this week!

 

Family recipes, home-ground corn staples of whiskey establishment

By Morgan Smith

 

Ivy Mountain Distillery has been in the whiskey making business for more than 20 years. After illegally making liquor decades ago, Carlos Lovell, part owner of Ivy Mountain Distillery in Mt. Airy, Ga., decided he wanted to legally make whiskey two years ago. He enlisted the help of his daughter and fellow owner, Carlene Holder, to help him start his business and acquire the federal, state and local licenses needed.

Ivy Mountain Distillery is a family business through and through, and is continually growing. Having been in operation fewer than two years, the distillery has already undergone an expansion.

 

“Carlos and his brother Fred continue to grind their own corn and make the malt. It’s definitely not a common practice today for distilleries to make [the malt] from scratch,” Holder said.

Ivy Mountain prides itself in its history and old-fashioned beginnings. The recipe for the whiskey is decades old. Lovell uses his father – Big Virg Lovell’s – recipe for his fine “sippin’ whiskey.”

 

All products that go into Lovell’s whiskey are locally grown. With an interest in the farm-to-table movement, Ivy Mountain Distillery believes it’s important to let customers know where the ingredients for the whiskey come from.

 

“Consumers wish to know where their food originates. They are interested in the ‘natural way.’ A visit to the distillery will confirm that Ivy Mountain is part of that thinking as well,” Holder said.

 

The distillery is open to the public for tours twice a month, allowing consumers to get a firsthand look at how the product is made.

 

Even during the years of making illegal liquor, the Lovells were farmers with large crops, poultry and cattle.

 

“The agriculture industry in Georgia has always been of extreme importance to the Lovell family,” Holder said. “Ivy Mountain Distillery is proud to be associated with Georgia Grown. All members of Georgia Grown have a common goal: to promote the natural resources of this great state.”

Five "Feed My School for a Week" Participants Selected

News release issued by the Georgia Department of Agriculture press office

 

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black recently announced the five elementary schools selected for this year's Feed My School for a Week program sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Education.

 

Colbert Elementary in Colbert, West Chatham Elementary in Savannah, Skyview Elementary in Macon, Sharon Elementary in Suwanee and Southside Elementary in Cairo are the chosen schools for this year's program. The Feed My School initiative increases awareness about the importance of proper nutrition and healthy eating while assisting schools in sourcing local produce and products.

 

"The pilot program of Feed My School was such a great success that we were encouraged to expand the program to five schools across the state," Black said. "With this program, students will discover the importance of agriculture through learning about the process that brings local produce and goods from an area farm to the cafeteria table, while at the same time receiving a healthy, delicious meal."

 

The program aims to help bridge the gap in the nutritional value and quality of food served in Georgia schools and provide more farm-to-cafeteria opportunities. The result will be healthier Georgia students, decreased barriers in farm-to-school efforts and increased awareness as students learn and experience, both educationally and nutritionally, where their food comes from.

 

During a one-week period in the spring semester, all lunches served out of each selected school's cafeteria will include 75 to 100 percent Georgia-grown food. The schools will host an agriculture guest speaker, hold taste tests for Georgia commodities and conduct an essay contest. There will also be an art contest at each school focused on a single Georgia commodity, in addition to several other education activities throughout the designated week.