Georgia Grown Profile: Georgia Farm Bureau

Originally published in the Oct. 16, 2013, issue

 

Grassroots organization delivers much more than insurance

By Jenna Saxon, public affairs office

Georgia Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization with independent chapters in 158 counties. GFB is a grassroots organization operated by members in each local community. Every county Farm Bureau office is affiliated with GFB, but operates under its own autonomy and is governed by a local board of directors.

 

For more than 75 years, GFB’s participation in local and state events has provided leadership and direction on issues that helped improve life in rural Georgia. GFB works to enrich the quality of life for many Georgians across the state by ensuring the future prosperity of Georgia’s No. 1 economic sector, agriculture.

 

Though the organization is known for its insurance services, a GFB membership supports programs in local communities to increase agricultural awareness, and programs on the state and national level to promote agriculture and preserve the rural way of life. GFB sponsors and supports youth programs such as 4-H, FFA and high school athletics as its way of giving back to communities across the state.

 

GFB has a strong relationship with the Department and works as a dedicated partner of Georgia Grown. GFB decided to partner with Georgia Grown because of its support for Georgia’s agriculture industry and the farmers in our state who sell locally grown food products. The program “runs parallel” with GFB’s Certified Farm Market Program, President Zippy Duvall said.

 

“Since 1985, GFB has offered the Certified Farm Market Program, which directs consumers to bona fide producers of locally grown products and agritourism activities,” said Brandon Ashley, GFB commodities specialist. “Supporting Georgia Grown is another way in which GFB serves our members and helps direct Georgians to locations to buy Georgia products.”

 

The markets are located across the state, he added.

 

"What we want to accomplish is to make people aware of local products they can buy directly from the farmer rather than buying products that come from out of state or another country," Duvall said.

 

Ray D’Alessio of the Georgia Farm Monitor and Department Home Economist
Marcia Crowley team up monthly to bring Georgia Grown "Meals from the Field"
to RFD-TV. Screenshot courtesy of Georgia Farm Bureau on YouTube

Another way GFB promotes Georgia Grown commodities is a partnership between its Women’s Leadership Committee and Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom Program, which will visit schools this year to teach students about healthy eating and the advantages of purchasing Georgia Grown products.

 

GFB also partners with the Department to produce a monthly cooking segment, called “Meals from the Field,” featuring Georgia Grown products. 

 

“These cooking segments highlight a different in-season commodity each month and spotlight members of the Georgia Grown and GFB’s Certified Farm Market Program,” Ashley said. “’Meals from the Field’ segments air on the Georgia Farm Monitor, which is seen all over the state and nationally on RFD-TV. These cooking segments are also posted to YouTube and featured in our monthly e-newsletter.”