This is Georgia Ag Awareness Week, a week that has been set aside to celebrate Georgia’s agricultural industry. There are events planned across the state to connect farmers with schools, to support local food banks, and to celebrate eating local.
As community and school gardeners we are all well aware of how hard it is sometimes to grow our own food. It can seem like disease, pests, and weather are all against us. But, we know that if we fail we can rely on the grocery store to fill our dinner plates. And, we all want to eat as local as we possibly can. Thank you Georgia farmers!
We are all a small part of Georgia Ag by raising our own food, growing food for Farmers Markets, and/or supplying food for your local food banks. Take a moment to celebrate what you do! It is important.
If you want to really get involved in the celebration this week, take a look at recipes featuring Georgia products. Several of the crops won’t be in season yet, but you should be able to find something delicious for your dinner table. What are you growing in your garden that you are harvesting now? The warm winter means I have delicious greens at my house and I will be hosting a Georgia Grown dinner during the week.
Goods and services related to Georgia’s agriculture and natural resources affect each of the state’s communities every day. Agriculture is Georgia’s largest industry, with $74.9 billion of direct and indirect economic impact annually. More than 411,000 Georgia jobs are involved directly in commodity or food- and fiber-related industries.
UGA Extension faculty and staff play a key role in the success of this industry by sharing university-based research for Georgians to use on the farm and at home. Recommendations in areas including soil fertility, pest management, plant and crop varieties, water quality, and herd health and management focus on maximizing production and profits while minimizing environmental impacts. Make sure you are connected with your local UGA Cooperative Extension office!
Happy Georgia Ag Awareness Week! #GAAgWeek #agdawg
Becky is a Georgia Certified Beekeeper and works with community and school gardeners to increase beneficial insect habitat.She is the coordinator of the Great Georgia Pollinator Census, happening this year on August 19th and 20th, 2022.She is also part of UGA's Native Plants and Beneficial Insect Working Group.
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