I have been around farming all my life. In fact, my family has been in farming for five generations. But, my experience in agriculture only begins there. I built a decades long career working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) throughout the southeast. My leadership spanned across Georgia, Tennessee and several other Black Belt states. Even when I retired, my work didn’t stop. For the last 12 years, I’ve continued to work with landowners in the south as a private consultant. Like me, these landowners have seen it all, done it all and weathered all sorts of farming fads. However, the prospect of growing hemp in Georgia has created the most enthusiasm I have ever seen.
“ “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve”. ”
I have seen people who have never farmed get excited about the possibility of being a farmer/producer, an extractor/processor, manufacturer and retailer; all in hopes of cashing in on this new crop. Although hemp is being grown and processed in 34 states in the U.S., the next growing season will be the first time that farmers in Georgia will have an opportunity to legally grow hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill authorized hemp to be grown. Georgia passed the legislation this past session and the Georgia Department of Agriculture is working on rules to ensure an orderly process is put in place for all aspect of the hemp industry.
With new legislation, comes uncharted territory in the Peach State. This new area is, in my opinion, causing more questions than answers. In keeping with what I consider more questions than answers. I have been working with one farmer to find some answers regarding hemp production. We have made calls to Tennessee to schedule site visits with farmers who were growing hemp and eventually found a farmer who I had met at a small farmers conference in Kentucky. I also introduced the Georgia farmer to a hemp farmer in Arkansas. After those introductions it was a tight connection between the three. Their conversation led to a site visit during the growing season. After the site visit they scheduled a visit during harvest. That planning took on a new meaning; one that was reminiscent of the late 1950s when farmers would help each other during harvest. The farmer from Georgia convinced some of his friends to sacrifice their football Saturday to go to Kentucky and assist with the hemp harvest.
““Together we stand, divided we fall”. As farmers, let’s stand and STAND TALL.”
The farmers from Georgia were in search of knowledge. Not only did they gain insight, they gained experience and built a lasting friendship with the farmers in Kentucky. As I mentioned more questions than answers. I am sure they still have questions, but it was an experience that relates to the New Farmers of America (NFA) and Future Farmers of America (FFA) motto "Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve". Those farmers from Georgia have much to learn regarding planting, cultivating and marketing hemp, but they now have hands-on experience in harvesting hemp. I am sure the farmer in Kentucky benefited from no-cost labor, but what I think I know about farmers is that they are elated that they are able to help others to reach a measure of success.
It is my hope that more farmers, especially small and minority farmers, will use an example like the one I just described to lift each other up. A phrase that is often used but may not be used enough is "Together we stand, divided we fall”. As farmers, let's stand and STAND TALL.