A Letter from Georgia Organics President & CEO Alice Rolls

July 27, 2023 

Dear Friends & Colleagues, 

In January 2024, I will celebrate 20 years at Georgia Organics, a landmark that invites exciting change for the organization and me personally. I told myself years ago that if I made it to this milestone, it would be time to step away from my role as President and CEO and make room for new leadership. Thus, I’m sharing this announcement with you.    

The good thing about a long tenure is you get to witness true change. When I started in 2004, there were only seven farmers markets in Georgia, the National Organic Program was two years old, and “local food” was not part of our vernacular. Thanks to an incredible group of passionate farmers, advocates, and partners, the local food movement has grown and flourished in transformative ways.  There are now 150 farmers markets, 150 Certified Organic farms in Georgia, and more Certified Naturally Grown farms than in any other state. Eighty-two percent of Georgia households now purchase organic food on a regular basis. Farm to school programs dot Georgia’s landscape, and there are inspiring efforts to justly support Black and Brown farmers and mitigate the impacts of climate change. 

You could say I had exquisite timing when I took this job, and that would be true. But I have also had the unique privilege of leading and working alongside visionary and committed colleagues at Georgia Organics, and beyond, who have made this change happen.   

Positioning the organization for the future is a challenge I take seriously, and thus I have been quietly working on succession planning the last two years. I am confident that this planning, along with our strong leadership team, will allow our organization to be continuous in our mission, goals, and execution. Our Board of Directors and a newly formed search committee will be focused in the coming months on hiring a new Executive Director sometime later this year. A job description has been posted on our website and will be circulated through various outlets. During the upcoming transition, I will be here to support the new Executive Director and our regional collective impact work in a President Emeritus role for a short term. Afterwards, I will be seeking new adventures in work and play. 

It isn’t easy stepping away from work that has been my heart and soul for two decades. I love this organization and what we do, particularly our newer mission to invest in organic farmers for the health of the land and our communities. Georgia Organics has deeply shaped me and cemented an enduring respect for local and organic farmers who steward public and environmental health. No matter where I go, I will continue to champion them. 

If you are getting this letter, that means you have been a valued ally, supporter, friend and/or mentor in my professional and personal journey. For that, I’m humbled and grateful for all that we have accomplished together during the past 20 years. 

Warm regards, 

Alice Rolls 
President & CEO 

Countdown: 25 Reasons to Support Georgia Organics in 2022!

Starting on Nov. 1st, we took to social media with 25 Reasons to Support Georgia Organics. Our goal? To raise $150,000 for our 25th Anniversary “From the Ground Up” Campaign.

We’re thrilled to announce we have just surpassed our goal! Congratulations and thank you to you, our outstanding community, for your support! 

The good news about reaching our goal is that any additional funds we raise between now and Dec. 31st will supercharge our efforts to grow farmer prosperity.

There are just three days left of this campaign, so if you haven't made a contribution yet, this is your last chance to give! 

Make a 25th Anniversary donation and invest in our future... from the ground up!

georgiaorganics.org/donate

Here are 25 great reasons TO join us.

#25 The answer is in the soil.

We work with farmers who prioritize soil-focused stewardship. These farmers abandon synthetic herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, and fertilizers - all to better care for the land, the water, and our air.

#24 Everything we do works toward farmer prosperity.

Our Farmer Services team provides organic farmers with one-on-one support, resources, group instruction, and deep-dive programs like our Accelerator, Emergency Support, and Healthcare programs. These tailored services help farmers build and maintain strong farm businesses and achieve farmer prosperity.

#23 We further hands-on, farm-to-school education practices.

Photo Credit: Jenna Shea Photography.

With a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we helped students at South Columbus Elementary School team up with a local farmer to learn and practice Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Students dove into planting, growing, harvesting, marketing, and selling produce - all on school grounds. Plus, they planted an orchard of fruit trees and bushes that will last for years to come! What if every school had resources to teach students how to grow their food?

#22 We supply local farmers with localized solutions.

Through the Farmer Accelerator Program and our other Farmer Services, we provided more than 120 hours of one-on-one business coaching and $120,000 in direct investments to farmers in 2022.

#21 We're ready for anything.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, the local food system has been in flux. Because of our networks across industries and sectors, we were able to mobilize several wide-reaching response efforts to the pandemic to stabilize and preserve Georgia's food system: from providing farmers who lost markets with direct investments, to supporting farmers pivoting to online sales, to Food Fight GA—which provided weekly farm-fresh produce boxes to unemployed restaurant workers.

#20 We make puns with a purpose.

At Georgia Organics, we’re investing in the future...from the ground up. And we’re inviting you to support us from the GROUNDS up with Café Campesino! Throughout November and December, Café Campesino will donate $1.85 for each bag sold directly to Georgia Organics. Check out our celebratory 25th Anniversary packaging and order yours today!

#19 Because Spinach to Win It!

Wait, because Spinach to Win It? Yes! Spinach to Win It! This year, we reached more than 700,000 youth in this October’s Spinach to Win It! #FarmtoSchoolMonth Campaign. We even provided mini-grants to outstanding school projects to achieve their farm-to-school goals.

#18 We build farmer allies (part 1).

In 2022, we expanded the Farmer Champion program which incentivizes local and organic purchasing by culinary professionals to include 45 restaurants, bakeries, butcheries, caterers, early care centers, and pop-ups across six cities in Georgia.

#17 We build farmer allies (part 2).

In 2022, we announced our intent to delve more deeply into our role in farmer advocacy. We sought feedback from more than 1,000 farmers to inform our Farmer Advocacy platform. We look forward to sharing more about our plans with farmers, partners, and agricultural policymakers.

#16 The amazing Georgia Organics team!

What started as a one-person office in a church basement has grown into a dynamic, 17-person team with a 20-member board of passionate individuals dedicated to a positive food future.

#15 We mobilize the community.

Georgia Organics is powered by thousands of members, volunteers, and partners. They support us by attending and leading educational events, sharing information, advocating, and so much more. Wholeheartedly, they answer the call to participate and invest in the local food movement.

Photo Credit: M.F. Espinoza.

#14 We bring farmers together.

Through our annual Conference & Expo, Farmer Field Days, Farmer Mixers and other events, Georgia Organics provides a platform for farmers to share information and resources, mentor and learn from each other, and build community.

#13 We can help you plan a casual date night that gives back to community!

This Tuesday, November 29, take your date to Farm Burger to celebrate #GAgivesDay! ALL Georgia locations ALL day will donate 10 percent of sales directly to Georgia Organics. You could say they're really moooo-ving us closer to our year-end goal! Thank you, Farm Burger, for investing in our future… from the ground up!

#12 Because it’s #GAgivesDay!

What a great day to SUPPORT FARMERS! We know that healthy farmers are the cornerstone of healthy communities. They heal the earth, increase food access across the state, and sustain life. From the soil itself — living and breathing — to the plants, the people, and everything in between.

#11 To be a part of a generous and passionate community!

Last Tuesday was #GAgivesDay 2022, and you all showed up by donating more than $15,000, making it an extraordinary day as we climb closer to our overall year-end goal as part of our 25th Anniversary “From the Ground Up” Campaign!

#10 “Without good solid healthcare, then the sustainable farm, I don’t think exists.” - Farmers Chris & Jenny Jackson, Farmer Members

In 2022, we enrolled eight new farmers for FREE Gold Level Health Insurance through the Kaiser Permanente Bridge Program.

#9 The answer is in the soil (part 2).

Georgia Organics invests in farmers so that inch by inch, the soil gets the care it needs. We support these farmers so that they can grow in a way that heals the earth, increases food access across the state, and sustains biodiversity and life, from the soil itself (which is living and breathing!), to the plants, the people, and everything in-between.

#8 To break bread with inspiring legends and leaders of our movement.

On December 10, we hosted renowned chef, cookbook author, and food activist, Alice Waters for a 25th Anniversary Dinner for 68 guests prepared by some of our favorite chefs. This six-course dinner turned into a community salon, with a passionate conversation unfolding about the future of our food movement.

#7 Gifts made between now and Dec. 31st will go twice as far!
We have an anonymous donor who just pledged to match all gifts made between now and midnight on Dec. 31st up to $15,000. Donate now and your gift will be supercharged toward our goal!

#6 We honor the contributions of our land stewards.

Each year, we offer awards to outstanding members of the food and farming community in three categories: the Land Steward Award, the Barbara Petit Pollinator Award, and the Farmer Champion awards. Land Steward and Pollinator Award winners are nominated by the general public and voted on by our Board and Governance Committee. Together, we can continue to uplift the strong work of our soil stewards and champions!

#5 Georgia’s land needs stewards like never before.

Every day, Georgia’s land, growers, and communities stand at the mercy of ongoing and increasing environmental pressures, social and economic gaps, and barriers to access. Deeply entrenched agricultural practices and policies make these challenges worse, further degrading the soil and access to land and food. Meanwhile, the champions in our local food system work daily to stem this tide. They make sacrifices to prioritize soil and community health. They lead the way, showing us that it is possible to build a future in which Georgia’s food is produced accessibly, equitably, and sustainably by thriving community farmers.

#4 Conference is back, baby!

After a two-year hiatus, we’re thrilled to have the chance to come together for our cornerstone annual gathering featuring keynote speaker, farmer and community activist, Karen Washington. For three days, farmers, community advocates, educators, equity activists, and climate leaders will connect, learn new skills, and generate fresh ideas to foster a healthy and sustainable food system. Get your tickets for the 2023 Conference and Expo today!

#3 Our brand new Farmer Apprenticeship Program.

In fall 2022, more than 20 beginning farmers applied for an apprenticeship to learn regenerative farming and sustainable business practices from established organic farmers. This program creates a pipeline for new and beginning farmers while supporting a cohort of farm hosts as they increase their business capacity.  We look forward to selecting nine top candidates to launch into their work in early 2023!

#2 Our history.

We’ve been at it for 25 years. With your support, we've grown the number of organic farmers and acres. We've instigated, cajoled, and convened. We've been a centering rock on which new local food organizations and coalitions have found their footing. What started as a one-person office in a church basement has grown into a dynamic 15-person team with a 20-member board and a network of farmers, partners, and allies dedicated to a positive food future.

The #1 Reason to support Georgia Organics: Our future.

Photo Credit: Kayla Williams.

With 25 years under our belt, we’re gearing up for the next 25. We’re investing in our future from the ground up, and we need your support! We believe in a future where Georgia’s food is produced accessibly, equitably, and sustainably by thriving community farmers, and we are centering our work on farmer prosperity to achieve that vision. For 25 year past and 25 years to come, if you invest in farmers who are investing in the soil, you’re investing in a more bountiful future for all.  

Join us to today. Make a 25th Anniversary donation and invest in our future... from the ground up!

georgiaorganics.org/donate

For more information on ways to support Georgia Organics, contact Fundraising Manager, Emmy Carter, at emmy@georgiaorganics.org.

To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit www.georgiaorganics.org and follow us on Instagram@GeorgiaOrganics, Twitter @GeorgiaOrganics, and at Facebook.com/GeorgiaOrganics.

DECAL CELEBRATES FARM TO ECE EFFORTS IN WARE COUNTY

Guest blog contributor Morgan Chapman

Morgan Chapman is the Nutrition Education Specialist at the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL).

In recognition of Farm to School and Farm to Early Care and Education Month, the Nutrition Services Division of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) visited a site in Ware County, GA to celebrate Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE) efforts.

A happy Head Start start student digs into their yummy taste test! All images courtesy of the author.

On Thursday, Oct. 20, the Nutrition team visited Ware County Head Start Center. There, we learned about Georgia Organics’ Waycross Family Farm Share Pilot — funded through a Community Transformation Grant that DECAL awarded — to address childhood food insecurity for children ages birth to five in Waycross, Georgia.

The Head Start staff and Georgia Organics team showed parents how to plant spinach and Swiss chard seeds, all while discussing food education. Both teams encouraged families to register for the Family Farm Share.  

As a pilot program, Family Farm Share delivery lasts six weeks and responds to community needs and preferences for fresh food. Participating families receive a low-cost bag of locally-grown produce each week. This support is possible through a partnership between WayGreen, Georgia Organics, and local farmers.

Parents and DECAL staff connect over seed planting, meal prep and conversation.

Staff members were happy to connect with parents and engage their children through food education and taste-testing of blueberries and watermelon. DECAL staff visited Head Start, Early Head Start and Inclusion classrooms led by Ms. Carol Clarke.  

Classroom educators welcomed Clarke, who serves as the training and literacy specialist with Action Pact. The children were thrilled to engage through food-based learning, taste-testing plump blueberries, and sharing their opinions. Staff members also took a tour of the Head Start Center’s garden beds and rooted for the children participating in a bean bag race! 

After the taste test, students were encouraged give their opinions about the locally-sourced foods.

To wrap up the visit, DECAL staff had the opportunity to see how the Family Farm Share was sorted and packaged.

The week’s share box included eggs, Satsuma oranges, Fuyu persimmons, collard greens, corn, microgreens (sunflower), red kale, mini sourdough bread, and North Georgia apples.

Our visit confirmed that the Farm to ECE and the Family Farm Share is a win-win for the Head Start community, local farmers, and the youngest learners.

DECAL, WayGreen, and Georgia Organics team members have successfully partnered to support Ware County’s Farm to ECE efforts.

Learn more about Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) at decal.ga.gov.

You can also follow them on Instagram (@brighfromthestart), Twitter (@GADeptEarlyCare), and Facebook (@georgiaDECAL).

Contact their Nutrition Education Specialist Morgan Chapman through their website instructional supports directory.

Visit georgiaorganics.org to see all of what we do and follow us on social media @georgiaorganics for updates and weekly happenings.

Farm To School Month: Spinach To Win It! Highlights

By Olivia Mountcastle

Olivia served as our 2022 Farm to School Intern as well as the CDC Public Health Associate Program Fellow.

Thank you to all who participated in 2022 October Farm to School Month with our Spinach to Win It! resources, making it an enormous success! The creativity this year was unbe-Leafable! We are so excited to share that we reached…. Drumroll….. 

                          693,000 Students across Georgia with our #SpinachToWinit! Campaign 

Georgia’s Governor Kemp recognized the positive impact of statewide Farm to School work by declaring October as Farm to School and  ECE Month with an official Proclamation! This honor couldn't have happened without all of the amazing farm-to-school work YOU do.  

Georgia Governor Declares the month of October Farm to School/ECE Month state-wide.

We loved following our participants’ activities through the social media tag #Spinachtowinit. The spinach content shared by the students, teachers, faculty, and parents is entertaining and inspiring. You can find it all by searching #Spinachtowinit on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Choosing weekly winners was incredibly difficult—which is why we chose to pick more than one weekly winner.

Some of the innovative projects we saw included:

• Painting with spinach  

• 3-D printing Popeye 

• Spinach songs and raps 

• And so much more!

We’ve highlighted some of the amazing projects shared by compiling social media posts in a video. Check out all of the spinach fun from the month here.

Our October Farm to School Month, Spinach to Win it! content will remain available throughout the school year, and we encourage everyone to keep the fun going. Spinach season has just begun, so you can continue planting and harvesting spinach into the colder months. Thank you to everyone who participated in activities this month making this a wonderful Spinach-tastic success!

To learn more about our ongoing Farm to School programming, go to farmtoschool.georgiaorganics.org.

Thank you to everyone who participated in activities this month making this a wonderful, Spinach-tastic success!

Our October Farm to School Month, Spinach to Win it! content will remain available through the school year at farmtoschool.georgiaorganics.org/spinachtowinit. Past content from our annual October Farm to School Month campaigns is at gfft.georgiaorganics.org!

Visit georgiaorganics.org to see all of what we do and follow us on social media @georgiaorganics for updates and weekly happenings.

Farm To ECE Success In An Urban Setting

Guest blog contributors Cherie L.B. Trice and April Mixon

Cherie L.B. Trice is the Director of Development at Greenbriar Children’s Center and has a Master of Arts and is a Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA). April Mixon is the Food Coordinator at Greenbriar Children’s Center. Both are Savannah-based.

All images courtesy of the authors.

Greenbriar Children’s Center is excited to be recognized as one of the first ECE Farmer Champions with Georgia Organics!   

In addition to other programs for children and families, Greenbriar provides two quality-rated early childhood education programs for children ages six months to five years, primarily from very low-income families.

On average, one in five people in Savannah lives below the poverty level. The number is even higher for children under the age of five. Following Federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) guidelines, Greenbriar provides breakfast, lunch, and a healthy snack for all children in our early learning programs. 

In the Spring of 2022, we launched an initiative to provide fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables to our centers via a partnership with the Forsyth Farmers Market—the largest regional market in our area. 

The team recognized that the brains and bodies of young children grow at a rapid rate. They must receive essential nutrients to support this critical time of growth to support positive health outcomes into adulthood. We know that an increased intake of fresh produce can help to reduce the risk of childhood obesity and complications that may arise later in life, including Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke. Under-resourced areas, which often have reduced access to grocery stores that provide fresh produce, face a higher risk for these health risks.  

Our partnership with the farmers market allows us to purchase fresh, locally-grown (and often organic) produce every week.

To expand our knowledge around this work, we have become a member of the Georgia Farm to Early Care and Education Coalition. To date, we have participated in various programs with fellow coalition members, including Quality Care for Children (QCC) and Georgia Organics.   

We have participated in the Georgia Early Care and Education Harvest of the Month campaign and, most recently, the Georgia Organics #SpinachtoWinit campaign.  

Spinach To Win It inspired us to give our children a tasty opportunity: to grow spinach and sample the leafy green in a variety of ways. We love the spinach pizza, spinach pesto, and other offerings we created!

In October, we also offered a parent-child nutrition night, informing parents about our efforts to provide their children with fresh, locally-grown produce every week.

We must recognize that low-income families often rely on low-cost, heavily processed food to feed their families. The two meals per day provided by childcare centers may be the most complete meals that a child in an under-resourced area receives. 

These meals must be as nutrient-dense as possible to provide the healthiest beginning possible for every child. And, getting to support local farmers to achieve this important work helps us feel even more connected to our community.

Learn more about Greenbriar Children’s Center at greenbriarchildrenscenter.org.  

You can also follow them on Instagram (@greenbriarsav), Twitter (@GreenbriarCCSAV), and Facebook (@GreenbriarChildrensCenter)

Contact their Director of Development Cherie L. B. Trice at ctrice@greenbriarchildrenscenter.org. 

To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org and follow us on social media @GeorgiaOrganics. 

Investing in Our Future From the GROUNDS Up with Café Campesino!

At Georgia Organics, we’re investing in our future from the ground up, and we need your support! Our goal is to raise $150,000 for our From the Ground Up! 25th Anniversary Campaign by the end of 2022.  

Luckily, our good friends at Café Campesino have stepped in to help! Throughout November and December, when you buy a pound of Georgia Organics Special Blend Medium Roast Coffee, Café Campesino will donate 10 percent plus a quarter of your online purchase ($1.85) per bag directly to Georgia Organics to support this goal.  

Georgia Organics Special Benefit Blend, Medium Roast Coffee - Fair Trade & Organic

The best part? Café Campesino sources beans directly from soil-focused farmers and roasts them locally in Americus, Georgia. I guess you could say that when you purchase our Georgia Organics Blend from Café Campesino, you’re investing in our future... from the GROUNDS up!  

Here at Georgia Organics, we love coffee. Okay, it may not be the unanimous #1 beverage of all of our staff, but collectively, it’s at the very top. Especially this year.  

It’s our 25th Anniversary, and we’ve been busy celebrating and planning what’s next in our organization’s journey. It’s safe to say, our cups have been fueling some really vital work.  

After a two-year hiatus, this year, we dove into hosting in-person events and convenings again. We held a 25th Anniversary Roast & Toast, granting awards to some incredible land stewards in our community. We hosted several Farmer Field Days and launched two new programs, including our pilot Family Farm Share in Waycross and our Farmer Apprenticeship Program (now accepting applications!). We just announced the return of our annual Conference & Expo taking place in February in Perry. 

Photos by Coop Coffees

Furthermore, we’ve been thinking long-term. We mapped out and released our brand-new strategic plan designed to increase farmer prosperity and community collaboration while centering racial equity and climate solutions in agriculture.  

But here at year’s end, our work is not done. As a matter of fact, movement-building is marathon work, and we’re just hitting our stride. We’re building the resources we need to fulfill the ambitious goals outlined in our strategic plan. So, let’s pour another cup! 

Want to deepen your impact? You can contribute to Georgia Organics directly with a gift to the 25th Anniversary Campaign. Make a donation and track the progress toward our goal at georgiaorganics.org/donate.  

By supporting Georgia Organics, you are investing in solutions to climate change, food access, and most importantly, the unique and varied challenges faced by organic farmers on the ground and at the forefront of our local food movement. 

Cheers to the next 25! May they bring us closer to our vision that all Georgia farmers nurture and heal the land, people and communities. 

New Guest Post! School Garden-to-Market: Wonder Isn’t Just for Kids

By Dawn Grantham 

Dawn Grantham is a Partner in Education consultant at Columbus State University. 

Note: Because of its supportive principal, Dr. Dawn Jenkins, and its ingenuity in organizing a school garden with very little outside resources, South Columbus Elementary School (SCES) was one of two schools in Columbus, Georgia, selected to participate in a school garden-to-market initiative as part of a USDA Farm to School Grant awarded to Georgia Organics. The grant required schools to partner with a local farmer, whose charge was to guide students in the planting, growing, harvesting, marketing and selling of produce grown on the school campus.  

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead, anthropologist, recipient of the Planetary Citizen of the Year Award in 1978. 

One happy Market Day participant. Photo credit, all images: Jenna Shea Photojournalism.

We met in the school’s library. We sat in child-friendly chairs, that cut slightly across our lower backs, at child-friendly tables, where our bent knees either nudged the table underside or rested at the table edge. We talked. We planned. We brainstormed. We scheduled.  

Here, we gathered: the local farmers, the assistant principal and four classroom teachers, a supportive parent, the school district’s nutritionist, the grant representative, the local extension agent, and me. We formed the school garden-to-market committee, known as Eagles Go Green! (EGG!).  

For an hour, once a month from November 2021 to May 2022, we emphasized hands-on opportunities for students with the farmers, and we created lists of experts from the community to invite to the school to tie their knowledge of agricultural and environmental practices to curriculum state standards. In our meetings, we agreed to survey students and staff to direct our course. We reserved dates to dig, plant, harvest, play, and to celebrate.

For promotional purposes, we approved a kick-off event, video productions, scheduled photographers, and a t-shirt design. For fun, and because we valued fine arts, we outlined the integration of an art project. We met and we talked and planned and we brainstormed, and very early in our collaboration, we quickly forgot that cultivating a school garden is hard work.  

We let go, and we leaned in. We each yielded and stepped up into the ebb and flow of a collaborative process, trusting wherever it took us. Our personal visions retreated as the project took on its own life. And, whatever our initial apprehensions – perhaps, it was the time commitment, or the expansive scope of the school-to-market project, even the challenge of managing 313 students – they dissolved.  

Farmer Jenn Collins helps with a selection of seeds. Photo credit Jenna Shea Photojournalism.

Some small miracles occurred. Funding from the grant allowed the farmers to plant a campus orchard of fruit trees and bushes, an item that had been on the school’s wish list for years. In working alongside the farmers and through easy conversations and simple gardening instructions, students began talking about careers in agriculture.

Because of the students’ curiosity and willingness to participate, Assistant Principal Vicci Griffin noted that EGG! “extended the four walls of the classroom allowing a natural gradual release of learning”; Principal Dawn Jenkins shared that it “was a dream come true” because the development of EGG! brought her students and the school to a level of real-world learning.

What we all plainly saw as significant in the unfolding of the school garden-to-market experience was an element of awe not only among the students but also among the adults, who were brought back into the hold of wonder and learning. It's amazing how beautiful vegetables are when you truly see them again for the first time: color, shape, aroma, taste, texture. 

On Friday, May 13, 2022, a combined EGG! Market Day and Field Day took place at South Columbus Elementary School.

Jenna Mobley, photographer and Georgia Organics contributor, captured beautiful faces, focused efforts, and generous spirits of the market experience through her photographs.  

In collaboration with the EGG! student marketing team, coached by school paraprofessional, Jakira Palmer, Farmer Brad Barnes and Farmer Jenn Collins, the married team of Dew Point Farms, organized an attractive market display of produce from both the school’s garden and from their farm. The students made well over their monetary goal of $200. 

Across the sidewalk, art teacher Alexandra Countryman reminded students of their study of local artist, Alma Thomas, and then gave painting instructions while UGA Extension Agent, Ashley Brantley, and Jada Bone, Muscogee County School District’s nutritionist, fitted students into smocks. Shelia Brown, a master gardener volunteer, helped direct paint strokes on the two community canvases; Muscogee County School District's Content Specialist for Art Education, Dr. McCullough, offered district support. 

Principal Jenkins and 5th grade teacher Patrice Blassingame, with a bird's eye view of the field, kept the flow of shoppers, artists, spectators and athletes on schedule and in the right place. 

The SCES staff, led by their EGG! Committee colleagues, Amanda Joiner, Patrice Blassingame, and Deidre Howell, visibly supported the school garden-to-market project from beginning to end.  

And, Kimberly Della Donna and Kimberly Koogler of the Georgia Organics Farm to School program, were both on the EGG! Market Day scene to join in the celebration of farmers, young and seasoned. 

In organizing South Columbus Elementary School’s school garden-to-market experience, EGG!, it was easy to make an agenda and keep people to their speaking parts. We easily recognized that a garden’s success requires effort and time to experiment; it requires specific tools and materials and growing strategies, and it requires committed people. But, what was a little more challenging, and certainly out of any one individual’s control, was the development of synergy that came with the understanding and appreciation that the project was bigger than any one of us. Again, we learned to trust the process, and in doing so, we established an expectation, relied on the skill sets of new friends, and faced a daunting project together.  

The wonder of it all! 

Family Farm Share: Collaboratively Championing a Resilient Local Food Movement & Farmer Prosperity

By Mary Elizabeth Kidd 

Mary Elizabeth Kidd is the Director of Communications at Georgia Organics.

Example of Family Farm Share weekly seasonal contents. Photo by Kimberly Della Donna.

LAUNCHING FAMILY FARM SHARE 

In September 2021, Georgia Organics announced a new program: Family Farm Share (georgiaorganics.org/familyfarmshare). Family Farm Share is funded by the Georgia Department of Early Care and the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation to address childhood food insecurity for children ages birth to five in communities across Georgia. 

Georgia Organics’ Family Farm Share team is made up of staff members representing each facet of Georgia Organics work: Director of Programs Suzanne Girdner and Kimberly Della Donna, Kimberly Koogler, and Lena Enciso from the Farm to School program, as well as Lauren Cox, who leads Farmer Services, and Director of Communications Mary Elizabeth Kidd.  

The program launched with a pilot in Waycross (Ware County) as a collaboration with local partners and key players “on the ground” to ensure that Georgia Organics can facilitate and support a program that will live on in each community and will hopefully create a model that other cities and towns can replicate. 

HOW IT WORKS

Family Farm Share will activate and connect local networks of early care & education centers, local food organizations, and nearby farmers to deliver an affordable weekly farm share sold on-site at early care centers.

The program aims to strengthen local food economies, communities' connection, and nutritional access for families with young children.

The Waycross Family Farm Share Pilot is comprised of partners Action Pact, WayGreen, Inc., Ware Children’s Initiative, and Georgia Organics.  

This program represents goals that have been laid out in our new five-year strategic plan: organic farmer prosperity, resilient local food movement, investment in local farmers and food systems, and organizational strength.  

With partnerships like this, there is a clearer, more achievable path to a more resilient Georgia food system. 

EVOLUTION OF GEORGIA ORGANICS’ COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS WORK 

The Family Farm Share program marks a transition from our six-year running Georgia Food Oasis outreach initiative which sunset in Dec. 2021.  

Similar to the Family Farm Share program, Georgia Food Oasis focused on identifying and bolstering local partnerships that connect families and farmers across Georgia communities. 

Georgia Food Oasis (GFO) communities—Augusta, Columbus, Rome, Savannah, Walton County, and Waycross—continue to demonstrate the collaborative power when farmers, educators, nutrition leaders, and local food advocates connect to share and grow knowledge, resources, and opportunities.  

Thanks to pre-existing GFO relationships like WayGreen, Inc. And Action Pact, Waycross represented a perfect launchpad for Family Farm Share. 

FAMILY FARM SHARE: UPDATES AND WHAT’S NEXT 

In November 2021, members of Georgia Organics’ Family Farm Share team met in Atlanta for the long drive to Waycross. 

During the visit, we met with family advocates and surveyed families at Action Pact’s Head Start campus to determine their current and aspirational habits with fruits and vegetables, locally-grown and store-bought. Some of that data is shared below. 

Part of the Georgia Organics Farm to School team’s mission is to also support serving and education on local food, so we visited classrooms with squash snack cups and spoke to an adorable crowd of interested young veggie-lovers (and non-veggie lovers!). We also hosted two training sessions with teachers and school nutrition staff to begin ongoing education on local food sourcing, serving, and learning. 

Action Pact Family Advocates along with Family Farm Share liaison Carol Clarke, Training & Literacy Specialist at Action Pact (second from left). Photo by Mary Elizabeth Kidd.

Farm to School Director Kimberly Della Donna knows these partners are ready for the challenge: “Action Pact is very ready to successfully implement the Family Farm Share Program. Carol Clark, our key contact, is an experienced Farm to ECE Champion, familiar with Georgia Organics and a natural over-achiever. She has infectious, positive energy and loves her work. She's got the Family Advocates invested, who are the primary contacts with families and meet with them once per month.”  

Farmer Services Director Lauren Cox meets with Roger and April Westover of Greenway Gardens and Connie Oliver of WayGreen, Inc. to discuss seasonality, availability, and preferences for Family Farm Share families. Photo by Mary Elizabeth Kidd.

Members of the Georgia Organics team visited Waycross small organic farmers to discuss how Family Farm Share will allow them to connect more deeply with their community members and to determine the logistics that will make this a profitable program for them. 

Key takeaways from team members confirm that this is a group of willing and able partners ready to create something powerful for the Waycross food system.

GETTING TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY 

This program will be open to Action Pact community members: Head Start families, teachers, administrators, and neighbors. Through surveying this audience, the team begins to gather data on their habits and preferences for fruits and vegetables. 

Currently, we’re working with farmers to determine how we can best align the desires of the community with their current and potential growing plans. 

Surveying Action Pact families to determine preferences along with a squash snack “thank you.”

ACTION PACT FAMILIES’ FOOD HABITS & PREFERENCES

Survey results from 102 respondents in the Action Pact Head Start campus community:

• On average, respondents answered that their family eats fruits and vegetables 5.39 days per week. 

• When asked “If cost, availability, or other limits were not a factor, how often would your family eat fruits and vegetables?” respondents answered that they would eat fruits and vegetables an average 6.4 days per week. 

• For the question “Would you be interested in a Family Farm Share that includes the following items” we gave an answer of “never” a score of 0, “sometimes” a score of 1, and “yes, all the time” a score of 2. The following table contains the average score for each item. 

• For the open response question on what vegetables families eat most often, there were 41 unique items provided and 102 respondents. The following table shows the top five vegetables from at least 20 respondents.  

• When asked what fruits and vegetables families would most like to see in their weekly farm share, the following top five, respectively: 

• Fruits: apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes, and oranges 

• Vegetables: green beans, broccoli, corn, squash, and cabbage 

Through the ongoing collection of feedback and preference data from involved participants in the Waycross Family Farm share, we’ll be able to grow and evolve the program for sustainability and replicability. 

We look forward to sharing our challenges, wins, and key takeaways as we grow this collaborative effort to bring delicious local-farmer-grown vegetables and fruits to families across Georgia! 

Stay tuned and please consider supporting this work by becoming a member or donor at georgiaorganics.org/staylocal!  

Thriving greens at Family Farm Share participating farm Greenway Gardens. Photo by Mary Elizabeth Kidd.