By Meg Darnell
Meg Darnell is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics
Millie Coleman leading a farm tour of JM Coleman Farms
On Friday, June 20, 2025, more than 40 farmers, landowners, and food community partners gathered in Uvalda, Georgia, for a South Georgia Conservation Farmer Field Day hosted by Georgia Organics and McIntosh SEED. Held at the diversified and inspiring JM Coleman Farms, the day was rich with hands-on learning, resource connections, and peer-to-peer exchange.
Diversified Specialty Crop Production at JM Coleman Farms
The day began with a tour of JM Coleman Farms, led by Millie “Farmer Millz” Coleman. A self-described “experimenter at heart,” Millz grows an impressive range of crops including lavender, rosemary, loofah, pomegranates, muscadines, ginger, turmeric, figs, lemons, and sugarcane. She is currently experimenting with Galia melons—a cross between cantaloupe and honeydew—and uses dried watermelon and melon to create Farmer Millz Milling Chips, a value-added product that generated buzz among attendees.
While not certified organic, Milliz follows mostly organic practices and uses cover crops like sunflowers to maintain soil health. She also propagates her own figs and lemons, showing attendees how she has developed a low-input, diversified operation rooted in curiosity, observation, and local markets.
Attendees hear from Millie Coleman, who explains the herbs she grows and the value-added products she creates.
Conservation Program Funding & Risk Management Resources
Following the farm tour, Vontice Jackson from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided a clear of the EQIP and CSP cost-share programs. She emphasized that these are not grants but funding opportunities designed to help farmers address natural resource concerns such as erosion, water quality, and habitat on working lands. She said it’s crucial to connect with your local NRCS agent to identify what natural resource concerns need to be addressed, and which conservation practices can improve soil health, protect water quality, and enhance farm resilience on your specific property. Vontice also touched on disaster recovery resources available through NRCS, noting the importance of proactive planning and conservation practices in minimizing weather-related losses.
Ben Sterling, Program Manager at McIntosh SEED, reminded participants that individualized help is available through the Climate Smart Farmer Program. For example, if farmers and landowners would like help connecting with their local agent or have any questions about how to apply for EQIP—including obtaining your farm tract number—they can request one-on-one support by filling out Climate-Smart Farmer Program TA form. McIntosh SEED and Georgia Organics continue to partner to ensure farmers in the region have equitable access to funding, planning, and conservation resources.
Meg Darnell, Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics, shared information about crop insurance programs that are well-suited to small and mid-sized diversified farms. She highlighted both the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) and Micro Farm Program as right-sized options that can help protect farm income in the face of natural disasters. Attendees received flyers from the USDA Risk Management Agency with details on both programs.
Meg also announced a new free offering from Georgia Organics in partnership with AgSouth Farm Credit: farmers can now book one-on-one virtual office hours with Katy Galbreath of AgSouth to discuss farm and crop insurance options tailored to their specific operations. This resource is available year-round and is designed to help farmers navigate the application process and understand the coverage that best fits their needs. Click here to sign up for a free 30-minute meeting with Katy!
Use of Drone Technology for Precision Agriculture
Next, attendees heard from Dr. Luan Oliveira and Dr. Marcelo Barbosa of UGA Horticulture, who demonstrated how drones are increasingly being used in precision agriculture. Two types of drones were showcased: one equipped with a multispectral camera capable of detecting nutrient and water deficiencies not visible to the naked eye, and another with liquid tanks that allow for targeted foliar applications. Drone technology can help reduce input costs and improve crop health monitoring, even on smaller farms.
UGA Extension encourages growers with questions about drone technologies to reach out to their local County Extension Office. If the county agent cannot answer a specific question, they will connect the grower with Dr. Oliveira or Dr. Wes Porter for further guidance.
Growers can also partner with UGA Extension to use monitoring or surveying drones on their operations in an educational capacity. For example, if a grower is facing a pest or disease issue and needs a field mapped, Extension staff can conduct an initial mapping to identify potentially affected areas, then provide advice on how the grower can manage and monitor the issue moving forward.
In cases of severe weather events, several county agents are certified to operate drones for damage assessment, offering farmers valuable aerial documentation to support recovery efforts and insurance claims.
To explore more resources, research, and updates on drone technology in agriculture, visit the UGA Extension Precision Ag – Drones page.
Dr. Marcelo Barbosa & Dr. Luan Oliveira of the UGA Horticulture Department brought drones used in precision agriculture to show attendees.
Local Lunch
Guests enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch prepared by Smoking Poultry King, complete with ribs, chicken, baked beans, and pasta salad. The midday meal provided time for networking, conversation, and questions sparked by the morning sessions.
Demonstration of Rice Production Using Micro-Drip Irrigation
The field day closed with a powerful presentation and planting demonstration led by Collie Graddick, farmer and organizer with Jubilee Justice’s Rice Project. Collie introduced the group to Jubilee Justice’s innovative approach to rice farming, which blends ancestral knowledge with modern conservation strategies. Unlike conventional flooded paddy systems, their approach uses micro-drip irrigation, drastically reducing water usage.
From their newly established rice mill in Louisiana, Jubilee Justice cultivates 12 varietals, including jasmine, scarlet, black sticky, and gopher rice. Collie explained their system’s ability to plant approximately 5,000 rice seedlings per hour using a water wheel transplanter with a fertilizer-water attachment. Harvested in about 60 days, each rice plant can yield up to a pound of rice, with the potential to net $10,000–$15,000 per acre. The live demonstration brought the conversation full circle, demonstrating how the efficiency of the planting equipment and use of conservation practices can build both ecological and economic resilience.
Water wheel transplanter with a fertilizer-water attachment.
Two seats are available for helpers to transplant rice seedlings as the water wheel transplanter moves at a slow pace.
Friends of Jubilee Justice help transplant rice seedlings at JM Coleman Farms.
Partnerships Strengthening Farmer Resilience in South Georgia
Georgia Organics and McIntosh SEED are proud to support farmers in South Georgia who are leading the way in conservation, innovation, and sustainable land stewardship. Events like this provide critical space to build relationships, share knowledge, and collectively envision a resilient future rooted in the land and led by farmers.
Click HERE to access the Climate Smart Farmer Program Technical Assistance (TA) Form.
Click HERE to access the free office hours with Katy Galbreath of Ag South Farm Credit.
To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
To learn more about our Georgia Organics Farmer Services programming, check out our website farmerservices.georgiaorganics.org.
Want to keep up to date on future farmer-focused events, farmer resources, updates, and news? Join our monthly e-newsletter, the Grower News, for all the latest! Sign up HERE.
This work is supported by the Climate Solutions & Equity Grant from Drawdown GA and the 2024 Risk Management Education Partnership Program Grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA).