Organic Growers Farmer Field Day: Production Methods and Labor Management with H-2A Recap Blog

By Paul Sorah

Paul Sorah is Georgia Organics‘s Climate Smart Agricultural Specialist

On March 11, 2024, Georgia Organics hosted an H-2A Employee Management Practices Farmer Field Day at Jenny Jack Farm in Pine Mountain, GA as the final installment in the Winter Farmer Series. Attendees enjoyed a farm tour from owners Jenny and Chris Jackson as they discussed farm operations, production methods, and labor management in relation to their newly hired H2A employees. In addition, a representative from AgWorks, a masLabor company, presented a detailed overview of H-2A employment guidelines and how their company, as an H-2A agent, can help navigate the complex government processes involved to secure reliable, seasonal labor.  

Jenny Jack Farm Tour on Production Practices 

About an hour southwest of Atlanta, you’ll find Jenny Jack Farm, in lovely Pine Mountain, Georgia. Jenny and Chris Jackson, along with their three H-2A employees produce a diverse variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers on six acres of cultivation. A mix of field production, caterpillar tunnels, high tunnels, and a climate-controlled greenhouse allow year-round production that keeps their loyal CSA and on-farm store customers happily stocked up through each season. Chris and Jenny pride themselves on feeding the local community, and rightfully so, as all of the food produced is sold within 30 miles of the farm. A 300-member CSA drives the majority of their revenue along with an on-farm market and a few restaurants to fill the gaps. After eighteen years of farming, the duo has experienced the full gamut of the undeniable grind the business bestows, but they feel they’ve found a new sweet spot, in large part due to the pursuit of the H-2A employer program. 

Entrance to Jenny Jack Farm. Photo by M.F. Espinoza

A cold, clear morning welcomed attendees as coffee cups were filled, and folks gathered around a fire to mingle and settle in. Chris and Jenny were already busy making flower bouquets destined for a local grocery store. The work never really stops, so it was quite gracious of the two farmers to give the group so much time and insight into their operation. Chris kicked off the farm tour with a walk through a field of newly planted greens, lettuces, turnips, spinach, onions, garlic, and carrots. Different crop planting methods were discussed including direct seeding, hand transplanting, and paper pot transplanting. Chris noted that the paper pot transplanter system is a real asset in efficiency for turnips, spinach, and scallions. The strawberry crop was close by and had just been weeded, then tucked back under row covers to protect the early flowers and fruits. The use of frost cloth (1.5 oz+) over the plants allows for delicious, ripe strawberries three - four weeks earlier than with uncovered plants and are a real treat for their customers anxiously awaiting these seasonal highlights.  

Views from the field. Photos by M.F. Espinoza

When farmers talk production, an inevitable topic is weeds. Especially in organically managed systems, this is a critical, make or break aspect of an operation that requires efficient execution to ensure successful crop health and yields. Very often, field and weed maintenance is done by hand but sometimes, as is the case with Jenny Jack Farm, mechanical methods of field cultivation are used. Chris gave a valuable look into his systems for weed management on the farm showing attendees their go-to-tool for field cultivation—the Farmall tractor. Using different belly-mount attachments based on crop type, size, and spacing, these tractors have wide tire spacings, open bottoms, and allow the operator to straddle the planting rows or beds while the in-row cultivation action is right under their feet with a clear view. Other implements can be mounted on the rear 3-point hitch to assist with walkway and tire tread cultivation.  

Silage tarps are also used around the farm to create stale seed beds for direct seeding and transplanting. These large, heavy-duty, plastic tarps are white on one side and black on the other. The field is prepared for planting, and the tarps are laid on the ground and weighed down with rocks or sandbags. With the black side facing up, the sun will heat the soil to much higher temperatures than they’d naturally maintain forcing weed seeds to germinate. With the high temperatures and lack of sunlight, the newly germinated weeds will die off, creating a clean canvass to plant or direct seed into within 2-3 weeks of use.  

Not to be forgotten, cover crops also play a key role in the soil health development and weed suppression system on the farm. While cover crops protect the soil from elemental exposure and erosion, they also work to feed the soil and suppress weeds. As the cover crops grow in size, ideally their canopy will shade out unwanted weeds and outcompete with them for nutrients. Then as cover crops mature and they are terminated and acclimated into the soil, the nutrients that they’ve foraged in their roots and foliage are released back into the soil. By using silage tarps in this process on top of the integrated cover crop, Chris and Jenny are able to accelerate the cover crop breakdown timeline once acclimated in the soil for more readily available nutrients needed in the cash crops to follow. Long handle cultivating tools and hand weeding still have to be implemented as needed.  

Chris spoke to how important consistent carrot crops are to their revenue and customer satisfaction but acknowledged what a fight weed pressure can be in production. He has successfully integrated a flame weeder that’s primarily homed in the carrot production system. On top of the other weed management steps, the flame weeder is used on the seeded carrot beds just before carrot seed emergence. The propane powered flame weeder is rolled over the bed and burns out weed seeds that have popped up before the carrots. Although this does not eliminate future cultivation steps in the crop, it does allow the carrots a head start to establish a quality stand.  

Silage tarp applications around the farm. Photos by M.F. Espinoza.

Season extension plays a vital role in the Jenny Jack Farm model. By using various models and sizes of tunnels, they can push crops early and late. Crop consistency is considered a key driver in the farm’s high-retention rate for the CSA. By knowing what items their customers want, they can leverage protected growing spaces to meet the demands outside of the traditional season expectations. Lettuce and arugula are grown year-round for this reason. The tunnels provide the warmer climate needed in the winter to maintain production while low-tunnel shade structures are used in the field during the heat of summer. PVC pipe is used to make hoops over the beds, shade cloth is secured over top, and with the micro irrigation sprinklers work together to cool the soil, air, and plants underneath. At the time of the field day, overwintered scallions, chard, lettuce, kale, and an assortment of other greens were vibrant in the tunnels. The houses will transition into tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers for spring and summer production.  

Of note, Chris mentioned a research project the farm is participating in that is trialing a full coverage shade cloth on a high tunnel as insect netting for growing a late, non-pollinating cucumber. The early results are impressive as he praised and credited this system for his first high-yielding late cucumber crop with no pickle worm problems, which are typically detrimental to gourd production in the fall in this region.  

Different tunnels used in production at Jenny Jack Farm. Photos by M.F. Espinoza. 

The farm’s production diversity was on display as Chris led the group through their fruit crops including elderberries, blueberries, Asian pears, Japanese persimmons, and figs. Local, organically grown fruit is a hot commodity in any market and their customers are no different. Finding fruits that work in this specific climate can be a bit tricky. Not far enough south for the premium peach production climate and too far south for consistent, quality apples, so Jenny and Chris have gotten creative with what works on their farm. Most of the fruit is sold fresh to eat but the elderberries are used to make tinctures and juice. This provides a niche item that has good shelf life for a value-added income stream. The elderberries are pruned down hard every year but grow back with vigor.  

Chris Jackson talking about the fruit trees and a close up of pruned back elderberries. Photos by M.F. Espinoza.

Next, the tour made its way to the nursery greenhouse where Jenny gave a deep dive on the transplant and microgreen production. Tight succession planting and healthy plants are essential to maintaining the production demand for Jenny Jack Farm and this is Jenny’s wheelhouse. The nursery is equipped with an evaporative cooling wall, propane heaters, vent fans, germination chambers, and automation for temperature control and irrigation. These features allow for ideal climate conditions for optimal germination and plant growth. This component of the operation ensures that planting dates are on schedule and crop production is steady. Having predictable crop lists and availability windows helps with clear communication and expectations for their CSA subscribers.  

Microgreens are another year-round offering from the farm that provides a consistent product and revenue stream. Jenny shared with the group her inventive use for growing trays with microgreens. Instead of the typical shallow, plastic 1020 tray, she uses aluminum, perforated baking pans for the soil trays and an accompanying solid aluminum baking pan for the bottom water tray. This concept makes for a much sturdier growing tray that is essentially a one-time investment. Although more expensive on the front end, their ease of use, handling, cleaning, sanitizing, and efficiency in storage make this modification worth a consideration to anyone producing microgreens. Jenny is using a Dirtkraft potting mix and Vermont Compost for transplants and microgreens. She has used other soil products previously, but two sources are the go-to in the nursery. Aside from growing transplants specifically for cash crop production, Jenny Jack Farm does an annual plant sale in the spring. This is an added layer to the responsibilities of nursery management but the injection of cash-flow early in the season makes this a worthwhile venture. 

Jenny Jackson detailing the nursery management practices at Jenny Jack Farm and a close-up of some beautiful transplants. Photos by M.F. Espinoza.

On Farm Labor and Solving the Ongoing Need for Labor Problem with the help of másLabor and AgWorks 

The success at Jenny Jack Farm is not a stroke of overnight luck. Eighteen years in the farming business is a feat in itself; the trials and adaptations have allowed Jenny and Chris to continue forward. They had no start-up capital in the beginning and fought through adversity every step of the way. At the ten-year mark, they reevaluated their business and made the decision to reinvest their earnings in the infrastructural improvements needed for the business to grow. A proper deer fence, walk-in coolers, and a wash pack house were added to the property. Still, this didn’t solve everything as they were both admittedly near the end of their rope coming into the 2023 season.  

Backside of the wash pack building at Jenny Jack Farm. Photos by M.F. Espinoza. 

Just as weeds will eventually become a topic of conversation in any room of farmers, so will labor. The cost, quality, availability, and consistency of good farm labor is a glaring issue in most farming operations. It’s not an indictment on the individuals, but it’s really hard to make the investment into labor truly profitable. Chris and Jenny knew a bit about the H-2A program and the incredible results of the labor but thought it was more geared towards large, commercial farms. After doing some more research they reached out to an H-2A specialist at AgWorks and másLabor and soon came to realize that it was possible to get a contract together for two seasonal H-2A employees. By working with their agent, Chris and Jenny put a plan in place and executed all the necessary steps to become eligible H-2A employers. In 2023, their two new employees arrived and exceeded all expectations. Their entire outlook on the future of the farm changed drastically. They were able to arrange contracts for the same two employees back at the farm again for the 2024 season. In addition, the employees referenced their cousin, and a contract was set up for him to join their team. H2A employees must be paid a special rate of pay, provided safe and clean housing, and guaranteed a certain number of work hours. Additionally, they have rights related to transportation, wages, and other protections. 

After the farm tour, the group gathered for lunch in the wash pack house. During lunch Chris and Jenny took questions from attendees about H2A employment and labor management. Details were provided on housing, transportation, labor costs, contract processes, and working relationships with AgWorks. Chris had high praise for the new farm employees. Even though there’s a language barrier, as long as the task is taught clearly and the expectations are laid out, the job is done right. The employees were professional, did not require constant micro-management, worked with intuition, took initiative, and often requested more hours.  

Once the farmer Q&A wrapped, a representative from AgWorks presented for the group.  

AgWorks and másLabor Services 

As an H-2A agency with 20+ years of experience and employees with a background in labor and agricultural services, AgWorks, along with másLabor, help farm employers in all 50 states utilize the H-2A system. By having dedicated specialists and a support team for each farm, they are able to understand the unique needs and demands of the operation and navigate the complex government H-2 process. As a compliance-based agent, the services do not stop once workers arrive. AgWorks will help with required government notifications, unforeseen circumstances that may impact the season, and government requests associated with audits and investigations.  

A user-friendly communication system breaks up the program requirements into smaller pieces and relays information that clients need one step at a time. AgWorks coordinates with competent and ethical worker facilitators who provide comprehensive services related to the recruitment and coordination of international workers. The presentation finished with Q&A and networking before concluding the field day. 

AgWorks presentation on the H-2A program. Photo by M.F. Espinoza.

WE’RE PROUD TO PARTNER WITH GEORGIA FARMERS  

Thank you to Chris and Jenny Jackson of Jenny Jack Farm for your hospitality, insights, and valuable time on this awesome field day! 

To learn more about Jenny Jack Farm, visit www.jennyjackfarm.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram 

For more information on AgWorks, visit www.agworksH2.com. 

For more information on masLabor and to see if H2A is right for you, visit https://www.maslabor.com/ 

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 BFRD program from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Building Resiliency on Georgia Farms Farmer Field Day Recap Blog

By Kimberly Koogler 

Kimberly Koogler is the Community Collaborations Manager at Georgia Organics 

All photos taken at the Farmer Field Day at Gilliard Farms by Don Panicko

On November 19 Georgia Organics hosted Building Resiliency on Georgia Farms, a Farmer Field Day centered on strategies for Georgia farms to adapt to, bounce back from, and proactively prepare for severe weather-related events. In the midst of planning for the Field Day, Hurricane Helene left many Georgia farms along its path damaged and searching for resources, underscoring the importance of emergency preparedness. Remnants of the devastation were everywhere as the Georgia Organics team arrived in Southeast Georgia for the event.   

The field day took place at Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, a 50-acre family-owned farm run by siblings Matthew and Althea Raiford. Dedicated to sustainable agriculture, the farm produces high-quality, locally-grown heirloom vegetables, fruits, and herbs using environmentally-friendly methods. In addition to farming, Matthew and his wife Tia run Strong Roots 9, an agritourism and value-added venture focused on nourishing the mind, body, and soul through food, products, and experiences. Strong Roots 9 explores African American foodways, reviving ancestral practices, and reconnecting communities with nature.  

After providing a scrumptious breakfast consisting of homemade sweet cream biscuits, sausages and sautéed peppers, local jams, andouille butter, and hot coffee, Matthew and Tia shared some of the history of the land, their families, and their journey to becoming the renowned and beloved CheFarmer power duo that they are today. Matthew’s great great great grandfather, Jupiter Gilliard, who grew up enslaved in South Carolina, bought the land in 1874 and it has been in the family ever since.  

As Matthew and Tia led attendees on a walking tour of their farm, they shared how they approach business sustainability by creatively turning what grows on their farm into value-added products, such as the specialty salt and sugar they make from their thriving Hoja Santa plant (aka “root beer plant”).  It was inspiring to see how much they can do with just a little bit of space.  Another example of their penchant for clever innovation was how they use the Spanish moss growing in abundance on their land as an eco-friendly packing material for shipping their value-added products. The 42 species of birds that dwell on their land ensure that the Spanish moss is free of chiggers and safe for this use. A few golden nuggets from their farm tour and talk included:  

• Being proactive in business planning, not reactive (on theme for the day’s content) 

• Thinking outside the box and being resourceful and innovative when considering how to get the most out of what you grow 

• Considering if every household in Georgia spent $10/week on local food, $21 million would flow back into the local economy 

After touring the farm, Laura Ney of UGA’s Cooperative Extension in Athens presented on how to manage and improve soil structure in order to be better prepared for severe weather events. Her passion for soil science and sustainable soil management was infectious. Key takeaways from her presentation touched on:  

• The need to focus on building or maintaining ‘good’ soil structure and considerations on what you can do to protect soil aggregates.  

• The arrangement of soil particles into aggregates and the porous spaces between those aggregates helps soil to either hold onto or drain water. Plants can only take up nutrients through water when there are spaces in the soil, so soil structure is extremely important.  

• When in doubt, cover the soil up. In other words, plant cover crops, such as crimson clover, buckwheat, sorghum sudan grass, hairy vetch, field peas, etc. 

• Reduce/minimize soil tillage 

• Reduce soil compaction 

Following Laura Ney’s presentation, Stuart Proctor of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) demonstrated the difference in water absorption between diverse soil conditions by using a rainfall simulator. Attendees watched as the rainfall simulator dispersed water over five different example patches of land—forest soil, rotationally grazed pasture, overgrazed pasture, field tilled and crop planted with black oats, and stripped, bare soil. The group observed these key takeaways:  

• The richest and best managed soils absorbed rainfall the best, whereas the water ran off the stripped, overworked, and overgrazed soils.  

• One of many problems with soil runoff is that fertilizers bind to the soil particles that run off and are therefore not available to crops.  

Stuart recommended the SARE book, Managing Cover Crop for Profitability to learn more about managing cover crops for improved soil structure and profitability.  

Next up, Bryan McQuary, of the Risk Management Agency (RMA) of the USDA covered crop insurance options and record-keeping practices tailored to mid-sized farms. RMA manages the Federal Crop Insurance Corportation (FCIC) which was initially formed during the Great Depression under the New Deal. Highlights from his presentation included information on:  

• Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, for any farm with up to $17 million in insured revenue, including farms with specialty or organic commodities (both crops and livestock). 

• Micro Farm Program insurance plan, for any farm with up to $350,000 in insured revenue, including farms with specialty or organic commodities (both crops and livestock). 

The biggest takeaway was that farms should pro-actively find an agent to get assistance and custom tailor coverage based on their anticipated needs.  

Last but not least, Rebecca Mixon of the UGA Small Business Development Center shared insights on alternative revenue streams to support financial resilience. A few of the questions she asked attendees to consider as they assess their own situation in terms of financial resilience were:  

• What special skills do you have that are related to your business? (highlighting these special skills are important) 

• What special skills do you have that aren’t necessarily related to your business that you could bring in? (there may be an indirect way these skills can contribute to your business) 

• Are there resources that you’re not currently utilizing that you could? (think about community connection, for example)  

• How many revenue streams do you currently have? (and how many can you sustain in a healthy way) 

The Farmer Field Day culminated in a spectacular lunch from Matthew and Tia that included a collard green salad with roasted butternut squash, roasted chicken, sea island red peas (a variety of heirloom cowpea that originated in the Gullah Geechee community of the Carolina Sea Islands), rice, and pickled vegetables while attendees mingled and connected with each other and the presenters before heading back to their farms. 

WE’RE PROUD TO PARTNER WITH GEORGIA FARMERS  

Thank you to Matthew, Althea and Tia Raiford of Gilliard Farms for hosting us on the farm, inviting us into conversation, and teaching us about your operation. Thank you to Laura Ney, Stuart Proctor, Bryan McQuary and Rebecca Mixon for lending your expertise.   

To learn more about Gilliard Farms, visit gilliard-farms.com or follow them on Facebook (@gilliardfarm) and Instagram (@CheFarmerMatthew). 

To connect with any of the presenter at this Farmer Field Day email farmerservices@georgiaorganics.org. 

To learn more about Gilliard Farms visit gilliard-farms.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about Strong Roots 9 visit strongroots9.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.  

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. 

Funding for this Farmer Field Day was provided by the Debley Foundation, Takeda US Philanthropic Giving Program, Arthur Blank Family Foundation, and Drawdown GA.  

Farmer Field Day Recap: Integrated Pest Management in Organic Cropping Systems

By Ain Chiké

Ain is a Farmer Services Coordinator at Georgia Organics 

On a sunny and moderately breezy morning in June, the Georgia Organics Farmers Services team, representatives from Seven Springs Farm Supply, researchers from the University of Georgia, and over 50 attendees gathered at Crystal Organic Farm in Newborn, GA for a Farmer Field Day to discuss the ins and outs of Integrated Pest Management.  The definition of Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, varied from one presenter to the next, but all agreed that it is an environmentally sensitive tiered approach to long-term pest management.  

Armed with a bullhorn and a combined lifetime of farming and IPM experience, farm hosts Nicolas Donck and Jeni Jarrard-Donck started the field day farm tour by welcoming participants with a condensed overview of the farm’s thirty-year history as a Certified Organic farm. Once acclimated, participants walked the 30-acre farm and learned more about how their hosts manage insect pests and crop diseases. 

 IPM is a core pillar of organic farming, and the seasoned growers at Crystal Organic Farm demonstrated this foundational organic principle in their farm planning and systems. Certified Organic farms must have a pest, weed, and disease management plan to comply with the National Organic Program (NOP) standard 205.206. This standard states that Organic growers must use a hierarchical approach to managing pests, weeds, and disease, meaning they must first use prevention practices, then control practices, and as a last resort, input applications may be used. IPM strategies use non-chemical and chemical approaches to suppress and control pest populations. To determine how to respond to an outbreak, farmers using IPM strategies monitor the pest or disease, accurately identify the issue, assess and consider the economic injury threshold (a threshold is the point at which action should be taken), implement a treatment strategy, and evaluate the success of treatments.  

Daniel Sweeney of Seven Springs Farm Supply standing in front of aging cucumbers

Photo by Meg Darnell of Georgia Organics

One of the first stops on the tour was a swath of perennial herbs. While taking in the herbs and flowers Jeni explained how this type of planting uses cultural practices and biological control. The native plants encourage beneficial species and predators to remain on the land, helping to keep pesky bugs populations in check. Further down the row, attendees came upon season-extending high tunnels filled with cucumbers in varying degrees of age and health and were asked to determine if the presenting issues were pest or disease-related. Attendees learned from Daniel Sweeney, a Seven Springs Farm Supply crop adviser, that a “pest” is any animal or plant harmful to crops or humans. In this case, the cucumbers were suffering from age and heat. At this point, Nicolas explains that part of his strategy was not spending lots of time keeping the fast-growing, disease prone crop alive past its initial harvest. However, he does use successive plantings to keep a good flow available throughout the growing season. To keep disease from spreading, Nicolas and Jeni’s team harvest the youngest and healthiest fruits first before tending to the older vines. 

 Within an IPM system, farmers employ multiple tactics and levels of control to reduce crop damage. The IPM control tiers are:  

1. Cultural Practices: Agricultural practices using biodiversity to make the environment less favorable to crop damaging insects and disease. Examples include crop rotation, plant selection, trap crops, and adjusting the timing of planting or harvest. These strategies are considered ‘prevention practices’ in the NOP standard 205.206. 

2. Physical and Mechanical Control: Mulching to suppress splash back from the soil, placing barriers that keep birds or insects out, reducing breeding sites through mowing, and physically removing pests from plants. These strategies are considered ‘control practices’ in the NOP standard 205.206. 

3. Biological Control: Using beneficial predators, parasitoids, pathogens, and plants to combat and control the insect pest, or “bad bug,” population. These strategies are considered ‘control practices’ in the NOP standard 205.206. 

4. Chemical Control: Applying natural or synthetic chemical substances to repel or eradicate pests. This is usually a last resort as chemical control can affect the beneficials within the area. Pheromone disruptors or specialized bacteria like Bacillus Thuringiensis (B.T.) are specialized means of control that target a specific type of pest. These strategies are considered ‘input applications’ in the NOP standard 205.206. Certified Organic and transitioning to Organic growers should verify that any synthetic inputs they use are included on the National list of synthetic substances allowed for use in Organic crop production. 

Photo by: Alena Ivakhnenko of Seven Spring Farm Supply 

As the tour continued, the group split in two. Jeni took one group to learn more about various herbs and their medicinal properties, while others went with Nicolas to learn more about crop production and management.  

As the sun began to make its presence known, everyone settled in the shade and recharged with a delicious lunch from Taqueria El Futuro. Following the intermission, UGA professor and entomologist Dr. Jason Schmidt, presented on how to deal with insects through identification and learning about their life cycles. Knowing when a pest population will peak and what it likes to eat is instrumental in crop planning. Dr. Henry Sintim, a UGA professor in the Crop & Soil Sciences department, followed with an impassioned speech about the necessities of soil fertility and nutrient management. He performed a percolation test which he mentioned is one of the fundamental keys to determining if your soil will allow water to penetrate and move through the medium, and it evaluates the ability of the soil to absorb nutrients. Last but certainly not least, the final presenter Daniel Sweeney, gave insight into the services that Seven Spring Farm Supply provides and an overview of foundational and practical integrated pest management. 

 As the day wrapped up, attendees left with their heads full of information on how to tackle the issues presented within their growing operations, equipped with a multitude of different IPM strategies to quell the influx of pests that routinely visit their crops.  

 RESOURCES 

• To learn more about Integrated Pest Management, visit the University of Georgia IPM handbook for home and commercial growers. 

• Curious about performing a percolation test? Follow these step-by-step directions 

• Visit the Seven Springs Farm Supply website to view their pest management solutions and check out their field day recap blog!

• Access the Farmer Field Day presentations by Dr. Jason Schmidt, Dr. Henry Sintim, and Daniel Sweeney via Google Drive here.  

• Are you transitioning to Organic Certification and have questions about IPM or the other NOP standards Organic growers have to adhere to? Visit Georgia Organics’ GO Organic! page for resources and more information on receiving one-on-one technical assistance.

• Are you a current Certified Organic grower in Georgia? Visit Georgia Organics’ GO Organic! page for cost-share resources and more information on joining the Georgia Certified Organic Network (GCON). 

Conservation & Crop Rotation Farmer Field Day Recap

By Kimberly Koogler, with contributions from Ben Sterling, Meg Darnell, and Lauren Cox 

Kimberly Koogler is Georgia Organics’ Community Collaborations Manager, Lauren Cox is the Farmer Services Director, and Meg Darnell is a Farmer Services Coordinator. Ben Sterling is McIntosh SEED’s Program Manager.  

Everyone gathered in the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative. Photo by Lauren Cox.

In mid-April, when spring was still feeling like spring and not yet like summer, the Georgia Organics Farmer Services and Community Collaborations teams and McIntosh SEED brought a group of about 30 Southeast GA farmers together at the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative in Glennville, GA for a full farmer field day all about conservation programs and crop rotation systems. Georgia Organics has been making concerted efforts to engage farms outside of the metro-Atlanta area, and this instance proved to be even more successful and rewarding than we could have hoped. 

Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative tour. Photo by Meg Darnell.

Ben Sterling of McIntosh SEED speaking at the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative. (Left to right) Kimberly Koogler and Meg Darnell of Georgia Organics. Photo by Lauren Cox.

Our gracious hosts at the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative gave us a tour of their farm and facilities and shared with us the history of their Cooperative, their process for getting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified, as well as their hopes and concerns about there being young people to take over operations and keep the Cooperative running and consistently producing and selling.

Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative processing facilities. Photo by Lauren Cox.

Everyone partook in a delicious lunch catered by local restaurant Sho’ Nuff Smokin’ Good BBQ. While folks ate, Farmer Services Director Lauren Cox went over the tiers of farmer services available to growers through Georgia Organics; Meg Darnell of Georgia Organics and Ben Sterling of McIntosh SEED introduced an exciting, new Climate Smart Farmer Program available to Black growers in Southeast GA through funding that the two organizations just received from Drawdown Georgia; Connie Oliver of WayGreen presented about the Family Farm Share program, what it currently looks like in Waycross, and their need for more growers as they expand into neighboring counties; and Mr. Charlie Grace of NRCS explained and answered growers’ questions about NRCS programs and services.  

Daniel Parson of Oxford Farm at Emory presenting at the Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative. Photo by Lauren.

To finish out the day, Daniel Parson of Oxford Farm at Emory University presented a crop rotation workshop in which he provided a tried-and-true crop rotation system for growers to use on their own farms. Each farm also received a certified scale, a soil testing probe, a crop rotation guidebook for organic farms, and two rolls of 83”x250’ Agribon-30 row cover to take back to their farms.   

Key takeaways from this gathering:  

• Two communities of growers from the region came together to learn about things that can help all of their unique farming operations.  

• This gathering was rich in diversity of farms and people in terms of race, age (small children to 80+ were involved), diversity of crops grown and held certifications, and backgrounds of farms (homesteaders to generational farming). 

• NRCS representative, Charlie Grace was able to provide a level of transparency that some farmers had not yet been exposed to about NRCS programs. 

• Networking of farms in the Southeast is said to be “rare”, according to a couple of farmers in attendance, and they seem to be hungry for more of it. In other words, more opportunities like this, please! 

• The crop rotation workshop gave context to and details about the importance of and science behind participating in this conservation practice. 

• The participants went home with many valuable supplies, including Agribon row cover, soil testing probes, certified scales, and crop rotation guidebooks.  

• The Coastal GA Small Farmers Cooperative, of which Common Market Southeast is currently a customer, strives for consistency and quality in all of their products, which include collard greens, squash and zucchini, peas, melons, and more. Their growers recognize a need for young people to join as they head into the future.  

• Sho’ Nuff Smokin’ Good BBQ sho’ nuff makes some smokin’ good BBQ!  

To learn more about McIntosh SEED, visit mcintoshseed.org or follow them on Facebook facebook.com/mcintosh.seed.5 and Instagram @mcintoshseed.  

To learn more about Georgia Organics visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube by searching (Georgia Organics).