Georgia’s farmers deserve a government that works as hard as they do.

Georgia’s farmers feed our state and power our economy. Agriculture is the state’s leading industry, contributing nearly $75 billion a year in output. But too many of the people who make that possible are being squeezed by rising costs, complex grant systems, and a lack of state-level support. If we want a robust state economy, we must invest in those who put food on our tables and keep our rural communities alive.

Supporting Small Farms

ACTION:

Offer grant writing services to small farmers.

For small farms, every season is a risk. Between weather, volatile prices, and unpredictable crop yields, it can be difficult to cover operating expenses year after year. Because of this, many of the state’s small farms depend on state and federal grants to stay afloat — but the red tape involved in grant applications can be nearly impossible to navigate.

When a small farm’s grant application is denied, it can mean the end of the operation altogether. That’s unacceptable. The State of Georgia should help level the playing field by offering free grant-writing assistance to farms under 50 acres. This small investment of state resources will pay off many times over. It will help farmers secure critical funding that will keep them in business and allow them focus on what they do best: farming.

Helping New Farmers Establish Themselves

ACTION:

Provide tax credits to new farmers.

Georgia’s future depends on the next generation of farmers. But for new farmers — those in their first ten years — the obstacles are steep: land costs, equipment, and limited access to credit all make it hard to get started.

We can help change that by offering targeted tax credits to new farmers. This will allow them to reinvest more of their earnings back into their operations, giving them an opportunity to build a stronger capital base for years when crop yields fall short. We must give new farmers the breathing room they need to succeed.

Rebuilding the Agriculture Workforce

ACTION:

Increase funding for agriculture education.

The average Georgia farmer is nearly 60 years old. This statistic should be a wake-up call for anyone involved in Georgia agribusiness.

The problem is that too few young people are being introduced to agriculture as a viable career path. Legislators should require that every public high school in Georgia offer agriculture education as part of its curriculum. By exposing more students to modern farming, agribusiness, and food science, we can inspire a new generation to carry Georgia’s proud agricultural tradition forward — keeping rural communities strong and our economy growing from the ground up.

We need to prepare the next generation of farmers now — because farming isn’t just an industry; it’s a heritage that sustains us all.