It’s Georgia Ag Week this week. Everyone from the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Office of the Governor, UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and other ag-related groups are getting in on the act to promote Georgia’s largest industry.
“We should thank our farmers every day for the blessings they give us by providing the most abundant and safe food supply in the world,” said Gary Black, agriculture commissioner. “But this week gives us that extra little nudge to take a moment to a really appreciate the importance of agriculture in our state and the key role it plays in our communities and overall state economy.”
Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp are both very supportive of Georgia agriculture and the awareness that Ag Week can bring. Kemp campaigned extensively on expanding growth in Georgia’s agricultural regions and Ag Week is another piece in that strategy.
“As Georgia’s oldest and largest industry, agriculture represents over $73 billion in our state’s economy and employs one in seven Georgians. Our state is a leader in peanuts, blueberries, poultry, and countless other commodities, and our hardworking farm families put food on tables across the globe,” said Governor Kemp. “Agriculture Awareness Week is an excellent opportunity for all of us to highlight our thriving agriculture industry, and Marty and I thank the Department of Agriculture and Commissioner Gary Black for championing this effort.”
“Brian and I are unwavering supporters of our state’s top industry, and we encourage fellow Georgians to join us as we celebrate Agriculture Awareness Week. We look forward to a great week of activities and much-deserved recognition for agriculture leaders across our state,” said First Lady Marty Kemp.
There are a host of events taking place across the state to celebrate, including a “Pennies for Produce” fundraiser for food banks, a photo contest and agriculture-related curriculum in schools. One big piece of the week’s festivities is the annual Flavor of Georgia contest.
Sponsored by the aforementioned UGA college of agriculture, the contest highlights Georgia-made food products that showcase the diversity and trends of the state’s food sector – from barbecue sauces to beverages to meat or seafood.
“We hope that the Flavor of Georgia contest helps entrepreneurs enter the food industry or expand their current business, and that they gain publicity and exposure for their products,” said UGA Food Business Development Specialist and Economist Sharon Kane and Kent Wolfe, Director of the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development. “We also want to connect food processors, brokers, retailers and others involved in food marketing distribution channels in Georgia so they can sample the great products offered by these businesses and individuals.”
Winners are chosen in each category and there is a “Finalists’ Choice” and Grand Prize drawn from each of the category winners. This year’s finalist’s choice was the AubSauce Peach Barbecue Sauce, a new product just launched in Atlanta. Lest any Alabama or UGA fans worr, the sauce is named for its creator Aubrey Lenyard and is a, surprise, peach-infused barbecue sauce.
The Grand Prize was the Beautiful Briny Sea Gunpowder Finishing Salt, created by Atlanta restauranteur Kevin Gillespie and Gunshow Executive Chef Joey Ward, in partnership with Atlanta salt maker Beautiful Briny Sea.
To read much more about Ag Week and see all the other events this week: http://georgiaagweek.com/agweek2019/
