Collins, Black Gather In Lavonia With Farmers

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Local leaders and farmers gather to pray for an end to the drought.

9th District U.S. Representative Doug Collins, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, 50th District State Senator John Wilkinson, and other local officials met with local farmers Monday morning at the train depot in Lavonia for a question and answer and prayer session.

Currently, northeast Georgia is facing extreme drought conditions with rainfall inches below normal and now, hay pastures and grazing pastures for cattle drying up.

Collins said he was in Lavonia to get input from local farmers.

Also, Collins, a former Baptist minister, noted the importance of calling on God in times of hardship.

In speaking to farmers Monday, Black said north Georgia is not alone in facing the drought.

He said peanut and cotton crops in south Georgia this year were dismal because of a lack of rainfall.

Back advised farmers here to keep careful records on hay and pasture losses as well as make sure they were accessing available federal help from the government.

Black, who is also a cattle farmer in Banks County, said this is the worst drought for farmers in recent memory.

Most of the farmers present were cattle farmers and most of the questions raised were about where they were going to find hay to feed their livestock over the winter.

One farmer said there is hay available in South Georgia but it’s expensive to ship.

State Senator Wilkinson said a local farmer, Ken Owens, is arranging for shipments of hay from South Georgia at a nominal shipping fee.

Wilkinson said he has also found hay available from Northwest Georgia near Chattanooga.

Collins and Black said they will take the farmers’ comments and concerns back to their offices to continue to work on securing financial help for the farmers in northeast Georgia.

Also, Black said he will be meeting with other state and federal agencies later this week, such as Farm Credit Bureau and the Farm Service Agency on how to help farmers weather the severe drought.