Wilkinson Again Part of Annual UGA Farm Tour

50th District State Senator John Wilkinson helps lead an annual agriculture tour for University of Georgia President Jere Morehead.

Wilkinson, along with Morehead, State Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, and other state and university officials took the fourth annual state agriculture tour, this time through middle and south Georgia, Wednesday.

A press release from the Georgia Department of Agriculture stated that their objective was to learn more about the state’s top industry and see what makes it an international success.

From watching how a peach is picked, packaged and delivered, to learning how federal and state regulators ensure that only the highest quality produce is shipped from Georgia, the day covered a wide range of agricultural topics.
The tour started in Fort Valley with a visit to a business that gives visitors a close-up view of a real working farm where peaches are picked, processed on the packaging line, and then delivered to neighborhood grocery stores.
In Plains, they stopped at the Georgia Seed Development Commission facility, where various seed types relating to high-value crops such as peanuts, soybeans, blueberries, muscadine grapes, rye, wheat and forages are reproduced and marketed.

The tour concluded with a trip to Albany, where the group visited Plantation Seed Conditioners and the Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service. At this facility, regulators inspect more than 35 different commodities, including peanuts, fruits, vegetables and pecans.

Morehead said this tour is a great reminder of the strong partnership that exists between the University of Georgia and the agriculture community, adding that as a land-grant institution, the University remains focused on providing research, education, and outreach program to help agriculture, the state’s number one industry, thrive.
Meanwhile, Ag Commissioner Black said his department is excited to continue its spirit of cooperation and education with the university through the coordination of this annual farm tour, adding that President Morehead has been extremely responsive with his deep commitment to the agriculture industry, and these tours have been a great opportunity to open the communication channel between the farming community and those who support it.