February 8-9, 2019 in Tifton, Georgia
White Oak Pastures has been a proud member of Georgia Organics for over a decade now, and has supported and attended this conference each year. This year, we are excited Will Harris was asked to speak as the keynote speaker for the 21st Annual Georgia Organics Conference in Tifton, Georgia. Harris, the owner of White Oak Pastures, was also the recipient of the 19th Annual Georgia Organics Land Steward Award. This award honors an individual who has contributed significantly to the organic movement in Georgia; on the farm through environmentally friendly production and off the farm through leadership, education, and outreach. Georgia Organics Board Member and farmer Joe Reynolds, who presented Will with the award, stated, “Will Harris has the perfect mix of vision, morality, and tenacity. “By way of careful stewardship and bold initiatives, Will is reinventing Southern agriculture,” said John T. Edge, the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance.
Georgia Organics, a non-profit organization, connects locally grown food from Georgia farms to Georgia families. It empowers farmers to thrive, helps schools engage children in delicious and educational farm-to-school experiences, and makes organic and local food accessible to all Georgians. Their vision is that one day, all Georgians will be able to choose fresh, organic food, which will transform our health, environment, and economy.
Join like-minded peers in cultivating new skills and visiting 70 exhibit booths. The 21st Georgia Organics Conference and Expo will be sharing innovative food and agriculture-related information. Jenni Harris, Will Harris’ daughter, and marketing director at White Oak Pastures shares, “The Georgia Organics conference is like a big family reunion with some of the best people in the good-food movement. Each year, I leave the conference motivated to do more good work in this space, as well as having more information than my brain can process. And don’t even get me started on the food….”
There are workshops, farm tours, and culinary experiences offered to guests. Discounted Farmer Rates are offered, which includes the Farmers Feast, along with New Farmer Education and Community Education Tracks.
Farmer Membership is now “pay-what-you-can,” All monies go directly to Farmer Services work. Value includes eligibility for ONE-ON-ONE organic certification/record keeping support and natural disaster relief through The Farmer Fund, free posting at Good Food Jobs, and discounts to Johnny’s and High Mowing.
Conference highlights include presentations on an array of farm practices from:
Ben Hartman, farmer and author from The Lean Farm
Ray Archuleta, cover crop and soil health champion, previously of NRCS
Dr. Ayanava Mujamdar (“Dr. A”), Auburn researcher on high tunnels and pests
All-star livestock farm panel with Brandon Chonko (Grassroots Farm), Chad Hunter (Hunter Farms), and our very own Jenni Harris (White Oak Pastures).
There will be recognition of local, farming heroes:
Shirley and Charles Sherrod of New Communities and Al Clark of Clark & Sons of Southwest Georgia Project
Catering will be done by the talented Cathy Conway of Avalon Catering. At a small roadside stand in France, Cathy realized that the only way to truly understand real food is to procure it from its source. From that point on, she made a point to meet and grow to understand local farmers and to support them by purchasing ingredients for her business and home, while investing in the future of farms and sustainable agriculture in Georgia.
Tifton, Georgia is the Ag central for our state and is conveniently located right off I-75.
Please join us in supporting Georgia’s farmers, farms, communities, and the great state of Georgia!
