FFA members from Chattooga High School spent a few days in October traveling to gain a view of agriculture throughout the state. The group traveled to the state farmers market, pecan and peach orchards, row crop operations, ABAC, UGA, Tifton Quality Peanut, and the Sunbelt Ag Expo.

At the state farmers market, students visited with vendors and had the opportunity to buy fruit from all over the world. The students also visited the Georgia grown shed where produce grown in our state is marketed and sold. They also toured a packing shed and cooler facility where many businesses acquire produce for retail sales.

They also traveled through middle Georgia to allow students the opportunity to see pecan and peach orchards as well as several row crop operations.

Students visited two college campuses in South Georgia. They visited Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton where they toured the campus, and learned about the majors and opportunities offered at ABAC. They also toured UGA’s Tifton Campus and toured the micro cotton gin. Students learned of the importance of cotton’s contribution to our state and how research is reshaping Georgia’s role and impact in the industry. Georgia is the number 2 cotton-producing state in the nation.

They traveled to Berrien County and met with a local diversified farmer, Gerald Peel. He grows peanuts, cotton, corn, watermelons, cantaloupes and raises poultry and beef. Mr. Peel was in the middle of peanut harvest and the students got to watch him harvest peanuts and ask questions about his operation. CarolAnn Cash also got to help drive the tractor to dump peanuts headed to the buy-sell point.

They also visited the Coastal Plains Research Facility and NESPAL (Nationally Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Lab). In addition, they stopped at Tifton Quality Peanut where students learned about the entire process of getting peanuts from a buy-sell point, quality control, shelling, storage, and marketing. According to David Yarbrough, CHS FFA Advisor, “Tifton Quality Peanut was one of the highlights for our students. They talked about it for the rest of the trip. They were impressed with the size and scale of the operation and how much science and technology was used. “

The group’s last stop was Sunbelt Agriculture Expo where students got a chance to explore careers, equipment, and ongoing research in agriculture. The Sunbelt Ag Expo is an agricultural-based tradeshow held in Moultrie, Ga. Known as “North America’s premier farm show”, the annual event has more than 1200 exhibitors showcasing the latest in farming technology. There is a 100-acre exhibit area that is filled with everything for our students to see from tractors and equipment to colleges and universities of higher education relating to the agriculture industry. There is also a 600-acre working research farm.

We would like to thank our administration for allowing us this opportunity and our community for the donations to make this trip possible.