Submitted by the Georgia Farm Bureau
MACON, Ga. – For the 46th year in its history, Georgia Farm Bureau members will travel to Jekyll Island for the organization’s annual meeting Dec. 6-8 giving GFB the distinction of being the organization to hold the most meetings on the island, according to Jekyll Island Authority officials. To recognize GFB’s longtime support of Jekyll, the authority will hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the island’s new park and convention center on Monday, Dec. 7 following the general session. Gov. Sonny Perdue is scheduled to speak at 11:15 a.m. and then lead the GFB convention attendees and Jekyll Island Authority members in a groundbreaking ceremony for the island’s new park and convention center.
“Georgia Farm Bureau members have enjoyed traveling to Jekyll Island for years, and we appreciate being included in this historic event,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “Our volunteer members have worked hard all year to promote Georgia agriculture. This convention is a time when we recognize our volunteers for their efforts and set the course for our work next year.”
This will be the last year that the convention is held in the existing convention center as plans for the renovation of the island facilities call for the center to be torn down in 2010 so that a new facility can be built. The new convention center is expected to open in 2012.
The 2010 Georgia gubernatorial candidates who currently hold or have previously held a state or national office have been invited to address the GFB convention at 10 a.m. during the general session. Other highlights of the annual meeting will include conferences for the 18 major commodities produced in Georgia, the Young Farmer Discussion Meet and presentation of state program awards.
Convention activities will begin Sunday, Dec. 7, when registration and exhibits open at 12 p.m. in the Jekyll Island Convention Center. The final round of the Young Farmer Discussion Meet will be held in the Aquarama Beachside Hall at 1:30 p.m. Preliminary rounds of the competition will be held Saturday afternoon. The winner of this contest and the GFB Young Farmer Achievement Contest will be announced Sunday afternoon during the annual awards program when awards will also be presented to counties and individuals selected as state winners in five categories for programs completed during the past year to promote agriculture. The GFB YF Achievement contest finalists are Charlie and Nancie Sanders of Greene County, Steven and Tiffany Metcalf of Turner County and Cory and Janie Tyre of Bacon County.
GFB will also award the organization’s highest honor, the McKemie Award, to counties from three membership categories for having the best overall Farm Bureau program in each membership category.
Barrow, Chattooga, Cherokee, Coweta, Habersham, Henry, Jackson, McDuffie, Madison and Newton counties will compete for the McKemie Award in the membership category of more than 3,001 members. Bibb, Cook, Decatur, Floyd, Greene, Jones, Polk, Spalding and Washington counties will compete for the award in the 1,801 to 3,000 membership category. Bacon, Crawford, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Monroe, Pike, Screven, Taliaferro, Upson and Wilcox counties will compete for the award in the membership category of up to 1,800 members.
On Tuesday, voting delegates will discuss and approve policy resolutions submitted by county Farm Bureau chapters from across the state. The resolutions approved by the delegates will become the organization’s official policy and will guide its legislative efforts in the upcoming year. Delegates will also elect the GFB director positions that are up for re-election.
GFB District Directors running unopposed for another two-year term are: J. Louis Hunt, Walker County, 1st District; Bobby Gunter, Lumpkin County, 2nd District; George Chambers, Carroll County, 3rd District; Marvin Ruark, Morgan County, 4th District; Ralph Adamson, Lamar County, 5th District; Gennis Folsom, Tattnall County, 7th District; Phil Redding, Clay County, 8th District; Paul Shirah, Mitchell County, 9th District and David Lee, Bacon County, 10th District.
Emanuel County Farm Bureau President Robert Fountain is challenging GFB Middle Georgia Vice President Brent Galloway of Newton County. Laurens County Farm Bureau President James Malone is running against GFB 6th District Director Jimmy Perry. GFB President Duvall will begin the second year of his second two-year term to which he was elected last year.
Founded in 1937, Georgia Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization. Its volunteer members actively participate in local, district and state activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors. GFB also has 20 commodity advisory committees that give the organization input on issues pertinent to the major commodities grown in Georgia.
