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Georgia Farm Bureau Campaign Advocates For The State’s Agriculture Industry This Election Season

October 27th, 2020

The Georgia Farm Bureau launched the “I Farm. I Vote” campaign in 2018.

Courtesy of the Georgia Farm Bureau

The coronavirus pandemic has led to some tough times for our nation’s farmers, and Georgia’s agriculture industry is no exception.

According to a recent study from the University of Georgia and Georgia Farm Bureau, 82% of farmers in the state lost revenue due to the pandemic. Those anticipating an annual loss will lose, on average, $49,000.

Now, with election season underway, a new initiative from the Georgia Farm Bureau is urging Georgia’s farmers and rural populations to turn out to vote and calling on politicians to prioritize the agriculture industry. It’s called: “I Farm. I Vote.”

On Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Katie Duvall, advocacy and policy development coordinator at the Georgia Farm Bureau, told Rose Scott more about why the campaign launched in Georgia back in 2018.

Then, after that conversation, Rose spoke with a third-generation cattle producer, Will Godowns, in Pike County, Georgia.

“On the federal level, there’s a lot that just gets bypassed because it’s not what the majority of the public knows about. You know, we’re talking about people who are four or five generations removed from the farm and believe their food comes from a Kroger grocery store shelf,” he said.

Godowns also shared how the pandemic has affected his businesses and the industry as a whole.

“When another entity’s life depends on you, you don’t get a lot of options of ‘hey, I’m going to lock up inside the house,’” he said. “You just have to face it and deal with what comes. In the early stages of it, there were a lot of uncertainties… but the one thing we did know is we still had to provide food and fiber for the world. And so that’s what we did.”

To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.