Agriculture is the number one industry in our community serves as an important economic element throughout our state.

The University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development stated that overall , agriculture is a $72 billion industry in Georgia. This is possible because of Georgia’s varying landscapes and climate. The Georgia Farm Bureau statistics show that in 2012, there were 42,257 farms in Georgia totaling over 9 million acres with the average farm size being 228 acres. Georgia is the number one state in the production of peanuts, chickens, pecans, and blueberries.  One out of every seven people in the state of Georgia is employed by agriculture, forestry, or a related field. Over the last few years, the number of farms in Georgia has decreased; the average farm size has increase.

Colquitt and Miller County have followed in these trends that are set by our state. The 2012 Agricultural Survey indicated from 2007-2012, in Miller County, the number of farms decreased from 213 farms to 183 but the average size of the farm increased from 478 acres to 523. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, among the 159 counties in Georgia, Miller County was second in corn production with 2,772,000 bushels, third in peanut production with 133,700,000 pounds, seventh in winter wheat production 341,000 bushels, and ninth in cotton production with 71,600 bales.

Agriculture, forestry, or a related field is the third employers for Miller County with 11.5% of our population being in this field. The largest is education, health, and social services, and second is manufacturing.

With many changes and an increase in technology in the agriculture and related fields we will probably continue to see improvements in the crop production that our area has. Your challenge is to take note of how you are daily impacted by agriculture, forestry, or a related field. Thank a farmer for their impact on our community. 

Georgia’s Top 10 Agriculture Products

1.        Broilers: Consistently the state’s top commodity, broiler production in 2011 topped the national charts with 1.38 billion head. The commodity significantly contributed to Georgia’s economy, with a value of $3.46 billion in 2013.

2.        Cotton: Ranking No. 2 in the nation and the state, cotton production generated $1.29 billion in cash receipts in 2013. Georgia farmers harvested 1.3 million acres of cotton, resulting in 2.9 million bales.

3.        Peanuts: The official state crop of Georgia raked in $1.1 billion in 2013. The 1.65 billion pound yield accounted for about half the nation’s peanuts.

4.        Chicken Eggs: Georgia cracked the top five chicken egg producing states in the nation, coming in at No. 2. In 2011, 4.29 billion eggs brought $491 million to Georgia’s economy

5.        Greenhouse/Nursery: In 2013, Georgia produced $376.2 million worth of products in greenhouses and nurseries throughout the state.

6.        Cattle and Calves: Cattle and calves, raised in all 159 counties, generated $357.61 million for Georgia’s economy in 2011.

7.        Dairy Products:  The average cow in Georgia produces about 2,188 gallons of milk per year. In 2011, dairy products totaled $317 million in cash receipts.

8.        Pecans: Pecan trees covered 14,529 acres of the state in 2011, producing 102 million pounds of pecans. Pecan production contributed $265 million to Georgia’s economy.

9.        Corn: Corn production in 2011 brought $234.75 million to Georgia. Field corn is mainly used for livestock feed and ethanol production.

10.     Blueberries: More than 300 million pounds of blueberries are grown in the U.S. each year. In 2011 Georgia produced $93.3 million for the state’s economy.


* http://farmflavor.com/us-ag/georgia/top-crops-georgia/top-10-commodities-georgia/

Happy Birthday America! On July 2, 1776 the Second Continental Congress voted almost unanimously to declare the United States Independence from Great Britain. On July 4, 1776 is when Thomas Jefferson was finished editing the Declaration of Independence and the documentation was signed and adopted. This year marks the 239th year of our independence and the Colquitt-Miller County Chamber of Commerce invites you to take in the celebration of our nation’s independence at 6 pm on July 2nd at Spring Creek’s Star-Spangled Salute!

The event at Spring Creek Park will get started at 6:00 pm with some of Colquitt’s very best locals entertaining with patriotic songs. Also at this time, there will be bouncy houses and face painting for the kids. Food and drinks will be available at the park, and a new event that we will be having this year is a FREE “touch-a-truck.” We have partnered with many local businesses and services to showcase fire trucks, emergency vehicles, farm equipment, a monster truck, a semi, a police car, and others there for children to sit it, touch, look at, and get their picture made!

The National Anthem will be performed at 7:00 pm with a presentation to honor those who have served our county. This will be presented by the American Legion Post 165. Following our salute to our veterans, The Country Boys will be entertaining with gospel and country music.

The Spring-Creek Star-Spangled Salute will commence with fireworks starting at about 9:00 pm!