If you've ever taken a ride into the ga country in 2005 or 2004 or earlier, you might've noticed all white fields in late autumn and piles of cotton in winter. Cotton WAS the moneymaker. Drive through the country again, and what you once knew was a cotton field is now a corn field. The reason? This year alone, corn gained 15 percent in the commodity market, ethanol is increasingly being produced and the demand is the highest its ever been. Soon enough, we may have more ethanol production facilities in our state, and may actually be able to consume it. If you thought that it was too late to invest in corn or ethanol, think again. Corn is probably the new renewable gold.
I find it fascinating that farmers in the state realized market opportunities with corn so quickly, even though georgia's land is best for cotton, pecan, and peaches.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks, phil
is corn farming the new money make in ga?
Interesting. Hope that you are right about what market they're entering--ethanol. I also have to wonder if they're possibly going after the high fructose corn syrup producers market, but hope not. It's the bane of our existence, if you ask me. When I was a kid the only time you heard of corn syrup was at holiday time for pecan pies, etc. Now they're putting HFCS in everything, and that just can't be good. I won't rant any more about that. Back on the farming trac--I was reading recently that the small farm is on the comeback due to more and more Americans making the move to organic foods, and the sustainability of small farms using organic practices. Now that was good news, don't you think?
It's funny you mention farming. This morning on the MSN homepage, there is a small blurb about endangered jobs and farming is one of the jobs listed. Reading further, it appears that the small, independent farmer is being swallowed up by the mega-farming companies. I hope this is not true. The independent farmer used to be the backbone of this country. Farmer's markets and roadside veggie stands are a great asset in this state. You know Phil, I see this need for ethanol changing all of this. Enterprising folks who want a career change may want to get in the corn business. I just hope as this need for ethanol grows, we don't ever, ever import the corn!
I've seen a segment about ethanol on 60 minutes and I was very impressed.
yes, small growers have been pushed out for some time now, but since organics is making such a huge dent in the consumer market, they are around and producing.
I stay away from high fructose corn syrup in food... but I certainly wouldn't mind it fueling my car... it's not really corn syrup actually, it's more like "car beer".
:)
Susan
Its interesting about the corn syrup(you see it in a lot of foods), but how much of that would you need for food production compared to fuel production. The fuel production aspect of corn growing is fueling the market. As for the independent farmer, its tough for them in georgia now. It seems like most farmers in the state are now subcontracting with the bigger companies which can be good and bad. The independant farmer doesn't have the security.
Since cotton production in the country will probably slow a lot, I wonder if we are going to start importing sweat factory made clothes from indonesia.
But I'm kinda hoping for big changes in energy across the state. Most of the midwest can now fill up on ethanol.
Another bad thing about being an independant farmer is that the market can manipulate them. Whereas big companies know how a market works and can give a better return to their workers just by selling a crop on a good day. That's probably why farming is a job with the least job security. But I don't think you can lose on corn.
I think the article I saw on small organic farms making a big comeback was in Utne magazine, but not sure. It was so encouraging. In one county where there were previously no farms, there are now 70 organic farms. I would love to see that here in Georgia. I've been trying to find a local farmers market that is really local and really a farmer's market for some time now. Heard there's one in Fayetteville, but unable to find out anything about it. My local fruit and veggie stands sell stuff imported from Florida. Bottom line for me is that, ethanol or veggies, I think Americans will stand behind the small farmer and buy their products if we can get them. Question is how to get there from here. Go farmers, go.
I love the country stands too. There aint anything more fresh.
http://www.georgiaorganics.org/
Here ya go! :)
Susan
Money crops change with societal demand. When I was a little girl visiting in Fitzgerald, GA, tobacco was still an important crop. I remember my adult cousin taking me with him to the tobacco auctions. You could still see the drying sheds in that area when I was in my twenties. They looked like tall narrow barns. It is very rare that I see one now.
The organic farms and other subscription farms are more common in other parts of the country. I went looking for one by net surfing and by market bulletin. I could only find two in Georgia. NY state and California are very well supplied.
Dr. Brown from Tuskeegee University put out a small farm newsletter in the 70s and 80s and really pushed the subscription angle. He made a good case for a small farm that could support a family by offering a variety of veggies and the no till crops like blueberries He advocated seasonal holiday crops like pumpkins and the pick your own philosophy. He did not even consider the small farm as a competitor for the single crop grown in large fields.
There are some specialty growers who will sell you a season's harvest by the row. I have friends who harvest 'their' rows of blueberries every year at a small fruit farm in Alabama.
Long ago and far away I wanted to plan and run a subscription farm, or even a truck farm catering to the ritzy neighborhoods in Birmingham suburbs. I would happily put up supply money and subsidize the labor costs now, for a subscription farm that grew heritage vegetables. My yard is too small and too shady for a good kitchen garden. Right now I am looking for green field corn. I have a strong dislike of the super sweet varieties and that is almost all you can find even at the farmers markets.
Beth
Phil, my step-MIL's family is from Warner Robbins. They were peach farmers who gave it up to raise local KIWI FRUIT! This was when they were well into their 60's.
Now if that isn't creative, I don't know what is.
Farmers farm for a living. You need to farm what sells.
If ethanol sells (and burning it doesn't make more holes in the sky, lol) then more power to them.
Organic growing boomed in Ontario when I was living there. There is a beautifully fertile area in the Ontario Valley which was once under a lake. It is heavily farmed. At one point we noticed some of the farms closing, but since then the land has been secured for farmers and almost all of the farms are completely organic. We have relatives that are organic farm inspectors in Canada. They also bring over European specialists in Organic farming to train Canadian growers.
I have been an "organic as possible" gardener my whole life.
GGG
Kiwis grow well out here, as well as raspberries. I was thinking about getting a few of the kiwis until I thought about the mess and the bugs it would bring.
Oh and has anyone else noticed that publix is slowly expanding its greenwise products. I buy most of my veggies from those sections.
Down in our part of the state we are starting to hear a lot about pines being a prime product for Ethanol. Our county has over 300,000 acres of pines and south central Ga. is lousy with pines, and the pulp and timber market has been off for a while. Ga. Tech has a project going and will soon build a "model" plant that eventually upon reaching full production, is supposed to generate as much as 50 million gallons of Ethanol a year. A Pfizer plant in Augusta has been bought by an Ethanol producer and the plan is to generate 35 million gallons a year. Our local newspaper has bought a "still" from a North Carolina company and as soon as the state and federal permit process is completed will be making Ethanol for their paper carriers to use in a $$ saving effort. Corn is a good source but the trees can be cut and lumber or pulp sold and the tops, limbs, etc used to make ethanol. Also a corn supplied Ethanol, facility is powered by petroleum....A pine, wood scrap and pulp based facility is powered by wood... Something to consider
Georgia pacific's machinery is powered by wood also. As long as americans are willing to become creative and put effort into things, we can reduce our dependence on terrorist country oil.
A corn supplied ethanol is powered by petroleum today, but agribusiness is also one of the things we want to change isn't it? The hard truth is we may need to adjust our lifestyle to be less fuel dependent.
Beth
Beets can be used as well. Sugar cane is really great.
I can tell you one thing. Large tracts of farm land are being bought up for the big ethanol push.
Hey I bought a racing road bike a few weeks ago. I can go about 25 mph on it. I ride it whenever I can.
Hey I bought a racing road bike a few weeks ago. I can go about 25 mph on it. I ride it whenever I can. The bad thing about georgia is that the road system is uninhabitable for people to walk or ride a bicycle even though there are laws protecting us. In tallahassee, fl they're trying to make bike lanes in every 2 lane road. Some of our cities should take a page out of their book. It would also get some of these giganticly fat and lazy hillbillies up and moving before the state is ranked highest on the obese list.