Georgia County Government - October 2008 - (Page 15) Rarely do the roads diverge from farmlands stretching clear to the horizon in every direction, irrigated by the drought-resistive Floridan aquifer, one of the highest quality and most abundant groundwater supplies in the world. Within 50 or so miles encircling Tifton, the county seat of Tift County, are, in fact, some of the world’s most cultivated and most productive growing fields, yielding half the agricultural crops the state produces. And these crops are big business. In Tift County alone, the “farm gate” revenue totals some $93 million per year, and the agribusiness contribution of all surrounding counties is comparable, in terms of economic benefit to Georgia, which remains a world leader in the production of peanuts, pecans, watermelon, corn, soybeans, and of course, cotton. Timber holds sway here too, particularly in Echols County, the eastern portion of which is 90-percent timber, and now opening to ethanol research facilities on a scale similar to the cellulosic ethanol plant now being built in the Treutlen County pinelands of Middle Georgia. It’s the state’s good fortune that pristine, commercially cultivated pine forests are at the forefront of raw materials that can be used in the push to develop fossil fuel alternatives. Georgia has them in abundance, prompting the industry dedicated to research and development of plant-derived energy sources to make substantial investments here. What it also means for these bountiful growing fields is that they offer, by necessity rather than design, a latter-day glimpse of “two Georgias” – but not the two we’ve heard so much about in previous years, metro-Atlanta versus rural communities. The “two Georgias” on display here are the state’s familiar farmlands, juxtaposed alongside the significant, and growing, contingent of alternative fuel enterprises and high-tech agricultural research facilities finding their ideal locations in rural areas that have long needed such industry. This is happening thanks to a combination of state support of such facilities by Governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, working in tandem with the University System of The South Georgia region is a stronghold for University of Georgia agricultural research, representing some of the most intensive efforts in the world to improve and diversify regional crops and their production. Image courtesy of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Picture Georgia photo archive. Georgia, the Rural Development Centers and private enterprise. Increasingly, research facilities devoted to finding, and developing, new sources of alternative – a.k.a., “green” – energy dot the landscape. Agricultural research facilities are growing, too. Their aims include boosting the diversity and viability of agricultural crops, as well as potential new crops. Owing to the prevalence of both kinds of research here, Georgia has a huge stake not only in the emerging bio-fuels industry, but agriculture’s future as an industry. Both the traditional agriculture business and the modern research facilities – the “old and the new,” if you will – reinforce the importance of agribusiness to Georgia, and to the state’s future economic well-being. Meanwhile, elected leaders here are, like their colleagues in many rural regions of Georgia, cultivating, and seeing, diversity in terms of economic development. Industries worldwide continue to discover the outstanding economy of doing business here – low taxes, relatively low-cost commercial properties, an affordable and ready-to-train workforce as well as a bevy of incentives for locating here. Incoming economic influences include large manufacturing, supplier businesses, distribution facilities and more. All complement the in- place wealth of agribusiness-affi liated packaging plants, processing facilities and growers in Cook, Tift, Turner and Echols. In Echols County, the smallest of the four counties, recently named the “carrot capitol” of the south, five large packaging businesses thrive, packing carrots, berries, soybeans and corn. Boosting the region’s allure to incoming industries are an excellent transportation network and dynamite location for commerce. As Tift County Manager Jim Carter points out, “This region is equidistant between Atlanta and Orlando, and between Chattanooga and Miami, via I-75 and the availability or East-West Interstate 10 and Highway 82 (Corridor Z). The network gives easy access to the Port of Brunswick, just two hours due east and the Port of Savannah, three hours away. You can be anywhere within a reasonable amount of time from Tift County.” Likewise, agrees Cook County Economic Development Director Kerry Waldron, “We’re serviced by rail, water, interstates and infrastructure. We’re served by broadband Internet providers accessible to everybody. We’re ready for the future.” That’s a good thing because the future is encroaching on rural areas like South SOUTH GEORGIA continued on page 17 OCTOBER 2008 www.accg.org 15 http://www.accg.org
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