Georgia Magazine - May 2011 - (Page 9)

Flavor of Georgia contest winners announced Jam of Love is more than a business name for Emily Myers and Gina Bodell, of Dunwoody: It’s a philosophy. Each jar of their traditional, allnatural jams is made in small batches and poured by hand. The duo’s Emily G’s Pear Honey Jam took top prize in the annual Flavor of Georgia food product contest March 22 at the Georgia Freight Depot in downtown Atlanta. Their jam beat out blueberry barbecue sauce, spicy pecans, coffee toffee, shrimp cakes, jalapeno tamales and coffee ice cream to capture the Grand Champion title at a ceremony led by Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black. The annual contest is conducted by the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development (CAED). Myers and Bodell were drawn to jam through trips to pick-your-own farms. “Three years ago we went to Washington Farms and picked way too many strawberries to eat, so we started making jams and had a lot of Fort Valley-based Cleveland Organics won in two Flavor of Georgia categories, for their Twisted Pecans and Coffee Toffee; from left are Tom Cleveland, Beth Cleveland and David Cleveland. Emily Myers and Gina Bodell stand with their winning Pear Honey Jam at the 2011 Flavor of Georgia food product contest. Emily G’s Jam of Love won the contest’s Grand Champion award. fun doing it,” Bodell says. Today, the pair makes 24 different jams, ranging from Rhubarb Marmalade to Tipsy Onion and Garlic. Products can be found in more than 100 stores nationwide or purchased online at www.emilygs.com. Pear Honey Jam was one of 21 Peruse a public garden Edible Garden celebrates first anniversary The Atlanta Botanical Garden showcases innovative ways to incorporate crops into the landscape in its Edible Garden. As part of the Edible Garden’s one-year anniversary, chefs will create menus using ingredients harvested on site for the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Gourmet In May event, a monthlong smorgasbord of demonstrations, activities, classes and festivities. Visit www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org for details. May 2011 More online at www.georgiamagazine.org products judged by a panel of food brokers, buyers and other food industry experts. Contestants were awarded points based on flavor, Georgia theme, unique or innovative qualities, commercial appeal and originality. Finalists were chosen from 89 entries from all across Georgia. “We typically see submissions from most of the major state commodities and have a broad representation,” says Sharon P. Kane, contest organizer and a UGA CAED food business development specialist. This year’s other final products included pork, Vidalia onions and pecans, as well as blueberries, milk and shrimp. “Flavor of Georgia is only a starting point for many of the category winners,” Kane says. She followed up with the 2010 winners and found that nearly 90 percent increased their sales and business contacts as a result of the contest. More than 80 percent experienced increased interest in their products, and 75 percent saw an increase in the publicity for their product. For the Flavor of Georgia category winners and all contest finalists, visit www.flavorofgeorgia.caes.uga.edu. —April Reese Sorrow, University of Georgia College ofAgricultural and Environmental Sciences 9 E.G. DINES / ATLANTA BOTANICAL GArDEN APrIL SOrrOw / UGA http://www.emilygs.com http://www.flavorofgeorgia.caes.uga.edu http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - May 2011

Georgia Magazine - May 2011
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Georgia’s Energy Outlook
Special Energy Report
Dolphin Tales
Agrability in Georgia
Creature Comforts
Georgia@home
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - May 2011