Living Jackson Magazine

Beauty, Prosperity and Character
The Agriculture of Jackson County

by David Lynn

A short drive through the beautiful countryside of Jackson County clearly shows the influence of agriculture in the area. Forty-five percent of Jackson County is farmland—close to 100,000 acres.

Agribusiness is often taken for granted in rural areas still at arm’s length from the congestion and concrete of sprawling urban centers like Atlanta, but what will prevent the I-85 corridor and the metropolitan suburbs from swallowing the farms, ranches and pastoral beauty of Jackson County? The first line of defense is an understanding of and appreciation for the contribution of agribusiness to the local and state economy.

Agriculture in Georgia is a $56.7 billion business representing 16 percent of the state’s production and employment base. Jackson is one of Georgia’s leading agricultural counties from both an economic and cultural perspective.

In recent years the rural appeal of Jackson County has been preserved in part by an influx of hobby or life-style farmers who enjoy farming but are not primarily dependent on farm-based income. This trend has allowed the number of farms to increase; and while the average size of farms has been declining, the total acreage of farmland in the county has actually shown an uptick. The situation seems to be a double-edged sword because while the so-called hobby farmers preserve the natural beauty of the area they also help to drive up land values.

In pure numbers, agriculture can be seen as a relatively inefficient use of space to generate income. Given the rising property values, new businesses and demand for housing there is a temptation to develop farmland in the interest of profit.

Total farm gate value (the price paid for produce as it leaves the farm prior to any processing or packaging) per acre is $2,469 in Jackson County. This compares very favorably to the total for the state: $985 per acre. On the other hand, the value of agriculture to the community is much more than a simple dollars-per-acre ratio.

Between 1964 and the early ’90s the number of farms in Jackson County fluctuated between 700 and 800. Suddenly the total jumped into the 800s and in the early years of the 21st century the number passed 900. According to data from 2002, Jackson has more farms than any other county in Georgia (915) except Carroll, which has 975. The United States Department of Agriculture defines a farm as having more than $1,000 in sales annually. In 2002, 40 percent of farms in Jackson made less than $2,500—an indication of the large number of farmers who are not primarily dependent upon agricultural income.

On Georgia’s farms, crops are grown on about 43 percent of the land, 28 percent is pasture, 20 percent is wooded and the remainder is taken up by ponds, streams, buildings and roads. In Jackson County, crops account for only about 16 percent of the farmland and play a relatively minor role in Jackson County agriculture when compared to livestock. Almost 14,000 acres of the county’s cropland is used for forage. This is the third highest among Georgia counties. Wheat is also a significant crop with 1,700 acres planted in 2005 contributing 48,000 bushels to the state total of 7.28 million bushels.

Total market value of farm production for 2002 in the county was $154,352,000, ranking third among Georgia counties and 235th among 3075 counties nationwide. Of this amount, $2.64 million was generated by crop sales.

Poultry and eggs account for more than $145 million of farm production, far and away the greatest contribution to the total. This places Jackson third in the state for poultry and egg production and 26th in the United States. The county chicken population is nearly 10.4 million and includes more than 2.2 million laying hens.

The second highest valued commodity in the county is cattle, accounting for about $5.8 million, ranking Jackson first in Georgia. Jackson also leads Georgia counties in cattle population with 31,000 head. Neighboring Franklin County is second. Statewide there are 1,180,000 head. Other contributing commodities include nursery, floraculture, greenhouse and sod products; hogs and pigs; sheep and goats; and horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.

The county’s estimated population of 53,000 includes 915 farm operators. Farming is the primary occupation of about 60 percent of the operators, while the remaining 40 percent represent the growing ranks of part-time, lifestyle and hobby farmers. According to the 2002 Agricultural Census, the average size of a Jackson County farm is 109 acres. The market value of machinery and equipment on the average Jackson farm is $36,741.

The average age of farm operators is 57, while the average age of all Jackson County residents is in the mid-30s. This fact points out the need to educate future generations of farm operators to whom the reins will be passed. Jackson’s course depends upon the choices made by a new generation of agricultural leaders and the support of the community at large. Of course there is really no such thing as an average farm or an average farmer. Each has a unique and interesting story to tell. Those stories make up the character of Jackson County, a quality that is surely as important to preserve as the land itself.

Among Jackson County’s largest private employers, there is a healthy diversity of jobs including warehousing and distribution (Haverty’s, Baker & Taylor, YearOne), manufacturing (Roper Pump, Kubota), hospitality (Château Élan), food service (Mission Foods) and agribusiness. This is a balance that provides stability while also encouraging growth.

Agriculture is a significant part of the balance as evidenced by the fact that the largest private employer in the county is Wayne Farms, one of the nation’s largest poultry processors, with 1,350 local employees. Braselton Poultry employs 235 and Mayfield Dairy Farms employs 100 at its milk processing plant. The Mayfield plant, which processes 150,000 gallons of milk daily, represents a direction that integrates the agricultural tradition of the area with the influx of technology and manufacturing that is relatively new to the county.

Milk cows account for less than 1 percent of the cattle in Jackson County, so the I-85 transportation artery serves Mayfield doubly well. The raw milk is delivered from remote locations outside the county and, once processed, the consumer product is quickly delivered to population centers along the I-85 corridor.

Equine and Exotic Niches
A number of exotic animal ranches have sprung up in the Atlanta area recently. Llamas, emus, kangaroos and what might traditionally be considered zoo animals always seem to generate interest but the fact is that such animal husbandry is a much greater curiosity than a practical, profitable enterprise.

The equestrian niche, on the other hand, is an element of agribusiness that is having significant impact in Jackson County.

Horses seem to capture the imagination and spirit of both the local resident and the tourist, reflecting both the freedom of rural spaces and escape from the city. While the romantic vision of the cattle rancher herding on horseback is being replaced by more modern methods such as riding four-wheel ATVs, the horse endures as a symbol of a much admired lifestyle, a link to nature, a link to the past and a therapeutic escape for the rider.

Equine pursuits in Jackson County are wide ranging in both English and western styles, competitive and leisurely: event riding, dressage, cross-country, show jumping, roping and cutting, trail riding, fox hunting and breeding. While most of Jackson’s equestrians are hobbyists, there are a handful of farm owners, farriers, trainers and other professionals who depend upon the local horse population for their livelihood.

There is something for everyone and the somewhat stereotypical snobbery of the equestrian community is not found here. Drop in at Maddox Feed & Seed and you will see that new enthusiasts are welcomed and encouraged. Lisa Randolph, one of the area’s leading lights in the equestrian arena, emphasizes that you do not need to be wealthy to own a horse or enjoy the benefits of riding.

Being around horses is a great activity for kids and adults. Perhaps more than any household pet, horses promote healing and teach responsibility and other valuable lessons to their riders and keepers. To illustrate that point, Randolph recalls a famous quote of Winston Churchill: “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

Shirley Ruth Johnson has been training new riders on her farm for 26 years and has had the joy of teaching the children of some of her students. She takes great satisfaction in preserving the horse business for the next generation of riders and providing the equestrian experience for many children from families without the means to have a horse of their own. The horses also afford a wonderful reason to get outside and away from the computer screen. Johnson offers each of her students the feeling of having a horse of his or her own and through her lessons and camps teaches not only riding but conservation, agriculture, business and responsibility.

From an economic standpoint, the growing equestrian community also encourages and supports a number of businesses such as feed and tack shops and veterinarians. Just as food processing and distribution businesses being supplied by local farmers promise the possibility of a balanced coexistence between rural tradition and modern commerce, so too does the idea of equestrian communities allow a balance between nature and development.

Jefferson Equestrian Estates and other such developments seek to provide horse enthusiasts with practical, convenient riding and training venues. At the same time, these specifically tailored communities bring new homes and businesses into the area as well as supporting the existing base of equestrian professionals and agricultural tradition with more employment opportunity and preservation of natural spaces in the form of pastures and trails.

Farmer Protections
Land trusts, tax breaks and other private and government programs can be used to relieve farm owners of some economic burdens that fall heavily on large tracts of land in a booming real estate market while preserving farmland, natural habitat, water tables and local character. Laws such as the Right to Farm Act go some ways toward preventing newcomers from over-running established agrarian businesses; but conservation of farmland requires more than just a balanced approach to development.

In addition to intelligent planning, zoning and economic considerations that allow farming to be profitable, the land itself must be cared for and nurtured not only by the property owners but also by the neighbors.

Education also is essential to conservation and preservation of farmland. Toward that end, two of Jackson County’s school systems have a number of very strong programs including 4-H, the National FFA Organization and Georgia Young Farmers Association, the largest state chapter of the National Young Farmers Educational Association. The Jackson County Comprehensive High School (JCCHS) 4-H program is one of the top four programs in the nation and there are 13 fields of agricultural study in the JCCHS curriculum alone. Jefferson High School has added a second agriculture teacher this year to expand its program to meet student educational demands. During the previous school year, 4-H had 753 students enrolled.

A change in name from Future Farmers of America to National FFA Organization was made to reflect the fact that you don’t have to aspire to be a farmer to learn about agriculture. Todd Shultz, coordinator of the 400-member JCCHS chapter and one of six agriculture teachers at that school, points out that only about 2 percent of the U.S. population are farmers but 20 percent have jobs related to agriculture and, indeed, we all enjoy the fruits of the farmers’ labor just as all Jackson residents enjoy the benefits of the agrarian culture and landscape.

The Johnson family has been farming in Jackson County for six generations, since 1871 and has the oldest Angus herd in Georgia. The seventh generation is prepared to continue the tradition but all the new neighbors could threaten this tradition’s future. With subdivisions quickly surrounding the 650-acre agricultural bastion, how long will it be before this family’s tie to their land is severed? Will the final blow be sky-rocketing property values or the offended olfactory senses of too many new neighbors with no tolerance for the aromas of nature, specifically chickens and cattle?

We may hope that measures we take now will enable the Johnson family and all the residents of Jackson County to enjoy their farm for many generations to come.

The author wishes to heartily thank a number of people involved in agribusiness in and around Jackson County who generously provided invaluable assistance in the preparation of this story: Gary Black, Republican candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture; Lisa Randolph; Mark Shirley, Jackson County Coordinator, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension; Penni Tench; Shirley Ruth Johnson, Foxwood Farm; Todd Shultz; Dewey Johnson; CJ Farmer; Heath Jackson; Mary Flowers.

Sources consulted are United States Department of Agriculture, Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service, United States Department of Commerce, Census Bureau and ga-agribusi ness.org. Information presented is the most recent readily available and may be as old as the 2000 Census. Agricultural Census is compiled every 5 years and the most recent data comes from 2002.

David Lynn is a graduate of Art Center College of Design and has a Master’s Degree from Georgia Tech. His specialty is automotive design. Lynn has worked for Panoz Auto Development and Élan Motorsports Technologies.