CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS

Marion Reeves, Chairman

"The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn’t still be a farmer."  - Will Rodgers

There is a great deal of truth in this quote. The year 2025 has been a challenging one for farmers and for everyone involved in agriculture. Low commodity prices, droughts and floods, late-season pressure from a new cotton insect known as the jassid, rising input costs, land leases, financing, fuel, and equipment expenses have all tested our resilience. When you stop and think about it, however, these challenges are part of what defines farming. It’s never easy, but that’s why it’s called farming.

Since our last What & Why, GPFES has remained extremely active. In July, we proudly celebrated our 75th Summer Meeting at Amelia Island, Florida. It was a truly outstanding event, featuring excellent speakers and panel discussions, CCA training, a Fun Run and Walk, entertainment, and a successful silent auction. One of the most meaningful moments of the meeting was honoring Jimmy and Donna Stewart with the Blair W. Davis Outstanding Service Award. I extend my sincere thanks to our sponsors, silent auction and raffle contributors, Rebekah McDowell, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee for their dedication and hard work that made this milestone meeting a success. For me, the most rewarding part of the Summer Meeting is seeing families, children, friends, and even competitors come together to enjoy the fellowship that makes this organization so special.

On October 21, 2025, the GPFES Fall Board of Directors Meeting was held at the Nespal Building on the UGA campus in Tifton. Thank you to Dr. Wes Porter for coordinating the meeting, and to Brian Wood, Rebekah McDowell, Jill Hansard, our board members, committee chairs, and guests for their participation. The meeting was well attended and productive, followed by a meeting of the GPFES Foundation.

We also extend our congratulations to Chancellor Sonny Perdue on his induction into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame in October 2025, an honor well-deserved.

GPFES was well represented at the GAC Harvest Ball held in Athens in November, continuing our strong partnership within GAC.

On November 25, the Scholarship Committee, along with Dr. Wes Porter, Dr. Scott Tubbs, and Dr. Taylor Hendricks, met to review 23 applications for the GPFES and R.W. Griffin Scholarships. The selection process was very successful, and recipients will be recognized at the 2026 Winter Meeting.

Plans are already well underway for the 75th Winter Meeting and Trade Show, to be held January 13–14, 2026, at the UGA Conference Center in Tifton. We are grateful for the continued support of our sponsors and contributors. Attendees can look forward to an excellent lineup of speakers, CCA training opportunities, Tables of Knowledge, and outside exhibitors at what promises to be another outstanding educational event.

Thank you to our staff, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and membership for making 2025 such a successful year for GPFES.

Fredalyn and I wish you all a blessed and Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

UPCOMING EVENTS

GEORGIA PLANT FOOD 

EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY 

2026 Winter Meeting

January 13-14, 2026

UGA Tifton Conf. Ctr. Tifton, GA

www.gpfes.org

GEORGIA PEANUT FARM 

SHOW & CONFERENCE 

January 15, 2026

UGA Tifton Conf. Ctr. Tifton, GA

www.gapeanuts.com

FLORIDA FERTILIZER & AGRICHEMICAL ASSOCIATION

2026 Winter Business Meeting

January 15-16, 2026

Hutchinson Shores Resort

Jensen Beach, FL

ffaa.org

ALABAMA CROP MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

2026 Summer Business Meeting

June 24-26, 2026

Island House Hotel

Orange Beach, AL

wwe.alabamacrop.net

FLORIDA FERTTILIZER & AGRICHEMICAL ASSOCIATION

2026 94th Annual Meeting

July 7-9, 2026

Ritz-Carlton

Naples, FL

ffaa.org

GEORGIA PLANT FOOD 

EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY 

2026 Summer Meeting

July 27-29, 2026

The Ritz Carlton

Amelia Island, FL

www.gpfes.org

SOUTH CAROLINA FERTILIZER and AGRICHEMICAL ASSOCIATION 

2026 Summer Meeting

August 2-4, 2026

The Ritz Carlton Reynolds - Lake Oconee

Greensboro, GA

www.scfaa.org

PRESIDENT'S PARAGRAPH

Brian Wood, President

As I began writing this article, several topics and issues weighed on my mind. Which rabbit hole should I go down? How will our customers be able to pay us for 2025 and renew their operating loans for 2026? When will we truly understand the changes to the Farm Bill included in the One Big Beautiful Bill? What is the farmer bridge loan from the USDA going to pay our growers per acre? Commodity prices? Jassids? Trade tariffs? Input pricing and supply. How are our employees faring with the rising cost of living? Artificial Intelligence, whether it’s good or bad…it’s here and ignoring it, is not an option. What does all this mean for my kids and grandkids? 

The bottom line is, we don’t know.

It is easy to get so wrapped up in the issues beyond our control that we lose sight of where we truly are. “Control the controllables.” My son’s high school baseball coach instilled that motto in his team.  We can’t control the weather, tariffs, commodity prices, and many other factors that impact agriculture. I encourage everyone to focus on what decisions we can control and try to learn as much as we can about the ones that we can’t.

Our Programs and Arrangements committee works hard to invite speakers to our Winter and Summer Meetings who address the relevant issues facing our industry. The upcoming Winter Meeting is no exception. The panel of speakers that are invited to speak will provide us with some insight into many of the issues that are beyond our control, while helping us better understand how to navigate them.

In a few weeks, we will begin our 75th year as an educational society. While our membership remains strong, the need for us to continue to add members is essential. There is strength in numbers. Whether we are raising funds for our educational projects or using membership as leverage when it comes to legislation that threatens our industry. Numbers matter. GPFES remains one of the most affordable associations to join. Whether you are a supplier, dealer, or equipment manufacturer, I encourage you to invite your coworkers to become a member of GPFES! 

Thank you all for your continued support of GPFES. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

-Brian

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS & UPDATES

Below are this year’s GPFES Funded Educational Projects. This is possible through the generous support of our members and partners. These initiatives reflect GPFES’s ongoing commitment to advancing agricultural education, research, and outreach, while supporting the next generation of leaders and innovations within Georgia agriculture.

Thank You Industry Sponsors

2026 MEMBERSHIP DUES & DIRECTORY

Jill Hansard, Membership & Accounting

Pay your Membership Dues, Update your

Directory Information and Purchase your

Directory Ad all with ONE Click!

It’s that time of year again! The 2026 GPFES Membership Dues are due by February 1, 2026. To make sure you don’t miss out on the benefits of your membership, we’ve made it easier than ever to take care of everything in one simple step.

• Pay your Membership Dues by February 1, 2026
• Update your Membership Directory Information
• Purchase an ad in the 2025 GPFES Membership Directory (Final ad files are due by March 2 to GPFES office)

Click below to view the last issue of the directory to see how your listing currently appears.

If you need assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to the GPFES office (706) 520-1020

Thank you for your continued support of GPFES!

SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

Dr. Glen Harris and Dr. Scott Tubbs, Committee

Co-Vice Chairs

Once again the Scholarship Committee faced a challenging task of selecting this year’s scholarship recipients from an impressive group of 23 applicants. GPFES is honored to award $35,000 in scholarships to a group of exceptionally deserving college undergraduates.

We are proud to announce the eleven students studying agriculture who have been selected as the 2025 Georgia Plant Food Educational Society Scholarship recipients.

J. Fielding Reed Scholarships $2,000

Andrew Luckey – from Bremen, Georgia is a senior in agribusiness and agricultural and applied economics at UGA. Andrew has a 3.84 GPA and his future goal is to work in production ag.

Sarah Pate – from Cordele, Georgia is a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Technology Management with a minor in Agribusiness at ABAC in Tifton. Sarah has a 4.0 GPA and currently works at UGA Research Facility in Tifton. She would love to continue helping with research on fungal pathogens in the future.

Morgan Shiver – from Camilla, Georgia is a Senior double majoring in Agribusiness and Ag Communications at UGA in Athens. Morgan currently holds a GPA of 3.55 and serves as a UGA Ag Ambassador. Morgan is also a previous recipient of the Ray Hays Family Scholarship and plans to join Hays-LTI after graduation.

Jimmy and Bunny Champion Academic Achievement Scholarship $3,000

Owen Russell – from Laverne, Alabama is a Senior majoring in Crop Production at ABAC. Owen currently holds a GPA of 4.0 and has interned with the Alabama Farmers Cooperative and has also served as a student helper at the GPFES Summer meeting. Owen is also a previous recipient of a GPFES Scholarship, and his future plans include getting a Master's in Agronomy and then working in the Ag Industry.

Ray Hays Family Scholarship $2,000

Tyler Poythress – from Macon, Georgia is a junior at ABAC majoring in Agriculture Technology Management. Tyler holds a GPA of 3.85 and would like to pursue a master’s degree in Crop and Soil Science at UGA.  He wants to work in the agriculture technology industry.

Georgia Crop Production Alliance Legacy Scholarships $2,000

Braxton Ethridge – from Newton, Georgia is a sophomore at Brewton Parker majoring in Business. Braxton holds a GPA of 3.767. Braxton’s career goal is to run his own farm with row crops, Pecans and Blueberries.

Colton McConathy – from Rock Springs, Georgia is a Senior majoring in Science in Agriculture with a concentration in livestock production at ABAC. Colton currently has a GPA of 3.20 and is a student worker in the Beef unit under Professor Doug Hicks. Colton’s career goal is to pursue a Master of Plant Protection and Pest Management (MPPM) then join the UGA Extension system.

R.W. Griffin Agriculture Scholarships $5,000

Jarrett Hancock – from Irwin County, Georgia is a senior majoring in Agriscience and Environmental Systems at UGA- Tifton. Jarrett holds a GPA of 3.74 and is a student worker in Dr. Wes Porter’s precision Ag program. Jarrett’s career goal is to become Precision Ag specialist.

Jacob Rowe – from Valdosta, Georgia is a Junior majoring in Crop Production at ABAC. Jacob currently holds a GPA of 3.95 and is a student worker for Dr. Robert Kemerait at the UGA Tifton Plant Pathology department. In the future Jacob wants to have his own row crop consulting business.

Hunt Stevenson – from Macon, Georgia is a Junior majoring in Agribusiness at ABAC. Hunt has a GPA of 3.85 and wants to pursue a career in production agriculture and fight for ag policies.

Cole Toraya – from Bonaire, Georgia is a Junior majoring in Agriculture and minoring in Ag Technology Management at ABAC, Tifton. Cole holds a GPA of 3.45 and is part of the Agronomy club and helped with the GPFES Summer meeting in Amelia Island. He desires to work in seed research or sales after graduation.

Between The Hedges

Dr. Wes Porter, Educational Advisor

It’s been a while since the last Between the Hedges. Hopefully, everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and had an opportunity to relax and spend quality family time together. Christmas will be upon us before we know it. It seems to come faster and faster after Thanksgiving each year. I do hope that each of you are able to also find some quality time over Christmas.

To provide position updates, we hired Dr. Doug Amaral into the Extension Fertility Specialist Role. He started on December 1, 2025. Dr. Amaral is going to introduce himself at our winter meeting, both during the Awards Breakfast and the afternoon CCA training.

We have also hired a new Assistant Dean for Extension in Ag and Natural Resources, Dr. Lawton Stewart started on December 1, 2025. Additionally, in an administrative role Dr. Tim Grey was selected as the Assistant Dean for the Tifton Campus. We are currently working through a second round of discussions on the Extension Precision Ag position. Ideally, we may have a candidate in place in the near future.

For the most part, harvest should be mostly completed. We had a very dry fall and have finally received some much needed rainfall. Hopefully, the rain will continue throughout the winter so that it can refill both surface and subsurface water sources. We are about to move into meeting season. Some of the winter meetings have already begun both in Georgia and around the local region. I spent December 8^th at the Mississippi State Row Crop Short course and we had a Peanut Agent Training on December 9^th. Additionally, Corn and Small Grain County Meetings have begun. I have two of those on December 16^th in the Southwest Portion of the State. We will also jump back in pretty much full speed just after the New Year. It will start with Beltwide Cotton Conferences, SE Regional Fruit and Vegetable Meeting and then go on to the Plant Food Winter Meeting. Then it will go on into our county meeting circuit from there. It’s always a great time of year to be able to spend time traveling around the state visiting with our Extension Agents and farmers. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need anything from me. 

2025 GPFES SUMMER MEETING RECAP- A Successful Gathering of Industry Leaders

Rebekah McDowell, Events Manager & Communications

The Georgia Plant Food Educational Society recently hosted another successful Summer Meeting filled with educational sessions, networking, and opportunities that strengthen our community. The event kicked off with an exceptional group of speakers who delivered timely, insightful presentations for professionals across the agricultural and plant food industries.

The 13th Annual 5K & Fun Run Walk again saw an outstanding number of registrants this year. Participants enjoyed a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. We sincerely appreciate everyone who supported the event, both through donations and through your presence.

Tuesday evening highlighted the always-popular Silent Auction, a long-time favorite for attendees of all ages. This year’s auction featured a wide variety of items for the whole family, and we added a new level of excitement with the introduction of a Card Raffle for a gun.

The Society was honored to present the Blair Davis Award to two outstanding individuals whose contributions have made a lasting impact on our industry. Mr. Jimmy and Mrs. Donna Stewart were recognized for their remarkable dedication and service. Complete details can be found in the article below.

On Wednesday, many GPFES members earned valuable Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) credits through sessions designed to promote continued learning and professional advancement.

The Georgia Plant Food Educational Society extends its heartfelt appreciation to all our sponsors for their generous support, which helped make this year’s event a tremendous success. Looking ahead, we invite everyone to mark their calendars for the 2026 Summer Meeting at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, FL, taking place July 27–29, 2026. We hope to see you there!

July 29, 2025 - GPFES Proudly Awarded Mr. Jimmy and Mrs. Donna Stewart of Hays-LTI the Blair W. Davis Award

For many of us, the Georgia Plant Food Educational Society Summer Meeting isn’t complete without the excitement of Tuesday evening’s Silent Auction, the biggest and best family-friendly auction of the year. Few people truly understand the effort it takes to organize an auction with nearly 300 items, year after year. Yet two individuals recognized the value of creating a space that brings people and families together. What began simply as a fundraiser has grown into a signature event, thanks in large part to Jimmy and Donna’s dedication and heart. Their generosity continued for many years until the board began sharing in the responsibilities, but the spirit they created remains at the core of this tradition.

When President Brian Wood asked several Society members to describe Jimmy and Donna, no two responses were alike. Members described them as committed, trustworthy, sincere, generous, caring, responsible, disciplined, humble, faithful, gracious, encouraging, anchored in faith, dedicated, passionate, empathetic, Christlike, fun, and truly a blessing to everyone.

Jimmy and Donna have contributed far more to this Society than can be measured, and we are grateful to know and love not only them but also their extended Hays family. Thank you both for the lasting impact you have made on GPFES and the example you continue to set for us all.