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grows and ships watermelons from Eastern growing regions.
“Our climate and soil provide for fruitful growing conditions,” she says. “The Georgia Grown program is a statewide promoter of locally grown. It is designed to grow Geor-
PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
gia’s agricultural economies. The sale and purchase of locally grown continues to rise and is positively affecting Georgia’s economic impact.”
Wetherington notes how influential Geor- gia’s promotional efforts are. “The Georgia
Grown program is a model that other states are standing up and taking notice of,” he says. “Georgia Grown has put all the state’s commodities under one roof and is encour- aging people to request Georgia products.”
Georgia’s favorable climate helps the state produce its numerous fruits and vegetables. “We have a good climate, which helps us produce healthy and nutritious products,” says Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), LaGrange, GA. “Generally, Mother Nature looks on our state favorably. While we’ve had some issues in the past, overall, our soil, moisture conditions and the weather are all positive in terms of growing produce.”
KEY WINDOW OF AVAILABILITY
Georgia’s marketing window is essential. “It keeps good products on the shelves,” says Hall. “We are early in the marketplace, during our late spring timeframe. It’s a good time for people to be buying fresh fruits and vegeta- bles. Generally, fruits and vegetables on the marketplace will be fresh and will look and taste good.”
That window provides buyers a large
78 / JUNE 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
GEORGIA GROWN PRODUCE