SBDC Client Wins 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year

Posted by Macy Thomas
On April 8, 2019

Financial Future Secure for Ellijay Family Orchard

Posted by Macy Thomas
On May 30, 2018

Ellijay farmer John Reece can see the house he grew up in from the Apple House at his Ellijay business, BJ Reece Orchards. John and his wife Rachel have grown the business his father started with 30 acres into a popular 130-acre agribusiness attraction known for its “world-famous” fried apple pies, so named by their […]

Grass-Fed Beef Producer Revives Old Business Model and Creates New Jobs

Posted by Macy Thomas
On March 1, 2018

Will Harris’s day starts much like his father’s and his grandfather’s and his great-grandfather’s did: with his boots planted firmly in the same fresh-smelling, fertile soil of his ancestral farm in Early County, Georgia. Like a cherished family tradition, the natural cattle-raising method Harris follows at White Oak Pastures resembles that practiced a hundred years […]

Aid in Securing USDA Loan Places Southwest Georgia Product in Stores Across the U.S.

Posted by Macy Thomas
On February 23, 2018

Ray Crosby knows his bees and honey. A third-generation farmer who lives with his family in the rural southwest Georgia town of Omega, he understands what makes his product—packaged as pure, unfiltered raw honey—unique. His knowledge, in fact, resonates with the customers from coast-to-coast who buy Weeks Honey. “Working with Ray, I’ve learned a lot […]

UGA Outreach Program Helps Farmers Build a Better Business

Posted by Macy Thomas
On December 6, 2017

Dennis Hollingsworth was fresh out of college the first time he tried running a farm. It was the early 1980s in south Georgia, and he stuck with it for four years in some of the roughest economic conditions since the Great Depression. Then he left for an IT job. “I went to Atlanta and I […]

Small Business in Agriculture

Posted by Macy Thomas
On September 13, 2017

In the 2017 edition of the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center’s publication, “Small Business and Its Impact on Georgia,” the article below titled, “Spotlight Industries in Georgia: Agriculture,” was featured. Georgia is well known for agriculture. Farming has been a way of life for generations in the south, and Georgia is no different. […]

Financial Modeling Offers Clear Path to Expanded Production for Alma Blueberry Grower

Posted by Macy Thomas
On June 19, 2017

Blueberries have become Georgia’s leading fruit crop. Their production, at 96 million pounds this year, outpaces peaches and has a $1 billion impact on the economy. But what to do with all those berries? Alma farmer Shawn Davis, vice president of Southern Press and Packing, is doing his part to increase sales and develop new […]

Small Business in the Craft Beer Industry

Posted by Macy Thomas
On March 31, 2017

Craft beer breweries have sprung up across Georgia in recent years. Currently, there are 45 craft beer breweries in the state. Demand is expanding for high quality and full-flavored beers, and Georgia craft breweries are helping meet this demand. In 2014, the economic impact of craft beer hit over $1 billion. There are 365,015 barrels of craft beer produced per year in Georgia.(1)