Attendees learned from Reggie and Roger Ramos, owners and operators of Grow with the Flow. Photos by Lydia Hsu.
Global Growers’ model is to create a “coworking space” for farmers to come in with their own ideas and businesses, share infrastructure and equipment, and be in community with each other. By pooling these resources, capital expenses and start-up costs are reduced, farmers have a space to learn how to scale their business, enter local markets, and tap into each other’s farming expertise. This notion of building community to strengthen and support Certified Organic growers in Georgia is a key reason why Georgia Organics launched the Georgia Certified Organic Network (GCON) in 2023.
GEORGIA CERTIFIED ORGANIC NETWORK (GCON) 2023 PROGRAM RECAP
The first convening of GCON took place in Feb. 2023 at the Georgia Organics Conference & Expo in Perry, GA. The program was launched in response to the need for more comprehensive and tangible support for farmers who are currently Certified Organic in Georgia. In April 2023, a survey was conducted to get feedback from Georgia’s Certified Organic growers to guide the direction of the GCON program. The main feedback received was that there was a need for marketing resources, farmer community building, in-person networking events, and educational workshops. In May 2023, the first virtual GCON networking session took place to share-out the survey findings and let Certified Organic growers know what the 2023 GCON program would include.
In response to the survey feedback, Georgia Organics developed Organic marketing resources, including Certified Organic market flags, an informative Organic magnet for customers, and educational brochures for Organic consumers. These marketing resources were distributed to Certified Organic growers in Sept. 2023 and Dec. 2023 during Organic Focus Groups that took place following the Organic Growers Farmer Field Days. These Organic Focus Groups were in-person networking opportunities for Certified Organic farmers to learn from each other, discuss best practices, and build community and connections.
In total, Georgia Organics distributed 11 market flags, over 400 magnets, and 500 consumer educational brochures to farmers who participated in the Field Days and Focus Groups. In turn, Georgia Organics’ Farmer Services team gained valuable feedback from Organic growers on priorities for 2024 GCON programming.
