Georgia Organics’ Farmer Champion Program Strengthens Local Food Systems with Mushrooms, Awards, and Campus Partnerships  — The Dirt

Celebrating 5 Years of Impact: Georgia Organics’ Farmer Champion Program Strengthens Local Food Systems with Mushrooms, Awards, and Campus Partnerships 

Written by Jamillah McWhorter, Procurement Fellow & Ever Williams, Farmer Champion Manager 

The Georgia Organics’ Farmer Champion program is excited to wrap up its fifth season this winter and share what the team and participating Farmer Champions have been up to in 2024!   

The Farmer Champion program at Georgia Organics was launched in 2019 and works to connect local farmers with the food service community and increase sustainable and organic purchasing. By highlighting businesses that source responsibly, the program aims to raise awareness about local sourcing and help Georgia’s diverse patchwork of small and organic farms thrive.

One of the main ways we spotlight these relationships is through our annual Farmer Champion Week, where participating businesses from the Farmer Champion program feature special limited-time only menu items. This year, chefs voted for mushrooms as the featured ingredient, and from September 6 – 13, served innovative, fun-gi dishes and cocktails with mushrooms sourced from The Horti-Culture, Bella Vita Mushrooms, Southern Cap Mushrooms, Shoots and Spores Farm, Green Box Produce, and Ellijay Mushrooms. We owe many thanks to our mushroom farmers—be sure to check out their websites! 

The week kicked off with a Cast Iron & Collards Society event on September 5, hosted by beloved community partner, Argosy.  Chef Cortney prepared an awesome mushroom-centric spread for attendees, featuring Wild Chantrelle Mushroom Risotto, Shitake Mushroom Croquettes, and a Mushroom Pizza with Oyster Mushrooms.  DJ D2T played some amazing vinyl records while attendees made conversation and enjoyed the food.