ATLANTA – Mayor Kasim Reed announced today that Mario Cambardella has been named Urban Agriculture Director and will join the administration on December 3, 2015. His appointment, a first for the City of Atlanta, will support Atlanta’s efforts to become a top tier city in the U.S. for sustainability. In his role, Mr. Cambardella will […]
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Within weeks of accepting the Executive Director role at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market in 2009, Lauren Carey witnessed one torrential downpour after another. The intense rain wreaked havoc on farmland across Georgia, wiping out crops, and destroying the livelihood of farmers. Led by Slow Food Atlanta, the local food community immediately went into what […]
Read moreRecently, Georgia’s State Board of Education voted to allow exemptions to the new federal Smart Snacks rule, permitting schools 90 days of fundraising by selling junk food to kids. But schools can choose to fundraise in LOTS of ways that don’t put the health of their students in jeopardy. Here are some great ideas from […]
Read moreYesterday, the state Georgia State Board of Education voted 9-1 to allow Georgia schools exemptions to the federal Smart Snack rule. The Smart Snack rule was rolled out this summer and stated that schools must ensure all foods sold to kids during the school day (called “Smart Snacks”) meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition […]
Read moreTurns out many home garden plants billed as bird and bee-friendly have been pre-treated with a class of insecticides that’s harmful to both, according to a new study released today by Friends of the Earth and allies, including the Turner Environmental Law Clinic, Georgia Organics, and the Atlanta Audubon Society. The study, Gardeners Beware 2014, […]
Read moreAtlanta is ready to become a national leader in local food systems—today Mayor Kasim Reed signed an ordinance that will encourage and support our growing urban agriculture movement. (Read the full text of the ordinance here.) Development of the ordinance was led by the Atlanta Local Food Initiative, Georgia Organics, a grassroots group of urban farmers, […]
Read moreIn March, as a representative of organic and sustainable farmers across the state, Georgia Organics attended a Georgia Department of Agriculture listening session concerning new herbicide-resistant traits to control Palmer amaranth–aka Roundup-resistant pigweed–that will soon be commercially available in Georgia. Many producers are concerned that the introduction of these new genetically modified crops will be accompanied […]
Read moreIndustrial ag takes a toll on our state, but organics can rejuvenate Georgia. The corn on the right has not been genetically modified. It’s certified organic, grown at Riverview Farms in Ranger, and it’s used to feed the heritage Berkshire hogs that Charlotte and Wes Swancy raise. No synthetic fertilizers or dangerous pesticides were used […]
Read moreEditor’s note: This first appeared in the fall 2013 edition of the Dirt, our quarterly member newsletter. Want to get a copy? Join Georgia Organics today! A recent issue of National Geographic focused on climate change showed a graphic depicting the globe redrawn to show what rising seas would do to our banks, shores, and coastlines […]
Read moreOn many levels, organic farms are works of art. Using processes perfected by nature to grow environmentally responsible – and delicious – food takes skill, hard work, and a touch of artistry, and that’s all on display at the Good Shepherd Agro Ecology Center in Atlanta’s West End, which is as lovely from the sky […]
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