Letter from Commodity Commission Chair
The Georgia Commodity Commission for Vegetables (GACCV) is pleased to submit the Annual Report to the vegetable growers of Georgia, outlining the accomplishments made during 2024–2025.
In the year covered in this report, GACCV supported 21 research projects with more than $209,933 in funding. These projects focused specifically on benefiting and educating producers who grow the following commodities:
- Beans
- Beets
- Bell Peppers
- Broccoli
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Cucumbers
- Eggplant
- Greens
- Specialty Peppers
- Sweet Potatoes
- Squash
- Tomatoes
With grower assessment funds, these researchers have evaluated weed and pest control, supported the work of the UGA Weather Network, evaluated new varieties to improve yields, and investigated ways to improve postharvest operations.
The research performed for these projects has provided growers with the opportunity to reduce production costs, increase yields, and improve profitability. If you have an interest in serving on any committees or the commission, please let us know.
We look forward to continuing to serve the vegetable growers of Georgia.
Sincerely,
Dick Minor, Chair
Commission Members
- Dick Minor, Chair, Americus, Georgia
- Tyler Harper, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Commissioner, Atlanta, Georgia
- Tom McCall, Georgia Farm Bureau, President, Macon, Georgia
- Bill Brim, Tifton, Georgia
- Jamie Brannen, Lake Park, Georgia
- Brad Calhoun, Ashburn, Georgia
- Ken Corbett, Lake Park, Georgia
- Glenn Heard, Brinson, Georgia
- Jason Tyrone, Lake Park, Georgia
Research Committee
- Justin Shealey, Chair, Echols County Extension
- Sam Watson, Colquitt County
- Justin Corbett, Lake Park, Georgia
- Jason Tyrone, Echols County
- Ty Torrance, Tift County
- Tucker Price, Cook County
- Tom Daughtry, Cook County
- Jamie Brannen, Echols County
- Bill Starr, Sumter County
- Melinda James, Rabun County
- Kent Hamilton, Colquitt County
- Jamie Patrick, Tift County
Efforts in Education
County Extension Agent Continuing Education
- In 2024, the Commission provided funding for Georgia county Extension agents to pursue continuing education opportunities.
Faces of Georgia Grown
- To help promote Georgia-grown products, the Commission provided $3,000 in funding to the Georgia Grown Pavilion at the Georgia National Fair.
Georgia Farm Monitor
- The Commission gave $4,000 to the Georgia Farm Monitor, a TV show produced by Georgia Farm Bureau that tells the stories of Georgia farmers.
Southeast Fruit and Vegetable Conference Education Supporter
- By supporting the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference educational conferences, farmers are presented with the latest in vegetable research. The Commission gave $6,000 to the conference in 2024 to help offset speaker travel expenses.
Dr. Ji Endowed Professorship
- The Commission contributed $10,000 to fund the establishment of a distinguished professorship in honor of Dr. Ji.
Total expenditures for the year, including research funding, were $228,318.
Editors and Contributors
Editors
- Theodore McAvoy and Timothy Coolong
Contributing Authors from the University of Georgia
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
Faculty
- A. Stanley Culpepper
- Pam Knox
Department of Entomology
Faculty
- Alton (Stormy) Sparks
- Rajagopalbabu (Babu) Srinivasan
Students & Staff
- Jenna C. Vance
Department of Horticulture
Faculty
- Timothy Coolong
- Angelos Deltsidis
- Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez
- Theodore (Ted) McAvoy
- Cecilia McGregor
- Luan Pereira de Oliveira
- Amol N. Nankar
- Nobuko Sugimoto
Students & Staff
- Chinonso Ayogu
- Marcelo Barbosa
- Manisha Kumari
- Alex Luckew
- Maria Theodorakopoulou
Department of Plant Pathology
Faculty
- Sudeep Bag
- Bhabesh Dutta
- Alejandra Jimenez Madrid
- Md Sultan Mahmud
- Laxmi Pandey
Students & Staff
- William M Donahoo
- Michael J. Foster
- Navjot Kaur
- Manish Kumar
Cooperative Extension Service County Faculty
- Cale Cloud
- Joshua Dawson
- Justin Shealey
- Ty Torrance
- Will Brown
Contributing Author from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Alvin M. Simmons
Funding Note
Funds from the Georgia Vegetable Commodity Commission were used to support all of the research outlined in this report. Without the continued support of the farmers who contribute to the commission, this research would not be possible. In addition to outlined research, commodity grant funds are used to support activities at the Tifton Vegetable Park and the Plant Pathology Diagnostic Lab at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus.
