General Agriculture Resources
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AP 130-4-13
Timber Situation and 2026 Outlook
The 2025 market situation: in South Georgia, recent pine sawtimber and pine chip-n-saw prices increased compared to a year ago, while pulpwood prices declined for both pine and hardwood. In North Georgia, stumpage prices for timber products declined compared to a year earlier. The 2026 outlook will be affected by: Demand-side factors expected to shape Georgia’s timber markets in 2026 include a weakened housing market, reduced lumber mill utilization rates, mill closures and conversions, tariffs on import, labor shortages, and overall economic growth; on the supply side, factors include tighter sawtimber inventory in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene, increased timber availability and greater supplies from mill closures in adjacent areas, and ongoing logging capacity constraints. Overall, sawtimber prices in 2026 are expected to remain stable across most of the Georgia, although some areas of South Georgia may experience modest sawtimber price increases.
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Looking forward to 2026, agritourism continues to grow across Georgia, providing economic and cultural benefits to rural communities. In 2024, visitor spending reached $36.8 billion, a 3.8% increase that signals a steady recovery. Rural lodging grew by 1.1% in 2024, while urban demand softened by 0.7%, reflecting shifting traveler preferences. Coastal Georgia led the state with occupancy above 63% and ADR exceeding $155, while South Georgia lagged. Modest growth is expected in 2026— the FIFA World Cup will boost travel and rural tourism is expected to remain strong.
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AP 130-4-15
2026 Georgia Agritourism Outlook
In 2026 and beyond, agritourism represents a growing opportunity for Georgia’s agricultural sector, combining farm operations with tourism experiences to diversify income streams and strengthen rural economies. Operators are optimistic about the future, with 75% expecting increased visitation and profitability over the next 5 years. Visitors prioritize facility cleanliness, safety, restrooms, and knowledgeable and friendly staff when deciding to participate in agritourism activities.
For agritourism operators, the primary barriers limiting growth are access to financial capital, regulatory uncertainty, and inadequate infrastructure. UGA Extension can enhance Georgia’s agritourism sector by supporting operators in financial planning, marketing, technical training, liability protection, and navigating relevant policies. The 2026 FIFA World Cup in Atlanta presents a strategic opportunity to showcase Georgia’s agricultural heritage to national and global audiences by collaborating with destination marketing organizations, universities, UGA Extension, and local communities to create memorable visitor experiences that will provide significant growth opportunities for the Georgia agritourism sector.
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The main takeaways for direct-to-consumer sales in Georgia include: Freshness, safety, and sustainability are the most powerful perceived advantages of locally grown products; younger buyers respond strongly to environmental and ethical messaging, while older buyers remain focused on more functional attributes, such as freshness and reliability; marketing messages should emphasize freshness, sustainability, local economic impact, and community connection to leverage positive perceptions of farmers markets; demographics such as age and income influence the frequency of purchase and willingness to pay for local food products at farmers markets; and the major trends influencing buyers in 2026 are expected to be hyperlocal and regenerative sourcing, smart labeling or multi-labeling, highlighting the functional benefits of fresh produce, digital engagement using personalized marketing and artificial intelligence, engaging younger generations, and waste-reduction education.
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This publication is the second in a series focusing on irrigation scheduling for vegetable crops. It contains basic guidance on water use and irrigation management for Brassica crops such as cabbage, leafy greens, broccoli, and cauliflower, and this information should assist growers in scheduling irrigation.
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Amino acids are essential building blocks of proteins and are obtained from plant and animal products. Some amino acids can be synthesized by the chicken, while others (essential amino acids) must be supplied in the diet. In organic poultry production, the sources of these essential amino acids must be organic. This publication compares the amino acid content, digestibility, and availability of organic soybean meal with conventional soybean meal.
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Cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a measure of the total negative charges within the soil that adsorb plant nutrient cations such as calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+) and potassium (K+). As such, the CEC is a property of a soil that describes its capacity to supply nutrient cations to the soil solution for plant uptake.
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The University of Georgia Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories offer soil salinity testing to help farmers and the general public diagnose and manage problems associated with soil salinity. By definition, a saline soil contains excess soluble salts that reduce the growth of most crops or ornamental plants. This publication discusses soil salinity testing, data interpretation and recommendations, specifically those pertaining to the University of Georgia.
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B 892
Irrigating Tobacco
This publication is a comprehensive guide to irrigation methods for tobacco in Georgia.
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