Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper Announces Appointments to Georgia’s Agricultural Commodity Commissions

ATLANTA, GA - Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper announced appointments to Georgia’s Agricultural Commodity Commissions. Appointees to the commodity commissions serve terms of three years and can be reappointed for additional terms. Georgia’s Commodity Commissions collect a per-unit assessment from producers, as allowed in that commodity's marketing order, to support growers by funding research, education, and marketing efforts.

“I’m grateful to the Georgia farmers and producers who have stepped up to serve on their respective commissions and help strengthen the future of Georgia agriculture,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper. “Their contributions are incredibly important to Georgia’s No. 1 industry, as these commissions play a critical role in supporting our farmers and producers through research, education, and promotion of their respective commodities.”

Apple Commodity Commission – Janice Hale of Gilmer County and Joshua Aaron of Gilmer County were reappointed, and Lee Penland of Gilmer County was appointed.

Beef Commodity Commission – Carroll Cannon of Worth County and Brian Lance of Morgan County were reappointed as advisory members.

Blueberry Commodity Commission – Shane Wade of Ware County, Steve Mullis of Bacon County, and Kevin Eason of Bacon County were reappointed.

Citrus Commodity Commission – Justin Jones of Lee County and Jaime Patrick of Tift County were reappointed.

Corn Commodity Commission – Jonathan Hitchcock of Washington County and Rodney Harrell of Lee County were reappointed, and Darrell Jones of Gilmer County was appointed.

Cotton Commodity Commission – Chris Hopkins of Toombs County, Greg Sikes of Bulloch County, and John Ruark of Morgan County were reappointed.

Equine Commodity Commission – Heath Cross of Worth County was appointed as a commission member, and Caitlin Jackson of Monroe County was reappointed as an advisory member.

Milk Commodity Commission – Mark Rodgers of McDuffie County, James Coble of Burke County, and Pete Gelber of Macon County were reappointed.

Peach Commodity Commission – Tyler Wainwright of Houston County, Phillip Rigdon of Houston County, and Lee Dickey of Crawford County were reappointed.

Pecan Commodity Commission – Scott Hudson of Irwin County, Justin Jones of Lee County, Will Easterlin of Macon County, Cason Anderson of Houston County, and Trent Mason of Houston County were all appointed as advisory members.

Soybean Commodity Commission – Greg Mims of Seminole County, Tony Smith of Baker County, and Mark Ariail of Franklin County were reappointed.

Tobacco Commodity Commission – Carlos Vickers of Berrien County, Bo Corbett of Echols County, and Brant Clifton of Bulloch County were reappointed.

Vegetable Commodity Commission – Glenn Heard of Decatur County and Richard (Dick) Minor of Sumter County were reappointed. Brad Calhoun of Turner County was reappointed as an advisory member.

Wine and Grape Commodity Commission – Sam Zamarippa of Lumpkin County, Chris Paulk of Irwin County, and Eric Seifarth of Towns County were reappointed.

Appointments to Commodity Commission boards are made by the Ex-officio Committee, which includes Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper, Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall, Russ Moon, an appointee of the Georgia Senate Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, and Wes Shannon, an appointee of the Georgia House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs.