ATLANTA (September 15, 2015) | Sen. John Wilkinson (R – Toccoa) attended the University of Georgia’s (UGA) third annual farm tour, held on September 3, 2015 by University President Jere W. Morehead. With a recent jump in agricultural growth in Georgia, the tour was created as an interactive tool to learn more about the state’s largest industry and explore opportunities for future progress and expansion through the university.

“Participating in the Annual UGA Farm Tour has been a great experience. It has given leaders in our state an opportunity to have in depth, meaningful discussion about the current landscape of Georgia’s agriculture industry,” said Sen. Wilkinson. “As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, I am grateful for the insight our local farm communities lend to the legislative process and I thank them for their guidance when it comes to implementing sound and thoughtful policy.”

This year’s tour highlighted the impact UGA has on Georgia’s agricultural industry, and was concentrated on farms, laboratories and factories in northeast Georgia. Beginning at Tiger Mountain Vineyards and working its way through the Georgia Poultry Laboratory, King’s Hawaiian Bakery and others, the tour came to a close at Sonstegard Foods. In addition to Sen. Wilkinson and President Morehouse, others participating in the tour included Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, Rep. Terry England, Chairman of Georgia House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee and J. Scott Angle, Dean and Director of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Sen. John Wilkinson serves as the Chairman of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns counties and portions of Hall and Jackson counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at [email protected].