GFB News Magazine

Agriculture is the bedrock of America

by Tom McCall
GFB President

Posted on October 13, 2026 7:08 PM

This summer, my family, like so many of you, celebrated America’s 250th birthday. Living in this great country and enjoying time together on our farm in Elbert County causes me to thank God for so many freedoms we enjoy.

Recently, I saw some facts from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) about family-owned farms. Did you know 97% of farms in the U.S. are family farms? A lot of these farms have been in the same family for generations.

AFBF has put together a FARM 250 webpage - www.fb.org/farm250 - where you can find some of the unique stories about the importance of these everyday farms, whether they are a century old or just starting to build an ag heritage. You can even add your stories, too.

Your experiences on the farm and mine may be similar, but they are also different based on what we’re growing and raising. All of this is important to recognize in an effort to celebrate the great traditions and varieties that make up the way we provide for America and the world.

This brings me to the point that Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) is already planning how we recognize our organization’s big 90th anniversary next June.

If it hadn’t been for those 50 dirt farmers that met in Bartow County in 1937, and the long, long list of farm families in all 159 counties who knocked on doors and held meetings in their homes, Farm Bureau may have never had the stronghold we have needed the past 90 years to help advance our cause in Atlanta or Washington. 

Because of those early visionaries, the work they did, and the sacrifices they made, we hold an important designation as the ‘Voice of Georgia Farmers’ today.    

It’s important we remember past struggles, count our blessings, stay focused on a winning message and remember with strong farms … we have a strong Georgia.

Thank you for allowing us to work with you to lead these efforts going into our 90th year. 

GFB President Tom McCall and his wife, Jane, celebrate America’s 250th anniversary on their Elbert County farm with grandchildren Winn, McCall, and Wilkes. /Photo courtesy of the McCall family