GFB News Magazine

Book donations plant ag literacy statewide

Posted on May 19, 2025 6:03 AM

For the eighth year, the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) and Georgia EMC have partnered to donate a children’s book that accurately portrays agriculture to all 394 libraries in the Georgia Public Library Service.

Each county Farm Bureau received enough copies of “The Soil in Jackie’s Garden,” by Peggy Thomas and illustrated by Neely Daggett, to deliver one to every public library in its county on behalf of GFA and Georgia EMC.

From left, on behalf of the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and Georgia EMC, Dodge County Farm Bureau Office Manager Penny Parkerson and Ocmulgee EMC CEO/General Manager John Turner present a copy of "The Soil in Jackie’s Garden" to Ellen Jones with the Ocmulgee Regional Library System. / Photo courtesy of Dodge County Farm Bureau.

This year’s featured book invites young readers to explore the world beneath their feet as Jackie and her friends discover the importance of healthy soil, composting, and the natural cycle that sustains gardens and farms. Through colorful illustrations and simple science, the book highlights how soil connects us all to the food we grow and eat.

County Georgia Farm Bureau and regional Georgia EMC representatives delivered the books to their local libraries during or around Georgia Ag Week, celebrating both agricultural literacy and community engagement through local libraries across the state.

Other agriculture-themed books available at your local library, courtesy of GFA and Georgia EMC, include: “I Love Strawberries”; “How to Grow a Monster,” about growing zucchini; “John Deere, That’s Who!”; “Right This Very Minute,” which explores how food gets from farm to table; “Full of Beans: Henry Ford Grows a Car,” about soybean-based inventions; “Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish,” which takes readers to a dairy farm; and “My Grandpa, My Tree and Me,” which follows a grandfather and granddaughter as they grow a pecan tree. “Sleep Tight Farm” and “Hi, I’m Billy Blueberry: This Is My Story” are available thanks to GFA.

You can find activity pages for these books and other great ag books at gfb.ag/books.