GFB News Magazine
Celebrating 250 Years of American Agriculture
by Kelly Henry
GFB Certified Farm Markets Coordinator
Posted on October 14, 2026 3:42 PM
This year’s Farm Passport farm tour and meals highlighted America’s 250th anniversary with participants wearing their most festive red, white and blue. The farms that hosted dinners for 2025 Farm Passport participants, who earned their invite by visiting at least 20 farms, were adorned with flags, historical timelines of Georgia’s agricultural history and an exhibit highlighting Georgia Farm Bureau’s role as the voice of Georgia farmers since 1937.
GFB members who visited 20 farms or more in 2025 earned an invite to attend one of three dinners and farm tours held this spring. Special thanks to Gregg Farms, Merk Farms and Sweet South Strawberry Farm for hosting dinners. /Photo by Logan Thomas
Janet Brooks, a Habersham Central High School history teacher, gave a presentation at each dinner about Georgia agriculture innovators from Colonial Georgia through present day. All attendees walked away with a new friend and fun facts to share.
Merk Farms in Dry Pond hosted the first dinner where attendees got an in-depth look at what it takes to grow strawberries and took a wagon ride through the pasture with the opportunity to feed range cubes to the cattle. Gregg Farm in Concord held the second dinner where guests took a walking tour of the peach orchard and learned about tractors and implements used on the farm. Sweet South Strawberry Farm in Thomaston hosted the third dinner where attendees took a bus ride to learn about poultry and cattle. Participants toured the farm’s cattle working facility and learned about freeze branding and livestock identification tags.
Stuart Gregg gives Farm Passport travelers a tour of his family’s peach orchard. /Photo by Logan Thomas
Ten 2025 passport participants earned the Travelers Jacket for visiting every farm in the Farm Passport last year: neighbors David McLeroy and Steven Fields, of Hull.; David & Sandra Williams from Roberta; and Rafael & Nilsa Torres of Phenix City, Al., earned their first jackets. Mike & Gaby Martin of Phenix City, Al., and sisters Angie Whiggum and Jackie Barlow from Eastman, all earned their second jacket.
Scavenger Hunt Underway
There are 260 teams participating in the Farm Passport Scavenger Hunt completing missions ranging from the “Corn Shuck Showdown” to creating a “Patriotic Plate” with red, white and blue produce purchased at participating farms. The missions have been updated every three months to match the season and keep the experience exciting.
Farm prizes are given out at the end of each round with a grand prize to be given at the end of the year. The fall round of challenges began Sept. 1.
If you haven’t started your 2026 Farm Passport journey, fall is a perfect time to start. From Thanksgiving on be sure to visit a CFM to find a live Christmas tree. To join in on the fun, find instructions on www.gfb.ag/passport.
All farm visits and stamps must be made by Dec. 31. Please do not call or try to visit farms in their off season. The deadline to submit your passport is Jan. 5, 2027.
Kelly Henry is GFB’s Certified Farm Markets coordinator. She may be reached at kahenry@gfb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5235.
The Farm Passport tshirts awarded to those who visited a minimum of five GFB Certified Farm Markets in 2025 celebrate 250 years of the American Farmer. Photo by Logan Thomas