Rep. Mandisha Thomas Announces State Funding for Fulton County Young Farmer Program Position

ATLANTA – State Representative Mandisha Thomas (D-Atlanta) today announced that House Bill 81, the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, includes an increase of $85,000 for a Young Farmer Program position in Fulton County.

“I am grateful to my colleagues who worked with me to ensure that we continue to expand new agricultural programming in metro Atlanta communities,” said Rep. Thomas. “This funding would help improve agriculture community engagement in House District 65, especially in some areas of my district that are considered ‘food deserts.’”

The Georgia Young Farmer Program is the adult education component of Georgia’s Agricultural Education program. These programs conduct educational seminars on a variety of topics, including agricultural technology and legislative issues affecting agriculture. The programs utilize a local advisor to provide these opportunities and assist farmers in the local community. Georgia Young Farmer teachers also provide instruction through organized classes, such as teaching new farming techniques, risk management strategies, water management and agricultural awareness. These teachers provide on-site technical assistance, which is a strong part of the program.

HB 81 received final passage by the Georgia House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, and has been sent to the governor’s desk for consideration.

For more information on HB 81, please click here.

Representative Mandisha Thomas represents the citizens of District 65, which includes portions of Fulton and Douglas counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves on the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Industry and Labor and Information and Audits committees.

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