Georgia produce growers approved a new marketing order that will help promote a variety of products grown in the state. It takes effect May 1 and will last for three years.

“A number of states have these,” said Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Gary Black. “Georgia law allows growers to have a referendum and vote and assess themselves a fee, which is used to promote the product, like the National Dairy Marketing Order did when creating the ‘Got Milk’ campaign to promote milk.”

The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Vegetables Marketing Order was approved in a referendum held during March, with 92 percent of ballots in favor of the new assessment.

For a marketing order referendum to be valid, at least 25 percent of the ballots sent to eligible growers must be submitted as votes. The new marketing order replaces the marketing order that failed to pass in a 2014 referendum due to a lack of returns.

“The marketing order has a three-fold mission of research, education and promotion -- that is all that the money can be used for,” said Black. “The program will be working with the University of Georgia and other research institutions.”

Black said it is very significant that 92 percent of the voters were in favor of the marketing order. “If we look back on the 50-year success story of commodity commissions in Georgia, the Vegetable Commodity Commission wanted to avail themselves of this tool. If 92 percent of growers agree, it tells you it is very important to them.”

An assessment of one cent per marketing unit will apply to producers who grow more than 50 combined acres annually of the specified vegetables. Crops included in the new marketing order for vegetables are Bell peppers, specialty peppers, beans, broccoli, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, greens, squash, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

“The money will be used to promote, and they will join with the Georgia Grown program to advance the ‘Georgia Grown’ brand,” Black said. “We have an initiative that will go out of state and will be doing domestic promotion within Georgia as well. What it will involve is pulling together signature crops like sweet corn, watermelon, blueberries and peaches on some joint initiatives beyond our borders, up into the East or Midwest to begin to develop the brand of Georgia produce.”

Black pointed out how everybody recognizes that Vidalia onions are from Georgia and the goal is to accomplish that for other products.

“So we need to do a better job of promoting some of the other great produce,” he said.

Black explained that consumers know Vidalia onions are sweet, but Georgia also has awfully good sweet corn, watermelon and blueberries.

“Sweet. Don’t be surprised to see that word a lot more,” said Black.