Georgia agriculture commissioner to retire at end of term
Georgia agriculture commissioner to retire at end of term
Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin has announced plans to retire in 2010 at the end of his current term. When he does, he will have served in the position for 10 four-year terms. He is the longest-serving commissioner of agriculture in the United States and the longest serving statewide official in Georgia.
"It's just two years and a couple of days away," Commissioner Irvin told The Produce News Sept. 25. "It will also mark over 54 years of service to the people of Georgia."
A Georgia native, Mr. Irvin was elected to his first public office as a member of the Habersham County Board of Education in 1956. He later served as chairman of the board, and then president of the Georgia School Boards Association. He was elected to four terms in the Georgia General Assembly as a representative from Habersham County, and he served on the House agriculture, education and appropriations committees. Throughout his career, he chaired the House Industrial Relations Committee and the Governor's Conference on Education. He also served as the governor's floor leader and as executive secretary to the governor.
"The agriculture industry in Georgia has changed dramatically in the past 40 years," said Mr. Irvin. "We didn't even have an international marketing office. Today, we have one in Europe, and we are getting ready to open one in China. The Georgia Department of Agriculture is a marketing function, and if you have products to market, you have to display them in countries where trade opportunities exist."
Consolidations and buy-outs of Georgia producers by large corporations have also changed the state's agricultural business landscape.
"We are concerned about losing companies that were founded in and have represented Georgia's development over the years," said Mr. Irvin. "But we are also extremely proud of the progress and success of those industries that remain a part of Georgia's heritage. The Vidalia onion, for example, is our pride product. We hold title to the name, although we had to fight hard all the way to establish it. Vidalia onions can be produced only in Georgia and are known the world over."
Fresh produce production has also changed tremendously over the past 40 years, and Mr. Irvin pointed out the cropping patterns now used and the changes in what is now grown in Georgia.
"Just a few decades ago, our primary products included peanuts, some cotton and small amounts of fresh produce and horticulture," he said. "But today, Georgia growers represent most major commodities. Although we still produce peanuts, we now have great diversity in our fresh vegetable and fruit crops."
Mr. Irvin added that the state now has three growing seasons rather than only one, and the majority of farmers produce three crops each year.
Georgia growers are always dependent on water supplies, and Mr. Irvin said that the industry has made great strides in advancing its irrigation techniques. The department is a strong supporter of research that helps growers to increase their yields in order to stay competitive.
"Freshness is the name of the game in produce," he said. "Our slogan is 'Georgia Grown,' and we promote it strongly. I tell growers here to always strive to grow the best grade produce possible, and supply the markets that want the freshest fruits and vegetables."
With his finger on the pulse of all trends, movements and events in the fresh produce industry, Mr. Irvin voices his convictions when things do not go well, such as the investigation of the Salmonella saintpaul outbreak this year. "Releasing news that the Salmonella suspect was tomatoes and then peppers before [the Food & Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention] were certain was not a good thing," said Mr. Irvin. "In Georgia, we have the authority to stop a product immediately in its tracks if we have viable information, and we don't take chances. We are in the fields and even at retailers' shelves pulling testing samples continually. If it's not safe, it's not going anywhere. These agencies had one suspect sample, but they condemned an entire industry. One of our primary efforts today is to ensure that the government does not repeat this type of error in the future."
Although Commissioner Irvin doesn't shy away from the word "retire," the conventional translation of "retirement" does not suit him particularly well, and he admits it.
"I don't play golf and I'm not looking forward to any particular hobby to help me 'pass the time,'" he said. "My wife of 61 years, Bernice, and I live in a community where there are many local issues, and I feel I can be helpful there. I also think about the many mentors who helped and advised me during my tenure. Advisors are extremely important, and I believe I can continue to contribute to the department by returning to it the knowledge I have gained."
The commissioner's successor has not yet been named, but he said that he is hoping to find one who can build on what the department has accomplished over the past 40 years.
Mr. Irvin is also working with a collaborator on a book about his service to agriculture, which, based on the awards and honors he has received over the years from Georgia, other states and countries around the world, is certain to be an interesting read.
He has been inducted into the Georgia Agrirama Hall of Fame, the Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame, the Georgia Seed Association Hall of Fame, the Habersham County Hall of Fame and the University of Georgia College of Agriculture Hall of Fame. He has also received the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine's Distinguished Service Award.
For his many years of public service, Mr. Irvin was named "Democrat of the Year," and he said he is proud to call himself a personal friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton. The commissioner also received the Richard B. Russell Public Service Award and the 2005 Jefferson Jackson Day HOPE Award.
"Now that I am stepping down, there seem to be many organizations that want to acknowledge me," the commissioner humbly offered. "The Lumpkin County Farm Bureau recently presented me with the 2008 Distinguished Service Award in 'grateful appreciation for many years of service and dedication.'
"I am certainly going to miss my work," he continued. "I suppose I must adjust to more leisure time and a change from the demands of my position here. I have always been a very hands-on manager, and I know I will continue to stay abreast of activities.
"I hope I can continue to offer some degree of influence on policy in the state, the nation and worldwide."
"It's just two years and a couple of days away," Commissioner Irvin told The Produce News Sept. 25. "It will also mark over 54 years of service to the people of Georgia."
A Georgia native, Mr. Irvin was elected to his first public office as a member of the Habersham County Board of Education in 1956. He later served as chairman of the board, and then president of the Georgia School Boards Association. He was elected to four terms in the Georgia General Assembly as a representative from Habersham County, and he served on the House agriculture, education and appropriations committees. Throughout his career, he chaired the House Industrial Relations Committee and the Governor's Conference on Education. He also served as the governor's floor leader and as executive secretary to the governor.
"The agriculture industry in Georgia has changed dramatically in the past 40 years," said Mr. Irvin. "We didn't even have an international marketing office. Today, we have one in Europe, and we are getting ready to open one in China. The Georgia Department of Agriculture is a marketing function, and if you have products to market, you have to display them in countries where trade opportunities exist."
Consolidations and buy-outs of Georgia producers by large corporations have also changed the state's agricultural business landscape.
"We are concerned about losing companies that were founded in and have represented Georgia's development over the years," said Mr. Irvin. "But we are also extremely proud of the progress and success of those industries that remain a part of Georgia's heritage. The Vidalia onion, for example, is our pride product. We hold title to the name, although we had to fight hard all the way to establish it. Vidalia onions can be produced only in Georgia and are known the world over."
Fresh produce production has also changed tremendously over the past 40 years, and Mr. Irvin pointed out the cropping patterns now used and the changes in what is now grown in Georgia.
"Just a few decades ago, our primary products included peanuts, some cotton and small amounts of fresh produce and horticulture," he said. "But today, Georgia growers represent most major commodities. Although we still produce peanuts, we now have great diversity in our fresh vegetable and fruit crops."
Mr. Irvin added that the state now has three growing seasons rather than only one, and the majority of farmers produce three crops each year.
Georgia growers are always dependent on water supplies, and Mr. Irvin said that the industry has made great strides in advancing its irrigation techniques. The department is a strong supporter of research that helps growers to increase their yields in order to stay competitive.
"Freshness is the name of the game in produce," he said. "Our slogan is 'Georgia Grown,' and we promote it strongly. I tell growers here to always strive to grow the best grade produce possible, and supply the markets that want the freshest fruits and vegetables."
With his finger on the pulse of all trends, movements and events in the fresh produce industry, Mr. Irvin voices his convictions when things do not go well, such as the investigation of the Salmonella saintpaul outbreak this year. "Releasing news that the Salmonella suspect was tomatoes and then peppers before [the Food & Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention] were certain was not a good thing," said Mr. Irvin. "In Georgia, we have the authority to stop a product immediately in its tracks if we have viable information, and we don't take chances. We are in the fields and even at retailers' shelves pulling testing samples continually. If it's not safe, it's not going anywhere. These agencies had one suspect sample, but they condemned an entire industry. One of our primary efforts today is to ensure that the government does not repeat this type of error in the future."
Although Commissioner Irvin doesn't shy away from the word "retire," the conventional translation of "retirement" does not suit him particularly well, and he admits it.
"I don't play golf and I'm not looking forward to any particular hobby to help me 'pass the time,'" he said. "My wife of 61 years, Bernice, and I live in a community where there are many local issues, and I feel I can be helpful there. I also think about the many mentors who helped and advised me during my tenure. Advisors are extremely important, and I believe I can continue to contribute to the department by returning to it the knowledge I have gained."
The commissioner's successor has not yet been named, but he said that he is hoping to find one who can build on what the department has accomplished over the past 40 years.
Mr. Irvin is also working with a collaborator on a book about his service to agriculture, which, based on the awards and honors he has received over the years from Georgia, other states and countries around the world, is certain to be an interesting read.
He has been inducted into the Georgia Agrirama Hall of Fame, the Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame, the Georgia Seed Association Hall of Fame, the Habersham County Hall of Fame and the University of Georgia College of Agriculture Hall of Fame. He has also received the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine's Distinguished Service Award.
For his many years of public service, Mr. Irvin was named "Democrat of the Year," and he said he is proud to call himself a personal friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton. The commissioner also received the Richard B. Russell Public Service Award and the 2005 Jefferson Jackson Day HOPE Award.
"Now that I am stepping down, there seem to be many organizations that want to acknowledge me," the commissioner humbly offered. "The Lumpkin County Farm Bureau recently presented me with the 2008 Distinguished Service Award in 'grateful appreciation for many years of service and dedication.'
"I am certainly going to miss my work," he continued. "I suppose I must adjust to more leisure time and a change from the demands of my position here. I have always been a very hands-on manager, and I know I will continue to stay abreast of activities.
"I hope I can continue to offer some degree of influence on policy in the state, the nation and worldwide."
