Georgia’s Visitor Information Centers Celebrate Agriculture Week

ATLANTA, March 16, 2009 - Visitor Information Centers (VICs) all over the state are thrilled to offer visitors and locals the chance to experience Georgia's thriving agricultural industry this week. The annual Georgia Agriculture Week, held from March 15 – 22, 2009, will showcase some of the best products and experiences the state has to offer. Full of agritourism opportunities, the Peach State can deliver amazing experiences and unique products that will delight visitors and help local communities. By combining Georgia's two largest industries, agriculture and tourism, an authentic travel experience is created which both pleases guests and stimulates economic activity. Georgia's 11 VICs and some of the 38 Regional VICs around the state will host local food producers and products in support of Agriculture Week. A variety of events and activities will be held at each VIC, and both locals and visitors are encouraged to attend and learn more about Georgia's rich agricultural heritage. Local producers and farmers are invited to attend and bring their products and crops for thousands of travelers who will visit the centers during Georgia Agriculture Week. Visitors will be educated on safe, affordable and indigenous products produced in our state and will learn about local sources of renewable energy, jobs supported by the industry and its significant economic impact. Visitors will also receive recipes made with local products that highlight interesting facts about Georgia agriculture. Georgia's Visitors Information Centers are also airing an informational video throughout the week narrated by Governor Sonny Perdue. The video produced for Georgia Agriculture Week includes beautiful imagery and valuable information about Georgia's largest industry. Governor Perdue's Agricultural Advisory Commission and a planning team made up of agricultural associations, the farm bureau, universities, colleges, companies and government agencies is spearheading the week-long celebration which includes Georgia Agriculture Day March 17th at the Capitol. This year's Agriculture Week is a perfect platform for continuing to spread the word about the Georgia Tourism Foundation's recently launched creative industries database, www.GaMadeGaGrownProducts.org. It is the first-ever statewide economic development platform of its kind and is the best way to search for Georgia's arts-centric businesses: from handmade jewelry to local festivals, pick-your-own farms to performers. This growing directory connects buyers and sellers, corporations and corporate suppliers, locals and visitors to Georgia's cultural assets and creative small businesses. Georgia's Visitor Information Centers serve as a gateway to the state and are located on major travel arteries in Augusta, Columbus, Kingsland, Lavonia, Plains, Ringgold, Savannah, Tallapoosa, Valdosta, West Point and Sylvania. Travelers are greeted by information specialists who provide valuable travel information, book hotel rooms and offer directions. The state travel guide, maps, a variety of brochures and other collateral materials are available to those traveling to or through Georgia. The Georgia Visitor Information Centers work closely with the 38 Regional Visitor Information Centers located throughout the state to create a positive first impression of Georgia to our visitors. Agriculture Week Events at Georgia's Visitor Information Centers include: Augusta Visitor Information Center (I-20 GA/SC Line): · March 17 – 18 – Waynesboro's Pineland Bakery will serve coffee and danishes. · March 19 - Pineland Bakery and Waynesboro's Dick Bynes Blueberry Farm to serve samples. · March 20 – Washington's Tink's Grassfeet Cattle Farms will serve meatballs; Pineland Bakery and Dick Bynes Blueberry Farm will serve samples. · March 21 - Paulette Black will serve samples of her spices and dressings, Doug's Home Cooking to display art and cookbooks and Pineland Bakery will serve samples. · March 22 - Paulette Black to serve samples of her spices and dressings · Other events during the week include Girad's Mike Smith, who will showcase handmade Deer Antler Knives; Midville which will host a potter demonstration; Chinaberry Foods which will have a display and Harlem's Red Oak Manor which will provide information Columbus Visitor Information Center (I-185 and Exit 12): · March 19 - Steve Smith with Georgia Forestry will be on hand to educate travelers about Georgia Forestry, services and products. Bobby Salter of Plain Peanuts Co. will provide fried peanut samples and brochures. Kingsland Visitor Information Center (I-95 GA/FL Line): · Rockingham Fried Pecans – Winner of the 'Taste of Georgia' 2008 will provide samples and information. Lavonia Visitor Information Center (I-85 GA/SC Line): · A representative for the Georgia Farm Bureau will have an exhibit. Local farms, farmers markets and Georgia Made Georgia Grown brochures will be available. Plains Visitor Information Center (US Highway 280): · Cotton and peanut displays will include Plains Peanuts. Ringgold Visitor Information Center (I-75 GA/TN Line): · Prater's Mill Foundation will provide information. Savannah Visitor Information Center (I-95 GA/SC Line): · March 16 – 20 - State Farmer Markets and Certified Farmers to display. · March 16 – 17 - Georgia Cotton, Georgia Pecans and Georgia Peanuts production on display. There will be peanuts donated by The Peanut Shop on River Street. Sylvania's Wade Plantation will provide pecan products for display and giveaways. · March 18 - Georgia Recipes Day – Look for recipes from Georgia using Georgia grown products. · March 19 - Brenda Douglas with the Georgia State Farmers Market in Garden City will have a display of Georgia products and information on Georgia Agriculture Department. · March 20 - Farm Equipment Day – Geechee Kaunda Culture Center will display farm tools used during slavery and basket weaving demonstration. Dr. Franklin Goldwire will display his personal collection of farm tools used in the 1950s and 1960s. Sylvania Visitor Information Center (U.S. Highway 301 16 miles north of Sylvania): · March 16 – 20 - Wade Plantation Display will serve pecan coffee, pecan logs and more. The Screven County Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency will host a display, and Sylvania's Shannon's Vineyards will serve cider. There will also be a cotton and peanuts display on hand. Tallapoosa Visitor Information Center (I-20 East GA/AL Line): · There will be a farmer Fresh Food display and product giveaway Valdosta Visitor Information Center (I-75 GA/FL Line): · Local farms and farmers markets including the Valdosta's South Georgia Pecan Store will participate. Thomasville's Blackberry Patch will display its products. Lake Park's Coggins Farms will serve baby carrots. West Point (I-85 GA/AL Line): · Recipes with Georgia grown products and a kids' agriculture color sheet will be available. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.