Georgia Farm Bureau News: History, Recent Issues, Staff and Readers
Profile updated November 2026
Georgia Farm Bureau News is the member magazine of the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB), first published as a monthly by the federation's Public Relations Department after it was set up in 1951. Now released in seasonal print and digital issues, it covers farm policy, disaster recovery, youth leadership and the families behind Georgia agriculture.
| Publisher | Georgia Farm Bureau Federation |
|---|---|
| Federation founded | 1937, as United Georgia Farmers |
| Magazine origin | Monthly from GFB's Public Relations Department, set up 1951 |
| Current format | Seasonal issues in print and digital |
| Headquarters | 1620 Bass Road, Macon, Georgia |
| County chapters | 158 |
| Official website | GFB.org |
History of Georgia Farm Bureau News
At the request of Bartow County farmer Robert M. Stiles, farmers from seven northwest Georgia counties met at the Bartow County courthouse on June 17, 1937. The organization, first called United Georgia Farmers, was formally created on July 31, 1937, and 50 farmers from 25 counties elected Stiles its president. It affiliated with the American Farm Bureau in 1939 and became the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation in 1941.
The federation moved from Cartersville to Pelham in 1941 and to Macon in 1944. In 1951 it established a Public Relations Department, which published the monthly Georgia Farm Bureau News and produced daily radio programs. The Georgia Farm Monitor television program followed in 1966 and still airs weekly in Georgia and nationally on RFD-TV.
Other milestones include Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company in 1958, the Young Farmer Program in 1972 and the five-story Macon headquarters dedicated in 1988. GFB marked its 85th anniversary in 2022.
Georgia Farm Bureau News Today
Georgia Farm Bureau News now appears in seasonal editions posted online after mailing. The Fall 2025 issue covered farmers recovering from Hurricane Helene, the GFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Summer Leadership Conference, farm provisions in a federal funding bill, a new University of Georgia agricultural research hub in Perry and livestock show grand champions.
The magazine also mines the federation's long memory. A 2022 feature profiled members such as a Crawford County treasurer of 60 years who joined in 1949 when dues were $3, and Bacon County's Jeanne Taylor, GFB's longest-serving county office manager.
What Georgia Farm Bureau News Is Publishing Now
Policy and advocacy
Federal and state legislation affecting Georgia farmers, from disaster aid to farm bill provisions.
Members and history
Profiles of longtime members, county offices and multigeneration farm families.
Youth and leadership
Young Farmers and Ranchers events, livestock show winners and University of Georgia research news.
Georgia Farm Bureau News Editors and Staff
Georgia Farm Bureau communications contacts and historic leaders include:
- Kenny Burgamy - Editorial contact
- Jennifer Whittaker - Writer and press contact
- Robert M. Stiles - Founding President (1937)
- Harry Wingate - Second President, first full-time employee (1941)
Georgia Farm Bureau's headquarters is at 1620 Bass Road, Macon, GA 31210, phone 800-342-1192.
Who Reads Georgia Farm Bureau News
Readers are Georgia Farm Bureau member families, described by the federation as numbering almost 300,000, organized in 158 county chapters. Georgia agriculture spans broilers, peanuts, cotton, pecans, vegetables, cattle and timber, and the state's county-level figures can be explored in USDA's Quick Stats.
Nationally, ERS reports that poultry and eggs brought in $46.1 billion in 2021, a sector in which Georgia is a major producer.
Georgia Farm Bureau News readers have weathered hurricanes, droughts and the annual debate over the best way to boil peanuts. For something lighter between storms, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor about South Georgia heat and North Georgia hills, plus ranch humor for the cow-calf crowd. Its farm jokes are as Georgia as a pecan pie at a church supper.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
Georgia Farm Bureau News Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Georgia Farm Bureau: GFB history - founding, publications and milestones.
- GFB: Members and staff look back in time - longtime members and county offices.
- Georgia Farm Bureau News, Fall 2025 - a recent issue.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Georgia crop and livestock statistics.
- USDA ERS: Animal product receipts - poultry and livestock sales nationally.
Georgia Farm Bureau News FAQ
Who publishes Georgia Farm Bureau News?
The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation, headquartered in Macon.
When was Georgia Farm Bureau founded?
In 1937, as United Georgia Farmers, at a meeting in the Bartow County courthouse. It took the Farm Bureau name in 1941.
How often does Georgia Farm Bureau News come out?
It began as a monthly and is now published in seasonal issues, such as Fall 2025.
Does Georgia Farm Bureau have a TV show?
Yes. Georgia Farm Monitor has aired since 1966 on Georgia stations and nationally on RFD-TV.
Seventy-plus years after its first monthly edition, Georgia Farm Bureau News still tells the story of Georgia agriculture to the families who make it.