Click this link to read about the New GA Equine Commodity Commission

The message below was sent to us by Dr. Lee Myers:

The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Equine had its first official meeting at the Georgia Department of Agriculture headquarters in Atlanta June 13.  The House and Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committees recently made their appointments, setting the stage for the initial organizational meeting.  

R. Harry Thompson, State Executive Secretary and Chief Administrator for the Georgia Young Farmer Agribusiness Program in Georgia and an equine producer in Moultrie, was elected by the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee as the ex-officio member representing southern Georgia.  Ann Jones, a cutting horse producer in Flowery Branch with over 30 years of experience in the equine industry, was elected by the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee as the ex-officio representing northern Georgia.  Both Thompson and Jones will serve until 2009.

As specified under the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Equine Act, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Georgia Farm Bureau President complete the four ex-officio members of the Commission.  These members are entitled to vote on organization and selection of appointive members, but are not entitled to vote on policy provisions nor expenditure of funds. 

The ex-officio members of the Commission are requesting nominations for five additional members to complete the appointments.   Any equine producer is eligible and can nominate themselves.   A producer is defined as any person who owns one or more equine or is engaged within this state in the business of buying, selling, boarding, holding, training, breeding, riding, pulling vehicles with, or otherwise utilizing equine for similar purposes.

Nominees should provide the following information: (1) a letter of interest, (2) a resume outlining the nominee’s activities related to equine, and (3) three references. All nominations must be received by close of business (4:30 p.m.) on July 18.  Nominations may be sent by mail or courier to Georgia Department of Agriculture, Room 106, 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW, Atlanta, GA  30334-4201; by fax to (404) 657-1357; by e-mail to EquineCommission@agr.state.ga.us.  The Commission is hopeful that all board members will be in place by September 1, 2007.

Four of the five members selected through the nomination process must be equine producers with three of the members each serving three years and two of the members each serving two years.  All Commission members are reimbursed for related expenses.