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Welcome to the Atlanta Foodcast: Awards Edition! I’m ME Comms Dir at Georgia Organics. We’re bringing you this special episode to celebrate the Georgia Organics Annual Awards, an ongoing virtual celebration of some truly remarkable farmers, leading up to an online get-together with these farmers on Thursday, May 27.  

To register and learn more about this event and read more about these Annual Awards, visit georgiaorganics.org/awards. We also have two exciting cookbook events with Chef Asha Gomez and CheFarmer Matthew Raiford, in partnership with A Cappella Books, check out the Events on our Facebook page to learn more. 

 We’re thrilled to announce this year’s winners:  

First, the Barbara Petit Pollinator Award, named in honor of Barbara Petit, a remarkable community food advocate who served as Georgia Organics’ past president. This award acknowledges individuals with exceptional success in advancing Georgia Organics' mission of “Good Food for All” by spreading—pollinating—the movement throughout community life. 

The winners of this year’s Barbara Petit Pollinator Award are Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington of Phoenix Gardens, our first guest on today’s show! The Washingtons are successfully farmers and icons of leadership in Georgia and the Southeast; they offer an urban agriculture education-focused property, that has indeed risen from the ashes and thrives in Lawrenceville. They have impacted countless farmers across the Southeast, and we’re excited to recognize their incredible work through this award. 

In 1997, the Land Steward Award was created by Georgia Organics to honor an individual or individuals who have contributed significantly to the organic agriculture movement in the state of Georgia.   

The Land Steward Award recognizes the farmer with significant commitments to the tenets of organic agriculture, including soil fertility, biodiversity, and more.   

The winners of this year’s Land Steward Award are Chris and Jenny Jackson of Jenny Jack Farm. Chris and Jenny embody the meaning of this award through their dedication to sustainable scaling, a cared-for team, community connection, and, of course, fostering a better environment through soil health and organic growing practices. 

In this segment, Brennan and Gwendolyn talk with friend and fellow agriculture consultant-leader James Ford of Square O Consulting (squareoconsulting.com/). They discuss the history and mission of Phoenix Gardens and why mentorship and resource-sharing is so critical to the success of future generations of farmers in Georgia and beyond. They have had a profound impact on sustainable agriculture in our state and countless individuals have benefitted from their passion and wealth of knowledge. 

Next, we feature Land Steward Award winners Chris and Jenny Jackson of Jenny Jack Farm. Katherine Kennedy, Executive Director of Concrete Jungle and former apprentice at Jenny Jack, interviews the Jacksons about their 15-year farming career, lessons learned, and why they continue farming. You’ll even hear cameos from their very special guests Amos and Tulsi as they explain how to grow a farm while raising children and finding balance in their life. 

Thank you for joining this special Annual Awards edition of Georgia Organics’ Atlanta Foodcast. Once again, we hope you join us online for a get-together and celebration of these winners on Thursday, May 27 via Zoom. This event is FREE for Georgia Organics members. Learn more and register at GeorgiaOrganics.org/awards.