Katherine E. Juhan-Arnold

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Helping farmers access markets, navigate regulations, and respond to challenges like disease outbreaks and natural disasters. Support that's practical, not performative.

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Upholding regulatory standards, coordinating animal health responses, and ensuring market integrity across Georgia's $78 billion agricultural economy.

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Georgia can grow—but not at the expense of our water, our farmland, or our future. No blank checks, no blind spots.

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Agriculture shapes who we are as a state—our economy, our communities, and our future. This campaign reflects a commitment to protecting families, supporting producers, and serving Georgia with practical knowledge of how the Department of Agriculture impacts everyone.

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North Georgia to the Coast. Metro Atlanta to the fields of South Georgia. The Grow Georgia Agenda is designed around the real pressures each region faces — not a one-size-fits-all approach.

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Georgia's farmers are the backbone of our economy. From row crops to specialty agriculture, livestock to poultry, timber to family farms—we need to support market access, address rising input costs, invest in infrastructure, and protect generational farm transitions so farming remains viable for our families.

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Every Georgia family deserves access to fresh, locally-grown food. We will support farm-to-school programs, regional food hubs, and institutional procurement to connect producers with consumers while building resilient food systems that serve rural and urban communities alike.

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Rural Georgia is essential to our state's economy. We will support infrastructure development, broadband access for precision agriculture, small business growth, and economic opportunity in communities across Georgia.

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Georgians deserve trust in the marketplace. We will uphold the highest standards of consumer protection—gas pump accuracy, fuel quality, scale inspections, pesticide oversight, and fair market enforcement—because integrity is the foundation of commerce.

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Georgia leads the nation in timber production, and our forestry sector drives rural job creation. We will support sustainable forestry markets, strengthen conservation partnerships, improve wildfire coordination, and protect forestry jobs that support families statewide.

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Strong local markets. Global reach. We will support trade missions, strengthen international market relationships, grow the Georgia Grown brand, and support value-added production. Our agriculture thrives when producers can sell locally, regionally, and around the world.

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From avian influenza preparedness to livestock disease prevention, protecting Georgia's poultry and livestock industries is essential. We will strengthen veterinary coordination, support emergency response systems, and maintain biosecurity readiness—protecting both animal welfare and billions in economic value.

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Our agricultural future depends on modern infrastructure and research capacity. We will support cold storage expansion, rural logistics, precision agriculture technology, and strengthen partnerships with UGA and Fort Valley State to expand agricultural research statewide.

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Working farmland is Georgia's most valuable agricultural asset. We will protect productive agricultural land through voluntary conservation incentives, support generational farm transitions, and uphold property rights.

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Georgia agriculture faces weather volatility and natural disaster risk. The Department must be prepared to coordinate recovery efforts, support producers navigating federal relief programs, and strengthen long-term resilience planning.

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The future of our agriculture depends on the next generation. We will strengthen FFA and 4-H programs, build technical college partnerships, develop workforce pipelines, and support farm succession planning to create clear paths forward in agriculture for young Georgians.

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Work in Progress — Subject to Change. This agenda reflects Katherine's current platform and will continue to be refined as the campaign progresses.

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A 4-8 Year Plan to Make Georgia's Agricultural Systems Work

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Grow Georgia means building systems that work. For producers. For consumers. For working families. For the future.

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—Introduce only 1-2 micro-hubs if additional support is clearly needed after pilot evaluation.

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—Create a state-funded annual retainer for early dispatch and on-call disaster coverage, with an estimated annual state commitment of about $400,000 to $740,000 statewide.

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—Create a Grow Georgia Agricultural Response Corps with regional response leads and case-intake navigators.

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Underserved farmers and food businesses need a structured path based on where they are in their operation, not on whether they already know the right people.

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—Create a Federal Funds and Strategic Partnerships Desk to aggressively pursue overlooked USDA and other federal opportunities.

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—Expand practical support for soil health, biodiversity, nutrient stewardship, and climate-resilient production.

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Katherine understands that agriculture isn't just about farmers — it's about families. It's about making sure food is safe, markets are fair, and rural communities have the support they need to thrive. It's about protecting consumers while also supporting the producers who feed them. And it's about recognizing that the Commissioner of Agriculture has a responsibility that goes far beyond ribbon cuttings and press releases.

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Marijuana (Cannabis Policy)

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Fort Valley · Research · Producer Support

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—Run annual drills so producers know who to call and veterinary partners know how response will operate.

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—Build a permanent agricultural disaster bridge framework so state support can move faster while larger federal relief is still catching up.

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—Create a dedicated Underserved Producers Access and Growth Pathway with regional directors or case managers.

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The Grow Georgia Agenda includes a full regional implementation plan for each area of Georgia.

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I am running because I believe the Georgia Department of Agriculture should work the way it is supposed to work for the people it is meant to serve. That means supporting farmers and producers, protecting consumers, strengthening food access, preparing for disaster, stewarding our water and land, and making sure the systems under this office actually communicate with each other.

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—Launch a specific fund for underserved farmers and producers, paired with technical help rather than stand-alone referrals.

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We grow it here, ship it out, and buy it back higher. That doesn't make sense.

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The Grow Georgia Agenda is my plan for changing that. It is built around practical action over the first one hundred days, the first four years, and, if entrusted with a second term, the work it will take to scale what proves itself. It is rooted in partnership, accountability, and the belief that no part of Georgia should be treated like an afterthought.

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—Build stage-based support: getting started, market ready, scaling, and long-term stability or transition.

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We can feed our kids with food grown right here in Georgia.

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—Coordinate calls, licensing guidance, and agency referrals so producers receive an actionable plan instead of a list of phone numbers.