Zoning determines much more than where houses, businesses and industries can be built. It can also determine whether a family can sell what it grows, whether a neighborhood can establish a community garden, whether a small agricultural enterprise can operate, where farm stands are permitted, and what kinds of agricultural activity remain possible as Augusta continues to develop.
Read MoreLand suitable for agriculture competes with housing and commercial development. Small and specialty producers need markets. Agritourism businesses need visibility. Beginning farmers need affordable access to land. Residents want opportunities to grow food closer to home. And economic-development decisions can permanently change what land will be available to the next generation.
Read MoreThrough Grow with Joy Inc., Joy is helping develop an agricultural education experience that introduces teens not simply to gardening, but to the much larger world surrounding agriculture.
Read MoreOur local farming community has tried for several years to build stronger relationships with FFA programs and agriculture students in Richmond County. We've had mixed results. Enter Chante Luckie and Hagler U.
Read MoreThis project requires different parts of our community to bring different assets to the same table: an arts organization brings knowledge of artists and public-art processes; an environmental institution brings place, science and educational purpose; funding partners make investment possible; an artist translates those ideas into a physical experience; and ultimately, visitors give the space meaning through their use of it.
Read MoreThis is why local knowledge and industry experience matter. Karen Gordon understood the poultry operation, but she also understood the community, climate, relationships, labor realities and local marketplace surrounding it.
Read MoreWe often talk about the food system as though farmers grow the food, stores sell it and families buy it. In reality, there is an entire civic infrastructure underneath that exchange: federal policy, state administration, land access, conservation programs, financing, research, transportation, nutrition assistance and local markets.
Read MoreThe artists, musicians, dancers, volunteers, cultural organizations, food vendors, children making art and strangers meeting one another are what turn a physical location into a community space. A successful festival doesn’t simply occupy a place. It activates it.
Read MoreI've had several conversations with area farmers during Agriculture Month. Some have left me energized. Others have left me deeply concerned. And I've found myself holding two seemingly contradictory thoughts at the same time:
Read MorePlease join us as the Augusta-Richmond County Commission officially kicks off Augusta Agriculture Month 2026 with a special proclamation and recognition ceremony celebrating the people who cultivate our land, strengthen our communities, and preserve our agricultural heritage.
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