Over the past 50 years, Georgia has lost more than 2.6 million acres of farmland to development and industry. Hyundai’s new $8 billion plant between Bryant and Bulloch counties, with its promise of creating 8,000 jobs, only adds to the concerns of Georgia farmers.
“It’s really an issue that we need to take a hard look at,” Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro, told State Affairs.
Lawmakers responded to those concerns last legislative session by creating the Senate Study Committee on Georgia Farmland Preservation. Hickman will chair the seven-member committee. Other members include Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas; Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta; Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta; Sen. Russ Goodman, R-Cogdell; Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson; and Sen. Sam Watson, R-Moultrie.
Hickman, a certified public accountant who has worked with farmers and is a farm owner, spoke with State Affairs about the concerns and challenges the committee will address over the summer, beginning with its first hearing in Statesboro in July.
The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Q. During this past legislative session there was a lot of talk about foreign adversaries enter and buy land. Isn’t this committee just about that?
A. That’s not what (the committee) is about. Georgia grew (by approximately) a million inhabitants in the last 10 years. So we know with that that they have to have houses. They have to have jobs. On top of that, we have lost a good portion of farmland.
On the one hand, that’s fantastic because we are providing jobs and opportunities for our people. On the other hand, we are losing something that is very critical to our state. Agriculture is the number one industry in Georgia.
So, as a result of the meeting (in Statesboro) and the concern of the Legislature and the concern of the lieutenant governor and the farmers, we thought we needed to have some meetings to discuss this. Some very critical bills could emerge from meetings like this to address these issues. At this point I have no idea what they are, but I hope they come out of these meetings.
Q. But will the committee address the issue of land loss due to foreign adversaries purchasing agricultural land?
A. We probably will because it’s a big deal. The title of our study committee is “Preserving Georgia’s Farmland.” That could range from farmland to foreign investment and mining. They could also be solar farms. Solar farms have become a big thing in Georgia and many farmlands have been converted to solar farms.
Q. What are the objectives of the committee?
A. Well, the main goal is to try to achieve some type of balance or some type of understanding of the need to preserve agricultural land but at the same time the need to provide jobs for our citizens. Many of our areas in Georgia have huge unemployment and poverty numbers.
So we have to worry about those citizens. We have to worry about providing opportunities and jobs. And those jobs can be jobs related to agriculture and manufacturing related to agriculture rather than a farm. So we may have the same situation where we still maintain a large peanut processing plant, maybe a large cotton processing plant or something like that. Now we just have to address the problem. To my knowledge, this issue has not been addressed before in the state at this level.
Q. What do you hope to achieve as president through the committee?
A. My hope is to not only educate our committee about this, but also educate all of Georgia about the importance of farmland and the importance of having quality growth in jobs.
Q. Why should the average Georgian care about preserving Georgia’s farmland?
A. We all love to eat. We need to produce our own food. If we ever become dependent on the world to feed us, we will be in trouble.
Furthermore, we cannot allow communist countries to come in and buy land next to our military bases. Foreign investment (ban) only applies to our adversaries.
Q. What kind of recommendations do you hope to give the Legislature?
A. I think we should consider innovative measures. I’ll give you two examples.
Some people have talked to me about the possibility of placing solar farms on top of landfills. I met with someone whose company makes fabrics that go to landfills. You don’t need to mow the grass at all.
We have a huge number of warehouses throughout Georgia. Well, maybe we should worry more about putting these solar farms on top of warehouses instead of putting them on (more) farmland.
I don’t even know if it’s a possibility, but that’s the kind of thing we need to think more innovatively about: what can we do to protect farmland.
The Billy Hickman Files
Qualification: Georgia State Senator representing District 4, which includes Bulloch, Candler, Effingham and Evans counties and part of Chatham County.
Home: Statesboro
Age: 71
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in accounting from Georgia Southern University
Occupation: Certified public accountant
Interests: He owns a 292-acre farm in Candler County where he has 100 pecan trees, 25 cows and 250 acres of pine trees.
Family: He and his wife, Jo Ann, a retired teacher, have five grown children and five grandchildren.
Do you have questions, comments or advice? Contact Tammy Joyner at X @lvjoyner or in (email protected).
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