Commission
For Ornamental Horticulture
Fails To Pass
Ballots for the commodity commission were counted last week at the
Georgia Department of Agriculture. As per the rules, in order to
pass, 66 2/3% of the ballots returned would have to vote yes in
order for the commission to be formed. When the ballots were counted,
there were not a sufficient number of yes votes. As a result, there
will not be a commission for ornamental horticulture formed at this
time.
The legislation passed earlier this year provides for a three year
window for a commission to operate. The rules governing commissions
state that 12 months must pass between referendums if the industry
were to choose to bring it for another vote.
The process of bringing the idea of a commission to the industry
has been a long one with many people giving of their time and efforts
to help spread the word. If there is disappointment among those
involved, it is not in the result of the vote but instead in the
lack of involvement and participation of the industry in the process.
Ballots were ultimately mailed to over 200 growers across the state.
Of those, there were only approximately 70 returned. Nine town hall
meetings were held across the state to discuss the commission and
provide an opportunity for growers to express their opinions and
provide input to the workings of a commission. Fewer than 80 growers
attended the meetings. Finally, fewer than five of the growers who
voted no attended a meeting to learn about the commission.
Jeff Beasley sums it up this way. "My intention all along was
to enable folks to make an informed decision about the commission.
I'm afraid that many of the people who voted did so with either
incomplete, or worse, incorrect information."
If there is a lesson to be learned from this process, perhaps we
have learned that there are many within our industry that we as
an association must come to know better. Of the 200 plus growers
eligible to vote, there were far too many that were for the most
part, unknown to those chosen to lead the commission and the staff
at GGIA. This represents an opportunity for all of us to become
more familiar with the challenges and opportunities that we all
face as both individual businesses and as an industry.
The green industry is one of the leading agricultural commodities
in the state of Georgia. With success and opportunities come challenge
and responsibility. It is clichéd, but was good enough for
Churchill who said "If we are together nothing is impossible.
If we are divided, all will fail." As we continue to move forward
and promote the industry, pulling together may be our greatest challenge
of all.
