Georgia Grown
Tyler Harper's Journey from Family Farm to Capitol Leadership
Winter 2024
By John Casey
Photography By Zach Clifton
Pictured: Jake Matthews (left), Georgia Forestry Association’s Vice President of Government Affairs, and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper take a walk through Harper’s family tree farm in Ocilla, GA.
Strolling through the pines of his family farm in Ocilla, GA, Tyler Harper points to memories that have shaped a journey from humble beginnings in his hometown to the gold dome of the State Capitol. As Georgia’s 17th Commissioner of Agriculture, he brings with him a lifelong passion and vision for the state’s top industry that now
fuels a mission in public service.
In an interview led by Jake Matthews, Georgia Forestry Association’s vice president of government affairs, we had the opportunity to explore how Harper’s authentic dedication and keen understanding of the industry are shaping initiatives and driving change to build awareness and a sense of pride in Georgia’s forestry and agricultural industries.
Learning Experiences
The world of agriculture and forestry has been Tyler Harper’s world since his earliest memories. He’s the seventh generation of his family to farm their 120-year old property in the small town of Ocilla, an experience that shaped him into the industry leader he is today.
“I grew up playing with toy tractors on the dirt road in front of my mom and dad’s house. I loved playing in the dirt. I love being in the woods. Those opportunities to learn those farm values, in agriculture and forestry, and being involved in the farm and what my family has done for many generations, that was what built me and made me who I am,” said Harper. “I get to till the same piece of dirt my grandfather and great grandfather and great great grandfather did. As long as I’ve known, we’ve been in the timber business just as much as we’ve been in the row crop and the livestock business. My parents and my grandparents helped mold me into who I am. This industry has given my family and me so much.”
Inspired by his upbringing, Harper took his education in agriculture and forestry from the fields and forests to the classroom, graduating from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia with degrees in agriculture. Shortly after that, during a Congressional Fellowship with then-U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, he “got bit by the bug” known as politics, according to Harper. Combined with the influence of his grandfather, who had served as the County Commissioner of Irwin County, it was in that moment he realized a calling to be an advocate for the industry he’d known his entire life to create a meaningful impact for his fellow farmers and foresters.
In 2013, he was elected to the State Senate representing the 7th District of Georgia. He served in that capacity for 10 years until winning the 2022 campaign to lead the state’s top industry as the Commissioner of Agriculture.
“For this little boy that grew up running through these woods in rural South Georgia, to now be the head of the Department of Agriculture is humbling,” said Harper. “Those are things that growing up here, you don’t think that kind of stuff would ever happen.”
Just Getting Started
With a year under his belt in his new role, Harper has felt the excitement and importance of the work he and his team are doing in the state.
“It’s already been an awesome opportunity to work with our number one industry and those individuals that are involved in this every single day to help ensure that we’re moving it in the right direction, to ensure that our farmers and producers, landowners, and foresters, and ranchers all across the state have the tools and the resources they need to be successful,” said Harper.
The work of Harper and his team of over 500 staffers at the Georgia Department of Agriculture doesn’t stop when the raw products leave the farms and forests. An integral part of their work is focused on connecting with consumers to ensure they are both protected and educated.
“Consumers can rest assured that the products they buy on the shelf at the store are safe and secure, and how they interact with the ag sector is safe and secure,” said Harper. “I think a lot of times people don’t realize the role that the department plays in our life every single day. There’s not a day goes by that the department doesn’t interact with you in some way. The agriculture and forestry sector obviously impact every Georgian every single day, and I think we can do a better job at telling that story.”
In June of last year, Harper and the Department of Agriculture launched the inaugural “Georgia Grown Night,” kicking off an innovative new partnership between the Georgia Grown program and the Atlanta Braves as they took on their division rivals, the New York Mets. The concourses of Truist Park were lined with wall wraps and kiosks showcasing the state’s specialty crops, working to educate the public about the availability of fresh produce coming from their neighbors across the state. It was just one of many opportunities that Harper has capitalized on to champion the state’s top industry.
The Importance of Georgia’s #1 Industry
The story of agriculture and forestry in the state is as rich as the soil it grows in. With an economic impact of over $74 billion each year, the industry is essential as an employer, a provider, and a protector of the state’s residents and businesses.
The extensive range of raw commodities produced by agriculture in Georgia, from peanuts to timber, are essential to current and future growth for the state. In order to sustain that growth, Harper is conscious of and committed to investing in younger generations and innovations to ensure the advancement of the industry.
“How do we incentivize industries to come to Georgia to ensure that we’re taking the product we produce very
well and turn it into a product that the consumer can use? That’s how we can continue to make Georgia the best place
for business and allow our number one industry to succeed,” said Harper. “Mass timber, like the building at 619 Ponce, is a perfect example of where we have come in terms of innovation and technological advancement in the industry. In talking about investing in that next generation, that’s that investment in technology and innovation that gives us the opportunity to utilize what we do well, which is timber production and forestry. It’s an awesome showcase in our state. It’s pretty neat to have a Georgia Grown building.”
The innovations of agriculture and forestry go far beyond buildings. Efforts in the state are underway to synthesize
sustainable aviation fuel and develop lignin-based batteries in what is now a booming electric vehicle industry in the
state — efforts that provide market-driven solutions to decreasing emissions.
“The awesome thing about the job that I have is I get to help tell the story that agriculture and forestry have been sustainable for a long time. Livestock takes things that we can’t eat and produces it into something we can. We plant seed, and it turns it into something that we can utilize in building structures, and then we can turn around and put another seed in the dirt to do it all over again. The renewable resource, the sustainability that is agriculture and forestry, is really amazing. I still think there’s opportunities for us to grow and push more into that sector.”
Though the sustainability of agriculture and forestry is clear to those who live it every day, it’s often understated or outright unknown to those who don’t have regular exposure to the industry. It’s a tremendous challenge, one that Harper is actively working with his department and partners to overcome. He sees many emerging opportunities to do so, including Jamestown LP’s mass timber development at 619 Ponce — a four-story loft office building in the heart of the state’s urban epicenter in Atlanta.
“Two-thirds of the state’s population lives in an urban or suburban area. When we’re telling that story, what kind of ways do you think we can go about telling that story to meet some of these folks where they’re at? Some of those folks that might not have a background like you do in agriculture and forestry,” said Harper
“I think we have to find ways to connect with those that have no connection to agriculture. 619 Ponce is a perfect example of a way we can connect. We can utilize projects like Georgia Grown Timber and Georgia Grown products to tell that story.”
Combining innovation and education, the Department of Agriculture has led initiatives in recent years to expand educational opportunities about the industry — with their success bringing opportunities to youth as young as kindergarten.
“We’ve put an agricultural education curriculum in the K through five classrooms for the first time ever. We’re the first state in the nation to offer that curriculum from kindergarten to 12th grade, which is really awesome for us,” said Harper. “We’ve got private organizations like the Forestry Association, Georgia Farm Bureau and others to have, you know, those classroom opportunities and activities where they visit with our young men and women across the state to help tell them the story. Investing in those opportunities is vital for us.”
Amid current events around the world in recent years, people have become more conscious of the importance of domestic production of raw agricultural and forestry products. From the COVID- 19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine, supply chain woes due to reliance on foreign resources have penetrated the livelihoods and pocketbooks of Americans across the nation. The industry is an essential part of our national economy and security, according to Harper.
“I don’t think most Georgians, most Americans, understand the importance of producing the food, fiber and shelter that we need here at home. It’s vital that we do that. Our national security depends upon it,” said Harper. “During COVID, I think for the first time Americans realized how fragile the food supply chain and our agricultural supply chains really are. A nation that can’t feed, clothe and shelter itself can’t sustain itself.”
fuels a mission in public service.
In an interview led by Jake Matthews, Georgia Forestry Association’s vice president of government affairs, we had the opportunity to explore how Harper’s authentic dedication and keen understanding of the industry are shaping initiatives and driving change to build awareness and a sense of pride in Georgia’s forestry and agricultural industries.
Learning Experiences
The world of agriculture and forestry has been Tyler Harper’s world since his earliest memories. He’s the seventh generation of his family to farm their 120-year old property in the small town of Ocilla, an experience that shaped him into the industry leader he is today.
“I grew up playing with toy tractors on the dirt road in front of my mom and dad’s house. I loved playing in the dirt. I love being in the woods. Those opportunities to learn those farm values, in agriculture and forestry, and being involved in the farm and what my family has done for many generations, that was what built me and made me who I am,” said Harper. “I get to till the same piece of dirt my grandfather and great grandfather and great great grandfather did. As long as I’ve known, we’ve been in the timber business just as much as we’ve been in the row crop and the livestock business. My parents and my grandparents helped mold me into who I am. This industry has given my family and me so much.”
Inspired by his upbringing, Harper took his education in agriculture and forestry from the fields and forests to the classroom, graduating from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia with degrees in agriculture. Shortly after that, during a Congressional Fellowship with then-U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, he “got bit by the bug” known as politics, according to Harper. Combined with the influence of his grandfather, who had served as the County Commissioner of Irwin County, it was in that moment he realized a calling to be an advocate for the industry he’d known his entire life to create a meaningful impact for his fellow farmers and foresters.
In 2013, he was elected to the State Senate representing the 7th District of Georgia. He served in that capacity for 10 years until winning the 2022 campaign to lead the state’s top industry as the Commissioner of Agriculture.
“For this little boy that grew up running through these woods in rural South Georgia, to now be the head of the Department of Agriculture is humbling,” said Harper. “Those are things that growing up here, you don’t think that kind of stuff would ever happen.”
Just Getting Started
With a year under his belt in his new role, Harper has felt the excitement and importance of the work he and his team are doing in the state.
“It’s already been an awesome opportunity to work with our number one industry and those individuals that are involved in this every single day to help ensure that we’re moving it in the right direction, to ensure that our farmers and producers, landowners, and foresters, and ranchers all across the state have the tools and the resources they need to be successful,” said Harper.
The work of Harper and his team of over 500 staffers at the Georgia Department of Agriculture doesn’t stop when the raw products leave the farms and forests. An integral part of their work is focused on connecting with consumers to ensure they are both protected and educated.
“Consumers can rest assured that the products they buy on the shelf at the store are safe and secure, and how they interact with the ag sector is safe and secure,” said Harper. “I think a lot of times people don’t realize the role that the department plays in our life every single day. There’s not a day goes by that the department doesn’t interact with you in some way. The agriculture and forestry sector obviously impact every Georgian every single day, and I think we can do a better job at telling that story.”
In June of last year, Harper and the Department of Agriculture launched the inaugural “Georgia Grown Night,” kicking off an innovative new partnership between the Georgia Grown program and the Atlanta Braves as they took on their division rivals, the New York Mets. The concourses of Truist Park were lined with wall wraps and kiosks showcasing the state’s specialty crops, working to educate the public about the availability of fresh produce coming from their neighbors across the state. It was just one of many opportunities that Harper has capitalized on to champion the state’s top industry.
The Importance of Georgia’s #1 Industry
The story of agriculture and forestry in the state is as rich as the soil it grows in. With an economic impact of over $74 billion each year, the industry is essential as an employer, a provider, and a protector of the state’s residents and businesses.
The extensive range of raw commodities produced by agriculture in Georgia, from peanuts to timber, are essential to current and future growth for the state. In order to sustain that growth, Harper is conscious of and committed to investing in younger generations and innovations to ensure the advancement of the industry.
“How do we incentivize industries to come to Georgia to ensure that we’re taking the product we produce very
well and turn it into a product that the consumer can use? That’s how we can continue to make Georgia the best place
for business and allow our number one industry to succeed,” said Harper. “Mass timber, like the building at 619 Ponce, is a perfect example of where we have come in terms of innovation and technological advancement in the industry. In talking about investing in that next generation, that’s that investment in technology and innovation that gives us the opportunity to utilize what we do well, which is timber production and forestry. It’s an awesome showcase in our state. It’s pretty neat to have a Georgia Grown building.”
The innovations of agriculture and forestry go far beyond buildings. Efforts in the state are underway to synthesize
sustainable aviation fuel and develop lignin-based batteries in what is now a booming electric vehicle industry in the
state — efforts that provide market-driven solutions to decreasing emissions.
“The awesome thing about the job that I have is I get to help tell the story that agriculture and forestry have been sustainable for a long time. Livestock takes things that we can’t eat and produces it into something we can. We plant seed, and it turns it into something that we can utilize in building structures, and then we can turn around and put another seed in the dirt to do it all over again. The renewable resource, the sustainability that is agriculture and forestry, is really amazing. I still think there’s opportunities for us to grow and push more into that sector.”
Though the sustainability of agriculture and forestry is clear to those who live it every day, it’s often understated or outright unknown to those who don’t have regular exposure to the industry. It’s a tremendous challenge, one that Harper is actively working with his department and partners to overcome. He sees many emerging opportunities to do so, including Jamestown LP’s mass timber development at 619 Ponce — a four-story loft office building in the heart of the state’s urban epicenter in Atlanta.
“Two-thirds of the state’s population lives in an urban or suburban area. When we’re telling that story, what kind of ways do you think we can go about telling that story to meet some of these folks where they’re at? Some of those folks that might not have a background like you do in agriculture and forestry,” said Harper
“I think we have to find ways to connect with those that have no connection to agriculture. 619 Ponce is a perfect example of a way we can connect. We can utilize projects like Georgia Grown Timber and Georgia Grown products to tell that story.”
Combining innovation and education, the Department of Agriculture has led initiatives in recent years to expand educational opportunities about the industry — with their success bringing opportunities to youth as young as kindergarten.
“We’ve put an agricultural education curriculum in the K through five classrooms for the first time ever. We’re the first state in the nation to offer that curriculum from kindergarten to 12th grade, which is really awesome for us,” said Harper. “We’ve got private organizations like the Forestry Association, Georgia Farm Bureau and others to have, you know, those classroom opportunities and activities where they visit with our young men and women across the state to help tell them the story. Investing in those opportunities is vital for us.”
Amid current events around the world in recent years, people have become more conscious of the importance of domestic production of raw agricultural and forestry products. From the COVID- 19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine, supply chain woes due to reliance on foreign resources have penetrated the livelihoods and pocketbooks of Americans across the nation. The industry is an essential part of our national economy and security, according to Harper.
“I don’t think most Georgians, most Americans, understand the importance of producing the food, fiber and shelter that we need here at home. It’s vital that we do that. Our national security depends upon it,” said Harper. “During COVID, I think for the first time Americans realized how fragile the food supply chain and our agricultural supply chains really are. A nation that can’t feed, clothe and shelter itself can’t sustain itself.”
“There’s not a day goes by that the department doesn’t interact with you in some way. The agriculture and forestry sector obviously impact every Georgian every single day, and I think we can do a better job at telling that story.” — Tyler Harper, Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture
The Importance of People
The agriculture and forestry industry stands as an essential pillar in the state of Georgia. As the primary economic driver, it not only sustains our food, shelter and clothing but also contributes to an ever-expanding array of life essentials through continuous innovation. When you encounter the label “Georgia Grown,” it represents more than just a product; for Tyler Harper, it symbolizes the people behind the scenes and the pivotal role they play in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of us all.
“There’s a lot of things that make me proud of Georgia agriculture and forestry, but the one thing that makes me most proud is the people. They’re resilient. They go to work every day understanding the work that they do is vital to our state’s economy,” said Harper. “The fact that we’re the number-one forestry state in the nation is something that I get to brag about to my Ag commissioner colleagues from around the nation.”
According to Harper, the heart of the state’s success — being ranked the best state for business 10 years in a row and growing at one of the fastest rates of any state in the nation — are the farmers and foresters that he has the opportunity to connect with every day.
“I’m really excited about where we are, I’m really excited about where we can go, and I’m always excited about working with the people that are involved in this industry. A lot of them have become dear friends and colleagues. We’re a family, and that’s what I love about what I do every single day,” said Harper. “I get to go to work to represent some of the best people in the state of Georgia, some of the best industries, and at the end of the day that allows all of Georgia and all Georgians to be successful.” ■
John Casey is a strategic communications professional who supports clients through the art of storytelling. In his downtime, John can be found hunting and fishing on his family’s centennial farm in Northwest Georgia.
The agriculture and forestry industry stands as an essential pillar in the state of Georgia. As the primary economic driver, it not only sustains our food, shelter and clothing but also contributes to an ever-expanding array of life essentials through continuous innovation. When you encounter the label “Georgia Grown,” it represents more than just a product; for Tyler Harper, it symbolizes the people behind the scenes and the pivotal role they play in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of us all.
“There’s a lot of things that make me proud of Georgia agriculture and forestry, but the one thing that makes me most proud is the people. They’re resilient. They go to work every day understanding the work that they do is vital to our state’s economy,” said Harper. “The fact that we’re the number-one forestry state in the nation is something that I get to brag about to my Ag commissioner colleagues from around the nation.”
According to Harper, the heart of the state’s success — being ranked the best state for business 10 years in a row and growing at one of the fastest rates of any state in the nation — are the farmers and foresters that he has the opportunity to connect with every day.
“I’m really excited about where we are, I’m really excited about where we can go, and I’m always excited about working with the people that are involved in this industry. A lot of them have become dear friends and colleagues. We’re a family, and that’s what I love about what I do every single day,” said Harper. “I get to go to work to represent some of the best people in the state of Georgia, some of the best industries, and at the end of the day that allows all of Georgia and all Georgians to be successful.” ■
John Casey is a strategic communications professional who supports clients through the art of storytelling. In his downtime, John can be found hunting and fishing on his family’s centennial farm in Northwest Georgia.
|
Georgia Forestry Magazine is published by HL Strategy, an integrated marketing and communications firm focused on our nation's biggest challenges and opportunities. Learn more at hlstrategy.com
|
|
|