Book donations to public libraries promote agricultural literacy

The following was released by the Athens Regional Library System:

ATHENS, Ga. — The Athens-Clarke County library recently received donated copies of “The Soil in Jackie’s Garden,” for every library in Clarke County. The books were donated to the library as part of a collaborative effort between the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, Georgia Farm Bureau, and Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) to promote agricultural literacy.

Clarke County Farm Bureau Office Manager, Katy Seagraves, and Jackson EMC representative, Adam Speir, recently delivered five copies of the book to the Athens-Clarke County Library. “The Soil in Jackie’s Garden,” written by Peggy Thomas and illustrated by Neely Daggett, follows Jackie and her garden friends as they discover the wonders of gardening, soil secrets and the magic of composting. They embrace the joys of planting a garden, nurturing and harvesting their own food, and recycling scraps to compost, ensuring that the “magical cycle of growth and sustainability continues anew.”  The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture selected the book as its 2025 Book of the Year for its accurate and positive portrayal of agriculture.

Clarke County Farm Bureau Office Manager, Katy Seagraves, and Jackson EMC representative, Adam Speir, recently presented a copy of the children’s ag book “The Soil in Jackie’s Garden” to Rebecca Ballard, Darcy Calia, and Beth McIntyre.

The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, Georgia Farm Bureau and Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) are jointly promoting agricultural literacy by donating copies of the children’s book “The Soil in Jackie’s Garden” to nearly 400 libraries in the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS).

The GFA is thrilled to partner with Georgia EMC and Georgia Farm Bureau to donate the book. The GFA began donating accurate books about agriculture to each public library in Georgia in 2016. Georgia EMC joined the foundation as a sponsor of this endeavor in 2018.

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ABOUT THE GEORGIA FOUNDATION FOR AGRICULTURE

The GFA is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to preparing the next generation of leaders for success in Georgia agriculture. The GFA works with Georgia Farm Bureau and other Georgia agricultural and educational organizations to achieve its mission. The foundation offers scholarships to students pursuing agricultural careers, funds leadership development programs and projects that increase the public’s understanding of agriculture. The recently launched Georgia Ag Experience, a mobile classroom that introduces third through fifth graders to Georgia’s top crops. To make a tax-deductible donation or learn more about the foundation, visit www.gafoundationag.org or contact GFA Executive Director Lily Baucom at 478-405-3461 or lrbaucom@gfb.org.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION​​

Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association that represents the 41 electric cooperatives across Georgia, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively these customer-owned co-ops provide electricity and related services to 4.4 million people across 73% of the state’s land area. Visit www.georgiaemc.com to learn more about Georgia EMC.L