During October, Madison County Ag Connection highlighted the poultry industry and its importance to the county’s economy. To appreciate how strong the industry is today, it helps to start at the beginning. Georgia’s commercial poultry industry dates to the 1930s. Gainesville feed salesman Jesse Jewell offered North Georgia farmers baby chicks and feed on credit. Once the chicks matured, Jewell’s company bought the adult birds back at a price that covered his costs while allowing farmers to make a profit. World War II accelerated the growth of Georgia’s poultry industry. The War Food Administration reserved all processed chicken in North Georgia, giving the Jewell company and other producers a guaranteed buyer. The war also helped spur a shift from “New York dressed” chickens — those sold with the head, feet and entrails intact — to fully processed chickens without those parts. Frozen birds later became the industry standard. Poultry farms continued to expand through the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In 1998, Georgia became the nation’s top broiler producer and has maintained that position. Madison County, along with Franklin, Hart and Banks counties, is among the state’s leading poultry-producing counties. As the industry expanded its global reach in the 21st century, Georgia’s poultry sector became increasingly connected to the world economy and international politics, exposing producers to new risks and pressures. Russia’s ban on chicken imports in March 2002, for…
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