November 9, 2022
www.gfb.org
Vol. 4 No. 23
FIRST WOMEN IN AG SUMMIT OFFERS ENCOURAGEMENT, HOW-TO With humorist Jane Jenkins Herlong providing entertainment and groups of panelists offering tips for life, advocacy and literacy, the inaugural Women in Ag Summit focused on improving and enhancing the lives of female agriculturalists. The Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee hosted the event. The event, held in Peachtree City Nov. 4 and 5, acknowledged the vital role women play in rural and agricultural life. Activities included a tour of Country Gardens Farm in Newnan and a networking and entertainment reception. Herlong, following the HER acronym – honor, evolve, rise – shared stories from her life, a journey from being a farmer’s daughter who had only flannel shirts and corduroy pants for clothing to appearing in the Miss America pageant. She shared themes from her new book, Sweet Tea Secrets from the Deep-Fried South. “You kind of have to do life like you do tea,” Herlong said. “You have to be seasoned. You have to be steeped. And then you have to be steamed.” The trick, she said, was to work through all this and keep sight of the things that bring joy. “The thing we have to be most careful of is not to lose sugar,” Herlong said. “I call that the humor in life. What makes you lose your humor? When you get stressed.” In a breakout session titled The Art of the Side Hustle - Choosing the best ‘Yes.,’ Laura Jensen of Jensen Reserve in Loganville, Wilcox County ag teacher Addie Tucker, and Gordon State College Director of Career Services Dr. Tonya Moore offered their experiences in time and life management. One key: Make room for your life's passions and ways to prioritize involvements so you can pursue your passions. Tucker, who serves as a foster parent and has two children of her own in addition to her fulltime job, long wanted to raise pygmy goats. When she got to the point where she felt she could try it, she realized she did not have enough time and resources to devote to it to make it successful. Then she tried gardening and found her happy place. “I realized I didn’t have time for goats,” Tucker said. “I didn’t have time for that hustle. The garden fits. You just learn what things work for your life and what doesn’t.” Moore also serves as the Gordon State athletic director and when she isn’t tending to her duties with the college, she and her husband, Ricky, run a marriage ministry, which she refers to as her ‘sweet spot,’ the thing she’s passionate about and wants to devote time to outside of her main -continued on next page