Ogeechee Tech Hosts Gary Black

On Wednesday, October 24th,  Ogeechee Technical College Agribusiness Instructor Elliott Marsh welcomed Gary W. Black, President of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc., as a guest speaker to his Agribusiness class.  The Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc. is the State's broad based trade association for the entire food and fiber industry. The mission of the Georgia Agribusiness Council is to "advance the business of agriculture through economic development, environmental stewardship and education to improve the quality of life for all Georgians."  Mr. Black works primarily in the legislative and regulatory arenas representing agricultural interests and in 2006, Mr. Black was the Republican nominee for Commissioner of Agriculture in Georgia.

Gary W. Black President of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc.

Mr. Black spoke to the students about several issues affecting Georgia’s agriculture, including the impact of human and agricultural water use and the current farm bill.  This new bill will focus on conservation and environmental protection and will shape United States agriculture policy for at least the next five years.

Mr. Black informed the students of challenges facing Georgia agriculture and how they can be a part of the solution.  With countless choices of food items at our fingertips in the U.S., the opportunities in the food and fiber market are endless.  He encouraged students to take advantage of those opportunities to meet the market’s needs.  “We are honored to have someone with Mr. Black’s experience in Agribusiness spend time with our students.   His presentation here has given our students a great insight into the issues they will face as they leave college and move into a career in Agribusiness,” stated Elliott Marsh.

In addition to his public affairs responsibilities, Mr. Black manages FOODPAC, a research consortium for Georgia's food processing industry and AgriTrust of Georgia, the Council's self-funded workers compensation insurance program.

Contact: Barry Turner
Executive Director of Public Relations
Phone: (912) 688-6958
Email: bturner@ogeecheetech.edu