GEORGIA'S FIRST ORGANIC FARMER

For years, Shirley faced a world of naysayers who said that Georgia was not a place for organic farming. The soil was too sandy and the bugs too overwhelming.

Raised in Bulloch County, Shirley grew up smelling the malathion sprayed on nearby cotton fields. Her mother was ahead of her time, raising her three children on pesticide-free foods. As a young girl, Shirley developed a love for planting and her mother soon gave her a subscription to “Organic Gardening” magazine. By the 1960’s Shirley was traveling to North Carolina and California to attend conferences on sustainable growing, long before the word “organic” was commonplace in food circles.

After a career in teaching, Shirley bought 20 acres in Effingham County and began experimental farming. She faced three tough years of poor soil and bug infestation. Generous composting and cover crops resulted in soil rich in microbes and nutrients, and her plants began to thrive.

Although she didn’t intend to sell her produce, she soon found a steady following of friends and buyers at her doorstep. Brighter Day Natural Food Store in Savannah began carrying her produce along with a co-op in Hilton Head. Today, people compare Shirley’s work to a ministry, supporting the well-being of coastal residents with healthy food and establishing a network with other growers.

“I never stop learning”, Shirley proclaimed. “In organic farming, all parts are interwoven. You can’t just substitute fertilizer for soil health. You have to unlock the secrets of the system and experiment until you get the recipe right.” Now growers come to Shirley’s farm to learn from her.

Shirley planted a small plot of peanuts this year, the first farmer in Georgia to grow them organically. They were delicious. She has some new ideas to control weeds and hopes to grow two acres next year. Along with peanuts, she plans to try her hand at cotton.

Some say it can’t be done, but Shirley knows better.