GLENNVILLE, Ga. — During the 2022 annual Georgia State FFA Convention, Walt Dasher of G&R Farms in Glennville, Georgia, was awarded an honorary degree from the Georgia State FFA Association. This award is bestowed upon those deserving for their demonstration of outstanding service to agricultural education and Georgia FFA.
Dasher, a third-generation southeast Georgia farmer, has been a strong advocate for the FFA program and has been actively involved in supporting the next generations of farmers for nearly 10 years through Growing America’s Farmer’s (GAF). GAF is a program Dasher created that matches deserving agricultural students looking to pursue degrees in agricultural production with scholarships.
“It is an incredible honor to receive this degree from the Georgia State FFA Association,” Dasher said. “Their recognition of my efforts and resulting benefits to agriculture education is truly humbling.”
Since its inception in 2016, GAF has raised nearly $250,000 for FFA member scholarships in over a dozen states.
“I’ve seen first-hand the benefit these scholarships have on students who receive them, and I’m excited to see where their innovation leads us as the next generation of farm producers,” he said.
The Georgia State FFA Convention took place April 27–30, 2022, in Macon.
“Walt Dasher is a great supporter of agricultural education and FFA,” said Katrina Jones of Georgia FFA. “He has a passion for production agriculture, and through his efforts, he is providing opportunities for FFA members to pursue careers in production agriculture. We are extremely grateful for his generosity and the positive impact he has in the lives of many FFA members.”
About G&R Farms
As a third-generation family farm, G& R Farms began in Southeast Georgia with a small farm in 1945. Today, the organization has grown to over 5,000 acres encompassing several crops, with a main focus on sweet onions. G& R Farms has been growing, packing, marketing and shipping sweet onions for nearly seven decades. The company is dedicated to providing consistent quality year-round while perfecting the quality and flavor of sweet onions through research and development. For more information, visit www.grfarmsonions. com.
About Georgia State FFA
The Georgia State FFA Association is a school-based state youth leadership development organization with the third-largest state association of more than 77,000 members. They strive to make a positive impact on the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. For more, visit the Georgia FFA Organization online at https:// www.georgiaffa.or