The Ancient Sport of Falconry is Alive in Georgia Pecans—a ...

Table of Contents
A small flicker of a tail ahead catches
Mitchell’s eye, but not before the hawk
spies the squirrel among the branches.
What follows is, as Mitchell describes it,
a chess game with the squirrel seeking to
stay out of sight and range of the hawk’s
talons and the hawk just as intent on
capturing the squirrel. ...
Page 6
In 1919 Georgia produced a little over 3
million pounds of pecans with a farm value
of $1.2 million. By 2005 state pecan growers
were producing over 80 million pounds of
the nuts annually. Georgia is the largest
producer of pecans in the U.S. with over
140,000 acres planted. In 2009 Georgia
pecan production resulted in a farm gate
value in excess of $170 million. ...
Page 8
4 Black Bear Awareness 101
6 The Ancient Sport of
Falconry is Alive in Georgia
8 Pecans—A Georgia Natural
9 A Better Breakfast
10 Association News
11 Dana Perkins Inducted into
the Hall of Fame
12 When Should You Take
Social Security
14 Olivers Named Farm Family
of the Year
15 Outlook 2011: Managing
Through Cycles
16 Property for Sale
25 AgGeorgia Services and
Benefits
26 Financial Report
They participate in the Environmental
Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and
utilize many conservation practices
on their farm. The family has installed
a Stackhouse and composter on each
of their farms and practice prescribed
grazing, nutrient management, pest
management and other conservation
practices on the pastureland. ...
Page 14
On the Cover:
This juvenile Red-tailed hawk was captured by
Master Falconer Mitchell Dickey in September
of 2010. As it matures the eyes will darken and
the tail, which is now a brown banded pattern,
will change to the brick-red color distinctive of
this breed of hawks. Photo by Mary Kiley.
AgGeorgia.3.winter 2011