With the ranks of the middle class growing in countries around the world, the future of U.S. agriculture is very promising.  That’s the view of Jeff Glass who is the Georgia sales manager for Meherrin Agriculture and Chemical Company (MACC).

“When household income reaches $10,000 a year, studies show that a family’s diet changes from starch to protein.  That’s good news for American farmers,” Glass explained.

With natural resources such as abundant fertile land and water that most countries do not have, America is a good position to supply the feed inputs for chicken, pork and beef that will feed the growing middle class in China, Russia and India.

“If I had a couple thousand acres and a grandson in college, I’d tell him to be a farmer because I think the future for U.S. agriculture is really bright,” Glass said.

Glass has spent his career in agriculture, working as a producer in Florida citrus, a sales manager for pesticide manufacturers and now as the Georgia division sales manager for MACC, a fertilizer, seed and crop protection retailer.

Georgia farmers are unique
When Glass went from covering four and a half states for a pesticide manufacturer to working in Georgia for MACC, it was a deliberate move.  According to Glass, Georgia produces more peanuts than South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Alabama combined.  The same is true for cotton.

“I became aware of what Georgia means to agriculture and it’s huge,” Glass said.

According to Glass, farmers in Georgia are more knowledgeable about agronomics and production than farmers in other areas.  Soil type varies so much across the state that Georgia farmers have become proficient in soil sampling, understanding variants and putting nutrients back into the soil.

“The Georgia farmer is really unique and the state has so much to offer the agriculture industry,” Glass said.

A full-service partner for Georgia farmers
MACC has been in business for more than 50 years.  It is the retail arm of the company.  Other lines of business include Severn Peanuts and Hampton Farms, which purchases, processes and sells a majority of the Virginia-style roasted peanuts in the United States and Meherrin Fertilizer Incorporated, which supplies fertilizer wholesale to distributors and retailers.

MACC has operated retail stores in Virginia and North Carolina for many years.  The company opened its first store in Georgia 24 months ago and is preparing to open its 5th location in Edison, GA next month.

“MACC came to Georgia because we saw a need for a retailer to provide good quality products and services to growers as a partner,” Glass said.  “And that’s what MACC does.”

The company is a full-service provider offering seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, crop protectants and other agricultural chemicals; Meherrin also offers custom application.  The company employs about 650 people in total.  MACC also offers financing for qualified customers.

For more information on Meherrin Agriculture and Chemical Company, contact Jeff Glass at jglass@meherrinag.com

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