CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 03/18/24

Inaugural First Flock retires to 4-H center as 15 new hens move to Governor’s Mansion

By Josie Smith, Lily Thomas
Georgia 4-H leader Melanie Biersmith (from left) listens to Centurion Poultry owners Gijs and Louis Schimmel describe the new hens joining the First Flock with National 4-H representative Bo Ryles.
From left, Georgia 4-H leader Melanie Biersmith listens to Centurion Poultry owners Gijs and Louis Schimmel discuss the breeds and personalities of 15 new hens joining the First Flock with National 4-H representative Bo Ryles.

Georgia’s inaugural First Flock is retiring to Fortson 4-H Center almost three years after they came to roost at the Governor’s Mansion in 2021.

Six members of the original flock traded places with 15 new hens during a ceremonial swap on Feb. 1 at the First Flock’s custom coop on the eastern side of the 18-acre mansion grounds in Atlanta. The idea for the project was hatched in 2020 when Georgia first lady Marty Kemp expressed her desire to include agricultural education via residential hens at the mansion. A joint initiative between Georgia 4-H and Georgia FFA resulted in the construction of state-of-the-art accommodations for the selected chickens.

Free-range retirement

Fortson 4-H Center, located in Hampton, Georgia, is one of six 4-H facilities across the state and is home to the long-established Fortson Farm. Goats, sheep, pigs and other chickens already call the farm home, and the retiring First Flock hens will live a life of luxury in a free-range setting under the care of 4-H center staff.

Fortson 4-H Center Director Mary Melson and Environmental Education Coordinator Jordan Parker corralled the six hens into a well-appointed crate for their 40-mile journey to the 4-H Center. “These girls will make a perfect addition to our farm and thousands of students will continue learning from them,” Melson said.

The 15 new hens that now reside at the Governor’s Mansion arrived courtesy of a partnership between Centurion Poultry, the UGA Department of Poultry Science and the Georgia Poultry Federation. Centurion Poultry owners Gijs and Louis Schimmel personally delivered the chickens, which were raised on their Oglethorpe County property.

The First Flock has become a treasured part of Georgia’s first family and is a visitor favorite during mansion tours. Placards are displayed on-site to enhance the educational experience, with information about breed selection, care and Georgia’s poultry industry.

The coop was designed as part of a 2020 competition that invited county 4-H and FFA clubs throughout Georgia to submit plans for the coop at the Governor’s Mansion. Using knowledge of poultry and agriculture, teams of students drafted proposals that included a site, concept, measurements and landscaping to fit the designated space at the Governor’s Mansion.

A custom-designed, egg-shaped First Flock sign crowns the coop at the Governor's Mansion.
The First Flock was established at the Georgia Governor's Mansion in July 2021.

A team of 4-H’ers and FFA members from Warren County ultimately won the competition, prevailing over five other teams from across the state. The plan consisted of nesting boxes, roosting spaces, a fenced enclosure with ample space, watering and feeding stations, and a dust bath.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared his commitment to agriculture in Georgia and organizations like 4-H and FFA at the original First Flock dedication in 2021. “The newest members of the First Flock will continue this legacy as they educate and delight visitors in years to come,” said Bo Ryles, senior director of the National 4-H Council and liaison to the First Flock. The retiring members of the inaugural flock will continue their educational mission and “make the best better” as part of summer camp and environmental education programming at Fortson 4-H Center.

Environmental education with Georgia 4-H

In addition to the farm, Fortson 4-H Center’s 77-acre property boasts a climbing wall, zip line, amphitheater, hiking trails, ponds and a herpetology lab. Thousands of youths visit the facility each year for 4-H environmental education programs and 4-H summer camp.

Environmental education programming takes place from September to May and serves school audiences, offering single-day and residential field studies using the outdoors as a classroom. The research-based curriculum correlates to the Georgia Standards of Excellence, providing hands-on learning in the context of the real world. Summer camp at Fortson 4-H Center takes place for seven weeks in June and July and county groups from around the state enjoy a week filled with outdoor activities, team building, adventure, friendship and fun.

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships and community awareness. As the premier youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches hundreds of thousands of people annually through University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices and 4-H facilities.

For more information about 4-H, visit georgia4h.org.

Josie Smith is the public relations coordinator for Georgia 4-H.

Authors:
Josie Smith
Lily Thomas
Experts/Sources:
Melanie Biersmith
Mary Melson
CAES doctoral students Sofia Varriano and Leniha Lagarde follow farmer Clay Brady to the pasture where many of his chickens are kept. CAES News
UGA researchers study how free-range chickens influence farm sustainability 10/31/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Researchers in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are studying how pastured and free-range chickens impact ecosystems on integrated crop-livestock farms. Supported by a $749,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, entomology doctoral student Sofia Varriano and her thesis advisor, agroecologist and systems biology Professor Bill Snyder, are testing the promise of integrated crop-livestock agriculture to increase the sustainability of smaller farms.
Seth McAllister and farmer Mark Daniel discuss crop production and agritourism. CAES News
UGA Extension supports agritourism through expert advice and collaboration 10/24/24 Emily Cabrera
On a sunny day with bright-blue skies, I arrive at Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia, and immediately spot the familiar white University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pickup truck, the Terrell County Extension logo prominently displayed on the door. Seth McAllister, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Terrell County, greets me with a broad grin and a firm handshake. Terrell County alone has 60,000 acres of row crops, half in cotton. But what McAllister loves most about his role as an Extension agent is the diversity of his work.
Helenedamage web CAES News
Hurricane Helene: Preliminary damage assessment on Georgia agriculture and forestry industry 10/10/24 Claire Sanders Kinnard, Matthew Agvent
Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, in coordination with Governor Brian P. Kemp, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), and the Georgia Forestry Commission, announced the preliminary estimate of Hurricane Helene’s economic impact on Georgia agriculture is $6.46 billion.
Ropes course at Georgia 4-H camp CAES News
Campers create lasting memories of summer at Georgia's 4-H centers 10/07/24 Josie Smith
By the end of his first week at 4-H summer camp, fifth grader Cooper Hardy already had many memories of new and exciting experiences. “That was the first time I got in a canoe,” Hardy said. “It was a big deal for me.” Now, 10 years later, Hardy serves as a Georgia 4-H camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. It’s a dream he’s held since the first time he set foot on the sprawling, wooded 1,500-acre campus as a camper.
Caroline Hinton is the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA) CAES News
Director of experiential learning herds students toward new fields of education 10/02/24 Averi Caldwell
Caroline Hinton wants to foster a love of learning for all students who walk through her door. As the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Hinton helps students connect with their fields of study outside of the classroom. “I find joy and excitement in getting to watch students experience different parts of agriculture and find a place in our state’s own agriculture industry,” she said.
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel saw some damage from the winds and rain of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
UGA weathers Hurricane Helene 09/27/24
The University of Georgia’s main campus was fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed after Hurricane Helene barreled through the state early Friday morning. However, the impact was more significant at our extended campus locations. While the UGA Griffin campus reported no major damage, UGA-Tifton was hit much harder, with dozens of downed trees and power outages, as well as flooding in several buildings. Damage to farm operations across south Georgia appears to be extensive.