Organizational Restructuring
This summer, due to internal and external financial pressures and the conclusion of several major grants, Georgia Organics made the difficult decision to significantly restructure the organization. This meant parting with several long-serving team members who have been instrumental in our success. I am profoundly grateful to these talented individuals who have given so much of themselves to advance our mission and to serve you. Their contributions strengthened Georgia Organics and the farmers and communities we serve.
Though now a team of five, we are dedicated to making this reorganization meaningful—supporting the organization and farmers alike through this time of change.
Leadership Transition
As part of this restructuring, the Georgia Organics Board of Directors appointed me as Interim Executive Director. As a long-time employee of the organization and most recently the Director of Programs, I hope to bring a steady hand, a collaborative mindset, and mission-driven leadership to the organization. I am passionate about helping farmers thrive through collective action and care. With deep roots in Georgia’s food community, I am dedicated to guiding the organization through this transition and into our next chapter. I am holding this position on an interim basis, and the Board is working on a long-term leadership plan to roll out in 2026.
Program Transitions
As we move to a leaner structure, we are reorganizing our staff to focus on Georgia Organics’ core mission of investing in organic farmers for the health of our communities and the land. We’re taking stock of our resources and our communities’ needs to see how they best fit together. With this refocus comes the need to pull back from some of our existing programs. So, by the end of 2025, we plan to pause four long-running programmatic initiatives while we strengthen our foundations:
I know that these programs have touched thousands of lives–and remarkably, in the case of Farm to School and Early Care, millions of Georgia’s youth. I am confident each initiative has left a lasting impact across Georgia’s farming and food communities that will live on through our network of partners. This pause is only a reflection of our reduced capacity for the time being. And the purpose that animated these programs, to champion organic and sustainable farming, will continue to guide our efforts over the coming years as we adapt and grow.
Looking Forward
Change is never easy, but it brings the chance to renew and refocus. Georgia Organics remains deeply committed to supporting and championing organic, sustainable, and regenerative farmers. In the months ahead, we’ll share more about how we’re shaping the organization’s future—with resilience, sustainability, and community at the center.
Your support makes this possible. Because of you, we can provide farmers with climate disaster relief grants, infrastructure mini-grants, business coaching, organic transition assistance and certification cost-shares, healthcare coverage, and risk management resources. Thank you for standing with us during this season of transition.
With gratitude,
Suzanne Girdner
Interim Executive Director
Georgia Organics
