Hillery Goodgame, a first-generation farmer, made a life-changing decision in 2020 when she left her IT project management job in New York and purchased her first farm in Georgia. Driven by the challenges COVID-19 posed to the food system, she embarked on a mission to grow fruits and vegetables sustainably. Over the years, she’s expanded her operation to 86 acres, using climate-smart practices like planting longleaf pine for carbon sequestration, installing irrigation systems, and supporting wildlife habitats – including the Great Georgia Blue Heron.
“None of this would be possible without help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Natural Resources Conservation Service,” Goodgame says when thinking about the evolution of her operation.
Her journey highlights the importance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in helping farmers adopt sustainable techniques. One climate-smart funding project helped Goodgame plant 1,100 trees on their new property–persimmons, apples, pears and other varieties of fruit, nut and hardwood trees.
Funding from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) helped her dig water wells, install drip irrigation and build a high-top tunnel for vegetable production. Additional climate-smart programs are helping Goodgame reinstate the new farm’s organic certification, conduct soil tests as well as plant cover crops and pollinator strips to continue protecting the land and wildlife.
In addition to managing her farm, Goodgame is a passionate advocate for education and community outreach. She organizes fishing days for city families and shares her expertise at conferences to promote NRCS programs and climate-smart farming practices.
“We have to continue to support farmers by telling Congress to support NRCS and other USDA programs in providing technical assistance, opportunities to enact climate-smart practice and channels to build capacity,” Goodgame adds. “Providing opportunities for farmers to use climate-smart practices enables farmers to provide healthy, nutrient-dense, fresh foods to rural and urban communities.”
Goodgame’s vision for the future extends beyond her farm. She stresses the need to inspire young people to pursue careers in agriculture and green industries. Her advocacy calls for continued support from Congress for NRCS and USDA programs, which enable farmers to implement sustainable practices and provide healthy food to both rural and urban communities.
In her words, “We must get young people excited about farming and green careers… If we don’t, this country is going to lose its farmers—and that will mean access to a healthy food supply will only become more challenging for the American people.”
Goodgame’s story not only highlights the resilience and innovation in farming but also underscores the critical role of climate-smart agriculture in securing the future of food and farming in America.
This article is part of an ongoing series on climate-smart funding, organized by the Climate Action Campaign and Solutions from the Land. As we approach the upcoming Farm Bill decisions, it’s crucial to highlight stories like that of Hillery Goodgame to educate decision-makers on the true impact of funding initiatives that support our farmers and the environment.
