Page 13 - Georgia Forestry - Issue 1 - Winter 2024

Tyler Harper’s Journey from Family Farm to Capitol Leadership
By John Casey
Photography by Zach Clifton
Strolling through the pines of his fam- ily farm in Ocilla, GA, Tyler Harper points to memories that have shaped a journey from humble beginnings in his hometown to the gold dome of the State Capitol. As Georgia’s 17th Com- missioner of Agriculture, he brings with him a lifelong passion and vision for the state’s top industry that now
fuels a mission in public service.
In an interview led by Jake Matthews, Georgia
Forestry Association’s vice president of government affairs, we had the opportunity to explore how Harper’s authentic dedication and keen understanding of the industry are shaping initiatives and driving change to build awareness and a sense of pride in Georgia’s forestry and agricultural industries.
Learning Experiences
The world of agriculture and forestry has been Tyler Harper’s world since his earliest memories. He’s the seventh generation of his family to farm their 120-year- old property in the small town of Ocilla, an experience that shaped him into the industry leader he is today.
“I grew up playing with toy tractors on the dirt road in front of my mom and dad’s house. I loved playing in the dirt. I love being in the woods. Those opportunities to learn those farm values, in agriculture and forestry, and being involved in the farm and what my family has done for many generations, that was what built me and made me who I am,” said Harper. “I get to till the same piece of dirt my grandfather and great grandfather and great great grandfather did. As long as I’ve known, we’ve been in the timber business just as much as we’ve been in the row crop and the livestock business. My parents and my grandparents helped mold me into who I am. This industry has given my family and me so much.”
Inspired by his upbringing, Harper took his edu- cation in agriculture and forestry from the fields and forests to the classroom, graduating from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia with degrees in agriculture. Shortly after that,
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