State-sponsored TV series spotlights Georgia growers

From mushrooms and peaches to pecans and peanuts, Georgia growers are sharing their stories on the new Georgia Grown TV series, “A Fork in the Road.”

By May 1, a dozen episodes had aired on Georgia Public Broadcasting channels statewide.

Sponsored by Georgia Grown, the marketing and economic development arm of the Georgia Department of Agriculture, “A Fork in the Road” gives consumers a realistic look at food production in Georgia and tells the stories behind each company.

“Viewers will experience cattle ranches, dairies, orchards, farms, seafood operations, produce distribution, food manufacturing, restaurants, and much more through real-world examples and on-the-farm interviews,” Matthew Kulinski, deputy director for Georgia Grown, said in a news release before the first episode aired Jan. 16. 

“They will leave every video with an improved understanding of how their food is produced and its relationship to their lives.”

The series is produced by David Zelski of “Georgia Traveler” fame. 

Watch more: “A Fork in the Road.”

Zelski’s experiential storytelling style takes viewers behind the scenes on various farm operations and shows how the work is done in addition to telling how it gets done.

Each episode features several food producers, such as John and Elizabeth Moon of Green Box Mushrooms in Gainesville, Ga., in the May 1 episode.

“Our pride is the fact that we’re actually able to create and incept from more than being born in Georgia to being fully Georgia grown, and that’s the beauty of our farm,” Elizabeth Moon said on the show about their oyster mushrooms.

A Jan. 30 episode told about the shiitake and oyster varieties grown in the Appalachian Mountains by Ellijay Mushrooms, Ellijay, Ga.

“They’re thick. They’re meaty. They’re your next best meal,” president and cofounder Howard Berk said on the show.

In addition to the state’s public broadcast TV channel, episodes are available at www.AForkintheRoadTV.com.