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ATHENS -- As America's agriculture experts gathered at the
University of Georgia Thursday to talk about farming's uncertain
future, they paused to remember the man who brought them there.
"The National Symposium on the Future of American
Agriculture" was the brainchild of the late Sen. Paul Coverdell,
who died from a stroke last month. But the conference he began,
which discussed policy needs for the rapidly changing farm economy,
went on without him.
Jody Redding, Coverdell's legislative assistant, attended the
event and is working with U.S. Rep. Saxby Chambliss to fill the void
left by the senator.
"He's going to be sorely missed," Redding said.
"He took the time to listen to" farmers.
Chambliss took over Coverdell's role as committee leader at the
symposium. His staff said his and Coverdell's mission is the same.
"Chambliss' job, as a member of Congress is to ensure that
his grandson can return to the farm if he chooses," said Steven
Meeks, Chambliss' legislative aide.
Young people's return to the farm is becoming more uncertain. And
the absence of Coverdell's leadership has left farmers and the
agribusiness community uneasy about finding his replacement. They
fear it will be difficult to find a farming proponent as influential
as Coverdell, a powerful voice on the U.S. Senate Agriculture
Committee and a loyal fighter for agriculture funding and programs.
One of his last legislative actions in July was getting passed an
amendment to the agriculture appropriations bill adding $450 million
in emergency loans for drought-stricken Southeastern farmers. That
commitment was noted at Thursday's symposium by Sen. Max Cleland in
a letter read by Cleland's legislative aide Thomas Taggart Jr.
This assistance has endeared Coverdell to farmers, who hope his
permanent replacement will be as diligent for farmers, said Murray
Campbell, a peanut and cotton farmer in Mitchell County.
"Sen. (Zell) Miller (named Coverdell's replacement) is
already making contacts in south Georgia ... and we understand he's
hiring some of Coverdell's personnel and that says a lot,"
Campbell said.
Gerald Long, a Decatur County cattle and vegetable farmer, said
the fear is that Georgia's Senate leadership will not have the clout
in Washington that Coverdell had.
"We're starting back out at zero, really," Long said.
"But (Coverdell's replacement) will have the opportunity to
help rural Georgia."
Rural Georgia had a fondness for Coverdell, as he did for the
region, said Ivery Clifton, associate dean of UGA's College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
"Paul believed as deeply in agriculture as he did in the
ideals of a democracy," Clifton said. "His belief and
commitment to agriculture was totally unselfish."
Clifton said that while other legislators are supportive of
agriculture, which accounts for one-third of Georgia's economy,
Coverdell's devotion and innovative approach to developing the
agriculture economy will be missed. A scholarship named for
Coverdell was announced by Charles Hall, on behalf of Georgia
agriculture groups.
"I'm sure there were a lot of people who wondered how a
journalism major from metro Atlanta was going to represent Georgia
agriculture," Hall said. "But he knew how to get things
done."
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