$21.5M for sheep, pig housing? Why Georgia is investing in surging livestock interest

The Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry has received $21.5 million in Georgia’s latest budget to build a barn and arena for sheep and pigs, the facility announced Tuesday morning.

Gov. Brian Kemp allocated the money in the 2025 state budget for the design and development to help with growing demand for livestock stalls, the fairgrounds said in a news release.

The money will also help enhance the accessibility of competitive livestock-showing activities that have sparked popularity among young people. Public schools in Georgia have helped accommodate the interest in the activity by lending county barns to those who want to house small animals like goats, sheep and swine, according to the news release. Those animals don’t require much investment, they said.

“Greater exhibitor participation at the fair has led to less stall space for livestock and created difficulty to find available arenas for the livestock competitions. With the addition of a new barn and arena, we will be able to accommodate more youth exhibitors and competitions,” said, Kelley Owen, Georgia National Fairgrounds youth livestock director. “We never want to be in a position where we are having to turn kids away from livestock competitions, potentially dulling their interest in agriculture.”

Agriculture provides 15% of Georgia jobs, the most of any industry in Georgia, the news release said. But the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that the average Georgian farmer is 59 years old, up 1.1 years from 2017.

“Many kids are several generations removed from a farm and often lack the knowledge of where their food, clothes, and shelter come from,” said Foster Rhodes, chairman of the Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority, which oversees the fairgrounds. “This is why it is so vital that we take an active role in educating and fostering an interest in agriculture in our students.”

“We are very grateful to Governor Kemp and legislators for being passionate supporters of Georgia agriculture and our facility,” he said.

The design phase for the barn and arena will start in July, the facility said. They’ll provide a project timeline when the design is complete. Those interested can visit the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter website at gnfa.com.