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COVINGTON, Ga. — A Covington-area blueberry farm’s beverage product was amongst 36 chosen for the ultimate spherical of competitors in an annual contest spotlighting Georgia-grown meals merchandise.
Deer Creek Farm noticed its Blue Harvest Tea product chosen to compete Tuesday, March 28, within the Beverage class of the finals of the annual Taste of Georgia contest within the closing spherical of competitors at The Traditional Middle in Athens
These coming into the occasion had been all based mostly in Georgia and competed amongst 12 classes. Judges tasted 124 merchandise entered by 82 Georgia companies within the first spherical of the competition March 10.
Blue Harvest Tea earned the appropriate to compete within the finals towards Ginger Beer created by Yardie Drinks of Suwanee; and a product referred to as “Energize Authentic” by HIBO of Bishop.
Deer Creek Farm has operated since 2007 on County Line Highway in Covington. It’s a farm operation that enables the general public to select their very own blueberries.
Although blueberries are its specialty, it has expanded through the years to incorporate muscadines, figs and quite a lot of backyard greens, based on its web site.
Merlon Harper, who owns and operates the farm with husband Joe, stated she is happy to be a finalist within the contest.
“It feels actually good to have our Blue Harvest Tea acknowledged and spotlighted,” she stated.
“We married the flavors of two of Georgia’s favorites — blueberries and tea. The flavors will remind of a summer season day, sippin’ tea on the entrance porch, having fun with a easy second in time,” she stated.
Judges for the ultimate spherical of the competition will embrace meals brokers, grocery patrons and different meals product specialists. Entries are evaluated by class based mostly on their Georgia theme, industrial enchantment, style, innovation and market potential.
Finalists within the competitors — hosted by the UGA School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences — will face a “Shark Tank”-style panel of judges to pitch their merchandise, based on a UGA information launch.
Contestants will present samples to judges whereas pitching their merchandise in a three-minute presentation.
Winners will likely be named for every class, the general grand prize and a folks’s alternative award, which will likely be chosen by occasion attendees.
Manpreet Singh, head of the UGA Division of Meals Science and Know-how, stated the Taste of Georgia contest “is a singular alternative for the Division of Meals Science and Know-how to interact with meals entrepreneurs from across the state of Georgia.”
“The competition serves as a useful resource to help the native meals business with product improvement and prepares entrepreneurs to have their merchandise market-ready,” Singh stated.
For the primary time, the award ceremony and reception will likely be open to the general public, the discharge acknowledged.
“Attendees will get to pattern the cream of the crop from the competitors earlier than the winners from every class and the general contest winner is introduced.”
The 16-year-old competitors has acted as a launching pad for small companies and as many as 1,650 merchandise across the state because it started in 2007.
Previous finalists report that participation within the contest boosts their annual gross sales by about 20% on common and will contribute to greater than $5.6 million in annual income for the Georgia economic system, based on a follow-up survey of earlier finalists and winners from 2015 to 2019, a information launch acknowledged.
Isa Gutierrez, program coordinator for the Division of Meals Science and Know-how Extension workplace, plans the yearly occasion.
“It’s actually good to attach with all these small companies and see the innovation of a few of these folks,” Gutierrez stated.
Gutierrez referred to the expertise of an organization that captured first place within the Jams and Jellies class on the 2022 finals.
“There was an organization that made strawberry lemonade marmalade ultimately 12 months’s competitors referred to as We Bee Jammin’ — now often known as Christie B’s Jams and Jellies,” Gutierrez stated.
“It was so enjoyable to observe folks come up and say, ‘Whoa, how did you consider this?’ … It’s nice to see how these companies bloom after the competitors.”
2023 Taste of Georgia finalists
This 12 months’s finalists are listed by firm, product title and hometown throughout the 12 competitors classes. Every product comes from an organization based mostly in Georgia.
Drinks
• Deer Creek Farm, Blue Harvest Tea, Covington
• Yardie Drinks, Ginger Beer, Suwanee
• HIBO, Energize Authentic, Bishop
Baked Items
• Girl Belle Macarons, Gritscuits – Smoked Gouda and Garlic, Stone Mountain
• Suga’s Enterprises, Suga’s Pimento Cheesecake, Powder Springs
• Honey Specialties, Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake, Millen
Barbecue Sauces
• Savannah Bee Firm, Honey Habanero BBQ Sauce, Savannah
• Oconee Creations, Oconee Gold White Gold, Statham
• Davis’ Sauces, Davis’ 1929 Sauce, Peachtree Metropolis
Condiments, Sauces and Seasonings
• Jar Masala, Backyard Masala, Snellville
• Braswell Meals Firm, Vidalia Onion Steak Sauce, Statesboro
• Amici Meals Group, Honey Sizzling Sauce For Wings and different Issues, Madison
Confections
• Maybird Confections, Darkish Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Toffee, Alpharetta
• RoHo Bakery, Give Me S’extra, Decatur
• Brittle Brittle Bakeries, Pecan Brittle, Fort Gaines
Dairy Merchandise
• Dulce Gelato, Probiotic- Kefir Gelato, Woodstock
• Gatherings, Kimchi Pimento Cheese, Decatur
• The Cheese Plant at Hidden Creek Farm, Brasstown Daring – Double Blaze Appalachian Goat Cheese Peppered Honey, Blairsville
Honey and Syrups
• White Oak Pastures, Cane Syrup, Bluffton
• Barlow’s, Peach Cobbler Syrup, Atlanta
• L. Franklin’s Honey, Cinnamon Creamed Honey, Statesboro
Jams and Jellies
• Elusive Jams, PEARadise Jam, Carrollton
• Christy B’s Jams & Jellies, Peaches ‘n Whiskey Preserves, Pooler
• Georgia Jams, Georgia Scorcher Pepper Unfold, Williamson
Meats and Seafood
• Jensen Reserve, Biltong Model Bresaola Make Your Personal Charcuterie Equipment, Loganville
• White Oak Pastures, Beef Jerky, Bluffton
• Rocking Chair Ranch Cattle, Smoked Biltong, Forsyth
Miscellaneous
• Candy Treats Cannery, Blueberry Lavender Pie Filling, Springfield
• Woodpecker Path Olive Farm, First Press Further Virgin Olive Oil, Glennville
• Tey’s Southern Treats, Southern Fillings, Conyers
Pickled Greens, Relish and Salsas
• Level Clean Pepper Firm, Hallow Rings, Marietta
• Loopy Nay’s, South Ga Redneck Caviar, Baxley
• Sully’s Slammin Recent Salsa, Delicate Recent Salsa, Roswell
Snack Meals
• All of the Fixin’s, Burnin’ Slap Up Spicy Pecans, Twin Metropolis
• CaJa Popcorn, Vadouvan Curry Popcorn, Smyrna
• The Savannah Cheese Straw Firm, Cheese Straws, Savannah
To register to attend the reception and award ceremony and be taught extra in regards to the competitors, go to the Taste of Georgia web site at flavorofgeorgia.caes.uga.edu.
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