With discussions for a 2012 Farm Bill in the near future, I wanted to congratulate Ms. Maggie Shannon for winning the Tifton Farm Bureau Essay Contest.  Maggie is a 6^th grader at Tiftarea Academy in Tifton, Georgia.  The essay contest is sponsored by the Georgia Farm Bureau and Maggie was the winner for her area.  Maggie?s essay conveys how agriculture is not only a resource for economic growth but a way of life for many South Georgia families.  Read Maggie's award winning essay below.  Congratulations, Maggie!