County UGA Cooperative Extension Service agents serve as vital resources for Georgia cotton producers. Agents are known for delivering timely and accurate information and recommendations, which are instrumental for the success of farmers across the state. They also perform community specific research, education, and outreach programs designed to help farmers maximize yields and efficiency.
The Georgia Cotton Commission sponsored the King Cotton Awards to recognize outstanding contributions of county agents to Georgia cotton producers. The Senior Award honors agents with 10 or more years of experience. The Junior Award, named the Allen B. Fulford Award, honors the accomplishments and memory of Allen B. Fulford, who served as a county Extension agent and state cotton agronomist. This award credits those with less than 10 years of service. The awards were presented at the 2026 Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting & Professional Improvement Conference in November. The Georgia Cotton Commission is proud to salute the excellent work that County Extension Agents do for farmers across the state.
The 2026 Senior King Cotton Award recipient is Jason Edenfield of Toombs County, where he serves as the Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent and County Extension Coordinator. He graduated from Brewton Parker University and the University of Georgia with bachelor’s degrees in political science and agriculture, respectively. Edenfield went on to receive a Master of Public Administration degree from Georgia Southern University. He began his UGA Extension career in 2008 in Toombs County. In 2016, Edenfield held an officer position in Epsilon Sigma Phi, a professional organization for Cooperative Extension. For the past 18 years, Edenfield has aided UGA Extension specialists with On-Farm Variety Trials for cotton, pecans, and Vidalia onions, spatial variability trials, and irrigation trials. He provides producers with timely crop management information including when to make fungicide applications, irrigation timing, and different cultural practices to increase yield. He also serves on the UGA Pecan Team. Edenfield has spoken at various meetings across his community about the economic importance of agriculture in Toombs County.
The 2026 Allen B. Fulford Award winner is Savannah Tanner, who serves as the Emanuel County Extension Coordinator and Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent. Tanner started her career with UGA Extension in 2016 as the Evans County Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent and transferred to Emanuel County in 2018. She serves on the UGA Forage Extension Team for the southeast district and is a board member of the Georgia Forage and Grassland Council. Tanner equips producers with information on forage management and pesticide applications and contributes to the statewide On-Farm Variety Trials for cotton and Vidalia onions. She is also the co-host of UGA Extension podcast Tillin’ It Like It Is. Tanner received a bachelor’s degree in diversified agriculture from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and a master’s degree in beef cattle production from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The Georgia Cotton Commission is a producer-funded organization located in Perry, Georgia. The Commission began in 1965. Georgia cotton producers pay an assessment enabling the Commission to invest in programs of research, promotion, and education on behalf of all cotton producers of Georgia. For more information about the Georgia Cotton Commission please call (478) 988-4235 or on the web at www.georgiacottoncommission.org.