.png)
The mission of Georgia Milk Producers is to support, sustain and grow the Georgia dairy industry. Georgia Milk Producers serves as an advocate promoting Georgia’s dairy industry and educating producers and the public to help build a stronger, viable industry.
Georgia Milk Producers is a producer-funded organization located in Watkinsville, Georgia. Georgia's dairy producers vote, by referendum, every three years to maintain its operation. Producers pay a 1.5 cent per hundredweight assessment enabling Georgia Milk Producers to operate programs of communication, promotion and education.
Funding
Georgia Milk Producers is producer-funded through a 1.5 cent per hundredweight checkoff on all milk produced in Georgia. Georgia's dairy farm families vote, by referendum, every three years to maintain operation. In 2025, our referendum passed with 92 percent of those voting in favor to adopt a sliding referendum of no more than 2.5 cents per hundredweight.
Checkoff money funds the communication and educational programs of Georgia Milk Producers. Our organization is committed to using your pennies effectively and efficiently.
To provide a direct return of investment to our dairy farm families, Georgia Milk Producers sponsors several seminars and conferences so dairymen can attend at little or no cost. Over the last several years, these have included the Georgia Dairy Conference, Georgia Dairy Managers Series, SE Dairy Herd Management Conference, SE Milk Quality Initiative, Certified Waste Operator Trainings and the Ag Labor Relations Forum.
Our Board
There are 16 dairy producers elected to our Board of Directors: 7 district directors and 9 statewide directors. Each district director is elected to serve on our Board during our fall district meetings. Statewide directors are elected to serve during our Annual Meeting. Our current slate of directors for 2024:
Executive Committee
Matt Johnson, President, Climax; Adam Graft, Vice-President, Americus;
Scott Glover, Secretary, Clermont; Megan Bell, Treasurer, Madison
Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. Board of Directors
Eldon Eberly, Waynesboro (District 6); Luke Harvey, Eatonton (Statewide); Charlie Lane, Monticello (District 3); Calvin Moody, Quitman (District 7); Kenneth Murphy, Luthersville (District 2); Shirley Millican, Chickamauga (District 1); Benny Overholt, Montezuma (Statewide); Harry Schaapman, Abbeville (Statewide); Jeff Smith, Rayle (District 4); Tal Talton, Bonaire (Statewide); Everett Williams, Madison (Statewide); Troy Yoder, Montezuma (District 5)
Our Staff
Bryce Trotter - Executive Director: Bryce joined GMP as Executive Director in 2022 after serving five years in various policy roles for the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Originally from Thomasville, GA, he graduated from Davidson College with a degree in Political Science. Bryce and his family live in Woodstock, GA.
Bethany Dyer - Events & Outreach Coordinator: Bethany joined GMP in 2025 after completing a two-year internship with GMP assisting in coordinating the Georgia Dairy Conference. She graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College with a degree in Agricultural Communications. She and her husband currently reside in her hometown of Fairmount, GA.
Kellay Watson - Executive Assistant & Bookkeeper: Kellay joined GMP in 2016 after retiring from Oconee County Schools where she taught elementary school for thirty years. Kellay is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and she and her husband Wes live in Watkinsville, GA.