By State Representative Angela Moore (D-Stonecrest)
Georgia collard greens are a tradition and a hardy, nutritious vegetable that grows easily in our climate and are also known as “True Southern.” They are high in vitamins and minerals, making them a valuable source of nutrients for a diet that might otherwise be lacking. Under House Bill 65, I propose that collard greens be the official state greens and “potlikka” be the official state dipping sauce of our state.
We are the second-highest producer of collards in the United States, with nearly 30,000 acres devoted to the crop – highlighting the cultural and agricultural significance of collard greens in Georgia. The cultivated collards of today are related to wild, primitive cabbages dating back over 2,000 years to the Mediterranean and Asia Minor regions. In fact, culinary historians agree that the green craze in the South is supported by tastes among Celtic and Germanic southerners. After the American Civil War, white southerners began eating collard greens and found what African-Americans had known for ten generations – they are delicious and nutritious!
As a matter of fact, Georgia:
- Agriculture contributes approximately $83.6 billion annually to Georgia’s economy, according to the UGA Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development;
- The 2022 total farm gate value for the state was $18.3 billion;
- One in seven Georgians works in agriculture, forestry or related fields, and in 2022, there were 42,439 farms in Georgia encompassing 9,953,730 million acres of land. The average farm size was 235 acres.
In 2021, I had the distinct honor to designate 6-year-old Kendal Rae Johnson as Georgia’s youngest certified farmer and owner of aGROWKulture, an urban farm in Atlanta. In 2024, Kendal Rae Johnson was given the distinction of Youngest Farmer in America by the USDA and now serves as their first National Urban AG-Youth Ambassador.
Many collard dishes are traditionally eaten with the cooked-down juices, also known as “potlikker,” or pot liquor, for those from the North. The broth is flavored by the ingredients used to stew the greens, which is rich in nutrients left behind by the greens. Potlikker can be reused as a base for soup or consumed as a delicious warm heart-healthy beverage. It is so yummy that some find that it is better than fondue for dipping everything in it, including good southern cornbread.
Georgia collard greens pair well with Georgia’s:
- State vegetable, the Vidalia sweet onion;
- Georgia’s state fruit, the peach;
- Georgia’s state prepared food, grits.
Collard greens are adaptable and nutritious, making them an important vegetable to incorporate into healthy diets. Now who wouldn’t want to pick up a fresh arm-load of collards while traveling through Georgia?
With Georgia being the second top producing state for collard greens in the United States, next to our sister state, it is fitting to officially recognize the collard green as the official greens of Georgia and its potlikka as the official dipping sauce to the official bread of Georgia, specifically cornbread, which will be proposed as the official state bread in a separate bill.
Representative Angela Moore represents the citizens of District 91, which includes portions of DeKalb and Rockdale counties. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2021 and currently serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications and Higher Education committees.
