
Terrell County sits squarely in the heart of southwest Georgia’s row-crop belt, and anyone who has driven through it during planting or harvest season understands pretty quickly that farming isn’t just part of the local economy here, it’s the whole conversation. Dawson, the county seat, is a small community where nearly every business in town has some connection to what’s happening out in the fields, from the equipment dealers to the banks to the local co-ops. The county plants somewhere around 60,000 acres of row crops in a typical season, and that scale shapes everything.
Peanuts have always been at the center of Terrell County agriculture, and the county’s infrastructure reflects it. The USDA National Peanut Lab is located in Dawson, and Golden Peanut Company operates a significant buying and crushing facility there as well — both of which signal just how seriously peanuts are taken in this part of the state. Cotton, corn, wheat, and grain sorghum round out the main crop rotation, and Terrell County actually leads Georgia in farm gate value for grain sorghum, a crop that ties closely to the quail plantations in the area that use it on hunting drive rows. Corn yields here have been notably strong in recent seasons with expanded irrigation, and producers continue to invest in water management systems to stay competitive.
Farming in Terrell County is a serious, high-stakes business, and the community has worked to maintain that foundation even through difficult stretches of drought, shifting commodity prices, and changing market conditions. The agricultural support network centered around Dawson continues to serve producers across the surrounding area. For programs, technical assistance, and local resources, farmers can connect through the UGA Extension – Terrell County Office, the Terrell County Government website and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

