A Fork in the Road

In this episode of the Fork in the Road podcast, you meet the founders of HIBO, a Georgia-made energy drink crafted from hibiscus. Traveling to Bishop, Georgia, we explore how Clayton and Phoebe Oetting set out to create a clean, great-tasting alternative to traditional energy drinks. From food science roots to national ambitions, this is a story about patience, family, and super simple energy.

In this episode, we visit EM Farms in Salem, Georgia, where owner Kaneisha Miller is cultivating fresh produce, preserves, and a sense of community on land that generations of her family have worked. You will hear how EM Farms blends tradition, creativity, and local support to build a sustainable small farm rooted in legacy and resilience.

Join host David Zelski as he travels the state to bring you the personal stories from Georgia’s farmers, fishermen, merchants, artisans, chefs, and others who help provide Georgia-grown products to folks in the Peach State and beyond. You can also watch the Fork in the Road TV show on GPB and on demand at GPB.org as David Zelski takes you across the state in a lively half-hour program.

David takes you to Savannah’s Bull River to meet Perry and Laura Solomon of Tybee Oyster Company, the pioneers behind Georgia’s first floating cage oyster harvest. They show how flip-farm baskets, smart stocking, and coastal science produce clean, meaty half shells while building habitat and easing pressure on wild reefs.

We visit Providence Farmstead in Demorest, Georgia, where the Russell family raises American Wagyu by crossing full-blood Wagyu sires with Jersey cows. You hear how careful nutrition, low-stress handling, and family teamwork shape beef prized by chefs across the Peach State. 

From a farmers market kettle to supermarket shelves, Corks Popcorn founder David Cork shares how a weekend side hustle in Statesboro became a full-time Georgia Grown brand. In this episode of the Fork in the Road podcast, you’ll hear how oil-popped mushroom kernels, local grit, and a lot of patience turned simple ingredients into a small-batch success story featured at the Masters Tournament in Augusta. 

Let's visit Nashville, Georgia, in Berrien County to see how cold-hardy satsuma mandarins are reshaping local agriculture and school nutrition. You'll hear from growers and packers who walk us through varieties, frost protection, and the journey from orchard to classroom lunch trays. Discover why cultivars like Xie Shan, Brown Select, Owari, Kishu, Cara Cara, Sugar Belle, and Shiranui are taking root across South Georgia.

David takes you to White Sulphur Farms just outside Gainesville to meet the Reynolds/Hemmer family and see how they raise Belted Galloway cattle and heritage Tamworth pigs on land first settled in 1802. You hear how the farm’s spring gave the community its name and why the family is committed to keeping the core acreage in agriculture for generations to come. Expect history, livestock know-how, and a true farm-to-table ethos rooted on the banks of the Oconee River.

Let's meet Biram Chapman of St. Catherines Island Seafood, the small Georgia business turning shoppers into “shrimp snobs.” We follow his week from coastal boats to Middle Georgia coolers to the Grant Park Farmers Market and hear why wild-caught Georgia shrimp tastes different. You learn the family history that ties Biram to St. Catherines Island and how buying local supports shrimpers in a tough import-driven market.

Let's visit Dahlonega Resort and Vineyard for a mountaintop meal with Executive Chef Madeline Medon, whose upscale rustic menu pairs Georgia-grown wines with Southern comfort. You’ll hear how barbecue, fried chicken, and red-wine-cured salmon meet Dahlonega Plateau AVA bottles, plus why a quiet porch and wooded trails make this Blue Ridge retreat an easy getaway from Atlanta.