TIFTON — The Georgia Agrirama, Georgia’s official museum for Agriculture, will have state allocations reduced 31 percent when the new 2010 fiscal year starts on July 1.

“We’re disappointed, still in shock, and will have to make major changes,” said Dale Redeker, chairman of the Georgia Agrirama Development Authority.

“We know that tax collections by the state of Georgia were short of projections and reductions had to be made across the State, but when 70 percent of your cost is labor, mostly minimum wage older employees that just want to serve and use their talents, it is a serious blow,” Redeker said.

James Higgins, director of the Agrirama, says that two dozen teachers/interpreters scattered across the 95-acre site, usually involved in school workshops and running the entire village and farm will be terminated. Higgins said the Agrirama complied with the governor’s request earlier this year by reducing the budget 15 percent. Most of these reductions were not apparent to the general public other than reduced hours of operation.

However, Higgins told the board recently that the 31 percent budget reduction will cause severe cutbacks to the intensive school workshop programs that have been so popular with school teachers. Higgins says the workshops have been the nucleus of the Agrirama’s 33-year history as teachers prefer the Agrirama hands-on field trips that are directly applicable to their Georgia history curriculum instead of other locations.

The Agrirama hosts over 13,700 students annually with total visitation over 43,000. The museum generates about 30 percent of the budget. The 2009 state allocation was originally $1,124,000. The governor’s budget recommendation for 2010 was $955,000, a 15 percent reduction. However, after House and Senate budget cuts, the Agrirama’s 2010 budget was reduced to $775,000, a 31 percent reduction.

“We were expecting the average cut in state budgets due to the economy,” said board member Tyron Spearman, “But a 31 percent cutback was unfair when education is our prime mission. Legislators have to understand that it takes more money to maintain an educational living history village than a static museum. Since most of the employees are minimum wage, we’ve already been hit twice because of mandated wage increases.”

Spearman said a major attraction for tourists is the steam-powered train. Higgins says the steam locomotive will have to be parked except maybe for Saturdays and special events. A group of concerned citizens and train supporters have organized the SOS fund (Save Our Steam Train) hoping to keep the locomotive active.

Chairman Redeker said the Agrirama Development Authority, the Agrirama Foundation and the Agrirama staff will continue its role to preserve and present the material objects and life stories of our state’s agricultural heritage. He said, “Our recent master plan challenges the museum to strive toward Georgians having the highest agricultural heritage literacy in the nation.

“ We will continue to cultivate partnerships with agricultural commodities and educational groups to provide displays and promotions for their areas.”

“Agriculture is Georgia’s largest industry and its Museum should be a model of agriculture past, present and future, available to all Georgians and visitors to see and experience.” Higgins said.

Higgins said visitors will not see or hear as many interpreters when they visit the museum in the near future, but the staff will do everything possible to make the education experience meaningful by presenting how the founding fathers lived in the old South and survived. Higgins noted that the staff is developing less intensive workshops. The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission remains $7 for adults, $6 for seniors over 55, $4 for children 5-16. Children under 5 are admitted free.