A Georgia cattle farmer says his family’s farm is being dismantled as Spalding County moves ahead with plans for a new airport. Jeff Melin faces the loss of roughly 225 acres of his 450-acre property, which his family has owned for almost 80 years. The planned airport would occupy 730 acres and include a 6,000-foot runway and 124 hangars for express and corporate jets. In an interview with AgWeb, Melin described how the project is affecting his farm, including a 70-acre pecan grove containing trees more than a century old, several of which have already been cleared as work connected to the project begins. He said he has 90 days to empty a farm shop and expects to remove livestock from the operation. The airport project is scheduled to begin construction in 2026 and be completed in 2031.
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