Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association honors Allen and Dorothy Miles with 2025 Dan Bremer Service Award
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The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) is proud to announce Dorothy Miles of Miles Berry Farm, in Baxley, as the recipient of the 2025 Dan Bremer Service Award, the Association’s highest recognition for extraordinary service to Georgia’s fruit and vegetable industry.
Presented annually, the Dan Bremer Service Award honors individuals or organizations whose leadership and commitment have strengthened Georgia agriculture by advocating for growers while supporting a sustainable and lawful agricultural workforce.
The award recognizes Dorothy’s courageous and selfless leadership as key plaintiffs in the landmark case Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and Miles Berry Farm v. U.S. Department of Labor. In that case, GFVGA and Miles Berry Farm challenged the U.S. Department of Labor’s “Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States” rule, which attempted to extend collective-bargaining and concerted-activity rights to H-2A workers – rights from which U.S. agricultural workers have historically been excluded under the National Labor Relations Act.
In August 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia granted a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of the rule in Georgia and other plaintiff states. The court found that the Department of Labor likely exceeded its statutory authority and that the rule would cause irreparable financial harm to agricultural employers, including Miles Berry Farm. The injunction also provided direct protection to GFVGA members from the rule’s sweeping new regulatory burdens.
“This decision was a critical victory for Georgia produce growers,” said GFVGA Executive Vice President, Chris Butts. “It prevented a disruptive and costly regulation that would have fundamentally altered labor practices, increased compliance costs, and introduced collective-bargaining frameworks never intended for agriculture.”
By stepping forward as plaintiffs, the Miles placed the wellbeing of the industry above their own in a visible and volatile legal environment. Their willingness to lead exemplifies the spirit of service, advocacy, and courage that the Dan Bremer Service Award was created to recognize.
“The Miles family did not just stand up for their farm—they stood up for growers across Georgia,” Butts said. “Their actions helped preserve regulatory stability, protect the agricultural workforce infrastructure, and maintain a level playing field for producers statewide.”
In presenting the 2025 Dan Bremer Service Award to Dorothy Miles, the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association recognizes not only their success as growers, but their steadfast commitment to the future of Georgia agriculture.
About the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association represents producers across the state and works to advance policies that support a strong, competitive, and sustainable produce industry.
