Representative Terry England has spent his entire working life as a farmer and Agri-businessman. He and his wife, the former Cindy Casper, are life-long residents of Barrow County and live on a farm that has been in the family since his great-great grandfather came home after the Civil War. Terry and his family operated Pete’s Little Idaho Tater Farm on the farm, specializing in produce. Also, during the fall and winter, they operated a Georgia-grown gift basket business featuring food products from all over the state. Since 1998, Terry has been the owner and operator of The Homeport Farm Mart (a farm and garden supply retailer) located in Winder. In 2002, Terry was named by the National Retail Hardware Association as their Young Retailer of the Year in the under $2 million sales category.
In 2003, Terry served as Chairman of the Board of the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce, the organization recently awarded him their Presidential Award for his untiring dedication. He served as a chamber board member for six years and on numerous committees over the last 15 plus years.
While farming, Terry and Cindy were named to the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee and Terry served as State Chairman and on the Georgia Farm Bureau State Board of Directors during their second year on the committee. After serving on the state committee, Terry and Cindy were named to the American Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Committee, representing the Southeast. Terry has also served as President of the Barrow County Farm Bureau and continues to serve that organization on the board of directors.
Also during that time, Terry continued to operate a third-generation general contractor business started by his grandfather in 1948. As a building contractor, Terry was a founding director in the Barrow County Builders Association. As a farmer, he was also a founding Director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.
Having been a student and continuing supporter of agricultural education and the National FFA Organization, Terry has served as local and Georgia FFA Alumni President and as a member of the National FFA Alumni Executive Council. In 2003, he was awarded the highest honor that the National FFA organization presents, the Honorary American FFA Degree.
Terry has also been active in the Winder Lions Club and served as the youngest president in the 50-year existence of the organization. Having enjoyed and participated in numerous fairs and livestock shows as a young person, he also served several terms as Chairman of the Lions Club’s Barrow County Fair and Livestock Show.
Terry and Cindy are active members in the First Baptist Church of Auburn. Terry serves as a Deacon and participates in several other areas of ministry as well, while Cindy is very involved in the Church Nursery/Childcare Ministry and serves as the Church Treasurer and CFO.
Terry is a 1984 graduate of Winder-Barrow High School and attended the University of Georgia, majoring in Agricultural Engineering. He is a 1994 graduate of the Georgia Agri-Leaders Forum, a statewide leadership program for the agricultural industry. This program allows its participants to see and understand issues that affect our state from all sides, not just from the agricultural standpoint.
During his term in the General Assembly, Representative England has sponsored and passed several pieces of Legislation of interest to citizens in the 108th District and our State. They included a Barrow County Homestead Exemption expansion for senior citizens that are economically depressed, created the Agriculture Education and Career/Technical Advisory Commissions, Co-sponsored the Historical Documents Act of 2006 allowing documents such as the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public buildings, authored a large portion of Gov. Sonny Purdue’s 2010 Water Conservation Act dealing with outdoor watering and agricultural irrigation, along with co-sponsoring numerous other measures that reduced taxes and improved the lives of all Georgians.
Speaker Ralston has appointed Terry to numerous boards and commissions to take advantage of his understanding of workforce preparedness, agricultural and rural development. Terry currently serves as Co-Chairman of the Agricultural Education Advisory Commission, as well as a member of the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board and the Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority Overview Committee. Terry also serves as Chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference Ag and Rural Development Committee and as a member of National Council of State Legislatures Energy Committee. In 2010 Speaker David Ralston appointed Terry as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. This Committee is charged with writing the State’s multi-billion dollar budget.
Terry’s spare time finds him restoring antique tractors, helping bale hay and performing other chores on a friend’s as well as his own farm, spending time with family and friends and enjoying his Black Lab, Wiley.
