New Orleans Advocate acquires weekly Tammany Farmer

The New Orleans Advocate's owners expanded their footprint in St. Tammany Parish last week, purchasing The Farmer, a weekly newspaper that has been part of the Northshore's civic life since 1874.

Georges Media Group, headed by Dathel and John Georges, bought the newspaper from the family of Karen Goodwyn Courtney, which has owned The Farmer since 1928.

Under the new ownership, The Farmer will continue to be an independent newspaper based in St. Tammany Parish. Its office will remain on North New Hampshire Street in downtown Covington, and many of the current staff, including news reporters and sales representatives, will be retained. And it will be owned and printed in Louisiana.

Gary Borders, senior associate with W.B. Grimes & Company, represented the seller in the transaction.

"We are happy to add the Farmer, which is one of the state's oldest newspapers, to our collection of Louisiana newspapers," said John Georges. "We already have lots of readers in St. Tammany and the Northshore, and this will allow us to increase our local news coverage."

Courtney said she is proud to sell the newspaper to another Louisiana family. "I am confident that the Georges Media Group is a good fit for The Farmer," Courtney said. "It is an independent, family-owned, Louisiana-based company that is extremely cognizant of the important role played by community newspapers."

Dan Shea, president and publisher of The Advocate, said "Between the New Orleans Advocate and the Farmer, we will have the largest news operation on the North Shore and look forward to each paper supporting each other's growth."