Georgia Farm Bureau News Alert - August 3, 2016

August 3, 2016

www.gfb.org

Vol. 34 No. 27

GFB FOUNDATION DONATES BLUEBERRY BOOK TO LIBRARIES The Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is promoting ag literacy across the state by donating copies of the children’s book “Hi, I’m Billy Blueberry, This Is My Story” to the 405 libraries within the Georgia Public Library System (GPLS).

The GFB Foundation for Agriculture has given each county Farm Bureau enough books for every public library in the county. County Farm Bureau staff or volunteers are delivering the books to the libraries.

“We’re really proud of Bacon County Farm Bureau for taking the initiative to take their book about blueberries from concept to publication,” said GFB President Gerald Long. “The GFB Foundation for Agriculture decided to donate the book to libraries across the state to increase public awareness of one of Georgia’s biggest and most successful crops.”

The GFB Foundation for Agriculture is a non-profit corporation dedicated to advancing Georgia agriculture and creating healthy communities. Donations to the Foundation fund projects and programs that tell the story of agriculture through Ag in the Classroom activities, consumer awareness campaigns and adult learning opportunities.

The foundation also supports the youth of Georgia through scholarships and financial assistance. Contributions are tax deductible, and the Foundation works with Georgia Farm Bureau and other agricultural and educational organizations throughout the state to create healthier communities and raise consumer awareness of agricultural issues.

The GFB Foundation’s book donation is a tie-in with the Summer Reading Program (SRP) contest GPLS partnered with the Georgia National Fair (GNFA) on this year. The GNFA is awarding the winner of each local library’s SRP contest with four tickets to the 2016 Georgia National Fair.

“Hi, I’m Billy Blueberry, This Is My Story,” published by Bacon County Farm Bureau and written by BCFB Young Farmer Committee Chairman Brandon Wade, describes how blueberry producers plant blueberry bushes, care for them and harvest the crop. Bacon County artist Eddie Bedgood provided illustrations for the book, which was published in 2015.

The BCFB Young Farmer and Women’s committees worked to get the book written, illustrated and published. It was printed by Westbow Press.

GFB has provided the GPLS with a list of recommended books for children and young adults to read about agriculture. Ask the librarian at your local library for the list. For more information about the GFB Foundation for Agriculture visit www.gfbfoundation.org.

GFB News Alert page 2 of 8 GFB ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2016 PHOTO CONTEST Cody and Grace Martin of Walton County won the grand prize in the 2016 Georgia Farm Bureau Picture Agriculture in Georgia Photo Contest for their photo titled “Follow My Lead” (left). As the overall winner, the Martins’ photo will be featured on the cover of the 2017 GFB Young Farmer Calendar, which will feature the 12 finalist photos.

The contest drew 183 entries. A group of judges selected the final 12 and the winners were determined by votes from attendees at the 2016 GFB Young Farmer Leadership Conference, held July 13-16 on Jekyll Island.

There were 11 honorable mention winners: Amber Tull, Grady County; Bonnie Hand, Berrien County; Dera Johnson, Decatur County; Gracie Boss, Walton County; James Johnson, Jackson County; Jean Dykes, Henry County; Kelli Ward, Banks County; Lauren Boykin, Screven County; Linda Luttrell, Harris County; Sam Ingram, Effingham County and Teresa Fountain, Gilmer County.

To see all the winning photos visit http://www.gfb.org/programs/yf/photo_results.html.

GFB FOUNDATION GETS AMAZONSMILE LISTING The Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is now listed as a charity by AmazonSmile. Shoppers can support the GFB Foundation by designating it through AmazonSmile then making purchases on Amazon.com. The foundation receives a portion of each designated purchase. To set up the designation and make purchases that support the foundation visit https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-2035360.

GEORGIA AG COMMODITY COMMISSIONS NAMED On July 11 the Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commissions’ Ex Officio Committee made the following appointments to the following Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commissions for terms of three years: Beef Commission - John Callaway, Coweta County; Jeff Duncan, Madison County; Ernie Ford, Calhoun County; Kenneth Murphy, Meriwether County and Alan Wiggins, Turner County; Cotton Commission - Matt Coley, Dooly County and Steven Meeks, Wayne County; Equine Commission - Barbara Kelly, Peach County; Beth Williams, Oconee County and Jordan Vaughn, Monroe County (advisory member); Tobacco Commission - Jerry Wooten, Jeff Davis County.

By state law, the ex officio committee consists of the Georgia Agriculture Commissioner, Georgia Farm Bureau President, a producer selected by the Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee and a producer selected by the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee. The committee consists of Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, GFB President Gerald Long, Buddy Leger of Cordele and Russ Moon of Colbert. Boyd McLocklin of Statham and Harry Thompson of Moultrie are the producers on the Equine ex officio committee.

Appointees were selected from nominations received by the Georgia Department of Agriculture this spring. The commodity commissions, authorized under the Georgia Commodity Promotions Act, are farmer-funded and oversee research, promotion and education programs for the respective commodity.

GFB News Alert page 3 of 8 FFA STUDENTS CAN RECEIVE FREE GFB MEMBERSHIP Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) is offering complimentary memberships to FFA students across the state. Sign-up for the FFA student membership program runs through Aug. 25 and entitles those students to a variety of GFB member benefits.

“We have long understood the need to invest in our future ag leaders,” said GFB President Gerald Long. “We hope students will take advantage of this opportunity to access our outstanding benefits and learn more about our organization.”

The memberships are available to all high school juniors and seniors currently in FFA. The sign-up will be facilitated by local agriculture teachers. Details of this program were provided to high school ag teachers at the Georgia Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association conference held on July 18 in Savannah.

County Farm Bureaus across the state will assist in processing these student memberships.

OBAMA SIGNS GMO LABELING BILL INTO LAW On July 29 President Obama signed into law a bill that establishes a national mandatory labeling standard for products containing bioengineered ingredients and pre-empts state laws setting such labeling standards. Vermont previously passed a law establishing a state standard that went into effect July 1.

The bill, S. 764, makes labeling of such products mandatory and establishes multiple avenues by which the standard can be met, including quick reference (QR) codes that connect consumers with the food companies’ web sites.

Georgia Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation supported a voluntary national labeling standard that prevents a collection of varied state laws.

SIX MORE GA COUNTIES RECEIVE DISASTER DESIGNATION DUE TO DROUGHT On July 28 the USDA designated Cherokee, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gwinnett and Murray counties as primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by a recent drought.

Fifteen other Georgia counties were designated as contiguous counties because they border on a county that has received the primary disaster area declaration. They are: Barrow, Bartow, Cobb, Dawson, DeKalb, Fulton, Gordon, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Pickens, Rockdale, Union, Walton and Whitfield counties.

Farmers in counties named either primary disaster areas or contiguous counties are eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster declaration, include the Emergency Conservation Program, the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

Since July 7, a total of 40 Georgia counties have been named primary disaster areas because of drought and another 25 have received contiguous designation.

GFB News Alert page 4 of 8 TIPS TO BEAT THE HEAT WHILE WORKING ON THE FARM We all know it’s been hot, and because it’s summer in Georgia, it’s reasonable to anticipate continued heat for several more weeks. According to University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist Pam Knox, most locations around the state are approaching historically high numbers of days with temperatures exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Drought conditions persist in more than three-fourths of the state’s counties, causing agricultural production problems. Forty counties have already received federal disaster declarations due to drought.

Along with the production issues, the heat and sun present serious human health concerns, and for farmers and their employees this is compounded by the fact that much of their work is done outside during daytime hours, increasing the risks of skin cancer, heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps or heat rash. Farmers have little choice but to continue working their fields and/or livestock, but there are several things they can do to protect themselves from the heat.

The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety has a number of recommendations for dealing with heat: • Wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep your head and face shaded. The hat should protect the neck, face and ears.

• Wear a long-sleeved shirt at all times. It should be light-colored and loose fitting except when working around machinery.

• Carry water with you and take drinks every 15 minutes. According to the Farm Bureau Safety and Health Network, if you feel thirsty you’re already becoming dehydrated.

• Take frequent breaks in the shade or in a cool environment during the hottest times of the day.

• Use sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

For more information about farm safety topics, visit www.necas.org.

MONSANTO REJECTS CASH OFFER FROM BAYER Bayer AG made an all-cash offer of $125 per share plus a $1.5 billion reverse antitrust break fee to buy U.S.-based Monsanto, but on July 19 the Monsanto Company board of directors rejected the offer.

In a company press release, Monsanto indicated its board viewed the offer as financially inadequate but remained open to continuing talks on a possible sale to Bayer.

Bayer, based in Germany, expressed disappointment while looking forward to continued dialogue between the two companies through a press release.

Bayer made its case for a merger on the website www.advancingtogether.com, noting that pairing its crop protection products with Monsanto’s seeds and traits would create “an innovation powerhouse to address farmers’ future needs.”

GFB News Alert page 5 of 8 AGAWARE FREE AGRICULTURE FINANCE TRAINING Aug. 5 Screven County Agricultural Center 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sylvania Sept. 23 Gordon County Ag Center 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Calhoun These workshops are for young, beginning and small farmers. Young farmers are defined as those 35 years of age or younger; beginning farmers are defined as those having 10 years or less of experience; and small farmers are defined as those having annual gross agricultural sales of $250,000 or less. Topics covered include: balance sheets, income statements, family finance & family budgeting and business plan. The workshops also offer videos on recordkeeping, marketing, and technology. The AGAware educational program is also certified for FSA Direct Borrower Training Credit.

To register for the Sylvania workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawaresylvania. To register for the Calhoun workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawarecalhoun.

8TH ANNUAL DEEP SOUTH STOCKER CONFERENCE Aug. 4-5 Carroll Co. Ag Center Carrollton This conference for cattle producers in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi will include a combination of seminars, demonstrations and tours of cattle farms. Seminar topics include: Beef Cattle Outlook, Stocker Marketing Options, Veterinarian Feed Directive and Feedlot Feedback.

Demonstrations will cover necropsy and understanding the impacts of respiratory disease and properly administering drugs, Animal Disease Chute-side and understanding when to treat cattle and techniques to improve treatment response and many others. Conference cost is $100 and includes all of the seminars, demonstrations, notebook, tour, lunch both days and dinner. To register or for more information visit www.DeepSouthStocker.com or call your local Extension office at 1800-ASK-UGA-1.

COTTON GINNING COST-SHARE PROGRAM Aug 5 deadline to sign up Eligible producers can receive a one-time cost share payment, which will be based on a producer's 2015 cotton acres reported to the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), multiplied by 40 percent of the average ginning cost for each production region. The program estimates the costs based on planting of cotton in 2015. Since the local FSA offices already have this information for the vast majority of eligible producers, the applications will be able to use existing data. Sign-up for the program is at local FSA offices and payments will be processed as applications are received. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. For more on the ginning assistance program visit http://tinyurl.com/ginassist.

JOINT AGRICULTURE CHAIRMEN’S AG ISSUES SUMMIT Aug. 9 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter 10 a.m.

Perry This meeting, led by Georgia House Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McCall and Georgia Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Wilkinson, will cover a variety of issues important to agriculture, including water resource planning, the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE), agriculture and forestry survey and others. Lunch is sponsored by Georgia Farm Bureau, the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Georgia Poultry Federation, Georgia Urban Agriculture Council and the Georgia Forestry Association. Space is limited and an RSVP is required by Aug. 5. To register contact Leigh Goff at 404-656-5099 or leigh.goff@house.ga.gov or Taylor Hartshorn at 404-463-5257 or taylor.hartshorn@senate.ga.gov.

GFB News Alert page 6 of 8 VIDALIA ONION COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS Aug. 17 deadline for nominations The Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC) is accepting nominations for four members and four alternates to serve on its board of directors. The board administers the Vidalia onion federal marketing order. Terms are two years and members are limited to three consecutive terms on the board. In order to serve on the board nominees must be in good standing with the VOC, be registered with the state as a Vidalia onion grower or an employee of a registered grower. Voting will take place Sept. 15 at the VOC office. Only walk-in ballots will be accepted; no absentee ballots will be accepted. To receive a nomination form or for more information contact Susan Waters at swaters@vidaliaonion.org or 912-537-1918.

GFB ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR COMMODITY COMMITTEES Georgia Farm Bureau is taking nominations for members to serve on its commodity advisory committees. These committees serve in an advisory capacity to the GFB president, board and staff to implement Farm Bureau Policy. They also make recommendations to the GFB Policy Development Committee pertaining to their commodity. All county Farm Bureaus may nominate members to serve on a commodity advisory committee for a one-year term. Every county is encouraged to review their candidates and make nominations to each committee for commodities grown in the county. A person can only be nominated to serve on one committee.

The chairperson will be appointed for a one-year term, and will serve on the G F B Policy Development Committee. Nomination forms are available at county Farm Bureau offices. The deadline to submit nominations is Aug. 19.

BAYER BEE CARE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD Aug. 19 deadline to apply Bayer Crop Science Division is seeking nominations for its fourth annual Bee Care Community Leadership Award. The 2016 program recognizes a partnership between a beekeeper and a grower whose collaboration protects pollinators and benefits their community. The award provides a $6,000 grant to the winners to be used in support of a community partnership that demonstrates how beekeepers and growers are working together to promote and protect pollinators. Any beekeeper and grower pair that has created a partnership that promotes bee health in their community may apply. To apply, obtain an application at http://tinyurl.com/bayerbeeaward.

AGRICULTURE LABOR RELATIONS FORUM & TRAINING Nov. 1-2 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton Georgia Farm Bureau is collaborating with the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) for this forum, which will provide an in-depth overview and training on labor rules and regulations for growers, office managers, and other office personnel who handle the administrative and human resource reporting duties for farm and business operations. The conference will provide attendees with resources to comply with existing labor rules and regulations. This conference is not a discussion about immigration policy reform. Anticipated topics include: Preparing for a wage and hour audit; what’s new with worker protection standards; how to decide whether to use the H-2A program; clarification of the I-9 process; transportation guidelines and employer health care compliance. Forum registration costs are $150. For more information visit http://gfvga.org/georgia-ag-labor-relations-forum/ or call the GFVGA at 706845-8200.

GFB News Alert page 7 of 8 ONGOING FARM BUREAU-SPONSORED FARMERS MARKETS HENRY COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays through August Henry County Farm Bureau 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

McDonough Drop by the Henry County Farm Bureau office at 117 Racetrack Road in McDonough to buy fresh vegetables, fruits, honey and crafts from local farmers. Call Jean Dykes at 770-957-2608 for more information.

MONROE FARMERS MARKET Saturdays until Oct. 8 Court Street 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Monroe This market, sponsored in part by Walton County Farm Bureau, will feature fresh produce and goods from local farmers, work from local artisans and family friendly activities. For more information visit www.monroedowntownfarmersmarket.com COBB COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays Lost Mountain Park 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

Powder Springs Cobb County Farm Bureau (CCFB) in cooperation with Cobb County Parks and Recreation will host this farmers market. CCFB is offering vendor space to farmers, growers, and producers in Cobb and surrounding counties, with the goal of offering locally grown produce and food to the community and to engage the community about where their food comes from as well as support Cobb County farmers. Each vendor must be a member of Farm Bureau. Vendor fees will be waived in lieu of this membership. For more information contact Debbie Payne at dmpayne@gfb.org or 770-943-3531.

ROCKDALE/DEKALB FARM BUREAU FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. – noon Thursdays 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

The Rockdale/DeKalb Farm Bureau Farmers Market will be open at 1400 Parker Rd. SE in Conyers. The public is invited to stop by and shop for fresh locally grown vegetables, dairy products, crafts and more! For more information contact the Rockdale/DeKalb County Farm Bureau office at 770-922-3566.

SHIELDS-ETHRIDGE HERITAGE FARM CULTIVATORS’ MARKET Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 15 and Nov. 19 Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

2355 Ethridge Rd. Jefferson Jackson County Farm Bureau (JCFB) is sponsoring this monthly open-air market that will allow local farmers and entrepreneurs to sell products they make or grow in a festival atmosphere.

Market will be held rain or shine. The Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm is an outdoor ag museum that functions as an educational and interpretative facility. Proceeds from the market will be used for restoration projects at the farm. If you are interested in having a booth at the market, contact JCFB Office Manager Denise Temple at dftemple@gfb.org or call 706-367-8877 or visit www.shieldsethridgefarminc.com to complete an application online.

GFB News Alert page 8 of 8 PAULDING COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS’ MARKET Thursdays through Oct. 28 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

Paulding County Farm Bureau Paulding County Farm Bureau is accepting vendors for its weekly farmers market. There is no fee to participate but vendors must be Farm Bureau members so the market qualifies as a Georgia Farm Bureau Certified Farm Market. If you would like to participate in the PCFB Farmer’s Market, please contact Tracy Grice at Paulding County Farm Bureau at 770-445-6681 or email her at tcgrice@gfb.org. Vendors may sell locally grown produce or other ag commodities or homemade crafts. Paulding County Farm Bureau is located at 549 Hardee St., Dallas, GA 30132.

DODGE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET Saturdays Dodge County Courthouse 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Eastman This open-air market, sponsored in part by Dodge County Farm Bureau, features locally produced meats, vegetables, eggs and artisanal crafts. For more information contact market manager T.I. Papel at 478-374-5895 or tipapel@bellsouth.net, or visit www.facebook.com/dodgecountyfarmersmarket.