GFB News Alert - December 20, 2016

December 20, 2016

www.gfb.org

Vol. 34 No. 38

GFB HARVEST FOR ALL CAMPAIGN RAISES $20,000 FOR GA FOOD BANKS For the seventh straight year, Georgia Farm Bureau collected cash donations in its annual Harvest For All campaign, which in 2016 generated $20,000 from county Farm Bureau chapters and the state organization office.

According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), 14.9 percent of Georgia households experienced food insecurity in 2015, meaning that during the year they had periods where their diets were reduced in quality, variety or desirability, or they had disrupted eating patterns or reduced food intake. The ERS study showed food insecurity in 13.7 percent of households nationwide.

Feeding America produced a “Map the Meal Gap” report earlier this year tracking county-level hunger statistics. The report showed that 53 of Georgia’s 159 counties had food insecurity in more The next issue of than 20 percent of their households. In Calhoun, Clay, Dougherty, GFB News Alert comes out Jefferson, Macon, Randolph, Terrell and Warren counties, more than 25 on Jan. 13 percent of households experienced food insecurity in 2014, the most recent year for which statistics are cited in the Map the Meal Gap report.

“It really is heartbreaking to know that so many Georgians struggle to maintain access to food,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long (pictured, right). “Through the Harvest For All campaign, we hope to help more families acquire the food they need.”

The GFB Young Farmer Committee coordinated the 12th Annual Harvest For All Campaign.

Long and 2016 Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee Chairman Will Cabe (pictured, left) presented a check to Georgia Food Bank Association (GFBA) Regional Produce Sourcer Dustin Lard (pictured, center) during Georgia Farm Bureau’s 79th Annual Convention on Jekyll Island.

In addition to helping with purchases of high-protein foods like chicken and peanut butter, donated money helps the GFBA offset costs associated with collecting and distributing food donations.

“One of our biggest obstacles is the transportation costs of accepting produce donations,” Lard said. “We have to hire trucks to go to the farm, and their time plus the cost of the fuel is offset by cash donations like the one from Georgia Farm Bureau.”

Lard estimated that more than 1 million pounds of produce can be transported for $20,000.

The GFBA started its Farm to Foodbank program in 2014, through which it accepts food -continued

GFB News Alert page 2 of 10 Continued from previous page donations directly from farmers, who give nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables that grocery chains won’t buy for aesthetic reasons. For the third straight year Georgia’s farmers donated more than 10 million pounds of food, providing more than eight million meals, which the GFBA attributes to its affiliation with Georgia Farm Bureau.

Georgia Farm Bureau’s Harvest For All donation will have a statewide impact. The Georgia Food Bank Association distributes the funds to America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia in Savannah, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank (Food Bank of Northwest Georgia), Feeding the Valley in Columbus, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens, Golden Harvest in Augusta, the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank in Macon and Second Harvest of South Georgia in Valdosta.

Past Harvest for All campaigns have solicited direct donations of food. Since 2004, GFB has coordinated 12 Harvest For All campaigns through which GFB members across the state donated about 49,000 pounds of staple food items and more than $160,000 in cash donations distributed to the food banks located throughout Georgia affiliated with Feeding America.

“The Harvest For All campaign is a way for us to help ease the hunger many of our fellow Georgians experience,” said Cabe. “It is a significant need and we are happy to contribute. I can’t think of a better way for farmers to make a real, positive impact in their communities.”

LONDONS NAMED TO AFBF YOUNG FARMER & RANCHER COMMITEE The American Farm Bureau Federation has appointed Matthew and Kimberly London of White County to its 2017 Young Farmer & Rancher Committee.

The Londons chaired the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee in 2014. Matthew raises replacement dairy heifers, corn and hay on their family’s farm, sharing responsibilities with his father, Stanley. Kimberly is a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Their term on the YF&R Committee is for 2017-2019.

“Farm Bureau volunteer leaders, such as those selected to serve on national committees, are the backbone of our organization,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “As advocates for today’s agriculture, they play an important role in building a greater understanding between farmers and consumers.”

Matthew and Kimberly The Londons are at least the eighth Georgia couple to be named London to the committee: Mack and Jamie Crawford (Pike County, 198182); Duvall and his wife Bonnie (Greene County, 1986-87); Teel and Jeanie Warbington (Dooly County, 1991-92); Terry and Cindy England (Barrow County, 1994-96); Michael and Rebecca Williams (Bleckley County, 2001-02; Ben Boyd (Screven County, 2004-06); Leighton and Brenda Cooley (Crawford County, 2009-11) and Jake and Jennifer Carter (Henry County, 201314).

The YF&R Committee is comprised of 16 positions representing all regions of the U.S. An individual or couple may hold each committee appointment. Committee members are responsible for program planning, which includes the coordination of YF&R competitive events during AFBF’s Annual Convention each January and the Harvest for All program.

National committee members are nominated by their respective state Farm Bureaus. Learn more online: Promotion & Education, http://www.fb.org/programs/promotion-education/; and Young Farmers & Ranchers, http://www.fb.org/programs/young-farmers-and-ranchers/.

GFB News Alert page 3 of 10 OGLETREE NAMED A DIRECTOR ON ASA BOARD Spalding County Farm Bureau Vice President Brian Ogletree has been appointed to a seat on the board of directors for the American Soybean Association (ASA), the organization announced on Dec. 8 Ogletree, a former member of the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee, was one of 11 new board members announced during the ASA annual winter meeting in St. Louis.

Ogletree, a two-time finalist for the GFB Young Farmer Achievement Award, grows a variety of grain and forage crops and operates a seed-cleaning plant. He farms with his father, Bobby Ogletree, growing wheat, soybeans, browntop millet, clover, sericia lespedeza and winter peas along with maintaining a small herd of SimmAngus cattle on a total of 2,000 acres.

Ron Moore of Roseville, Illinois, assumed the role of president of the ASA for 2017. Moore served as ASA's vice president throughout 2016, and per the structure of the organization, the vice president moves into the president's role for the following year.

John Heisdorffer of Keota, Iowa, was elected vice president.

Ogletree and his wife Melissa live in Milner with their three children.

FORMER GFB BOARD MEMBER, BERTIE MAE MCDONALD DIES Bertie Mae Sargent McDonald, who served on the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Board of Directors and the American Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Committee, died on Dec. 8. She was 84. ! McDonald was a native and lifelong resident of Washington County, the daughter of the late Albert Abram Sargent and the late Virgie Mae Swint Sargent. She was preceded in death by her son, Barry A. McDonald.

She was an active member of the Bethlehem Baptist Church and served in many capacities including fifteen years as Vacation Bible School Director, Women's Missionary Union Director, Sunday School Teacher and History Committee.

McDonald served on the GFB Board of Directors from 1988-1990. Mrs. McDonald served as the GFB Woman's Committee State Chairman from 1981-1986 and on the American Farm Bureau Woman's Committee representing the southern region from 1984-1989.

Survivors include: Her husband of 66 years, Lonnie S. McDonald of Warthen; children, Lonna M. Deraney and her husband Danny of Mitchell; Ken P. McDonald and his wife Lynn of Tennille; Keith S. McDonald and his wife Robin of Warthen and Leigh M. Fitzgerald and her husband, Bobby, of Warthen; sister, Stella Sue Sargent Jackson of Sandersville; 13 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

The family suggests donations may be made to the Bethlehem Baptist Church, P. O. Box 85, Warthen, Georgia 31094. Condolences may be sent to 10072 Highway 15 North, Warthen, GA 31094.

GFB News Alert page 4 of 10 GEORGIA 4-H GETS CAMP JEKYLL FOR CHRISTMAS Georgia 4-Hers and youth got an early Christmas present Dec. 5 when Gov. Nathan Deal, Jekyll Island Authority Board members and state 4-H officials dedicated the new Camp Jekyll facility. Starting in February, the facility will host Georgia 4-H Environmental Education programs, 4-H and sports camps for Georgia youth.

Located on the southern end of Jekyll Island, Camp Jekyll replaces the former Jekyll Island 4-H Youth & Learning Center. The facility sits on 15.98 acres and includes two 64-bed cabins, four 32-bed cabins, a 14-bed staff cabin with two private apartments, a 300-seat dining hall, a 300-seat auditorium, two outdoor pavilions, a historical pavilion that marks Georgia's first African American beach, a volleyball and a basketball court.

Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) Executive Director Jones Hooks welcomed dedication ceremony attendees.

“Georgia companies were used to build this facility and landscape it. I’m proud to report that this project is both on budget and on schedule,” Hooks said. “Camp Jekyll hasn’t lost any of its spirit, which is a compliment to the Georgia legislators who passed legislation in 2007 to protect the south end of Jekyll Island’s beach from development.”

Hooks said Camp Jekyll – a $17 million project - consists of 12 new buildings and is not just a renovation of the former camp previously located on the site. The only refurbished building at the camp is the historic pavilion that was part of Jekyll Island’s St. Andrews Beach, the first public beach in Georgia that welcomed African Americans in 1955. The pavilion houses the Camp Jekyll gift shop and canteen and includes a covered space for dances or gatherings.

Georgia 4-H Leader/Director Arch Smith said it was appropriate that the dedication ceremony was held on Dec. 5 because this was the date in 2014 that the last school group visited the former facility.

“For 32 years Georgia 4-H has had great success operating a camp here on Jekyll and our environmental education program since 1987,” Smith said. “We currently have six thousand students booked to visit Camp Jekyll from February through May after the facility opens again in February.”

In addition to being home to the Jekyll Island 4-H Camp and 4-H environmental education program, Smith said Camp Jekyll will host scout groups and sport camps for football and soccer teams.

“We are grateful to Governor Deal and the Georgia General Assembly for the grants, loans and bonds they approved for the recent renovations on Jekyll Island, especially the governor’s vision that lead the way for a new era of youth education on Jekyll Island,” (JIA) Chairman Richard Royal said.

Gov. Deal shared how an impromptu tour of the former Jekyll Island 4-H campled him to ask the Georgia General Assembly to fund the new Camp Jekyll.

“In February 2013 I came to Jekyll to see the new retail center and convention center. I really wasn’t supposed to see the old 4-H center, but I did, and I was very disappointed. It was a beautiful piece of property, but the facility didn’t measure up to the assets that were there,” Deal recalled. “I don’t think Jekyll has ever enjoyed such magnificence as it is today. This facility wouldn’t have been possible without your state legislators passing votes for bond packages.

When you see them, please say thanks to them.”

-continued

GFB News Alert page 5 of 10 Continued from previous page The camp’s learning center is named for First Lady Sandra Deal, who worked as a public school teacher for years and has championed the importance of childhood reading during her time as first lady with her Read Across Georgia program.

“I’m overwhelmed but so thankful for this honor,” First Lady Deal said. “Education is the key for all of our lives and our children especially. I want every child to have the opportunity to learn. At camp they learn to be independent, to follow rules, to take responsibility, but in the process they are also having fun and here they will be learning about the sea animals. You can look at a picture in a book, but it doesn’t tell the story that walking on the beach and getting your feet wet or catching a fish does.”

Mrs. Deal said the safety features and cleanliness of the camp impressed her during her tour of the new facility.

“As a mother and grandmother, I would feel very safe knowing my child was here,” Mrs. Deal said.

For photos from the Camp Jekyll dedication ceremony visit http://bit.ly/campjekylltour.

For photos from the Camp Jekyll tour visit http://bit.ly/cjdedication.

DROUGHT COULD AFFECT SOUTH GEORGIA COVER CROPS Georgia’s recent drought led University of Georgia Cooperative Extension irrigation specialist Wes Porter to caution farmers about planting cover crops this winter. Porter said the decision to plant cover crops depends on the grower’s individual situation, according to a UGA press release.

“Growers who want to plant a cover crop to protect from erosion and other elements, as well as to keep some nutrients in the soil, should probably go ahead and do it,” Porter said. “It’s a risk because we don’t know when it will rain, and it could potentially be a waste of money.”

Although south Georgia received its first significant rain in more than two months the last week in November and first week in December, the soil is still dry in some fields. For cover crops to be effective, they’ll need moisture. Porter believes irrigation could also be useful, although many ponds that are used for irrigation are very low.

“Growers may want to run a pivot over the top of their cover crops to get them emerged and growing,” Porter said. “Light irrigation to help get the cover crop established so it can do its job might be recommended this year because of the drought. I have heard many producers saying that they have planted a cover crop that still hasn’t emerged due to the lack of rainfall and soil moisture.”

Farmers normally plant cover crops in the winter to trap moisture in the soil from winter rain.

Cover crops also protect against soil erosion, keep weeds from growing and restore nutrients in the ground.

While growers don’t put a lot of resources into cultivating cover crops, they will sometimes apply a little fertilizer to get the crops started.

There is no real alternative to cover cropping that accomplishes the same job, according to Porter.

Porter said putting some resources into cover cropping may be beneficial in the long term, but growers should know where to draw the line.

“I definitely would not put the same resources into a cover crop as I would my typical row crops that I’m trying to produce,” Porter said.

GFB News Alert page 6 of 10 MORE GA COUNTIES RECEIVE DROUGHT DISASTER DECLARATIONS On Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 the USDA issued disaster declarations for a total of 16 Georgia counties to help farmers mitigate their losses due to ongoing drought conditions.

The following counties received primary designations on Dec. 2: Dodge, Glascock, Jefferson, Johnson, Miller and Mitchell. The following counties received primary designation on Dec. 9: Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Grady, Irwin, Thomas and Tift.

The following counties qualify for USDA disaster assistance programs because they are contiguous to a primary county named in the Dec. 2 designation: Baker, Bleckley, Burke, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Emanuel, Grady, Hancock, Laurens, McDuffie, Pulaski, Richmond, Seminole, Telfair, Thomas, Treutlen, Wilcox, Wilkinson and Worth.

The following counties qualify for USDA disaster assistance programs because they are contiguous to a primary county named in the Dec. 9 designation: Atkinson, Coffee, Decatur, Lincoln, Lowndes, McDuffie, Mitchell, Richmond, Telfair, Turner, Wilcox and Worth.

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 more information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

TRUMP NOMINATES OKLA ATTORNEY GENERAL TO LEAD EPA On Dec. 8 President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a Trump press release.

The move drew praise from American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

“President-elect Trump’s selection of Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency is welcome news to America’s farmers and ranchers—in fact, to all who are threatened

by EPA’s regulatory overreach—and should help provide a new degree of fairness for U.S. agriculture,” Duvall said in a prepared statement. “We anticipate that as EPA administrator, Pruitt will listen to our concerns and those of others who work with the nation’s natural resources on a daily basis. Agriculture is a profession based on a solid ethic of conservation. It helps guide everything we do, and we expect that Pruitt will understand that in regulatory matters dealing with agriculture and the environment.”

The President-elect said Pruitt brings expertise in Constitutional law and understands the impact of regulations on both the environment and the economy.

Pruitt was one of dozens of state attorneys general – including Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens - who filed suit against the EPA in 2015 to halt the agency from implementing the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.

GFB News Alert page 7 of 10 CULPEPPER TO SERVE ON EPA SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD University of Georgia Cooperative Extension weed scientist Stanley Culpepper will soon share his expertise with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board.

Culpepper, an agronomist on the UGA Tifton Campus, is one of 19 scientists recently chosen for the board’s Agriculture Science Committee, according to a UGA press release. While working with the EPA, Culpepper will provide advice on matters that have significant and direct impacts on farming and agriculture-related industries.

“My goal in helping our amazing farmers feed and clothe the world will not change with this new appointment,” Culpepper said. “In fact, this position will foster an even stronger relationship with the EPA, enhancing our ability to help them in the use of sound science and practical experience when making decisions that impact agriculture.”

Stanley Culpepper He views his appointment as a way to improve the agricultural community’s communication with the EPA, which he said will help the EPA better understand potential issues faced by American farmers.

Culpepper stresses the critical need to continually strive for improvement in agriculture. “If science insists that a certain approach needs adjusting, then we should welcome the opportunity to lead the research in addressing the challenge,” Culpepper said.

Although he embraces his new position, Culpepper is quick to point out the huge responsibility that comes with his appointment. He believes that to be successful, he must not attempt to tackle this new responsibility alone.

“Tapping into an amazing wealth of knowledge from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents, growers, university administrators and other agricultural entities is the key,” Culpepper said.

Culpepper joined UGA Extension on the Tifton Campus in 1999. During his award-winning career, he has been instrumental in finding ways to combat glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, a weed that seriously threatens Georgia’s cotton production, and finding alternatives to the pesticide methyl bromide for Georgia’s vegetable industry. Culpepper has also been on the front lines, educating growers on the importance of targeted pesticide applications.

“I can’t say enough about Dr. Culpepper’s value to UGA Extension and growers in Georgia.

He is dedicated to helping Georgia producers be more productive in their farming operations by providing valuable education and helping them be better managers of the resources at their disposal. I have no doubt he will continue that same impact in his new role with the Environmental Protection Agency,” said Laura Perry Johnson, UGA associate dean for Extension.

Perhaps nothing is more valuable to Culpepper than his childhood growing up on a bicentennial family farm in North Carolina. He knows what it takes to be a successful farmer and hopes to provide a different perspective to the EPA Science Advisory Board.

“Hopefully, I can take that family-farm perspective and help those who are a little unfamiliar with our way of life better understand the complexities and difficulties farmers face each day,” Culpepper said. “In my experience as a weed scientist, working with the EPA to address significant issues facing our farmers has been almost all positive; a little painful at times, but still positive for agriculture, for me and I think even for the EPA. I look forward to doing an even better job in the future.”

GFB News Alert page 8 of 10 MONSANTO APPROVES MERGER WITH BAYER, GETS DICAMBA APPROVAL Monsanto Company announced on Dec. 13 that its shareholders approved the sale of Monsanto to Bayer, clearing the way for the two companies to move forward in their merger, which combines Monsanto seed and trait products with Bayers’s crop protection products into one company.

According to company information available at www.advancingtogether.com, the new company’s global seeds and traits division will be headquartered in St. Louis, while the global crop protection division will be headquartered in Monheim, Germany.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Monsanto’s XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip Technology, a low-volatility dicamba herbicide, for incrop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and Bollgard II XtendFlex® cotton. This significant milestone will provide farmers the opportunity to utilize dicamba in the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System in 2017. Georgia is one of 34 states included in the approval, which became effective Dec. 8.

The approved label includes several restrictions. For example, aerial application is not allowed, nor is application of the herbicide when rain is expected within the next 24 hours.

To view the entire label, visit https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPP-20160187-0957.

GFB News Alert page 9 of 10 GA PECAN GROWERS SEEKING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dec. 23 deadline to apply The Georgia Pecan Growers Association, Inc. (GPGA) is conducting a search for an executive director. The position becomes available January 1, 2017. Responsibilities of the executive director position include: Providing overall leadership for GPGA in accordance with policy established by the board of directors; overseeing the financial affairs of the association; support and coordinate with the activities of similar associations; employ and supervise staff adequate to accomplish the association’s goals; plan and execute the various association activities to include an annual conference and associated fundraising activities, website, fall field day, and communications with the membership; oversee the bi-monthly publication of the Georgia Grower Magazine; apply for and maintain state and federal grants. Position requires travel and salary is commensurate with experience. For a complete job description visit www.georgiapecan.org. Submit resume by Dec. 23, 2016 to info@georgiapecan.org or by mail to GPGA PO Box 1367, Tifton, GA 31793. GPGA is an equal opportunity employer.

2017 SE REGIONAL FRUIT & VEGETABLE CONFERENCE Jan. 5-8, 2017 Savannah International Trade Center Savannah The Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference is the largest educational conference and trade show in the Southeastern United States that brings growers, vendors and suppliers together. Anyone with an interest in specialty crop agriculture is invited to attend this event. The conference offers more than 80 hours of educational sessions and will address food safety concerns, specific commodity issues on production practices and increased yields and marketing strategies. The trade show features more than 85,000 square feet of space filled with key suppliers and growers. Full four-day registration is $155, and single-day registration rates are available. To register visit http://bit.ly/2ek9yEF. 2017 AG FORECAST MEETINGS Jan. 18 Georgia Farm Bureau Macon Jan. 19 Cobb County Civic Center Marietta Jan. 20 Carroll County Ag Center Carrollton Jan. 23 UGA Conference Center Tifton Jan. 24 Decatur County Ag Center Bainbridge Jan. 25 Toombs County Ag Center Lyons Jan. 26 Burke County Office Park Waynesboro Jan. 27 Georgia Center for Continuing Education Athens This annual series is supported by an endowment from Georgia Farm Bureau with support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Agribusiness Council. The keynote topic for the Jan. 18, 23, 24, 25 and 26 meetings will be a farm bill update given by Bob Redding. The keynote topic for the Jan. 19, 20 and 27 meetings will be the Veterinary Feed Directive, given by Dr. Brent Credille of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. Check-in for all of the meetings, except Tifton, begins at 9 a.m. with seminars starting at 10 a.m. followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m.

Check-in for the Tifton event starts at 7 a.m., breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m. followed by the seminar from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Cost is $30 per person or $200 for a table of eight. Advance registration is required.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.georgiaagforecast.com, call 706-583-0347 or email carlam@uga.edu. Follow the meetings on Facebook.com/UGACAES or on Twitter @UGA_CollegeofAg and join the conversation with #AgForecast.

GFB News Alert page 10 of 10 41ST ANNUAL GEORGIA PEANUT FARM SHOW AND CONFERENCE Jan. 19, 2017 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Tifton The one-day show is free and open to all farmers and industry representatives to attend. !Attendees will have the opportunity to visit with more than 100 agribusinesses and organizations in the peanut and agricultural industry. Farmers will be able to earn private and commercial pesticide applicators' certification, as well as learn about cutting-edge research and developments during the University of Georgia Peanut Production Seminar and industry-wide sponsored Peanut Seed Seminar. ! The Georgia Peanut Commission, in cooperation with OneBlood, will host a blood drive from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. during the show. At the close of the day, there will be nearly $10,000 in door prizes presented to farmers, as well as a grand door prize, vendor products, certificates and equipment. !For more information on the show, contact the Georgia Peanut Commission office at 229-386-3470. Information is also available online at www.gapeanuts.com.

GA COTTON COMMISSION ANNUAL MEETING & UGA COTTON WORKSHOP Jan. 25, 2017 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton This event begins at 8 a.m. and features presentations from key industry stakeholders as well as the Georgia Quality Cotton Awards. For more information call 478-988-4235 or visit http://www.georgiacottoncommission.org.

OLD SOUTH FARM MUSEUM HOG KILLING DEMONSTRATION !Feb. 11, 2017 Old South Farm Museum, 8750 Manchester Hwy. Woodland This event will demonstrate how hogs were once harvested and the products made from them.

The program begins at 8:30 a.m. and includes a meat-curing class and demonstrations on making various pork products. Observers may attend and receive sausage for $12 per person. Workshop participants receive a hands-on experience and between 10 and 15 pounds of pork products for $35 per person. Deadline to register is Jan. 28. For more information or to register, contact Paul Bulloch at 706-975-9136 or visit http://www.oldsouthfarm.com.

FARMERS ALMANAC FARMER OF THE YEAR CONTEST Jan. 31, 2017 deadline for nominations Farmers' Almanac, in partnership with the American Farm Bureau Federation, is searching for three farmers or ranchers to be recognized as “Farmers' Almanac Farmer of the Year.” The contest seeks to recognize and share the dedication, hard work and contributions farmers make to our world and society. Nominations must highlight, in 300 words or less, the following criteria: Supporting the Tradition - How long has the nominee been in their field? How did he or she get involved in agriculture and why? - Innovation in Agriculture: How the nominee has embraced technology or new ways of farming and ranching; Community Involvement - How has the nominee engaged his/her community to support agriculture and/or teach more about farming overall; and Inspiration - How the nominee is a true leader in agriculture and deserves to be recognized. All nominations must be received by Jan. 31, 2017, and must be submitted online at www.FarmersAlmanac.com/FarmeroftheYear.