Georgia Farm Bureau News Alert - December 9, 2015

December 9, 2015

www.gfb.org

Vol. 33 No. 49

GEORGIA FARM BUREAU HOLDS 78TH ANNUAL CONVENTION Georgia Farm Bureau members honored former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, heard remarks from Gov. Nathan Deal and worked to finalize GFB’s policy for the coming year during the 78th Annual GFB Convention, held Dec. 6-8 on Jekyll Island. Approximately 1,550 people attended the threeday event, which included a trade show and commodity conferences providing farmers updates on policy and production issues impacting Georgia’s major commodities.

While delivering his annual address to Georgia Farm Bureau members, GFB President Zippy Duvall congratulated members and county staff who worked this past year to increase the organization’s membership.

Duvall “We had a statewide membership gain of nearly 7,500 members for a total of 309,378 members statewide,” Duvall said. “We not only reached quota, but we were awarded the American Farm Bureau Federation Navigator Award for significant growth in membership. I cannot tell you how pleased I am at this accomplishment.

All of our members and staff worked so hard to get to this point. Together, we made it happen!”

Duvall also thanked GFB members and Georgia’s agribusiness community for supporting the newly formed GFB Foundation for Agriculture, a non-profit charitable foundation GFB established to fund projects that will increase the public’s understanding of agriculture. The foundation has raised about $200,000 during its first year and in 2016 will award $65,000 in scholarships to students planning to pursue a career in agriculture.

Duvall pledged Farm Bureau’s continued support of two state tax programs important to the economic stability of Georgia agriculture - the Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA) program, and the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE) program. CUVA allows farmers to have their land assessed on its farm use rather than at its potential for development property while GATE allows farmers to buy some items used to produce their commodities without a sales tax.

“Protecting the integrity of CUVA is a major Farm Bureau priority,” Duvall said. “Farm Bureau has also worked to educate our members about the proper use of the GATE card. We will continue to support the proper use of the GATE card by farmers.”

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GFB News Alert page 2 of 9 CONVENTION, continued On a national level, GFB is calling on Congress to reform Section 179 of the IRS tax code to permanently set the expense amount farmers and small business owners may depreciate in one year at $500,000 indexed to inflation.

“The problem is that over the last several years, the level of expense depreciation has varied from $25,000 in one year to $500,000 the next year. Farmers and small businesses cannot plan in such an unstable environment.”

Duvall explained that a permanent level of $500,000 indexed to inflation would allow farmers and small businesses to pay fewer taxes and encourage more capital investment, which would spur economic growth and create jobs.

One of the biggest long-term challenges agriculture faces is the gradual loss of private property rights, Duvall said. Duvall said GFB continues to defend private property rights in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers enacting a rule in August commonly called “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) that greatly expands the agencies’ authority to regulate water on private property.

Last year GFB conducted a statewide “Ditch the Rule” campaign that resulted in 15,558 comments being submitted to the EPA urging the agencies to withdraw the proposed rule. GFB is currently collecting comments from its members and landowners encouraging Congress to defund the rule. The agencies are temporarily prohibited from enforcing the rule under an order from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The postcards, which are available in all county Farm Bureau offices, will be delivered to key congressional leaders in January.

American Farm Bureau Federation Senior Director of Regulatory Relations Don Parrish gave a brief update on the WOTUS rule, noting that it extends regulatory authority beyond the intentions of Congress and judicial precedent.

“Farmers and ranchers support sustainability, support clean water. Our crops, our livestock our families depend on it,” Parrish said. “This rule, however, is about much more. It’s about the EPA pushing its tentacles out into private property.”

Chambliss was presented a framed proclamation approved by the GFB Board of Directors in appreciation of his advocacy for agriculture in Congress.

Chambliss served as a key author for past farm bills while serving first on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee from 1995-2002 and then the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, which he chaired from 2005-2007 and served as the ranking member of the committee from 2007-2011.

“You stood by me and showed your great support and I will never forget that. For all the great thank-yous that you gave Julieanne and me, we cannot thank you enough,” Chambliss said.

Deal spoke about the state’s efforts to assist farmers and agribusinesses and its educational initiatives.

The ag efforts include the Feral Hog Control Act, which Deal signed into law in May. The law places limits on transporting feral hogs within the state and allowing hunters greater latitude to kill nuisance wildlife, including feral hogs, which are causing extensive property damage and carry diseases that threaten livestock.

Deal discussed expanded technical college training programs in 11 different vocations with the goal of providing skilled workers in developing industries around the state, as well as the appointment of the Educational Reform Commission that will work with the Georgia legislature to seek ways to keep the state’s top teachers in the classroom.

“I’d like to see us come up with something to keep our best teachers in the classroom so they don’t feel they have to move up to being an assistant principal to get a pay raise,” Deal said.

GFB News Alert page 3 of 9 GFB DELEGATES ELECT STATE OFFICERS Georgia Farm Bureau voting delegates elected the organization’s 2016 board of directors Dec. 8 during the 78th Annual GFB Convention held on Jekyll Island.

GFB members in the organization’s Middle Georgia Region re-elected Robert Fountain Jr. of Emanuel County to represent their region on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors for another three-year term. The GFB Middle Georgia Region is comprised of 56 counties in the mid-part of the state running from the Alabama to the South Carolina state lines. Fountain has held the position since 2009 and previously held the position from 1997 to 2006. He is the third generation to own his family’s farm located in Emanuel and Johnson counties. Fountain raises cattle, hay, timber, small grains and pecans.

GFB voting delegates re-designated Gerald Long of Decatur County as the organization’s 1st vice president as he begins serving the third year of his third, three-year term as South Georgia vice president. Long and his family raise cattle and grow peanuts, vegetables, corn, cotton, hay, small grains and timber on their farm near Bainbridge.

GFB President Zippy Duvall begins the second year of his fifth, two-year term as president of the state’s largest general farm organization. Duvall is running for president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. If Duvall is elected on Jan. 12 during the AFBF convention in Orlando, Fla., he will resign as GFB president, and Long will serve as GFB president until December 2016 at which time GFB members would elect the next GFB president.

Bernard Sims of Catoosa County is beginning the second year of his third, three-year term as North Georgia vice president. Sims, who was first elected in 2008, represents 49 counties in north Georgia. Sims, who also serves as the Catoosa County Farm Bureau president, grows turf grass, small grains, strawberries, hay and beef cattle.

In district director races, Bobby Gunter of Lumpkin County was elected to a two-year term on the GFB Board of Directors as a 2nd District director. Gunter, who is president of the Lumpkin County Farm Bureau, raises beef cattle and grows hay and corn silage on his farm. He has served as a GFB Director since 2007.

Matt Bottoms of Pike County was elected to the GFB Board of Directors representing the organization’s 5th District for a one-year term to fill a seat vacated this fall. Bottoms, who is the Pike County Farm Bureau vice president, grows a variety of fruit plants, vines and trees that he sells wholesale and via the Internet and also grows wheat, soybeans and canola.

Will Cabe of Franklin County was named chairman of the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee. Melanie Sanders of Oglethorpe County was named chairman of the Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Committee. Both will serve a one-year term as committee chairmen and will sit on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

Appointed officers of the GFB Board of Directors include Chief Operating Officer Wayne Daniel; Chief Financial Officer & Corp. Treasurer David Jolley; Chief Administrative Officer & Corp. Secretary Jon Huffmaster and General Counsel Duke Groover.

Delegates also voted on policy that will direct the organization’s stance on legislative issues pertaining to agriculture in the upcoming year.

To view photos from the GFB Convention visit http://tinyurl.com/picsgfbconv.

GFB News Alert page 4 of 9 GFB PRESENTS STATE AWARDS The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation recognized the best of the organization’s volunteers and county chapters during its 78th annual convention on Jekyll Island. The state award winners were honored for the programs they conducted this past year to promote agriculture.

“Recognizing our individual and county award winners is a highlight of Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual convention. Our county Farm Bureau volunteers have worked hard this year to educate their communities about Georgia agriculture and recruit members for our organization,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “I offer my heartfelt congratulations to all of our winners and my gratitude to all of our county volunteers for generously giving of their time to advocate for Georgia agriculture.”

Georgia Farm Bureau named a McKemie Award winner - the highest honor given to a county in recognition of its overall member programs - from each of its three membership categories.

Bacon County Farm Bureau, whose president is David Lee, received the McKemie Award for the 0 to 1,274-member division. Washington County Farm Bureau, whose president is Sidney Law, won the McKemie Award for the 1,275 to 2,150-member division. Henry County Farm Bureau, whose president is Ross McQueen, received the award in the 2,151 plus-member division. The McKemie Award is a memorial to one of the organization’s former presidents, W.J. McKemie.

Georgia Farm Bureau presented a Membership Excellence Award to a county from each of its three membership categories in recognition of the counties’ membership campaigns that resulted in membership growth.

Macon County Farm Bureau, whose president is Mike McLendon, received the GFB Membership Award for the 0 to 1,274-member division. Bibb County Farm Bureau, whose president is Jimmy Jordan, won the award for the 1,275 to 2,150-member division. Coffee County Farm Bureau, whose president is Derek Pridgen, received the award in the 2,151 plusmember division.

Other state awards presented included: Outstanding Promotion & Education Award received

by Henry County Farm Bureau; Outstanding Women’s Leadership Committee Award received

by Chattooga County Farm Bureau; Outstanding Legislative Committee Award received by Cherokee County Farm Bureau; and Outstanding Young Farmer Committee Award received by Madison County Farm Bureau.

Jean Dykes, Henry County Farm Bureau (HCFB) office manager, received the organization’s Outstanding Office Manager Award.

Lauren Goble, a first-grade teacher in Jones County, received GFB’s Georgia Agriculture in the Classroom 2015 Teacher of the Year Award.

Paul Kelly of Jasper County won the 2015 GFB Quality Hay Contest, which was open to any Farm Bureau member who produces Bermudagrass hay. Hay entered in the contest was tested at the University of Georgia Testing Lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which predicts fiber digestibility and likely animal intake of the hay. Kelly’s winning Coastal Bermuda hay had an RFQ of 142.3. He won the free use of a Vermeer TM1200 Trailed Mower for one year courtesy of the Vermeer Manufacturing Company with the option to purchase the mower at a reduced price at the end of the year.

Matt and Melissa Bottoms of Pike County were recognized as the GFB Young Farmer Achievement winners. Kyle Dekle of Habersham County was recognized as the GFB Young Farmer Discussion Meet winner and Stephanie Butcher of Coweta County won the Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture Award.

GFB News Alert page 5 of 9 GFB COMMODITY CONFERENCES PROVIDE ISSUE UPDATES Georgia Farm Bureau’s commodity advisory committees heard from experts on topics related to their commodities on Dec. 7 at the GFB Convention, including a session in the poultry conference concerning highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), antimicrobial use in livestock, ag water use and a peanut market outlook.

Julie McPeake, chief communications officer for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, gave poultry producers tips for handling media inquiries should (HPAI) be diagnosed in Georgia.

“The main key message producers should stress is that currently avian influenza is not a human health or food safety concern but a huge economic concern for the Georgia poultry industry and state of Georgia as a whole,” McPeake said. “However, the department of public health is currently monitoring the situation.”

Dr. Martin Smeltzer with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services told poultry growers at the GFB Poultry Commodity Conference that biosecurity measures, like using disinfecting footbaths before entering a poultry house, is the most important aspect to preventing HPAI. Smeltzer called the 2014-2015 outbreak of HPAI in the Midwest the worst animal disease disaster in U.S. history, noting that the USDA has spent more than $1 billion on control measures and cleanup of dead birds.

If a farm tests positive for HPAI, Smeltzer said the farm will first be quarantined, then all birds on the farm will be depopulated to prevent the virus from spreading, then the birds must be disposed of within 24 hours, and then the farm must go through a cleaning and disinfectant process before the farm can be repopulated with birds.

“If the U.S. government approves the depopulation of birds for disease control, producers will get paid for the depopulated birds but not for birds that die on their own from the disease,” Smeltzer explained. Indemnity also covers the cost of euthanasia, cost of disposal and the cost of cleanup and disinfecting the poultry houses.

Charles Batten, a member of the GFB Goats & Sheep Committee presented a plaque on behalf of the committee honoring the contributions the late Dr. Will Getz made to Georgia’s goat and sheep producers to Getz’s widow, Liz, and son, Michael. Dr. Getz, who was a professor and Extension Animal Scientist Specialist at Fort Valley State, died on July 20.

Dr. Brent Credille, associate director of the food animal health and management program at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, presented information on antimicrobial use in livestock and how it will be affected by new federal regulations. Credille discussed FDA Guidance 209 and Guidance 213. Among other things the new rules will require veterinarians to be licensed in the state in which the animals are housed and set in motion the establishment of the veterinary feed directive for antimicrobial drugs. Credille encouraged livestock producers to develop relationships with veterinarians and begin focusing on stewardship of antimicrobial medications, including decisions on whether non-antibiotic alternatives exist and selecting antibiotics that have been proven safe for a specific purpose.

Everett Williams of W Dairy in Madison provided information about a proposed federal milk marketing order (FMMO) for California milk producers. Williams noted that while California producers should be entitled to a marketing order, the FMMO they are proposing includes mechanisms that give them a competitive advantage over the rest of the country. Economic models Williams presented indicated that California producers (who produce about 20 percent of the nation's milk supply) would enjoy a $1 per hundredweight increase in the price they receive for their milk, while many of the other FMMO regions would see lower prices. Williams said

- continued GFB News Alert page 6 of 9 COMMODITIES, continued producers in Southeastern states are urging the USDA to consider economic impacts the California FMMO would have on other regions before finalizing the rule, as well as allow for adjustment of the other regions' FMMOs to reflect the provisions in the California FMMO. UGA Water Resource Management and Policy Specialist Dr. Gary Hawkins discussed water activities in UGA's College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, including assisting in the development of the state's regional water plans.

Mark Masters of the Georgia Water Planning & Policy Center at Albany State University provided an overview of current and forecast agricultural water use. Masters noted that acreage is the biggest driver of ag water demand, and that more complete information is available now than when an assessment was done in 2009 and 2010. The demand assessments include detailed acreage mapping of the Flint and Ogeechee Watersheds, a desktop survey and a review of source assumptions that were made in the previous assessment.

Andres Villegas, the new president & CEO of the Georgia Forestry Association, reviewed services the association offers timber growers.

T.E. Moye, president and chief financial officer of the Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service (FSIS), stressed the importance of the service his agency provides farmers by grading peanuts as an unbiased party. Moye said the FSIS is in the process of developing a more modern grading system and will be working with Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, the Agricultural Research Service and LMC to develop a computerized system that grades peanuts using a camera to take photos of the peanuts.

George Lovatt, president of the peanut brokerage firm Lovatt & Rushing Inc. credits the 19 percent increase in peanut acreage this year to lower corn and cotton prices, and he stressed to growers that they need to secure warehouse storage for their 2016 crop to secure a marketing assistance loan.

“The scary part about the peanut program is the lack of availability of warehouses in Georgia and north Florida. Space will be hard to come by due to the carryover from this year’s crop,” Lovatt said. “In Texas they will have a surplus of warehouses. South Carolina and North Carolina may not have warehouse problems because of the floods that destroyed a large part of their crop.”

Despite the marketing and storage challenges that a large peanut crop poses, Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, pointed out positives the peanut industry is experiencing.

“We’ve got more new peanut products on the market than ever before,” Koehler said. He also pointed to the market potential China and Japan present and the need third-world countries have for peanut-based nutritional supplements.

“We can’t just build more market here [in the U.S.] because 94 percent of U.S. households are buying peanut butter. We need new markets,” Koehler said. Koehler said he thinks China is set to become a bigger importer of peanuts in the long-term because China has a hard time getting young people to return to the farm and a larger population than America.

“The millennials in China are ordering their food online, so we’re looking for ways to sell peanut products online. We also have peanuts being exported to China to be crushed for oil.”

Koehler said, noting that Japan likes U.S. peanuts because American peanut growers provide the most dependable supply of peanuts in the world.

GFB News Alert page 7 of 9 GA HOUSE DRONE STUDY COMMITTEE MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS On Dec. 1 the House Study Committee on the Use of Drones issued its recommendations for consideration in the Georgia Legislature. The committee, established under House Resolution 744 during the 2014 session of the Georgia General Assembly, held four hearings between Sept.

30 and Nov. 16 to gather information about the uses for drones and topics of concern regarding drone use. Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) chaired the committee, which included Rep. Sam Watson (R-Moultrie), a Colquitt County Farm Bureau director.

“The uses are never-ending,” Tanner said. “One of the presenters hit the nail on the head in saying that if you have a business that could benefit from using drones and don’t use them, you may soon be out of business.”

During one of the hearings the committee heard from Dr. Harald Scherm, a plant pathologist with the University of Georgia College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, who spoke about the applications of drones in agriculture. The uses included crop inspection, spraying, water stress detection and maturity estimation, as well as information about UGA’s research into agricultural drone use. The committee also heard from Eric Hendrix, co-founder of Agriview Systems, a Georgia-based robotic aircraft company. Hendrix told the committee that current regulations require line of sight flight and suggested that in the future, for larger farms, technological monitoring should take the place of the line of sight requirements.

The committee made 15 recommendations dealing with the development of the drones and innovative ways they can be used, as well as training for operators. The committee recommended several steps to help ensure public safety and individual privacy.

The full report can be viewed online at http://tinyurl.com/dronecmte.

USDA APPOINTS PEANUT STANDARDS BOARD Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed three producers and three industry representatives to serve on the Peanut Standards Board. All six members will serve on the board through June 30, 2018. Their appointments are effective immediately.

Secretary Vilsack selected producer Carl Sanders of Brundidge, Ala., and industry representative Ann D. King of Douglas, Ga., to represent the Southeast Region; producer Jimbo Grissom of Seminole, Texas, and industry representative Shelly Nutt of Lubbock, Texas, to represent the Southwest Region; and producer Lee Swinson of Warsaw, N.C., and industry representative Carl Gray of Courtland, Va., to represent the Virginia-North Carolina Region.

USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the U.S. peanut industry.

All eligible women, minorities, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to seek nomination for a seat on the Peanut Standards Board.

The Peanut Standards Board is made up of eighteen members representing the Southeast Region, which covers Alabama, Georgia and Florida; the Southwest Region, covering Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico; and the Virginia-North Carolina Region. One third of the board is appointed each year. The Peanut Standards Board is authorized under the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. USDA consults with the board to establish or change quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts.

For more information about the board and USDA’s partnership with the peanut industry, visit www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/peanut-standards-board or contact the Marketing Order and Agreement Division by phone: 863-324-3375.

GFB News Alert page 8 of 9 GEORGIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION FORESTRY FORWARD SERIES Dec. 10 James-Bates-Brannan-Groover LLP Macon Dec. 15 TOOHOLLY Tree Farm Oliver Dec. 17 Half Moon Café Rome Jan. 7, 2016 Oxbow Meadows Columbus Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) members and those who depend on Georgia’s working forests are encouraged to attend the local, reception-style events to learn more about the priorities of the GFA and the challenges facing working forest landowners and the forest industry. GFA is also partnering with Dr. Dale Greene, dean of the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, for the Athens and Columbus events.

Attendees at those events will have the chance to meet Dr. Greene and learn about the future of the Warnell School. Space is limited at each event. To RSVP visit www.eventbrite.com/o/georgia-forestry-association-7811066383.

WETLANDS, AG CONSERVATION EASEMENTS The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting enrollment for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). To be considered for the fiscal year 2016 program, applications must be submitted by Dec. 18. ACEP, created through the 2014 farm bill, has two components, known as Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) and Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE). ACEP combines NRCS’ former Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP).

Applications are available at your local USDA Service Center and at www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted. For more information about ACEP and other farm bill programs in Georgia, visit http://www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov.

GEORGIA PEANUT COMMISSION NOMINATION MEETINGS Dec. 21 Dist. 5, Macon County Extension office 10 a.m.

Oglethorpe Dec. 21 Dist. 4, Bleckley County Farm Bureau 2 p.m.

Cochran Dec. 22 Dist. 2, Tift County Farm Bureau 11 a.m.

Tifton These nomination meetings are for the purpose of filling three positions on the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) Board of Directors. Georgia Farm Bureau will conduct the meetings during which peanut producers will nominate peers to represent the Peanut Commission’s Districts 2, 4 and 5. The terms of the commission members who currently represent these districts expire in May 2016. The Georgia peanut production area is divided into five districts based on acreage distribution and geographical location with one board member representing each district. Each nominee must produce peanuts and live within the district for which he or she is nominated. Any peanut producer may be nominated or make nominations at the meeting for the peanut district in which he or she lives. Incumbents are eligible for renomination. If more than one person is nominated, an election will be conducted by mail ballot at a date to be announced. Commission by-laws state that a person must receive a majority of the votes cast for a position in order to be elected to the board. If only one person qualifies for the position, no election is required and the nominated person automatically becomes a member of the Georgia Peanut Commission Board.

Commission members serve terms of three years. For more information contact Don McGough at 478-474-8411 or dcmgough@gfb.org.

GFB News Alert page 9 of 9 GEORGIA PEANUT FARM SHOW Jan. 21, 2016 UGA Tifton Conference Center Tifton This annual event organized by the Georgia Peanut Commission runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Attendees will have the chance to view more than 100 exhibits in the trade show, attend educational sessions, earn pesticide application certification and win numerous door prizes. A free lunch will be provided. Call 229-386-3470 or visit www.gapeanuts.com for more information.

2016 AG FORECAST MEETINGS Jan. 21 Carroll County Ag Center Carrollton Jan. 22 Unicoi State Park Cleveland Jan. 25 Cloud Livestock Facility Bainbridge Jan. 26 UGA Tifton Conference Center Tifton Jan. 27 Blueberry Warehouse Alma Jan. 29 Georgia Farm Bureau Macon 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 will be a discussion of sales tax distribution patterns and how tax reform programs, such as the Georgia Agriculture Tax Exemption (GATE) and the Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT), have affected Georgia counties. A study released by UGA earlier this year shows GATE has had little impact on most counties. UGA economists will also provide an economic outlook for 2016.

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.

GA COTTON COMMISSION ANNUAL MEETING & UGA COTTON WORKSHOP Jan. 27, 2016 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton This event begins at 8 a.m. and includes updates from state and national cotton organizations.

The annual Georgia Quality Cotton Awards will be announced after lunch. For more information call 478-988-4235 or visit http://www.georgiacottoncommission.org.