January 15, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 2
GFB MEMBERS TRAVEL TO SAN ANTONIO FOR AFBF CONVENTION Almost 200 Georgia Farm Bureau members attended the 95th Annual American Farm Bureau Federation Convention held Jan. 12-15 in San Antonio, Texas. AFBF President Bob Stallman, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, “Duck Dynasty’s” Alan Robertson and retired Gen. Stan McChrystal addressed convention attendees. Stallman, a rice and cattle farmer from Texas, welcomed the 7,000 Farm Bureau members attending the event to his home state and reviewed the status of national legislation impacting agriculture such as the farm bill, Water Resources Development Act and labor legislation. Vilsack called on Congress to pass a new farm bill saying it is vital not only for farmers but to the other 99 percent of the U.S. who depend on farmers to grow their food. “Every American should be concerned about the farm bill and contact their representatives saying the farm bill needs to be done,” Vilsack said. Robertson, the oldest son of America’s favorite duckhunting family, said that after serving as a pastor for 22 years, he decided to join the family’s TV show to share his message of faith with a larger audience. McChrystal, who commanded U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan before retiring as a four-star general in 2010, discussed leadership and the importance of adapting to change to ensure survival and success. “I appreciate all of our members who took time off from their farms to attend this convention and represent our state. Convention workshops offered our members the chance to hear crop forecasts and learn about new technology, such as smart phone apps and drones that could help them with their operations,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “The convention also gave our members the chance to get a national view of what’s going on in agriculture.” GFB won Awards of Excellence for its programs in the categories of Education & Outreach, Leadership Development, Member Services, Membership Initiatives, Policy Development & Implementation and Public Relations & Communications. The organization also received an Apex Award for its financial contributions to AFBF’s Foundation for Agriculture. Washington County Farm Bureau members James and Brooke Hitchcock represented Georgia in the Young Farmer & Rancher Achievement Contest at the convention. Madison County Farm Bureau member Trisha Lastly competed in the first two rounds of the YF&R Discussion Meet competition. Elbert County Farm Bureau member Clay Talton represented GFB in the Excellence in Agriculture Contest.
Leadership Alert page 2 of 7 CARTERS TO CHAIR AFBF YOUNG FARMER COMMITTEE Members of the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee elected Henry County Farm Bureau member Jake Carter as the committee’s chairman for 2014. He will take over as chairman in February, at the end of the committee’s leadership conference, and serve for one year. He will also serve a one-year term on the AFBF board of directors. Carter graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in business management. Soon after graduation, he returned to the farm and began transforming the former dairy operation into the 320-acre agritourism destination it is today. Operating as Southern Belle Farm, Carter and his wife Jennifer offer you-pick strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, a fall corn maze and educational school tours year-round. Jennifer and Jake Carter The couple has two daughters, Karson and Kennedy. As the seventh generation to farm in Henry County, Carter is passionate about connecting with consumers, especially those who have been misled about what farming is. “We need to put a face on farming and show people what we do, how we do it and why,” Carter said. “I’m very proud of Jake and Jennifer being elected to chair the American Farm Bureau YF&R Committee,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “They did a wonderful job chairing our Georgia Young Farmer Committee in 2012 and I know they will make Georgia proud as they lead the American committee. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to continue to develop their leadership skills and prepare to become the next generation of Farm Bureau leaders.” As YF&R chair, Carter said he and the committee are committed to Farm Bureau’s unique grassroots structure. They’re also looking forward to building on the success of previous young leaders. “We’re going to really focus on turning some of our big ideas into action,” he said. The YF&R program includes men and women between the ages of 18 and 35. The program’s goals are to help younger Farm Bureau members learn more about agriculture, network with other farmers and realize their full potential as leaders in ag and Farm Bureau. TOBACCO TRANSITION PARTICIPANTS TO RECEIVE FULL PAYMENTS The USDA has agreed to make the final Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP) payments in full, according to a press release from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). TTPP was established under the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act, a portion of the American Jobs Creation Act passed by Congress in 2004. McConnell was the primary author of the tobacco provision, which ended the federal tobacco marketing quota and price support loan programs for tobacco. The USDA informed growers last year that the TTPP payments would be subject to sequestration cuts of 7.2 percent, despite the fact that TTPP is not funded by taxpayer dollars and not part of the federal budget. The 2014 payments were the final scheduled payments in the 10year plan to assist former tobacco quota holders who were discontinuing tobacco production. TTPP payments are funded through assessments of approximately $10 billion on tobacco product manufacturers and importers. The program has allowed farmers to move into production of other crops.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 7 FOOD SAFETY A KEY THEME AT SE FRUIT & VEGETABLE CONFERENCE With the coming reproposal of rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference placed special emphasis on food safety. The conference, held Jan. 9-12 at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, featured educational sessions for growers of peaches, Vidalia onions, organic produce, blackberries and raspberries, muscadines, sweet corn, blueberries, strawberries and watermelons. There were also conferences on roadside markets and business operations, as well as a food safety conference. The event drew approximately 300 exhibitors and 3,016 attendees. Overall, the event offered more than 85 hours of production training, pest management information and business marketing updates. The commodity conferences for vegetables and roadside stands included presentations about food safety. The FDA has indicated it will repropose its rules under FSMA. Harrison The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) had requested a reproposal out of concern that changes following the initial comment periods would be extensive enough to warrant spending more time crafting the rules. “There were going to be so many changes that we felt the only proper way to have a good evaluation of what was changing is to actually have a second issuance of the rule,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. “We are thankful that the FDA heard us.” In a presentation at the conference for vegetables, United Fresh Produce Senior Vice President David Gombas gave an update on FSMA, reviewing the current proposed rules while noting that the reissuance of proposed rules has pushed back an already tight timeline. Gombas said there will be at least seven proposed rules to implement FSMA, with the first ones issued as early as this spring. The FDA is required to have all the rules in place by July 2015. In the first round of proposed rules, the proposal for produce safety prompted 15,000 comments. Each comment has to be read, and Gombas said only certain people at FDA can read them for the purpose of rulemaking. “To do the seven rules that we know of in that time, that’s asking a lot,” Gombas said. During the roadside stands conference, Dr. Judy Harrison of the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences reviewed the school’s survey on food safety practices at roadside markets and made suggestions on ways farmers and those markets can improve the safety of food they sell, like sanitizing surfaces that come in contact with produce, keeping the produce cool and paying attention to worker health and hygiene. “The goal with produce safety is don’t let produce get contaminated with pathogens in the first place and to handle produce in a way to minimize the growth of harmful pathogens,” Harrison said. Georgia Farm Bureau Commodities and Marketing Director Don McGough and Chalmers Mikell of South Carolina Farm Bureau co-hosted the roadside markets conference, which featured presentations on community supported agriculture, produce safety in roadside stands, field trip success stories and entrepreneurship. The educational sessions are available on DVDs. To purchase a copy, call the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association office at 706-845-0015, send an email to Kathie Suttles at ksuttles@asginfo.net or visit http://www.seregionalconference.com/DVD2.html.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 7 FSA COUNTY COMMITTEE VOTES DUE JAN. 17 Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural producers have until Jan. 17 to submit ballots for county committee elections. Ballots must be submitted to a local USDA Service Center or postmarked by that date. Eligible voters who have not received a ballot can obtain one from the USDA Service Center. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY ACCEPTING AG CDL EXEMPTION FORMS New federal highway funding legislation that went into effect on July 1 allows expanded exemptions for farmers transporting their own products, equipment or machinery, but a producer must carry a special tag or distinction on the vehicle to receive the exemption. The form may be accessed at http://gamccd.net/FarmVehicle.aspx. The form must be completed online, and the vehicle identification number (VIN) for the specific vehicle is required. No farm CDL exemptions are applicable without form TR0025 being in the vehicle. Additional information on the exemption for farm vehicles can be found at http://www.gfb.org/legislative/map21.html. 2014 GEORGIA PEANUT FARM SHOW Jan. 16 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton This annual event, presented by the Georgia Peanut Commission, will be held in Tifton for the second straight year. The Peanut Farm Show features more than 95 free exhibits, nearly $40,000 in door prizes, a free farmer lunch and pesticide applicator certification classes. For more information, visit www.gapeanuts.com. NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL ACREAGE SURVEY All U.S. cotton producers are encouraged to respond to the National Cotton Council’s annual survey of 2014 planting intentions. Growers who did not receive a questionnaire may contact the NCC via e-mail at econsurvey@cotton.org for survey instructions. Survey results will be presented during the Joint Meeting of Program Committees on Saturday morning, Feb. 8.To enhance the survey’s accuracy, producers are encouraged to respond by the Jan. 17 deadline. METRO ATLANTA BEEKEEPING SHORT COURSE Jan. 18 Atlanta Botanical Garden 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Atlanta This complete beekeeping course includes presentations for beginning and experienced beekeepers, covering entomology and botany, as well as displays of beekeeping equipment. Educational materials will be included. To register, visit http://www.metroatlantabeekeepers.org/sc_register.php. The registration fee is $95, which includes lunch and a parking pass. For more information send an email to shortcourse2014@gmail.com or call 678-597-8443. 2014 GEORGIA DAIRY CONFERENCE Jan. 20-22 Savannah Riverfront Marriott Savannah This annual conference will provide dairymen and managers significant and practical “takehome” information about a variety of on-farm and dairy business practices. A discounted room rate of $119 for single and double occupancy rooms is available, with no parking fees. Contact the hotel at 912-233-7722 or 800-285-0398 to make reservations and mention that you are with Georgia Milk Producers to get the discount. To register, please contact Farrah Newberry at 706310-0020 or gamilkproducers@gmail.com.
Leadership Alert page 5 of 7 GA. COTTON COMMISSION ANNUAL MEETING & COTTON WORKSHOP Jan. 22 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton Production workshops will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. followed by the Cotton Commission Annual Meeting, presentation of the Georgia Quality Cotton Awards during lunch and more production workshops in the afternoon. Program speakers are Mark Messura, Cotton Incorporated senior vice president of Global Marketing; Dr. Gary Adams, National Cotton Council vice president of cotton policy and economics; Ronnie Lee, Southern Cotton Growers president; Sharon P. Kane, UGA economist and Dr. Kent Wolfe, UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development director. For more information call 478-988-4235 or visit http://www.georgiacottoncommission.org. SMALL FARM OPPORTUNITY WORKSHOP Jan. 23 Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve Sapelo Island This free event for current and potential agricultural producers runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will provide sessions on irrigation basics and services provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Farm Service Agency, USDA Rural Development and the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission. Registration is required. Call 912-681-5241 or 913495-2070 to register. Note: Sapelo Island is only accessible by ferry. For more information, visit http://gaswcc.georgia.gov/region-iii#Coastal. GEORGIA WATERMELON ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING Jan. 24-26 Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort St. Simons Island This event offers watermelon growers the opportunity to learn the latest trends and techniques in watermelon growing. It includes a trade show, networking opportunities and the Watermelon Queen Competition. The educational seminar begins at 8:00 a.m. on Jan. 25, with an informal breakfast. The seminar closes with the Georgia Watermelon Association meeting led by GWA President Rich Chastain. The seminar is open to all growers and there is no registration fee. For more information, contact Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Watermelon Association, at (877) 994-3842 or chall@asginfo.net, or visit http://www.georgiawatermelonassociation.org. AG FORECAST MEETINGS Jan. 24 Georgia Farm Bureau Macon Jan. 27 Georgia Center for Continuing Education Athens Jan. 28 Toombs County Agri-Center Lyons Jan. 29 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton Jan. 30 Cloud Livestock Facility Bainbridge Jan. 31 Clarence Brown Conference Center Cartersville Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. Seminar runs from 10 a.m. to noon followed by a networking lunch, with the exception of the Tifton and Bainbridge meetings, which feature breakfast at 7:30 a.m. followed by the seminar from 8 to 9:30 a.m. UGA economists will give the annual ag economic outlook and guest speakers, including experts on farm succession planning. Registration fee is $30 per person for $200 for a table of eight. Advance registration is required by Jan. 22, 2014. For more information or to register, visit http://www.georgiaagforecast.com, call 706-583-0347 or send an email to carlam@uga.edu. Follow the meetings on Twitter @GaAgForecast and join the conversation with #agforecast.
Leadership Alert page 6 of 7 NW GEORGIA FORAGE WORKSHOP Jan. 28 Gordon County Ag Service Center 9:15 a.m. – 2:30 pm. Calhoun This free workshop includes continuing education units (CEU) for private and commercial pesticide applicators in category 21. Speakers include Dr. Dennis Hancock, who will speak about forage establishment, Dr. Patrick McCullough, who will speak about winter weed control and Dr. Will Hudson, who will discuss insects in forages. A sponsored meal will be provided. Please register by Jan. 24 by contacting the Gordon County Extension at 706-629-8685 or gbowman@uga.edu. 2013 BAYER CROPSCIENCE COTTON BELT CHALLENGE This achievement program recognizes growers who plant a minimum of 50 acres of FiberMax or Stoneville cotton seed. Growers enter by filling out an official entry form and submitting their gin receipts. Deadline to enter is Feb 3. Entry forms are available at http://tinyurl.com/md6oscb. Winners will be recognized in two categories: highest yield and highest quality, in 12 different regions, for both irrigated and dryland cotton. All regional irrigated and dryland winners in the yield and fiber quality categories will receive 10,000 Innovation Plus points – a $500 value. From those regional winners there will be two grand prize drawings – one for irrigated and one for dryland – for a custom 4WD Bad Boy Buggies Ambush vehicle. For more information visit http://www.cottonbeltchallenge.us. UGA COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE VETCAMP 2014 July 13-19 University of Georgia Athens Registration is being accepted through Feb. 5 for this camp, which is open to current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors who would like to experience veterinary medicine as a potential career path. The on-site program offers participants opportunities for observation of and participation in the various services in the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center and the College’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories. Scholarships or financial assistance are available to students with demonstrated need. Students who wish to be considered for the program must complete a registration packet that includes a registration form, a teacher/counselor recommendation form, and an essay; an official high school transcript must also be submitted. The packet may be downloaded from the VetCAMP website at http://www.vet.uga.edu/GO/camp. For more information about the program, contact Lakecia Pettway at lpettway@uga.edu or 706-542-8411, or see the program’s website. 2014 SOYBEAN/SMALL GRAIN EXPO Feb. 7 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry Soybean and small grain producers, users and buyers are invited to this free event, which will provide up-to-date marketing projections and the newest production techniques, as well as remarks from University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences leaders. Presentations include a world outlook for Southern ag commodities from Dr. Nathan Smith, techniques in kudzu bug control from Dr. Phillip Roberts, a farm bill update from AFBF Economist John Anderson and a soybean production update from Dr. David Wright. The program is sponsored by Georgia Farm Bureau, Ogletree Farms, Georgia Seed Development, Tillman and Deal AG Services, AGSouth Genetics LLC, Heart of Georgia Peanut and Gin Co., Plantation Seed Conditioners Inc., Quality Gin Inc., Milner Farms and Syngenta. For more contact the Georgia/Florida Soybean Association at 706-542-3793.
Leadership Alert page 7 of 7 USDA FARM AND RANCH IRRIGATION SURVEY The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is conducting the national Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey. Farmers, ranchers and horticulture producers across the United States will begin receiving the survey today in the mail asking them to provide information about their water use and irrigation practices, with responses due by Feb. 10. The results of the survey help in the development of improved technology, better equipment and more efficient water use practices. The survey is conducted as part of the Census of Agriculture program, and just as with the 2012 Census, the responses are mandatory under U.S. law. The same law also ensures that NASS will maintain all individual responses completely confidential. For more information about the Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey, call 888-424-7828 or visit http://www.agcensus.usda.gov. GEFA OFFERS SECOND ROUND OF IRRIGATION MOTOR REBATES The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) is offering a second round of the Georgia Agricultural Irrigation Motor (AIM) Program, an incentive program designed to help Georgia farmers become more energy-efficient, save money on fuel costs, and reduce emissions. The rebates will cover 25 percent of eligible project costs, with a $10,000 maximum rebate available. The application period for the program, opens online at http://www.gefa.org, ends Feb. 15. Available funding is limited and rebates will be awarded on a first-come, firstserved basis. The first round of the program awarded 34 farmers throughout the state with rebates totaling $154,309. The new installations are projected to reduce annual diesel fuel consumption by 217,029 gallons. PRECISION AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP Feb. 25 NESPAL, UGA Tifton Campus Tifton Participants in this free workshop will receive briefings from UGA and Auburn crop and soil science experts. Much of the focus will be on precision irrigation, and irrigation specialists from Germany, Greece and Italy will make presentations on irrigation research in Europe and how it has developed to accommodate environmental concerns, as well as the economics of precision agriculture at the farm level. The workshop also includes hands-on precision farming-related exercises. While the workshop is free, registration is required. Participants are asked to RSVP by Feb. 18 by sending an email to yiorgos@uga.edu. GEORGIA PORK CONGRESS Feb. 18 Georgia Farm Bureau 2 p.m. Macon The election of pork producer delegate candidates for the 2015 National Pork Producers (Pork Act) Delegate Body will take place in conjunction with a Board of Directors meeting of Georgia Pork Producers Association. All Georgia pork producers are invited to attend. Any producer age 18 or older who is a resident of the state and has paid all assessments due may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt proving that hogs were sold in their name and the checkoff was deducted. For more information, contact Georgia Pork Producers Association, P.O. Box 1566, Bainbridge, Ga. 39818 or call 229-246-8297.