Georgia Farm Bureau News Alert - July 6, 2016

July 6, 2016

www.gfb.org

Vol. 34 No. 25

COMPETITIVE EVENTS, MATT RUSH TO HIGHLIGHT YF CONFERENCE The winners of the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Competitive Events will be determined and farm philosopher/corporate speaker Matt Rush will deliver the keynote address at the 2016 GFB Young Farmer Leadership Conference, July 13-16 on Jekyll Island.

The winners of the Young Farmer Achievement Award, Excellence in Agriculture Award and Discussion Meet will be announced at the close of the event.

The GFB Young Farmer Achievement Award finalists – Thomas and Alicia Harrell of Madison County, Jonathan and Bridget Hitchcock of Washington County and Brian and Melissa Ogletree of Spalding County – had their final onfarm interviews in late June.

July 14 marks the opening of the discussion meet, featuring competitors from around the state.

The competition simulates a committee meeting in which participants address issues affecting agriculture.

The three finalists for the Excellence in Agriculture Award will have their interviews with judges. The finalists are Bennett and Rebecca Jacobs of Polk County, Matthew and Kimberly London of White County and Troy Windham of Laurens County. The Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes young farmers who earn the Look for the next issue of majority of their income from sources other than production agriculture.

GFB News The conference includes a designated time for district caucuses, in which Alert on young farmers from each of GFB’s 10 districts meet other farmers in their July 20. districts, as well as their GFB field representatives.

Conference participants will have access to educational sessions abut USDA programs, ag exports and transportation compliance. To allow young farmers the freedom to attend these sessions, a full slate of children’s activities is on tap, including the always-popular visit to the Jekyll Island Sea Turtle Center.

Rush, a popular speaker at numerous corporate events, is known for his light-hearted stories about farm life and his views on leadership. He has given addresses at nearly three dozen Farm -continued

GFB News Alert page 2 of 9 Continued from previous page Bureau and agricultural stakeholder events around the country.

Attendees will hear from GFB President Gerald Long, as well as American Farm Bureau Federation Director of Advocacy and Political Affairs Cody Lyon, who is slated to speak about the impact of young farmers and millennials on the political process. GFB Legislative Director Jeffrey Harvey will provide an update about the organization’s work on laws and public policies favorable to agriculture. Voting for the winners in the 2016 Picture Agriculture in Georgia Photo Contest will also be held during the conference.

The annual conference, which in 2015 drew more than 400 young farmers from all over the state, also features the GFB Foundation Golf Tournament presented by Farm Bureau Bank, a low country boil at Jekyll’s Great Dunes Park and an address from Danah Craft of the Georgia Food Bank Association.

Look for GFB’s coverage of the conference on Facebook at www.facebook.com/georgiafarmbureau, in the next issue of GFB News Alert and in upcoming issues of Georgia Farm Bureau News magazine and Georgia Neighbors.

SENATE AG COMMITTEE LEADERS REACH BIOTECH COMPROMISE Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) reached a compromise on a national bioengineered food disclosure standard for products that contain genetically engineered ingredients. The two committee leaders submitted the deal as an amendment to the Agriculture Marketing Act of 1946. The full Senate could vote on the measure as soon as July 8.

Georgia Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) support voluntary labeling that would preempt any state or local laws requiring GMO labeling. Vermont has a mandatory on-pack labeling law that went into effect July 1 and because no other state currently has such a law in effect, the Vermont law stands as the de facto national standard.

While the Roberts/Stabenow measure would make GMO labeling mandatory, it would preempt state laws enacting GMO labeling standards, avoiding a collection of differing laws that would create confusion in the food production industry and among consumers.

The bill would also allow food companies multiple options on how the labeling is executed including the use of quick-reference (QR) codes that can be scanned with smart phones and would take consumers to the label information on the food companies’ websites.

“This deal clearly seeks to prevent a 50-state mismatched quilt of differing labeling standards,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a prepared statement. “But the mandatory feature holds significant potential to contribute to confusion and unnecessary alarm. Regardless of the outcome, we continue to believe a national, voluntary standard remains the best approach.”

The standards would become mandatory after the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) finalizes a rule establishing the disclosure requirements. The AMS would have two years to execute the rulemaking process.

The agreement includes exemptions for small food companies and restaurants, as well as food that holds the USDA Certified Organic designation.

GFB News Alert page 3 of 9 GOBLE RECEIVES NATIONAL TEACHING AWARD Jones County teacher Lauren Goble received the National Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture award during ceremonies at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITC) conference, held June 20-24 in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

Goble was one of seven teachers to receive the award, given by NAITC and the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Goble was recognized for the lesson plans she developed to teach her first-grade students at Mattie Wells Elementary School about crops and livestock grown in Georgia while introducing them to Georgia farmers using video distance-learning technology.

Her classes observed “Thank a Farmer Fridays,” when they ate locally Lauren Goble grown crops they learned about during the week.

SCHERM TO LEAD UGA PLANT PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT After nearly two decades helping farmers combat the diseases affecting Georgia’s most prominent fruit crops, Professor Harald Scherm has been appointed head of the University of Georgia’s Department of Plant Pathology following a national search.

Scherm, who has served for the last six years as assistant dean for research in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and as graduate studies coordinator in the plant pathology department, assumed his new role July 1. John Sherwood, who served as department head for plant pathology since 1997, retired this past March.

“Dr. Scherm has done a remarkable job as assistant dean of research, helping the college reorganize our Athens-area off-campus farms and research centers, improving grant writing support to our faculty and working across campus to integrate the college into multi-discipline projects and programs," said CAES Dean and Director Sam Pardue. "He did all that while still maintaining a robust research program and teaching classes. We are excited to see the creativity, wealth of knowledge and range of relationships on campus and in the industry that he will bring in to help the department grow."

Scherm came to UGA in 1996 after graduating from the University of California, Davis, with his doctoral degree in plant pathology. He has worked mostly with blueberry and peach crops during his career. He will now lead a plant pathology department that consists of 22 research and UGA Cooperative Extension faculty members and nine adjunct faculty members.

The department primarily serves as a graduate program, but it also participates in the CAES Interdisciplinary Certificate Program in Integrated Pest Management and the CAES Certificate Program in Organic Agriculture for undergraduates. The department offers master’s and doctoral degrees in plant pathology and the professional Master of Plant Protection and Pest Management degree. It currently has one of the largest plant pathology graduate programs in the country.

“Plant pathology is a discipline with a strong tradition, but it is also evolving in terms of the types of students we attract, the jobs our graduates take on, the funding sources that enable research and Extension and, of course, in the science itself,” Scherm said. “One of the most important tasks of departmental leadership is to anticipate change and to help the department embrace it.”

GFB News Alert page 4 of 9 SUPREME COURT LEAVES IMMIGRATION RULING IN PLACE On June 23 a deadlocked U.S. Supreme Court left in place a lower court’s ruling barring the president from launching Deferred Actions for Parents of Americans (DACA), a program that would allow a deferral of deportation for undocumented immigrants who are parents of U.S. citizens or green card holders. The ruling does not set precedent for future cases because of the 44 split.

DAPA was announced by President Obama in November 2014. A group of 26 states, including Georgia challenged DAPA in federal court and a preliminary injunction halting DAPA was issued in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in February 2015. The Obama administration asked the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to lift the injunction and the appeals court affirmed the injunction.

FAA FINALIZES REGULATIONS FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS On June 28 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published its final rule for operation and certification of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones.

The rule (Part 107) will provide a third option for FAA-approved use of drones, in addition to Section 333 exemptions and obtaining airworthiness certificates for the aircraft. Operating under Part 107 does not require airworthiness certificates or insurance for qualifying aircraft.

Under the final rule, to qualify under Part 107 the aircraft must not weigh more than 55 pounds, including its payload. The maximum altitude is 400 feet above ground level and maximum speed is 100 mph. Operators must maintain visual line of sight.

Key requirements include operators to be a minimum age of 16 years old and obtain a remote pilot certificate, which involves passing an aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center and vetting by the Transportation Security Administration. The certificate is good for two years. Part 107 becomes effective on Aug. 29 after a 60-day public comment period. To review the entire rule or to make a comment visit http://tinyurl.com/FAApart107. Those with questions about ag implications of the rule may contact R.J. Karney with American Farm Bureau Federation at ronaldk@gfb.org.

COTTON AND CORN ACREAGE UP, PEANUT ACREAGE DOWN IN 2016 Georgia farmers made big increases in cotton and corn planted acreage in 2016 and slightly reduced acres planted in peanuts according to the June Acreage Report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Georgia cotton producers bumped their overall acreage up from 1.13 million in 2015 to 1.3 million in 2016, a 15 percent increase. The state’s corn growers planted 400,000 acres in 2016, a 21 percent increase from 2015, when they planted 330,000 acres.

Peanut farmers in Georgia trimmed acreage by 3 percent, from 785,000 acres in 2015 to 760,000 acres in 2016.

The state’s hay producers are expected to harvest 570,000 acres in 2016, maintaining the harvested acres from 2015. Soybean acreage in Georgia fell from 325,000 in 2015 to 265,000 in 2016, a decline of 18.5 percent.

The state’s land planted in sorghum fell from 50,000 acres in 2015 to 35,000 acres in 2016, a 30 percent drop.

Farmers statewide planted less winter wheat, rye and oats. Winter wheat acreage dropped from 215,000 acres in 2015 to 200,000 in 2016. The state’s rye acreage fell from 210,000 in 2016 to 160,000 in 2016, while acres planted in oats dropped from 65,000 in 2015 to 50,000 in 2016.

Georgia’s tobacco farmers are expected to harvest 13,500 acres in 2016, the same as in 2015.

GFB News Alert page 5 of 9 FIRST SHIPS GO THROUGH EXPANDED PANAMA CANAL The Panama Canal Expansion project is complete and the first neo-Panamax ship, a Chinese vessel carrying nearly 9,500 containers, traversed the newly expanded Panama Canal on June 26.

The expansion project, which began in 2007, widened the canal by 70 feet and added 18 feet of depth, allowing the passage of the neo-Panamax vessels, which can accommodate up to 13,000 containers each, according to published reports.

The larger ships are expected to reduce shipping costs for products sent to Pacific destinations

by U.S. businesses, including many agribusinesses. For many Pacific destinations the trip will be shortened by thousands of miles by using the expanded canal rather than going around South America.

The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is aimed at accommodating the larger ships at the Port of Savannah, one of the U.S.’ largest single container shipping terminals.

GFB News Alert page 6 of 9 VIDALIA ONION COMMITTEE “V* INSPIRED” CONTEST July 14 Deadline to enter Share your inspirational thoughts, stories, recipes & cooking ideas with the Vidalia Onion Committee for a chance to win $500 & $500 for a charity of your choice in the “V* Inspired” Contest sponsored by the Vidalia Onion Committee.

Visit http://vinspiredcontest.pgtb.me/HGDHgs to enter. Two runner-up winners will each receive $250 and an additional $250 will be donated to each runner-up’s charity of choice. Weekly winners will be selected randomly to win a 5-lb. bag of Vidalia onions. For more information call Alison Eiler at 952-221-1031 or email Alison@fulltiltmarketing.net.

2016 FARM SAFETY CAMP July 28 UGA Griffin, Stuckey Auditorium 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Griffin This fun-filled day of learning for children ages 8-13 covers stranger danger, boating safety, small animal safety, general farm safety and much more. Cost is $5 per child, and $1 for each additional child in the same family. Fee includes lunch, snacks and drinks. Preregistration by the July 11 deadline guarantees a t-shirt and a goody bag with take-home materials. For more information contact Cindy Vandiver at 770-228-2341 or Shelby Reese at 770-461-3436.

SUNBELT AG EXPO FIELD DAY July 14 Sunbelt Expo, Spence Field 7:15 a.m.

Moultrie This annual preview of projects at the Darrell Williams Research Farm begins with a complimentary biscuit breakfast, with remarks from Georgia Farm Bureau Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary Jon Huffmaster. Tram tours begin at 8 a.m. and a complimentary grab-and-go barbecue lunch is scheduled for noon. For more information visit www.sunbeltexpo.com/field-day/.

AGAWARE FREE AGRICULTURE FINANCE TRAINING July 15 Fort Valley State Ag Technology Center 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Fort Valley July 22 Merry Acres Inn & Conference Center 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Albany 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 Farm Credit, AgSouth Farm Credit, and Southwest Georgia Farm Credit are all offering workshops in their territories. 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 Fort Valley workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawareftvalley. To register for the Albany workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawarealbany. To register for the Sylvania workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawaresylvania. To register for the Calhoun workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawarecalhoun.

GFB News Alert page 7 of 9 18TH ANNUAL SOUTHERN PEANUT GROWERS CONFERENCE July 21-23 Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Miramar Beach, Fla. This three-day event provides farmers with information on peanut production, legislative issues, marketing and promotions. In addition to the conference sessions, the event offers a ladies program and a golf tournament. For information on registration and accommodations, visit http://tinyurl.com/16sopnutconf.

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 reduce drug costs, understanding how rumen microorganisms work and the impact on diet, maximizing warm-season annual forages, handling cattle to improve safety and cattle performance. 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-ASKUGA-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 8 of 9 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. This year‘s award has evolved from previous years of focusing on the efforts of individuals to recognizing the importance of collaboration between beekeepers and growers in supporting our pollinators. Any beekeeper and grower pair that has created a partnership that promotes bee health in their community may apply. Those interested in applying for the award can obtain an application at http://tinyurl.com/bayerbeeaward.

ONGOING FARM BUREAU-SPONSORED FARMERS MARKETS 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 Market Manager Sonia Lopez at twobytwofarms@comcast.net or 770-608-1119 or Debbie Payne at dmpayne@gfb.org or 770943-3531.

GFB News Alert page 9 of 9 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 July 16, 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.

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.