Georgia Farm Bureau News Alert - May 11, 2016

May 11, 2016

www.gfb.org

Vol. 34 No. 19

GFB SPEAKERS BUREAU MEMBERS WILL SERVE AS AG ADVOCATES Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) is establishing a speakers bureau with the goal of having members in each of the organization’s 10 districts trained to advocate for agriculture by speaking to local Rotary, Kiwanis or Lions Clubs and the media in communities across Georgia.

Speakers Bureau participants attended a two-day training session at GFB’s Macon state office May 5-6 that covered how to interact with consumers who have misconceptions about agriculture, the science behind genetically modified organisms, delivering speeches and talking to the media.

To get the speakers bureau off the ground quickly, GFB has identified Farm Bureau members from each GFB district who are knowledgeable about ag issues subject to public scrutiny, such as GMOs, water or livestock care.

County Farm Bureaus will be able to ask the speakers to come and talk at their county annual meetings or to local civic clubs for a fee and travel expenses.

Dr. Wayne Parrott Dr. Robert Beckstead, UGA Associate Professor of Poultry Science, gave members of the speakers bureau tips on effectively correcting misconceptions consumers may have about agriculture. Beckstead has been teaching a class for UGA students titled “Effects of Agriculture on World Culture,” which addresses many misconceptions consumers have about how farmers grow food.

UGA Professor of Crop & Soil Sciences Dr. Wayne Parrott discussed the science behind genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and gave talking points members of the GFB Speakers Bureau can share as to how farmers using GMOs benefits the environment by letting farmers use fewer pesticides and herbicides to grow a crop and prevents soil erosion by requiring farmers to plow their fields less to grow a crop.

Georgia Farm Monitor Co-Anchor Kenny Burgamy shared recommendations for delivering speeches, and GFB News Editor Jennifer Whittaker gave tips for being interviewed by reporters.

Each of the participants had to write and deliver a three to five minute speech addressing some aspect of agriculture.

Speakers Bureau participants attending the training workshop were: Christy Bryan, Chattooga County, Wesley Hall, Forsyth County and Jerry Mull, Floyd County, GFB 1st District; Mandy Williams, Elbert County, GFB 2nd District; Kimberly Taylor, Cobb County and Rebecca Jacobs, -continued

GFB News Alert page 2 of 12 Continued from previous page Polk County, GFB 3rd District; Aubrey Boss, Walton County, GFB 4th District; Chanda Thompson, Lamar County and Wayne McInvale, Crawford County, GFB 5th District; Sandy Mercer, Washington County, GFB 6th District; Chris Hopkins, Toombs County and Lee Webster, Burke County, GFB 7th District; Carol Baker-Dunn, Houston County and Dustin Covington, Sumter County, GFB 8th District; Casey Cox, Mitchell County and Jan Jones, Decatur County, GFB 9th District; and Garrett Ganas, Ware County and Cory Tyre, Bacon County, GFB 10th District.

Speakers Bureau members are available to talk at county annual meetings and to local clubs.

To book one of the speakers please contact your county Farm Bureau office.

GFB JOINS GROUPS SEEKING EXTENSION ON ACTIVELY ENGAGED RULE With a June 1 deadline looming for farmers to notify the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of farm restructuring to comply with the “actively engaged” rule, Georgia Farm Bureau has joined other state Farm Bureaus in asking for an extension.

In many states, FSA staff training on the regulations was not finalized until March. The FSA sent a letter to farmers on March 28 outlining the changes included in the rule, after many planting decisions had already been made. Because of the delay in providing impacted farms with final guidance on the actively engaged regulations, state Farm Bureaus wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting an extension. GFB co-signed the letter requesting an additional seven months to comply, with a revised deadline of Dec. 31.

“Most farming operations have signed land leases, taken out production loans, made choices on crop insurance, selected seed varieties and had already planted in some cases,” said GFB President Gerald Long. “With so much uncertainty within the commodity markets and severe stresses in the overall farm economy, the burden of restructuring will cause additional hardship for many of our farmers.”

The actively engaged rule is part of 2014 farm bill requirements for payment limitations. The changes are aimed at determining farm bill eligibility for active managers of farms that operate as joint ventures or general partnerships. Many farm operations will have to restructure in order to comply with the new actively engaged regulations.

GFB News Alert page 3 of 12 GA CONGRESSMEN SEEK AG LABOR HELP FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Members of the Georgia Congressional Delegation are calling on the Department of Labor to expedite its backlog of H-2A labor visa applications filed by Georgia farmers before irreparable damage occurs. A letter bearing the signatures of both of Georgia’s senators and 12 of the state’s 14 members of the House of Representatives was sent to U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA 1st Congressional District) met with approximately 30 blueberry growers from Southeast Georgia on May 6 in Alma to discuss the issue. According to media reports, some blueberry producers stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars due to lost crops because of a lack of available labor.

“I got a lot of phone calls from a lot of farmers and a lot of farmers are here and they need to be in their fields but they felt like it was really important to get this on record,” Georgia Farm Bureau 10th District Director David Lee told the Georgia Farm Monitor. “If we don’t get labor, the crops are going to rot in the fields. They signed up their folks in November for the H-2A program and the paperwork just hasn’t been processed. Some signed up multiple times. There’s people at the border wanting to get in but they’ve got to have the paperwork to get in.”

In a related move, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and the State Department launched the process of electronic approval through use of Form I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for the H-2A classification). According to a USCIS statement, this new electronic process will allow the agency to send approval information for H-2A petitions to the State Department by the end of the next business day. The State Department will accept this electronic information in place of a Form I-797 approval notice and allow its consular posts to proceed with processing an H-2A nonimmigrant visa application, including conducting any required interview. For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/I129info.

According to the Georgia delegation letter, the Department of Labor has failed to approve H2A visa applications submitted by Georgia farmers, leaving farmers across the state without sufficient labor. The specialty crop industry in Georgia relies heavily on the H-2A visa program to grow and harvest more than 20 different types of fruits and vegetables. Without labor through the H-2A visa program, the industry will be unable to operate at full capacity.

“It has come to our attention that the Department of Labor has accumulated a significant backlog of H-2A visa labor applications. This backlog has placed Georgia's fruit and vegetable industry, as well as our state's rural communities, in jeopardy. We ask that necessary steps be taken to expedite these applications so Georgia farmers can continue to provide their products to American consumers,” the Georgia Congressmen wrote The specialty crop industry contributes $4.5 billion in total economic impact and provides over 31,000 jobs throughout the state. Specialty crops in Georgia include Vidalia onions, blueberries, pecans and others.

GFB News Alert page 4 of 12 PECAN GROWERS APPROVE FEDERAL MARKETING ORDER U. S. pecan growers are confident the federal marketing order (FMO) they passed in a March referendum will increase consumer demand for their crop. The pecan industry is specifically gunning for a share of the snack market that pistachio and almond growers have built using funds they’ve collected for years under similar orders for their crops.

The USDA announced May 6 that 77 percent of pecan growers who voted in the federal referendum held March 9 through March 30 supported implementing the order. In addition to promoting pecans to consumers, the order will collect and publish industry data, fund and coordinate pecan research, establish uniform quality, grade and size standards, and create packaging guidelines and standards. Growers voting in the referendum accounted for 88 percent of the pecan production volume represented in the vote.

Pecan growers in Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas, who annually produce a minimum of 50,000 pounds of inshell pecans or own a minimum of 30 pecan acres will fund the order. The American Pecan Board (APB) has worked closely with growers in the 15 states where pecans are commercially grown and the USDA for the past two and a half years to create a marketing order that will benefit and represent pecan growers, buyers, processors and consumers, the APB stated in a a press release.

“This historic step will usher in a new dawn for pecans as members of the pecan industry across 15 states pool some of the proceeds from the sale of pecans to advertise this healthy American tree nut in the U.S., as well as publish industry data, regulate packaging and support pecan research,” APB President Mike Adams told Georgia Farm Bureau media. “Many consumers outside the producing states know little about the goodness of pecans. We aim to change that.”

The marketing order the growers passed stipulates that a 17-member American Pecan Council (APC) will administer the order. Pecan growers and shellers (handlers) will nominate potential council members to represent them. The USDA will take nominations after the order goes into effect, which will occur when the USDA publishes the final rule in the federal register. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will select the members from the nominations.

According to the USDA, the APC will consist of six sheller members, nine growers, an accumulator (person who collects inshell pecans from others to resale or transfer) and a public member. Two growers and two shellers representing both large and small pecan production will represent each of the council’s three growing regions. Each member will have one alternate.

Members and alternates will be nominated to four-year, staggered terms of office, with half of the committee members selected at alternate intervals.

The APC will set the assessment rate after it is seated. Proposed assessment rates that were discussed leading up to the referendum were: 1 to 2 cents/inshell pound for native and seedling varieties; 1 to 2 cents/inshell pound for sub-standard pecans and 2 to 3 cents/inshell pound for improved varieties. Pecan handlers to whom growers sell their crop will collect the assessment and remit to the council. The council will also hire a fulltime professional staff.

“The passing of the federal marketing order for pecans is good news for the pecan industry. It shows great foresight and the unity of all members in a quickly and ever changing marketplace,” said Georgia Farm Bureau Pecan Committee Chairman Garrett Ganas. “For Georgia growers this hopefully means continued strong prices and increased demand for our pecans both domestically and internationally.”

Adams said he is optimistic that the APC members will be seated by mid-to-late summer so the assessment may be collected on the 2016 crop and nationwide promotion of pecans begin.

GFB News Alert page 5 of 12 SOUTH GEORGIA PLANTING DELAYED BY COOL WEATHER Cool conditions early in April delayed the growth of watermelon seedlings and caused yellowing of some corn plants. Wet fields in the southern half of the state delayed planting and caused problems for corn seedlings and other plants in heavy, wet soils, according to University of Georgia Agricultural Climatologist Pam Knox.

Hay harvest was delayed and quality was reduced due to conditions that were not suitable for curing. Fungal diseases were a problem in some crops in the wet areas and blue mold developed in greenhouses, which is fairly rare. Warmer weather later in the month helped reduce those problems.

Dry conditions in northern Georgia caused delays in planting dryland fields. Fruit producers worried about frost early in the month, but most areas escaped any damage since the coldest conditions were confined to the northeast mountains.

Wet conditions plagued the southern half of Georgia in April, leading to problems for some farmers. In the northern half of the state, below-normal rainfall led to the development of moderate drought in 20 counties in the northeastern part of the state.

The outlook for May through July shows a slightly enhanced chance of wetter and warmer than normal conditions. El Nino continues to decline and neutral conditions are expected to return shortly. NOAA has posted a La Nina watch for later in the year, which could mean warm and dry conditions in the latter half of the growing season. The Atlantic tropical season is also expected to be more active than usual in the absence of an El Nino, especially if La Nina develops quickly.

For more information, see the “Climate and Agriculture” blog at blog.extension.uga.edu/climate/ or visit www.gaclimate.org. Share your weather and climate impacts on agriculture by emailing pknox@uga.edu.

SUBWAY RESTAURANTS TO HIGHLIGHT PRODUCE GROWN IN GEORGIA Subway restaurants across the U.S. buy more than eight million pounds of Georgia grown tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers a year, according to Subway representatives. To show the restaurant’s commitment to sourcing local produce, Subway Regional Development Agent Joe Hart and area Subway franchisees are partnering with the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program to spotlight Subway’s use of produce grown in Georgia during Georgia’s produce growing seasons.

“At Subway, we always strive to serve the freshest ingredients we can,” said Hart, who is also a longstanding franchisee for the restaurant chain in Atlanta. “We’re proud to be serving locally grown cucumbers, green peppers and tomatoes during the local growing seasons, and to be supporting Georgia farmers and the local economy.”

The promotional campaign will be featured on billboards, TV and radio ads, and in-store displays in four Georgia markets: Albany, Atlanta, Columbus and Northeast Georgia.

“We are very excited to have this opportunity to partner with Georgia’s largest restaurant chain,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. “This campaign exemplifies what the Georgia Grown program is and can be. The brand has the power to bridge the gap of what the consumers want and what the farmer is already offering – wholesome, local products produced right here in Georgia.”

Although the advertising campaign is being targeted for four markets, Subway customers across the state enjoy Georgia-sourced produce as supply and crop quality allow.

GFB News Alert page 6 of 12 KANSAS STATE RESEARCHERS DEVELOP AVIAN INFLUENZA VACCINE A team of researchers at Kansas State University, in collaboration with Garcia-Sastre of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has developed a vaccine that protects poultry from multiple strains of avian influenza found in the U.S., including H5N1, H5N2 and H5N8. The vaccine has the potential to be administered through water or into embryonated eggs, making it easier for poultry producers to vaccinate flocks, according to a university release.

The vaccine, called NDV-H5Nx, protects chickens and likely other poultry against the three recently introduced U.S. avian influenza strains H5N1, H5N2 and H5N8, as well as against Newcastle disease virus — a virus that naturally affects poultry. Avian influenza killed millions of chickens and turkeys in the U.S. in spring and summer 2015, leading to billions in lost revenue for the U.S. poultry industry.

The NDV-H5Nx vaccine also has the potential to be administered to millions of birds at a time through water, said KSU professor Dr. Jurgen Richt, director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center of Excellence of Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases at Kansas State University and one of the researchers involved in the discovery.

“The vaccine we produced is a live vaccine, which means it replicates in birds,” Richt said.

“Because it’s live, we believe that the vaccine could be sprayed into the air or put in the water supply so that when the chickens need a drink, they could be vaccinated. A poultry farm could vaccinate all of its birds in a single day because all living creatures need water to live.”

The vaccine also has potential to be administered to developing chicks in eggs, resulting in offspring being automatically vaccinated for the diseases, said Dr. Wenjun Ma, a KSU assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology and one of the researchers involved.

H5 vaccines currently on the market require that each chicken be injected by hand, making them unpractical for poultry operations that have millions of birds.

Additionally, the NDV-H5Nx vaccine has the ability to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals. This compatibility is critical for the U.S. poultry industry because it provides evidence to trade partners that poultry have been vaccinated and is free of H5, Richt said.

The three H5Nx strains are genetically similar but cause different disease severity in birds.

The H5N2 strain is most prominent in the U.S. and the deadliest. The original H5N8 avian influenza strain was first found in South Korea in 2014 and subsequently in other Asian countries, including China and Japan, before spreading to Europe. It came to North America as H5N8 where it mixed with other avian influenza viruses in the U.S. and Canada to form H5N2 and H5N1, Ma said.

GFB News Alert page 7 of 12 ALFALFA WORKSHOPS/FIELD DAYS May 12 Carroll Co. (to RSVP, call 770-836-8546) June 2 Hall Co. (to RSVP, call 770-535-8293) June 9 Putnam Co. (to RSVP, call 706-485-4151) UGA Extension will host these events, which will focus on how to successfully use alfalfa, including how to grow your own nitrogen and feed supplement by interseeding alfalfa into bermudagrass. Subjects covered include: site selection, establishment protocol, soil fertility, trait selection, harvest management, and how to use this high quality and cost-effective crop. We then will go to see fields where alfalfa was planted in each of these counties. Cost of the one-day workshops is $10 and includes lunch, an “Alfalfa in the South” notebook and other publications on alfalfa production and use in the South. To register, call the County Extension Offices at the phone numbers listed above.

PIKE COUNTY LOCAL CANDIDATES FORUM May 12 Pike County Assembly 6:30 p.m.

Zebulon This free forum is open to the general public. All candidates for the upcoming local election in Pike County have been invited to participate. Each Candidate will be allowed a two-minute opening statement. There will be a question and answer period with time for a one-minute response. Each candidate will be allowed to make a two-minute closing statement. Everyone will have time to meet the candidates before and after the event. Soft drinks, water and peanuts will be provided.

GRIFFIN JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CANDIDATES FORUM May 16 Pike County Assembly 6:30 p.m.

Zebulon Co-Sponsored by Pike, Upson and Spalding Farm Bureaus, this free forum is open to the general public. All candidates for the upcoming judicial election for the positions of superior court judge and district attorney have been invited to participate. Each candidate will be allowed a twominute opening statement. There will be a question and answer period with time for a oneminute response. Each candidate will be allowed to make a two-minute closing statement.

Everyone will have time to meet the candidates and after the event. Soft drinks, water and peanuts will be provided.

BEEF CATTLE FIELD DAY May 27 Greene Farm, 779 Martin Church Rd. 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Thomaston This field day, sponsored by the Towaliga Soil & Water Conservation District, Middle Georgia Cattlemen’s and Two Rivers RC&D Council, features presentations on a range of cattle-related topics, including herd health, heifer development, frame score, pasture management and many more. Registration is required by May 20. Fee is $5, which is payable on site. To register, call 770-358-0787 ext. 3 or email kyle.penny@ga.usda.gov.

GFB News Alert page 8 of 12 UGA EXTENSION EGG CANDLING CLASS May 24 Carroll County Ag Center, 900 Newnan Rd. Carrollton Two sessions of egg candling classes will be offered. The first is from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and the second will be from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. There is no charge to attend these classes. Register early as the classes are filling up quickly and space is limited. Those who sell eggs from their own flock sat the site of production, on a door-to-door retail route, or at an established place of business they own and manage and sold directly to a household consumer as the end user are required to only have an egg candling license on these restricted eggs. Each sale of restricted eggs shall be limited to no more than 30 dozen eggs from a flock of 3,000 hens or less. To register for one of the upcoming egg candling class for restricted egg sales, please contact the Carroll County Extension Office at 770-836-8546 or email Richard Littleton at rlittle@uga.edu for more details.

2016 GFB YOUNG FARMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE July 13-16 Jekyll Island Convention Center Jekyll Island Registration is open for this conference, an annual highlight for young farmers from around the state. The conference is open to GFB members ages 18-35 and features educational workshops, competitive events and networking. The deadline to register is 4:30 p.m. on May 27. For more information contact GFB Young Farmer Coordinator Taylor Sills at 478-474-0679, ext. 5232 or trsills@gfb.org.

2016 GFB YOUNG FARMER COMPETITIVE EVENTS May 27 deadline to enter The GFB Young Farmer Committee is now accepting applications for the Young Farmer Achievement Award, Excellence in Agriculture Award and Discussion Meet. Contest entries will be accepted through May 27 at 4:30 p.m. Applications are available at county Farm Bureau offices. Finalists and winners for each of the competitive events will be named at the Young Farmer Leadership Conference. GFB members between the ages of 18-35 may apply for these awards. To be eligible to compete, the member must not turn 36 before Jan. 31, 2017. All rounds of the discussion meet will be held at the leadership conference. For more information on any of these awards or the conference, please visit http://www.gfb.org/yf or stop by your county Farm Bureau. The winner of each contest will compete on the national level at the American Farm Bureau Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, in January 2017.

JARRELL PLANTATION FAMILY FARM DAY May 28 Jarrell Plantation Historic Site 10:30am-3:30pm Juliette The farm comes to life with volunteers demonstrating crafts and chores of the past. See the skills from long ago, such as sewing, blacksmithing, woodstove cooking, gardening, woodworking and many other farm activities. Admission to Jarrell Plantation, located at 711 Jarrell Plantation Road is $6.50 for adults, $6 for seniors ages 62 and older, $4 children ages 6-17 and free for children younger than 6.

For more information call 478-986-5172 or visit www.gastateparks.org/jarrellplantation.

GFB News Alert page 9 of 12 ABAC NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION WORKSHOP June 12-16 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton More than $18,000 in college scholarships, back-to-nature field trips, and a true taste of college life will be on the line for students who attend this workshop, which targets students with a desire to learn more about Georgia’s natural resources and the opportunities and responsibilities these resources provide. Experts will provide students with lectures and hands-on activities to enhance their understanding of Georgia’s vital natural resources, including soil, water, air, plants, minerals, and animals. Tuition is $175. The final deadline for all applications is June 1. Tuition is often provided to the students by local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), local businesses, and individuals. The workshop application and information is now available online at www.abac.edu/nrcw.

2016 ACADEMY OF CROP PRODUCTION June 12-15 Hotel Indigo Athens This four-day conference dedicated exclusively to sharing information on advanced ornamental crop production and business management techniques for ornamental producers. The event will be hosted by the University of Georgia and the Georgia Green Industry Association, This program 18 presentations including information on government regulations, weed control, research variety trials, tools, marketing and more. All attendees are also invited to attend the GGIA Annual Reception at the State Botanical Gardens. Registration is $400 per person.

Pesticide CEU credits are available. The event room rate is $109 per night. To reserve a hotel room call 706-546-0430 and use booking code “UGA Horticulture Commercial Agriculture.”

For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/GGIAcademy.

NOMINATIONS FOR GA AG COMMISSION BOARD MEMBERS June 15 Deadline for nominations The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commissions for Beef, Cotton, Equine and Tobacco are accepting nominations to fill several positions for each commodity commission board with term lengths of three years. To be nominated a person must be an active and qualified Georgia producer of the commodity. Geographic representation may be considered when making appointments. The Beef Commission has five positions open for nominations, the Cotton and Equine Commissions each have two positions and the Tobacco Commission has one position.

By statute three of the Beef Commission’s positions are to be beef producers, one a dairy producer and one a livestock marketer. Agricultural commodity commissions are farmer-funded programs to enhance research, promotion and education, and are authorized under Georgia law by the Commodity Promotions Act. Nominations can be made by producers of the applicable commodity by filling out a Nominee Information Form available for download at: www.agr.georgia.gov/cpf. The completed form should be mailed to: Georgia Department of Agriculture 19 MLK Jr. Drive SW Room 320 Atlanta, GA 30334 no later than June 15. It may also be faxed to 404-656-9380, or emailed to andy.harrison@agr.georgia.gov.

GFB News Alert page 10 of 12 USDA VALUE-ADDED PRODUCER GRANTS June 24 electronic applications due July 1 paper applications due The USDA making up to $44 million available to farmers, ranchers and businesses to develop new bio-based products and expand markets through the Value-Added Producer Grant program.

Value-Added Producer Grants may be used to develop new products and create additional uses for existing ones. The deadline to submit paper applications is July 1. Electronic applications submitted through grants.gov are due June 24. For more information about the Value-Added Producer Grants or to submit an application, visit http://tinyurl.com/VAPGrants.

SYNGENTA #ROOTED IN AG CONTEST June 30 deadline to enter Syngenta is accepting applications for its #RootedinAg contest. The contest asks growers and other industry professionals to describe how their agricultural roots help their families and communities thrive. The five best entries will each receive a mini touch-screen tablet. From those finalists, one grand prizewinner will receive a $500 gift card, plus Syngenta will make a $1,000 donation in the winner’s name to a local charity or civic organization. To apply, visit http://tinyurl.com/rootedinag. The entry form includes space for a 200-word description of how agricultural roots are helping then entrants, their families and thrive communities thrive. Entrants can also upload a photograph or video that visually supports their written entries. Syngenta will then post all finalists’ entries at http://tinyurl.com/syngentathrive and ask visitors to help choose the grand prizewinner by voting for their favorite. These votes, along with the judges’ scores, will determine the winner. Online voting ends Sept. 15, with Syngenta announcing the grand prizewinner in October.

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 drings, and 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.

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.

GFB News Alert page 11 of 12 ONGOING FARM BUREAU-SPONSORED FARMERS MARKETS MONROE FARMERS MARKET Saturdays May 14-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 SHIELDS-ETHRIDGE HERITAGE FARM CULTIVATORS’ MARKET May 21, June 18, 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.

COBB COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays beginning May 24 Lost Mountain Park 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

Powder Springs Cobb County Farm Bureau in cooperation with Cobb County Parks and Recreation will host this farmers market. CCFB Cobb County 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 Cobb County Farm Bureau or Georgia Farm Bureau. Vendor fees will be waived in lieu of this membership. Only direct growers and their agents will be approved – no resellers. Farm visits will be conducted and all licensing and state compliance will be required. The vendor application may be found at www.facebook.com/CobbCountyFarmBureau. For more information contact emailing Market Manager Sonia Lopez at twobytwofarms@comcast.net or 770-608-1119 or Debbie Payne at dmpayne@gfb.org or 770-943-3531.

PAULDING COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS’ MARKET Through Oct. 28 Thursdays 3 p.m.-7 p.m.

Paulding County High School Paulding County Farm Bureau is accepting vendors for its weekly farmers market that will be held each Thursday until Oct. 28. There is no fee to participate but vendors must be Farm Bureau members so that 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. PCFB is teaming up with the Paulding County High School this year to host the market in the north parking lot of the school located at 1297 Villa Rica Hwy., Dallas, Ga. 30132.

GFB News Alert page 12 of 12 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.