Nov. 28, 2018
www.gfb.org
Vol. 36 No. 23
GFB CONVENTION TO CELEBRATE FARMERS’ RESILIENCY Less than two months after Hurricane Michael dealt more than $2.5 billion in crop and livestock damages to Georgia agriculture, Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members will gather on Jekyll Island to celebrate the resiliency of Georgia farmers during the organization’s 81st annual meeting Dec. 2-4. “Georgia Farm Bureau has advocated for Georgia’s farmers and rural communities for eighty-one years. Our purpose – to serve as the voice of Georgia’s farmers – is needed now more than ever as Georgia’s agricultural community recovers from Hurricane Michael. Farmers from Seminole to Burke counties suffered varying degrees of damage that will take a while to rebound from, even generations in the case of timber and pecan losses,” GFB President Gerald Long said. “Our convention will serve as a venue for our organization to support our members affected by the storm, get updates on ag issues and determine the positions our organization will take next year on the issues impacting their farms and rural communities.” American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black will address convention attendees during the general session on Dec. 3 between 8:15 a.m. and noon. Duvall served as GFB president from December 2006 until Jan. 2016 when he became the first Georgian elected to lead AFBF. Black has revitalized the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program and initiated the Farm to School program since first taking office in 2011. Convention activities begin on Dec. 2 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center with registration at 10 a.m. The trade show, featuring booths from many of Georgia’s agricultural organizations and agencies, will be open from 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Convention attendees are encouraged to visit the Harvest 20 Research Grant poster display in the trade show. The five scientists and their research teams who received a total of almost $42,000 in grants to research production issues Georgia farmers are facing, will be on-hand to talk about their study findings. Also on Dec. 2, GFB will host a “Sip and Spoonful” reception from 1 to 3 p.m. showcasing GFB’s Certified Farm Markets. -continued on next page