FEATURES

2020 Georgia Farmer Of The Year

Lee Nunn of Madison, Georgia, planted his first wheat crop on 50 acres of his wife’s family farm when it became available to rent just over a dozen years ago. He quickly realized his passion for farming and began renting more land, now growing wheat, soybeans, field peas, corn and cotton on more than 1,500 acres.

Nunn’s relatively quick success and community involvement have led to him being honored as the 2020 Georgia Farmer of the Year. He’s now in the running for the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition/Swisher Sweets Southeastern Farmer of the Year award. Nunn was nominated by Lucy Ray, Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in Morgan County.

He grew up visiting and helping at his grandfather’s row crop and dairy farm in his native Morgan County until the farm was sold. Although Nunn has been around agriculture most of his life, it was not a given that he would go into farming, and he doesn’t farm any land his family owned.

“I was very humbled and shocked, but I appreciate the honor as it shows the hard work we farmers do,” says Nunn, who owns related agribusinesses including custom farming services, agricultural construction and a trucking division. “I’ve been thrilled to be able to do it every day. I’m on the farm all day every day, doing what I love.”

Technology Proponent

An avid believer in using the latest technologies available, Nunn is always open to field research, says Ray, who has collaborated with him on projects including cover crops and thrips control in cotton.

“He definitely will try something new but makes sure the research and data back up the decisions he makes,” she says.

Although almost all of his crops are dryland, Nunn is collaborating on UGA Extension’s soil moisture sensor project to optimize irrigation for about 5% of his land.

“Water is the limiting factor, so that’s why we have to be so efficient,” he says. “We have to micromanage every decision. It’s a totally different atmosphere up here than in south Georgia.”

Nunn started working with precision agriculture about eight years ago and has progressively increased its use on his land every year. All of his tractors, sprayers and combines are now auto-steer.

“I’m a very big believer in precision guidance,” he says. “It’s the only way to go. We do yield mapping on the combine. We save on fertilizer by having that system pay for itself. It’s a good initial investment but pays in the long run. Even when I talk to some of my friends (who aren’t involved in agriculture), they’re amazed about what the technology can do.”

Some of his notable production achievements include a 30% reduction in pesticide use, a 75% increase in conservation tillage with no-till or minimum-till cropland, and improved soil fertility using local poultry litter. “We test every batch of litter we buy so we know what we’re getting, and we know exactly what we’re putting out,” Nunn says.

“He’s a good example that conservation practices are profitGovernor Brian Kemp, right, recognized Lee Nunn of Madison, Georgia, as the 2020 Farmer of the Year July 8.

able in the long term and they make sense in today’s production system,” Ray says.

Community Involvement

Off the farm, Nunn and his wife, Sally, have two children, Claire and Mason, and he is very involved in the local agriculture community. He has served as president and treasurer of the Morgan County Farm Bureau and chairman of the local U. S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency board.

Nunn has also participated in the Conservation Stewardship “He’s got a Program offered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation reputation as Service and serves on the county’s Extension advisory board. “He’s got a reputation as someone who can get things someone who can get things accomplished and a really good accomplished heart,” says Ray, who helped and has a really Nunn jumpstart a Morgan County Row Crop Association good heart.” in 2015. He sought her help in creating a place for quarterly updates similar to other commodity associations.

“We never had something specifically for row crop farmers,” Nunn says. “It’s been a good thing.”

He will compete against nine other state winners this month for the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award, which will be announced Oct. 20 at the expo.

Gary Adams

A Plant Protection Priority

The National Cotton Council worked closely with EPA and agribusiness allies to ensure dicamba’s continued availability.

What was the threat to dicamba?

n After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated the 2018 registration of Xtendimax, FeXapan and Engenia dicamba herbicides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) in June, the NCC immediately sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler. The correspondence noted that most of the 2020 U.S. cotton acres had been planted to varieties that were tolerant

brief supporting EPA’s position and defending the use of existing stocks. The brief explained that without access to dicamba products, cotton producers could expect up to an $800 million yield loss. This would exacerbate the already tenuous economic situation they faced from depressed market prices and increased market uncertainty, due to ongoing trade tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief also emphasized that terminating the EPA’s existing stocks order would set a disruptive precedent with profound, long-term consequences for all farmers and ranchers for years to come.

The court quickly denied the opponents’ emergency motion to halt dicamba use. The ruling meant that cotton producers and commercial applicators could continue applying existing stocks (those in hand as of June 3) of XtendiMax, Engenia and FeXapan through July 31.

Maintaining dicamba access was critical to early season weed control and weed resistance management. to over-the-top applications of these herbicides, which are a critical component in weed resistance management. The letter stated that the U.S. cotton industry would support an appeal of the court’s decision, if such an appeal were to be filed. The more urgent request, though, was asking EPA to did in its subsequent cancellation order.

When opponents filed an emergency motion asking the court to stop the use of existing stocks and hold EPA in contempt, the NCC joined with the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association and National Sorghum Producers in filing an amicus

What is the status of Enlist Duo?

n The plaintiffs who brought the dicamba lawsuit also have a pending lawsuit, filed in 2017 in the same court, against EPA’s registration of Enlist Duo, an important 2,4-D-choline and glyphosate premix herbicide. This lawsuit, like the dicamba lawsuits, argues that Enlist Duo’s registration violates FIFRA allow the use of existing dicamba stocks, which it

through EPA’s use of the wrong legal standard and the Endangered Species Act by EPA's failure to consult with wildlife services. It makes some of the same claims that these plaintiffs successfully made against dicamba’s registration and asks for the Corteva product’s registration to be vacated.

Corteva defended the Enlist Duo system saying, “The Enlist Weed Control System is an important tool for farmers, and Enlist Duo provides critical weed control with reduced potential for drift and near-zero volatility.” The NCC agrees and will continue to monitor this legal situation and, if necessary, engage with EPA as it did with the dicamba lawsuit to preserve this valuable plant protection product.