April 16, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 15
FARM BUREAU, CONGRESS RESPOND TO EPA PROPOSED WATER RULE Georgia Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and members of Congress have expressed serious concerns over the EPA’s proposed water rule announced March 25. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has stated publicly that the proposed rule does not expand the scope of waters historically protected under the Clean Water Act. Farm Bureau and members of the U.S. House dispute this, noting that the rule would effectively remove the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act by giving the EPA jurisdiction over any land that could have a hydrologic connection to downstream navigable waters. The proposed rule does include exemptions for certain farm activities listed under dredge and fill permits, but they are tied to compliance with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) standards. “The U.S. Supreme Court, in separate decisions in 2001 and 2006, ruled that Congress meant what it said: navigable waters does not mean all waters,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. “This proposed rule shows that EPA refuses to accept those limits.” GFB sent a letter to all members of the Georgia congressional delegation requesting them to work to prevent the EPA from enforcing the proposed rule, which would place ditches, low areas that are only wet following rainfall, ponds and seasonally wet areas under federal control. GFB maintains that the proposed rule would negatively affect the property rights of all landowners. Members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works wrote to President Obama on April 9, expressing concerns that the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “are attempting to obtain de facto land use authority over the property of families, neighborhoods and communities throughout the United States.” Reps. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) and Kurt Shrader (D-Ore.) wrote to McCarthy and Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh pointing out legal, economic and scientific deficiencies in the water proposal and asking them to address the flaws in the proposed rule. AFBF President Bob Stallman released a statement on April 1 saying the proposal would give the EPA authority over land features that are miles from the nearest navigable water and are not wet most of the time. “Under this proposed rule, farmers, ranchers and every other landowner across the countryside will face a tremendous new roadblock to ordinary land use activities,” Stallman said, noting that if permits are required they can be denied by the EPA or the Army Corps of Engineers. “That’s why Clean Water Act jurisdiction over farmlands amounts to nothing less than federal veto power over a farmer’s ability to farm.”
Leadership Alert page 2 of 8 GRANDIN URGES CATTLE PRODUCERS TO EDUCATE CONSUMERS Cattle producers need to reach out to consumers to educate them about how cattle are raised, noted animal scientist Dr. Temple Grandin said while speaking at the annual Georgia Cattlemen’s Association Convention in Perry April 3. “The public is so far removed from agriculture. A study at Perdue showed 31 percent of young people have never been on a farm,” Grandin said. “What I think every rancher needs to do is talk to their Facebook friends. What’s work to you is interesting to people in the city like a loader scooping up grain.” Grandin cautioned cattle producers to post photos and videos on social media that show cattle production in a good light and to be sure to explain the production practices they post. “Explain why you use a squeeze chute so the cattle will stand still while you doctor them,” Grandin said. Grandin Diagnosed with autism as a child in 1949, Grandin was introduced to ranching while visiting an aunt’s Arizona ranch. Now an animal science professor at Colorado State University, Grandin’s autistic temperament and ability to see in pictures helped her relate to cattle and develop handling facilities that reduced animal stress and improved productivity in feed yards and packing plants. “I’ve been around a real long time when plants were horrible. They’ve improved so much but the problem is the public doesn’t know about it,” Grandin said. She encouraged the parents of children who have issues to overcome to develop the child’s area of strength. “If the kid is good at art, develop art. Good at math, develop math. Good at writing develop writing,” Grandin said. She also urged the different sectors of agriculture to unite. “I’m sick and tired of big ag fighting little ag and vice versa. We need to have big ag and large scale affordable food, but on the other hand there are a whole lot of high-end niche markets with organics and locally grown. They are both legitimate parts of the industry,” Grandin said. PEANUT GENOME SEQUENCING COMPLETED The International Peanut Genome Initiative — a multinational group of crop geneticists who have been working in tandem for the last several years — has successfully sequenced the peanut’s genome according to a story published by the University of Georgia. The new peanut genome sequence will be available to researchers and plant breeders across the globe to aid in the breeding of more productive and more resilient peanut varieties. The effort to sequence the peanut genome has been underway for several years. While peanuts were successfully bred for intensive cultivation for thousands of years, relatively little was known about the legume’s genetic structure because of its complexity. To map the peanut’s structure, researchers sequenced the genomes of the two ancestral parents because together they represent cultivated peanuts. The sequences provide researchers access to 96 percent of all peanut genes in their genomic context, providing the molecular map needed to more quickly breed drought- and disease-resistant, lower-input and higher-yielding varieties of peanuts.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 8 USDA FUNDING FERAL HOG STUDY The USDA is providing $20 million for a national effort to reduce the devastating damage caused by feral or free ranging swine. The program aims to help states, including Georgia, deal with a rapidly expanding population of invasive wild swine that causes $1.5 billion in annual damage and control costs. A 2012 UGA study indicated $57 million in feral hog damage to farms in Southwest Georgia during 2011. The Wildlife Services (WS) program of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will lead the effort, tailoring activities to each state’s circumstance and working closely with other federal, state, tribal, and local entities. WS will work directly with states to control populations, test animals for diseases and research better methods of managing feral swine damage. As part of the national program, APHIS will test feral swine for diseases of concern for U.S. pork producers. Ensuring that domestic swine are not threatened by disease from feral swine helps ensure that U.S. export markets remain open. APHIS aims to have the program operating within 6 months and funding for the comprehensive project includes $9.5 million for state projects, $1.4 million for establishing procedures for disease monitoring, including the development of new surveillance and vaccination methods, $1.5 million for WS’ National Wildlife Research Center to conduct research and economic analyses to improve control practices and $1.6 million for the centralization of control operations, and for making them safer and more cost-effective. Initial state funding levels will be based on current feral swine populations and associated damage to resources. APHIS will also coordinate with Canada and Mexico on feral swine damage management. MILC PROGRAM EXTENDED Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia announced on March 28 the extension of the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program. The extension protects dairy farmers enrolled in the program against income loss through Sept. 1 or until a new Margin Protection Program for dairy producers (MPP), established by the 2014 Farm Bill, is operational. Contracts for eligible producers enrolled in MILC on or before Sept. 30, 2013, are automatically extended until the termination date of the MILC program. Dairy operations with approved contracts will continue to receive monthly payments if a payment rate is in effect. MILC compensates enrolled dairy producers when the Boston Class I milk price falls below $16.94 per hundredweight, after adjustment for the cost of dairy feed rations. MILC payments are calculated each month using the latest milk price and feed cost, just as in the 2008 Farm Bill. The payment rate for October 2013 through January 2014 marketing is zero. Payment rates during the months after January 2014 until the termination of the MILC program will be determined as the appropriate data becomes available. Since MILC payments are limited to a maximum amount of milk production each fiscal year, dairy operations may select a production start month other than October 2013 (the start of fiscal year 2014). Producers who want to select a different production start month must visit their local FSA office between April 14 and May 30. For more information on MILC, contact a local FSA county office or visit the FSA website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 8 MULTICULTURAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE April 17 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Perry The Upper Ocmulgee River RC&D Council, Inc., in partnership with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, will host a conference for multicultural farmers and producers. Registration fee is $20 per person, which covers the cost of lunch and conference materials. Topics include muscadine wine production, building a diverse urban farm enterprise, growing farm profits, pecan and peanut production and many more. For updates on speakers, classes, agenda and to register, visit http://tinyurl.com/mecjba8. For more information contact the Upper Ocmulgee River RC&D Council, Inc. at 678-376-9518 or USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Lawrenceville Service Office at 770-963-9288. SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM April 18 Deadline to apply The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is pleased to announce the competitive solicitation process to award the 2014 Specialty Crop Block Grant. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds projects that “enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.” Specialty crops are defined as: fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, Christmas trees, turfgrass/sod, nursery and greenhouse crops, including floriculture. For a listing of all eligible crops visit www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/scbgp. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will make grant funding available, with Georgia’s share being approximately $1.2 million. Please refer to the links available on the GDA grants webpage located at www.agr.georgia.gov/grants.aspx for the grant application, guidelines, and additional information. For additional questions please contact Jeanne Maxwell at Jeanne.Maxwell@agr.georgia.gov or 404-657-1584. CHEROKEE COUNTY MEET-THE-CANDIDATE FORUM April 22 Cagle’s Family Farm 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Canton Cherokee County Farm Bureau and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring this event to allow area residents the chance to meet candidates running for local, state and national offices that will represent Cherokee County. Candidates with opposition will have two minutes each to present their platform. Candidates with no opposition will be introduced. The audience will have the chance to ask questions after the candidates speak. Boy Scouts Troup 465 will serve homemade ice cream. Please RSVP by April 19 to 770-479-1481 or sfpahl@gfb.org. Cagle Farm is located at 362 Stringer Road, Canton, Ga. 30115. GA. HEIFER EVALUATION AND REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT (HERD) SALE April 22 Tifton Bull Evaluation Center Irwinville Sale begins at 12:30 p.m. For information contact Dr. Jacob Segers at 229-386-3214 or jacobs@uga.edu or Patsie T. Cannon at 229-386-3683 or ptcannon@uga.edu. GEORGIA CATTLEWOMEN’S ASSOCIATION REGION II MEETING April 25-27 Forrest Hills Mountain Resort & Conference Center Dahlonega The Georgia Cattlewomen's Association invites you to three days of fun, fellowship and educational opportunities! There will be social media training, leadership development, ANCW business and updates, as well as lots of fun like a Winery/Farm Tour and trail walking. The registration form can be found at http://www.gabeef.org/gcwa/index.html. For more information contact Melissa Miller at millerm@uga.edu or 813-928-2437.
Leadership Alert page 5 of 8 NEWTON COUNTY AG DAY ON THE SQUARE April 26 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Covington This event, sponsored by the Newton County Farm Bureau Young Farmers, features a modern and antique tractor show. Peddle tractors for the kids, arts and crafts, live music, food, face painting and a cow train. A drawing will be held for a Yeti cooler, and those who register tractors for the tractor show receive a free raffle ticket. For more information contact Crystal Powell at 770-786-7201. BEYOND THE FARM GATE SOCIAL MEDIA SEMINARS April 28 NW Ga. Trade & Convention Center 8:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. Dalton May 5 UGA CAES Four Towers Building 8:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. Athens These free workshops, funded through a USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Grant, will help farmers gain the skills they need to establish and maintain an effective online presence to meet their online marketing needs. Lunch will be provided. Space is limited so register soon! Visit www.beyondthefarmgate.org to register. Contact Chris Morgan at 706-542-7102 or acm@uga.edu for more information. GEORGIA FORESTRY FOUNDATION ARTWORK AND SLOGAN CONTESTS April 30 Deadline for entries Georgia students in grades 5 through 12 are invited to participate in a contest to express the value of Georgia’s sustainable working forests through submission of a creative artwork and slogan. There are two levels of competition: fifth through eighth and ninth through 12th grades, with one winner from each level. Each winning entry will be awarded a prize valued up to $35,000, which includes a $15,000 cash award to the school, $2,500 cash award and forestry camp scholarship to the student, Project Learning Tree environmental professional development for up to 20 teachers and an invitation to attend the Georgia Teacher Conservation Workshop for two teachers from the winning schools, a field trip for students in the grade level of each winning student, and materials featuring the winning artwork and slogan. For more information on the contest including submission guidelines, entry form, terms and conditions and other resources for schools visit http://www.forestry4Rfuture.org or call 478-992-8110. GEORGIA CENTENNIAL FARM NOMINATION DEADLINE IS MAY 1 The Georgia Centennial Farm Program, which recognizes historic farms and encourages their preservation, is accepting nominations. To qualify, farms must: be a working farm with a minimum of 10 acres actively involved in ag production, generate at least $1,000 in annual farm income and include 10 acres of the original farm purchase. Farms must have been continuously farmed for at least 100 years. The Centennial Farm Program has recognized 451 Georgia farms since 1993. The Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources administers the program in partnership with several organizations including Georgia Farm Bureau. Visit http://www.georgiacentennialfarms.org to download an application or contact Charlie Miller, Centennial Farm Awards Committee chairman at 404-651-5287 or by email at Charlie.miller@dnr.state.ga.us. Applications must be postmarked by May 1. Selected farms will be honored during the Georgia National Fair in October.
Leadership Alert page 6 of 8 FARMLAND PUBLIC SCREENINGS May 1 Landmark Midtown Art Cinema 7 p.m. Atlanta May 2 & 3Douglass Theatre 7 p.m. Macon Academy Award®-winning filmmaker James Moll’s new feature length documentary, Farmland, offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of six young farmers and ranchers across the U.S. during much of 2013. Georgia Farm Bureau member Leighton Cooley and his family are among the featured farmers. The Cooleys raise cattle, poultry and hay on their Crawford County farm. Visit http://www.farmlandfilm.com for additional information about the film and to watch the trailer. For more information about the Atlanta showing visit http://www.landmarktheatres.com or call 404-879-0160. Tickets for the Macon showing are $7 and may be purchased in advance by phone at 478-742-2000 or online at http://www.douglasstheatre.org. MONROE COUNTY HERD SALE May 3 Sleepy Creek Farm 12:30 p.m. Forsyth This sale will feature 85 bred heifers. Data available on the heifers includes A.I. breeding and sire EPD’s, pelvic area, frame score, disposition score, weight per day of age and average daily gain. All heifers will sell confirmed safe in calf to calving ease Angus bulls. For more information contact the Monroe County Extension office by phone at 478-994-7014 or by email at uge2207@uga.edu. Information about the sale may also be found online at http://www.ugaextension.com/monroe GFB ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR PHOTO CONTEST Georgia Farm Bureau is accepting entries for its 5th Annual Picture Agriculture in Georgia Contest open to any GFB member who receives no income from photography. Cash awards will be presented in two categories – Farm Bureau Members and Farm Bureau Employees. Prizes for the member category are: 1st Place - $150; 11 Honorable Mentions - $75 each. The winner of the member category will be featured on the front of the 2015 GFB Young Farmer Calendar. Prizes for the employee category are: 1st Place- $100; 2nd Place- $75; 3rd Place- $50. Only digital photos that are a minimum of 1 megabyte (MB) in file size may be submitted with a limit of two entries per person. All photos must have been shot in Georgia in 2013 or 2014. Photos altered in any way will not be judged. All photos become the property of GFB. Digital photos must be sent as a JPEG file attachment via email to yf@gfb.org by 4:30 p.m. on May 6. If children or people are included in photos, you must complete a Model Release Entry Form that must be received by GFB at the time of the deadline. Visit your county Farm Bureau office for contest rules, entry instructions and the Model Release Form or visit the GFB website at http://www.gfb.org. 2013 YOUNG HARRIS/UGA BEEKEEPING INSTITUTE May 15-17 Young Harris College 8 a.m. each day Young Harris This event, one of the most comprehensive beekeeping educational events in the Southeast, offers classes for beekeepers at all levels of experience and the annual honey show. May 15 is dedicated training and certification exams for journeymen and master beekeeper qualifications, as well as the Welsh honey judge training, the first licensing program for honey judges in North America. May 16 and 17 provide training and certification, including individual and colony biology, low-tech beekeeping, occupational safety and much more. Registration fees for 18 and older is $120 for May 16, $100 for May 17 and $199 for both days. For ages 11-17, fees are $59 for May 16, $49 for May 17 and $99 for both days. Participation is capped at 175 people, and classes generally fill up quickly. For more information, visit http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/youngharris/.
Leadership Alert page 7 of 8 NRCS TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR KEY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications from Georgia farmers and ranchers for specific initiatives under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Applications are due by May 16. EQIP is a voluntary program that funds conservation practices based on state identified natural resource concerns. The specific initiatives being funded under this sign-up are on-farm energy, seasonal high tunnels, organic operations, working lands for wildlife and longleaf pine. Interested producers should visit their local NRCS office for information on this sign-up period. Applications are taken on a continuous basis but only those applications received by the cutoff will be considered for this sign-up. For more information about EQIP or other technical or financial assistance programs offered by NRCS, please contact your local service center: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?agency=nrcs. NRCS WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE Eligible producers in four Southwest Georgia watersheds (Lower Deep Creek, in Turner County; Upper Piscola Creek, Middle Piscola Creek and Lower Piscola Creek, in both Brooks and Thomas Counties) must apply by May 16 for FY 2014 funding under the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s National Water Quality Initiative. The producers will invest in voluntary conservation actions to help provide cleaner water for their neighbors and communities. Using funds from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, NRCS will provide funding and advice to producers to install conservation practices such as cover crops, filter strips and terraces in watersheds with impairments where the federal investment can make a difference to improve water quality. For more information about NRCS’ programs, initiatives and services in Georgia, visit http://www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov. NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION WORKSHOP DEADLINE Rising 10th, 11th and 12th grade students have until May 24 to apply to attend a one-week residential camp the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission is offering June 8-12 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. Natural resource experts will give lectures, guide field trips and lead hands-on activities to enhance students’ understanding of Georgia’s natural resources during the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW). The camp focuses on the value and protection of Georgia’s wildlife, forestry, soil, water and mining resources. More than $18,000 in college scholarships will be awarded during the event. Tuition is $150 per student but scholarships are available for students who have not previously attended the event. Visit http://abac.edu/nrcw to download the camp application and more information. Contact Luke Crosson at lcrosson@gaswcc.org or 229-995-6001 for more information. CALHOUN BEEF CATTLE REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP May 27 NW Georgia Research & Education Center Livestock Pavilion Calhoun Workshop begins at 6 p.m. For information contact Dr. Lawton Stewart at 706-542-1852 or lawtons@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or pworley@uga.edu. GA. HEIFER EVALUATION AND REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT (HERD) SALE May 28 NW Georgia Research & Education Center Livestock Pavilion Calhoun Sale begins at 12:30 p.m. For information contact Dr. Lawton Stewart at 706-542-1852 or lawtons@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or pworley@uga.edu.
Leadership Alert page 8 of 8 GFB ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR YOUNG FARMER CONTESTS Georgia Farm Bureau is accepting applications for its Young Farmer Achievement Award, Excellence in Agriculture Award and Discussion Meet. . GFB members between the ages of 1835 may apply for these awards. Applications are available at county Farm Bureau offices Finalists for each of the competitive events will be named at the GFB Young Farmer Leadership Conference to be held July 10-13 on Jekyll Island. Applications for each contest and the leadership conference will be accepted through May 30 at 4:30 p.m. The preliminary rounds of the discussion meet will be held at the leadership conference. For more information on these awards or the conference, please visit http://www.gfb.org/yf or stop by your county Farm Bureau. The GFB Achievement Award will recognize an outstanding young farmer or couple whose primary income is derived from farming. The GFB Excellence in Agriculture Award will recognize an outstanding individual or couple whose primary income is not derived from farming. Extension agents, FFA advisors and ag lenders are examples of individuals who may apply for this award. The GFB Discussion Meet is a competitive event designed to simulate a committee meeting where young farmers discuss topics relevant to agriculture today and explore solutions to issues facing them as agriculturalists. The state winner of each award will be announced during the GFB convention in December. The winner of each contest will compete on the national level at the American Farm Bureau Convention in San Diego, Calif., Jan. 11-13, 2015. Details on state and national prizes will be available at a later date. UGA CAES ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS June 1 Deadline for submitting applications The CAES Alumni Association awards two non-renewable scholarships to the most outstanding transfer students from two- and four-year colleges who will be enrolling full-time at The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Selection is based on the student's ability to make significant contributions to the academic and co-curricular campus environment. Application forms may be accessed at http://www.caes.uga.edu/alumni/caa/scholarships.html#awards. EISENHOWER FELLOWS ACCEPTING AGRICULTURE APPLICATIONS Recruitment is currently open and will end on June 13 for Eisenhower Fellowships, the premier international leadership organization chaired by General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret). Eisenhower Fellowships is seeking active farmers or ranchers to take part in a unique international opportunity. Since 1993, Eisenhower Fellowships has welcomed 23 farmers and ranchers into its international network of more than 2,000 leaders from all sectors across the globe. The successful applicants receive a custom-designed program overseas for five weeks in one or two countries where he or she will explore agricultural issues in order to enhance their own leadership capabilities in the field of agriculture. In addition to the overseas program, they will attend an orientation as well as a closing seminar in Philadelphia, with a group of 35 Eisenhower Fellows from the US. and throughout the world. If you are a leader in agriculture, and could benefit from international exposure and a world class network to enhance your leadership role, you are invited to apply for an Eisenhower Agriculture Fellowship. For more information, and application materials, visit: http://www.efworld.org/our-programs/usa.