August 14, 2013
www.gfb.org
Vol. 31 No. 33
COLLINS TOUR INCLUDES TAILGATE WITH GFB LEADERS County Farm Bureau leaders in Northeast Georgia had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Doug Collins (R-9th District) during a legislative tailgate luncheon with GFB President Zippy Duvall held Aug. 8 at CeNita Vineyards in White County. Habersham County Extension Coordinator Steven Patrick gave an overview of agriculture in Northeast Georgia, Collins and Duvall each talked about immigration and the farm bill, and Collins fielded questions about waterway restoration funding to expand the Port of Savannah. Patrick pointed out that poultry growers in Northeast Georgia produce a significant portion of the state’s largest commodity, and several Northeast Georgia counties rank in the state’s top 10 in production of cattle, goats, horses and swine. The counties in Collins’ district are the state’s main producers of apples and wine grapes and are among the state’s leaders in production of numerous vegetables. Duvall emphasized the importance of solving the immigration issue, noting that food processing jobs and other occupations in the food and fiber industries depend on the generation of raw products from farms. “The bottom line is there are jobs in agriculture that Americans don’t want to do any more,” Duvall said. “So it is vitally important, not just to the farmer, but to other people who depend on those processing jobs.” Collins, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said the key aspects of the nation’s immigration problem are security, legal immigration and illegal immigration. He expressed a desire to have bills passed to address agricultural guest workers and the security issues. “I think if you pass the security bill you’ve got to also pass the guestworker bill,” Collins said. “You can’t just cut off the flow at the border and have agriculture die. You can’t do that.” Regarding the farm bill, Duvall noted that its conservation programs are very important to farmers in the northeastern portion of the state. “It’s important that we have a good farm bill and that we have a good safety net,” Duvall said. “I didn’t say a giveaway check. I said a safety net for agriculture that helps preserve agriculture like we know it.” The luncheon was part of a multiday tour of agricultural sites Collins took during Congress’ August recess. Earlier in the day, he took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony at Jaemor Farms’ new market in Commerce. Along with Collins and Duvall, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black spoke at the ceremony.
Leadership Alert page 2 of 6 GEORGIA AG COMMUNITY GATHERS FOR AG ISSUES SUMMIT Members of Georgia’s agriculture community attending the Ag Issues Summit co-hosted by Georgia House and Senate Agriculture Committee Chairmen Rep. Tom McCall and Sen. John Wilkinson Aug. 6 in Perry heard updates on the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE) program, federal immigration reform, Georgia water issues, farm exemptions for commercial drivers licenses and the farm bill. “We’re glad to have all of you here and thank you for coming,” Wilkinson said. McCall added, “We’ve been holding this meeting for the past five years to address current issues affecting all of agriculture to bring production agriculture people up to speed on the issues.” McCall and Wilkinson Bo Warren, with the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), gave an update on the GATE program that went into effect Jan. 1. Warren said the GDA has issued 31,200 GATE certificates as of Aug. 5. He reminded attendees that their current GATE cards will expire Dec. 31 and may be renewed online at the GDA website or by calling 1-855-FARM TAX beginning in November. To comply with a state law that went into effect this year, farmers who apply for or renew their GATE card will have to supply a notarized affidavit verifying they are legal citizens of the U.S. Bill Brim, president of Lewis Taylor Farms in Tift County, discussed the need farmers have for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Brim, who farms 5,500 acres of vegetables, has used the H-2A program for 15 years. He said the program as cumbersome and tedious, saying he has four full-time employees who handle the H-2A paperwork for his farm. Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director Jud Turner said his vision for Georgia is for the state to address its water issues rather than to have outside forces work on the state’s water issues through the court system. Turner said SB 213, which passed the Georgia Senate during the 2013 session, is intended to commission studies that will allow the state to figure out how to fix problems with the Flint River Drought Protection Act. Georgia State Patrol Lt. James Steen gave an overview of farm exemptions for commercial drivers license (CDL) under federal transportation legislation, “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” (MAP-21). Covered farm vehicles (CFV) are exempt from CDL requirements if certain conditions are met and the vehicle has a CFV designation form DPS TR0025 that has been registered in the state database. Visit http://gamccd.net/FarmVehicle.aspx to complete the form. U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop gave an update on the farm bill. He called the strategy of House leadership to separate the commodity title from the nutrition title a mistake, saying, “Splitting the farm bill was a mistake and has divided the historic partnership between rural and urban America. It’s going to make it more difficult, I think, for our farm programs to survive.” Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall stressed the importance of Georgia’s agricultural community working together to get things done in Atlanta and Washington. “If all of us aren’t working together, we’ll lose our balance and fall down,” Duvall said. “We in agriculture have got to stay together because we are the backbone of this economy and this country.”
Leadership Alert page 3 of 6 FLORIDA TO SUE GEORGIA OVER WATER Saying Georgia had not negotiated in good faith to work out a water sharing agreement, Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced on Aug. 13 that his state would file suit in the Supreme Court to settle the decades-long dispute between the two states. The suit will seek “to stop Georgia’s unchecked consumption of water that threatens the existence of Apalachicola fisheries and the future economic development of this region,” Scott said in a press release. The announcement followed a tour of Apalachicola Bay with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and a number of other elected officials on Aug. 13. Florida claims that water withdrawals from the Chattahoochee River for use in metro Atlanta has resulted in degraded habitat for oysters in the Apalachicola Bay, which produces 10 percent of the nation’s supply for oysters. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal countered that Florida never responded to a comprehensive proposal he offered in 2012 and urged Florida to pursue a negotiated settlement rather than a lawsuit. “It’s absurd to waste taxpayers’ money and prolong this process with a court battle when I’ve proposed a workable solution. Georgia has made significant progress on water conservation and has proposed an agreement that would meet the needs of both states,” Deal said in a statement. “While the timing seems to work for political purposes, it’s ironic this comes at a time when Florida and Georgia are experiencing historically high rainfall.” In a previous lawsuit, the 11th District Court of Appeals ruled in 2011 that the plans for Lake Lanier allowed metro Atlanta to withdraw water, and the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of that ruling. RMA MAKING CHANGES IN CROP INSURANCE PLANS The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has begun offering Area Risk Protection Insurance, or ARPI, an insurance plan that provides coverage based on the experience of an entire area, generally a county. ARPI replaces the Group Risk Plan (GRP) and the Group Risk Income Protection Plan (GRIP). Farmers can choose from three insurance plans: • Area Revenue Protection that covers against loss of revenue due to a county level production loss, price decline, or combination of both, and includes upside harvest price protection; • Area Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Exclusion that covers against loss of revenue due to a county level production loss, price decline, or a combination of both; or • Area Yield Protection that covers against loss of yield due to a county level production loss. All three plans have one set of basic provisions and crop provisions documents and will be effective for the 2014 and succeeding crop years. The coverage is available for barley, corn, cotton, forage crops, grain sorghum, peanuts soybeans and wheat. All crop insurance policies are available from private insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA service centers and on the RMA web site at: www3.rma.usda.gov/apps/agents/. For fact sheets about ARPI and other RMA programs, visit http://www.rma.usda.gov/pubs/rme/fctsht.html.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 6 GEORGIA COTTON COMMISSION SEEKS NOMINATIONS The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) is accepting resumes for two new seats on the commission. To receive a nomination form or for more information about the nomination process, contact Nathan Wilson by phone at 404-656-3678 or email at Nathan.wilson@agr.georgia.gov. You may also contact your local FSA office or the Georgia Farm Bureau Commodities Department at 1-800-342-1196 for forms. The form is available online at the GCC website http://georgiacottoncommission.org. Aug. 15 is the deadline for submitting nominations. The GCC board currently consists of: Chairman Mike Lucas, Bleckley County; Vice Chairman Wavell Robinson, Brooks County; Lee Cromley, Bulloch County; Bart Davis Jr, Colquitt County and Marvin Ruark, Morgan County. Ex officio members are Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, GFB President Zippy Duvall, Buddy Leger and Russ Moon. DEADLINE NEARING FOR MONSANTO REPLANT PROGRAM Farmers who have had to replant cotton, corn or soybeans because of extreme weather conditions may be eligible for refunds of portions of their purchases of Monsanto seeds. The deadline to file a replant claim is Aug. 15. For cotton, Monsanto is providing a 100 percent refund on the original cotton technology fee. The filing deadline for cotton crop loss claims is Aug. 16. Farmers using Monsanto financing may be eligible for assistance for 2014 seed purchases and 2013 seed payments. The replant program also allows 75 percent off the cost of replanted seed for DeKalb corn and Asgrow soybeans. For more information, contact your local dealer or Monsanto representative. 24TH ANNUAL BROOKLET PEANUT FESTIVAL Aug. 17 Downtown area Brooklet This annual event features the Peanut Run, a prade, live music, arts and crafts and a street dance, as well as tractor races and a kiddie pedal tractor race. For more information visit www.brookletpeanutfestival.com. GREENE COUNTY 4-H HORSE FUN NIGHT Aug. 17 Greene County Arena 4 p.m. Greensboro Events include cloverleaf & Texas barrels, pole bending, potato race, egg and spoon, key hole and arena races. Ages 5 to 18 are eligible to participate. Entry fees are $3.00 per event. Prize money will be awarded for top three finishers. Tickets are $3 for ages 13 and up and $1 for 12 and under. For more information, visit http://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event.cfm?pk_id=2548. UNMANNED AERIAL CROP IMAGING SHOWCASE Aug. 20 Sunbelt Agricultural Expo, Spence Field 10:00 a.m. Moultrie Come and learn more about an unmanned helicopter crop-imaging research project funded by the Georgia Centers of Innovation for Aerospace and Agribusiness and Guided Systems Technologies. The mini-helicopters used to capture the images are fully autonomous and can fly over fields to detect pests, irrigation, diseases and nutrient issues well before they can be detected by the human eye; early detection can save crops, decrease pesticide use and allow increased yields and profits. For additional information or to RSVP for this event, please contact David Nuckolls, Marketing & Communications Account Manager, Georgia Centers of Innovation, at 404-962-4130 or dnuckolls@georgia.org.
Leadership Alert page 5 of 6 PASTURE FIELD DAY Aug. 24 Crutchfield Farms Dalton This field day features best management practices and integrated pest management practices for pastures. Crutchfield Farms is located at 2601 Lake Francis Rd NE in Dalton. For more information, contact Brenda Jackson at 706-278-8207 or bljack@uga.edu or visit http://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event.cfm?pk_id=2288. Â EGG CANDLING CLASS Aug. 28 Putnam County Cooperative Extension Eatonton Putnam Cooperative Extension is hosting an egg candling class for egg/poultry producers who are interested in being able to comply with Georgia Department of Agriculture rules and regulations for the sale of eggs to consumers. For more information, or to register for this program, contact Deborah Ingram or Bradley Brown with the Georgia Department of Agriculture at 770-535-5955 or visit http://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event.cfm?pk_id=2533. VIDALIA ONION REFERENDUM TO BEGIN SEPT. 9 A referendum to determine whether Vidalia onion producers favor the continuation of the Vidalia onion marketing order will be held from Sept. 9 to Sept. 27. To be eligible to vote, producers must have produced Vidalia onions within the designated production area during the period from Jan. 1, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2012. For more information http://tinyurl.com/jw9jd66 or contact Corey E. Elliott or Christian D. Nissen in the Agricultural Marketing Service Southeast Marketing Field Office by phone at 863-324-3375 or by email at Corey.Elliott@ams.usda.gov or Christian.Nissen@ams.usda.gov. GEORGIA FARM BUREAU DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Sept. 10 3rd District Center at Arbor Connection 7 p.m. Douglasville Sept. 12 2nd District North Georgia Technical Coll. 7 p.m. Avalon th Sept. 16 5 District Thomaston Civic Center 7 p.m. Thomaston Sept. 19 10th District Jamestown Baptist Church 7 p.m. Waycross th Sept. 24 7 District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Statesboro Oct. 8 9th District Mitchell County Ag Center 7 p.m. Camilla Oct. 10 1st District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Calhoun Oct. 17 8th District South Georgia Technical Coll. 7 p.m. Americus Oct. 28 6th District Poplar Springs North Bapt. Ch. 7 p.m. Dublin th Oct. 29 4 District Greene County High School 7 p.m. Greensboro Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information. Note: These meetings are for Farm Bureau members only and are not open to the general public. EGG CANDLING CLASS Sept. 10 Coastal Ga. Botanical Garden at Historic Bamboo Farm Savannah The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Egg Candling Inspector, Lee Lancaster, will conduct this certification class .The information and training received in the lecture will prepare participants for the written examination, as well as, the hands on candling evaluation at the end of the day. If you plan to sell your eggs to individuals, or at a farmers market, an egg candling certificate is required. For more information, call 912-652-7981 or visit http://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event.cfm?pk_id=2528.
Leadership Alert page 6 of 6 EGG CANDLING CLASS Sept. 12 Harris County Extension Clubhouse Hamilton Upon completion of this class, you will be mailed an egg candling certificate which enables you to sell eggs to individuals or at a farmer's market. There will be a 30-minute break for lunch. Light snacks will be provided. Pre-registration is required for this class. To register or for more information call 706-628-4824, email uge2145@uga.edu or visit http://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event.cfm?pk_id=2484 GEORGIA MULTICULTURAL SUSTAINABLE AG CONFERENCE Sept. 17 Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway 8 a.m. – 4 pm. Duluth This conference for beginning and established multicultural farmers features sessions on small scale organic farming and marketing, building diverse urban farm enterprises, aquaculture, mushroom production, pasture management and many more. Registration is $20, which includes lunch and instructional materials. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/mecjba8. For more information contact the Upper Ocmulgee River RC&D Council at 678-376-9518 or the NRCS Lawrenceville Service Center at 770-963-9288. 27TH GEORGIA PEANUT TOUR Sept. 17-19 Varous locations around Valdosta This tour spotlights South Georgia’s peanut production area, giving participants a variety of field conditions, peanut harvest clinics, production research, handling and grading, and on-farm demonstrations. Stops include the UGA Tifton Campus and the Georgia Department of Agriculture lab in Tifton. For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/nye84yl or call 229-3863470.
TRI-STATE PEANUT DISEASE TOUR Sept. 24-26 Various sites This tour includes visits to research sites in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. For more information contact Dr. Albert Culbreath at 229-386-3370 or spotwilt@uga.edu. INTERNATIONAL AGRIBUSINESS CONFERENCE AND EXPO Sept. 25-26 Savannah International Trade & Convention Center Savannah This inaugural event, sponsored by Georgia Farm Bureau, will help farmers and businesses learn how to capitalize on the growing export market. Participants will be provided with information on what markets are open to their products, how to export their goods and what exporting can do for their bottom lines. Participants will attend educational forums and workshops, learning from experts in agricultural importing and exporting and about the latest practices in processing valueadded agricultural products. They also will have a chance to meet with international trade representatives. The conference’s main sponsor is Georgia Farm Bureau. For more information about the conference’s schedule, see www.iace.us.com. Registration is $190 in advance and $210 onside. For more information visit http://ceps.georgiasouthern.edu/conted/iace.html.