August 28 , 2013
www.gfb.org
Vol. 31 No. 35
AUSTIN SCOTT HOPEFUL FARM BILL PASSES BY END OF THE YEAR Rep. Austin Scott said on Aug. 20 he’d like to see a new long-term farm bill enacted by the end of the year. During an interview with Georgia Farm Bureau media he also discussed legislation that addresses immigration. Scott (R-8th Dist.), a member of the House Ag Committee, said he felt good about the initial farm bill that the committee passed but was voted down on the House floor. With the nutrition provision stripped from it, the bill later passed the House and now awaits consideration by a conference committee along with the Senate farm bill. Scott said he anticipates the House to address nutrition programs with a separate bill shortly after Congress reconvenes after its August recess. “Let’s face it, you write a farm bill for the tough years and we really felt like we had good provisions in there to keep the good Scott farmers in business through those tough years,” Scott said. “So we’ll go into conference and hopefully come forward with a piece of legislation, but we need to get on it pretty quick.” The current 2008 farm bill, which Congress extended with a vote on Jan. 1, expires Sept. 30. Scott also emphasized the importance of farm programs from a national security perspective. “I think that one of the great things we have in America is the ability to not only feed ourselves but to feed a tremendous portion of the world,” he said. “So I’m hopeful that when we get that good ag policy out there, it will continue to play an important part of our national security and help us with our allies.” On immigration, Scott said more emphasis needs to be placed on monitoring people who come into the United States legally, noting that 40 percent of the people who are in the country illegally came into the country legally but remain in the U.S. illegally after their visas expire. He said border security will be one of the first issues taken up in the House in September. “The same gaps that allow somebody to come into this country legally who simply wants to come into the country and work and then go home are the gaps that allow people to bring things into this country that we don’t want,” Scott said. “We’ve got to deal with that aspect of border security and simultaneously we’ve got to get the ag worker program worked out.” Scott said it is unlikely the Senate immigration bill that passed earlier this year will pass in the House because of the path to legal status it allows for people currently in the U.S. illegally. “There’s already a path to citizenship in this country for somebody that has come into the country legally and I think that will be one of the key differences in any House measure and any Senate measure will be the citizenship aspect of it.”
Leadership Alert page 2 of 6 GFB TAKING ENTRIES FOR HAY CONTEST AND HAY DIRECTORY LISTINGS Georgia Farm Bureau members are encouraged to enter their Bermudagrass hay into the 2013 GFB Quality Hay Contest, which is designed to encourage the production of better quality hay in Georgia. The University of Georgia Testing Lab evaluates hay entered in the contest using the Relative Forage Quality Test (RFQ), which predicts the fiber digestibility and likely animal intake of the hay. Entry forms outlining the procedure for entering the contest and rules may be picked up at your local county Farm Bureau office. There is a $15 fee for each entry to cover the cost of the lab test. Producers may enter more than one sample. The deadline for entry is Nov. 1. Contest participants will receive a detailed copy of their hay analysis information and a free listing in the GFB Hay Directory, if they choose. Winners will be determined by the RFQ analysis. Nitrate levels above 4,500 parts per million or moisture above 18 percent will be disqualified. The top five places will be announced at the GFB Hay Commodity Meeting Dec. 9 during the GFB Convention on Jekyll Island. Prizes will be presented for the top five places. The first place winner will receive a year’s free use of a Vermeer TM 850 Trailed Mower, compliments of the Vermeer Manufacturing Company. The winner will have the option to purchase the mower at a reduced price at the end of a year. Second place will receive a baler-mounted hay moisture tester. The GFB Hay Advisory Committee sponsors the GFB Bermuda Hay Contest. GFB is also seeking listings for its 2014 Quality Hay Directory. The directory is scheduled to be printed in late November. Producers should complete a form and send it to the GFB office in Macon with a check for $10 for each listing. Checks should be made out to Georgia Farm Bureau. Because this publication is used for the entire year, producers should include normal and projected production of round and square bales they anticipate selling. Forms for both the GFB Quality Hay Contest and the Quality Hay Directory are available at your local Farm Bureau Office or on our website http://www.gfb.org. Contact Joe McManus at 1-800-342-1196 for more information on the hay contest or the hay directory. USDA TO SURVEY SMALL GRAINS FARMERS USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend the first two weeks of September surveying thousands of farmers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to get a clear indication of the small grain production and grain stored on and off the farm. NASS will compile information collected across the country into publicly accessible reports to ensure the confidentiality of individual farmer information. Producers rely on the survey results to make production, marketing and investment decisions. Congress utilizes the information to design better regulations and farm programs. Industry analysts, extension agents, farm organizations, and agricultural lenders use the data in a variety of ways to directly benefit the grower. Growers across the South will be contacted during the coming weeks. The data will be collected by mail, phone and personal interviews. Growers may also report online. As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential, as required by federal law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only aggregate data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified. NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov. For information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Southern Regional Field Office at 1-800-253-4419.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 6 GEORGIANS HONORED FOR CONSERVATION EFFORTS Georgia Farm Bureau members Mable Brown of Pickens County, John Redding of Walton County and John Woodard of Crisp County were inducted into the Southeast Conservation Hall of Fame Aug. 12. The induction occurred during the National Association of Conservation Districts Southeast Region meeting held Aug. 11-13 in Savannah. The three honorees were inducted into the Georgia Association of Conservation District Supervisors (GACDS) Hall of Fame earlier this year. Brown has served as the Pickens County Supervisor to the Limestone Valley Soil & Water Conservation District for 32 years, during which time she was the first woman appointed to the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) Board and the first woman to serve as president of the GACDS. Redding served 32 years as a district supervisor for the Walton County Soil & Water Conservation District and continues to serve as the district’s outreach director. He serves as the treasurer of the National Association of Conservation Districts Foundation and is a past president of the NACD. Woodard has served as a district supervisor for the Middle South Georgia SWCD for more than 25 years. A farmer since 19, Woodard began utilizing conservation practices early in his farming career and was named the Crisp County Conservationist of the Year in 1974 and 2012. The Cordele-Crisp County Chamber of Commerce recently honored him for helping to found the Georgia Watermelon Festival. EPA ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL PESTICIDE LABELING REQUIREMENTS The EPA announced on Aug. 15 that it will impose additional labeling requirements on pesticide companies to improve protection for bees after widespread reports of stresses to honeybees and other pollinators. In an Aug. 15 letter to pesticide manufacturers, EPA Director of Pesticide Programs Steven Bradbury outlined the new requirements. The new labeling requirements apply to all pesticide products that have outdoor foliar use directions and containing active ingredients clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid or thiamethoxam, regardless of formulation, concentration or intended user. Manufacturers have until Sept. 30 to apply for labeling amendments to reflect these changes. The labels include instructions for users to take steps to minimize exposure of the product to bees and other insect pollinators when they are foraging on plants around the application site. The requirements include a pollinator protection box that is to follow the environmental hazards section, pollinator language in the directions-for-use section and a wording change regarding bee activity, which should be referred to as foraging. The labels include a bee icon to indicate the directions are intended to protect bees and other insect pollinators. According to an EPA fact sheet the agency worked with the USDA and agricultural equipment manufacturers and the pesticide and seed industries to develop and apply technologies that reduce pesticide drift during planting activities. For more information about the new labeling requirements, visit http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/ecosystem/pollinator/risk-mgmt.html.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 6 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 visit 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 MILK PRODUCERS FALL MEETINGS Sept. 9 Preston Williams Community Center 7 p.m. Montezuma Sept. 10 Wiregrass Restaurant noon Quitman Sept. 11 Sara's in the City noon Baxley Sept. 12 Krystals Taste of Kountry noon Millen Sept. 12 Burke County Extension Office 7 p.m. Waynesboro Sept. 13 McGill/Woodruff Ag Building noon Washington Sept. 16 Bonner's Restaurant 7 p.m. Buckhead Sept. 17 Barnstormer's Grill 7 p.m. Williamson Sept. 19 Western Sizzlin' 7 p.m. Dalton Sept. 20 Ryan's noon Commerce Meetings will include election of officers, reports on industry issues and promotional efforts and upcoming events. Meals will be served at each meeting. To preregister, contact the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association at 1-800-343-4693. For directions to meeting locations contact Farrah Newberry at 706-310-0020 or visit http://www.gamilk.org. GEORGIA FARM BUREAU DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Sept. 10 3rd District Center at Arbor Connection 7 p.m. Douglasville nd Sept. 12 2 District North Georgia Technical Coll. 7 p.m. Avalon Sept. 16 5th District Thomaston Civic Center 7 p.m. Thomaston Sept. 19 10th District Jamestown Baptist Church 7 p.m. Waycross Sept. 24 7th District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Statesboro Oct. 8 9th District Mitchell County Ag Center 7 p.m. Camilla st Oct. 10 1 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 Oct. 29 4th 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 4 of 6 2013 UGA COTTON & PEANUT RESEARCH FIELD DAY Sept. 11 UGA Gibbs Farm 8:30 a.m. Tifton This field day, sponsored by the Georgia Cotton Commission and the Georgia Peanut Commission, will showcase the latest innovative research supported by our commissions. The field day will end with lunch at the UGA Black Shank Pavilion. All producers, extension personnel and industry representatives are welcome and encouraged to attend. In order to secure an accurate head count for the meal, please RSVP to Michelle Pitts at mpitts@uga.edu or 229386-3006. GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION FALL FIELD DAY Sept. 12 Friendship Pecans 8:30 a.m. Albany This annual field day will cover hedge pruning, fruit thinning, fertilizer management, pecan cultivars, management of young trees and inter-planting nursery trees in existing orchards. No registration is required and there will be a sponsored lunch. Friendship Pecans is located at 1807 Williamsburg Road. For more information call 229-382-2187 or email Janice Dees at janice@georgiapecan.org. 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 GROWN FARMER SHOWCASE Sept. 14 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta Sept. 28 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta This family-friendly series features dozens of vendors from around the state, offering locally grown fresh Georgia produce and plant sales, meet and greets with local farmers and much more. For more information, visit http://www.georgiagrown.com or call 404-656-3689. CAES UGA STUDENT RECRUITMENT EVENTS Sept. 19 Toombs County Agricultural Center 5 p .m. Lyons Sept. 24 UGA Tifton Campus Conf. Center 5 p.m. Tifton These events are for high school students in grades 10 -12 who are interested in learning more about the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES). Parents are welcome, and a meal will be provided. Pre-registration deadlines are Sept. 12 for the Lyons event and Sept. 17 for the Tifton event. To register, contact the Office of Academic Programs at 229-386-3528 or ugatift@uga.edu. 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.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 6 BEYOND THE FARM GATE SOCIAL MEDIA SEMINAR Sept. 24 UGA CAES Activity Center 8:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. Athens This free event, funded under a USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Grant, will help farmers gain the skills and knowledge they need to establish and maintain an effective online presence for their farm or ranch. To register, contact Chris Morgan at 706-542-7102 or acm@uga.edu. visit http://www.depts.ttu.edu/aged/beyondthefarmgate/events.html. Registration deadline is Sept. 17. 2013 TRI-STATE PEANUT DISEASE TOUR Sept. 24-26 Multiple locations Tour stops include research plots in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The tour includes a stop at the UGA-Tifton Lang-Rigdon Farm on Sept. 25. Other stops include the University of Florida Citra Research Center on Sept. 24 and the Wiregrass Experiment Station in Headland, Ala., on Sept. 25. Meal will be served at the Georgia and Alabama stops, and advance notice of attendance is requested. For more information contact Albert Culbreath at spotwilt@uga.edu or call 229-386-3156. INTERNATIONAL AGRIBUSINESS CONFERENCE AND EXPO Sept. 25-26 Savannah International Trade & Convention Center Savannah This inaugural event will help farmers and businesses learn how to capitalize on the growing export market. Participants will be provided with information on the markets 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 value-added 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 http://www.iace.us.com. Registration is $190 in advance and $210 onsite. 5TH ANNUAL LUKE BRYAN FARM TOUR Oct. 2 Perry’s Field Claxton Oct. 3 Venue TBD Athens Oct. 4 Culler Farms Gaston, S.C. Oct. 5 Midway at Central City Park Macon Oct. 9 V-Plex Villa Rica Oct. 10 Ingram Farms Opelika, Ala. Oct. 11 Venue TBD Tallahassee, Fla. Oct. 12 Valdosta Wake Compound Valdosta Country music artist and Lee County Farm Bureau member Luke Bryan embarks on his 2013 Farm Tour a series of concerts to benefit students from farm families. Each venue is near a university, and Bryan’s organization is sponsoring a college scholarship at each of them for a student from a farm family. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will fund the scholarships. Tickets go on sale to the public on July 26. For more information, visit http://www.lukebryan.com/farmtour.