February 17, 2016
www.gfb.org
Vol. 34 No. 7
PRESIDENTS’ CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS ADVOCACY & MEMBER BENEFITS Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) held its annual County Presidents’ Conference Feb. 11 at the Aberdeen Woods Conference Center in Peachtree City. County leaders attended workshops covering GFB’s Ag Advocacy efforts and how to make county Farm Bureau programs more effective and heard status updates on legislation impacting agriculture. Georgia Sen. John Wilkinson, who chairs the Senate Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee and Dr. Robert Beckstead, who teaches a class at the University of Georgia for freshmen and sophomores that introduces students to the world of agriculture, were guest speakers. “My goal as your state president is to search for new and innovative ideas to address the challenges we have on the farm and as an organization,” GFB President Gerald Long told the 250 county leaders attending the event. “Please share your ideas with me Gerald Long or my staff.” Long also announced he is seeking election as GFB president in the organization’s Dec. 6 election. “I am honored to be serving as your state president,” Long said. “I look forward to working with you to focus on our mission to enhance and serve agriculture. My emphasis will be to keep us on track and provide you with the necessary resources to do this.” During the opening session, Beckstead, who teaches the class “Affects of Global Agriculture on World Culture,” which meets UGA requirements for mandated culture classes, discussed the misconceptions about agriculture he strives to correct in his class. In addition to addressing the incorrect views students may have about agriculture, Beckstead uses his class to expose students to the variety of jobs available in ag, teach students why agriculture is important and give students the chance to meet real farmers through class visits and a series of videos Georgia Farm Bureau produced. GFB 2nd Dist. Field Rep. Clay Talton and GFB 9th Dist. Field Rep. Jeff Nunnery discussed the speakers bureau GFB is establishing to advocate for agriculture in communities across Georgia. To get the speakers bureau off the ground quickly, GFB has identified at least two Farm Bureau members from each of the organization’s 10 districts, who are knowledgeable about ag issues subject to public scrutiny, such as GMOs, water or livestock care. The speakers will receive media training and further topic training in late spring. County Farm Bureaus will be able to ask the speakers to come and talk at their county annual meetings or to local civic clubs for a -Continued
GFB News Alert page 2 of 12 -continued from previous page fee and travel expenses. Hall County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Chairman Caroline Lewallen and Mitchell County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Chairman Casey Cox gave examples of talks members of the GFB Speakers Bureau will make. Both are members of the speakers bureau. Lewallen gave a presentation titled “Shifting Gears” in which she described how she responds to consumers’ questions about GMOs and their food in her job as agritourism coordinator at Jaemor Farms, a GFB Certified Farm Market. She encouraged farmers who encounter consumers critical of agriculture to respond calmly, with integrity, transparency, accuracy and the facts. She stressed the importance of listening to consumers’ concerns and acknowledging you have heard them before calmly correcting their misconception. For instance, instead of saying American farmers produce safe, affordable food, Lewallen recommends using phrases such as “We’re preventing world famine,” and “We’re growing food that doesn’t make you sick.” Cox discussed production practices farmers have adopted to conserve water and the research being conducted at the Stripling Irrigation Center in Camilla, Ga. Cox, who is executive director of the Flint River Soil & Water Conservation District, discussed irrigation techniques she and her father use on their row crop farm and why using drip irrigation and variable rate irrigation technology is important as the Georgia/Florida/Alabama water lawsuit continues to put farmers’ water use under scrutiny. During the workshop on making county Farm Bureaus more effective, GFB Field Services Director Mike Copeland encouraged county Farm Bureaus to invite the Field Services Department to their county to hold a short training seminar for county Farm Bureau boards to give county directors a refresher course on GFB structure and programs. Copeland said the seminar could be held at night as part of the county’s regularly scheduled county board meeting and could be held jointly with another county. Sen. Wilkinson gave an update on the Georgia General Assembly’s 2016 session and bills making their way through the legislature that affect agriculture. He said the state budget that legislators approve for 2017 will probably be about $24 billion. “We live in a state that passes a balanced budget each year, and we have a Triple A financial rating that allows us to get low interest rates when we build construction projects,” Wilkinson said. GFB Legislative Department Director Jeffrey Harvey gave an overview of legislation GFB is tracking this session including HB 911, which proposes increasing the income requirement to qualify for the GATE card from $2,500 annually to a $10,000 annual minimum and moving administrative oversight of the card from the Georgia Department of Agriculture to the Georgia Department of Revenue. Harvey said as of Feb. 11, the Georgia General Assembly was halfway finished with its 40-day session and has set an adjournment date of March 24. County leaders attending the conference had the chance to visit with representatives of companies that offer discounted benefits and services to GFB members including Farm Bureau Bank, Ford, Air Evac, Six Flags, Wild Adventures, the Agelity Prescription Drug Discount Program and Members Health Insurance. Jason Smith, Farm Bureau Bank vice president of business development, explained the bank’s new credit card program that will pay GFB members’ membership dues. Smith said if a Farm Bureau Bank Member Rewards cardholder spends $5,000 in a year, then the member's dues will automatically be paid by the bank when the member's membership comes up for renewal.
GFB News Alert page 3 of 12 CRAWFORD COUNTY LIVESTOCK SHOW TURNS 65 Crawford County Farm Bureau hosted the 65th Annual Crawford County Livestock Show on Feb. 6 in Knoxville, Georgia, with dozens of youth showing approximately 60 cattle and hogs. According to long-time CCFB Board Secretary Charlie Frank Harris, the show began back in 1951 as part of livestock improvement efforts by vocational/agricultural teacher J.F. Lowery. Lowery helped local farmers battle diseases affecting livestock through a vaccination program and encouraged them to use better bulls and boars for breeding. As the herds began showing improvement, Lowery wanted to get his students involved as well as provide farmers with motivation to improve their own herds. “If a person can see his neighbor improving his livestock Judge Philip Gentry, left, and program, then it gives you the opportunity to want to too,” Tom Morgan Harris said. “Professor Lowery, he did that.” At the 2016 show, CCFB furnished a commemorative cake for attendees to enjoy and displayed tri-board exhibits detailing the history of the event, which has promoted agriculture in Crawford County for generations. The Hamlin/Mattox family had four generations present on Feb. 6. Local farmer Bobby Hamlin showed animals in the event, followed by his daughter Angie, her son Sheldon Mattox and his two daughters, Caroline and Chloe Mattox. “I think it’s been a good thing to draw our families together,” Bobby said. “We spend a lot of time together anyway, but I see it bringing other families together. They spend time together there and time with the animals. It’s just been kind of a highlight for us for a number of years.” The show has been held at three different locations. According to Harris, to begin with it was held at the depot in nearby Roberta. A few years in, local farmer C.E. Thaxton donated a corner of his property on which the show was held for years. In the late 1950s the show moved to its current location on Hortman Mill Road just south of the Crawford County courthouse in Knoxville. The local Jaycees had built a kennel facility for hunting dogs to facilitate fox hunts, and the livestock show used that facility before CCFB built the current barn, which is named for Harris. The show, judged by Perry High School ag teacher Phillip Gentry, had competitors ages 3-17. In the cattle classes, Gentry encouraged the youth to share their experiences showing animals. For many, it’s their first exposure to livestock shows, and as they advance in age it helps prepare them for bigger shows later in the year. “I really enjoy traveling around the country and building friendships with people I never would have met if I wasn’t showing livestock,” said Eli Smallwood, who showed cattle. In addition to judging duties, Gentry spent time mentoring kids on showmanship in the ring. Part of CCFB’s activities in support of the show is an annual steak dinner, started to raise money for show amenities and prizes like the much-coveted belt buckles. “We have the livestock program because young people are the future of agriculture and if we can encourage, or open a door for any of them to have the opportunity, that’s what we want to support here in Crawford County,” Harris said.
GFB News Alert page 4 of 12 UGA SUMMIT LOOKS AT WOMEN AG LEADERS Women from 13 Southern states representing many sectors of agriculture met in Athens Feb. 8 for the Southern Region Women’s Agricultural Leadership Summit hosted by the University of Georgia Women’s Leadership Initiative and the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES). The event, which focused on women’s leadership roles in agriculture, included a panel discussion, a group work session, networking and a keynote address by USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden, a native of Camilla, Georgia. “The delegates at this summit represent the future of agriculture,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead said in his welcoming remarks. “The work they are doing to shape policies and programs to promote gender equity and women’s leadership development will have a positive impact on an industry that is crucial to our nation’s food security and economic vitality.” Morehead noted that the conference would be one of the most important final events Harden attends before she leaves the USDA at the end of February. Krysta Harden Female farmers and women employed by government agencies serving agriculture, the Cooperative Extension System, Farm Bureau and ag-related organizations and businesses comprised the delegate body attending the summit. Additional women from these sectors also attended as observers. “This is a very far-reaching conversation and this conference has been a long-time coming,” said UGA CAES Associate Dean for Extension Dr. Laura Perry Johnson. “I grew up on a South Georgia farm. Agriculture is not just what I do, it’s a huge part of who I am.” Participants in the panel discussion were: Harden, Caroline Bakker Hofland, Dr. Cindy AyersElliott, Dr. Caula Beyl and Camille Scales Young. Bakker Hofland is a CAES graduate who started her own company, CBH International Inc., in 1990. The company sells equipment and provides value-added services to the poultry, swine and food industries in multiple Latin American countries imported from the U.S., Europe and Brazil. Dr. Ayers-Elliott is chairwoman and CEO of Foot Print Farms LLC, a women-owned, 68-acre teaching and production farm for specialty crops, vegetables and livestock that focuses on agritourism for community development in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Beyl has served as dean of the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources since 2007 after teaching and researching at Alabama A&M for almost 27 years where she served as principal investigator or co-investigator on 43 research projects. Scales Young began her career with Mississippi Farm Bureau, held a position with USDA, spent 10 years as a government affairs representative with one of the top law firms in Mississippi and is now a senior professional with Cornerstone Government Affairs, a full-service, bipartisan public affairs firm. Bakker Hofland told women to be prepared to overcome obstacles when someone says no to you by being knowledgeable about your subject matter. Ayers-Elliott encouraged women to utilize the resources available through the USDA and land grant colleges to benefit their farms. “It’s about understanding and coming up with a plan and working the plan and not letting the plan work me,” Ayers-Elliott said. “When I don’t know something I bring in the experts. I’m not afraid to be a farmer, a natural resources commissioner or a black woman. It’s important that we -continued
GFB News Alert page 5 of 12 -continued from previous page do this now more than ever. We have to do this because food is a matter of national security.” Dr. Beyl told women not to wait until someone appoints them or asks them to serve but rather when they see a situation that needs to be improved to step up to the plate and do it. Scales Young encouraged women not to sacrifice having a family for having a career saying, “You don’t have to choose family or a career. You can have both and you can do both very well. You may not have a clean kitchen but you can have both.” During the panel discussion, Harden said women’s contributions to agriculture have gone unappreciated. “We all know women have been involved in agriculture forever. It is not something that’s new. My mother has signed every single note my daddy ever did. She had just as much at risk. But we don’t recognize it, and we don’t value it [the contributions women make to their family farms]. They may not be the ones driving the tractors, but they’re running around buying equipment parts,” Harden said. “We need to embrace each other. We need to encourage each other. We have voices. We have loud voices and we need to make sure they’re heard. I come from a small town in South Georgia and I understand the conventional roles, but we can do it if we support each other. Sometimes the conversations that start at the kitchen table are much harder than the one’s at the board table.” While delivering the keynote address at the summit lunch, Harden spoke favorably of her father and husband and thanked the men attending the conference. “I’m very proud of the enlightened men who are here whether you had to be or not because this is a team effort.” She spoke frankly and from the heart about her almost 35-year career in Washington, D.C., as a woman representing agriculture on Capitol Hill. Harden will step down from USDA at the end of February, as most appointed administrators do before their president’s term ends. While she couldn’t divulge what her future plans are, she said her next position will allow her to continue doing the things she loves with agriculture and empowering women. Harden did share an interview she experienced while considering future positions in which an all-male selection committee asked her if she had any management experience. She said she gave the committee members the benefit of the doubt that they didn’t realize her job as deputy secretary of the USDA makes her the chief operating officer of the department, which has more than 100,000 employees nationwide. She calmly laid out her management qualifications from this position and past jobs. At the end of the interview she asked the committee if they would have asked the same question of a male candidate and told them thanks but no thanks for the offer. “I realized it wouldn’t be a good fit,” Harden said. “It hurt me to realize that the industry that I love and want to be a part of still has a hint of bias.” Harden encouraged the women attending the conference to take the information and messages they gained at the conference back home and replicate it with conferences in their communities and organizations. “This isn’t about me. It’s about empowering women. If this were about me and it ends when I’m gone [from USDA] what a failure,” Harden said. “Hopefully you’ll go back home and what you learned and heard will motivate you to do your job just a little bit differently.”
GFB News Alert page 6 of 12 HERNDON NAMED VIDALIA ONION GROWER OF THE YEAR Jason Herndon from L.G. Herndon Jr Farms Inc. was named grower of the year and J. Scott Angle, former dean of the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) was inducted to the Hall of Fame during the Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC) annual awards banquet on Feb. 6. Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Commissioner Gary Black and former NFL football player Fred Stokes spoke at the event. Each year, the Vidalia Onion Committee selects a grower or overall farm of the year to recognize overall achievement and success as a producer of Vidalia onions with an emphasis on quality production and compliance with the marketing order. Herndon, from L.G. Herndon Jr Farms Inc., manages L.G. Herndon farms Inc. for his uncle, Bo Herndon Jr. Herndon farms is a family farm operation that has been in business for more than 30 years and averages 500 acres of Vidalia onions each year. Angle was dean and director of the CAES for the past decade, during which he oversaw a period of significant growth in the college's instruction, research and outreach. He recruited several nationally and internationally recognized researchers to broaden the scope and impact of the college's research. He also strengthened the links between the college's research and extension units to ensure that farmers and other stakeholders in each of Georgia's 159 counties have access to the latest, evidence-based information. In 2015, he became president and CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center. The awards were presented by VOC Director Susan Waters and Vidalia Onion Business Council Director Bob Stafford. In keeping with Super Bowl weekend, “Team Vidalia” was the theme of the banquet this year and for the first time, the VOC hosted an inspirational speaker. Raised in Vidalia, Stokes is a former football defensive end who played 10 seasons in the National Football League. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams, St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints. Stokes played in Super Bowl XXVI with the 1991 Washington Redskins against the Buffalo Bills. After his retirement from football, Stokes wrote an autobiography, "The Bridge That Brought Me Over.” In 2007, he established Fred Stokes Foods and has been working with the VOC to implement a new Vidalia sausage product at retail. BOLL WEEVIL ASSESSMENT TO REMAIN AT 75 CENTS PER BALE The Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation (BWEF) board agreed to keep its assessment at 75 cents per bale for 2016 during its annual meeting on Feb. 16 in Perry. The board also re-elected its slate of officers. Herbert Price will continue to serve as chairman, Billy Sanders as vice chairman and Ronald Lovell as secretary/treasurer. According to the BWEF report, Georgia continues to be weevil free. Georgia is cooperating with other states by participating in the Boll Weevil Protection Fund, which will assist the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas with their ongoing battle with the weevil. The report noted that Mexican growers and the Mexican government are interested in participating in an eradication program in Mexico that would be similar to the program in the U.S. This would help bring weevil numbers down in south Texas and hopefully move toward eradication in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which borders South Texas along the Rio Grande River.
GFB News Alert page 7 of 12 APHIS RELEASES INTERIM RULE FOR HPAI INDEMNITY PAYMENTS The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing an interim rule that outlines conditions for the payment of indemnity claims for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), according to an APHIS stakeholder announcement. The interim rule clarifies an existing policy that allows for the payment of indemnity for eggs destroyed by HPAI response, provides a formula to allow indemnity payments to be split between poultry and egg owners and their contracted growers, and requires owners and contractors to provide a statement that they had a biosecurity plan in place at the time HPAI was detected in their facilities in order to receive indemnity. This requirement includes limited exemptions. To view the interim rule in its entirety, visit http://tinyurl.com/hpaiinterimrule. As previously reported by GFB, APHIS has set the reimbursement rates for poultry operations affected by HPAI. The flat rates are based upon averages and lessons learned during the spring outbreak. They cover the cost of barn preparation, cleaning and heat disinfection. The flat rates are: turkeys, $3.55 per bird; layers, $6.45 per bird and broilers, $1.15 per bird. The broiler rate is an estimate based on industry averages because no broiler flocks were affected in the previous outbreak. This interim rule was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 9. APHIS is accepting public comments on the rule until April 11. To submit a comment, visit the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://tinyurl.com/hpaicomment. Comments will also be accepted by mail to Docket No. APHIS-2015-0061, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. OBAMA BUDGET REQUEST CUTS SHEP FUNDING President Obama released his FY 2017 budget request on Feb. 9, and it drew immediate criticism from Georgia elected officials for its allocation of funds toward the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP). The president is requesting $42.7 million for SHEP, well short of the $100 million per year for FY2017 - FY2020 urged by members of the Georgia congressional delegation. All 16 members signed a letter in October 2015 to Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan, noting that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified $100 million per year as the level that would keep the project moving forward. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-1st Dist.), Sens. David Perdue and Johnny Isakson and Gov. Nathan Deal each voiced concerns over the funding level Obama proposed. “It is unacceptable and frustrating that the Obama administration has decided to ignore its commitment to SHEP,” said Rep. Carter. “Failing to provide adequate funding for this critical project will result in delays and threaten to increase the cost to taxpayers. This project is essential for jobs and economic growth in the 1st District, the Southeast, and the entire nation and this administration must realize this truth and prioritize the project.” In late 2014, the Corps of Engineers and the state of Georgia reached a cost-sharing agreement to complete the project, which will deepen the channel to Savannah harbor and extend it further into the Atlantic Ocean. According to Gov. Nathan Deal, the state has already invested its $266 million share in the project, which will make the Port of Savannah accessible to larger container ships traveling through the Panama Canal after the completion of the canal’s expansion. The Panama Canal expansion is 96 percent complete according to its project website, and is expected to be completed in 2016.
GFB News Alert page 8 of 12 SUPREME COURT BLOCKS EPA POWER RULE The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay blocking the EPA’s implementation of its rule to implement its Clean Power Plan, pending the outcome of lawsuits by 29 states, including Georgia, and other parties seeking to overturn the rule. The lawsuits are being heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. “We are pleased that the Supreme Court is preventing the EPA from moving forward with this rule that would result in increased energy costs for farmers,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long. “Because energy is a major portion of farm operating expenses, we are hopeful that this rule will be overturned permanently by the courts.” Georgia Farm Bureau opposes the rule, maintaining that it will have a negative impact on farmers while doing little to address the problem it seeks to solve. The organization supports the availability from all sources including coal, gas, nuclear and renewable energy sources such as ethanol and solar power. “This is a victory against an out-of-control Environmental Protection Agency,” Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens said. “We will continue to fight this executive overreach which will put Americans out of work and drive up the cost of electricity for consumers.” Georgia was among the states who filed suit to stop the rule on Aug. 23, 2015, the date it was finalized. The rule, which the EPA titled “Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Plants,” would impose a carbon credit trading program on states, similar to the cap-and-trade proposal voted down in Congress in 2009. MONSANTO’S ROUNDUP READY SOYBEANS AVAILABLE IN 2016 Monsanto has announced its commercial launch plans for its Roundup Ready2 Xtend soybeans after it received import approval in China. This technology is now available in the United States and Canada in time for the 2016 season. Monsanto’s Asgrow, Channel and regional brands, along with corn states licensees, expect to introduce more than 70 soybean products across eight maturity groups with agronomic traits including resistance to nematodes and phytophthora root rot. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are broadly licensed to more than 100 seed brands. Although Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans are tolerant to both glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, the use of dicamba herbicide over the top of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans remains in late stage of EPA review and is not currently approved. More information about Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and the Roundup Ready Xtend Crop System can be found at RoundupReadyPLUS.com/XtendCropSystem. AFBF SURVEYING FARMERS ABOUT USDA PROGRAMS Many farmers and ranchers find it confusing and complex to participate in USDA programs. At the same time, USDA staff are concerned that farmers and ranchers who could benefit from their programs frequently do not apply. American Farm Bureau launched an online survey to collect feedback from farmers and ranchers on USDA programs. The survey is open to all U.S. farmers, ranchers, producers and growers. You don’t have to be a Farm Bureau member to complete it. All responses will be anonymous. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete. The survey closes March 15. Now is your chance to let USDA know what you think of their programs! Take the survey today at http://usdaprograms.questionpro.com.
GFB News Alert page 9 of 12 USING HERBICIDES WISELY TRAINING Feb. 22 Turner County Civic Center 9 a.m. Ashburn To RSVP call 229-567-3448 Feb. 22 Satilla REMC 2 p.m. Alma To RSVP call 912-632-5601 Feb. 23 Marise’s Restaurant 9 a.m. Vienna To RSVP call 229-268-4171 Feb. 23 Brooks County Ag Annex 9 a.m. Quitman To RSVP call 229-263-4103 Feb. 23 Middle Ga. State Univ. Aviation School 2 p.m. Eastman To RSVP call 478-374-8137 Feb. 23 Mitchell County Ag Center 2 p.m. Camilla To RSVP call 229-336-2066 Feb. 29 Early County Ag Center 9 a.m. Blakely To RSVP call 229-723-3072 Feb. 29 Vidalia Onion Research Farm 9 a.m. Lyons To RSVP call 912-526-3101 Feb. 29 Terrell County 4-H Pavilion 2 p.m. Dawson To RSVP call 229-995-2165 Feb. 29 Screven County Extension 2 p.m. Sylvania To RSVP call 912-564-2064 March 1 Washington County Ag Center 9 a.m. Tennille To RSVP call 478-552-2011 March 1 Gordon County Ag Service Center 9 a.m. Calhoun To RSVP call 706-629-8685 March 1 Varner 4-H Center 2 p.m. Swainsboro To RSVP call 478-237-1226 March 1 Jackson EMC 4 p.m. Hull To RSVP call 706-795-2281 Georgia growers will be required to attend this training prior to making applications of dicamba to dicamba-tolerant cotton or soybeans or 2,4-D to 2,4-D tolerant cotton or soybeans. This training, conducted by the University of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Agriculture, will focus on wise decisions when applying not only dicamba and 2,4-D but all pesticides. For more information contact a local county Extension office. GEORGIA FARM BUSINESS EDUCATION CONFERENCE Feb. 25 UGA Conference Center 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tifton The UGA Small Business Development Center, a unit of Public Service and Outreach, along with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension will host this conference, which features UGA experts who will discuss topics including cash flow, agritourism and exports. The program is designed with an eye toward a variety of needs for a wide range of businesses related to agriculture. The cost to attend is $69. For more information or to register, visit http://www.georgiasbdc.org/georgia-farm-business-education-conference.
GFB News Alert page 10 of 12 GEORGIA CROP INSURANCE DEADLINE NEARS Georgia corn, cotton, flue-cured tobacco, grain sorghum, peanut, and soybean farmers have until Feb. 28 to apply for crop insurance. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the February 28 sales closing date to do so. Crop insurance provides protection against a loss in production due to natural perils, such as drought or excessive moisture. Coverage is available for corn, cotton, flue-cured tobacco, grain sorghum, peanuts, and soybeans in many Georgia counties. Farmers are encouraged to check with their crop insurance agent to learn if their crops are covered in their counties. Farmers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2016 crop year. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent locator at http://www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html. Farmers can use the RMA Cost Estimator at https://ewebapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/costestimator/ to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at www.rma.usda.gov. UGA CAES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS March 1 Nominations due These awards recognize alumni who have made significant contributions and have achieved excellence in their chosen field and/or in their community. There are two awards – The Young Alumni Achievement Award, which recognizes CAES alumni who are 35 years old or younger, and the Award of Excellence, which recognizes extraordinary CAES alumni ages 35 and older. The awards will be presented at the associations awards banquet in the fall. To submit a nomination visit http://tinyurl.com/CAESnoms or send an email to asg@uga.edu. CHEROKEE COUNTY AG EXPO March 11 River Church, 2335 Sixes Road 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Canton Cherokee County Farm Bureau, along with the Cherokee County Cooperative Extension Office, the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and the City of Woodstock, celebrates National Agriculture Month with this free annual event, which features 30 local ag exhibitors, many of which are affiliated with schools or student friendly. Food and drinks from locally produced commodities will be available. For more information, visit www.cherokeeagexpo.info. AG AWARENESS DAY IN GEORGIA March 15 Georgia Depot Atlanta Gov. Nathan Deal and Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black will host this event. Exhibits, food and entertainment will begin at 11 a.m. The program starts at 12:30 p.m. and includes the announcements of the Sunbelt Expo Georgia Farmer of the Year and winners in the Flavor of Georgia Food Contest. For more information contact Steven Meeks by phone at 912-207-0813 or by email at steven@fmrburchfarms.com or meekss@me.com.
GFB News Alert page 11 of 12 GEORGIA AG HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS March 15 nominations due The UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Alumni Association invites you to make nominations for induction to the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognize individuals making unusual and extraordinary contributions to agriculture and agribusiness industries in Georgia. Hall of Fame nominations must be postmarked by March 15. For more information or to download the nomination form, visit http://tinyurl.com/gaaghof. PEANUT PROUD FESTIVAL March 19 Town Square Blakely This all- day event kicks off with a 5k and Fun Run and ends with a street dance. In-between is a parade, more than 100 vendors, a kids' zone and an obstacle course, and free entertainment. For more information or schedule of events, please visit www.peanutproudfestival.com or the Peanut Proud Festival Facebook page. Contact Marcie Justice Williams at marciejustice@yahoo.com or Mike Newberry at Hillside1007@yahoo.com or 229-254-1007. 2015 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SEMINAR March 26 Gwinnett Technical College, Building 100 Lawrenceville Led by various university, government and industry experts, land owners will learn about sustainable farming techniques, available federal and state funding programs, marketing strategies and more. The meeting is hosted by the Upper Ocmulgee River Resource Conservation & Development Council. Early registration is available online at http://conta.cc/1jxi9tr or by calling 678-375-9518. MONSANTO SCHOOL DISTRICT GRANTS April 1 deadline for nominations Farmers in 34 Georgia counties have until April 1 to nominate a public school district for grants of $10,000 or $25,000 from Monsanto’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Fund. Nominated school districts have until April 15 to submit applications. The grants are intended to help school districts fund math and science projects to enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum and prepare students for technology-driven careers. Eligible counties are Appling, Baker, Berrien, Bleckley, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Calhoun, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Early, Grady, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Lee, Macon, Miller, Mitchell, Randolph, Screven, Seminole, Sumter, Tattnall, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth. Visit www.growruraleducation.com or call 1-877-267-3332 to submit a nomination.
GFB News Alert page 12 of 12 GA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FEED MY SCHOOL FOR A WEEK April 3 deadline to apply The Department of Agriculture is now accepting new applications for school districts interested in participating in this year’s “Feed My School for a Week” program in Georgia. Feed My School first launched in 2011 with a goal to help bridge the gap in the nutritional value and quality of food served in Georgia schools, while providing more farm to cafeteria opportunities. Applications can be found at www.feedmyschool.com and will be due by April 3. If you are interested in nominating your school for the program, please have your nutritional director apply online or contact Misty Friedman at Misty.Friedman@agr.georgia.gov. PAULDING COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS’ MARKET April 21 – Oct. 28 Thursdays 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Paulding County High School Paulding County Farm Bureau is accepting vendors for its weekly farmers market that will be held each Thursday from April 16 to Nov. 20. There is no fee to participate but vendors must be Farm Bureau members so that the market qualifies as a Georgia Farm Bureau Certified Farm Market. If you would like to participate in the PCFB Farmer’s Market, please contact Tracy Grice at Paulding County Farm Bureau at 770-445-6681 or email her at tcgrice@gfb.org. Vendors may sell locally grown produce or other ag commodities or homemade crafts. PCFB is teaming up with the Paulding County High School this year to host the market in the north parking lot of the school located at 1297 Villa Rica Hwy., Dallas, Ga. 30132. 2016 GRASSFED EXCHANGE CONFERENCE April 27-29 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry This event features more than a dozen speakers who will cover numerous topics pertaining to pasture-based farming such as building soil health and regenerating unhealthy soils. The event will include tours of three Georgia grassfed livestock operations and the UGA Center for Sustainable Grazing Systems in Watkinsville. The Taste of the South will allow attendees to sample grassfed meats, dairy and local foods. Entertainment will be provided by Teddy Gentry and the Rockit City Band. For more information visit www.grassfedexchange.com, email info@grassfedexchange.com or call 256-996-3142. GEORGIA CENTENNIAL FARM AWARD May 1 deadline for recognition in 2016 The Georgia Centennial Farm Program recognizes centennial farm owners through one of three distinguished awards. The Centennial Heritage Farm Award honors farms owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more that are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Centennial Family Farm Award recognizes farms owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more that are not listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Centennial Farm Award does not require continual family ownership, but farms must be at least 100 years old and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Applications for the 2016 awards must be postmarked by May 1. If you are interested in nominating a farm for recognition in 2016, visit www.georgiacentennialfarms.org to download an application or contact Lynn Speno at 770-389-7842 or lynn.speno@dnr.ga.gov.