View from the Field

Tom McCall, GFB President

Now that most of our attention is turning to the growing season during the hot months of summer, it is a good time to catch you up on some legislative news.

Your Georgia Farm Bureau Public Policy staff has been busy monitoring ag issues in Atlanta and D.C.

GFB held our annual Farm Bureau Day at the Capitol on Valentines’ Day and after a couple years of holdup from going to D.C. because of the pandemic, we were able to resume the GFB Presidents’ Trip in February, and our YF&R group traveled to Washington in late March.

All of these events are designed to make certain we’re engaged and talking to our elected officials about the important ag issues that directly impact you and your farms.

As most of you already know, every five years, Congress drafts the legislation that sets national agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry policy in our country. The document is most commonly referred to as the “farm bill”. The 2018 bill will be expiring this year.

The Senate and House Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry formally kicked off the process for the 2023 farm bill with field hearings last fall in Michigan and Arkansas and additional meetings have taken place in recent months.

I know you realize the importance of the farm bill as it connects the food on our plates, the farmers who produce that food, and the God-given natural resources of soil, air and water that we’ve been blessed with that make growing possible.

Since Georgia Farm Bureau is the leading advocate for family farmers and sustainable agriculture, it’s our job to make sure that this important bill is good for farmers and consumers.

Please join me in being part of the process and helping shape the aspects of this next farm bill that most likely will be voted on by year’s end. Feedback is ongoing and you can comment by logging onto https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/farm-bill-input.

Thank you for staying connected to the essentials in Georgia agriculture and thank you for allowing us to serve you.

OFFICERS President

TOM McCALL, Elbert Co.

1st Vice President & South Georgia Vice President

DANIEL JOHNSON, Pierce Co.

North Georgia Vice President

BERNARD SIMS, Catoosa Co.

Middle Georgia Vice President

RALPH CALDWELL, Heard County General Counsel

DUKE GROOVER

Chief Financial Officer, Corp. Treasurer & GFBMIC Exec. VP

DAVID JOLLEY

Chief Administrative Officer

JEFFREY HARVEY

Corporate Secretary & Senior Counsel

JEANNA FENNELL

Asst. Corp. Treasurer & Sr. Director of Accounting

RACHEL MOSELY

Directors

FIRST DISTRICT: Bill Bryan, Chattooga Co.; Wesley Hall, Forsyth Co. SECOND DISTRICT: Gilbert Barrett, Habersham Co.; Russ Moon, Madison Co.THIRD DISTRICT: Nora Goodman, Paulding Co.; Brad Marks, Newton Co. FOURTH

DISTRICT: Skeetter McCorkle, McDuffie Co.; Russ Wilburn, Barrow Co. FIFTH DISTRICT: Matt Bottoms, Pike Co.; Leighton Cooley, Crawford Co. SIXTH DISTRICT: James Malone, Laurens Co.; James Emory Tate, Jeff Davis Co. SEVENTH

DISTRICT: Gary Bell, Evans Co.; Ben Boyd, Screven Co. EIGHTH DISTRICT: Scotty Raines, Turner Co.; Don Wood, Wilcox Co. NINTH

DISTRICT: Lucius Adkins, Baker Co.; Paul Shirah, Mitchell Co. TENTH DISTRICT: David Lee, Bacon Co.; Lamar Vickers, Berrien Co. YOUNG

FARMERS & RANCHERS CHAIR: Colt Hart, Franklin Co.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CHAIR: Kathy Sanders, Laurens Co.

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By Jay Stone