Winter 2023 Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023

News GEORGIA FARM BUREAU

Georgia National Fair: Ag on guests' minds

Registering pesticides gets harder

Vol. 85 No.4

Sunbelt Ag Expo celebrates Southern ag

HURRICANE IDALIA

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Contents

Want to subscribe? Join Georgia Farm Bureau to receive GFB News four times a year. Your membership supports farmers & agriculture while giving you access to more than 300,000 discounts. Visit gfb.ag/join.

pages 5 - 7

pages 14 & 15

pages 20 & 21

Hurricane Idalia hits Southeast Georgia farmers hard

45th Annual Sunbelt Expo Celebrates Southeastern Ag

Registering pesticides gets harder

page 16

page 22

ABAC, Colquitt County teams win Advocacy in Action Contest

Choppers provide life-saving service for rural areas

pages 8 & 9

Foreign land ownership, state animal welfare laws key farm issues page 10

GA DNR offers options to fight deer & feral hog crop damage

pages 18 & 19

Ag Road Regs: MAP-21 provides CDL farm exemptions pages 24 & 25

pages 12 & 13

Georgia Centennial Farm Program honors the heritage of farming

Georgia National Fair puts agriculture on guests’ minds

Departments page 4

View from the Field page 11

Public Policy page 26

Young Farmers & Ranchers page 27

GFB News Staff Kenny Burgamy Director Jennifer Whittaker Editor Jay Stone News Reporter Jared McGukin Graphic Designer Logan Thomas Photographer

FOLLOW US ON THESE PLATFORMS @GAFARMBUREAU

On The Cover: Bo Corbett shows damage Hurricane Idalia did to his family’s tobacco crop.

Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Women’s Leadership pages 28 & 30

Ga. Foundation for Agriculture pages 29 & 30

Ag in the Classroom Georgia Farm Bureau News

For information concerning advertising, contact Wendy McFarland at 334-6529080 or mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com. For questions about your membership or member benefits, call 1-800-633-5432. For questions regarding editorial content call 478-474-0679, ext. 5334 or e-mail jawhittaker@gfb.org.

Winter 2023 3

News GEORGIA FARM BUREAU

View from the Field Tom McCall, GFB President With the start of another session of the General Assembly about a month away, it reminds me of the important role Georgia Farm Bureau has in speaking on behalf of Georgia’s farmers.

There’s a lot about the work our team does at the Georgia Capitol each year that makes me proud. Over the years, one of the most impactful results our organization has had for members and non-members alike is the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE) program.

GFB started work on the sales tax exemption issue back in 2010 after the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation to create the Special Council for Tax Reform and Fairness to study Georgia’s revenue structure and offer recommendations for change. In 2011, the council recommended to state officials that farmers keep their existing sales tax exemptions and that the exemptions be expanded to include energy, equipment parts, fence products and more. The council took this position because farmers came out in droves and voiced their concerns at various town hall meetings in 2011.

As House Ag Committee Chairman in 2012, I remember launching the GATE program and the initial signup at a joint press conference at your Georgia Farm Bureau home office.

Passing the GATE designation was one of the best things the Georgia Legislature ever did for production agriculture. It came about because of the hard work and relentless dedication of the Georgia Farm Bureau members and our policy team pushing these important exemptions. Because of Farm Bureau’s efforts, the program is still helping Georgia producers remain competitive more than 10 years later.

I tell people all the time that GATE ought to be the driving force for anyone connected to Georgia agriculture to be a member of Georgia Farm Bureau. Simply put, the exemptions a farmer gets through the GATE program more than pay for a $35 membership with the one organization that made GATE possible.

To take advantage of the GATE certificate, visit https://agr.georgia.gov/gate-program to apply. To support GFB through an annual membership, signup today at https://www.gfb. org/join/join-today Tom McCall, GFB President

The McCall Family Photo by Raj Pagadala

4 Winter 2023

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. ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising accepted subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers must assume liability for content of their advertising. Publisher maintains right to cancel advertising for non-payment or reader complaint about advertiser service or products.

Publisher does not accept per-order, political or alcoholic beverage ads, nor does publisher prescreen or guarantee advertiser service or products. Publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised in the Georgia Farm Bureau News.

For advertising rates and information, contact Wendy McFarland at 334-652-9080 or mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com. Georgia Farm Bureau News was established in 1937. Copyright 2023 by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation. Printed

by Panaprint, Macon, Georgia.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

HURRICANE IDALIA Article & photos

By Jennifer Whittaker Contributions By Jay Stone

USDA DESIGNATES GA COUNTIES DISASTER AREAS DUE TO HURRICANE IDALIA

Evans

Aerial view of one of the pecan orchards Hurricane Idalia damaged at Buck Paulk’s Lowndes County farm. Photo courtesy of Ga. Dept. of Agriculture/Sen. Russ Goodman Hurricane Idalia left bitter bruises on Georgia farms as it swept across Southeast Georgia Aug. 30. Idalia was a Category 2 storm when its eye blew into Lowndes County about 10 a.m. Category 2 storms have sustained winds of 96-110 mph according to the National Hurricane Center.

In addition to the damage detailed below, many farmers had to run generators for days until power was restored to keep their dairy and swine barns, poultry houses, tobacco curing barns and wells operating.

Some poultry flocks in Coffee County died due to a loss of power.

The USDA issued a disaster declaration for 27 Georgia counties that suffered ag losses from Idalia.

This declaration allows farmers and other eligible ag operations to apply for emergency disaster relief through the Farm Service Agency.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

PRIMARY COUNTIES

CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES

Information provided by Georgia Dept. of Ag

Counties to receive a primary designation are: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bulloch, Candler, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Evans, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Lowndes, Montgomery, Pierce, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Toombs, Ware, Wayne and Wheeler. Contiguous counties eligible for assistance are: Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Colquitt, Dodge, Effingham, Emanuel, Glynn, Grady, Jenkins, Laurens, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Mitchell, Screven, Tift, Treutlen, Turner and Wilcox.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture says these 27 counties are home to more than 7,800 ag operations that farm more than 2.3 million acres with a farm-gate value of over $3.5 billion. FSA and UGA Extension were still calculating the exact economic loss Idalia caused at press time.

Winter 2023 5

Idalia left trees in the Lowndes County orchards of Shiloh Pecan Farms uprooted and leaning.

PECAN DAMAGE

Pecan growers were a month away from beginning their harvest when Idalia hit. The trees were laden with still-maturing nuts and the heavy green hulls that hold the nuts until they open and drop the unshelled pecans to the ground.

Assessments indicate Idalia did the most damage to orchards in Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes, Berrien, Cook, Irwin, Lanier, Ware and Pierce counties, according to UGA Extension Pecan Specialist Lenny Wells. Orchards were also hit in counties extending toward Savannah, but the damage was more sporadic and less severe, Wells said.

“Thousands of trees have been lost from the state line up to Berrien and Cook counties. Several large growers have reported an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 trees down in their orchards,” Wells said.

Buck Paulk of Shiloh Pecan Farms & Shiloh Pecan Farms Nursery headquartered in Lowndes County and James and Linda Exum of Brooks County were among the growers left with uprooted trees and crop loss.

“We’ve had damage from other tropical storms, but for us it’s the worst we’ve had in my lifetime,” said Paulk. “I’m thinking that as of today [Sept. 1] we had about 10,000 trees uprooted.”

In the most severely impacted area, Wells said the percentage of downed trees in damaged orchards ranges from 30%-80% of total orchard trees. Most of the trees uprooted or left leaning were 20 years and under, Wells said.

“As the winds push and pull these trees, it’s like grabbing a fence post, and then they topple over,” Paulk said. “These trees were loaded with a good crop, and they can’t withstand 70 mile per hour winds combined with six inches of rain.”

Paulk said he would stand trees left leaning less than 30 degrees back up to see if they will live.

6 Winter 2023

James Exum estimates Idalia uprooted about 400 trees on his 200 acres of orchards in Morven.

“You not only lose the tree, but you lose its future production,” James explained. “It’ll take 20 years to get back to where we were the day before the hurricane.”

Linda Exum said, "Some of this damage James and I will never see the farm recover from in our lifetime."

Growers in Idalia’s path also had crop loss from nuts being blown to the ground and limbs, heavy with nuts, breaking.

“These trees were at their most vulnerable stage because of all the nuts on them and the nuts were still in the hulls maturing,” Paulk explained. “I think about half of our crop is on the ground.”

In the hardest hit counties, crop loss could range between 50 to 80% depending on the orchard, Wells said.

Wells estimated Georgia pecan orchards would have produced between 85-100 million pounds this fall before Idalia struck.

“This was going to be a slightly below average crop overall even before the storm,” Wells said. “As far as crop loss is concerned, this region probably produces about one-third of the state crop.”

TOBACCO DAMAGE

Georgia tobacco growers had finished harvesting most of their crop when Idalia hit. Growers were in the third stage of their harvest, when they remove the remaining leaves from the top of the stalk.

The percentage of the crop lost to Idalia varied depending on how many acres farmers had left to harvest and severity of wind damage. Daniel Johnson, who grows tobacco in Pierce and Bacon counties, had 65 acres left to harvest on Aug. 30 and estimates he lost 20% of the crop on this acreage.

In Echols County, Stanley Corbett grows tobacco and other row crops with his sons Bo, Clay and Cody. The Corbetts had about 15 acres of tobacco left to harvest when Idalia arrived. Fortunately, the Corbetts’ sandy soil doesn’t retain moisture long, so they were able to finish harvesting on Sept. 2.

“Unharvested tobacco deteriorates fast after a tropical storm or hurricane comes through. We’ve learned from experience that you must get it harvested in five days after a storm,” Bo said.

For the Corbetts, and other growers who lost power during the storm, their biggest problem after Idalia passed was having enough generators to run fans on their tobacco curing barns to keep recently harvested tobacco from sweating and molding.

The Corbetts were without power for 37 hours, so they rotated six generators among 40 of their curing barns containing just-

Cotton growers in multiple counties across Southeast Georgia reported having cotton stalks left twisted at the roots.

Idalia ripped the roof off this metal building used to store equipment parts at Stanley Corbett Farms in Echols County. Five other nearby equipment sheds were unscathed. harvested, uncured tobacco. The fans blew outside air on the leaves so they wouldn’t sweat and mold. The Corbetts stayed up around the clock, napping in their trucks when they could.

DAMAGED SHEDS & EQUIPMENT

Although Idalia ripped the roof off the large shed where the Stanley Corbett family kept their equipment parts, the Corbetts were thankful none of their 77 curing barns were damaged. Many of them were located yards away from the roofless parts shed.

“I’ve lived on this farm all my life – 64 years – and I don’t remember anything like this in my lifetime,” Stanley said. “If this was a Category One or Two hurricane, I feel for the people who have lived through a Category Four or Five. God took care of us.

None of our family was hurt and none of the tobacco barns where our crop is stored were hurt.”

Idalia did rip off the roof of their sprayer cab and mangled the top frame of one of their tobacco harvesters. Bo said both can be repaired.

Not far from the Corbetts, Idalia blew over an equipment shed and overturned a livestock hauling truck at cattle producer Mike Coggins’ farm.

IMPACT ON ROW CROPS

The Corbetts managed to harvest five of their 300 acres of corn before the storm hit, so Idalia flattened most of their corn crop.

Bo was hopeful the corn combine head would lift the flattened stalks so they could harvest most of the corn.

Berrien County farmer Morgan Hendley had his entire corn crop of about 300 acres blown over. He said he was going to harvest what was salvageable and come as close as he could to fulfilling his sales contracts.

Also in Berrien County, Terry Danforth estimated he lost 20-25% of the corn he grows to feed his pigs. He had to rotate generators among his swine houses to operate feed and watering systems.

Hendley said it was too early to tell about his peanut crop.

He noted a total of 10 inches of rain over two days, followed by intense heat, makes peanuts susceptible to disease.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

“That environment is a feeding ground for white mold, and we can’t get in the field to spray it,” Hendley said.

Cotton growers in multiple counties across Southeast Georgia reported having cotton stalks left blown over or twisted at the roots.

Early maturing varieties may have had mature or almost mature bolls knocked off while later planted crops may have still been blooming and setting cotton bolls.

“Some was blown out on the ground,” Berrien County cotton grower Tim McMillan said. “Stalks are tangled up with each other. We won’t be able to spray with a high boy. We’ll have to hire a plane.”

McMillan, who grows approximately 400 acres of cotton, said about 20% of the bolls were open when the storm came through.

VEGETABLE CROP DAMAGE

Justin Corbett and his brother, Jared, farm together as Corbett Brothers Farms. They raise a variety of vegetables in Echols, Lowndes and Lanier counties and in Florida’s adjoining Madison and Hamilton counties. They are the nephews of Stanley Corbett mentioned earlier in this article.

Farms in each county sustained damage including wind-whipped broken plants, ripped plastic on the raised beds, and lack of power needed to run their irrigation systems.

When Idalia struck, the Corbett Brothers were a week away from harvesting their squash and eggplant crops.

They weren’t able to sell any vegetables scarred by the wind or sand blasted.

Idalia’s winds randomly broke off large bell pepper plants that were about six weeks old when Idalia hit. Some plants were left leaning.

“We’re worried about yield loss for all our crops,” Justin said.

We already have it hard enough with the thin profit margins we must work with, but to potentially lose a significant part of your crop is hard.”

In another huge field of pepper plants that were only two weeks old when Idalia struck Aug. 30, Justin Corbett estimated they lost 50% of their pepper plants to the storm.

Idalia ripped a lot of the plastic the Corbetts use to cover their raised vegetable beds. The plastic is important because it helps hold moisture in the bed when they water the plants with drip irrigation hoses and sheds rainwater off the vegetable beds to prevent the vegetable plants’ roots from getting too wet or drowning in the event of a heavy rainstorm.

Southeast Georgia farmers in Idalia’s path widely reported damage to grain corn.

Foreign Land Ownership & State Animal Welfare Laws

By Jay Stone

WA MT

ME

VT

ND

OR

MN ID

WI

SD

WY

MI IA

NE

NV

UT

CO

CA

AZ

PA IL

KS

NM

VA NC

TN AR

SC AL

GA

LA

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FL AK Expressly Allows for Foreign Investment State Law is Silent (No Restriction) State Law Restricts

Thousands of court cases with potential for eight-figure penalties make it vital that the agricultural sector keep abreast of legal developments. The National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) performs that function and works with a wide variety of farm stakeholder groups, including Farm Bureau, to help them develop policy stances.

NALC Director Harrison Pittman provided an overview of state laws addressing the ownership of American agricultural land by foreign entities during the Georgia Farm Bureau Commodity Conference in Athens in August.

Pittman also discussed the evolution of state laws banning foreign ownership of agricultural land.

“Georgia's had an experience with this. There were a couple of proposals,” Pittman said. “They did not make it out of the legislature. I know that it’s likely to come back up.”

Currently, no state has an outright ban on foreign ownership.

There are 24 states that have laws that restrict foreign ownership

8 Winter 2023

CT NJ

RI

Graphic Courtesy of National Agricultural Law Center

DE

WV KY

MS TX

OH

IN

MO OK

NH MA

NY

MD

of agricultural land. Five states have no restrictions, and 21 states, including Georgia, have laws that allow foreign ownership.

The laws prohibiting or restricting foreign ag land ownership date back at least to the late 1800s as the U.S. expanded westward. Pittman noted a political climate then that held fears of wealthy Europeans buying enough land to colonize.

In 2023, 12 states (Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Utah) enacted foreign ownership laws, and at least one is already taking action to enforce it. On Oct. 17, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin ordered a Chinese state-owned subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds to divest itself of ag land under the state’s foreign ownership law, the NALC reports.

On Dec. 31, 2021, the latest date for which official data is available, there were 40,031,308 acres of U.S. private agricultural land owned by foreign entities, which was 2.4 million fewer acres than on Dec. 31, 2020. In 2021, China owned 383,935 acres of U.S. agricultural land.

Much of the concern over foreign ownership has centered on individuals and organizations from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia and on foreign-owned land near U.S. military bases.

The federal government currently has no restrictions or prohibitions of foreign ag land ownership, though it does monitor foreign farmland ownership under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) of 1978. The USDA’s Farm

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Service Agency (FSA) administers AFIDA implementation and annually generates reports detailing foreign ag land ownership.

To view those reports, visit https://gfb.ag/FSAAFIDAreports.

In Georgia, 3.9% of agricultural land is under foreign ownership.

The two largest portions of that are 271,189 acres owned by German interests and 217,684 by Canadians. Rounding out the top five nationalities of foreign owners of Georgia ag land are the United Kingdom (43,035 acres), the Netherlands (28,556 acres) and Italy (7,816 acres). Entities from all other countries combine to own 647,008 acres of Georgia ag land.

The states with the highest percentage of foreign ownership of their farmland were Maine (20.1%), Hawaii (9.2%), Washington (7.2%), Alabama (6.3%) and Florida (6.3%).

Pittman predicted there would be lawsuits over foreign ownership laws, likely from the energy and real estate sectors.

State animal welfare laws impact producers nationwide On a separate legislative development in response to California’s Proposition 12 and ballot initiatives in other states, Congress has bills under consideration that would prohibit state and local jurisdictions from interfering with production of commodities in other states.

The California law prevents the sale in California of pork produced using practices, such as gestation crates, that do not conform to the state’s animal welfare standards. Producers in

other states that have different standards essentially fall under California state law.

The Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) act was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Iowa Republican Ashley Hinson on June 15 and on June 30, Rep. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) in the U.S. House. The bill would prohibit state and local jurisdictions from interfering with production of commodities in other states.

American Farm Bureau, the National Pork Producers Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association support EATS. A coalition of 16 state attorneys general from Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia support EATS. Another 16 state attorneys general from Michigan, Illinois, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Vermont, and the District of Columbia oppose EATS. At press time there were at least 12 Republican representatives opposing EATS.

" Pittman predicted there would be

lawsuits over foreign ownership laws, likely from the energy and real estate sectors.

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Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023 9

Photo by istock

GA DNR Offers Options to Fight Deer & Feral Hogs

By Jennifer Whittaker The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is taking steps to help farmers control deer and feral hog populations to prevent crop damage, Charlie Killmaster, a DNR deer and feral hog biologist says.

For example, feral hogs may be hunted year-round, day or night with no bag limits on privately owned land.

“It’s open season on feral hogs,” Killmaster said. “No one wants hogs.”

The DNR also offers permits so hunters can shoot feral hogs from a vehicle on private roads. Call a regional DNR office to get a permit.

To prevent hunters from creating feral hog herds, the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation several years ago that requires a very restrictive permit from the Georgia Department of Agriculture to transport live hogs, Killmaster said.

“We’ve cracked down hard on the transport of hogs. You’ll get a huge fine, and it’s a misdemeanor if you’re caught doing it without the required permit,” Killmaster said. “Your Farm Bureau President Tom McCall was instrumental in getting this legislation passed when he was serving as a state legislator.”

DNR is working with the USDA on aerial gunning efforts.

Georgia shares a USDA helicopter with other states but is working to get its own.

“We’re working with USDA trying to move the needle on controlling populations,” Killmaster said.

Killmaster encouraged farmers and landowners to research the control programs and eradication services the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts offers in cooperation with the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission. Visit www.gacd.us/feralswine to learn more about these programs.

10 Winter 2023

For a list of feral hog control services available in each GACD Conservation District, visit https://gfb.ag/ feralhoggacdresources.

Killmaster said DNR has made changes to Georgia deer hunting regulations for the 2023-24 season to control Georgia’s deer population. These include expanding the number of doe days in north and southeast Georgia and extending deer season in southwest Georgia.

“We recognize significant monetary damage is occurring when deer eat crops as they emerge and farmers have to replant,” Killmaster said.

To help farmers fight crop damage that occurs from the time row crops emerge in the spring through the growing season, the DNR allows farmers to apply for a deer crop damage permit.

Outside of deer season, this permit allows the applicant and up to six other people to shoot deer caught in growing crop fields the applicant has registered.

Visit www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com to apply for a deer crop damage permit from late February through the summer. On the DNR website, select the Licenses & Permits icon, which will take you to a box titled Online Licensing Features. Select Purchase/Reprint a License/Obtain Permits. If you have a Go Outdoors Georgia account, log in to access the crop damage control permit application. If you don't have an account, select the Enroll Now! icon to create an account. While the application to receive a deer damage hunting permit must be completed online, applicants may call 1-800-366-2661 to request help with navigating the online application.

Visit www.gfb.ag/deercropdamagepermits to learn more about deer crop damage and the permits.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Public Policy Update

Charting Policy Beyond the Water Wars

By Adam Belflower

Photo by Alex Bradford Over the past two decades, Southwest Georgia has been the center of litigation between our neighboring states. Florida brought a lawsuit against Georgia for allegedly using too much water and diminishing flow to their state. Florida claimed Georgia’s consumption patterns were the cause of a declining oyster population in the Apalachicola Bay. As the litigation proceeded, Southwest Georgia, particularly areas surrounding the lower Flint River, was placed under a moratorium banning the drilling and permitting of new agricultural water withdrawals.

During this time, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) identified five mussels in the region as endangered species. This endangered species classification led to another layer of complexity regarding the water moratorium. If any of the mussel populations identified by USFWS were harmed, the state of Georgia could be held liable and sued under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

In 2021, the special master assigned by the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Georgia, recognizing we were managing our water resources well. He found the declining oyster populations in the Apalachicola Bay were due to other activities, not Georgia’s water use. As this case was ending, Georgia was already working on a plan to protect against ESA claims that may arise from the extinction of the identified mussel populations.

The Georgia Flow Incentive Trust, GA FIT, was established to find sustainable practices that would allow vital agricultural water use in the Lower Flint River Region (LFRR) while balancing critical habitat in times of drought. Access to water is crucial for farms to grow and adapt diversified practices as well as the sustainability of local economies. Utilizing a $49.8 million grant, GA FIT, in conjunction with EPD, Gov. Kemp’s office, and stakeholders, decided to pursue a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) through the USFWS as part of our state water management strategy.

An HCP is a comprehensive plan of sustainable practices that protect endangered species in the LFRR area. Once finalized, this plan would be tailored to protect the five mussel species and creates sustainable practices to protect water flows in times of drought, while fostering agricultural growth following the Supreme Court verdict. To learn more about the HCP visit https://gfb.ag/epdhcp or https://ga-fit.org/hcp/ .

Once approved by the USFWS, the state of Georgia will be granted incidental take permits which protect the state, and producers, from ESA claims if anything happens to these mussel species.

In conjunction with this work, EPD is exploring measured adjustments to the moratorium supported by their research to unlock new water uses in the region. New withdrawals are being allowed through Frost Protection Permits. These permits will benefit the emerging citrus industry and blueberry industry in Southwest Georgia, allowing growers to spray water to protect against frost in late winter and early spring.

GFB is excited about this new program and looks forward to continued work with GA FIT, EPD, and Gov. Kemp to create a meaningful path forward in the LFRR to ensure the success of Georgia agriculture.

Adam Belflower is a GFB Governmental Affairs Specialist. He may be reached at acbelflower@gfb.org or 478-474-0679,ext, 5259.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023 11

GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIR

Puts Agriculture on Guests’ Minds Photos by Jennifer Whittaker

The Georgia National Fair is like a Christmas tree in that each year you think it’s the best one yet! The 34th annual event offered daily free concerts sponsored by Georgia Farm Bureau, a new exhibit featuring Georgia cotton, livestock shows and the chance for attendees to witness a calf birth. Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, we’ll let this photo essay tell the story.

Georgia National Fair guests were able to see t-shirts being sewn together & screen-printed. Three special designs were available to commemorate the Seed to Shirt Exhibit.

12 Winter 2023

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Lucy Kemp & her dad, Gov. Brian Kemp, discuss the litter of piglets displayed in the Baby Barn in the Georgia Grown Building while First Lady Marty Kemp & Georgia Department of Agriculture Commodity Programs Manager Andy Harrison visit.

This observant child found one of the Lucky toys that GFB Ambassadors hid on the fairgrounds on weekends.

Photo by Slayten Carter

These boys were fascinated to learn how the gestation crate protected the piglets when the sow got up to eat & drink.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023 13

45

th

ANNUAL SUNBELT EXPO

•CELEBRATES SOUTHEASTERN AG•

Mother Nature blessed the 45th Annual Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct. 17-19, with terrific weather! Crisp fall mornings led to sunny days with high temperatures in the 70s. Georgia Farm Bureau, a 45-year exhibitor, greeted Expo guests at the Georgia Ag Building as they streamed through the main gate near the water and behind the flight towers. Visit www.gfb.ag/23sunbeltexpo for more Expo coverage.

GFB Field Services Director Clay Talton joined Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tyler Harper, Sumter Co. Farm Bureau President Matt Berry, Ga. Dept. of Behavorial Health & Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) Commissioner Kevin Tanner & UGA Associate Dean for Extension Laura Perry Johnson in speaking at a press conference to highlight efforts being made to address mental health issues rural Georgia faces.

Visit www.gfb.ag/ugaextgrowingstronger or www.gfb.ag/ gdamentalhealthresources for resources.

Photo courtesy of DBHDD

Sunbelt Ag Expo Executive Director Chip Blalock, left, presents Colquitt County farmer Bart Davis with a statue for being the Georgia Expo Farmer of the Year in the Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Contest. Visit www.gfb.ag/bartdavis to read more./Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Compiled by Jennifer Whittaker

14 Winter 2023

Georgia Farm Bureau News

GFB staff told Expo attendees how the organization promotes agriculture and represents farmers & rural communities in Atlanta & D.C. Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Coffee County FFA member Grace Barrett worked cattle in the chute while UGA Extension Beef Specialist Jason Duggin shared tips for implementing Beef Quality Assurance best practices when working cattle. Duggin encouraged producers to use a clean needle on each cow when giving vaccines or at the least to switch needles after 10 cattle to avoid the risk of infection that can lead to abscesses. “Throwing away that 15-20 cent needle will make you money."/Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Sunbelt Expo’s Antique Tractor Parade wound its way through the exhibit grounds each day at 2 p.m.

An antique tractor pull was held each morning.

Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Hay equipment companies held baling demos each day of Expo along with showing off their cutting, tedding & raking equipment. Bird’s-eye view from the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives balloon, courtesy of Georgia EMC./Photo by Jennifer Whittaker

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023 15

ABAC, Colquitt County Teams Win Advocacy in Action Contest Article & photos by Jay Stone

The ABAC 2 team won the College Division of the Advocacy in Action Contest. Members are, from left, Colton Peacock, Jenna Williams & Whitnie Yoder.

Members of the Colquitt County High School team that won the Advocacy in Action Contest’s High School Division are, from left, Ellery McBryde, Carolyne Turner & Anna Grace Hunter.

Teams from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and Colquitt County High School won the 3rd Annual Advocacy in Action Contest, sponsored and coordinated by Georgia Farm Bureau.

The final rounds of the contest were held Oct. 18 at the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie.

The Colquitt County team of Ellery McBryde, Carolyne Turner and Anna Grace Hunter, coached on site by Georgia Farm Bureau Agricultural Programs Manager Raynor Churchwell, won the high school division. ABAC’s No. 2 team of Colton Peacock, Jenna Williams and Whitnie Yoder, coached on site by Georgia Chamber of Commerce Director of Government Affairs Katie Duvall, won the collegiate division. Colquitt County Farm Bureau Office Manager Greta Collins helped both teams prepare for the contest.

“As a former elected official, I appreciate these young people pursuing this skill,” said GFB President Tom McCall, who served in the Georgia House of Representatives for 26 years and chaired the House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee from 2005 through 2020. “Talking with public officials is at the core of Georgia Farm Bureau’s mission, and the Advocacy in Action contest is one way we can help future agricultural leaders experience how these discussions often happen.”

Teams of three or four students made policy pitches to each of three judges concerning how to help young and beginning farmers

overcome the risks associated with taking over a family farm or starting a new farm.

A total of 23 teams submitted video entries for the contest. The top three in each division competed at Sunbelt, where they gave presentations to judges Brian Hardin with the Alabama Farmers Federation, Reaganne Hart from the office of Gov. Brian Kemp, and Dale Sandlin, Georgia Cattlemen’s Association executive vice president.

The pitches were limited to three minutes, followed by a questionand-answer period of up to five minutes.

The competition is designed to simulate lobbyist conversations with elected officials in a variety of environments. For example, discussions with Sandlin took place at Expo’s Beef Pavilion with constant noise and Expo visitors wandering nearby.

“The participants in the Advocacy in Action Contest did a great job in the short amount of time to advocate for their position,” Sandlin said. “When we’re lobbying on behalf of our members, we often may only get one chance of a couple of minutes to make a case for our position and it’s rarely in a quiet environment. Having them compete in this way is very true to life and will help train the next generation of advocates for agriculture.”

The winning teams received cash prizes and invitations to participate in the 2024 Georgia Farm Bureau Day at the Capitol in Atlanta in February.

16 Winter 2023

Georgia Farm Bureau News

USDA GIVES 26 GA COUNTIES DISASTER DESIGNATION FOR SPRING STORMS On Sept. 19, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued two natural disaster declarations that cover 26 primary counties and 36 contiguous counties in Georgia.

These secretarial natural disaster designations allow the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.

Vilsack issued a natural disaster declaration for 25 primary counties and an additional 29 contiguous counties in Georgia for tornado, high winds, hail, lightning, and excessive rains that occurred in these areas between May 12 and June 26.

The primary Georgia counties under this declaration are: Atkinson, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Evans, Grady, Lanier, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Sumter, Tattnall, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Ware and Worth.

Contiguous Georgia counties under the Sept. 19 declaration are: Appling, Bacon, Baker, Ben Hill, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Charlton, Clay, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Emanuel, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, Macon, Marion, Pierce, Randolph, Schley, Seminole, Telfair, Toombs, Turner, Wayne and Webster.

In a separate action, Meriwether County received a secretarial disaster declaration triggered by excessive wind and hail that occurred on March 26. Contiguous counties covered by this declaration are: Coweta, Harris, Pike, Spalding, Talbot, Troup and Upson.

The application deadline for assistance under this declaration is April 30, 2024.

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Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023 17

Ag Road Regulations MAP-21 PROVIDES CDL FARM EXEMPTIONS

By Jennifer Whittaker There are exemptions for farmers to some federal and state road regulations that many aren’t aware of, Captain Kristopher Bowen with the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) says.

In compliance with the federal Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) signed into law in 2012, farmers can drive farm vehicles without a commercial driver’s license (CDL) under several scenarios. Bowen discussed the topic at the 2023 Georgia Farm Bureau Commodity Conference in August.

Before MAP-21 became federal law, farmers and their helpers were only exempt from having a CDL while operating a farm vehicle over

WHAT'S A COVERED FARM VEHICLE UNDER MAP-21?

26,000 lbs. within 150 air miles of the farm. Now, farmers may drive covered farm vehicles (CFV) between 26,001-80,000 lbs. anywhere in Georgia and across state lines into a neighboring state if the vehicle is within 150 air miles of the farm.

AIR-MILE EXEMPTIONS

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an air mile is equivalent to 6,076 feet making 100 air miles equivalent to 115.08 statute miles. Bowen says one can use Google Maps or other computer programs to determine how far 150 air miles is from his or her farm.

Bowen said someone driving a farm vehicle within 150 air miles of the farm or ag operation to which it belongs doesn’t have to: 1) meet the minimum age requirement of 21 years a CDL requires (but must be at least 16); 2) doesn’t have to be proficient in English; and 3) doesn’t have to have a medical certificate stating that they are physically qualified to drive.

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If the driver is operating a combination farm vehicle (cab with an attached hopper or trailer), Bowen said the driver must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid medical certificate stating they are physically able to drive the farm vehicle. If an 18-year-old is driving a registered covered farm vehicle they aren’t required to have the medical certificate.

Drivers of non-CDL class farm vehicles can be 16 years of age as long as they hold a valid operator’s license. Georgia law requires that drivers must be at least 18 years old to hold an intrastate CDL, Class E, or Class F license HOW TO OBTAIN COVERED FARM VEHICLE STATUS

1. Is operated by a farm owner, a farm employee, or family member of the farmer; 2. Is transporting agricultural commodities, livestock, machinery or supplies to and from a farm or ranch;

Bowen says there are two ways to obtain a covered farm vehicle status for qualifying vehicles: 1) When you buy the tag for your farm vehicle, purchase a Georgia specialized farm tag; or 2) Visit the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Motor Carrier Compliance Division

3. Is NOT operated for-hire (hauling for others for compensation); 4. Is NOT transporting hazardous materials in quantities requiring the display of hazardous material warning placards.

18 Winter 2023

Georgia Farm Bureau News

website and complete the Covered Farm Vehicle Designation Form (DPS TR0025) for your farm vehicle.

This form must be completed online at http://gamccd.net/ FarmVehicle/FarmVehicle.aspx. You must have the vehicle identification number (VIN) to complete the DPS TR0025 form.

There is no cost to complete the form. The completed form must be printed and kept in the cab of the covered farm vehicle at all times to be available to show law enforcement if requested.

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either a Class E or Class F Noncommercial License to prove they are capable of safely driving the equipment.

A Class E license is required for a combination vehicle with a combined Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 26,001 lbs. or more, provided the GVWR of the towed unit is more than 10,000 lbs.

A Class F license is required for a single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 lbs. or more. The vehicle may tow a trailer with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs. or less.

Per the Georgia Department of Driver Services, to obtain a Class E or Class F license one must pass a written exam that consists of two parts: road rules and road signs.

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TO COMPLETE THE COVERED FARM VEHICLE FORM (DPS TR0025) ONLINE.

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Although someone driving a certified covered farm vehicle is exempt from needing a CDL, Bowen said the driver must still have

Bowen said any transportation of agricultural commodities including for-hire transportation is exempt from hours-of-service regulations, if the commodities are being transported within 150 air miles from the source of the materials. Any carriers that meet the definition of a covered farm vehicle are exempt from hours of service completely, Bowen said.

Farm and agricultural transportation are subject to rules of the road, speed limits and traffic laws, Bowen said. Farm drivers must also maintain a safe vehicle, with properly operating lights, brakes, tires and load security. For more information about MAP-21 exemptions and requirements visit https://gfb.ag/map21.

GFB FIELD NOTES The Voice of Georgia Farmers

• Free bimonthly newsletter emailed to subscribers • Available to anyone • Current news about Georgia commodities & legislative issues • Updates on GFB programs & member benefits • Calendar of Georgia ag events

Visit www.gfb.ag/fieldnotes to subscribe.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

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Getting Pesticides Registered Gets Harder

By Jay Stone

Farmers are constantly looking for new products to help them produce healthy and plentiful crops, but access to chemical crop protection products is increasingly bound up by regulatory and legal challenges, according to National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) Director Harrison Pittman.

And that’s to say nothing of massive lawsuits that threaten to limit access in another way.

As part of his presentation during the Georgia Farm Bureau Commodity Conference in August, Pittman explained the federal regulatory process and the EPA’s pesticide registration process under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

In the past, the EPA approved many products as a matter of routine, Pittman said, but in the last two decades it has become increasingly difficult to get pesticides approved. In part this is because more attention is being paid to how FIFRA relates to requirements under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Section 7 of the ESA requires federal agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether the crop protectant under consideration will jeopardize the continued survival of any listed species or adversely modify critical habitat.

“I rank this at the top of issues confronting production agriculture.

Products like Roundup, Dicamba, and other things that are commonly used in farming operations are critically important to maintaining the level of productivity that everybody's depended upon,” Pittman said.

20 Winter 2023

The basics of pesticide registration • A pesticide cannot be sold unless/until it is registered by EPA; • EPA approves a label that provides the information on how to safely use and handle the pesticide;

• EPA must determine whether the pesticide poses an “unreasonable risk to man or the environment;”

• Registered pesticides are (in theory) reviewed at least every 15 years;

• Massive back-up in getting these completed, which is a significant factor regarding ESA-related developments;

• FIFRA interacts with the Endangered Species Act & the

Federal Food, Drug, Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Pittman noted that pesticide regulatory issues are occurring at the state and federal levels, and the complications are being driven in part by consumer behavior.

Lawsuits’ outcomes could affect pesticide availability Meanwhile in court, nine- and 10-figure settlements in cases against pesticide manufacturers are making it harder for users to access pesticides and for companies to get new ones approved.

A key focal point in the pesticide lawsuits is referred to “failure to warn” under state laws. Plaintiffs’ arguments are that pesticide manufacturers knew of health risks and did not provide warnings.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Courts are currently being tasked with determining whether FIFRA preempts state law in those cases. If it does, most cases essentially go away, Pittman said. If FIFRA does not preempt state failure to warn laws, then many cases can proceed.

“This preemption question is a really huge deal, and it’s one of the most critical issues to watch because it is going to be a huge factor in the availability of [pesticide] products going forward depending on how this all plays out,” Pittman said.

Monsanto has paid nearly $11 billion in damages to approximately 100,000 plaintiffs. An additional 30,000 plaintiffs’ cases are still pending.

Meanwhile, on Sept. 12, the U.S. EPA reached a settlement with activist groups in longstanding litigation covering more than 1,000 pesticide products.

In 2011, two activist groups filed a complaint in Federal Court in California against EPA alleging that it was violating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when it registered or reevaluated the registration of 382 pesticide active ingredients, which was ultimately reduced to 35 active ingredients covering more than 1,000 pesticide products containing one or more of these active ingredients. This became known as the “megasuit” because of the number of pesticides it covered. The settlement entered by the court resolves all outstanding claims.

EPA response to megasuit

how EPA will address the challenge of protecting ESA-listed species from pesticides. The ESA workplan was developed with public listening sessions and public comment.

The megasuit settlement is consistent with EPA’s ongoing efforts to develop a multichemical, multispecies approach to meeting its ESA obligations under the workplan.

EPA’s traditional chemical-by-chemical, species-by-species approach to meeting these obligations has been slow and costly, with ESA work on each pesticide typically taking years to complete. As a result, EPA has completed its ESA obligations for less than 5% of its pesticide reviews, creating legal vulnerabilities, the potential for adverse impacts to listed species, and uncertainty for farmers and other pesticide users.

This agreement and the prior partial settlement include obligations for EPA, including development and implementation of a herbicide strategy, a draft for which the public comment period ended Oct. 22. As part of a nationwide initiative, Southern Cotton Growers organized a petition asking EPA to withdraw the herbicide strategy and submitted it to the EPA in October.

Agricultural stakeholder groups maintain the herbicide strategy would impact most ag herbicide users in the lower 48 states, and that producers in four pesticide use limitation areas (PULA) established by the proposal, including some in Georgia, could be subject to greater restrictions. Vist www.gfb.ag/PULAmap .

In 2022, EPA issued its ESA Workplan, Balancing Wildlife Protection & Responsible Pesticide Use: How EPA’s Pesticide Program Will Meet its Endangered Species Act Obligations. This plan describes

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Georgia Farm Bureau News

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CHOPPERS PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING SERVICE IN RURAL AREAS

By Jay Stone

Linda Sue Dean poses with her sons Diezel & Ace Taylor in front of the Air Evac LifeTeam helicopter.

The helicopter was a big hit at the Ware County Farm Bureau Safety Day. Photo by Jay Stone

It’s no secret that farming is a dangerous profession. Farm families have experienced tractor rollovers, grain bin entrapment, limbs caught in machinery and numerous other incidents, not to mention heart attacks, strokes and other non-accident health issues.

Farming happens in rural areas, often great distances from medical facilities. One of Georgia Farm Bureau’s benefits can help overcome the distance challenge – AirMedCare Network (AMCN) membership. For Georgia farmers, the air ambulance membership network can bring peace of mind.

Farm Bureau members have discounted access to the AMCN network when dreams turn into nightmares. The normal annual subscription fee for the AirMedCare Network is $99. GFB members’ fee is only $79.

While AMCN providers like Air Evac Lifeteam can be there for all patients in urgent need, membership adds another important layer of financial protection. Your insurance may not cover the total cost of emergency treatment and transport. Even with the most comprehensive coverage, typical out-of-pocket costs like co-insurance and deductibles will still apply.

These charges could end up being substantial. AMCN members have added financial peace of mind, knowing their flight expenses are completely covered when flown only by an AirMedCare Network provider. There are no limits to how often the service can be used.

AirMedCare Network is the largest air ambulance membership network in the country, deploying from 320 locations across 38 states.

The medical crews are certified in basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, pediatric life support, pre-hospital trauma life support and neonatal resuscitation.

The major advantage for helicopters is they can get to places many other types of vehicles cannot, and their speed far exceeds that of ground ambulances. Air Evac LifeTeam has bases around Georgia. The company says 90% of its patient transport calls come from rural areas.

At least twice this year, Air Evac LifeTeam helicopters have landed at county Farm Bureau safety events – one in Sumter County in March and one in Ware County in September – to promote the organization’s service in a non-crisis situation.

“They’ve been a very instrumental part in our memberships, so we wanted to recognize them, and we wanted to get them on board with anything to do with farm and ag safety,” said Ware County Farm Bureau President Victor Aldridge. “We wanted our folks to know that Air Evac is there for support and that they are there to be called on.”

The helicopters are a big draw. Visitors line up for pictures and to get an up-close look at the company’s air ambulances, which have room inside for three crew and one patient. The Air Evac crews allowed children to sit in the pilot’s seat and check out all the buttons and switches.

To sign up for the service, visit www.gfb.org/join/airmed or call 1-800-793-0010. Be sure to provide the GFB member code 7809. For additional information, contact your local County Farm Bureau, call GFB Member Services at 800-633-5432 (option 1) or e-mail websites@gfb.org

22 Winter 2023

Georgia Farm Bureau News

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Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023 23

Photo by Nick Vassy/Ga. Dept. of Ag

Georgia Centennial Farm Program Honors Farm Heritage

By Jennifer Whittaker This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Georgia Centennial Farm Awards program, which honors farms that have been operating 100 years or more. The program began with Georgia Farm Bureau joining forces with other state agencies in 1993 to offer a way to identify and recognize farm families who had been farming for 100 years or more.

More than 620 farms have been recognized. This year, another 13 were celebrated during a ceremony held Oct. 11 at the Georgia National Fair.

“Thank you for taking care of your farms so your children and grandchildren will have somewhere to come back home to. Thank you for keeping your farms producing for over a hundred years or more,” Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall said while speaking at the 2023 Georgia Centennial Family Farm ceremony. “Georgia Farm Bureau works representing family farms like yours at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta and the U.S. Capitol in D.C., so y’all can concentrate on farming. Most of you are Farm Bureau members, but if you’re not, I encourage you to join our organization.”

Recipients of the 2023 Centennial Family Farm Award are: • Boggy Branch Farm, Bulloch County

• Price Family Farm, Franklin County

• L & M Farms, Bulloch County

• J.B. Gay & Son, Jenkins County

• Teloga Springs Farm Chattooga County

• R. E. Roberts Farm, Jones County

• Stone Family Farm, Cook County • Ash Farms, Effingham County • The Threatte Farm at Bunton Place, Evans County

24 Winter 2023

• Ganas Farm, Lanier County • White Family Barn Farm, Lumpkin County • Rolling D Farms, LLC, Murray County • Fulghum-Beusse Farms, Wilcox County

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Farms may be recognized with one of three awards. The Centennial Family Farm Award recognizes farms owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more.

The Centennial Heritage Family Farm Award honors farms owned by the same family for 100 years or more that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Centennial Farm Award does not require continual family ownership, but farms must be at least 100 years old and listed in the NRHP. “This is a big day to recognize families that have given so much to our state. The fact that your farms have been in operation for at least 100 years, and in many cases more, is remarkable,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said while speaking at the Georgia Centennial Farm ceremony.

This program is administered by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs with support from Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia EMC, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter and UGA Extension.

One farm’s story John B. Gay inherited his family’s Jenkins County farm in 1992 when his father, Emerson, died. His father and mother, Joyce, who still lives on the farm, raised John B. along with his brother, Carroll, and sister, Kathy Gay Bacon, on the farm that’s been in the family since at least 1869.

Today, John B. and his wife, Jean, raise beef cattle, hogs, peanuts, cotton and corn.

The farm included a herd of dairy cows, which his parents started, until 2007. In the 1970s and ‘80s Emerson and Joyce had layer houses with hens that laid table eggs.

Joyce, who taught school before marrying Emerson and starting a family, helped when needed in the layer houses.

“There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into this farm over the generations,” John.

B said. “We are proud we’ve been able to keep it in the family this long and hope we can keep it another 100 years.”

John B. and Jean’s sons – Branham and Tiller – both have off-farm jobs but teamed up in 2019 to start a beef cattle operation on the farm that the family maintains at over 100 head.

Branham did the family research to apply for the Centennial Family Farm award.

The location of the family's farm hasn’t changed through the years, but the name of the county where it is located has as the state of Georgia created new counties from existing ones. In 1869 the farm was in Bulloch County. Then, the farm was placed in Emanuel County until it became Jenkins County in the early 1900s.

“The land is currently in Jenkins County, which is reflected on the 1915 deeds, but was considered Emanuel County in the 1905 deeds. The oldest land deed we were able to find in the Emanuel County courthouse was from 1869 with a transfer from father to son, so we know it goes back prior to that,” Branham said. “However, the land was in what was considered Bulloch County prior to the 1869 deed. We’ve got to do more research at the Bulloch County courthouse to determine the actual start date [of the farm].”

The one thing that hasn’t changed for the Gay family is their love of the land and their determination to continue farming.

Want to nominate a farm?

Visit www.gfb.ag/centennialfarmsapply for more information or to download an application or contact outreach@dca.ga.gov. The postmark deadline for applications is May 1 of each year. Qualifying farms are recognized each October during a ceremony held at the Georgia National Fair.

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YF&R Update

ABAC & UGA YF&R Chapters Thriving

By Breanna Berry Georgia Farm Bureau is excited to have a presence at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and The University of Georgia (UGA). Both have collegiate Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) chapters on campus.

These programs exist to support college students engaged in the agriculture sector, enhance the members’ education, and develop future leaders for Farm Bureau and Georgia’s agricultural industry. Collegiate YF&R offers opportunities for students in professional development, personal growth and agricultural outreach.

Both YF&R chapters have meetings that promote professional and personal development for members. The chapters will also complete ag awareness activities on their campuses and host a collegiate discussion meet.

The ABAC Collegiate YF&R was the first collegiate YF&R program started in Georgia. In recent years it has been GFB Leadership Programs Coordinator Breanna Berry, center, operating in conjunction with the ABAC Agribusiness visits with the ABAC YF&R Chapter., Club. This year, however, they are functioning separately as ABAC Collegiate YF&R. GFB Leadership Programs Coordinator Breanna Berry spoke at their first meeting in September providing an overview of what Farm Bureau does as an organization and opportunities within the YF&R program.

GFB President Tom McCall and GFB National Affairs Coordinator Ben Parker attended the UGA YF&R September meeting to discuss the legislative work Farm Bureau does for farmers at the state and federal level. At another meeting, the UGA Chapter visited the UGA Double Bridges Farm where farm manager and GFB District 4 YF&R Chair Kaleb Marchant taught them about the technology the farm is using to monitor the cattle’s feed and water intake and methane emissions on a per animal basis.

At the last UGA YF&R meeting, UGA Career Center Representative Brionna Johnson held a resume workshop to help members develop and refine their resumes to apply for jobs and internships. The UGA Collegiate YF&R was selected to receive an AFBF Grant of $500 to assist the chapter with its programming this academic year.

Georgia Farm Bureau Leadership Programs Coordinator Breanna Berry may be reached at bcberry@gfb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5232. Contact your county Farm Bureau if you’d like to get involved with your local YF&R program.

26 Winter 2023

GFB President Tom McCall, center right, & GFB National Affairs Coordinator Ben Parker, center left, visit with the UGA YF&R Chapter.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Women's Leadership Update

Hardy Graduates from AFBF Bootcamp

By Breanna Berry

Congratulations to Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee member Julie Hurst Hardy, center, for graduating from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Women’s Communications Fall Boot Camp on Oct. 20! AFBF Women’s Leadership Chairman Isabella Chism, left, & AFBF Vice President of Communications Terri Moore offer congratulations.

Hardy was one of 15 Farm Bureau members from across the U.S. to complete an intensive four-day course that included hands-on sessions focused on public speaking, working with the media and ag messaging.

Julie, her dad, Bobby Hurst, & brother, Bert Hurst, grow peanuts, cotton, soybeans and grain corn on their Thomas County farm and raise cattle. Follow Julie’s Facebook page @theagucator to see the family’s farm in real time as they plant, maintain, and harvest their crops and raise cattle.

Applications open in December for the 2024 spring session of AFBF’s Women’s Communications Boot Camp slated for April 1-4.

Photo courtesy of AFBF

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Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023 27

•GEORGIA FOUNDATION FOR AG UPDATE•

PICNIC ON THE FARM CELEBRATES COASTAL AG

By Lily Baucom The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) hosted its annual Picnic on the Farm Sept. 16 at the Beachview Club Hotel on Jekyll Island. This event explores different aspects of Georgia agriculture traveling to a different region each year. The event ventured to the Georgia coast this year to highlight unique segments of agriculture, like oysters and shrimp, through an engaging educational and culinary experience.

Guests enjoyed a relaxing afternoon under the live oaks featuring a seafood boil, educational activities, and signature cocktails while listening to live music. Over 100 guests attended the Picnic on the Farm, which raised $54,000 to support the GFA’s mission to educate consumers about agriculture and prepare the next generation of Georgia farmers and agriculture leaders for success.

The Picnic on the Farm event was made possible by Presenting Sponsor Georgia Farm Bureau; Premier Sponsor Farm Bureau Bank; Signature Sponsors: FB Alliance & Alliant Insurance; Elite Sponsors: the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, AREO Trucking & Logistics, Anthem BCBS, and the Farm Credit Associations of Georgia; Select Sponsors: The West Family, ABAC School of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Cardinal Investment Advisors, Cobb County Farm Bureau, Marjac Poultry, Guy Carpenter, Blanchard Equipment, James Bates Brannan Groover, LLP., Truist Bank, Sapiens International Corporation, and The Sandblasting Shop.

Lily Baucom is executive director of the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture. She may be reached at lrbaucom@gfb.org or 478-405-3461. Visit www.gafoundationag.org to learn more about GFA programs or to make a tax-deductible donation.

28 Winter 2023

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Ag in the Classroom Update

Children’s ag books are a great resource to learn about agriculture

By Lauren Goble Georgia’s diverse landscape allows our farmers and ranchers to grow everything from apples to zucchini!

Georgia Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program works to help county Farm Bureaus, teachers and parents across Georgia educate preschool and elementary students about our state’s number one economic sector by recommending agriculture-themed books that portray agriculture accurately.

At www.gfb.ag/book you will find more than 60 books and corresponding activity pages that go with each book. Just click on the book cover to access its activity page. Each activity page includes ag facts, hands-on activities, no-bake recipes and other fun resources that relate to the books.

This year we added a new resource to the activity page - a video featuring a Georgia farmer or agribusiness related to the crop or animal featured in the accompanying book. We felt it was important to showcase what agriculture looks like in our state so students can virtually meet someone in agriculture and see the passion they have for what they do. You can find these videos at www.gfb.ag/agventures .

If you’re looking for a Christmas or birthday gift for preschool to fifthgrade students, visit www.feedingmindspress.com or Amazon to purchase these books.

Georgia Farm Bureau Educational Programs Coordinator Lauren Goble may be reached at ldgoble@gfb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5135.

Visit www.gfb.ag/AITC for the latest AITC news & resources to teach children about agriculture.

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Winter 2023 29

2024 Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Scholarships GFA offers $65,000 In Scholarships | Application deadline is March 1, 2024 Scholarship for Agriculture 10 scholarships of $3,000 each for eligible high school seniors.

Top 2 applicants will receive a $1,500 bonus.

Rising College Jr./Sr. Scholarship for Agriculture 8 scholarships of $2,000 each for eligible college students.

Technical College Scholarship for Agriculture

UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship

4 scholarships of $1,500 each for eligible technical college students.

2 scholarships of $5,000 each for eligible students currently enrolled planning to be food animal veterinarians.

Visit www.gafoundationag.org/scholarships for eligibility details about each scholarship.

GFB Accepting Entries for Middle & High School Art Contests MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKMARK CONTEST • Open to students in 6th - 8th grades • Previous state winners are not eligible to re-enter • Contestants will be provided with a blank bookmark & asked to create a design illustrating Georgia agriculture

• 10 district winners each receive $100 • State winner receives an additional $150

HIGH SCHOOL BOOKMARK CONTEST • Open to students in 9th -12th grades • Previous state winners are not eligible to re-enter • Artwork must be on 8.5x11-inch white paper

• Artwork must be created in the colors black, white & gray • 10 district winners will receive $100 each • State winner receives an extra $250

•IMPORTANT INFO FOR BOTH CONTESTS• • Contact your county Farm Bureau to enter & for deadline to submit entries for both contests to local Farm Bureaus • Visit www.gfb.ag/contests for contest details • Both contests are open to homeschool, private & public-school students • Students are encouraged to watch this video about Georgia agriculture for inspiration https://gfb.ag/video Contact Georgia Farm Bureau Educational Programs Coordinator Lauren Goble at ldgoble@gfb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5135 for more information.

30 Winter 2023

Georgia Farm Bureau News

Fall 2023 31

Homegrown Savings on Health Plans for Small Businesses.

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•Employers Can Choose from

Variety of Competitive Plans.

•Predictable, Fixed Monthly Payments.

•Broad Network of Health Care Providers.

Georgia Farm Bureau is excited to partner with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia to provide new health coverage options to small businesses.

Learn more at GFBInsurance.com