GFB Field Notes 10 of 18

Continued from previous page odds,” said Hopkins.

“There is also some reticence to acknowledge that that image of the resilient, tough farmer may not always be accurate,” he said.

Hopkins says he hopes this work can build awareness of the challenges farmers are facing among consumers who rely on them.

“This is a group of people that feeds the entire country. It’s a remarkably small amount of the population of the United States,” he said. “It is critical that our farmers are healthy and enjoying the work that they do and feel a part of the greater population.”

AFBF, AG AND BUSINESS GROUPS FILE LEGAL CHALLENGE TO WOTUS RULE

On Jan. 18, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and 16 other business and agriculture advocacy groups filed suit in federal court to stop the new Waters of the United States Rule set by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The rule was finalized on Dec. 29, 2022, and published in the Federal Register on Jan. 18.

“Farmers and ranchers share the goal of protecting the resources we’re entrusted with. Clean water is important to all of us,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Unfortunately, the new WOTUS rule once again gives the federal government sweeping authority over private lands. This isn’t what clean water regulations were intended to do. Farmers and ranchers should not have to hire a team of lawyers and consultants to determine how we can farm our land.”

In the suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court of Southern Texas, AFBF alleges that the rule makes clear that the EPA and Corps of Engineers are determined to exert Clean Water Act jurisdiction over an extensive range of dry land and water features - whether large or small; permanent, intermittent, or ephemeral; flowing or stagnant; natural or manmade; interstate or intrastate; and no matter how remote from or lacking in a physical connection to actual navigable waters.

The groups say their members will constantly be at risk that any sometimes-wet feature on their property will be deemed WOTUS by the agencies using vague and unpredictable standards making normal business activities in that area subject to criminal and civil penalties.

“The new rule is vague and creates uncertainty for America’s farmers, even if they’re miles from the nearest navigable water. We believe a judge will recognize these regulations exceed the scope of the Clean Water Act, and direct EPA to develop rules that enable farmers to protect natural resources while ensuring they can continue stocking America’s pantries.”

AFBF is joined in the suit by the American Petroleum Institute, the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, the Associated General Contractors of America, the Leading Builders of America, Matagorda County (Texas) Farm Bureau, the National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Realtors, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Corn Growers Association, the National Mining Association, the National Multifamily Housing Council, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, the Public Lands Council, Texas Farm Bureau, and the U.S. Poultry and Egg

-continued on next page

GFB Field Notes 11 of 18

Continued from previous page Association.

To read the AFBF suit, click here.

The rule goes into effect March 20.

In a separate action, the state of Texas has also filed suit in the U.S. District Court of Southern Texas against the EPA and Corps of Engineers seeking to stop the WOTUS rule. Texas claims the rule is unconstitutional and reverses precedents already established by the Supreme Court.

GFB Field Notes 12 of 18

2023 Georgia Ag Forecast

Jan. 27 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center

8:30 a.m. Tifton

In this annual event, UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences economists provide an outlook of agricultural markets for the coming year and speakers focus on important and trending topics. USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board Deputy Chairman William Chambers will give the keynote address. To view the agenda and download the Georgia Ag Forecast Report, visit https://agforecast.caes.uga.edu/.

2023 Flavor Of Georgia Food Product Contest

Jan. 30 deadline to register

Registration is now open for the 2023 Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest. Held annually since 2007, Flavor of Georgia has launched new products into success and garnered more publicity and sales for products already in the market. From rural farmers to urban businesses, successful and talented food artisans have emerged from all over Georgia to create delicacies from the abundant agricultural products our state has to offer. More than 1,500 products have entered the contest since it began. Products are to be submitted March 6-8. Finalists will be announced March 10, and the final round will be held in Athens on March 28. To register and see full contest rules and more information about Flavor of Georgia, click here https://flavorofgeorgia.caes.uga.edu/registration.html.

2023 Mental Health Day At The Capitol

Jan. 31 Georgia Freight Depot

8 a.m. - noon Atlanta

Each year the Behavioral Health Services Coalition, a group of advocates supporting behavioral health in Georgia, organizes Mental Health Day at the Capitol. Anyone whose life is impacted by mental health concerns is welcome including: people in recovery, families, political leaders, service providers, community support organizations, faith leaders, law enforcement, first responders, other advocates, and anyone else who wants to support behavioral health in their communities. For more information, click here.

Beef Cattle 101 Educational Series

Jan. 31-March 4 Barnesville Civic Center

685 Forsyth St. Barnesville

This innovative cattle workshop is sponsored by the Lamar County Soil & Water Conservation District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, UGA Cooperative Extension and Two Rivers Soil & Water Conservation District. The course is designed for beginning and small farmers interested in farming operations and optimal farming techniques. Seminars will be held from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. each Tuesday Jan. 31 – Feb. 28, with a field day on Saturday, March 4 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Registration is $100 per person. Register in person at the Barnesville NRCS field office. For more information, contact Lisa Minick at 770-358-0787, ext. 3 or lisa.minick@usda.gov.

GFB Field Notes 13 of 18

Census Of Agriculture

Feb 6 deadline to submit responses

The USDA has mailed survey codes to all known agriculture producers across the 50 states with an invitation to respond online to the 2022 Census of Agriculture at www.agcounts.usda.gov. The ag census is the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and territory. Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required by law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and only publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release the results of the ag census in early 2024. To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. On the website, producers and other data users can access frequently asked questions, past ag census data, special study information, and more. For highlights of these and the latest information, follow USDA NASS on twitter @usda_nass.

Area Production Meetings Hosted By Tattnall County Extension

Tobacco

Feb. 8 Bevricks Restaurant noon Metter

Speaker: J. Michael Moore

Pesticide credits will be available

Contact Derrick Bowen at 912-557-6724 for more information

Pecan

Feb. 13 Evans County Recreation Dept. Noon Claxton

Speakers: Andrew Sawyer and Lenny Wells

Pesticide Credits will be Available

Contact Derrick Bowen at 912-557-6724 for more information

Weed Control

Feb. 21 Evans County Recreation Dept. Noon Claxton

Speakers: Eric Prostko and Stanley Culpepper

Pesticide Credits will be available

Contact Derrick Bowen at 912-557-6724 for more information

Prescribed Burning

March (Date TBD) Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center, Lyons

Speakers: David Clabo and Tattnall County Forestry Unit

Forestry Credits Available

Contact Derrick Bowen at 912-557-6724 for more information

GFB Field Notes 14 of 18

30th ANNUAL UGA Focus on Genetically Enhanced EPDs Sale

Feb. 9 UGA Livestock Instructional Arena Noon Athens

This sale will include 50 Angus and Hereford Bulls, three registered Angus open heifers and 20 Angus-cross commercial open heifers. Contact Carroll T. Cannon at 229-881-0721 or 229-8812705 or by email at CannonMarketingCompany@gmail.com.

Gfb Day At The Capitol

Feb. 14 Georgia Freight Depot & State Capitol 9:30 a.m. Atlanta

Georgia Farm Bureau Day at the Capitol orientation begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Blue Room at the Georgia Freight Depot. The Depot is located on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, one block northwest of the Capitol, at Underground Atlanta. After orientation, GFB members are encouraged to visit with their legislators at the Capitol and return with them to the complimentary lunch at the Depot beginning at noon. Lunch invitations will be sent to all legislators, but a personal invitation from you would be especially helpful and effective. Complimentary security parking is located at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel parking deck, located at 165 Courtland Street NE, and the shuttle bus service will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact Renee Jones at 478-474-0679, ext. 5130 or rejones@gfb.org.

GFB Field Notes 16 of 18

Crop Insurance For Fresh Market Sweet Corn

Feb. 15 deadline to purchase/renew USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds Georgia fresh market sweet corn growers that the final date to apply for crop insurance coverage for the 2023 crop year is Feb. 15. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the Feb. 15 sales closing date to do so. Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net. It helps producers and owners manage revenue risks and strengthens the rural economy. Coverage is available for fresh market sweet corn in Toombs County. Growers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2023 crop year. Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available online using the RMA Agent Locator. Producers can use the RMA Cost Estimator 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

GFB Field Notes 15 of 18

GA PORK PRODUCERS MEETING/ELECTION OF NPPC DELEGATES

Feb. 21 Ga. Farm Bureau Building Macon

The Georgia Pork Producers Association will hold its annual meeting with registration starting at 8 a.m. & the meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. Speakers from the University of Georgia and National Pork Producers Association will discuss issues of interest to producers. The election of pork producer delegate candidates for the 2024 National Pork Producers (Pork Act) Delegate Body will take place at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21 in conjunction with a Georgia Pork Producers Association Board of Directors meeting in the auditorium of the Georgia Farm Bureau building at 1620 Bass Rd, Macon, Ga. All Georgia pork producers are invited to attend. Any producer, age 18 or older, who is a Georgia resident and has paid all assessments due may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt proving that hogs were sold in their name and the checkoff deducted. For more information, contact the Georgia Pork Producers Association, P.O. Box 1566, Bainbridge, Ga., or by telephone at 229-254-9355.

Middle South Ga Swcd Feral Swine Workshop

Feb. 21 Worth County Ag Pavilion

102 Rebecca Dr Sylvester

A group of agricultural and natural resource organizations are partnering to bring Georgia’s top experts on feral swine together in a series of educational workshops and trapping demonstrations for farmers and landowners. The workshop will be from 8:30am to 1:00pm with lunch provided. This workshop is sponsored by the Middle South Georgia Conservation District. Topics will include disease issues, swine biology, economics, water quality issues, effective control techniques, transport issues, and regulations to be followed by a question and answer panel of experts. Each workshop will also include a feral swine trapping demonstration. There is no cost to attend the workshops, but space is limited. Pre-registration is required. Additional workshop opportunities will be announced soon. More details and registration information is available at www.GACD.us/events.

GFB Field Notes 16 of 18

Georgia Foundation For Ag Scholarships

March 1 deadline to apply

The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) is offering $70,000 in scholarships to Georgia students pursuing a degree in agriculture, veterinary medicine, family and consumer sciences or a related field. The GFA will award scholarships in the following four categories. Scholarship for Agriculture – This scholarship is for high school students who plan to enter a college that is part of the University System of Georgia, Berry College, Emmanuel College or any accredited college/university in Georgia with an ag program during the 2023-24 academic year to pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related agricultural field. College Scholarship for Agriculture – This scholarship is for students who will be enrolled in a Georgia accredited technical college and major in an area of agriculture or an ag-related field of study, such as welding, mechanics, culinary arts, or commercial truck driving. Visit https://gfb.ag/gfatechscholarshipmajors for a list of eligible schools and majors. Rising College Junior/Senior Scholarship for Agriculture – This scholarship is for college students who have at least two semesters of college remaining to receive an undergraduate degree from a unit of The University System of Georgia, Berry College, Emmanuel College or any accredited college/university in Georgia with an ag program. Applicants must be majoring in agriculture and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or an ag-related field. UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship - This scholarship is for students currently enrolled in the UGA Veterinary Medicine program specializing in large animal/food animal practice. Visit www.gafoundationag.org/scholarships for a list of eligible majors/schools for all scholarships, applications, and instructions to apply. All applications must be submitted online by March 1, 2023. Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be submitted online with the application. The scholarship recipients will be announced in spring of 2023. Scholarship checks will be sent to the qualifying college/university the recipient is attending and placed in their school account upon verification the student has met all qualifications for the scholarship. Scholarships awarded to graduating high school seniors will be distributed for spring 2024 upon receipt of first semester college transcript indicating the recipient is pursuing an ag-related course of study and has at least a 3.0 GPA.

Gfb Hay Directory

GFB is accepting listings for its online hay directory. Farm Bureau members with hay for sale or who offer custom harvesting or custom sprigging services are invited to list their hay and/or services in the GFB Quality Hay Directory published on the GFB website. Hay for sale or services can be listed or removed from the directory throughout the year. To be included in GFB’s online hay directory, complete a submission form by visiting your county Farm Bureau office or online at www.gfb.ag/hay. Please include a $10 check made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau for each listing of hay, custom harvesting or custom sprigging. Multiple listings are allowed. Listings can be updated in the directory throughout the year as hay inventories change. Hay producers who entered the 2021 GFB Quality Hay Contest receive a free listing in the online GFB Hay Directory.

GFB Field Notes 17 of 18

GFB MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL ART CONTESTS

March 10 deadline for county offices to submit entries

Contact your county Farm Bureau office to learn deadline for its local contests

Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) is now accepting entries for the 2023 Georgia Farm Bureau Middle School Bookmark and High School Art Contests. Students who submit their artwork have the chance to win some great cash prizes! The GFB Middle School Bookmark Contest is open to all public, private and home-schooled sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students statewide. The 10 GFB district winners of the bookmark contest will receive $100 each and compete for the state prize of $150. County Farm Bureaus may also offer prizes to their local winners. The GFB High School Art Contest is open to all public, private and home-schooled students in ninth through twelfth grades. The 10 GFB district art contest winners will receive a cash prize of $100. The 10 GFB district art contest winners will compete for the state prize of $250 cash. One state runner-up in the art contest will receive $150 cash. County Farm Bureaus may also offer prizes to their local winners. Middle school students will be given a blank bookmark and asked to draw a picture that depicts some aspect of Georgia agriculture. Students may use crayons, markers or colored pencils to create their bookmark that illustrates agriculture. High schoolers entering the art contest should draw a scene depicting Georgia agriculture. Artwork submitted in the high school art contest must be on 8.5 x 11-inch white paper and should be created in the colors black, white and gray. Contestants may use a variety of media to create their artwork including graphite, charcoal, pastel, chalk, colored pencil, pen-and-ink, ballpoint pen or mixed media appropriate for printing. Artwork entered in both contests will be judged on 1) how well the artwork represents modern agriculture found in the artist’s county or Georgia and 2) artistic merit. Students may enter either contest in the county in which they live or attend school but not both counties. To enter either contest, students should contact their county Farm Bureau for an official entry form and complete contest rules. Contact your county Farm Bureau to learn its February deadline for entering the contests. County Farm Bureaus must submit their entries to Georgia Farm Bureau for the state contest by March 10. Entries are limited to one per person in both contests. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Previous state winners are not eligible for either contest. For more information about the contests contact your county Farm Bureau office or visit www.gfb.ag/contests. Students and teachers may visit https://gfb.ag/video to view a video about Georgia agriculture and https://gfb.ag/UGA22agsnapshots to access info about Georgia agriculture.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline Now Accessible At 988

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a new name & number. It’s now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It can be reached by calling or texting 988 or chatting on 988lifeline.org 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the U.S., you can easily access 24/7 emotional support. You don’t have to be suicidal to reach out. 988 trained crisis counselors can help you through whatever mental health challenges you are experiencing. SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Communications Commission & other suicide prevention and mental health partners worked together to create 988 and its expanded services. #988Lifeline.