February 5, 2020
www.gfb.org
Vol. 2 No. 3
NAVIGABLE WATERS PROTECTION RULE DEFINES WATERS OF THE U.S. Landowners and farmers now have clarity as to what bodies of water the federal government can and cannot regulate thanks to the Navigable Waters Protection Rule the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army signed Jan. 23. This rule replaces the 2015 Waters of the U.S. Rule, which the agencies repealed last fall. “The Navigable Water Protection Rule is truly a victory for states, landowners and farmers across this country. It will make it easy to understand where it applies,” EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker said during a Jan. 28 press conference in Atlanta. Repeal of the 2015 WOTUS rule came after years of protest from ag groups that the federal government was trying to regulate bodies of water Congress never intended to fall under the federal jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act (CWA) like ephemeral streams and farm ponds. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February 2017 for the agencies to review the 2015 WOTUS rule. Under the new rule, four categories of water may be regulated by the EPA and Corps under the CWA as waters of the U.S.: territorial seas and traditional navigable waters; perennial and intermittent tributaries; certain lakes, ponds and impoundments; and wetlands adjacent to jurisdictional waters. Walker said Georgia examples of these categories are: traditional navigable waters -the Atlantic Ocean and the Chattahoochee River; perennial/intermittent tributary – Peachtree Creek in Atlanta, which flows into the Chattahoochee; lakes, ponds, impoundments Carters Lake in Ellijay; and wetlands – wetlands adjacent to the first three categories of water. The new rule also lists 12 categories of water that don’t fall under federal jurisdiction. These include: groundwater; ephemeral streams, swales, gullies, rills and pools that only contain water due to rain or snowmelt; farm, irrigation, stock watering and log cleaning ponds; most farm and roadside ditches; and prior converted cropland. The rule maintains strict protections for drinking water and doesn’t loosen federal protection against pollutants entering waterways. “Georgia Farm Bureau is grateful the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army have adopted a rule that abides by the original intent of the Clean Water Act,” Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long said. “The Navigable Waters Protection Rule clearly states the four categories of water that can be federally regulated and the twelve that cannot, which gives farmers clarity as they manage water on their farms.” The Navigable Waters Protection Rule goes into effect 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. Visit www.gfb.ag/NWPR to learn more.
GFB Field Notes page 2 of 11 USDA TO ISSUE THIRD ROUND OF MFP PAYMENTS On Feb. 3 the USDA announced the third and final round of 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to trade retaliation by foreign nations. The payments will begin to show up in farmers’ bank accounts by the end of this week, according to a USDA press release. President Donald Trump authorized the USDA to provide up to $16 billion in programs, which is in line with the estimated impacts of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and other trade disruptions. In May 2019, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced actions to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation and trade disruption. MFP for 2019, authorized under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), is providing approximately $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers. Additionally, CCC Charter Act authority is being used to implement a $1.4 billion Food Purchase and Distribution Program through the Agricultural Marketing Service to purchase surplus commodities affected by trade retaliation such as fruits, vegetables, some processed foods, beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and milk for distribution by the Food and Nutrition Service to food banks, schools, and other outlets serving low-income individuals. Finally, the CCC has used its Charter Act authority for $100 million to be issued through the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program administered by the Foreign Agriculture Service to assist in developing new export markets on behalf of producers. The third round of payments will be made by FSA to producers of alfalfa hay, barley, canola, corn, crambe, dried beans, dry peas, extra-long staple cotton, flaxseed, lentils, long grain and medium grain rice, millet, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, rapeseed, rye, safflower, sesame seed, small and large chickpeas, sorghum, soybeans, sunflower seed, temperate japonica rice, triticale, upland cotton, and wheat. MFP assistance for these non-specialty crops is based on a single county payment rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings of MFP-eligible crops in aggregate in 2019. Those per-acre payments are not dependent on which of these crops are planted in 2019. A producer’s total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. County payment rates range from $15 to $150 per acre, depending on the impact of unjustified trade retaliation in that county. Dairy producers who were in business as of June 1, 2019, will receive a per hundredweight payment on Dairy Margin Coverage production history, and hog producers will receive a payment based on the number of live hogs owned on a day selected by the producer between April 1 and May 15, 2019. MFP payments will also be made to producers of almonds, cranberries, cultivated ginseng, fresh grapes, fresh sweet cherries, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. Each specialty crop will receive a payment based on 2019 acres of fruit or nut bearing plants, or in the case of ginseng, based on harvested acres in 2019. Acreage of non-specialty crops and cover crops had to be planted by Aug. 1, 2019, to be considered eligible for MFP payments. Per-acre non-specialty crop county payment rates, specialty crop payment rates, and livestock payment rates are all currently available on www.farmers.gov. For more information on the MFP, visit www.farmers.gov/mfp or contact your local FSA office, which can be found at www.farmers.gov.
GFB Field Notes page 3 of 11 MARKETING EFFORTS HIGHLIGHTED, SEATON ANNOUCES RETIREMENT The Georgia Cotton Commission honored its top growers, celebrated the career of former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and presented information about marketing efforts at the state and national levels during the 13th Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting. The commission honored retired U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson with a portrait, which was accepted by long-time Isakson aide Jody Redding on the former senator’s behalf. “He misses all of the people. He misses the interactions, he misses the service,” Redding said. “Forty-five years in a career that spanned four decades. This disease has put him basically in a wheelchair and it’s very sad. But this will mean a lot to him. He said please tell everyone thank you for this award.” Richey Seaton, who has worked as the GCC executive director since 1994, announced he is retiring later this year. “There are a lot of awesome people in this business. I’ve got a lot of friends. I won’t forget you or leave you behind. Thank you for your support through the years,” Seaton said. He reviewed the commission’s activities to support cotton farmers over the past year and noted work the organization is continuing, including promotional partnerships with Georgia Southern University and Georgia Public Broadcasting as it televises high school football playoffs. “Our message in our promotional stuff is we want to let people know how important cotton is, what it contributes to the state, and, most importantly, that it is sustainably produced,” Seaton said. Seaton noted the GCC’s education kit called “Cotton’s Story,” which is sent to every U.S. state and Puerto Rico and provided for Extension offices. The GCC presented the “Cotton’s Story” content at school farm days over the past year, reaching approximately 5,000 students. “We’ve got a great product and our producers do a tremendous job growing it,” Seaton said. “Our allied industries help us get it out. It makes it very important for us. It’s a story we’ve got and we should be very proud of it.” The GCC supports between 16 and 18 cotton production research projects each year and will provide approximately $680,000 for cotton production research in 2020. Seaton reminded growers that the deadlines to designate crop insurance under the Agricultural Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage plans are March 16 for the 2019 crop year and June 30 for the 2020 crop year. Growers have the opportunity to enroll in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, a producer-driven sustainability program that emphasizes the science that goes into cotton production. To enroll, visit www.trustuscotton.org. Cotton Incorporated (CI) Director of Market Research Melissa Bastos presented growers with information about CI’s marketing strategies, emphasizing that the approach has changed as the marketplace has evolved from a strictly walk-in storefront business model to today’s internetbased model where consumers have numerous choices about how and where to shop. Consequently, CI takes a multi-channel approach that includes traditional media like television and printed publications as well as online channels through social media, banner ads, working through influencers and advertising through video streaming services. “We want to build awareness,” Bastos said. “We want cotton to always be top of mind. -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes page 4 of 11 Continued from previous page Ultimately, we want them to take action. We want them to look for and buy cotton clothing.” CI’s work has been effective, Bastos said. In 2019 the organization, targeting women ages 18 to 49, reached 92 percent of those consumers on average nearly 15 times per person. This resulted in exposure to cotton-related messaging more than 872 million times. The messages focused on comfort associated with clothing made from cotton, ways in which cotton can contribute to a healthy lifestyle and prompts to check labels for fabric content. CI also worked to reach youth audiences through school lessons in hopes of building demand in the next generation of consumers. To access the classroom lessons click here. The GCC sponsored the Georgia Quality Cotton Awards, recognizing growers in three different acreage classifications who achieved the highest-value cotton in 2019. Derek Davis of Washington County won the Best Cotton Award for producing the top value cotton regardless of acreage. Davis achieved a loan value of 56.82 cents per pound with a premium of 4.82 cents per pound. For a complete list of winners, click here. TRUMP SIGNS USMCA; DEAL AWAITING CANADA’S APPROVAL On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the final U.S. step to ratify the trade deal, which is expected to increase U.S. agricultural exports by $2 billion a year. “There is definitely increased optimism on farms and ranches across America and we’re grateful for the advances, but we’re also realists eager to see results – especially for our dairy and wheat producers,” said American Farm Bureau (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall. “We know it will take time for the new deals to go into effect and translate into increased sales. We’re eager to get back into full swing supplying safe, high-quality food and agricultural products around the world.” The USMCA is expected to result in an overall increase of $65 billion in gross domestic product, according to the AFBF. Under the terms of the agreement, Canada will increase quotas on U.S. dairy products, benefitting American dairy farmers by $242 million. Canada will also treat wheat imports the same as domestic wheat for grading purposes. Mexico has also agreed that all grading standards for ag products will be non-discriminatory. The agreement also enhances science-based trading standards among the three nations. Mexico approved the USMCA last year. Canada is expected to ratify the pact in the next few months. The agreement will take effect 90 days after all countries have approved it.
GFB Field Notes page 5 of 11 FOUR GA COUNTY FARM BUREAUS AWARDED WHITE-REINHARDT GRANTS County Farm Bureaus in Banks, Barrow, Douglas and Hall counties each received a $1,000 grant from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture in support of their activities to promote agricultural literacy. The foundation sponsors the grants through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education. The four Georgia county Farm Bureaus were among 10 nationwide to receive the grants, which will be allocated this spring and used to create new agricultural literacy projects or expand existing agricultural literacy efforts. Banks County Farm Bureau and Banks County Elementary School are collaborating to create an outdoor garden classroom. This will build on the already existing gardens, allowing for more hands-on activities in an outdoor environment and teaching students about geography and natural resources. In Barrow County, Kennedy Elementary School wants to grow an inside tower garden, adding to the school garden and raised beds established outside. The tower garden will give students an inside look at aeroponics and the differences between growing plants inside and outside. In Douglas County, Dorsett Shoals Elementary School has an after-school cooking and gardening program, Growing Readers. This grant will be used to expand on the program with the use of agriculture books and planting gardens for each grade. In Hall County Lanier Elementary will turn an existing school garden into an outdoor agricultural classroom by adding raised beds, making a mostly unused area into an area used weekly by all grade levels. Criteria for selecting winners included: the effectiveness of demonstrating a strong connection between agriculture and education; how successfully the project enhances learner engagement in today’s food, fiber and fuel systems; and the processes and timelines for accomplishing project goals. The fund honors two former committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were trailblazers in early national efforts to expand the outreach of agricultural education and improve agricultural literacy. The other 2020 spring grant recipients are: Kent County Farm Bureau, Delaware; Franklin County Farm Bureau, Illinois; McLean County Farm Bureau, Illinois; Randolph County Farm Bureau, Indiana; Washington Farm Bureau, Tennessee; and Moore County Farm Bureau, Texas.
GFB Field Notes page 6 of 11 FARM BANKRUPTCIES INCREASED IN 2019 The number of Georgia farmers who filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy in 2019 increased by 57.7% over 2018, according to U.S. court documents and analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation. In 2019, 41 Georgia farms filed for Chapter 12 bankruptcy, up from 26 in 2018. From 2010 to 2019, 351 Georgia farms filed for Chapter 12, surpassed only by California (388) and Wisconsin (375). Nationally, more than 5,000 farms filed for Chapter 12 from 2010 to 2019. Chapter 12 provides reorganizational advantages and financial relief specifically for family farmers in debt. Those advantages include a seasonal repayment schedule over a three- to fiveyear period and lower costs relative to other chapters. Filing under Chapter 12 provides a quick and predictable process for farmers to reorganize debt to avoid asset liquidation or foreclosure. While well below historical highs, Chapter 12 family farm bankruptcies nationwide in 2019 increased by nearly 20% from 2018, according to recently released data from the U.S. Courts. Compared with figures from over the last decade, the 20% increase trails only 2010, the year following the Great Recession, when Chapter 12 bankruptcies rose 33%. During the 2019 calendar year there were 595 Chapter 12 family farm bankruptcies across the country, up nearly 100 filings from 2018 and the highest level since 2011’s 637 Chapter 12 filings. Given that there are slightly more than 2 million farms in the U.S., the 2019 bankruptcy data reveals a bankruptcy rate of approximately 2.95 bankruptcies per 10,000 farms, slightly below the rate of 2.99 filings per 10,000 farms in 2011. During the fourth quarter of 2019, there were 147 Chapter 12 bankruptcy filings, which was up 14% from the prior year but down 8% from the third quarter of 2019. On a year-over-year basis, Chapter 12 filings have increased for five consecutive quarters. The continued increase in Chapter 12 filings was not unanticipated given the multi-year downturn in the farm economy, record farm debt, headwinds on the trade front and recent changes to the bankruptcy rules in 2019’s Family Farmer Relief Act, which raised the debt ceiling to $10 million. CROP INSURANCE DEADLINES NEAR FOR GA ROW CROP PRODUCERS Georgia corn, cotton, flue-cured tobacco, grain sorghum, peanut, and soybean producers have until Feb. 28 to apply for crop insurance coverage or make changes to existing coverage for the 2020 crop year. Growers who are interested in the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) policy and are calendar year or early fiscal year filers also have until Feb. 28 to apply for crop insurance. 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 corn, cotton, flue-cured tobacco, grain sorghum, peanuts, soybeans, and WFRP in select Georgia counties. Please contact your insurance agent to see if your county is covered. Growers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2020 crop year. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers by visiting the RMA agent locator at www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at www.rma.usda.gov.
GFB Field Notes page 7 of 11 EPA: GLYPHOSATE POSES NO HUMAN HEALTH RISK On Jan. 22, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its interim registration review decision on glyphosate, the key active ingredient in Roundup and other similar herbicides that farmers use to control weeds. The EPA did not identify any human health risks from exposure to glyphosate, though it did note potential ecological risks. “The benefits outweigh the potential ecological risks when glyphosate is used according to label directions,” the agency wrote, noting that spray drift management labeling is required to reduce off-site spray drift to non-target organisms. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) lauded the decision, noting that glyphosate is an important tool used across many crops and growing systems. “This is a win for sustainable agriculture,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said. “[This] decision means farmers can continue to use conservation tillage and no-till methods on their farms to conserve soil, preserve and increase nutrients, improve water quality, trap excess carbon in the soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That said, safety is our first priority and the science clearly shows that this tool is both safe and effective.” The EPA released a draft of the registration review in April 2019. During the 120-day public comment period, the agency received approximately 283,300 comments. FDA ISSUES FIRST APPROVAL FOR PEANUT ALLERGY DRUG TREATMENT On Jan. 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Palforzia, produced by Aimmune Therapeutics, to lessen allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to peanuts. Palforzia is an oral immunotherapy shown to help some children and teens increase tolerance, reducing the likelihood of a serious reaction from accidental exposure to peanuts. It uses increasing doses of peanut flour to help a body deal with the ingestion of protein powder without a serious systemic reaction. Peanut allergy is a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies even small amounts of peanut as harmful, triggering an allergic reaction. According to the FDA, peanut allergy affects 1 million children in the U.S., and only 20% of them outgrow the allergy. The FDA indicated that treatment may be administered in people ages 4 to 17 with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy. Palforzia is not a cure, and people who take it must continue to avoid peanuts in their diets. Palforzia cannot be used as an emergency treatment of allergic reactions. Palforzia is a powder that is manufactured from peanuts. Treatment using Palforzia is a series of escalating doses until the maintenance dosage is reached. The powder is emptied from the capsules or sachet and mixed with a small amount of semisolid food - such as applesauce, yogurt, or pudding - that the patient then consumes. For more information, see the FDA press release.
GFB Field Notes page 8 of 11 UGA COLLEGE OF AG RANKED NO. 3 AG COLLEGE BY NICHE The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is ranked third on the 2020 list of Best Colleges for Agricultural Sciences in the U.S. by rankings platform Niche.com. The ranking is based on overall Niche grade of the university, as well as test scores, percentage of college majors, program demand, student and alumni surveys, expenditures per student, research expenditures and percentage of total annual agricultural sciences graduates nationally that come from each program. Overall, UGA ranks 14th on Niche’s list of Best Big Colleges in the U.S. in 2020 rankings released this month. CAES has an undergraduate enrollment of 1,405, a graduate/professional enrollment of 573 and 19,190 living alumni worldwide. The college has nine academic departments with 21 majors and leads the nation in research in poultry science, plant breeding and cultivar development, food safety and entomology. The top universities with agricultural sciences colleges on Niche’s ranking were Cornell University at No. 1 and the University of Florida at No. 2. For more information about UGA CAES go to www.caes.uga.edu. WILL CABE ATTENDS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS Franklin County Farm Bureau member Will Cabe, a fourth-generation farmer, was a guest of Rep. Doug Collins for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Feb. 4. Cabe is the owner and operator of CABE Period, a diversified livestock operation in Red Hill, where he lives with his wife, Heather, and their three children: sons Deacon and Teller, and daughter Emersyn. The farm includes five broiler houses, approximately 300 cattle, a small herd of goats and hay and baleage production. Much of the land Will currently farms has been in the Cabe family for at least four generations. Will has had the opportunity to serve in many leadership positions in the Georgia Farm Bureau, Ag Georgia Farm Credit, and the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association. He also serves as a deacon at Moriah Primitive Baptist Church in Colbert.
GFB Field Notes page 9 of 11 UGA LAUNCHES NATIONAL SEARCH FOR AG SCHOOL DEAN University of Georgia Provost Jack Hu has appointed a 24-member committee to begin a national search for candidates for the position of dean and director of UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). The committee is co-chaired by Jennifer Frum, vice president for Public Service and Outreach, and Dale Greene, dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. It includes faculty, staff and student representation, as well as representatives from industry and state government. In addition, the university will retain an external search firm to help identify candidates. Faculty, staff, students or community members who wish to nominate candidates for consideration are invited to contact Michael Luthi, director of the UGA Search Group, at luthi@uga.edu. The search committee members are: Jennifer Frum, vice president for Public Service and Outreach (co-chair); Dale Greene, dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources (co-chair); James C. Anderson II, assistant professor in the department of agricultural leadership, education and communication; Gary Black, Georgia commissioner of agriculture; Timothy Brenneman, professor of plant pathology on the UGA Tifton campus; Bill Brim, chief executive officer and partner, Lewis Taylor Farms; Kylie Bruce, an undergraduate student majoring in poultry science, a member of the Avian Ambassador Program and the CAES Transfer Team; Robert E. Burton, chief executive officer, burton + BURTON and a member of the Georgia 4-H Foundation board; Miguel Cabrera, Georgia Power Professor in Environmental Remediation and Soil Chemistry in the department of crop and soil sciences; Toby Carr, vice president for government relations; Kylee Jo Duberstein, associate professor in the department of animal and dairy science; Cesar Escalante, professor in the department of agricultural and applied economics; Mary Formo, academic advisor in the CAES Office of Academic Affairs; Kent Fountain, president, Southeastern Gin and Peanut; Mike Giles, president of the Georgia Poultry Federation and a member of the Georgia 4-H Foundation Board; Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, professor in the department of food science and technology and director of the Center for Food Safety on the UGA Griffin campus; Zenglu Li, professor in the department of crop and soil sciences and a faculty member in the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics; Mark McCann, assistant dean for Extension; Lisa Nolan, Georgia Athletics Association Distinguished Professor and dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine; Steven Stice, D.W. Brooks Professor and GRA Eminent Scholar in the department of animal and dairy science and director of the Regenerative Bioscience Center; Michael R. Strand, Regents’ Professor in the department of entomology; Esther van der Knaap, professor in the department of horticulture and a faculty member in the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, as well as the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies; Ron Walcott, professor in the department of plant pathology and interim dean of the Graduate School. Jeanna L. Wilson, professor in the department of poultry science Sam Pardue, who has led the college since 2016, announced in January that he will be stepping down as dean on June 30.
GFB Field Notes page 10 of 11 GFB ‘GROWING ON’ PODCAST Georgia Farm Bureau is excited to announce the debut of a brand new podcast covering all things agriculture. Growing features regular segments on GFB’s agricultural advocacy work with state and national lawmakers, farm safety and behavioral and emotional health and regular features from around the state. Episodes will be posted every two weeks at www.gfb.ag/GrowingOnPodcast. They can be found in the Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Spotify apps. We welcome your feedback, so please rate and recommend Growing On to your friends! The next episode will be released on Feb. 11 9TH ANNUAL NORTHEAST GEORGIA BEEF CATTLE SHORT COURSE Feb. 12 UGA Livestock Instructional Arena, 2600 S. Milledge Ave. Athens This year’s short course has a great program including seminars and demonstrations. All the details, including the program, location, and registration information is located at www.ugabeef.com/athens. For more information, contact your local Extension office at 1-800ASK-UGA-1. IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY DAY Feb. 13 Bulloch County Extension Office 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Statesboro Feb. 14 UGA-Tifton Campus Conference Center 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Tifton These free workshops sponsored by the Lindsay Corporation features presentations on variable rate irrigation, FieldNET and FieldNET Advisor, Farmers Edge and the importance of pivot application uniformity. Lunch will be included. For more information contact Marty Saylor at martin.saylor@lindsay.com. WEST GEORGIA SMALL FARM CONFERENCE Feb. 26-27 West Georgia Technical College Waco This event, free to the first 120 to register, is co-hosted by the Chestatee RC&D Council, Carroll County Young Farmers and the UGA Cooperative Extension in Carroll and Haralson counties. Featured exhibits include small ruminants, crop scheduling, honeybees/pollinators, business practices and more. Todd Anduze of the UGA Small Business Development Center will give the keynote address. For more information or to register call 770-836-8546. The deadline to register is Feb. 17. TEAM AG GEORGIA WORKSHOP Feb. 25 Appling County Extension, 239 N. East Park Ave. Baxley In partnership with the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils and the National Farmers Union, Seven Rivers RCD will host this free workshop on the Farm Bill, USDA grants, and the Food Safety Modernization Act. Visit www.teamagriculturega.org for more information.
GFB Field Notes page 11 of 11 5K FARM BUREAU DASH FOR AG Feb. 29 Sandy Creek Nature Park, 400 Bob Holman Rd. Athens Get your running or walking shoes out and get ready for this 5k organized by Barrow and Clarke County Farm Bureaus The race starts at 9 a.m. and will raise funds for agriculture education in Barrow and Clarke Counties. Click here to register online until Feb. 14 for only $25. Early registration guarantees race t-shirt. GEORGIA FOUNDATION FOR AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIPS March 1 deadline to apply The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, formerly the Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, is committed to investing in students pursuing careers in agriculture or a related field. For 2020, the foundation is offering scholarships for graduating high school seniors, rising college juniors and seniors, technical college students and UGA College of Veterinary Medicine students specializing in large/food animals. Visit www.gfb.ag/scholarships for a list of eligible majors/schools, application instructions and to apply. Applications must be submitted online only by March 1. Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be uploaded into the application. DEADLINE TO ENROLL IN ARC/PLC IS MARCH 16 Farmers have until March 16 to elect either Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) in order to receive payments for the 2019 crop year. ARC and PLC are administered by the Farm Service Agency, and farmers are urged to contact their local FSA office to schedule an appointment. To find your local office click here. MAY 1 IS DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR CENTENNIAL FARM AWARD If your farm is at least 100 years old, then it may be eligible for one of three awards the Georgia Centennial Farm program presents each fall. The Centennial Family Farm Award recognizes farms owned by members of the same family for at least 100 years. The Centennial Heritage Farm Award honors farms listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and owned by the same family for 100 years or more. The Centennial Farm Award doesn’t require continual family ownership, but farms must be at least 100 years old and listed in the NRHP. Farm owners interested in applying for the 2020 awards should visit www.georgiashpo.org or contact Allison Asbrock at 770-389-7868 or Allison.asbrock@dnr.ga.gov.