Photo: Tara Green, Spalding County, 2020 GFB Photo Contest Honorable Mention
February 17, 2021
www.gfb.org
Vol. 3 No. 4
DRIVE SAFETY HOME DURING AG SAFETY AWARENESS PROGRAM WEEK Sharing resources that will help farmers and ranchers keep safety top-of-mind through the Agricultural Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) is a priority of county and state Farm Bureau leaders across the nation. As part of ASAP, Feb. 28 - March 6 has been designated as Agricultural Safety Awareness Week. U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers will join Farm Bureau in promoting the week with its theme “Driving Safety Home.” A different safety focus will be highlighted each day of the week: March 1 – Farmer Roadway Safety March 2 – Caretaker Support March 3 – General Farmer Wellness March 4 – Mental Health March 5 – Community Roadway Safety During this week and throughout the year, Farm Bureau encourages farmers to make safety a priority on the farm. “Safe practices on Georgia’s farms should be a priority, not an afterthought,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall. “Investing in safety and health in agricultural communities can help save lives and resources by preventing injuries and lost time on the job.” The Agricultural Safety Awareness Program is a part of the Farm Bureau Health and Safety Network of professionals who share an interest in identifying and decreasing safety and health risks. For more information and resources, visit the ASAP Facebook page. Visit the Centers’ YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/USagCenters) for new content and fresh ideas about how to stay safe while working in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Join the movement to keep farms safe and share your own safety messages on social media using the hashtags #KeepFarmsSafe, #ASAP21 and #USAgCenters. The 11 U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers (www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/agctrhom.html) are funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
GFB Field Notes page 2 of 14 FORESTLAND OWNERS: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PROPERTY TAX INCENTIVES Georgia forestland owners generally have access to four property tax incentive programs – Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA), Forest Land Protection Act (FLPA), Qualified Timber Property (QTP) and Agricultural Preference, all of which reduce the amount participating landowners pay in property taxes. Dr. Bob Izlar of UGA’s Harvey Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business outlined how property taxes are assessed on forestland and the details of the three incentive programs in a presentation during the 2021 Virtual Ag Forecast on Jan. 29. Georgia is the No. 1 state in timber harvest, with 24.6 million acres of forestland, 90% of which is privately owned. These are bragging points, but also present a thorny tax situation. “Property taxes remain the top concern for private forest landowners in Georgia, because there are so many of us and we own so much of the land base,” Izlar said. Even if they participate in one of the four exemption programs available to them, Georgia forestland owners are taxed at higher rates than their peers in neighboring states. Izlar and colleague Yanshu Li published a study on Georgia property taxation rates in 2018 and found that on average, exemption participants pay $5.51 per acre, exceeding those in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia by more than $1.50 per acre. Without participating in any of the tax incentive programs and paying taxes based on fair market value, forestland on average is taxed at $15.41 per acre. CUVA, FLPA, QTP and Agricultural Preference are well worth exploring, Izlar said. “If you’re in South Georgia/Rural Georgia, outside of the influence of the metropolitan area, all we tell folks is to get with their CPA. Put the pencil to it. Know whether it may be better for you to go into ag pref, or it may be better for you to pay fair market value, because in some counties, FMV is cheaper than CUVA,” Izlar said. “It all depends on where you are. But I can almost guarantee that if you’re north of the Fall Line, one of these programs is going to help you. A big part of the decision is, ‘do I want to tie my land up for 10 years?’” A look at the four exemption programs: Agricultural Preference: (established in 1983) Land may be used for agriculture or forestry. There is a 2,000-acre maximum, assessment is at 75% of fair market value. A 10-year covenant is required, with penalties for withdrawing the land from the covenant. CUVA: (established in 1990) Land may be used for agriculture or forestry. There is a 2,000-acre maximum. A 10-year covenant is required, with penalties for withdrawing the land from the covenant. FLPA: (Established in 2008) Land may be used for forestry. A minimum of 200 acres is required, with no maximum. A 10-year covenant is required, with penalties for withdrawing the land from the covenant. QTP: (Established in 2018) Land may be used for forestry. A minimum of 50 acres is required, with no maximum. Assessment is 175% of the CUVA value. The agreement is subject to annual certification, and there is no penalty for withdrawing land from the covenant. To watch Izlar’s presentation, visit https://agforecast.caes.uga.edu/previous-outlooks/2021.html. For a copy of Izlar and Yanshu’s report, “Property Tax Incentives for the Georgia Landowner,” visit www.ugacfb.com/property-tax-incentives-for-the-georgia-landowner/.
GFB Field Notes page 3 of 14 GEORGIA AGRITOURISM POISED FOR A REBOUND A national survey that began in 2020 measured Americans’ attitudes about travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides lots of numbers, and Georgia tourism took a big hit in 2020 as the coronavirus spread. This isn’t surprising, as virtually all sectors of the economy have been affected by the pandemic. Still, Dr. John Salazar thinks better days are coming, particularly for those who own and operate agritourism venues. Salazar, the coordinator of UGA’s Hospitality and Food Industry Program, said there is significant opportunity on the horizon for rural tourism, much of which exists as agritourism, to capitalize on post-COVID travel tendencies. “Now is the time for rural communities to really embrace agritourism. That’s because people are shying away from major urban markets and they’re looking for activities and experiences that are more conducive to social distancing.” Salazar said in his presentation during the 2021 Virtual Ag Forecast. The ongoing survey is being conducted by UGA, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia River Network, Hart County, Jekyll Island Authority, Lake Lanier, Tifton Tourism, Visit Augusta and Visit Savannah. The survey was done in two waves – one in the spring and one in fall of 2020 – to get a measure of evolving traveler attitudes. By Jan. 20, more than 6,900 people had responded. In 2019, before the pandemic, tourism spending overall was $32 billion statewide, providing 287,000 jobs, many of which were in lodging and food service. Rural Georgia, which Salazar defined as the 87 counties not listed as parts of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), accounted for $3 billion of that spending, an average of $34 million per rural county. Two key statistics from the survey indicate more travelers are headed to the country. First, 62% of respondents seek rural or small towns when selecting trip destinations. Second, 48% said farmers’ markets or agritourism opportunities were important to them. “There is market demand for Georgia agritourism,” Salazar said. Salazar noted that people have grown weary of quarantine measures, feeling cooped-up. At the same time, there is growing desire to visit places that, because they are less crowded than attractions in metro areas, make social distancing easier to manage. While the coronavirus spared no particular area of the state, Salazar said rural hospitality businesses – primarily lodging and food establishments – took a smaller hit percentage-wise than their urban counterparts. Plus, the survey results showed that travelers think they’ll be safer as more time passes. He said this could be an indication that business could rebound more quickly once COVID-19 vaccinations make it safer for people to move about. Money may be available for agritourism operators to market their venues and services. Portions of tourism-related taxes like the $5 per night state hotel fee and other hotel/motel taxes are designated to be funneled back into rural communities for economic development. This revenue from the 87 rural Georgia counties increased from $260.5 million in 2015 to $314.9 million in 2019. Part of that money is directed to local tourism development through direct marketing organizations (DMOs) like chambers of commerce, Mainstreet organizations and local tourism organizations. Salazar encouraged agritourism businesses to develop relationships with DMOs to help promote their venues, goods and services, and to partner with complementary local businesses -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes page 4 of 14 Continued from previous page to leverage their promotional power. “Those dollars are coming in from the visitors and not the local residents,” Salazar said. “In the end, it’s a really good benefit for that community because you’re utilizing the visitor taxpayer dollars for these promotional tactics.” Specifically, he said agritourism businesses should become familiar with DMOs’ advertising calendars and develop plans to align their events with promotions the DMOs are already doing. To watch Salazar’s presentation, visit https://agforecast.caes.uga.edu/previousoutlooks/2021.html and click on the keynote session video. Salazar’s portion begins at the 12 minute mark. UGA EXTENSION, FEDERAL AGENCIES RECOMMEND COVID-19 VACCINATION Federal agencies are promoting the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines that use mRNA technology. UGA Extension is partnering with local entities, including health departments, to provide a public education campaign informed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Public Health (DPH) to promote the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine to help lay the groundwork for residents to willingly take the vaccine as it becomes available locally. Extension, CDC and DPH have compiled resources on a publicly available website and encourage all members of Georgia’s agriculture community to share them. UGA Extension encourages anyone working closely with the agriculture sector to utilize the materials, called “Protect Your Peach,” which were jointly developed with CDC and DPH to target Georgia farmers and ag workers. Members of Georgia’s agriculture community are encouraged to contact their local Extension offices if they would like to request copies of Extension’s ‘Healthy Georgia’ flyers, which are in the process of being distributed statewide to targeted locations which are providing vaccines. The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) has published a COVID-19 Handbook for Agricultural Workers. In a Jan. 21 webinar, Dr. Janelle Routh, who represents the CDC on the multi-agency COVID19 Vaccine Task Force asked employers to encourage their workers to get vaccinated. ‘Getting information out to employees about what to expect can be incredibly helpful,” Routh said. The mRNA technology teaches our cells how to make part of what is referred to as a “spike” protein found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. After the cells make the spike protein portion, our cells break it down and our immune system makes antibodies against it. For a more detailed explanation, click here. Routh emphasized that the vaccines are safe, noting: • The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have been through the same rigorously safety testing that all U.S. vaccines go through before authorization for use; • While the public may have only recently become aware of mRNA technology, it has been studied for more than a decade; • The vaccines do not contain live virus, and they do not carry a risk of causing disease in the vaccinated person; -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes page 5 of 14 Continued from previous page • The vaccines do not alter or interfere with DNA. • The vaccines will not give recipients COVID-19 or cause them to test positive on tests that detect the presence of the virus. Routh encouraged employers and employees who have received the vaccination to be “vaccination ambassadors,” sharing their experiences with people around them. The CDC has a collection of communication materials about the vaccines. The materials can be downloaded at https://gfb.ag/CDCCovaxInfo. The webinar also provided information for employees to know before, during and after being vaccinated. Before • Take time to learn about the different types of COVID-19 vaccines and how they work. Check with state or local health department to see if they are recommended for vaccination. During • Vaccination recipients should receive a fact sheet on the specific vaccine they received, including information about risks, benefits and potential side effects. After • Recipients should receive a vaccine record card that indicates which vaccine they received, the date on which they received it and where they received it. This information is important when scheduling the second dose. • Recipients may be asked to enroll in V-Safe, a free smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after they receive the vaccination. • There have been side effects, but Routh said most are mild and generally go away within one or two days. Side effects occur more frequently following the second dose. Routh recommended getting employees to be vaccinated on the day before off days at the end of their shift, staggering employees to maintain consistent workforce strength, and assessing workers post-vaccination for side effects. “We don’t yet know the duration of protection from these vaccines, nor do we know how they protect against transmission in vaccinated people. We do emphasize that even vaccinated people should continue to follow safety guidelines like masking and social distancing,” Routh said. MULTIPLE RURAL GEORGIA INTERNET PROJECTS ANNOUNCED Residents in 26 Georgia counties will soon benefit from enhanced internet connectivity as EMCs, medical providers and federal agencies recently announced partnerships and funding for multiple projects in Georgia. On Feb. 8, Central Georgia EMC (Jackson, GA) and Southern Rivers Energy (Barnesville, GA) unveiled their new partnership with Conexon to provide high-speed internet to 80,000 homes and businesses in 18 Middle Georgia counties: Bibb, Butts, Clayton, Coweta, Crawford, Fayette, Henry, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Pike, Putnam, Spalding, and Upson. The partnership includes a capital investment of more than $210 million overall. Central -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes page 6 of 14 Continued from previous page Georgia EMC (CGEMC) will invest $135 million, Southern Rivers Energy (SRE) will invest $53 million, and Conexon will contribute $21.5 million. Monroe County has also committed $1.3 million in local funds to incentivize the EMCs to start their projects in Monroe County. Under terms of the agreement, the EMCs will partner with Conexon, a full-service fiber broadband provider, to design and build a 6,890-mile fiber network that will serve two strategic purposes: provide improved electric service and increased reliability through smart grid capabilities, and provide high-speed internet access to all 80,000 of the two EMCs’ members within the next four years, beginning as early as June 2021. Conexon works exclusively with electric cooperatives and is considered one of the pioneers in the electric cooperative broadband movement. The two EMCs will own the fiber and lease excess capacity to Conexon which has agreed to serve every EMC member with fiber-to-the-home internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. The internet service will be powered by EMC fiber, but Conexon will provide the retail service to homes and businesses, managing account set-up, customer service and billing. On Jan. 15, the FCC announced an initial set of 14 pilot projects as a part of its Connected Care Pilot Program. A total of $26.6 million will be awarded to these applicants for proposed projects to treat nearly half a million patients in both urban and rural parts of the country. Overall, this Pilot Program will make available up to $100 million over a three-year period for selected pilot projects for qualifying purchases necessary to provide connected care services, with a particular emphasis on providing connected care services to low-income and veteran patients. Included in the pilot funding recipients was Phoebe Putney Health System in Southwest Georgia, which requested $673,200 to provide patient-based Internet-connected remote monitoring, video visits, and remote treatment for low-income patients suffering from chronic conditions or mental health conditions. These projects plan to serve an estimated 4,007 patients, approximately 1,000 of which will be low-income patients in six sites serving southwest Georgia. Phoebe providers participating in the project are: Phoebe Worth Medical Center – Camilla Clinic; Phoebe Physicians Group Inc. – PPC of Buena Vista, Buena Vista; Phoebe Physicians Group – Ellaville Primary Medicine Center, Ellaville; Phoebe Family Medicine & Sports Medicine, Americus; Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Albany; Phoebe Family Medicine – Sylvester, Sylvester. The Pilot Program will use Universal Service Fund monies to help defray the costs of connected care services for eligible health care providers, providing support for 85% of the cost of eligible services and network equipment, which include: (1) patient broadband Internet access services; (2) health care provider broadband data connections; (3) other connected care information services; and (4) certain network equipment. These pilot projects will address a variety of critical health issues such as high-risk pregnancy, mental health conditions, and opioid dependency, among others. On Jan. 7, the USDA announced a $4.6 million grant to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Southeast Georgia. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program. Pembroke Telephone Company Inc. will use a $4.6 million ReConnect grant to deploy a fiberto-the-premises network. This network will connect 3,554 people, 73 farms and 19 businesses to -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes page 7 of 14 Continued from previous page high-speed broadband internet in Evans and Tattnall counties in Georgia. In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 11 Round Two ReConnect Program applications that are eligible for the $100 million Congress allocated to the program through the CARES Act. To learn more about ReConnect Program eligibility, technical assistance and recent announcements, visit www.usda.gov/reconnect. GEORGIA PEANUT & BLUEBERRY COMMISSIONS’ LEADERS ANNOUNCED Armand Morris has been re-elected as chairman of the Georgia Peanut Commission and Kevin Eason has been appointed to the Georgia Blueberry Commission. Morris, a peanut farmer from Tifton, was elected chairman of the GPC during the monthly board meeting in January. This is Morris’ 20th term as chairman of the commission. He has also served as chairman of the board previously in 1996 and 1997, 2003 and every year since 2005. Other GPC officers elected during the board meeting include Joe Boddiford, Sylvania, Georgia, as vice chairman and Rodney Dawson, Hawkinsville, Georgia, as treasurer. Additional GPC board members are Tim Burch, Newton, Georgia, and Donald Chase, Oglethorpe, Georgia, represent the commission’s District One and District Five, respectively. The peanut producing counties of Georgia are divided into five districts in which peanut farmers elect a representative to serve on the Georgia Peanut Commission board. On Dec. 16, 2020, the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation conducted nomination meetings for board member positions in District One and District Three. Board members Tim Burch, Baker County farmer, and Joe Boddiford, Screven County farmer, were both re-elected without opposition and will serve for the next three years. Burch and Boddiford were sworn in during the January board meeting by Chief Judge Bill Reinhardt of the Tifton Judicial Circuit. The GPC represents more than 4,500 peanut farm families in the state and conducts programs in the areas of research, promotion and education. For more information on the programs of the Georgia Peanut Commission, visit www.gapeanuts.com. The Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission Ex Officio Committee met on Feb. 4, 2021, to appoint Eason to fill the remainder of the term held on the Georgia Blueberry Commission by Russ Goodman. Eason is a blueberry grower and packer in Bacon County. Goodman stepped down to focus on his responsibilities as Georgia state senator for District Eight and his farming operation. The blueberry commission was created by the Georgia General Assembly and funds collected by the assessments are used for research, education, and promotion of Georgia blueberries.
GFB Field Notes page 8 of 14 JENNIFER FARMER JOINS GA FOUNDATION FOR AGRICULTURE STAFF The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) has named Jennifer Farmer as its development associate. “We’re excited to have Jennifer join the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture team,” said GFB President Tom McCall, who also serves as the chairman of the foundation board. “We’re proud of what the foundation has accomplished this past year under the direction of our Executive Director Lily Baucom, and we’re excited to see where Lily and Jennifer take us moving forward.” The GFA’s mission is to prepare the next generation of Georgia leaders for success in agriculture. The foundation invests in the next generation of Georgia ag leaders through its programs, such as the Georgia Ag Experience mobile classroom and scholarship program for college, technical college and vet school students. As the foundation’s development associate, Farmer will be responsible for researching and identifying new sources of funding including private, corporate and government grants for programs such as the Georgia Ag Experience, scholarships, apprenticeships and mental health research while continuing to build a strong network of individual donors to support GFA’s mission and fund operations. A native of Greenville, Miss., Farmer grew up in the Mississippi Delta where one in every six jobs is in agriculture. She once worked at BASF’s agricultural research station as a pesticide field technician before moving to Georgia to attend college. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Ga., Farmer began her career in the nonprofit sector at the Georgia Press Association in Atlanta. Serving in several capacities throughout her 19 years at GPA, her responsibilities included developing membership programming, spearheading the Georgia College Press Association for collegiate journalists and managing the Georgia Press Educational Foundation’s efforts to fund scholarships and internships for journalism students. Farmer next worked for the national nonprofit Acoustic Neuroma Association as director of programs and development for four years. She raised the organization's fundraising profile and enhanced national awareness of acoustic neuroma, a rare type of brain tumor affecting one in every 100,000 people in the U.S. "I am very excited to be a part of the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and the Georgia Farm Bureau family. Lily and I are already working on new fundraising opportunities and creative ways to engage our supporters while spreading awareness of GFA’s work across the state," Farmer said. She and her husband, Michael, live in Cumming, Ga. with their two children. To learn more about the foundation or to help grow Georgia’s greater agricultural community by making a donation to the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, please visit www.gafoundationag.org.
GFB Field Notes page 9 of 14 DEADLINE TO ENROLL IN ARC/PLC PROGRAMS IS MARCH 15 Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for 2021 must do so by March 15. Producers who have not yet signed a 2021 enrollment contract or who want to make an election change should contact their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office to make an appointment. Program enrollment for 2021 is required in order to participate in the programs, but elections for the 2021 crop year are optional and otherwise remain the same as elections made for 2020. ARC and PLC provide income support to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. Although 1,033,310 contracts have been completed to date, this represents less than 59% of the more than 1.7 million contracts anticipated by the FSA. By enrolling soon, producers can beat the rush as the deadline nears. Producers who do not complete enrollment by close of business local time on March 15 will not be enrolled in ARC or PLC for the 2021 crop year and will be ineligible to receive a payment should one trigger for an eligible crop. ARC and PLC contracts can be emailed, faxed or physically signed and mailed back to FSA. Producers with level 2 e-authentication access can electronically sign contracts. Service Center staff can also work with producers to sign and securely transmit contracts electronically through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. You can learn more about these solutions at www.farmers.gov/mydocs. Producers may also make arrangements to drop off signed contracts at the FSA county office. Please call ahead for local mailing or drop off information and options for submitting signed contracts electronically. Producers are eligible to enroll farms with base acres for the following commodities: barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium- and short-grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. FSA recently updated the annual and benchmark yields for ARC/PLC program years 2019, 2020 and 2021. This data is useful to producers in choosing to participate in either ARC or PLC. For added assistance with ARC and PLC decisions, USDA partnered with the University of Illinois and Texas A&M University to offer web-based decision tools to assist producers in making informed, educated decisions using crop data specific to their respective farming operations. Tools include: • Gardner-farmdoc Payment Calculator, the University of Illinois tool that offers farmers the ability to run payment estimate modeling for their farms and counties for ARC-County and PLC; • ARC and PLC Decision Tool, the Texas A&M tool that allows producers to analyze payment yield updates and expected payments for 2019 and 2020. Producers who have used the tool in the past should see their username and much of their farm data will already be available in the system. Enrolling in ARC or PLC programs can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products. Producers who elect and enroll in PLC also have the option of purchasing Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) through their approved insurance provider. Producers of covered commodities who elect ARC are ineligible for SCO on their planted acres. Unlike SCO, RMA’s Enhanced Coverage Option (ECO) is unaffected by participating in ARC for the same crop on the same acres. Producers may elect ECO regardless of their farm program -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes page 10 of 14 Continued from previous page election. Upland cotton farmers who choose to enroll seed cotton base acres in ARC or PLC are ineligible for the stacked income protection plan (STAX) on their planted cotton acres. For more information on ARC and PLC including web-based decision tools, visit www.farmers.gov/arc-plc. Visit www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator to find location and contact information for the nearest FSA county office. USITC: BLUEBERRY IMPORTS DO NOT SERIOUSLY INJURE U.S. GROWERS On. Feb. 11, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that fresh, chilled, or frozen blueberries are not being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat of serious injury, to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article. Farm Bureau and other U.S. agricultural groups, who sought the investigation, expressed disappointment in the outcome. “Seasonal fruit and vegetable farmers face unfair competition from foreign growers and today’s decision demonstrates that much work still needs to be done to address international trade imbalances. Increases in lower-priced fresh, chilled and frozen blueberries during seasonal harvest times in the U.S. leads to lower prices for domestic growers,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said in a written statement. “Since domestic farmers are price-takers, not price-makers, they need time to adjust their operations to the increased import levels.” Ag stakeholder groups were joined by elected representatives in pushing for the investigation, which was formally requested by then U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Sept. 29, 2020. “It is no secret that American fruit and vegetable growers have been reeling from the negative impacts of foreign imports, including blueberry growers,” said Rep. Austin Scott (R-Georgia 8th District), a member of the House Agriculture Committee. “I’m very disappointed and surprised to see ITC rule that increased foreign imports of blueberries have not caused injury to the domestic industry while, in many cases, the situation is so bad that it isn’t economical for U.S. growers to even harvest their blueberry crop. I will continue to press for a remedy to level the playing field for American blueberry growers. We cannot continue to allow the volume of foreign imports that devastate our domestic industry.” The USITC determination was made under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. § 2252) at the request of the U.S. trade representative. Information about this investigation and global safeguard investigations in general can be found at https://tinyurl.com/USITCbbfactsheet. The Commission’s determination resulted from a 5-0 vote. Chair Jason E. Kearns, Vice Chair Randolph J. Stayin, and Commissioners David S. Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the negative. As a result, the investigation will end and the USITC will not recommend a remedy to the president. The commission will submit its report containing its injury determination and the basis for it to President Biden by March 29. A public report concerning the investigation will be available after the commission submits its report to the president.
GFB Field Notes page 11 of 14 UGA EXTENSION COMMODITY PRODUCTION MEETINGS GO VIRTUAL The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension plans to hold its 2021 commodity production meetings online. Some county Extension offices will host viewing sessions. Meetings will be held for corn & soybean, cotton, peanut and peanut producers. PEANUT Feb. 18 6 p.m. – 8:30 online Feb. 22 9:30 a.m. – noon online Pesticide and CCA license credits are being applied for and will be available for attendees. Please only register for one date. To register, visit: www.2021ugapeanut.eventbrite.com. COTTON Feb. 24 9:30 a.m. – noon online Meeting will be held online. Pesticide and CCA license credits are being applied for and will be available for attendees. To register, visit https://2021ugacotton.eventbrite.com. PECAN March 9 6 p.m. online Pesticide credits are being applied for and will be available for attendees. Please only register for one date. To register, visit https://ugapecan2021.eventbrite.com/. NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD MEDIA TRAINING Feb. 23 online The National Peanut Board is offering this free media training and refresher webinar for all peanut growers. The virtual educational session is open to peanut growers with all levels of media experience. During the 90-minute Zoom session, NPB and agency partner Golin will cover both common questions and tough questions (such as allergies, aflatoxin, profits, etc.) that media may potentially ask in an interview. With the provided key message points, growers will feel prepared to answer. The final part of the event will be dedicated to small-group practice sessions with our grower coaches. All those in attendance will also receive a takeaway sheet that features various key messages and resources for topics like sustainability, nutrition, early introduction to prevent peanut allergies, aflatoxin, chemicals and more. To sign up for the grower media training and refresher, interested growers can go to www.NPBfarmers.org.
GFB Field Notes page 12 of 14 FARM BUREAU ART & ESSAY CONTESTS Feb. 26, 2021 deadline to submit entries to county offices County Farm Bureau chapters across the state are accepting entries to the 2021 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Middle School Essay and High School Art Contests. GFB’s Certified Farm Markets are the focus of both contests. Middle school students entering the essay contest are being asked to discuss how GFB Certified Farm Markets and agritourism in general benefit farmers and consumers. High schoolers entering the art contest should draw a scene depicting one of the almost 80 GFB Certified Farm Markets located across Georgia. Students may enter the contests in the county in which they live or attend school but not both. To enter either contest, students should contact their county Farm Bureau for an official entry form and complete contest rules. County Farm Bureau contest winners will be entered in GFB district competition. All entries must be officially submitted by a county Farm Bureau to the Georgia Farm Bureau home office. All entries must be received at local county Farm Bureau offices by Feb. 26, 2021; county Farm Bureaus must submit their county winners to GFB for state judging by March 12, 2021. Visit www.gfb.ag/21artcontest or www.gfb.ag/21essaycontest for contest details. CROP INSURANCE DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR MULTIPLE FIELD CROPS Feb. 28 deadline to apply Georgia producers of corn, cotton, flue-cured tobacco, grain sorghum, peanut, sesame, soybean producers have until Feb. 28 to apply for crop insurance coverage or make changes to existing coverage for the 2021 crop year. Growers who are interested in the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) policy and are calendar year or early fiscal year filers, have until Feb. 28 to apply for crop insurance. Coverage is available for corn, cotton, flue-cured tobacco, grain sorghum, peanuts, soybeans, and WFRP in select Georgia counties. Coverage is also available for sesame in Burke, Emanuel, Jefferson, and Jenkins counties. Please contact your insurance agent to see if your county is covered. Growers are encouraged to contact their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2021 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. GEORGIA FOUNDATION FOR AGRICULTURE OFFERS $65,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS March 1 deadline to apply For the 2021/22 school year, the foundation is offering $65,000 in 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. For a list of eligible majors/schools, application instructions and/or to apply visit www.GaFoundationAg.org/scholarships.html . Applications must be submitted online only by March 1. Transcripts and letters of recommendation must be submitted online with the application.
GFB Field Notes page 13 of 14 GEORGIA VEGETABLE GROWERS VOTING ON STATE COMMISSION March 2 deadline to vote Georgia vegetable growers have until March 2 to get their mail ballots postmarked to determine the continuation of the Georgia Vegetable Commission (GVC) marketing order, which was established by the Georgia General Assembly in 2006 at the request of Georgia vegetable growers to implement research, education and promotion programs to benefit Georgia’s vegetable sector. The GVC marketing order applies to Georgia vegetable growers with 50 acres or more of total annual production of the following crops - beans, bell pepper, specialty pepper, broccoli, beets, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, greens (including collards, turnip greens, mustard and kale), squash (including yellow, zucchini and winter squash), sweet potato, and tomato. For more information contact Andy Harrison at andy.harrison@agr.georgia.gov or 404710-1196. TIFTON PERFORMANCE TESTED BULL SALE March 3 UGA Tifton Bull Center Irwinville The sale will include 95 performance-tested, genetically enhanced and percentage-verified bulls from consigners located in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina. The sale will be broadcast online live through LiveAuctions.tv. A limited number of participants will be able to attend the sale in person. The sale catalog is scheduled to be available online on Feb. 5 at www.ugabeef.com/bulltest. USDA QUALITY LOSS ADJUSTMENT PROGRAM March 5 Deadline to apply Funded by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, this new program provides assistance to producers who suffered eligible crop quality losses due to natural disasters occurring in 2018 and 2019. For more information, visit www.farmers.gov/quality-loss, or contact your local USDA Service Center. Producers can also obtain one-on-one support with applications by calling 877-508-8364. GPC SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR NATIONAL PEANUT BOARD March 11 1 p.m. deadline for nominations The Georgia Peanut Commission seeks eligible peanut producers who are interested in serving on the National Peanut Board. GPC will hold a nominations election to select two nominees each for member and alternate to the National Peanut Board during a meeting on Thursday, March 11, 2021, at 1 p.m. EST at the commission headquarters in Tifton. All eligible peanut producers are encouraged to participate. Eligible producers are those who are engaged in the production and sale of peanuts and who own or share the ownership and risk of loss of the crop. Andy Bell of Climax is the current Georgia National Peanut Board member and Casey Cox of Camilla serves as the alternate. The terms for the current Georgia board member and alternate expire Dec. 31. For more information, call 229-386-3470.
GFB Field Notes page 14 of 14 11TH ANNUAL GEORGIA DAIRY YOUTH FOUNDATION GOLF TOURNAMENT March 26 Lane Creek Golf Club 10:30 a.m. Bishop This annual event provides financial support for the Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation. The tournament will be played in a four-person Lauderdale Scramble format. Each player will receive 18 holes of golf, use of a cart and lunch. Lunch and check-in begin at 10:30 a.m. and tee time is noon. Entry fee is $75 per person or $300 for a four-person team, and for $20 players receive two mulligans and a tee buster. To register, call 706-310-0020 or send an email to gadairyyouth@gmail.com. Players are asked to register by March 22. 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 2020 GFB Quality Hay Contest receive a free listing in the online GFB Hay Directory. DAIRY VOLUNTEERS LEND A LISTENING EAR FOR THOSE IN STRESS Are you a dairy farmer who would like to talk to a fellow farmer or industry friend about the stress you’re experiencing? Georgia Milk Producers has partnered with dairy groups in other Southeastern states to compile a list of dairy producers who are volunteering to talk with fellow farmers & dairy industry employees as the dairy sector navigates these difficult times. Click here to access the list of volunteers & other tips/suggestions for dealing with stress.