April 8, 2020
www.gfb.org
Vol. 2 No. 7
GEORGIA FARM BUREAU LINKS FARMERS WITH COVID-19 RESOURCES Farmers in Georgia have weathered many storms over the years, and the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the country over the past few weeks is no different. Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) has compiled a list of COVID-19 resources for our members to utilize during this unprecedented time. We hope that this list will serve as a comfort and resource as you navigate these uncertain times. You can find these COVID-19 resources by visiting www.gfb.org/advocacy/covid19resources.cms. The GFB COVID-19 resources site guides Georgians to information on a wide variety of topics, including: Georgia COVID-19 developments; animal health; banking and credit; Department of Homeland Security info naming essential critical infrastructure workforce, which includes food and agriculture; education; food safety; labor; mental health; farm workplace safety; taxes and transportation. Working through adversity is not a novel thing for farmers, nor is it for Georgia Farm Bureau. Our organization was started to help farmers in the depths of the Great Depression and the purpose of our insurance company is to be there in times of crisis. Farmers worked together to make it through those challenges years ago, and together, we will work through new sets of challenges. Georgia farmers and Georgia Farm Bureau will continue, No Matter the Storm. If you are active on social media, we encourage you to share how you are #StillFarming. Together, we will make sure that agriculture, one of the most critical and essential industries, continues to thrive. “Never in any of our lives has our nation fought an invisible enemy that spreads among us through social contact. It has disrupted almost every aspect of how we work and live. All of us know family or friends who have lost jobs, been sick, or are struggling,” said GFB President Gerald Long. “When we are in the middle of a problem, it is difficult to see the other side. I constantly ask myself, ‘What should we do? What is it going to take to weather this trial?’ Whenever I struggle; whenever it weighs me down; I remember one thing: We are all Farm Bureau, and we don’t quit!” One of GFB’s key facets is that our organization’s employees, volunteers and members are allowed the freedom to express their faith. Whether you are an employee or a volunteer, Georgia Farm Bureau is special for many reasons, and one is the ability to express our faith. All members of the GFB family are invited to join, wherever they are, in a quiet moment of prayer each Wednesday at noon during the month of April.
GFB Field Notes page 2 of 20 WHAT’S IN THE CARES ACT FOR AGRICULTURE? On March 27 President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law. The bill provides more than $2 trillion in financial support for individuals and businesses nationwide. While much attention has been paid to the bill’s $1,200 payments to individuals, it also provides more than $73 billion for agricultural and nutrition programs. Some key ag provisions, according to analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation: • For the agriculture-related provisions, the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture received $9.5 billion, approximately 19% of the total food and agriculture provisions, to provide financial support to farmers and ranchers impacted by coronavirus. The funding is allocated specifically for specialty crops, producers who supply local food systems and farmers’ markets, restaurants and schools, livestock producers, i.e., cattle producers, and dairy farmers. • The USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) was replenished with $14 billion – 29% of the total allocated for agriculture. The CCC is the funding mechanism for agricultural programs such as Price Loss Coverage and Dairy Margin Coverage. The CCC bolsters commodity and income support programs, natural resources conservation programs, disaster assistance programs and the Market Facilitation Program. The $14-billion replenishment is for fiscal year 2020, so that’s in addition to the second and third tranche of MFP payments, as well as farm bill payments made last fall. This replenishment will allow USDA to develop new support programs to assist agricultural producers and potentially help agribusinesses in financial distress. • Direct food and agriculture-related provisions in the CARES Act total approximately $49 billion. The act provides a total of $24.6 billion for domestic food programs – representing 50% of the total agricultural program funding in the bill. The act allocates $15.8 billion to improve access to supplemental nutrition programs in the event costs or participation exceed budget estimates. Of that total, $300 million is allocated for SNAP improvements in underserved areas such as Indian reservations or U.S. territories. In addition to enhanced funding for SNAP, child nutrition programs received $8.8 billion in additional funding – representing 18% of the total. • Approximately $916 million is allocated for enhancing staffing and services in a number of key mission areas. The package includes funding for a variety of programs critical for rural America, including $100 million for USDA’s ReConnect pilot, $25 million for distance learning and telemedicine programs, $185 million to support rural critical access hospitals, rural tribal health and telehealth programs, and poison control centers, and $20.5 million to support an additional $1 billion of lending through USDA's Rural Development. To read AFBF’s complete analysis, visit www.gfb.ag/CARESActsummary. ADDRESSING COVID-19 ON PRODUCE FARMS AND IN PACKING HOUSES While there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus is a food safety concern, it is a worker health concern as it spreads via close person-to-person contact or by contact with contaminated surfaces. Food does not appear to be a likely cause of COVID-19 transmission, but many of the same practices used to prevent foodborne illness on foods should be used to reduce the likelihood of -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes page 3 of 20 Continued from previous page COVID-19 contamination on fresh produce and the risk of COVID-19 spreading among workers. Producers should educate workers on COVID-19 symptoms, how it spreads and how to reduce the spread of the disease. Following are some guidelines from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension to share with employees: • Instruct workers to stay home if they are sick (coughing, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.). • Reassure employees that they will not be punished for missing work due to illness. • Have a plan in place and communicate in advance how you will address workers who do not want to miss a paycheck (paid sick leave, etc.). • All employees must wash their hands frequently throughout the day with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This includes when employees arrive to work, before they handle food, after breaks or after using the restroom, etc. Disinfecting tools, equipment and surfaces During COVID-19, or any other outbreak situation, increase routine cleaning and disinfecting frequency to protect the health of workers. Disinfecting routines also need to include administrative offices, field trucks and break areas that are not generally included in day-to-day cleaning. Cleaning and disinfecting are two separate steps and should be done in order. Cleaning removes dirt and soil and often requires the use of a soap/detergent and water. Disinfecting uses a chemical to inactivate viruses on the surface. Following are guidelines for disinfecting items and surfaces: • Clean and disinfect shared tools between uses by different employees. • Use the CDC’s recommended use of disinfectants on the EPA list found at go.ncsu.edu/epacovid-19. (Note: this list is based on current data, but compounds have not been validated for inactivation of the virus causing COVID-19.) • Bleach may be used to disinfect surfaces, but the concentration is higher for COVID-19 than for everyday sanitation: five tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water. • Clean harvest baskets, bags, aprons, knives, etc. after each use. Wash fabrics with a detergent in hot water and apply a disinfectant to nonporous surfaces. See CDC guidelines on laundry at go.ncsu.edu/cdclaundry. • Disinfect frequently touched surfaces — including door handles, steering wheels, keyboards, touch screens, etc. — throughout the day. Hygiene and personal protective equipment Hand sanitizing stations should supplement but not replace handwashing. Consider having sanitizer available for harvest or packing crews. Discourage employees from sharing phones, tools, utensils, vehicles, etc. Provide single-use gloves to all workers handling food. Gloves should be changed when contaminated (e.g. when hands touch skin or the ground). When gloves may interfere with a worker’s ability to do their assigned task (e.g. harvesting, applying stickers, etc.), handwashing or -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 4 of 20 Continued from previous page hand sanitizer should occur frequently. Masks should be allowed but not required, and workers should be instructed on how to wear them properly to prevent illness or injury. Distancing and cohort monitoring Instruct workers to keep six feet away from each other. Limit one employee per vehicle at a time and have drivers to disinfect frequently touched surfaces in the vehicle before their shift ends. When physical distancing is not an option, consider dividing workers into cohorts that only work with members within that cohort for the duration of the outbreak. For example, divide your packing crew into two groups that only show up for their group’s designated shift. Have the first shift clean and sanitize their work areas and equipment at the end of their shift and give a buffer of 15 to 30 minutes between the end of the first shift and beginning of the next shift to ensure employees are not in contact with each other during shift changes. Smaller operations may want to consider designating harvest and packing crews, the members of which never cross paths during the work day. Employees in the same household should be assigned to the same crew or cohort. Cohorting reduces the risk of losing the entire workforce, which could happen if an employee who works at the same time as all of the other employees tests positive for COVID-19. For more information on COVID-19, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov. For more resources on COVID-19 from UGA Extension, visit www.extension.uga.edu/emergencies. STATE DEPT. REVISION MAKES MORE IMMIGRANT WORKERS AVAILABLE The U.S. State Department revised its restrictions on the processing of visa applications submitted by farm workers in Mexico. Consular officers can now waive the visa interview requirement for eligible first-time and returning H-2A and H-2B applicants, making more workers in the H-2 program available while prioritizing public health. “We applaud the administration for recognizing the contributions H-2A and H-2B workers make on farms across this country to ensure Americans have access to healthy, affordable food,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said. On March 18, as a step to try to contain the spread of COVID-19, the United States suspended routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing services in Mexico. In 2019, U.S. farmers had received 258,000 H-2A workers. In 2018, 93% of H-2A laborers came from Mexico. The State Department’s revision came after Farm Bureau and other agricultural stakeholders voiced concerns that the restrictions would lead to a farm worker shortage in the U.S. Visit www.farmers.gov/manage/h2a or email aglabor@usda.gov for more information about the H-2A immigrant visa program.
GFB Field Notes 5 of 20 DUMPED MILK NO JOKE FOR GEORGIA DAIRIES The Johnson Family wasn’t playing an April Fool’s joke when they posted a video on their Providence Dairy Facebook page showing about 5,400 gallons of milk gushing from their milk tank down the drain. The April 1 post was a jarring image of how COVID-19 is impacting Georgia farmers. For a number of years, the Johnsons have used social media to give consumers a glimpse of daily life on a family dairy farm. Matt and Laura Johnson farm in partnership with his dad, Paul Johnson, milking about 1,200 cows three times a day on their Decatur County farm. The Johnsons are among about 50 dairy farms across Georgia from LaGrange on the Alabama line over to Augusta and down to the Florida line that belong to the farmer-owned Dairy Farmers of America Co-op (DFA) according to DFA Southeast Area Chief operating officer Jon Bebermeyer. Nationwide, about 13,000 family farms belong to the co-op that markets about 30% of all milk produced in the U.S. For DFA’s milk week of March 28-April 3, Bebermeyer estimates DFA had to dump about 10% of all milk produced in the co-op’s Southeast area, which runs from east Texas through the lower part of Missouri over to Virginia down to the Gulf Coast encompassing all or part of 15 states. Milk dumped in Georgia for that period was less than 10%, Bebermeyer estimates. “That ten percent dumped in our Southeast area is about the same as was dumped nationwide as a whole based on the numbers I’ve been hearing,” Bebermeyer said. The largest segment of Georgia’s 130 dairy producers belong to DFA, with about 65% of the milk produced in GA going to DFA plants, said Farrah Newberrry, executive director of the Georgia Milk Producers (GMP), which promotes Georgia dairy farmers to consumers with programs such as the Mobile Dairy Classroom. Johnson, who serves as a council member for the DFA Southeast Area, wasn’t alone in being asked to dump his milk. “I know of at least five other DFA farmers who are also having to dump milk, but there are others. These are just the five that I talk to,” Johnson said on April 2. “ I know they’re dumping milk in Florida. It’s happening all over the country right now. I understand it’s a business decision that unfortunately has to be made. At end of day I trust the people marketing my milk are making the best decisions they can.” But that didn’t make dumping his milk less painful. As of April 3, the Johnson Family had dumped four tanks of milk. “It’s hard to watch. You work so hard 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to produce something that’s healthy. Then, at the end of the day you have to watch it go down the drain,” Johnson said. “I haven’t had to watch it go down the drain one time but four times this week. I’ve had to explain to my employees that they’ve done nothing wrong. We’re doing it because there’s no market for this milk.” As of April 6, both the GMP and The Dairy Alliance, another farmer-funded organization that promotes dairy products to consumers across the Southeast region, said only South Georgia producers had been asked to dump milk. “We didn’t start seeing requests for Georgia farmers to start disposing of milk until the week of March 28-April 3. It’s my understanding that farms in the Midwest were asked to earlier,” said -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 6 of 20 Continued from previous page Rebecca Egsieker, The Dairy Alliance director of communications & farmer relations. “So far in Georgia, it really has been concentrated in South Georgia and among DFA producers. I don’t know of any producers in North Georgia or East Georgia who have been asked to.” As of April 7, Georgia dairy farmers producing for the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative (MVA) had not been asked to dump milk, MVA Member Services Manager Jim Howie said, but he couldn’t promise they wouldn’t have to at some point. “As of right now, we have not had to dump any milk, but I can’t say for certain that we won’t have to dump milk at some time,” Howie said. “This market always changes very rapidly and now it seems to be changing at a lightning pace.” About 25 Georgia dairies located in the Eatonton/Greensboro area and near Millen produce for MVA, Howie said. A source with knowledge of Georgia’s dairy industry, who asked to remain anonymous, said the 15 to 20 Georgia dairy farmers producing for Southeast Milk Inc., have been asked to cut their milk production and are only being paid for 82% of a dairy’s produced milk. The estimated 10 Georgia farms selling to Borden’s have been notified they may be asked to dump their milk. Why is milk being dumped? Johnson explained that before COVID-19 knocked the U.S. dairy supply chain out of balance, Southeast dairies were entering the time of year when cows naturally produce more milk due to favorable spring weather. “The first of March to mid-May is a period of time for Southeast dairies called ‘Spring Flush.’ During this time, dairy cows naturally produce more milk. The weather is good. Grass is growing fast,” Johnson said. “Moderate weather conditions make the cows more comfortable. The sun is shining. Cows are producing more milk across the entire Southeast region.” During the Spring Flush period excess milk from Georgia goes to ‘balancing’ plants that only operate seasonally three to four months a year, Johnson said. These plants soak up the extra milk produced in the spring. Bebermeyer said DFA usually relies on two balancing plants to absorb Georgia’s Spring Flush milk. A plant in Union Town, Alabama, makes cheese for processed cheese products. A plant in Baconton, Ga., uses a reverse osmosis process to take water out of milk to make condensed products used by restaurants and other food service customers, which have seen a decline in business due to the COVID-19 response. As of April 7, both the Alabama and Georgia balancing plants were completely idle, Bebermeyer said, however, balancing plants in Kentucky and Texas that DFA sends excess milk to are running at full capacity. “Our balancing operations have been severely limited,” Bebermeyer said. “Their customers have called them and said, ‘Don’t ship [products].’ So, we can’t send excess milk to them. Because of COVID-19 shutting down restaurants, the demand for cheese has fallen way off. Plants don’t have anywhere to ship their dairy products to, so demand [for milk] has fallen way off and this has milk going on the ground.” COVID-19 has also impacted how consumers shopped. -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 7 of 20 Continued from previous page “When COVID awareness ramped up the week of March 7, households that might buy one gallon of milk a month bought three to five gallons to stock up initially, but their drinking habits haven’t changed a lot,” Johnson said. “People overpurchased.” For the next two weeks in March, Southeast milk plants processed more milk than usual as grocery stores scrambled to refill shelves, Johnson said. Expectations were that milk orders would be back-to-normal the week of March 28-April 3. Instead, milk processors reduced their order for fluid milk as restaurants had fewer customers and demand for milk products decreased due to shelter-in-place orders. “At the beginning of COVID-19 awareness in early March, we had a huge surge in demand in retail stores with everybody going out to buy all they could. Then, on the heels of that, we had this huge contraction,” Bebermeyer said. “We’re hoping we find some level of normalcy but it seems like every day the market is changing as Covid-19 unfolds.” One-third of the milk produced in the U.S. goes into the food service sector, such as restaurants and schools, while the other two-thirds of the U.S. milk supply goes into retail for a variety of dairy products including milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, Egsieker said. Restaurant business has been cut by 60% during COVID response she added. Bebermeyer thinks the milk supply has a chance to level out faster in the Southeast because most of the milk produced in the region is sold as fluid milk. “Other [dairy market] regions around the country rely on cheese sales. They’ll need more recovery in the food service sector. They’ll need to see restaurants come back,” Bebermeyer said. “I’m hopeful that traffic through the retail stores rebounds quickly.” Bebermeyer encourages consumers to help dairy farmers out by eating more cheese. “If you can put a little more cheese on your pizza or on your taco, please do,” Bebermeyer said. “It may not sound like much, but it moves a lot of milk off the market.” As of April 6, the Kroger and Publix fluid milk processing plants in the Atlanta area and the Ingles fluid plant near Ashville, N.C., were running at full capacity, Egsieker said. Cost of lost milk will be shared The only consolation for dairy farmers being asked to dump their milk is that the financial loss will be pooled nationwide among all farmers and across individual co-ops. “This is a problem affecting farmers across the country. The federal milk marketing order is allowing our financial loss to be pooled nationwide so the loss doesn’t fall on one farmer. This means at the end of the month when the federal order settles up how milk is paid, the cost of dumped milk will be shared by dairy producers nationwide regardless of the co-op a farmer ships to. Co-ops are also sharing the loss across their members,” Johnson explained. How were farms selected to dump milk? Bebermeyer said DFA asked its farmers to dump their milk based on economic and disposal factors. Farmers selected to dump their milk are located farther away from a processing plant and so have higher hauling costs. Trucking milk off of farms to be disposed of at a processing plant would have added extra expenses to dairy farmers already losing money. So, DFA also needed farms with the lagoon -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 7 of 20 Continued from previous page capacity to hold the milk. Lagoons are sealed ponds dairies use to hold manure diluted in water until it can be used as liquid fertilizer on crops. Dairy lagoons must meet state and federal environmental regulations. “The co-op is trying to do this in a way that saves us the most money and is environmentally responsible,” Johnson explained. What’s being done to rebalance the supply chain? Dairy co-ops and numerous organizations that represent dairy farmers including the National Milk Producers Federation, Georgia Milk Producers, The Dairy Alliance and Farm Bureau are working to help correct supply chain issues causing farmers to dump milk. One of the things co-ops and dairy groups have been doing is trying to get stores to take down signs limiting the number of dairy products customers can buy. The Dairy Alliance has spoken with corporate leaders representing the major grocery chains in Georgia including Kroger, Publix and Ingles about the operation of their milk processing plants and the fluid supply being sold in their stores, Egsieker said. “Corporate leaders for Ingles, Kroger and Publix have told us they do not have a corporate policy limiting the number of gallons of milk customers can buy,” Egsieker said. “We’ve already heard from several retailers that we called on April 7 that they have removed the signs and many have received letters from headquarters to take down the signs.” If customers see signs in their grocery stores limiting the amount of milk or dairy products they can buy, Egsieker suggests they politely ask the store manager why milk purchases are being limited when farmers are having to dispose of milk. She said some stores, such as Target, do have a corporate policy to limit customer purchases of dairy products. “I’ve been in direct conversations with leadership of major chains, independents and industry associations. We have their assurances that there are no company-wide policies limiting purchases,” Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black said via email. “Some stores did experience initial shortages due to high demand. Now that the surge has evened out, there is no shortage of milk but a temporary dislocation of supply. They are working on further alignment of supplies to meet the new supply dynamic.” On April 3, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging the USDA to consider multiple options to support U.S. dairy farms, which Georgia Farm Bureau supports. Action Farm Bureau asked Perdue to take includes making special direct payments to dairy farmers and activating a milk loss program similar to the 2019 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity and Milk Loss (WHIP-ML) Program to indemnify eligible dairy operations for milk dumped or removed due to COVID-19 without compensation from the commercial milk market. Farm Bureau also requested USDA immediately buy dairy products to offset the decline in demand from the food service and school meal sectors and create a voucher program to distribute donated milk to food insecure citizens through retail stores since some food banks cannot distribute perishable products. -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 9 of 20 Continued from previous page A perfect storm “It’s a cliché to say this, but the dairy industry has been hit by the perfect storm,” Newberry said. Before COVID-19 struck the U.S., the virus had caused U.S. dairy exports to other countries to slow down Newberry said. Then, COVID-19 slowed down the U.S. domestic dairy market. Prices farmers were getting for their milk had also dropped significantly from January to early March, Putnam County dairy producer Tim Camp said. “The price for Class Three milk (used for cheese) and Class Four milk (used to make powdered milk) has plummeted about 30%, and these two classes are used to determine the price of fluid milk, Class One,” Camp said. The upheaval in the dairy market comes after a long spell of poor prices. “We were gearing up for a really good year price wise before COVID hit, so some producers were milking more cows,” Newberry said. “After six years of low prices, I’m concerned about the emotional toll this is going to take on our dairy farmers. Not only are they worried about trying to keep their families and farm workers healthy, but now they’re also having to deal with low prices again.” Johnson, who will have been dairy farming for 21 years in May, is holding onto the big picture. “I don’t think we’ll lose the farm, but if we do, it won’t be the end of the world. As long as my family and my employees are healthy, we’ll be ok.” CERTIFIED FARM MARKETS ADAPT TO SERVE CUSTOMERS DURING COVID-19 As COVID-19 requires Georgians to practice social distancing and obey shelter-in-place orders, Georgia Farm Bureau Certified Farm Market owners continue to serve their communities. How the 78 farms enrolled in GFB’s CFM program are operating varies, but many are offering online or phone order options with curbside pick-up. Some are scheduling appointments for customers to shop and pick fruit. After touching base with representatives of four CFMs, it’s clear market owners are prioritizing the safety of their customers and employees as they remain committed to getting the fresh food they’re growing to the public. GFB CFM Coordinator Kelly Thompson encourages the public to consider shopping with a CFM in your area. “During this time, let us challenge ourselves to intentionally support our local farms as they continue to work each day to provide a safe food supply for us,” Thompson said. To find a CFM near you visit www.gfb.ag/cfm. Contact information for all farms in the program is provided so you can reach out to learn a farm’s current operating procedures and hours. Asking for patience “We’re trying to do our best to mitigate the risk while making sure we can keep our staff and -continued on next page GFB Field Notes 10 of 20 Continued from previous page
guests who visit us safe,” said Jake Carter, of Southern Belle Farms in Henry County. Pick-your-own strawberries usually account for 80% of sales at Southern Belle during the farm’s peak strawberry season from April to early June. The farm just started selling strawberries on April 6 and was about 10-12 days from going into the peak period. Southern Belle will sell strawberries via curbside pickup and is limiting the number of customers allowed in their store through at least April 13 Carter said, while Georgia’s shelter-in-place order is in effect. He said the farm is evaluating the possibility of offering customers scheduled pickyour-own appointments with social distancing measures. “We’re asking customers to be patient with us. Not just us, but any of the local farm markets they may visit. We’re all having to do things very differently and there will be a learning curve for us and our staff as we try new things,” Carter said. With field trips for more than 15,000 students canceled due to the COVID-19 response, Southern Belle found itself with a surplus of strawberries above what it normally sells to customers through its farm store. One of the farm’s neighbors is a partial owner of Pretoria Fields, a craft brewery based in Albany, an epicenter of the virus. Pretoria Fields is using its brewery to make hand sanitizer to help out. Carter’s neighbor wanted to do something specifically for his community, so, he bought about 11,000 gallons of strawberries from the Carters at cost-of-production price and will distribute them to health care workers in Henry County and surrounding areas. “I won’t make money, but I won’t lose money on the strawberries that would have normally been picked during field trips and the crop won’t rot in the field,” Carter said. Relying on local business to make up for lost field trips At Southern Grace Farms in Berrien County, the McMillan Family’s opinion of the virus changed in a matter of days before the weekend of March 21-22 along with how it is operating its farm market and you-pick fruit patches (strawberries, blueberries and blackberries). “There were positive cases of COVID-19 in the surrounding counties, but none in our own county at the time. Since U-Pick draws people from all over, we just didn't want to chance introducing the virus to our community. If you let people onto your farm but say you can't go on the playground and you can't use the picnic tables, you’re always going to have someone who doesn’t follow the rules,” said Jennifer McMillan, who handles food safety and agritourism for the farm. “We felt the safest way to protect our customers and community was to just shut everything down to the public.” The McMillans opted to close their you-pick strawberry operation for the season and are selling their strawberries and novelty gift items curbside relying on online and phone orders from their website and Facebook page to attract customers. In a few weeks, blueberries will start ripening and after that blackberries. McMillan said the farm’s market is experiencing less business. “With the main attractions – our playground and u-pick patch - being closed, it's mainly local business,” McMillan said. You-pick sales normally account for 75% of their strawberry sales she said. The farm has also lost revenue from school field trips it had booked for every weekday from -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 11 of 20 Continued from previous page March when schools shut down through the first two weeks in May. Fortunately, the farm doesn’t require the schools to pre-pay for the field trips, so while they have lost that income, the McMillans don’t have to issue refunds for the field trips. They have, however, had to refund families for canceled birthday parties. This week, Southern Grace Farms is doing a brisk business as people prepare for Easter. “Right now, people are buying items for Easter baskets, which has been great because we loaded up on candy and toys for field trips, so it gives us an outlet to sell some of that inventory,” McMillan said. “Shirts are always our most popular item, and handbags are pretty popular as well.” Country store goes high-tech Pittman Family Farms & Country Market in Toombs County, which specializes in a variety of farm-fresh produce, classic craft sodas and gift items, has been quick to adapt its operating procedures as COVID-19 recommendations have changed in recent weeks. “After cases of COVID-19 started to increase in the U.S. and as we saw supplies vanish from the grocery stores, we knew that in order to stay open we would have to adjust and adjust quickly,” said Jonathan Pittman, manager of his family’s farm market. “I had already been working on our new website that would allow our customers from around the U.S.A. to quickly and easily order some of their favorite nonproduce items. When I saw the COVID-19 scare coming to our area, I began working overtime at night to get as many items and our produce items on the site.” Pittman said at first the site couldn’t handle the traffic it was getting. He quickly converted the site to a larger, more user-friendly site that could handle the traffic and keep up-to-date inventory reports. Before the Pittmans went completely to online/phone orders with curbside pickup on March 21, they limited the number of people in their store to six at a time by having customers make shopping appointments online. Shoppers had 20-minute slots to shop. Then, the Pittmans had 15 minutes to sanitize door handles, cooler handles, shopping baskets, etc. before the next appointment time. “This worked for a few days,” Pittman said. “We switched completely to curbside for multiple reasons. It was easier for our high-risk customers to shop, it made everyone more comfortable shopping that way, and we were able to offer more items that we normally don’t, like sugar, flour, salt, eggs, and popular dairy items by taking online orders. We are seeing more business and are getting new customers daily.” CFM offers meat when grocery stores can’t A lack of meat in grocery store coolers has sent more customers to Thompson Farms: All Natural Pork in Brooks County at a time when business is usually slow, Abby Thompson, the farm’s marketing manager, said. “We are very thankful for the added business and the ability to work. Fresh, frozen items such as pork chops, link sausage, patty sausage and pork burgers have been moving quickly,” Thompson said. “But our smoked items aren’t far behind. We’re smoking a lot of hams right now because of Easter.” Thompson said her family’s farm started offering curbside pickup March 19 for orders placed via the farm’s website or by phone after she noticed restaurants and stores in Thomasville and -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 12 of 20 Continued from previous page Valdosta offering this option. “We want to keep both our employees and our customers safe. We realized that COVID-19 was a real threat, so we wanted to follow all necessary precautions,” Thompson said. “It also allows customers the added comfort of knowing they aren’t exposing themselves to all the people and germs associated with a grocery store chain.” As of April 7, the Thompsons’ main wholesale customer, Whole Foods Market had also increased its usual order per week. The Thompsons are giving back through their Plentiful Pig food donation program, which mainly serves Brooks, Thomas, Lowndes and Colquitt counties but has also helped organizations in Florida and North Georgia. Since COVID-19 began causing food insecurities in the U.S. the Thompsons have donated nearly 2,000 pounds of pasture raised pork. --At press time on April 8, GFB was aware that the following GFB CFM farms were offering some type of curbside pick-up. Other GFB CFMs may also be offering curbside pickup or following social distancing procedures. PLEASE visit www.gfb.ag/cfm to access a list of all 78 participating farms and contact the farm you’re interested in visiting to learn how they are serving their customers. Many of the CFMS farms are equipped to ship items. North Georgia •Jaemor Farms •Jaemor Farms Banks Co. •Jensen Reserve •Mercier Orchards •Mountain Valley Farm Store •Nu Sunrise Farms •R & A Orchards •Rockin’ S •Southern Belle Farm Middle Georgia •Dickey Farms •Greenacres •Greenway Farms Market •The Shed at Fitzgerald Fruit Farms South Georgia •Calhoun Produce •Ganas Pecan Co. (more than pecans) •Pittman’s Country Market •Raisin Cane & Kim’s Kitchen (same farm but 2 locations like Jaemor) •Southern Grace Farms •Thompson Farms -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 13 of 20 Continued from previous page Relying on Faith Each of the market owners we spoke with shared how their faith is sustaining them and their families as they make their way through this uncertain time COVID-19 has brought. We’re sharing them with you in hopes that they offer hope to another farm operator or customer who need it. “Our main worry right now is how the pandemic will affect our commercial blackberry crop. The fresh fruit market is uncertain. All we can do is pray about it and leave it up to God. We've seen bad times before and always came through them. We just have to trust that He will bring us through again.” Jennifer McMillan Southern Grace Farms Berrien County “It is definitely a different time, but like our customers all tell us, ‘Just keep going and keep faith in the LORD because he will guide us safely through any obstacle.” Jonathan Pittman Pittman Farms & Country Market Toombs County “We are all healthy and we still have a job to do, which makes us feel so incredibly blessed.” Abby Thompson Thompson Farms: All Natural Pork “My sister is a nurse. The look on her face Sunday – she’s one of the strongest people I know both physically & mentally, but the look I saw on her face Sunday knowing she was going back to work on the frontlines of this. We’ve got to be praying for our health care workers.” Jake Carter Southern Belle Farms Henry County
GFB Field Notes 14 of 20 415 SANDERSON EMPLOYEES IN MOULTRIE ASKED TO SELF-QUARANTINE Sanderson Farms has asked 415 employees in its processing plant in Moultrie to self-quarantine for 14 days as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19 in the plant. Sanderson Chairman and CEO Joe Sanderson announced the move during an April 2 conference call, during which he and other company officials addressed the Mississippi-based poultry company’s response to the pandemic and resulting market conditions. The employees asked to self-quarantine are residents of Dougherty County, which through April 7 had the second-most confirmed cases in Georgia and the most deaths from COVID-19. Those employees would continue being paid, Sanderson said. “We have no indication these employees aren’t healthy, but have done this as a precaution, and on the advice and counsel of the local health department officials,” Sanderson said on April 2. The Moultrie plant, which has approximately 1,500 employees total, including those who were sent home. Sanderson said the plant would hire approximately 200 people during the time the employees who are Dougherty residents are out. Through the end of April, the plant expects to process 1 million birds per week, down from a normal production of 1.3 million birds weekly. Aside from the step taken to address the Dougherty County situation, Sanderson had 15 employees companywide with confirmed COVID-19 cases at the time of the April 2 conference call, with 36 others awaiting test results. Another 204 employees at that time were under quarantine because they had exhibited symptoms consistent with COVID-19. DOUBLE-DIGIT GAINS FORECAST FOR CORN, PEANUT ACREAGE Georgia growers of corn and peanuts are expected to increase acreage by more than 10%, according to the 2020 Prospective Plantings Report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), released on March 31. Georgia acres planted in corn are expected to grow from 395,000 acres in 2019 to 440,000 acres in 2020, an increase of 11.4% Georgia growers are expected to plant 740,000 acres of peanuts in 2020, an increase of 10.4% over 2019, when they planted 670,000 acres. This would be the most acres devoted to peanuts in Georgia since 2017, when peanut producers planted more than 800,000 acres. NASS forecast cotton to be planted on 1.3 million acres in 2020, a 7% decrease from 2019, when Georgia farmers planted 1.4 million acres. Hay producers are expected to plant 590,000 acres in Georgia in 2020, which would be an increase of 30,000 acres, or 5.4%, over 2019, when they planted 560,000 acres. Georgia soybean acreage is forecast at 90,000 acres, which would represent a 10% drop from 2019, when Georgia growers planted 100,000 acres of soybeans. NASS forecasts 190,000 acres planted in winter wheat in Georgia in 2020, which would be a 26.7% increase from 2019, when Georgia growers planted 150,000 acres. Georgia farmers are predicted to plant 70,000 acres of oats and 9,000 acres of tobacco in 2020. Both would be the same acreage planted in 2019.
GFB Field Notes 15 of 20 FARM RECOVERY GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 30 Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black announced April 3 that the Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant application deadline is extended to April 30 due to COVID-19. “We recognize that normal business operations across the state have been disrupted or altered over the past few weeks,” said Commissioner Black. “We want every eligible producer to have an opportunity to complete their application with full confidence, while continuing the critical work of providing food and fiber during these unsettling times.” The Georgia Department of Agriculture is accepting online applications for disbursing $347 million in Georgia Farm Recovery Block Grant funds for eligible losses due to Hurricane Michael. The grant program is for farmers and forest landowners with operations in 95 eligible Georgia counties, who suffered losses to beef, dairy, fruit and vegetable, pecan, poultry, timber, and eligible uninsured irrigation equipment or farm structures as a result of Hurricane Michael. The 95 eligible counties received a USDA disaster designation for the storm. The 95 eligible counties received a USDA disaster designation for the storm. The federal block grants seek to help recover losses not covered under existing USDA Farm Service Agency programs. This means not all losses a producer experienced due to Hurricane Michael will be eligible. Eligible losses under this grant are: Beef - Future income losses related to decreased conception rates and mature cow deaths, decreased production due to post-storm effects, and expenses due to increased disease occurrence. Dairy - Future income losses related to decreased conception rates and mature cow deaths. Fruits & Vegetables - Expenses related to damaged and destroyed production inputs of plasticulture & bareground production. Pecans - Future income loss from lost trees. Poultry - Damage and destruction of poultry houses (breeder, broiler, and pullet) and lost income due to interruption of business. Timber - Damaged and destroyed timberland. Uninsured Infrastructure - Expenses and losses related to general infrastructure and irrigation used in production of an agricultural commodity. This applies to any agricultural commodity that was in the structure or under the irrigation system at the time of the storm and suffered a loss to the commodity. Before you begin the application, we encourage you to view the application worksheet. This document will provide you with a summary of what information you will need to provide. You can view the worksheet by clicking here. Additionally, you will be required to provide specific documents, all of which are detailed on the application worksheet and are available on the Farm Recovery website. You may also access them below: FRBG-01: Third Party Certification of Timber Damage FRBG-02: Veterinarian Certification of Damage FRBG-03: Entity Organization Only online applications will be accepted. While mobile phones may be used to sign up and log in, applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the application using a computer to ensure proper upload and attachment of required documents. All applications must be completed and submitted by April 30. -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes 16 of 20 Continued from previous page For more information about the Farm Recovery Block Grant, please contact GDA at farmrecovery@agr.georgia.gov. To help growers prepare for the grant application, the GDA has published a guide offering tips on how to apply and a map indicating eligible counties. Access the guide at www.farmrecovery.com. Georgia agriculture suffered a $2.5 billion loss from Hurricane Michael. Under the $3 billion Disaster Relief Act of 2019, USDA earmarked $800 million in block grant funds to aid states impacted by disasters. USDA allocated $347 million for Georgia. MAY 1 CROP INSURANCE DEADLINE FOR GA PECAN GROWERS, NURSERIES Georgia nursery producers have until May 1 to apply for crop insurance coverage or make changes to existing coverage for the 2021 crop year. Georgia pecan tree growers have until May 15 to apply for crop insurance coverage or make changes to existing coverage for the 2021 crop year. Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net. It helps producers and owners manage revenue risks and strengthens the rural economy. All applications for nursery growers, including those for new or amended coverage, are subject to a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins. Coverage begins 30 days after receipt of a signed application, Plant Inventory Value Report for each insured practice, and two copies of the grower’s most recent wholesale catalog or price list. Coverage is available for pecan tree growers in select Georgia counties. Please contact your insurance agent to see if your county is covered. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is authorizing additional flexibilities due to coronavirus while continuing to support producers, working through Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) to deliver services, including processing policies, claims and agreements. These flexibilities include enabling producers to send notifications and reports electronically, extending the date for production reports and providing additional time and deferring interest on premium and other payments. RMA staff are working with AIPs and other customers by phone, mail and electronically to continue supporting crop insurance coverage for producers. Farmers with crop insurance questions or needs should continue to contact their insurance agents about conducting business remotely (by telephone or email). More information can be found at www.farmers.gov/coronavirus. Growers are encouraged to visit 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.
GFB Field Notes 17 of 20 EMMANUEL COLLEGE TO OFFER AG EDUCATION DEGREE Emmanuel College is excited to announce the addition of an agricultural education program to its school of education beginning this fall! This hands-on degree program will prepare students for careers in teaching agriculture to students in grades K-12. Education is a fast-paced and exciting career for those interested in making a difference in learners. Due to the variety of subjects and skills these educators need, a different approach is needed when preparing for the occupation. Students in this program will be required to complete an internship in the agriculture industry, complete active research, and more than the traditional number of pre-service hours in agricultural education classrooms across the region. “The agricultural education degree is being offered by Emmanuel College to bring a new option to those seeking an opportunity to instruct others about agriculture,” said Owen Thomason, Emmanuel College Agriculture Program Department chair. “The unique approach used by Emmanuel for this degree will prepare students to enter the education field with a more technical skillset and a variety of learned experiences that few higher education settings can offer. Instructors with over 75 years of successful program management in Agricultural Education are waiting for eager students to enroll and learn how to become teachers, FFA advisors, and community leaders.” Agricultural education desperately needs more prepared teachers for job openings across the nation. Critical shortages in every state have forced many schools to either shut down programs or use unprepared educators from other fields of service. According to the National Association of Agricultural Educators, in 2018 over 140 new programs in agricultural education were opened and 247 new teaching positions were available. Since 2015, Georgia has averaged 50 job openings each year in agricultural education. Georgia colleges with ag ed programs have averaged less than 25 graduates each year since 2015. The agricultural education career path is at a critical stage nationwide with a 20% shortage of graduates across all 50 states. An Agricultural Education instructor is very different from any other educational professional. Every day is different with opportunities to teach, demonstrate, prepare students for leadership, competition with FFA activities, home visits, community service activities and connecting with young people on a personal level. Agricultural education is a way of life that offers a person more than just an income, it gives an individual a purpose in life. For more information about this new program, contact Thomason at othomason@ec.edu or visit www.ec.edu/ag.
GFB Field Notes 18 of 20 VIDALIA ONIONS SET TO SHIP APRIL 16 For Vidalia onion fans, spring doesn't officially start until the iconic vegetable ships to stores around the country. This year, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Vidalia Onion Committee have set April 16 as the official 2020 pack date for America's favorite sweet onion. Hand-cultivated by 60 registered growers in 20 Southeast Georgia counties, the date the unique onion ships is an annual rite of spring because it is only available for a short period of time each year. The pack date is determined by soil and weather conditions during the growing season that helps ensure only the highest quality Vidalia onions, known for their sweet, mild flavor, are shipped to stores. The Vidalia Onion Committee voted unanimously for the April 16 date. “We are going to have a strong harvest this year,” said Aries Haygood, the newly elected chairman of the Vidalia Onion Committee. He noted that 9,400 acres of Vidalia onions were planted for the season. The Vidalia Onion Committee is continuing its “Sweet Life” marketing campaign launched last year to reach home cooks across the country who enjoy cooking and entertaining. “The campaign has enabled us to elevate our brand with broad groups of consumers who value good taste and living well,” Haygood said. Vidalia onions represent about 40% of the U.S. sweet onion market and are sold in every state. The Vidalia trademark is owned by the state of Georgia because of the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986. To be considered a Vidalia onion, the vegetable must be cultivated in 20 South Georgia counties from a distinctive Granex seed. More information about Vidalia onions can be found at www.vidaliaonion.org, and updates on this season's news will be shared on Vidalia Onion Committee's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube accounts.
GFB Field Notes page 19 of 20 OUTREACH WELLNESS LEARNING WEBINARS April 9 Building Resilience in Youth noon – 1 p.m. online April 14 Mental Health Crisis noon – 1 p.m. online April 21 Mental Health 101 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. online April 23 Building Resilience in Youth 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. online May 6 Mental Health Crisis noon – 1 p.m. online During this time of uncertainty, Mental Health America (MHA) of Georgia is committed to maintaining social connectedness and educating our communities on managing stress levels, anxiety and reducing isolation. MHA will be offering these select mental health awareness webinars at no cost to participants. To register for these webinars or to access additional MHA resources, visit the organization’s COVID-19 page at www.mhageorgia.org/covid19/. CARROLL COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS OFFERING SCHOLARSHIP April 15 deadline to apply The Carroll County Master Gardeners Association is accepting applications for a $1,000 scholarship for students from Carroll, Haralson and Heard counties who are studying agriculture, consumer science, landscaping, plant science, environmental science, natural resources, horticulture, forestry or a related field. Students already attending college or a graduating high school senior planning to major in one of the related fields of study are encouraged to apply. An essay is required along with three references and an official transcript. For more information, call 770.836.8546 or email khlittleton@yahoo.com. 10th ANNUAL GEORGIA DAIRY YOUTH FOUNDATION GOLF TOURNAMENT Originally scheduled for March 27 at the Lane Creek Golf Club in Bishop, the Georgia Dairy Youth Foundation Golf Tournament has been rescheduled to May 8 due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the need to minimize further exposure, The tournament will still be located at the Lane Creek Golf Club in Bishop, with tee time starting at noon. Lunch will be served at 11 a.m. Registration deadline is May 1. Visit https://gfb.ag/20GDYFgolf for more information or to register. All proceeds benefit the Georgia 4-H & FFA dairy programs. GEORGIA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION CONVENTION AND BEEF EXPO Originally scheduled for April 2-4, has been rescheduled for May 28-30 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. Convention registration has been transferred to the correct dates. Hotel rooms booked by GCA staff have been moved to the correct dates. Individuals who booked their lodging will need to make sure it is moved to the correct dates.
GFB Field Notes page 20 of 20 GEORGIA FARM BUREAU YF&R CONFERENCE, CONTEST ENTRIES June 1 Deadline to register/enter Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) is now accepting registration for the 2020 GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Summer Leadership Conference, entries to the 2020 GFB YF&R competitive events and the YF&R Photo Contest. The Summer Leadership Conference, using the theme “Building Our Future,” will take place July 15-18 on Jekyll Island. Registration is $100 per member and the deadline to register is June 1. Registration fees will be waived for college students. To register for the conference, visit www.gfb.ag/20yfrslc. The deadline to enter the competitive events is also June 1. The GFB YF&R program, which is for agriculturalists between the ages of 18 and 35, offers competition for the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award, the Excellence in Agriculture Award, the YF&R Discussion Meet and YF&R Member of the Year. Details on all four events, including entry applications can be viewed at www.gfb.ag/20YFRawards. The GFB YF&R Committee is again sponsoring the annual ‘Picture Agriculture’ photo contest. The contest rules, minor release form, and submission information can be found at www.gfb.ag/yfrphoto. Any GFB member can enter, and cash prizes will be awarded. The top 12 photos will be on display during the Summer Leadership Conference, where attendees will vote to determine the winners. The top 12 will also be featured in the 2021 YF&R Calendar, with the statewide winner as the cover photo. The deadline to submit photos is June 1.For more information, contact Erin Nessmith at ennessmith@gfb.org. 2020 GEORGIA FORAGE AND GRASSLAND COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING Originally scheduled for March 17 at the Iron Horse Plant Sciences Farm in Watkinsville, the meeting is postponed and will be held in conjunction with the GFGC Tour in June. GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE Originally scheduled for March 24-25, The Georgia Pecan Growers Association annual conference is postponed to Sept. 10-11. The conference will remain in Tifton for the fall event and will essentially combine with GPGA’s annual fall field day. The GPGA uses the conference as its primary fundraiser to offset operating costs throughout the year. Registration will remain open online until the event occurs in September. All planned events will proceed at the fall event, including the golf tournament, orchard tour, welcome reception, and annual awards luncheon.