Georgia Farm Bureau's April 22 Field Notes

April 22, 2020

www.gfb.org

Vol. 2 No. 8

USDA ANNOUNCES CORONAVIRUS FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM On April 17, the USDA announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This new program will take several actions to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. The $19 billion relief program will provide critical support to our farmers and ranchers, maintain the integrity of the U.S. food supply chain and ensure every American continues to receive and have access to the food they need.

“The American food supply chain had to adapt, and it remains safe, secure, and strong, and we all know that starts with America’s farmers and ranchers,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. “This program will not only provide immediate relief for our farmers and ranchers, but it will also allow for the purchase and distribution of our agricultural abundance to help our fellow Americans in need.”

CFAP will use the funding and authorities provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), and other USDA existing authorities. The program includes two major elements to achieve these goals: • Direct Support to Farmers and Ranchers: The program will provide $16 billion in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers where prices and market supply chains have been impacted and will assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19.

• USDA Purchase and Distribution: USDA will partner with regional and local distributors, whose workforce has been significantly impacted by the closure of many restaurants, hotels, and other food service entities, to purchase $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy, and meat. We will begin with the procurement of an estimated $100 million per month in fresh fruits and vegetables, $100 million per month in a variety of dairy products, and $100 million per month in meat products.

The distributors and wholesalers will then provide a pre-approved box of fresh produce, dairy, and meat products to food banks, community and faith based organizations, and other non-profits serving Americans in need.

On top of these targeted programs USDA will utilize other available funding sources to purchase and distribute food to those in need.

USDA has up to an additional $873.3 million available in Section 32 funding to purchase a variety of agricultural products for distribution to food banks. The use of these funds will be -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 2 of 16 Continued from previous page determined by industry requests, USDA agricultural market analysis, and food bank needs.

The FFCRA and CARES Act provides at least $850 million for food bank administrative costs and USDA food purchases, of which a minimum of $600 million will be designated for food purchases. The use of these funds will be determined by food bank need and product availability.

In related news, on April 15 American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall was appointed to the Great American Economic Revival Industry Group for Agriculture, one of 17 industry groups appointed by President Donald Trump. The bipartisan groups will work with the White House “to chart the path forward toward a future of unparalleled American prosperity,” according to a White House press release.

EASTER STORMS STRIKE GEORGIA AGRICULTURE To view photos of the Easter storm damage, visit www.gfb.ag/Easter20tornadodamage.

Easter 2020 will go down in Georgia history.

COVID-19 necessitated that Georgians observe the sacred holiday sheltering in place at their homes, forgoing sunrise services, Easter cantatas, extended family gatherings and Easter egg hunts. The rainy day matched the mood of the times, a forewarning of the menacing storm system moving towards our state.

According to National Weather System (NWS) reports, almost 30 tornadoes touched down in Georgia from 8:15 p.m., April 12 through 8:11 a.m. April 13, striking terror in the hearts of many rural Georgians across the state. Most Georgians fortunate to live outside a tornado’s path still felt the fury of severe thunderstorms and flatline winds in some areas.

As of April 22, the National Weather Service has confirmed tornadoes touched down in the following counties (listed in chronological order according to the time the tornado first struck) Chattooga/Walker; Murray, Dade, Catoosa, Floyd #s 1&2, Bartow, Cherokee, Harris, Talbot, Upson/Lamar, Fulton, Monroe, Hall/Habersham/Banks/Stephens, Bibb, Putnam, Greene, Washington #s1-3, Washington/Jefferson, Worth/Tift, Screven, Irwin, Coffee, Wayne, Long and Liberty/Bryan counties.

As they took stock of their losses and cleaned debris, multiple farmers across Georgia were gracious enough to speak with Georgia Farm Bureau reporters John Holcomb, Jay Stone and Jennifer Whittaker. Keep them and the many other farmers and Georgia residents the following stories represent in your prayers.

Northwest Ga. farmers vow to carry on An EF-2 tornado touched down in Murray County in Northwest Georgia at 9:45 p.m. about 4 miles northwest of Chatsworth and traveled 7.8 miles in 10 minutes with peak winds of 135 mph before ending about 3.6 miles southwest of Cisco. The Pritchett and Lents farms were in the tornado’s path.

Wyle Pritchett found the chicken houses at one of his farms to be okay when he checked on them in response to the first alarm notice the computer system that monitors his chicken houses sent him. Things didn’t stay that way.

“We came to check our alarm and of course everything was fine. We reset our alarms and started back towards the other farm and received another alarm,” Pritchett said. “When we got the second -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 3 of 16 Continued from previous page alarm, we were just about two miles up the road. We turned and came back.”

The Pritchetts arrived about the same time a tornado hit their chicken houses, ripping the houses apart. It flipped the truck they were in over. They eventually got out and found cover.

“We’re going to be fine, whatever ends up happening. It’s kind of uncertain at this point,” Pritchett said. “We still have four other houses. We’d like to rebuild and be back to the point where we were at, but we’ll just kind of have to wait and see what happens, I guess and see what we can do.”

The Murray County tornado also hit Lents Farms’ cattle operation, destroying fencing, snapping trees like toothpicks and even killing some cattle.

“We’re probably going to put up another six thousand feet of fence just to get it back to where it was. Obviously, all of the trees we lost, there’s not a lot of shade left on this side of the property for cattle especially with it fenced off with temporary,” Mark Lents, farm manager, said. “So far, I think we’ve found about eight dead cows. It’s so mangled it’s hard to get in there and find everything, and I think right now [April 17] we probably have ten or twelve [cows] unaccounted for and really don’t know where they’re at.”

Even in the midst of their farms’ devastation, both Pritchett and Lents expressed their desire to pick up the pieces and press on.

“Every day is a challenge with a farmer. You know, it’s just part of this lifestyle. You just face those challenges and work right through whatever happens,” Pritchett said. “Most of the time you don’t know what your income is going to be. You don’t know what your expenses are going to be.

You just kind of learn to adapt to that, just face it and carry on. That’s what we’ll do now. We’ll just carry on. We don’t know exactly what the future’s going to be, but we know we’re going to be ok.”

For Lents, his blessings outweighed his losses.

“What we lost, the fences, the cattle, and the big mess, all the trees down – it’s bad, but the fences can be put back up; cattle can be replaced, and we’re just very fortunate that nobody was hurt during all of this.

Farm Monitor reporter John Holcomb contributed this information.

Aunt Em’s house lands in Upson County A photo of a one-story white frame house sitting in the middle of Hwy. 74 in Upson County went viral the morning of April 13. The jarring image, which looked like Aunt Em’s house in the “Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy comes to after the storm, was one of hundreds documenting the wreckage an EF-3 tornado, with peak winds of 140 mph, left in its wake.

Unfortunately for Upson County residents, the tornado they lived through was no dream.

“A friend in Taylor County called me and woke me up saying she was watching TV and the weatherman was saying a tornado was about to hit Holloway, Andrews Chapel and Trinity Roads,” recalled Jim Craft. “I got off the phone, grabbed my son, Justin, and got us in the closet. It only lasted about 20 to 30 seconds and it was gone. It was moving so fast.”

Jim estimates the storm came within 100 yards of his house. Fortunately, Jim’s home escaped damage as did that of his other son, Jordan, who lives with his wife, Laura and his two children, -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 4 of 16 Continued from previous page Sophie and Corbin, about 800 feet away from Jim. After the storm, Jim said there were so many trees down that it took him an hour and a half to get to his sister and brother-in-law’s house, Terrie and Eddie Duke, which is normally only a 2minute drive away, due to the many downed trees that had to be cut.

“The frustration to me was I couldn’t get to my sister, Terrie, to see if she was okay. The roads were covered with trees, and I didn’t have cell service,” Jim said.

Jim also checked in on Jim and Betty Wagner, neighbors whose farm he utilizes to pasture cattle.

Before the storm, Wagner’s farm – located on Rock Road off of HWY 74, about two miles from Jim’s house - included a pecan orchard with trees about 100 years old. Jim estimates the tornado left less than 10% of the orchard standing and said the remaining trees would probably need to be pushed down because they are so broken up.

Jim has a commercial cow-calf herd of crossbred cattle spread across three different farms he utilizes. He was grazing about 30 mama cows with about 20 calves ranging from newborns to seven months in the Wagner pecan orchard when the storm struck.

“They’re so scared and terrified,” Jim said of his cows on April 16.

He had a few cattle limping due to injuries after the storm and one cow with an eye injury.

“I can’t take them and sell them because the cattle market is so depressed, and we haven’t had a cattle sale at the sale barn here in two weeks (as of April 16),” Jim said.

Another farm Jim utilizes on Rest Haven Road had about 40 trees blown down. He has met with USDA Farm Service Agency staff to explore the possibility of cost-share cleanup programs.

“Farmers have to pay for the cleanup up front and then turn in receipts to the FSA to get a partial reimbursement. It costs money to get the cleanup done. I’m just trying to think about it and pray about how to get this cleanup done,” Jim said. “Even if the FSA program doesn’t work out, I know it’s all going to work out. I know the good Lord loves me. His promise is that ‘All things work together for good for them that love the Lord,’ Jim said quoting Romans 8:28. “There have been good things come out of this, like members of Faith Baptist Church from LaGrange driving over here to help clear downed trees. They spent all day cleaning up the Wagner’s driveway.”

Not too far away from Jim Craft, farms belonging to Will Bentley, his dad, Danny, and uncle, Tommy Farr, also took a hit. Will estimates the tornado directly hit about 200 acres of his and his dad’s farms including some rental land.

“It touched down at my uncle’s house first and knocked down a bunch of timber and then ripped through my dad’s farm. Once it left my dad’s place it jumped over the hill and ripped right through my land. I probably lost 30 acres of hardwood timber and dad lost trees along his fencing and throughout his barn yard,” Will said. “I’d say we probably have about three to four miles of fences damaged or destroyed from uprooted trees that fell on our fencing. Luckily, we had other parts of our farms not impacted that still have fencing. If we don’t get it [fencing ] fixed quick, we’ll have to feed in confined areas to hold on to them [cows].

The week before the storm struck, the Bentleys cut a 20-acre field of ryegrass for hay.

“We had about thirty 1,200-pound round bales still left in the field and most of them are just gone. We don’t know where they are. There are probably only three bales left in the field,” Will said.

The Bentley’s were towards the end of their calving season when the storm struck.

-continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 5 of 16 Continued from previous page “Our cows have been calving for the last 60 days or so and we still have some left to calve.

We got them all in pasture that have fences,” Will said. “They’re all accounted for, so we’ve turned our focus to other places.”

“When you think about it [storm damage] as a whole, you wonder how you’ll overcome it, but as the days pass, we will. No lives were lost. That’s what’s important. Over the next year or so we’ll get it back to normal as much as we can,” Will said. “We know our neighbors lost way more than we did. We lost stuff that time and money can fix. A lot of our immediate neighbors lost roofs, barns and tractors. Some of our neighbors lost their homes.”

According to the NWS, the tornado that hit Upson and Lamar counties affected 159 structures, including minor damage to 38 homes, major damage to 20, and the destruction of seven.

Storm seasons a young farmer Stephens County Farm Bureau Vice President Clay Black is one of Farm Bureau’s active Young Farmers and Ranchers. Years from now, he’s likely to still be talking about the storm he experienced April 13.

“I woke up to one of those [weather] alerts on my phone. I got up and it was lightning so much it looked like strobe lights were going off outside,” Black said.

Clay & his wife, Annalise, hurriedly drove two/tenths of a mile to ride out the storm with his parents, Dennis & Teresa Black, in their basement.

“The worst of the storm hit about three in the morning and lasted until about 3:30,” Clay said.

The NWS in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, reports that an EF-1 tornado touched down in Stephens County on April 13. It was tracked from Boydville and moved northeast to Eastanollee at 3:06 a.m. The NWS estimates the tornado’s maximum wind speed was 110mph with a maximum path width of 500 yards and a path length of 8.7 miles.

Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities. Damage consisted mostly of trees being uprooted or snapped over the wide area, with some structural damage to homes.

The storm didn’t damage the Black Family’s farm, Clay said, but it did leave their poultry farm without power requiring them to run a generator until about 6:30 p.m. April 13, to keep the feeders and waters and climate control in their chicken houses operating.

The story, however, was much different five miles away from the Blacks’ farm, at a farm they lease from Darwin McCarter off Highway 17. Clay said a Farm Service Agency employee counted more than 300 downed trees at this farm.

“It looks like a bomb went off,” Clay said of the huge pines, oaks, poplars and cedar trees the tornado felled at the McCarter farm. “Mr. McCarter’s farm is set up in four different pastures.

Thankfully, the pasture our cows were in didn’t get hit as hard as other parts of the farm.”

This pasture still had about 20 trees blown down in it, Clay estimated.

The Blacks were pasturing 20 pairs of mama cows with five to six-month old calves two months away from weaning at the McCarter farm. As of April 15, Clay was planning to move the cattle to another farm until he could fix the fencing.

Clay estimates he’ll need to completely redo fencing or repair the majoring of fencing around -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 6 of 16 Continued from previous page 50 to 60 acres of pasture.

“I guess this is just part of it [farming],” Clay said philosophically. “It’s hard looking at all this cleanup knowing that you’ve got this to do now on top of the daily work we’ve got at the chicken houses and with the cows that still has to be done.”

Turbulence hits tobacco country A system of high winds and heavy rain swept across Georgia’s Southeast tobacco fields during the early morning of April 13, according to UGA Extension Agronomist Dr. J. Michael Moore.

He reported that some tobacco was slightly damaged by windblown sand driven by high winds but expected most of the affected tobacco plants to survive.

“While the earliest transplanted tobacco was taken to the field around March 24, most of the tobacco transplanted during the week before Easter was smaller and had just begun to take root,” Moore wrote in his April 13 Georgia Tobacco Hotline newsletter.

Berrien County farmer Lamar Vickers, who farms with his brother, Carlos, and Lamar’s son, Bradley, estimates his family lost about 10% of their tobacco crop to wind sand blasting from the April 13 storm. The Vickers finished planting their crop on April 4.

While they had a few trees blown down during the April 13 storm, their major losses came during thunderstorms on April 9 and April 19.

During the April 9 storm, the Vickers lost 19 mama cows, a bull and nine yearlings to a lightning strike when a huge oak tree the cattle were standing under was struck.

On April 19, lightning struck a grain combine at Vickers Farm, blowing up the combine’s computer and electrical system.

The NWS reported an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 90 mph touched down in Irwin County southwest of Ocilla at 5:59 a.m. with a path length of 3.96 miles. Damage included uprooted and snapped trees and downed power lines.

Winds whip Wayne County Wayne County producer Kristy Arnold lives about six miles from Odum, where the NWS confirms an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 110 mph touched down at 7:25 a.m. on April 13.

Tornado alerts went off on her and her husband, Robert’s, phones twice before hitting their farm around 7 a.m.

“We had enough time to get in the one room of the house with no windows,” Kristy recalled.

“It was just like an Amtrak coming through. It lasted just minutes and then it was over with.”

Storm recovery will take much longer.

The storm tore off large sections of the roofs on three barns - two equipment barns and one livestock barn - within 500 steps of the Arnolds’ house. The storm also blew down 20 to 35 trees across the farm, destroying fences. The Arnolds spent all day April 13 with chainsaws getting trees off fences.

During a phone interview on April 14, Kristy said fixing fences was her biggest concern at the time.

“It’s amazing what a storm can do. No cattle were lost or hurt thank goodness,” Kristy said.

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GFB Field Notes page 7 of 16 Continued from previous page “It’s nothing life threatening. Everybody’s safe. It’s just a lot of material damage.”

About 10 miles away from the Arnolds, the storm also struck Poppell Farms, a Georgia Farm Bureau Certified Farm Market. Tanya Poppell said two of the farm’s barn roofs were damaged along with an irrigation system and trees were downed.

Poppell uses the irrigation system to irrigate her field of Silver King Corn that she sells at her farm market.

As of April 20, Poppell was still waiting on a repairman to tell her if the irrigation system was fixable or not.

“We do not have a backup irrigation system,” Poppell said. “Fingers crossed it can be fixed!”

Fortunately, the storm didn’t hurt the corn crop.

“Our corn is about two feet tall. The storm laid it over but it’s already standing back up,” Tanya said on April 14.

Tanya classified her farm’s damage as minor compared to what the storm did to Odum.

“There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason of what it damaged. It looks like there was no straight path,” Tanya said.

WTOC 11 reported the tornado damaged or destroyed more than 30 homes in Wayne County.

GEORGIA FARMERS EXTEND HELPING HAND TO COMMUNITIES Georgia farmers aren’t immune to the economic pressure applied by the COVID-19 outbreak.

They’ve continued planting and harvesting knowing that through the crisis and beyond, people still have to eat, even while waiting for answers to questions about their own businesses.

Farmers across the state have also used the bounty of their farms to respond to the needs in their communities. They’ve donated strawberries to health care workers, conducted food drives to help shore up families who are food insecure and donated hundreds of thousands of pounds of produce.

At Thompson Farms: All Natural Pork in Brooks County, the Thompson family is paying it forward through The Plentiful Pig, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization the Thompsons established to provide meat to food-insecure families. Since launching the food donation program March 13, the nonprofit has donated 2,435 pounds of pasture-raised pork worth a total of $16,500.

“This has been funded by a combination of our farm and donations from the public,” Thompson Farms Sales Manager Abby Thompson said. “Donations are hard to come by right now because so many people are struggling, and people want to save their money in case COVID continues to disrupt jobs. We totally understand that, so our farm is taking on most of the responsibility of making sure people still receive pork even if donations aren’t coming in. We will continue to do this as long as we can. The Lord has blessed us, and we believe this is what He’s calling us to do during a crisis.”

The Plentiful Pig mainly serves Brooks, Thomas, Lowndes and Colquitt counties but has also helped organizations in Florida and North Georgia. To make a secure on-line donation visit www.theplentifulpig.org or call 229-263-9074.

Numerous Georgia produce farms are also donating produce to food banks serving Georgians who have lost their jobs due to COVID. On April 3, The Southeast Produce Council (SEPC) reported on its Facebook page that it -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 8 of 16 Continued from previous page distributed fresh donated produce to residents in Tattnall County and the surrounding area. SEPC members packed, shipped, unloaded, re-packed, and distributed almost 70,000lbs of fresh produce via a drive-thru format to maintain social distancing. Almost 500 families received fresh produce on-site and another 500 received fresh produce from food banks. Southern Valley in Colquitt County and Shuman Farms in Tattnall, both owned by Farm Bureau members, were among the participating farms. According to published reports, Southern Valley, owned by the Hamilton Family, has donated about 300,000 pounds of fresh produce to local and national food banks during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“During this unprecedented time, it is important that we do what we can to help those in need, both locally and nationally. There are many families with children who are in need due to the absence of school lunch programs, and there are many elderlies that might not be able to shop at their local supermarket. Our hearts are with them and our hope is that these donations will help to ease their burden,” says Jon Schwalls, executive officer for Southern Valley.

In Albany, a COVID-19 epicenter, Flint River Fresh, a nonprofit organization established by the Flint River Soil & Water Conservation Service, has been giving away boxes of fresh produce and hot meals to health care workers and those in need. Produce box recipients have included hospitality employees with reduced wages, local church and funeral home staff, as well as county and urgent care medical personnel.

FRF expected to serve more than 200 meals purchased from locally owned restaurants and boxes of fresh, local produce to recipients during the first two weeks of the program that ran from April 4 to April 18. According to a press release issued by FRF, numerous businesses and anonymous donors are funding the Produce Box Pilot Program from April 19 through May 3.

If you’d like to help fund the continuation of the Produce Box & hot meal program for the Albany area, please visit @flintriverfresh, email info@flintriverfresh.org, visit www.flintriverfresh.org or call 229-942-9757.

At Southern Belle Farm in Henry County, owner Jake Carter had concerns about his business, a large portion of which consists of school field trips. When the schools closed, the field trips instantly went away. But then Carter visited with his sister, Carmen, who is a nurse, and came away convicted to reach out and brighten the day for Carmen and her coworkers.

Shortly after that, he received a call from his neighbor, Tony Carder, who is a part owner of Pretoria Fields craft brewery in Albany. In the span of a few days, Carter and Carder had put together a joint plan for Southern Belle and Pretoria Fields to provide fresh strawberries for healthcare providers in Henry County.

“I know personally this community has blessed us far greater than we deserve,” Carter said.

“This is a way that we can with partner someone and bless some of these frontline personnel. I know it’s a small gesture. A bucket of strawberries doesn’t amount to much, but when you’re having some of the tough days some of these folks are having, that could brighten somebody’s day.”

GFB Field Notes page 9 of 16 GFB TO DONATE $50,000 TO GEORGIA FOOD BANK ASSOCIATION On April 21, Georgia Farm Bureau announced a $50,000 gift to the Georgia Food Bank Association, which represents seven regional food banks across the state.

“Georgia Farm Bureau has a long-standing partnership with the Food Bank Association. We believe that it is appropriate to help all Georgia communities during these difficult economic times. It is our hope this gift provides much needed relief to the people in need,” said GFB President Gerald Long.

The $50,000 donation will be distributed equally among the foodbanks in Georgia during the COVID19 crisis.

“There has never been a more critical time to support the food bank network,” said Georgia Food Bank Association Executive Director Danah Craft. “We have seen a sustained, 30% to 40% increase in need, and we know that the food we distribute every day would not be possible without hard-working farming families. We are grateful for Georgia Farm Bureau's compassion and for our long-standing partnership, together with their members, to end hunger in Georgia.”

FARM BUREAU INSURANCE LAUNCHES AUTO PREMIUM RETURN PROGRAM Georgia Farm Bureau made a promise to its members to be there when they need us most. To keep our promise to our policyholders we are launching our Auto Premium Return Program.

“Due to reduced driving during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a reduction in auto claims.

As a result, we will be returning a portion of premiums to our auto policyholders,” said Gerald Long, president of the Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Companies. “The partial return of premium will vary based on the total amount of auto premium an individual pays. It will also depend on the amount of the reduction in auto claims seen between April 1 and the last day of the month in which the Governor’s shelter-in-place order concludes.”

Members who have been burdened financially by the response to the COVID-19 virus and need assistance paying their insurance premium on time should contact their local agent or Georgia Farm Bureau’s Member Services Department at 1-800-633-5432.

COVID-19 IS NOT A FOOD SAFETY ISSUE; SUPPLY REMAINS SUFFICIENT Cases of COVID-19 have continued to rise, and though spread of the disease has prompted some personnel and operations adjustments at food processing plants across the U.S., the disease is not transmitted through food consumption. And federal agencies say the food supply is sufficient.

“The risk of contracting [COVID-19] through fresh or prepared food is low to none when following proper food safety and public health practices,” wrote Dr. Sarah Ison in a Focus on Ag column published by the American Farm Bureau Federation. “If we look at past data and investigations of previous coronavirus outbreaks, such as MERS and SARS, the World Health Organization determined that there was no disease transmission through food.”

Ison emphasized the importance of at-home food safety practices, encouraging consumers to rinse produce immediately prior to eating or cooking and wash their hands properly prior to preparing or eating food. Also, families and business alike must continue to sanitize high-contact surfaces, such as handles, doorknobs and counters, to reduce the risk of exposure.

“Keeping your hands clean in the kitchen is the most important step you can take to stop the spread of germs and COVID-19,” Ison wrote.

Food supply concerns have bloomed as a result of consumers’ recent experiences encountering empty shelves at the grocery store, as well as news that some food processing companies have shut -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 10 of 16 Continued from previous page down plants or reduced the number of employees.

USDA Chief Economist Robert Johansson, citing statistics from the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), wrote on April 16 that U.S. food supply continues to be more than adequate, though it may take time to redirect stocks intended for restaurants into retail outlets.

“Currently, the outlook for domestic production of agricultural commodities, including cereals, meat and dairy is very good. We have sufficient quantities to not only feed our country but maintain robust exports even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Johansson wrote.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannis wrote on April 2 that because COVID-19 is not a foodborne illness, the agency does not anticipate that food products would need to be recalled or withdrawn from the market for reasons related to the outbreak, even if a person who works in a human or animal food facility is confirmed to be positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Yiannis attributed the empty grocery shelves to shifting demand in March as the number of U.S. cases began to escalate. The public responded by stocking up supplies of food at home and curtailing dining at restaurants. Restaurants then drastically reduced wholesale food orders, negating the need for processors’ wholesale stocks, which are produced in different portions and packaged differently for restaurant use than they are for end-consumer use.

The FDA has issued temporary guidance to provide flexibility in packaging and labeling requirements to support food supply chains and get foods to the consumer retail marketplace.

DOUGHERTY COUNTY’S SOKOLOWSKI WINS GFB ESSAY CONTEST For more than 44 years Georgia Farm Bureau’s Middle School Essay Contest has encouraged sixth through eighth grade students to consider the importance of agriculture. This year, students competing in the annual contest were asked to describe the relationship between farmers and natural resources.

“Georgia Farm Bureau’s Middle School Essay Contest is where research and creativity meet to allow students a chance to challenge their writing skills. We provide a topic, the students do the research, and then they help us tell the story of agriculture,” said GFB Women’s Leadership Committee Chairman Heather Cabe. “This group of students clearly researched ag-accurate information resulting in essays of which I’m confident farmers across Georgia will be proud.”

The 66 county Farm Bureaus that held local contests submitted their top winners to GFB from which 10 district winners and a state winner were chosen.

Dougherty County student Kaitlyn Sokolowski won the state prize of $150 and an additional $100 for being the GFB 9th District winner. Sokolowski was a seventh grader at St. Teresa’s Catholic School in Albany when she wrote her winning essay.

Other district essay winners were Sara Grace Abernathy, Floyd County, GFB 1st Dist.; Ansley Segars, Habersham County, GFB 2nd Dist.; Annabelle Tai, Fayette County, GFB 3rd Dist.; Hannah Lang, Walton County, GFB 4th Dist.; Jake Pope, Jasper County, GFB 5th Dist.; Addy Collins, Treutlen County, GFB 6th Dist.; Ben Bennett, Emanuel County, GFB 7th Dist.; Cutter Tharpe, Dooly County, GFB 8th Dist.; Patrick Demember, Pierce County, GFB 10th Dist. Each -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 11 of 16 Continued from previous page of these students won a $100 prize.

In writing their essays, students were encouraged to research and discuss how farmers utilize, protect and conserve natural resources such as soil, air and water while raising livestock and growing crops on their farms.

Essays were judged on clarity of thought and writing skill. To read the other district winners’ essays visit www.gfb.ag/20essays.

GEORGIA AGRICULTURE COMES TO LIFE THROUGH GFB ART CONTEST Georgia high school students across the state used their artistic talent to illustrate the beauty of Georgia agriculture as they created entries for the 26th Annual Georgia Farm Bureau High School Art Contest. The 67 county Farm Bureaus that held local contests submitted their top winners to GFB from which 10 district winners were chosen.

“Georgia Farm Bureau’s Art Contest encourages high school students to express their creativity and showcase their artistic ability through black and white media,” said GFB Women’s Leadership Committee Chairman Heather Cabe. “The students’ knowledge and perspective of Georgia agriculture comes to life on paper as they sketch different commodities and the farming lifestyle that is so beloved in our state.”

Abigail Montgomery of Twiggs County sketched the first-place winning picture. Kaylee Brackett of Cherokee County and Arwyn Kovach of Lee County were named the state runnersup.

Montgomery won $250 as the state winner and $100 as the GFB 6th District winner. Brackett and Kovach each won $150 for being runners-up and $100 each for being the GFB 1st and 8th District winners respectively.

Other district winners in the art contest were: Brooke Gooch, Banks County, GFB 2nd Dist.: Jordan Haynes, Cobb County, GFB 3rd Dist.; Shania Hobbs, McDuffie County, GFB 4th Dist.; AnnaBella Alderman, Crawford County, GFB 5th Dist.; Tony Hernandez, Evans County, GFB 7th Dist.; Jay Granger, Miller County, GFB 9th Dist.; Kaiyah Cook, Glynn County, GFB 10th Dist.

Contestants were instructed to create a black, white and gray drawing using graphite, charcoal, pastel, chalk, colored pencil, ballpoint pen or mixed media appropriate for printing. Drawings were judged on how well the artwork represents modern agriculture in the student’s county or Georgia and artistic merit.

The winning artwork from each district will be featured in GFB’s 2020 Ag in the Classroom calendar along with the drawings of Raine Ansley of Greene County and Highland Roberts of Upson County, who were selected as honorable mention winners.

Visit https://gfb.ag/20artcontest to see the artwork of the district winners.

GFB Field Notes page 12 of 16 JOE WEST NAMED INTERIM DEAN OF UGA AG SCHOOL Joe West, who most recently served as assistant dean of the University of Georgia Tifton Campus until retiring Feb. 29, has been named interim dean and director of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, effective July 1.

West is a professor in the UGA Department of Animal and Dairy Science, and his career with CAES has spanned nearly 35 years. In his 12 years as assistant dean, he oversaw enhancements to the learning environment for students, as well as growth in research activity and Extension programming on the Tifton Campus. From 2002 to 2004, he served as interim head of the Department of Animal and Dairy Science.

Sam Pardue, who led the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences since 2016, will step down on June 30. UGA said a national search is underway for the next dean and director of the college.

“I am grateful to Dr. West for taking on this important role,” said S. Jack Hu, UGA’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “His demonstrated record of leadership will serve the college and the university well during this transition period.”

GA PEANUT COMMISSION INCREASES FUNDING FOR 2020 RESEARCH The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) Board of Directors approved $739,693 in research project funding for the 2020-21 research budget year during the commission’s March board meeting. The research projects approved include 40 project proposals submitted from the University of Georgia, USDA Agricultural Research Service and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

"As a peanut grower, I’m proud to invest in the Georgia Peanut Commission and in the future of the peanut industry by supporting research that continues to demonstrate a return on our investment,” said Donald Chase, GPC Research Committee chairman. “We are proud of our partnership with research institutions and look forward to seeing the results which will benefit farmers in the state and the entire peanut industry."

Georgia’s peanut growers invest $2 per ton annually toward GPC programs which includes research, promotion and education. The research programs primarily focus on peanut breeding, conservation methods, irrigation and water management, as well as, pests, weed and disease management.

Additionally, GPC manages funding for the Southeastern Peanut Research Initiative which includes research funding of $1,260,682 for projects in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. These projects are funded through the National Peanut Board checkoff dollars from farmers.

For additional information and a complete list of the research projects funded by the Georgia Peanut Commission visit www.gapeanuts.com.

FLA TAKES EXCEPTIONS TO RECOMMENDATION IN WATER LAWSUIT In the ongoing Supreme Court battle over access to water from the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, Florida filed its exceptions to the recommendation of Special Master Paul Kelly.

In the case, which is classified as an “equitable apportionment” case where one party seeks imposed water use restrictions on another, Florida is asking the court to require Georgia to allow more water to flow through the Chattahoochee and Flint into the Apalachicola River. Florida says -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 13 of 16 Continued from previous page this would help restore its struggling oyster industry on the Apalachicola Bay. In December 2019, Kelly recommended that the court decline Florida’s request, saying that the evidence had not shown that Georgia’s water use had harmed Florida. Additionally, Kelly noted that Georgia’s water use is reasonable and that the benefits Florida would derive from an apportionment order would not outweigh potential harm the order would cause to Georgia, which stands to suffer significant agricultural economic losses if an apportionment order is issued.

Florida took exception to the special master’s recommendation, saying that Kelly used flawed legal framework, re-asserting that Florida’s oyster losses were caused by Georgia’s water use, which Florida continues to say is unreasonable and unrestrained. Florida also argued that a court denial would undermine the court’s assigned role under the U.S. Constitution.

According to the case docket, Georgia has until June 12 to respond to Florida’s exceptions.

EPA PUBLISHES FINAL NAVIGABLE WATERS PROTECTION RULE On April 21 the EPA published the final rule to replace the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.

Environmental activist groups have already filed a lawsuit to try and overturn it.

In January, the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed an agreement on the new rule, called the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR).

The WOTUS rule, finalized by the two agencies in 2015, regulated bodies of water that agricultural groups said were never intended to fall under the federal jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. These included farm ponds, as well as ditches and streams that only hold water during periods of rain.

Georgia Farm Bureau opposed the WOTUS rule from the time it was initially proposed in 2013.

In February 2020, multiple environmental groups sent a letter announcing their intent to file suit to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite.

Under the NWPR, four categories of water may be regulated by the EPA and Corps under the CWA as waters of the U.S.: territorial seas and traditional navigable waters; perennial and intermittent tributaries; certain lakes, ponds and impoundments; and wetlands adjacent to jurisdictional waters. Georgia examples of these categories are: traditional navigable waters -the Atlantic Ocean and the Chattahoochee River; perennial/intermittent tributary – Peachtree Creek in Atlanta, which flows into the Chattahoochee; lakes, ponds, impoundments - Carters Lake in Ellijay; and wetlands – wetlands adjacent to the first three categories of water.

The new rule also lists 12 categories of water that don’t fall under federal jurisdiction. These include: groundwater; ephemeral streams, swales, gullies, rills and pools that only contain water due to rain or snowmelt; farm, irrigation, stock watering and log cleaning ponds; most farm and roadside ditches; and prior converted cropland. The rule maintains strict protections for drinking water and doesn’t loosen federal protection against pollutants entering waterways.

GFB Field Notes page 14 of 16 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.

USING PESTICIDES WISELY TRAINING April 23 10:30 a.m. online Using Pesticides Wisely (UPW) 2020: The University of Georgia (UGA) and Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) dicamba training program will complete the 2020 sessions using online webinar delivery of materials. The decision of the U.S. EPA requires only applicators who were not trained in 2019 to be trained in 2020. Hosted by Early County Extension Agent Brian Cresswell, who can be reached at 229-723-3072. To register for this session, visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RtsRK88CQlq7QF35lxJL_A. CENSUS 2020: YOU FARM. YOU COUNT! Participating in the 2020 Census is important! It’s crucial that the U.S. Census Bureau get an accurate count of the number of people living in Georgia and where they live because federal, state and local governments use these numbers to determine funding for education, health, nutrition assistance and transportation programs. The numbers also determine how many representatives Georgia has in Congress. For more details on the 2020 Census timeline, click here. To avoid having a Census enumerator visit your home, complete the Census online, or by calling the phone number provided on Census material sent to your home or by returning your census form by mail.

OUTREACH WELLNESS LEARNING WEBINARS 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/.

FARM RECOVERY GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 30 The Georgia Department of Agriculture is accepting online applications until April 30 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. 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.

GFB Field Notes page 15 of 16 GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS TO VOTE ON ASSESSMENT RENEWAL May 1-30 Voting takes place Georgia pecan growers of 30 acres or more will vote in May on the renewal of a one-cent per pound assessment on pecans for the Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Pecans.

Under Georgia law, producers are required to vote every three years to renew the assessment.

Voting takes place May 1-30, and all ballots must be postmarked by May 30. The back of the return envelope must be completed for the ballot to be valid. The commodity commission utilizes assessment funds for research, education, and promotion of Georgia pecans. Growers of 30 or more acres who have not received a ballot should contact Andy Harrison, at andy.harrison@agr.georgia.gov.

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.

NRCS SEEKS PROPOSALS FROM CONSERVATION-MINDED PARTNERS United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is requesting proposals to assist with implementing key resource priorities in Georgia. Conservation minded organizations who can enhance conservation planning technical assistance for pollinator habitat, grazing and soil health, as well as program delivery are encouraged to submit their proposals by 11:59 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), May 15. NRCS in Georgia anticipates approximately $2,500,000 in funding to be available through this notice of funding for fiscal year 2020. Potential applicants should review the announcement of funding available at www.gfb.ag/NRCSgrants, which includes application materials and submission procedures. All awards are subject to the availability of funds appropriated by Congress. For further question about this funding opportunity, please contact Tansel Hudson at tansel.hudson@usda.gov. Projects can last from one to four years. For more information on these programs in Georgia, please visit www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov.

GFB Field Notes page 16 of 16 2020 PICTURE AGRICULTURE IN GEORGIA PHOTO CONTEST June 1 Deadline to enter 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 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.