HURRICANE IDALIA HITS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA FARMERS HARD
By Jennifer Whittaker & Jay StoneHurricane Idalia had a sweet name but left bitter bruises on Georgia farms and rural communities after sweeping across Southeast Georgia on Aug. 30. Idalia was a Category 2 storm when the storm eye blew across the Florida/Georgia line into Lowndes County about 10 a.m. According to the National Hurricane Center, Category 2 storms have sustained winds of 96-110 mph.
By 11 a.m. Idalia was downgraded to a Category 1 storm (sustained winds of 74-95 mph) as she continued to whirl in a northeast direction toward South Carolina. By 5:30 p.m. Idalia was a Tropical Storm moving at 21 mph when she reached the South Carolina line according to published reports.
Initial assessment reports released by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and UGA Extension detailed major agriculture damage in Brooks, Ben Hill, Berrien, Coffee, Cook, Crisp, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Thomas and Wilcox counties.
Idalia uprooted pecan trees, blew over corn and cotton stalks, battered vegetable plants, and tossed tobacco leaves to the ground. She also damaged farm equipment, sheds and fences. Numerous farmers had to run generators to keep their dairy and swine barns, poultry houses, tobacco curing barns and wells operating for days until power was restored.
Georgia Farm Bureau media spoke to multiple farmers across the storm’s path to get an idea of the impact Idalia had on Georgia agriculture.
Pecan damage
Georgia pecan growers were about a month away from starting to harvest early pecan varieties when Idalia hit. The trees were laden with still-maturing nuts and the heavy green hulls that hold the nuts until they mature, and the hulls crack, turn brown and drop to the ground with the unshelled pecans.
For the pecan sector, initial assessments indicate Idalia did the most damage to orchards in Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes, Berrien, Cook, Irwin, Lanier, Ware and Pierce counties, according to UGA Extension Pecan Specialist Lenny Wells. Pecan orchards were also hit in counties extending -continued on next page
Photo by Jennifer WhittakerContinued from previous page toward Savannah, but the damage was more sporadic and less severe, Wells said.
Buck Paulk of Shiloh Pecan Farms & Shiloh Pecan Farms Nursery headquartered in Lowndes County and lifelong growers James and Linda Exum of Brooks County were among the many pecan growers to be left with uprooted trees and crop loss.
“Thousands of trees have been lost from the state line up to Berrien and Cook counties. Several large growers have reported an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 trees down from their orchards,” Wells wrote in a Sept. 1 report.
“We’ve had damage from other tropical storms, but for us it’s the worst we’ve had in my lifetime,” said Paulk. “I don’t know the exact number of trees we’ve lost but I’m thinking that as of today [Sept. 1] we had about 10,000 trees uprooted.”
The Paulks have about 4,000 acres of pecan trees spread out across multiple counties.
In this most severely impacted area, Wells said percentage of downed trees in damaged orchards range from 30%-80% of total orchard trees. Most of the trees uprooted or left leaning were 20 years and under, Wells said.
“Orchards that are 20 years or younger are more limber. As the winds push and pull these trees, it’s like grabbing a fence post, and then they topple over,” Paulk said. “Especially trees under ten years old. These trees were loaded with a good crop and they can’t withstand 70 mile per hour winds combined with six inches of rain.”
James Exum, who serves on the Georgia Farm Bureau Pecan Advisory Committee, estimates Idalia uprooted about 400 trees on his 200 acres of orchards located in Morven.
“You not only lose the tree, but you lose its future production,” James explained. “It’ll take 20 years to get back to where we were the day before the hurricane.”
"Some parts of our orchards look like a bomb was dropped on it," Linda said. "Some of this damage James and I will never see the farm recover from in our lifetime."
Growers in Idalia’s path also experienced crop loss from nuts being blown to the ground and limbs, heavy with nuts breaking.
“When Idalia hit, these trees were at their most vulnerable stage because of all the nuts on them and the nuts were still in the hulls maturing,” Paulk explained. “Even if a tree wasn’t blown over or left leaning, I think about half of our crop is on the ground.”
“In these hardest hit counties, crop loss could range between 50 to 80% depending on the orchard,” Wells said. “In the hardest hit areas, it is approaching Michael scale. Those that got hit, got hit bad, but from a state perspective the damage is far less than Michael.”
Wells estimated Georgia pecan orchards would have produced between 85-100 million pounds this fall before Idalia struck.
“This was going to be a slightly below average crop overall even before the storm,” Wells said. “As far as crop loss is concerned, this region probably produces about one-third of the state crop.”
Pecan growers hit by Idalia will have to clean up their orchards before they can begin their harvest.
“We have orchards scattered around and they were all hit whether it’s uprooted trees or broken limbs and nuts scattered on the ground,” said Linda Exum. “There’s a crop out there still, but we have a lot of cleaning up to do to get to it. Hurricane Michael didn’t do us this bad and we spent -continued on next page
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Continued from previous page six weeks cleaning up from that storm. It’s just devastating.”
If a tree is leaning less than 30 degrees, the Paulks will stand it back up to see if it will live.
“If a tree is leaning more than 30 degrees it isn’t viable,” Paulk said. “We’ll saw off any uprooted trees or leaning trees we know won’t make it at the trunk, haul them out of the orchard and burn or chip them.”
Paulk estimates it will take his farm employees about a month to clean up all of the storm debris in his orchards.
Poultry damage
In Coffee County, power outages resulting from Idalia led to multiple poultry producers losing flocks of chickens.
According to Coffee County grower Walt Pridgen, who did not lose birds, after the storm blew through and temperatures rose into the 90s, generators powering environmental systems inside the affected poultry houses overheated and turned off, and the flocks inside succumbed to the heat.
“It’s basically just a huge loss of revenue,” Pridgen said. “That chicken that is going to be sold can’t be sold and there’s not really anything you can do.”
Tobacco damage
Georgia tobacco growers had finished harvesting most of their crop when Idalia hit.
Growers were wrapping up the third stage of their harvest when they remove the remaining leaves from the top of the tobacco stalk.
The percentage of the crop farmers lost to Idalia varies depending on how many acres they had left to harvest and severity of wind damage. Daniel Johnson who grows tobacco in Pierce and Bacon counties had 65 acres left to harvest on Aug. 30 and estimates he lost 20% of the crop on this acreage.
In Echols County, Stanley Corbett grows tobacco and other row crops with his sons Bo, Clay and Cody. The Corbetts had about 15 acres of tobacco left to harvest when Idalia arrived. Fortunately, the Corbetts’ sandy soil doesn’t retain moisture long, so they were able to finish harvesting their crop on Saturday, Sept. 2 without worrying about the equipment bogging down.
“Unharvested tobacco deteriorates fast after a tropical storm or hurricane comes through. We’ve learned from experience that you have to get it harvested in five days after a storm,” Bo said.
Tobacco growers across Southeast Georgia continue to harvest the last of their crop.
“Machines were back in the field within days of the hurricane and will continue on at least two farms until late next week,” UGA Extension Tobacco Agronomist J. Michael Moore said Sept. 12.
For the Corbetts, and many other growers who lost power during the storm, their biggest problem immediately after Idalia passed was having enough generators to run fans on their tobacco curing barns to keep recently harvested tobacco from sweating and molding.
“Growers did a great job with generators keeping the air going through the barns and most of them came out pretty good,” said Moore.
The Corbetts were without power for 37 hours, so they rotated 6 generators amongst 40 of their curing barns that contained just-harvested, uncured tobacco to keep fans blowing outside air on
-continued on next page
Continued from previous page the leaves so they wouldn’t sweat and mold.
Bo said each of them took a section of the barns to look after. One generator could run the fans on four barns at one time, so they sometimes napped in their trucks for an hour until it was time to move a generator to another four barns in their section.
Based on a mid-August prediction by WALB meteorologist Chris Zelman that a hurricane would hit Florida and likely cross Southeast Georgia the end of August, the Corbetts made arrangements to rent four generators from a company in Tampa to supplement the two they have.
Damaged sheds & equipment
Stanley Corbett and his sons were still outside working to wire up generators to run their tobacco curing barns when Idalia hit their Echols County farm. They took shelter in a nearby steel-framed metal equipment shed.
Fortunately, God lead the Corbetts to the right shed to ride out the storm. While Idalia left the shed they were in untouched, she ripped off the roof of a nearby shed used to store their equipment parts.
Bo said he thinks the reason the roof was ripped off this shed, which they had made, was because the tin roof hung over the top of the side walls so as the storm swept through, wind got caught up under the overhang, seeped in under the roof and lifted it off. The damaged shed also has wooden framing instead of steel.
“We’ve been joking that Tyson Buildings, who built our undamaged sheds, needs to come out here and do a commercial since all of their sheds made it through with no damage,” Bo said.
On Sept. 1, the family was also counting their blessings that none of their 77 curing barns were damaged. Many of them were located yards away from the roofless parts shed.
“I’ve lived on this farm all my life – 64 years – and I don’t remember anything like this in my lifetime,” Stanley said. “If this was a Category One or Two hurricane, I feel for the people who have lived through a Category Four or Five. God took care of us. None of our family was hurt and none of the tobacco barns where our crop is stored were hurt.”
Idalia did rip off the roof of their sprayer cab and mangled the top frame of one of their tobacco harvesters. Bo said both can be repaired.
Not far from the Corbetts, Idalia blew over an equipment shed and overturned a livestock hauling truck at cattle producer Mike Coggins’ farm.
Flattened grain corn
Stanley Corbett and his sons grow about 300 acres of grain corn to feed their cattle. The acreage is split between two fields on different parts of the farm. They managed to combine about five acres before Idalia hit Aug. 30. They were planning to go full steam into harvesting the corn on August 31, but Idalia changed those plans.
Idalia flattened almost all their corn crop.
“These stalks won’t spring back up on their own,” Bo said.
But he’s hopeful that the corn combine head will lift the flattened stalks up so they can harvest most of the corn.
“We have to laugh to keep from crying, so now we’ve been joking that we’ll have a real good -continued on next page
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Continued from previous page bird shoot when the time comes,” Bo said.
Berrien County farmer Morgan Hendley had his entire corn crop, approximately 300 acres, blown over by the hurricane. He said he was going to harvest what was there to see what was salvageable and come as close as he could to fulfilling his sales contracts.
Hendley said it was too early to tell about his peanut crop, and he lost some pecan trees.
“We’ll get what we can get, and hope the insurance covers the rest of it,” he said. Hendley noted that a lot of the bolls in his cotton fields are opening prematurely, and that a total of 10 inches of rain over two days, followed by intense heat, makes the peanut crop susceptible to disease.
“That environment is a feeding ground for white mold, and we can’t get in the field to spray it,” Hendley said. “We’ve been through tropical storms before and hurricanes, but nothing of this magnitude. We’ve had close calls, but nothing I’ve seen in my lifetime was as bad as this.”
Also in Berrien County, swine producer Terry Danforth estimated he lost 20-25% of his corn, which he grows to feed his pigs. He had to rotate generators among his swine houses in order to operate feed and watering systems.
“Our biggest loss is going to be the corn blown down,” Danforth said. “We’re very blessed compared to folks around us and folks further south.”
Vegetable crop damage
Justin Corbett and his brother, Jared, farm together as Corbett Brothers Farms headquartered in Echols County. They raise a variety of vegetables – bell peppers, specialty peppers, squash, eggplants and cucumbers on fields spread across Echols, Lowndes and Lanier counties in Georgia and Madison and Hamilton counties right across the Florida line.
Farms in each county took a beating from Idalia. Damage included wind-whipped broken plants, ripped plastic on the raised beds, and lack of power needed to run their irrigation systems.
Justin and Jared are the nephews of Stanley Corbett mentioned earlier in this article.
When Idalia struck on Aug. 30, the Corbett Brothers were a week away from harvesting their squash and eggplant crops.
“Our squash probably took it the worst,” Justin said.
They won’t be able to sell any vegetables scarred by the wind or sand blasted.
Idalia’s winds randomly broke off large bell pepper plants that were about six weeks old when Idalia struck Aug. 30. Some plants were left leaning.
“It was looking like a good crop, but we’ve lost a bunch of our plant population throughout the field,” Justin said.
“It’s still too early to give a crop loss percentage or dollar amount of damage. I hope we can salvage some of it, but it will depend on how well these plants respond,” Justin said. “We’re worried about yield loss for all our crops. We already have it hard enough with the thin profit margins we have to work with, but to potentially lose a significant part of your crop is hard.”
In another huge field of pepper plants that were only two weeks old when Idalia struck Aug. 30. Justin Corbett estimates they have lost 50% of their pepper plants to the storm.
“We’ll let this field sit until next week to see which plants put back out and replant those that don’t,” Justin said. “I always try to have extra transplants on hand to replace any that don’t make -continued on next page
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Continued from previous page it but I won’t be able to get enough plants to replace everything we need to.”
Idalia ripped a lot of the plastic the Corbetts use to cover their raised vegetable beds. The plastic is important because it helps hold moisture in the bed when they water the plants with drip irrigation hoses. The plastic also sheds rainwater off the vegetable beds so the roots of the vegetable plants don’t get too wet or drown in the event of a heavy rain storm.
After clearing the roads going to their fields of tree debris on the afternoon of Aug. 30, the Corbetts had farm employees repairing and replacing damaged plastic.
“We had a crew of 150 guys start repairing plastic at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon and worked until dark,” Justin said. “We had to do this so the wind wouldn’t keep whipping the plastic around breaking the plants.”
In Echols County, produce growers sustained wind damage, according to County Extension Coordinator Justin Sheeley, who noted that there was significant damage to plastic sheeting use in some produce crops.
“The plastic was blown up on pepper, squash, tomatoes and cucumber,” Shealey said. “It will have to be replaced, and what was already planted will have to be replanted.”
Twisted Cotton
Cotton growers in multiple counties across Southeast Georgia reported having cotton stalks left blown over or twisted at the roots. Damage estimates were not available at press time as the extent to the state crop may not be discernable until later in the harvest season. Damage to growers’ crops will also depend on the stage of the crop when Idalia hit.
Early maturing varieties may have had mature or almost mature bolls knocked off while later planted crops may have still been blooming and setting cotton bolls.
In Berrien County, Tim McMillan said one of his biggest concerns is cotton.
“Some was blown out and on the ground,” McMillan said. “Stalks are tangled up with each other. We won’t be able to spray with high boy. We’ll have to hire a plane.”
McMillan, who grows approximately 400 acres of cotton, said about 20% of the bolls were open when the storm came through.
“What we don’t know is how much of that we’ve lost,” he said. How to report ag damage on your farm.
Farmers are still assessing their damages and reporting to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and the Georgia Farm Service Agency. Farmers with damage should contact their local USDA Service Center/Farm Service Agency office to ask about the various emergency disaster programs already in place that offer assistance to farmers following natural disasters. Farmers are also encouraged to report damage to the GDA via their online reporting form at https://survey123.arcgis.com/.../7c3b912f646d4248ba3cebaf... or by email at idalia@agr.georgia.gov.
HURRICANE IDALIA: GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Before Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Aug. 30, federal and state agencies began making resources available to help farmers weather the storm.
On Aug. 29, Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency, ordering the Georgia Department of Transportation to facilitate movement of people and equipment to re-establish electricity to affected areas. Kemp authorized the activation of up to 1,000 National Guard troops to aid in preparation, recovery and response. The governor also ordered the suspension in Georgia of rules limiting hours that operators of commercial vehicles may drive and prohibited price gouging. The executive order expired Sept. 8.
A disaster declaration for federal public assistance was issued for the following 25 counties: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bulloch, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Echols, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Lanier, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Thomas, Tift, Ware and Wayne according to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA).
In addition, Cook, Lowndes and Glynn counties received a federal disaster declaration for public and individual assistance. More counties may receive a disaster declaration and counties with an existing declaration may be approved for additional categories of assistance as federal agencies process damage assessments and disaster requests.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) made a variety of resources available to assist farmers affected by the storm, including shelters for livestock. GDA also conducted damage assessment to Georgia farms, as well as to state agricultural assets like state farmer’s markets. The Valdosta State Farmer’s Market sustained roof damage and thee Savannah State Farmer’s Market was left without power.
The GDA also provided periodic updates on information gathered from its assessments.
For more information about the GDA’s hurricane response and resources, visit www.agr.georgia.gov/hurricane-response-idalia.
On Sept. 7, President Joe Biden in response to Gov. Kemp’s request, approved a disaster declaration allowing Georgians in Cook, Glynn, and Lowndes Counties access to emergency relief funds. Damage assessments continue in other areas affected by the storm.
Cook, Glynn, and Lowndes Counties are home to more than 650 agricultural operations farming more than 140,000 acres with a farm-gate value of more than $120 million. Additionally, The Georgia Department of Agriculture licenses and regulates 1,858 entities across Cook, Glynn, and Lowndes Counties. These entities include livestock and poultry operations, retail grocery stores, meat processing facilities, gas stations, animal shelters, and others. This declaration allows farmers, small-business owners, and other GDA regulated entities to apply for emergency disaster relief.
Federal assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of Hurricane Idalia.
Federal funding is also available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Cook, Glynn, and Lowndes counties. Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-continued on next page
Continued from previous page sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service, or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.
COPING WITH STRESS AFTER THE STORM
While Hurricane Idalia left a trail of physical destruction in its wake. Downed trees, damaged crops, lost livestock, destroyed farm buildings and forced farmers into extended recovery mode. Those things are accompanied by mental stress, perhaps beyond what farmers normally face.
Echols County farmer Justin Corbett, whose family’s farm had extensive damage, tried to keep the storm damage in perspective.
“It’s stressful,” he said, but, “my family is okay and that’s the most important thing.”
He understands how true that statement is because Idalia blew out an upstairs window in his and his wife, Brandy’s house, an entrance door and damaged their garage door.
He had just returned to the house from using a frontend loader to push a pine tree away from his house when the winds damaged the house.
“I was running around trying to board things up and we had the girls in the hallway where there are no windows. We just tried to keep them calm,” Justin said.
Dr. Anna Scheyett, a professor in the University of Georgia School of Social Work, offered tips for dealing with the mental toll from a disaster in a blog post on the Thriving on the Farm section of the Rural Georgia: Growing Stronger website.
“And even if you didn’t get damage, the stress of not knowing and waiting to see what the storm would do is huge don’t underestimate what that does to you,” Scheyett wrote.
Coping After a Disaster
While farmers may still be talking with insurance adjustors, repair people, FSA, and others. Scheyett offered a remember that they need to stay strong to deal with all of this, which means taking care of themselves.
The CDC has some very helpful steps you can take for coping after a disaster:
• Take care of your body: Remember to eat, sleep, and avoid coping through alcohol and tobacco;
• Connect with others: Talk with your support system about your concerns and how you’re doing
• Take breaks: No one can go 24/7; make time to unwind;
• Stay informed: Check trusted sources to get good information, and remember that during a crisis not all information on social media is reliable;
• Avoid too much exposure to news: Take breaks from watching, reading, listening to news stories. At some point you are not learning anything new, and the works and picture are simply upsetting and exhausting;
• Seek support if you need it: if you’re finding it hard to function for several days or weeks, contact a support person your doctor, clergy, or a counselor. Remember you can always call or -continued on next page
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Continued from previous page text 988 (Crisis Lifeline)
Helping Children
Those who have or work with children may be wondering how to help them after the storm. Here’s what the CDC recommends for helping children cope with a disaster:
• Talk with them: Share age-appropriate information, reassure them, answer questions and clarify rumors;
• Set a good example by taking care of yourself;
• Limit their exposure to media and social media coverage of the storm;
• Extension has lots of resources as well.
ELEMENTARY CLASSES INVITED TO ENTER GREAT POTATO CHALLENGE
Georgia elementary classes in third through fifth grades are invited to enter the “Great Potato STEM Challenge” to put their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills to work. Special education classes, homeschool or community/after school groups consisting of third through fifth grade students may also enter the challenge.
Elementary classes that participate in this challenge will study the life cycle of a potato. Students will observe the growth patterns of a potato planted in soil, a potato grown hydroponically, and a control potato placed in a container with no source of nourishment. Students will record their observations in a journal and discuss their findings.
Teachers, homeschool parents or after school group leaders interested in participating in the “Great Potato STEM Challenge” may visit www.gfb.ag/stemchallenge for more information and register for the program until Oct. 9.
Once teachers register their classes, they will receive instant access to a digital resource toolkit that equips their class for participating in the STEM challenge. The top-grade winner from the third, fourth and fifth-grade entries will win a prize package totaling $350 for their class.
Each participating class will be asked to answer the question “What can potatoes teach me about soil and how it interacts with living and nonliving things?
The STEM challenge asks participating classes to complete the provided lesson plan and activities provided for the challenge and then create a video presentation no longer than five minutes that demonstrates what the students learned about growing potatoes. Class presentations must be uploaded to YouTube for judging by March 15, 2024.
“We developed the STEM challenge to connect elementary students to Georgia agriculture. This year, students can observe potatoes growing in their own garden to see how soil interacts with living and non-living things around them,” said GFA Educational Programs Assistant Virginia Fulwood. “This type of activity is a hands-on way to learn.”
The statewide competition, sponsored by Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA), is an outreach program of the GFA Georgia Ag Experience mobile classroom. This challenge has previously been offered in the fall and spring but has been redesigned to run an entire school year.
The purpose of the challenge is to encourage elementary teachers and students in grades 3-5 to explore aspects of Georgia agriculture by applying their STEM skills to solve real-world problems that farmers face in producing our food and fiber.
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GFB BOARD VISITS JOHNSON FARM IN PIERCE COUNTY
On Aug. 24, the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors and the GFB executive team toured the Pierce County farm of GFB South Georgia Vice President Daniel Johnson. The tour included a firsthand look at Johnson’s tobacco operation, stops in his peanut and cotton fields and a field of young blueberry bushes.
According to Johnson and GFB President Tom McCall, the tour was a chance for board members in other parts of the state to get a taste of Georgia’s agricultural diversity.
“We always talk about growing crops, and tobacco is a different crop for everybody to see and they always have questions about it. I wanted them to come be able to look and see what we actually do,” said Johnson, who has approximately 550 acres planted in tobacco. “Tobacco is just a unique crop that’s always been here as far as history that’s not really here that much anymore.”
On the tobacco tour, the board saw how one of the state’s oldest crops is harvested, transported to the processing shed, stored in ventilated curing barns, screened for foreign materials, then baled and stored.
At every stop, Johnson shared an explanation of the work being done, and in the field being harvested, he gave a brief demonstration of how tobacco leaves were harvested by hand before the process became mechanized.
“I just think we need to get out in the state where the agriculture actually is, because that is what we represent, and we know firsthand the trouble that folks have, whether it’s peanuts, cotton, tobacco, blueberries or whatever. I like getting out in the country and not meeting in Macon every time,” McCall said.
At a field of Farthing variety blueberry bushes, farm operator Leavey Boatright shared how the two-year-old plants were progressing and steps taken to ensure they can provide fruit for years to come.
The bushes are planted in repurposed juice or milk cartons, which protect the young plants and also set the direction the bushes grow.
While the GFB board went from field to field, board spouses learned how to create charcuterie in a workshop led by Hayley Minshew.
AFBF: EPA/ARMY AMENDMENT TO WOTUS RULE FALLS SHORT
On Aug. 29, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Army announced a final rule amending the 2023 definition of “Waters of the United States” to conform with the Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA, which was announced on May 25.
While the agencies removed the “significant nexus” test as a means for determining their jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act, American Farm Bureau expressed disappointment that the amended rule did not reflect more changes.
“EPA had a golden opportunity to write a Waters of the U.S. Rule that’s fair to farmers and stands the test of time, but instead chose to continue government overreach and revise only a small slice of the rule that was rejected by the Supreme Court,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We’re pleased the vague and confusing ‘significant nexus’ test has been eliminated as the Supreme Court dictated. But EPA has ignored other clear concerns raised by the Justices, 26 states, and farmers across the country about the rule’s failure to respect private property rights and the -continued on next page
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Continued from previous page Clean Water Act.”
According to an EPA fact sheet, the amended rule makes the following changes:
• Removes interstate wetlands from the text of the interstate waters provision;
• removes the significant nexus standard from tributaries, adjacent wetlands and additional waters provisions;
• removes wetlands and streams from the text of the additional waters provision;
• revises the definition of adjacent waters to mean “having a continuous surface connection”;
• deletes the definition of the term “significantly affect.”
AFBF maintains that the amended rule left in place much of the overreach that Farm Bureau and many others have been opposing, including the agencies’ vague “relatively permanent” standard. AFBF indicated that it will persist in its legal challenge to the rule to protect farmers from the threat of penalties and prosecution for simply farming their land.
“Farmers and ranchers share the goal of protecting the nation’s waterways,” Duvall said. “They deserve clear rules that respect their dedication and careful stewardship.”
The EPA had webinars planned for Sept. 12, 13 and 20 to provide updates on the definition of WOTUS. The webinars have reached registration capacity, though the agencies indicated they will post a recording of the webinar to EPA's website.
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GFB WOMEN IN AG SUMMIT
Oct. 1 final registration deadline
Nov. 2-3 Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa Savannah
Registration is now open for the GFB Women in Ag Summit! This conference is open to any woman with an interest in agriculture – female farmers, agriculture industry professionals, Farm Bureau volunteers, etc. This event will be a time of fun, fellowship, and personal and professional development. To register, visit https://gfb.ag/WomeninAgSummit. Final registration by Oct. 1 is $100 per attendee. Attendees are responsible for their own hotel reservations. A block of rooms has been secured at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa (912-201-2000). Information is also located under the “Lodging and Hotel” tab at the top of the registration page. Note: Farm Bureau employees should only attend if accompanying a volunteer or group of volunteers. For more information about the conference, please contact your county Farm Bureau office, or Breanna Berry at bcberry@gfb.org
KEL-MAC SADDLE CLUB HORSE SHOWS
Oct. 7 Morgan Co. Ag Center Madison
This show is open to equestrians of all ages and experience levels. Classes include hunter/jumper, western, gaited, trail obstacles, halter/showmanship, beginner, open, minis, & a costume contest. All shows begin at 9 a.m. - rain or shine. Entry fee per class is $10 and $12 for championship classes. General admission is free and concession food and drinks will be available. For more information about the shows, call Susie Cottongim at (706) 342-3775 or visit the Kel Mac Saddle Club Facebook page or www.kel-mac.com. These volunteer-run shows generate funds to benefit Kel-Mac’s equestrian related charities. The Kel-Mac Saddle Club has donated more than $163,500 back to Georgia’s Piedmont region during its 47 years including: the Georgia Equine Rescue League, the Calvin Center’s Horses & Warriors program, ReDux Equine Rescue, Sweet Olive Rescue, Madison County Mounted Drill Team, the Barbara R. Cummings Scholarship, the Morgan County Sherriff’s Empty Stocking Fund, and the equestrian facilities of state & county parks such as A. H. Stephens, Hard Labor Creek, Watson Mill Bridge and Heritage Park.
FOREST HERBICIDE MEETING
Oct. 3 Bulloch County Ag Center 151 Langston-Chapel Rd. 11 a.m. Statesboro
This free meeting is offered by Bulloch County Extension and the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Topics include herbicides for site prep, herbaceous weed control, mid-rotation woody control, pine straw production and mid-rotation release/fertilization. Warnell School Professor of Forest Productivity Dr. David Dickens will be the featured speaker. Miracle; 912-489-8986 or email her at dmiracle@uga.edu Please register by Sept. 26. A minimum of 15 registered are needed to hold meeting. Organizers are working for approval of continuing education credits in logger education and Georgia pesticide credits.
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HOUSE RURAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL MEETINGS
Oct. 25 Georgia Southern University Statesboro
Nov. 16 University of Georgia Athens
Specific meeting times, agendas and location information for other two meetings will be announced prior to each meeting. Meetings of the House Rural Development Council will be livestreamed and are open to the public. Established in 2017, the House Rural Development Council was renewed for the 2023-2024 by the unanimous adoption of House Resolution 488 during the 2023 legislative session.
BEEKEEPING SHORT COURSE
Oct. 28 Henry Co. Farm Bureau Office
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. McDonough
The Henry County Beekeepers are hosting this workshop scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The course will cover: Introduction to Beekeeping; Hive Assembly; NUC’s, Packages & Swarms; Hive Manipulation; Extracting Honey; and beekeeping issues. Early registration by Oct. 27 is $25 or $30 at the door day of the event. The registration fee includes a one-year membership to the Henry County Beekeepers. The Henry County Farm Bureau is located at 117 Racetrack Road, McDonough, Ga. 30253. To register or receive more information please contact Tom Bonnell by calling 678-983-7698 or e-mail Tom at tombonnell@bellsouth.net
2023 GFB HAY CONTEST ACCEPTING ENTRIES
Oct. 31 deadline to enter Georgia Farm Bureau is calling all members who grow any variety of Bermudagrass hay to enter its annual hay contest. The contest winner will receive the free use of a Vermeer Mid-sized Trailed Mower for one year, courtesy of Vermeer Manufacturing. The winner will have the option to buy the mower at a reduced price at the end of one year. Additional prizes will be awarded to the top five producers. Hay entered in the 2023 GFB Quality Bermudagrass Hay Contest will be tested at the UGA Feed & Environmental Water Lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which provides an analysis of the nutritional value of the hay. Winners will be determined by the RFQ analysis and announced in December at the GFB Convention. Prizes will be presented to the top five producers. Entry forms outlining complete contest rules may be picked up at your county Farm Bureau office or downloaded at www.gfb.ag/HayContest. There is a $20 fee for each entry to cover the cost of the lab test. Producers may enter more than one sample. Checks should be made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau.
GFB Field Notes page 14 of 16
USDA DISCRIMINATION FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Oct. 31 Application deadline
Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021 and/or are currently debtors with assigned or assumed USDA farm loan debt that was subject to USDA discrimination occurring prior to January 1, 2021, have until Oct. 31 to apply for financial assistance. Visit the program website https://22007apply.gov to file an application and for more information on the program. Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, directs USDA to provide financial assistance to producers who have experienced discrimination in USDA’s farm lending programs and has $2.2 billion for this program. Under the law, the Secretary of Agriculture is responsible for administering the assistance through qualified nongovernmental entities under standards set by USDA. Applications will be reviewed in November and December, with payments reaching recipients soon thereafter, according to USDA statements. USDA has become aware of some lawyers and groups spreading misleading information about the discrimination assistance process, pressuring people to sign retainer agreements, and asking people to fill out forms with private and sensitive information. The official application process is free and does not require an attorney.
GFB HAY DIRECTORY
GFB is accepting listings for its online hay directory. Farm Bureau members with hay for sale or who offer custom harvesting or custom sprigging services are invited to list their hay and/or services in the GFB Quality Hay Directory published on the GFB website. Hay for sale or services can be listed or removed from the directory throughout the year. To be included in GFB’s online hay directory, complete a submission form by visiting your county Farm Bureau office or online at www.gfb.ag/hay. Please include a $10 check made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau for each listing of hay, custom harvesting or custom sprigging. Multiple listings are allowed. Listings can be updated in the directory throughout the year as hay inventories change. Hay producers who entered the 2021 GFB Quality Hay Contest receive a free listing in the online GFB Hay Directory.
CONSERVATION DISTRICTS OFFER NO-TILL EQUIPMENT FOR RENT
Ongoing
Local Conservation Districts and their partners help farmers try a number of conservation practices by purchasing equipment and making it available to rent. Some districts offer no-till drills, PVC pond pipe systems and repair parts, as well as geotextile fabric for agricultural and road use. To see what equipment is available in your conservation district, click here
988 SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE OFFERS SUPPORT
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988 or chatting on 988lifeline.org. 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the U.S., you can easily access 24/7 emotional support. You don’t have to be suicidal to reach out. 988 trained crisis counselors can help you through whatever mental health challenges you are experiencing. SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Communications Commission & other suicide prevention and mental health partners worked together to create 988 and its expanded services. #988Lifeline.