Georgia Farm Bureau's Sept. 30 Field Notes

September 30, 2020

www.gfb.org

Vol. 2 No. 19

GA FOUNDATION FOR AG PREPARING TO LAUNCH GA AG EXPERIENCE For the past year, the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture has been preparing the ultimate farm field trip for third through fifth graders. The twist is students won’t have to leave their schools; the farm will come to them.

The foundation’s Georgia Ag Experience - a mobile classroom housed in a 45’ long by 30’ wide trailer - is designed to give students the virtual experience of visiting poultry houses, peanut and cotton fields, peach and pecan orchards, cattle pastures, timber stands, blueberry fields and horticulture nurseries with the help of colorful farm photos and interactive technology.

Students will learn how farmers plant and harvest their crops, take care of their animals and preserve the natural resources on their farms. There will also be a station highlighting the many career options in agriculture. All exhibits and lessons that are part of the Georgia Ag Experience have been professionally designed to meet science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) standards.

Beginning Jan. 4, 2021, the Georgia Ag Experience will hit the road visiting schools in South Georgia and make its way across the state by the end of next year. It will spend the first three weeks of January visiting schools in the lower part of Southeast Georgia (Georgia Farm Bureau’s 10th District) before heading to lower Southwest Georgia (GFB’s 9th District) for three weeks.

From Feb. 15 - March 5, 2021, the Georgia Ag Experience will travel across upper Southwest Georgia (GFB’s 8th District). The mobile classroom will spend most of March in Middle Georgia (GFB’s 6th District).

The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture is partnering with county Farm Bureau offices across the state to arrange local mobile classroom visits. County Farm Bureau staff, teachers or school representatives interested in booking the Georgia Ag Experience for a school or community event, may visit www.gfb.ag/experienceplanavisit to access instructions for scheduling a visit and a list of dates the mobile classroom will be available across the state in 2021.

Please note that application forms on the Georgia Ag Experience website will not be live until Oct. 12.

Teachers or school representatives interested in working with their county Farm Bureaus to bring the Georgia Ag Experience to their school should first contact their local Farm Bureau office.

Visit this webpage to access your local Farm Bureau’s contact information.

From Oct. 12 – 31, county Farm Bureaus in Georgia Farm Bureau’s 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 2 of 12 Continued from previous page Districts may sign up schools or community events for an ag mobile classroom visit.

The Georgia Ag Experience will visit schools in GFB’s 5th District from April 5-23, 2021, and will visit schools in GFB’s 3rd District from April 26 to May 14, 2021. County Farm Bureaus in GFB’s 5th and 3rd Districts will sign up for visits in January.

The Georgia Ag Experience will visit schools in GFB’s 1st District from Aug. 18-Sept. 20, 2021 and will visit schools in GFB’s 2nd District from Sept. 13-Oct. 1, 2021. County Farm Bureaus in the 1st and 2nd District will sign up for school visits in April.

The Georgia Ag Experience will be displayed at the 2021 Georgia National Fair and Sunbelt Ag Expo. School visits will resume Oct. 25-Nov. 12, 2021, in GFB’s 4th District and from Nov. 15-Dec. 10, 2021, in GFB’s 7th District. County Farm Bureaus in the 4th and 7th districts will sign up for visits in July 2021.

For more information about the Georgia Ag Experience and a list of the ag organizations, agribusinesses and Georgia commodity commissions that are generously supporting the mobile ag classroom visit www.georgiaagexperience.org.

USDA NOW ACCEPTING ENROLLMENT FOR CFAP 2 On Sept. 18 the Trump administration announced up to an additional $14 billion dollars for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated marketing costs because of COVID-19. Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will run through Dec. 11.

The USDA will use funds being made available from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES Act to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and many additional commodities. USDA has made changes to CFAP 2 based on stakeholder engagement and public feedback to better meet the needs of impacted farmers and ranchers.

Producers can apply for CFAP 2 at USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices.

CFAP 2 payments will be made for three categories of commodities – Price Trigger Commodities, Flat-rate Crops and Sales Commodities.

Price trigger commodities are major commodities that meet a minimum 5% price decline over a specified period of time. Eligible price trigger crops include barley, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers, upland cotton, and all classes of wheat. Payments will be based on 2020 planted acres of the crop, excluding prevented planting and experimental acres. Payments for price trigger crops will be the greater of: 1) the eligible acres multiplied by a payment rate of $15 per acre; or 2) the eligible acres multiplied by a nationwide crop marketing percentage, multiplied by a crop-specific payment rate, and then by the producer’s weighted 2020 Actual Production History (APH) approved yield. If the APH is not available, 85 percent of the 2019 Agriculture Risk CoverageCounty Option (ARC-CO) benchmark yield for that crop will be used.

For broilers and eggs, payments will be based on 75% of the producers’ 2019 production.

Contract growers are not eligible.

Dairy (cow’s milk) payments will be based on actual cow milk production from April 1-Aug. 31.

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GFB Field Notes page 3 of 12 Continued from previous page The milk production for Sept. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020, will be estimated by FSA. Eligible beef cattle, hogs and pigs, and lambs and sheep payments will be based on the maximum owned inventory of eligible livestock, excluding breeding stock, on a date selected by the producer, between Apr. 16, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020.

Crops that either do not meet the 5% price decline trigger or do not have data available to calculate a price change will have payments calculated based on eligible 2020 acres multiplied by $15 per acre. These crops include alfalfa, extra-long staple (ELS) cotton, oats, peanuts, rice, hemp, millet, mustard, safflower, sesame, triticale, rapeseed, and several others.

Sales commodities include specialty crops; aquaculture; nursery crops and floriculture; other commodities not included in the price trigger and flat-rate categories, including tobacco; goat milk; mink (including pelts); mohair; wool; and other livestock (excluding breeding stock) not included under the price trigger category that were grown for food, fiber, fur, or feathers. Payment calculations will use a sales-based approach, where producers are paid based on five payment gradations associated with their 2019 sales.

Additional commodities are eligible in CFAP 2 that weren’t eligible in the first version of the program. Farmers whose agricultural operations have been impacted by the pandemic since April 2020, are encouraged to apply for CFAP 2. A complete list of eligible commodities, payment rates and calculations can be found at www.farmers.gov/cfap/tool There is a payment limitation of $250,000 per person or entity for all commodities combined.

Applicants who are corporations, limited liability companies or limited partnerships may qualify for additional payment limits when members actively provide personal labor or personal management for the farming operation. In addition, this special payment limitation provision has been expanded to include trusts and estates for both CFAP 1 and 2.

Producers will also have to certify they meet the Adjusted Gross Income limitation of $900,000 unless at least 75 percent or more of their income is derived from farming, ranching or forestryrelated activities. Producers must also be in compliance with Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions.

Additional information and application forms can be found at www.farmers.gov/cfap.

Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested. All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from www.farmers.gov/cfap/apply. For existing FSA customers, including those who participated in CFAP 1, many documents are likely already on file. Producers should check with FSA county office to see if any of the forms need to be updated.

Customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP 2 application process can call 877-5088364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages with the team at the FSA county office.

GFB Field Notes page 4 of 12 GA FARMERS ENCOURAGED TO FOLLOW COVID GUIDELINES DURING HARVEST

As Georgia enters its fall harvest season, Georgia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black are encouraging Georgia farmers and the agribusinesses harvesting and processing fall crops to remain vigilant in following recommended guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Commissioners Toomey and Black issued a joint statement Sept. 22 thanking Georgia's agricultural community for the safety precautions it adopted earlier this year to ensure worker safety and marketplace stability.

Recommended guidelines include: monitoring the health of employees, monitoring employee temperatures, wearing face coverings, following social distancing guidelines, providing hand-washing stations and/or hand sanitizer, providing personal protection equipment to employees and visitors.

Read their joint statement at www.gfb.ag/DPHGDAharvestletter and get more info from the Centers for Disease Control & U.S. Department of Labor.

CENSUS BUREAU TARGETS OCT. 5 END TO FIELD OPERATIONS On Sept. 28, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the department, which is tasked with conducing the U.S. Census, is targeting Oct. 5 as the date it will cease its field operations, which include self responses and the bureau’s efforts to contact households that did not respond to the 2020 Census.

The Census Bureau indicated on Sept. 25 that 97% of U.S. households had been counted.

The announcement of the Oct. 5 target date came after a Sept. 24 court order required Census field operations to continue until Oct. 31. Judge Lucy Koh in the U.S. District Court for Northern California said in the order that shortening the response deadline would likely result in an inaccurate count, the effects of which would be felt for a decade.

The original self-response deadline was July 31, but after government operations were hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau requested an additional 120 days to complete its count. Congress granted an extension to Oct. 31 and extended the deadline for the bureau to submit apportionment data to the president to April 2021.

In August, the Census Bureau shortened the count period to Sept. 30 and set a Dec. 31 deadline to submit apportionment data to the president.

Nationally, 66.5% of households have self-responded to the census as of Sept. 28. In Georgia, 62.2% of households have self-responded.

To respond to the 2020 Census, visit www.my2020census.gov/ or call 1-844-330-2020. If someone visits your home to collect a response for the 2020 Census, you can check to make sure that they have a valid ID badge, with their photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date.

If you still have questions about their identity, you can call 844-330-2020 to speak with a Census Bureau representative.

GFB Field Notes page 5 of 12 CHALLENGES LOOM AS HARVEST SEASON COMMENCES Weather, market disruptions and COVID-19 pandemic effects are all weighing on the minds of Georgia farmers as they move into the heart of the fall harvest season.

Peanut farmers are optimistic about their crop for several reasons - dry weather this summer resulted in lower disease pressure and cooler weather in September will hopefully translate into lower aflatoxin levels in the crop.

In Mitchell County, Meredith Rogers said her family is looking at a good peanut crop overall barring any more storms like Hurricane Sally that moved across Georgia Sept. 16-17. Although she expects early dry summer weather will cost them half the yield of their non-irrigated crop, there’s a silver lining.

“It was dry this summer so there wasn’t as much disease pressure. We’ve been able to keep leaf spot and white mold in check,” Rogers said. “We have mostly irrigated fields so overall we’ll be okay.”

The USDA’s Sept. 21 Georgia Crop Progress & Condition Report shows that Hurricane Sally drenched peanut fields west of I-75 with between 5 to 12 inches of rain, while peanut growers along the interstate and in the Southeast section of the state received mostly 5 inches and less with two areas getting up to 7.5 inches.

“Sally had more of an affect west of I-75 from what I’m hearing,” said Don Kohler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

Kohler said Georgia’s peanut crop was already running late due to the wet, cool weather growers experienced in the spring. The soggy fields Sally left behind definitely delayed the start of harvest while providing a good last rain to complete the crop.

“Usually the first day of fall we’re going wide open [digging peanuts]. By the first of October we will be running wide open,” Kohler said. “Overall, Sally may have helped finish filling out some peanuts. I think most everyone had time to go in and apply another application of fungicide before Sally got here to deal with disease issues. I think we’re set to have a reasonably good harvest.”

In Macon County, Donald Chase is hoping September’s cooler weather translates into lower aflatoxin levels for Georgia’s overall peanut crop. As a director for the Georgia Peanut Commission he’s concerned that higher aflatoxin levels (presence of fungus in crop) could prevent the crop from being exported to Europe where their acceptable levels are much lower than the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“The last two years September has been the hottest month of the year. When we have hotter and dryer conditions we tend to get aflatoxin. This year the temperature has been moderate and fortunately we’ve got a good clean crop right now [Sept. 21],” Chase said.

The state’s cotton producers were looking for strong crop until Hurricane Sally swept through Georgia in mid-September. Fortunately, Sally didn’t bring the widespread wind damage like Hurricane Michael in 2018, but heavy rains could result in quality loss, according to Georgia Cotton Commission Executive Director Taylor Sills, who described the expectations for the crop as cautiously optimistic.

“We are going to have quality issues and we are going to have fiber loss,” Sills said. “At this point we really can’t pinpoint where exactly that’s going to be across the state.”

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GFB Field Notes page 6 of 12 Continued from previous page According to Sills, the soggy conditions seemed to be the key problem.

“What we really need is for it to warm up a little bit, dry out, let that cotton … it’s a fantastic crop. It can do a lot of things on its own, if we can just get some good solid weather, sooner rather than later, we should be in decent shape.”

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service forecast Georgia’s cotton production at 2.31 million bales in its monthly crop report released on Sept. 10.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s pecan growers are still struggling with lingering effects from Michael along with market disruptions in both export and domestic markets.

Georgia Pecan Commission Vice Chairman Lanair Worsham said the 2020 crop looks strong, though trees lost to Hurricane Michael will continue to limit production.

“This year it looks like the trees have responded,” Worsham said. “We’re looking at a good crop. I don’t know that it’s 100 percent, but I would say we’re probably 60% to 70% recovered in terms of production potential.”

NASS is surveying Georgia pecan growers about their 2020 production and plans to release the first results on Oct. 13.

Pecan growers face a two-headed market monster. Internationally, China has halted its purchases of U.S. pecans. Typically, 70% or more of Georgia-grown pecans are exported, and the largest portion of those purchases are by Chinese buyers. Stateside, imports of Mexican pecans are shaking up the domestic market. Mexican growers’ production costs are much lower than those of U.S. producers, which means the Mexican nuts can be sold at much lower prices, which closes off much of the U.S. market.

“We had a great market going into China, then all of a sudden the hurricane came, and all this political upheaval and COVID and all that going on, it seems to have really destroyed that market, at least temporarily,” Georgia Pecan Growers Association President Miley Adams said.

“Hopefully not permanently. It’s a good market for this part of the country.”

Adams and other pecan leaders were hopeful that some of the loss of the Chinese market can be offset by selling nuts to India, but it would require India lowering or eliminating tariffs on U.S. pecans.

Adams noted that an estimated 300 million pounds of Mexican pecans will be imported to the U.S. this year, while the total U.S. crop is expected to be 287 million pounds.

“I’m going to say it is our biggest problem,” said Southern Pecan Growers Association Past President Bobby Bostick. “If we could get the Mexican imports handled, I think the market will take care of the rest of it.”

Solutions can’t come soon enough.

“We’ve got a huge crop this year, we’re scratching our heads what we’re going to do with it,” said Bostick, who said he hasn’t sold a crop since 2017. “We all want to harvest and sell our crop.”

GFB Field Notes page 7 of 12 2021 SE REGIONAL FRUIT & VEGETABLE CONFERENCE GOES VIRTUAL Following an intensive study of the current COVID-19 conditions, including a staff tour of the Savannah Convention Center, the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association Board of Directors made the decision that the conference cannot be held with the COVID-19 protocols currently in place, in particular, the physical distancing requirements.

In a Sept. 21 email bulletin, Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) Executive Director Charles Hall explained that based on the social distancing guidelines in the current Executive Order from Gov. Kemp, for conventions (meetings of over 100 people) and CDC recommendations the educational meeting rooms, the Exhibit Hall and lunch seating capacity would be reduced by 70% to 80%. For example, a regular education meeting room normally seating 101 people would be reduced to 19 people under social distancing guidelines. The dining hall for lunch normally seating 800+ people would be limited to only 240 people. With a normal attendance of 3,200 - 3,500 the social distancing requirements makes holding the conference a complete impossibility.

In his message to fruit and vegetable growers, Hall wrote, “While conditions may improve before January 2021, most epidemiology experts predict preventive measures such as face masks and social distancing requirements will continue well into 2021. Growers and industry suppliers look to the SE Regional to secure the latest educational and operational information to plan for the new year. In order to pivot and move to a virtual platform for the conference, time does not permit waiting any longer to consider what the Georgia COVID-19 conditions will be in January 2021.

Hall said the safety of SE Regional attendees and the general public is most important. Georgia has been a ‘hotspot’ for COVID over the past several months. Large gatherings of people, like the SE Regional Conference, is one of the leading causes for the spread of COVID-19. The bottom line is safety cannot be assured without compliance with the recommended guideline.

“While we are disappointed that we won’t be gathering in Savannah in January, we are excited we will continue to fulfill the SE Regional’s mission with a new and unique virtual format this year,” Hall said. “SE Regional, as the premier regional fruit and vegetable conference, will continue to offer the latest in grower educational sessions, industry supplier exhibits and networking opportunities.”

The GFVGA plans to release more information about participating in the 2021 Virtual Southeast Regional Conference.

For more information, contact the GFVGA at 706-845-8200.

WTO: U.S. TARIFFS ON CHINESE GOODS CIRCUMVENTED DISPUTE SYSTEM On Sept.15, a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel found that tariffs the United states levied on Chinese goods in 2018 violated provisions of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT).

According to published reports, the tariffs only applied to China, and exceeded the limits of allowable tariffs the U.S. had agreed to.

The U.S. established the tariffs on hundreds of million dollars’ worth of Chinese goods, accusing China of violating the intellectual property rights of U.S. citizens and businesses through extortion and commercial cybertheft.

The ruling drew public criticism from United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 8 of 12 Continued from previous page Lighthizer.

“Although the panel did not dispute the extensive evidence submitted by the United States of intellectual property theft by China, its decision shows that the WTO provides no remedy for such misconduct,” Lighthizer said. In a press release, the USTR said the tariffs led to the Phase One Agreement reached by the U.S. and China earlier this year, and that the Phase One Agreement will not be affected by the WTO report.

The U.S. has refused to approve new appointments to the WTO body that handles appeals, so there is no venue for a U.S. appeal to be heard in this case.

MERCER MED SCHOOL GETS $1 MILLION TO FIGHT NORTH GA OPIOID ABUSE Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) professors Dr. Bryant Smalley and Dr. Jacob Warren received a $1 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration for a comprehensive prevention, treatment and recovery initiative to combat opioid overdose in a four-county region of rural North Georgia.

The grant builds upon prior work that established the North Georgia Opioid Prevention and Education Network (North Georgia OPEN), a multi-sector consortium focused on the prevention of opioid use disorder and opioid overdose in Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon and Polk counties.

Coordinated by MUSM’s Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities, the nine-member consortium includes the center, as well as Highland Rivers Health, Gilmer County Probate Court, Appalachian Circuit Drug Court, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Gordon County Emergency Management, Huff’s Drug Store and Blue Ridge Pharmacy, Northwest Georgia WorkSource Georgia, and Mountain Education Charter High School.

“This federal grant will implement a multi-sector initiative to combat the opioid epidemic in our North Georgia region, following a plan designed for and by our community,” said Georgia House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), whose state House district includes Fannin and Gilmer counties. “I applaud the MUSM Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities and all of the local agencies and organizations participating in the consortium for working together on this critical public health issue.”

The three-year initiative will be led by Dr. Smalley, associate dean for research in the School of Medicine, and Dr. Warren, Rufus Harris Endowed Chair and director of the Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities, a National Institutes of Health Center of Excellence within the School of Medicine.

“North Georgia OPEN is a community-driven initiative in one of the regions of Georgia most impacted by the opioid epidemic,” said Dr. Smalley. “We are honored to work with all of these partners, from the local pharmacy to the judicial system, to collaboratively tackle this issue.”

Over three years, the grant will implement and measure the impact of a multi-phase prevention, treatment and recovery initiative with activities ranging from increasing access to overdosereversing medication to expanding the substance use disorder workforce in the area. In addition, the initiative will implement a number of awareness campaigns, provider trainings and community -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 9 of 12 Continued from previous page events to increase community knowledge about preventing overdose.

“We are grateful to the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy for supporting rural communities in their efforts to implement innovative approaches to reduce opioid overdose,” said Dr. Warren.

“Overdose is a complex issue requiring collaboration and partnership across many types of agencies, and North Georgia OPEN will help to make a real difference in our counties.”

Dr. Smalley and Dr. Warren have worked extensively with communities to develop, implement and research the impact of rural health initiatives, including work to eliminate maternal and infant mortality disparities, prevent opioid overdoses and counteract the impact of chronic diseases on rural communities. Through the Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities, the two professors have active initiatives in 12 rural Georgia counties.

UGA CAES RANKED NO. 2 U.S. COLLEGE FOR AG SCIENCES BY NICHE The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is ranked second on the 2021 list of Best Colleges for Agricultural Sciences in America by data analysis firm Niche, up one spot from the 2020 ranking.

Released this month, Niche’s ranking is based on data from the U.S. Department of Education.

According to the platform, the ranking “compares the top agricultural science degree programs including animal sciences, horticulture, aquaculture, agronomy, crop science and turf management.”

Other factors include test scores, the percentage of college majors, program demand, student and alumni surveys, expenditures per student, research expenditures and the percentage of total annual agricultural sciences graduates nationally that come from each program.

CAES has a fall 2020 undergraduate enrollment of 1,456, and a graduate/professional student enrollment of 624, its highest graduate enrollment to date. Since 2017, graduate enrollment at CAES has increased 20.7%, and the college has 20,790 living alumni worldwide. CAES has nine academic departments with 21 majors and leads the nation in research in poultry science, food safety, entomology, plant breeding and cultivar development.

Cornell University captured the top spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Agricultural Sciences list, and the University of Florida came in at No. 3.

Overall, UGA is ranked No. 11 on Niche’s 2021 list of Top Public Universities in America.

GFB Field Notes page 10 of 12 GA FOUNDATION FOR AG MOBILE CLASSROOM JOB OPENING The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture is seeking applicants for a part time time education coordinator to work with the Georgia Ag Experience mobile classroom in the following counties: Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Houston, Lee, Macon, Marion, Pulaski, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell, Turner, Webster and Wilcox. Applicants must live in one of these counties, have a valid Georgia driver’s license and three years of classroom or other student instruction experience. Visit www.gfb.ag/Dist8EC for more information and to apply.

GEORGIA MILK PRODUCERS DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETING Oct. 1 The Barnstormer’s Grill 7 p.m.

Williamson This is the final fall district meeting for Georgia Milk Producers and The Dairy Alliance. The organization will hold elections, announce upcoming events and report on industry issues and promotional efforts. Dinner will be served. Due to current Covid-19 restrictions for gatherings, no more than 50 people are allowed to attend. Masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing will be utilized for each meeting. To preregister, please contact the Georgia Milk office at 706-310-0020.

GEORGIA FOUNDATION FOR AGRICULTURE VIRTUAL SILENT AUCTION Through Oct. 2 online The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture is offering almost 60 items in its first virtual silent auction! This is a great way to get a jump on your Christmas shopping while supporting the important agriculture programs the foundation manages, such as scholarships for students pursuing ag careers, Ag in the Classroom activities and the soon-to-be launched mobile Georgia Ag Experience Mobile Classroom. Visit https://www.32auctions.com/2020GFASilentAuction to participate.

DIGGING IN: THE STATE OF OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES Oct. 7 Zoom call Please join GFB President Gerald Long as he “digs in” to the state of our rural communities with Georgia’s 83rd Governor, Brian P. Kemp, to discuss the status of COVID-19, revenue projections entering Q2 of the state's fiscal year, and other topics affecting rural Georgians. The webinar will take place via Zoom. Please register in advance by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you have any questions for the Governor, you may respond directly to this email. Live questions will not from the audience during the webinar. To submit a question in advance, send an email to advocacy@gfb.org.

Questions will be vetted and may be asked on behalf of the audience during the broadcast.

WHITE-REINHARDT GRANTS/SCHOLARSHIPS Oct. 15 Deadline to apply Applications for White-Reinhardt scholarships and classroom/community grants are now available. The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is looking for exceptional educators to attend the National Ag in the Classroom Conference and for engaging ag literacy projects to fund. Applications are available online www.agfoundation.org/projects/wr-grantshome or www.agfoundation.org/projects/ag-scholarships. All applications must be submitted electronically. The application period closes Oct. 15.

GFB Field Notes page 11 of 12 TASTE OF THE FAIR RECIPE CONTEST Oct. 16 Deadline for entries Sad about the prospect of not getting your fix of fair food this fall? The Dairy Alliance has a cure: A “Taste of the Fair” Recipe Contest to give us the chance to recreate our favorite fair flavors using at least 8 oz. of milk & one other dairy product among the ingredients. Think Cotton Candy Milkshake, Funnel Cake Latte, a Cheesy Corndog or Loaded Taco Fries! Visit www.gfb.ag/dairyalliancetasteofthefair for contest rules & to enter. Grand prize winner wins a Cuisinart ice cream maker, a grocery store gift card & more. Top two Georgia recipes will receive a Dairy Alliance gift bag with great swag & will be featured in the organization’s Taste of the Fair Recipe Contest booklet to be distributed at fairs across the Southeast next year.

STAY AT HOME BEEKEEPING SERIES Oct. 27 Anthony Abbate, Auburn/Wildflower meadow 7:30 p.m. online Nov. 24 Jeff Harris, MSU/Getting started 7:30 p.m. online Dec. 29 Beekeeping Boxing Day Sales 7:30 p.m online The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is offering members of beekeeping clubs the opportunity to attend these free online meetings, each of which will bring participants up to date on timely beekeeping topics. Time for Q&A is included. Watch with Zoom at https://auburn.zoom.us/j/904522838 stream via Facebook live at www.facebook.com/LawrenceCountyextension/. For more information, visit Allyson Shabel at ams0137@aces.edu.

GFB QUALITY HAY CONTEST Georgia Farm Bureau invites all of its members who grow Bermudagrass hay to enter its annual hay contest by Oct. 31. Hay entered in the 2020 GFB Quality Hay Contest will be tested at the University of Georgia Feed & Environmental Water Lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which provides an analysis of the nutritional value of the hay. There is a $20 fee for each entry to cover the cost of the lab test. Checks should be made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau.

Entry fees, forms and samples should be sent to the GFB Public Policy Department 1620 Bass Road Macon, Ga., 31210. Entry fees, forms and samples may also be taken to your county Farm Bureau office. For more information about the contest contact Jeremy Taylor in the GFB Public Policy Department at jrtaylor@gfb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5212.

2020 AG LABOR RELATIONS FORUM Nov. 5, 10, 12, 17 and 19 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. each day online This annual event, sponsored in part by Georgia Farm Bureau, offers the latest labor updates for growers, shippers, processors and other agricultural professionals. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from industry experts as they help you comply with labor laws, all from the comfort and convenience of your home! Cost is $95 per participant includes access to all webinars and resources. Each webinar will be available for on-demand access and viewing for all registered attendees. To learn more about the event or register visit www.georgiaaglaborforum.com/.

GFB Field Notes page 12 of 12 GEORGIA AGRIBUSINESS COUNCIL HARVEST CELEBRATION Nov. 20 Cobb Galleria Centre Atlanta The GAC’s focal event of the year for Georgia agribusiness, the Harvest Celebration unites leaders from every agriculture sector and corner of the state in a festive salute to the industry. For the first time the Harvest Celebration will be hosted by the GAC Foundation, the 501(c)3 partner of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, and contributions will directly benefit initiatives that support agriculture education, research, leadership develop, and agriculture policy studies. We hope that you will join us for a celebration that will honor our past and provide vital support for the future of agribusiness leadership in Georgia. The evening’s activities include a silent auction at 5:30 p.m. and a unique Field of Dreams reception that precede dinner at 7:30 and entertainment at 9.

Entertainment will be provided by The Kinchafoonee Cowboys! For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.ga-agribusiness.org/Events.aspx.

ASA CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE YOUNG LEADER PROGRAM The American Soybean Association (ASA) and Corteva Agriscience are seeking applicants for the 2021 ASA Corteva Agriscience Young Leader Program, a two-phase educational program for actively farming individuals and couples who are passionate about the future possibilities of agriculture. The women and men who participate in this program will be the leaders that shape the future of agriculture. Phase I of the 2021 ASA Corteva Agriscience Young Leader Program will take place Dec. 1 – 4, 2020, at Corteva’s Global Business Center in Johnston, Iowa. The program continues March 2 – 6, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas, in conjunction with the annual Commodity Classic Convention and Trade Show. Soybean grower couples and individuals are encouraged to apply. For more information or to apply, visit www.gfb.ag/21ASAYoungLeaders.

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 enter the GFB Quality Hay Contest receive a free listing in the online GFB Hay Directory.

DAIRY VOLUNTEERS LEND A LISTENING EAR FOR THOSE IN STRESS Are you a dairy farmer who would like to talk to a fellow farmer or industry friend about the stress you’re experiencing? Georgia Milk Producers has partnered with dairy groups in other Southeastern states to compile a list of dairy producers who are volunteering to talk with fellow farmers & dairy industry employees as the dairy sector navigates these difficult times.

Click here to access the list of volunteers & other tips/suggestions for dealing with stress.