December 9, 2020
www.gfb.org
Vol. 2 No. 24
TOM McCALL ELECTED NEW GEORGIA FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT Farm Bureau (GFB) members elected Tom McCall for a two-year term as president of Georgia’s largest general farm organization on Dec. 8. McCall of Elbert County grows wheat, oats, triticale, grain corn, sweet corn and hay. The McCall family also raises beef cattle, hogs and sheep. McCall replaces Gerald Long, who retired from the position after serving as GFB president since 2016. Long, of Bainbridge, served on the GFB Board of Directors in various roles since 1999 including GFB 9th District director, GFB South Georgia vice president and GFB 1st vice president. McCall has been a Farm Bureau member since 1978. McCall’s first leadership role with Farm Bureau was serving as the chairman of the Elbert County Farm Bureau (ECFB) Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Committee. He represented GFB’s 2nd District on the GFB YF&R Committee in 1981-82 and chaired the state committee in 1982. McCall represented GFB’s 2nd District on the GFB Board of Directors from 1984-1996. He also served as ECFB president for a number of years. McCall served in the Georgia House of Representatives for 26 years from Jan. 9, 1995, when he was sworn into office, until he retired from the legislature at the end of his 2020 term. As a state representative, McCall represented Georgia’s House Dist. 33, which includes Elbert and Lincoln counties and portions of Madison, Wilkes and Columbia counties. McCall chaired the Georgia House Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee from January 2005-2020. He also served on the House Game, Fish & Parks Committee, Natural Resources & Environment Committee and the Transportation Committee. McCall and his wife, Jane, have two living adult children: Al (spouse Rachel) and Katie M. Archer (spouse Bristol). Their oldest son, Bud, died in 2000. The couple have two grandchildren, Winn and Wilkes, who love farm life. The McCalls attend Eliam United Methodist Church.
GFB Field Notes page 2 of 12 SIMS RE-ELECTED AS GFB N. GA. VICE PRES.; MEMBERS FILL OUT BOARD GFB members in the organization’s North Georgia Region re-elected Bernard Sims of Catoosa County to represent their region on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors for his fifth, three-year term. GFB’s North Georgia Region is comprised of 49 counties in the upper third of the state ranging from the state’s northern border down to Carroll, Fulton, DeKalb, Rockdale, Walton, Morgan, Greene, Taliaferro, Wilkes and Lincoln counties. Sims is the Catoosa County Farm Bureau president, a position he has held since 1979. Sims was a dairy farmer for 40 years until he sold his milking herd in 2004. The Sims family currently grows turf grass, small grains and hay. The family also raises beef cattle and strawberries sold to the public through a you-pick patch. In addition to his Farm Bureau activities, Sims previously served on his local USDA Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service Committee and served on the boards of three dairy cooperatives during his years as a dairy farmer. Bernard and his wife, Janet, have two adult children, Kevin and Cindy, and eight grandchildren. Their son Jeff died in 2010. The Sims are members of Burning Bush Baptist Church. Daniel Johnson of Pierce County was re-designated the organization’s 1st vice president by all GFB voting delegates. Johnson also represents GFB’s South Georgia Region, which includes 53 counties in the lower third of the state running from the Georgia coast to the Alabama line. Johnson, who grows tobacco, cotton and peanuts, previously represented the organization’s10th District on the GFB Board of Directors from 2006-2016. He is vice president of Pierce County Farm Bureau and previously served as PCFB president for 25 years. Johnson chairs the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Tobacco. He and his wife, Patricia, have four children and two grandchildren. Robert Fountain Jr. of Emanuel County continues to represent the organization’s Middle Georgia region on the GFB Board of Directors in the third year of his seventh term. The GFB Middle Georgia Region includes 56 county Farm Bureaus in the middle third of Georgia. While serving on the GFB Board, Fountain has chaired the GFB Legislative, Finance and Insurance committees numerous times. He is the third generation to own his family’s farm located in Emanuel and Johnson counties. He raises cattle, hay, timber, small grains and pecans. Russ Moon was elected to a two-year term on the GFB Board of Directors, representing the organization’s 2nd District in Northeast Georgia. Moon and his family raise chickens and beef cattle, grow small grains and soybeans, and operate a you-pick strawberry farm. He is president of Madison County Farm Bureau. The following individuals were re-elected without opposition to serve two-year terms on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors: Wesley Hall of Forsyth County, 1st District; Nora Goodman of Paulding County, 3rd District; Skeetter McCorkle of McDuffie County, 4th District; Matt Bottoms of Pike County, 5th District; James Emory Tate of Jeff Davis County, 6th District; Ben Boyd of Screven County, 7th District; Don Wood of Wilcox County, 8th District; Lucius Adkins of Baker County, 9th District; and Lamar Vickers of Berrien County, 10th District. GFB directors beginning the second year of the two-year terms they were elected to in 2019 are: Bill Bryan of Chattooga County, 1st District; Bobby Gunter of Lumpkin County, 2nd District; George Chambers of Carroll County, 3rd District; Marvin Ruark of Morgan County, -continued on next page
GFB Field Notes page 3 of 12 Continued from previous page 4th District; Leighton Cooley of Crawford County, 5th District; James Malone of Laurens County, 6th District; Gary Bell of Evans County, 7th District; Scotty Raines of Turner County, 8th District; Paul Shirah of Mitchell County, 9th District and David Lee of Bacon County, 10th District. Will Godowns of Pike County was re-appointed chairman of the GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Heather Cabe of Franklin County was re-appointed chairman of the GFB Women’s Leadership Committee. Godowns and Cabe were asked to chair their respective committees for a second year because the COVID-19 pandemic limited their opportunities to serve. Each will serve an additional one-year term on the GFB Board of Directors to represent their committees. Appointed officers of the GFB Board of Directors include General Counsel Duke Groover, Chief Administrative Officer & Corporate Secretary Jon Huffmaster, Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Treasurer David Jolley, Assistant Corporate Secretary & Senior Counsel Jeanna Fennell, and Assistant Corporate Treasurer & Senior Director of Accounting Rachel Mosely. OUTGOING GFB PRESIDENT GERALD LONG REFLECTS ON HIS TENURE Gerald Long served as Georgia Farm Bureau’s 12th president from January 2016 through Dec. 8. During his term, GFB initiated some key projects to advance the Georgia agriculture cause. Notably, a research grant program and the production of the Georgia Ag Experience mobile classroom were launched under Long’s watch, during which he guided GFB through devasting losses from Hurricane Michael and the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic. Long began serving on the GFB Board of Directors in 1999, serving as a 9th District director. He went on to serve as GFB South Georgia vice president and GFB 1st vice president before succeeding Zippy Duvall as president. In 2018, Long announced that he would not seek reelection when his last two-year term ended in 2020. Prior to the GFB presidential election on Dec. 8, Long looked back on his time as GFB president during a recent phone call with GFB News Reporter Jay Stone. On GFB’s strategy to operate during the pandemic: We led. I’m so thankful that when the coronavirus started in March, March 12, how Farm Bureau stepped up to the plate, and we were out in front of it. When I talked to the governor later on, he commended our organization for stepping up and doing what we’ve done, our protocol to help protect our employees. It’s been a challenge for us all. There’s no doubt. I think our organization has stepped up and said look, if you’ve got kids at home and you need to go take care of them, go take care of your kids. Kids were no longer in school, and they canceled school. Our organization worked with them extremely well. But then in return the employees have been very understanding and thankful we’ve not laid off the first employee because of the coronavirus. I think that within itself is phenomenal. We’ve been able to maintain our employees and to work with them, and in return they have worked with us, just tremendous. On feedback about the pandemic approach: I think we’re one of the very few organizations that have protected our employees the way we have and following the guidelines from the governor, social distancing, wearing face masks. At one point in time, some of the people in the organization thought maybe we were overreacting. My answer to them was, absolutely I hope we are. Not for one minute did I want to underreact and then cause issues that
we would regret. We’ve had some employees who have come down with it, but I think it’s been minimal compared to a lot of companies or organizations that maybe did not take the precautions -continued on next page GFB Field Notes page 4 of 12 Continued from previous page maybe they should have. On his intention to step away at the end of 2020: Well, you know when I came in, I told everyone I came in contact with that I was, if the voting delegates wanted me, I was willing to stay four years and 11 months. I think that was necessary at the time for a lot of the changes we’ve had to implement. I think it put me and it put the organization in a position to do things that maybe we’ve never done before. I hope I’ve left it in better shape than I found it, and I certainly hope that whoever the next president is, that that person leaves it in better shape than they found it from me. I think that’s what we strive to do. On how he rates his experience as president: It’s been a great four years, 11 months. Since March it hasn’t been near as gratifying, dealing with the coronavirus and the changes that we’ve had to make. Not having personal meetings, face-to-face meetings, not only from the board but from the different legislators, from the governor not meeting face-to-face. I’ve talked about that ever since I’ve been here. I’m a one-on-one, face-to-face person. That’s had to be put on hold. That part I don’t like. But it has been a great journey for four years, 11 months, to lead this organization. I told several of the board members, it’s not what I did, it’s what we were able to accomplish as a team, from the board all the way to the employees, what we’ve done as a team. That to me has been the most successful part, as a team. I want to thank everyone that supported me and stood behind me. We did not always agree, but at the end of the day, we came together, we made it work and we’ve been successful. I can’t say enough thanks to the ones that have worked to make it possible. DAVID SCOTT ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE Rep. David Scott (D-Georgia 13th District) was elected as the new chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture by the House Democratic Caucus on Dec. 2. Scott will succeed Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota), who lost his bid for re-election in the Nov. 3 general election. “Georgia Farm Bureau congratulates Representative David Scott for his approval as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee,” said outgoing GFB President Gerald Long. “Representative Scott has consistently supported the farm bill and agricultural advancement through research. We have enjoyed our partnership with Representative Scott over the years, and we look forward to working with him in his new role as Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee to ensure American farmers have the tools they need to provide food, fiber, and shelter for people around the world.” In the general election, Scott was re-elected to his 10th term in Congress. Before running for Congress, Scott served as a Georgia state representative from 1975 to 1982 and as a state senator from 1982 to 2002. Scott has served as a member of Congress and the House Agriculture Committee since 2003. In his various leadership roles on the committee, Scott has chaired the subcommittees on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit as well as Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.
Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) was elected House Ag Committee ranking member by the Republican Steering Committee on Dec. 2. GFB Field Notes page 5 of 12 GEORGIA FARMERS ASKED TO RESPOND TO YEAR-END COVID-19 SURVEY The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of American life. In an effort to get a more complete understanding of how Georgia farmers have been affected, the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA), Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) and UGA’s Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development (CAED) are jointly offering a follow-up survey to collect information on how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting Georgia farms. In May, GFA, GFB and CAED polled more than 850 producers, asking them to describe the early impacts of the disease on agriculture in Georgia. The follow-up survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Agricultural producers located in the state of Georgia are encouraged to complete the survey, which may be completed only once for each farm/ranch operation. The deadline to complete the survey is Dec. 23. Names of farms or individuals will not be recorded for each survey record completed. All information will be kept strictly confidential. You may choose whether to participate in the survey, and you may withdraw at any time. There is no personal compensation provided for participation. The Qualtrics survey system uses data encryption, so there is minimal risk that security of any online data may be breached. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Vanessa P. Shonkwiler by calling 706-542-9811 or emailing V.Shonkwiler@uga.edu . Questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant to this survey should be directed to the chairperson of the University of Georgia Institutional Review Board by calling 706-542-3199 or emailing irb@uga.edu. GFB CFM FARM PASSPORT OFFERS PATH TO HOLIDAY TREATS AND GIFTS! Maybe you’re in need of gift ideas. Perhaps there’s a corner in your house that needs a Christmas tree or maybe there’s a gap on your tree that needs an ornament. Or perhaps you have an open day and need something special to do. Georgia Farm Bureau’s Certified Farm Markets (CFM) and the GFB Farm Passport have answers for all those holiday needs. Christmas trees, decorations, holiday treats, gifts and memorable experiences are all available through the CFM program. The Farm Passport is available at GFB county offices and at the 78 farms participating in the GFB Certified Farm Markets (CFM) program. The passport guides family and friends to farms across Georgia that offer food items for virtually any taste. Travel with the passport to explore Georgia, support local farms and eat fresh. Some CFMs offer holiday experiences like choosing and cutting your own tree, on-farm photo opportunities and more! Passport travelers will discover where their food comes from, meet the people who grow it, and see Georgia’s agricultural diversity firsthand! The GFB Certified Farm Markets are listed in the passport. These markets grow a majority of what they sell on their farm or they allow people to visit for a farm tour. As marked in the passport, some farms have corn mazes and farm games, offer educational opportunities, or host special events.
Participants can start a family tradition and make new friends while relaxing in a rocking chair -continued on next page GFB Field Notes page 6 of 12 Continued from previous page and taking in Georgia’s beautiful farm landscapes. Passports can be picked up at any participating farm found at www.gfb.ag/farmpassport or at any local county Farm Bureau office. Passports must be stamped by Dec. 31, 2019. The deadline to submit your passport for prizes is Jan. 8, 2021. Mailing in a passport with at least one stamp will enter the passport holder to win a basket of favorite products from CFMs valued at $100. Collect five stamps and earn a Georgia Farm Passport T-shirt. Ten stamps gets the traveler awesome ag swag. A collection of 15 stamps will qualify for a Certified Farm Market product of the consumer’s choice. Those who earn 20 stamps will receive a full access pass farm tour with a farm-to-table meal in Spring 2020. For each level reached, the participant receives all of the prizes below that level. If you’ve been participating in the Farm Passport program, the holiday season presents the perfect opportunity to “level up” and improve your prize package! Thank you for your patronage of GFB’s CFMs! One passport allowed per person. One stamp allowed per farm per person. As you visit, share your journey with #farmpassport #gafarmbureau. While no purchase is required to participate, please be kind and make one since these farms are their owners’ livelihoods. For more information about the Farm Passport, visit https://www.gfb.org/education-and-outreach/passport.cms or send an email cfm@gfb.org for questions. GEORGIA PEANUT COMMISSION NOMINATION MEETINGS SET Nomination meetings to fill two positions on the Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) Board of Directors will be held during simultaneous meetings on Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. in Colquitt and Swainsboro. The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation will conduct the meetings to fill terms, which expire Dec. 31, in the commission’s Districts One and Three. The GPC District One nomination meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the Miller County Farm Bureau Office at 314 East Bremond Street in Colquitt. Tim Burch of Baker County is the incumbent in this district. Counties in District One include: Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell and Seminole. The District Three nomination meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the Emanuel County Farm Bureau office at 320 Lambs Bridge Road in Swainsboro. Joe Boddiford of Screven County is the incumbent in this district. Counties in District Three include: Appling, Bacon, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Montgomery, Pierce, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Treutlen, Washington and Wayne. “Georgia Farm Bureau encourages peanut farmers in the Georgia Peanut Commission’s First and Third districts to attend their district meetings and participate in making nominations for these commission positions,” said John Harrell, chairman of the Georgia Farm Bureau Peanut Advisory Committee. “The peanut commission plays an important role in promoting Georgia peanuts, crop research and education and needs grower input to effectively represent them.”
The Georgia peanut production area is divided into five districts based on acreage distribution and geographical location with one board member representing each district. Each nominee must produce peanuts and live within the district for which he or she is nominated. Any producer living in the district may be nominated or make nominations at the meeting. -continued on next page GFB Field Notes page 7 of 12 Continued from previous page Incumbents are eligible for renomination. If more than one person is nominated, an election will be conducted by mail ballot. Commission by-laws state that a person must receive a majority of the votes cast for a position in order to be elected to the commission board. If only one person qualifies for the position, no election is required, and the nominated person automatically becomes a member of the commission board. Commission members serve terms of three years. If multiple people are nominated for a GPC seat, then the current director will continue to serve until the election is completed. PRICE AND McALLISTER PRESENTED 2020 KING COTTON AWARDS UGA Cooperative Extension Service agents are an important resource for Georgia cotton farmers. Agents are known for delivering timely and accurate information, which is instrumental for the success of Georgia’s farmers. They also perform community specific research, education and outreach programs designed to help farmers maximize yields and efficiency. The Georgia Cotton Commission sponsored the King Cotton Awards to recognize outstanding contributions of county agents to Georgia cotton producers for the twentieth year in a row. The Senior Award honors agents with 10 or more years of experience. The Junior Award, named the Allen B. Fulford Award, honors the accomplishments and memory of Allen B. Fulford, who served as a county Extension agent and state cotton agronomist. This award credits those with less than 10 years of service. The awards were presented at the virtual 2020 Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting & Professional Improvement Conference in November. The Georgia Cotton Commission is proud to salute the excellent work that County Extension Agents do for farmers across the state. The 2020 Senior King Cotton Award Winner is Tucker Price of Cook County, where he serves as County Extension Coordinator as well as Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent. A native of Ashburn, Price has 25 years of UGA Extension Service experience in Quitman, Crisp and Cook counties. In addition to holding producer education programs regarding agronomics and defoliation, Price conducts local cotton research and demonstrations. The priorities for the local research are determined in collaboration with local growers. Recent trials have been conducted with a focus on white fly monitoring as well as multiple cotton variety trials. The 2020 Allen B. Fulford Award Winner is Seth McAllister of Terrell County, where he has served as the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent since 2016. For the last three years, McAllister has also worked on the AgWET team, which is a group of agents and collaborators who have utilized moisture sensors to help producers efficiently manage irrigation for cotton and peanuts. In addition to this work, he has collaborated with the surrounding county agents to implement a statewide cotton variety trial for the last two years on the Southwest Georgia Research and Education Center in Plains. This data is compiled with all the other statewide variety trials and presented to local cotton producers during winter production meetings. McAllister has hosted numerous Using Pesticides Wisely training sessions in Terrell County. The training is mandatory
for growers to attend each year to legally purchase and apply the newest dicamba herbicides over the top of cotton.
GFB Field Notes page 8 of 12 FORMER GFB DIRECTOR JULIAN JONES DIES Former Georgia Farm Bureau 5th District Director Julian Jones died on Dec. 8. He was 78. Jones was born in Griffin on Feb. 7, 1942. He was preceded in death by his mother Clarice Howard Callaway and his grandfather C. P. Howard who cared for him after his mother’s death. Mr. Jones was a veteran of the United States Army. He was also the owner and operator of Jones Burrow Farms and a former member of Second Baptist Church where he was a deacon. He was most recently a member of Oak Hill Baptist Church. Jones served as a GFB 5th District Director from 1989 to 2006. He was a Spalding County Farm Bureau Director for more than 40 years, including serving as SCFB president in 1973 and 1974 and vice president from 1990 to 1993. He also served as Mayor and Councilman for the City of Orchard Hill and was a member of AMBUCS. He owned and operated his own trucking business for more than 30 years. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Frances Freeman Jones; children and their spouses, Tammy and Mike Canterbury, Julie and Bryan Hayes, Scott and Tiffany Jones, Nicki and Kerry Gore; grandchildren, Tara and Steven Green, Kelli Canterbury, Ashton and Ron Green, Alan and Amy Canterbury, Dalton Gore, Darla Gore, Jacob Jones, Mathew Jones; great grandchildren, Avery Green, Emmie Green, Jack Canterbury, Milo Canterbury, Ryder Canterbury, Hadley Green and expecting in May, Piper Green; “honorary grandchildren Megumi “Meg Jones” Ando and Sam “Jones” Lou; several in-laws and cousins. Visitation will be on Dec. 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Oak Hill Baptist Church in Williamson, followed by a funeral service in the sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the American Cancer Society in honor of Frances Jones and in memory of Julian Jones. The family requests those attending the visitation and service to please wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines. Live streaming of the funeral will be provided on the Oak Hill Baptist Church Facebook page. Messages of sympathy may be sent to the family by visiting www.connerwestburyfuneralhome.com to post your tributes, memories.
GFB Field Notes page 9 of 12 USDA OFFERS HELP TO FARMERS APPLYING FOR CFAP2 The USDA’s Farm Service Agency staff can help guide producers through the process of applying for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2), including preparing and submitting required paperwork. There is no need to hire a paid preparer. The deadline to apply is Dec. 11. Additionally, translation services are available in all USDA Service Centers, so one-on-one assistance with a Service Center employee can be translated in real time. To find the nearest USDA Service Center, visit www.farmers.gov/service-locator. A call center is also available for producers who would like additional support with the CFAP 2 application process. Please call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance. DAIRY MARGIN COVERAGE ENROLLMENT Dec. 11 deadline to apply The USDA is accepting applications for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program for 2021 enrollment. DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. DMC payments triggered for seven months in 2019 and three months so far in 2020. More than 23,000 operations enrolled in DMC in 2019, and more than 13,000 enrolled in 2020. For more information or to sign up for coverage, visit www.gfb.ag/21DMC. STAY AT HOME BEEKEEPING SERIES 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. GA DEPT. OF AG GATE RENEWAL APPLICATIONS Annual renewal for the Georgia Agriculture Tax Exemption (GATE) program is now open. Eligible farmers can renew their GATE card for 2021 online by visiting www.forms.agr.georgia.gov/GATE/. GATE cardholders who are to renew in 2021 will automatically be placed on the new three-year renewal program and will receive their renewal invoice in 2024. All current cards will expire Dec. 31, 2020. Cardholders currently on two and three-year renewals will receive their 2021 cards with the new expiration date of Dec. 31, 2021, and do not need to renew or apply for the 2021 year. Producers needing assistance can contact the GATE program team at 855-FARMTAX or farmtax@agr.georgia.gov.
GFB Field Notes page 10 of 12 GACD SCHOLARSHIP Dec. 31 deadline to apply The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts is offering a $1,000 scholarship to high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students studying fields related to agriculture and natural resources. Acceptable areas of study include, but are not limited to, agricultural education, agronomy, horticulture, plant pathology, and agricultural communications. The applicant may be a high school senior, or a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student from Georgia at any accredited college, school, or university in the United States. Applicants in their first semester of college should send their high school transcript and proof of college enrollment. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 2.75 and be in need of financial assistance. There will be no discrimination on basis of race, sex, or religion. An individual may not compete for a scholarship that he or she has won in past years. The scholarship payments are disbursed according to the fund. For more information or to apply, visit www.gacd.us/scholarships. 2021 SOUTHEASTERN FRUIT & VEGETABLE GROWERS VIRTUAL CONFERENCE Jan. 5-7 online The education, trade show, poster sessions and networking opportunities that traditionally take place in person in Savannah will take place through the Internet on a virtual platform that will be easy to use and navigate. The conference will have the latest in production and crop operational information that you have come to expect from the SE Regional Conference. All educational and exhibitor content will be available for on-demand viewing until April 30, 2021 to all registered attendees. All-Access Passes are $125 each and allow access to all education sessions, the virtual trade show, poster sessions and networking events until April 30, 2021. GFVGA members receive 15% off All Access Registration. Check your email for a discount code. Trade Show Passes are free, and the exhibits will be available until April 30, 2021. To register, visit https://gfb.ag/21SEFVGAConfreg.
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION VIRTUAL CONVENTION Jan. 10-13, 2021 registration is free online The American Farm Bureau Federation has opened registration for the 2021 American Farm Bureau Virtual Convention and unveiled the lineup of featured speakers including Mike Rowe, Rorke Denver and Beth Ford. For the first time ever, registration fees are being waived to give all Farm Bureau members and anyone interested in agriculture the opportunity to experience one of agriculture’s premier events from the comfort and safety of home. View the full agenda at https://gfb.ag/21afbfconvsked and register for free https://gfb.ag/21afbfregister.
GFB Field Notes page 11 of 12
2021 GEORGIA DAIRY CONFERENCE Jan. 18-20 Savannah Riverfront Marriott
Savannah
This “must attend” dairy event provides producers and businesses the chance to network with each other and industry leaders. Dairymen from Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, New York and Virginia have attended this conference in the past. Visit www.gadairyconference.com for complete details about the exciting lineup of conference speakers and to register. Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. staff is working to ensure safety protocols are in place to minimize the spread of germs at the event. Masks will be mandatory as the City of Savannah has an ordinance requiring their use. The Savannah Riverfront Marriott is offering room rates at $137. Reservation deadline for rooms is Dec. 27. Individuals should call the hotel at 800285-0398 for reservations. We are closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation and will follow the advice and recommendations of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Governor of Georgia. 45TH ANNUAL GEORGIA PEANUT FARM SHOW & CONFERENCE Jan. 20, 2021 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tifton Jan. 21, 2021 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tifton Don't miss out on the 45th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show & Conference, set for Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 20-21, 2021, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. Peanut farmers and those involved in the peanut industry will be able to learn more about the latest products, services and peanut research at the show, which is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission. For more information, visit www.gapeanuts.com. FARM BUREAU ART & ESSAY CONTESTS Feb. 26, 2021 deadline to submit entries to county offices County Farm Bureau chapters across the state are accepting entries to the 2021 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Middle School Essay and High School Art Contests. GFB’s Certified Farm Markets are the focus of both contests. Middle school students entering the essay contest are being asked to discuss how GFB Certified Farm Markets and agritourism in general benefit farmers and consumers. High schoolers entering the art contest should draw a scene depicting one of the almost 80 GFB Certified Farm Markets located across Georgia. Students may enter the contests in the county in which they live or attend school but not both. To enter either contest, students should contact their county Farm Bureau for an official entry form and complete contest rules. County Farm Bureau contest winners will be entered in GFB district competition. All entries must be officially submitted by a county Farm Bureau to the Georgia Farm Bureau home office. All entries must be received at local county Farm Bureau offices by Feb. 26, 2021; county Farm Bureaus must submit their county winners to GFB for state judging by March 12, 2021. Visit www.gfb.ag/21artcontest or www.gfb.ag/21essaycontest for contest details.
GFB Field Notes page 12 of 12 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.