Georgia Farm Bureau's December 12 Field Notes

December 12, 2019

www.gfb.org

Vol. 1 No. 12

GEORGIA FARM BUREAU HOLDS 82ND ANNUAL CONVENTION Georgia farmers and agribusiness leaders from across the state met on Jekyll Island Dec. 8-10 for the 82nd Annual Georgia Farm Bureau Convention. The three-day event included a trade show and educational sessions that briefed farmers on policy and production issues affecting Georgia’s major commodities.

GFB President Gerald Long delivered his annual address during the general session on Dec. 9.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Dist. 1) and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black also addressed convention attendees While delivering his annual address to GFB members, GFB President Long discussed the many ways the organization is working on behalf of Georgia farmers and rural residents.

Farmers and small business owners have long struggled to obtain affordable health care. Long said the organization is now able to offer health insurance for small businesses with 50 employees or less and sole proprietors.

“For decades our members have asked for reasonably priced health insurance, but that goal was elusive. Now, through a partnership with Anthem, formerly Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia, we can offer it,” Long said.

Farm Bureau’s motto has long been “The Voice of Georgia Farmers” as it has advocated for farmers in the legislative arena.

Long noted that Farm Bureau secured a victory in September for landowners when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers repealed the “Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS)” rule it first issued in 2015. Farm Bureau opposed the rule on grounds that it constituted regulatory overreach and deviated from two Supreme Court rulings in regard to defining federally regulated waterways versus waters that are solely under state authority.

“A new WOTUS rule is currently being developed which is more respectful of private property rights,” Long said.

GFB is currently working to ensure that Georgia farmers maintain the “Right to Farm,” as urban development moves into rural areas. “Right to Repair” is another issue GFB is addressing to secure the rights of farmers to work on farm equipment that has high-tech features.

With the 2020 U.S. Census set to begin soon, Long urged farmers and rural residents to -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 2 of 13 Continued from previous page participate.

“Every ten years, the census determines funding for federal agencies and programs important to rural Georgia. This count also determines the number of seats Georgia will have in Congress and other important positions,” Long said. “In the coming months we will activate the ‘You Farm. You Count’ campaign to make sure rural Georgia is properly counted, represented and funded.”

Long also encouraged farmers and rural residents to educate all candidates running in 2020 elections about the issues that impact agriculture and rural Georgia.

“When the November 2020 election is upon us, all the candidates, whether they are Democrat or Republican, must have a strong understanding and appreciation for the importance of agriculture,” Long said. “That’s the challenge before us. We must educate these candidates before the election.”

Long also discussed three ways GFB is investing in Georgia agriculture. After Hurricane Michael, GFB created a Hurricane Michael Relief Fund that collected $665,000. In April, GFB distributed all of the donations to Georgia farmers who submitted applications demonstrating they suffered damages or losses that wouldn’t be covered by traditional disaster aid.

In 2018 and 2019, GFB has invested $150,000 in agricultural research addressing production issues Georgia farmers are facing on their farms. Long announced that GFB will invest another $125,000 in ag research in 2020.

The GFB Mobile Ag Classroom that Long announced at last year’s convention is in the process of being constructed and is expected to be unveiled at next year’s convention, Long said.

“For many years, county Farm Bureau across the state have urged our organization to start a Mobile Ag Classroom. The unit is under construction right now, so it is going to happen. Our organization will make its way across the state educating children about agriculture.”

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Dist.1) welcomed GFB members to his district and provided an update on action Congress has taken on key ag issues in the past year. Carter said he thinks changes the Department of Labor has proposed to the H-2A program will help farmers secure migrant workers they need to harvest their crops. Carter praised the DOL for converting the program from a paper system to online saying this will streamline the application and approval process for farmers trying to secure migrant workers.

“If a farmer is expecting three hundred workers and if Homeland Security suspects five of these employees, they currently hold up all of the workers,” Carter said. “This is the type of thing we’re expressing that we need help with and I think we’re getting positive action.”

He said negotiations led by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida are taking place to secure better provisions for fruit and vegetable growers under the pending United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

“We’re trying to make sure that fruit and vegetable growers are taken care of in this agreement,” Carter said.

Carter said he hopes the U.S. House will vote on and pass USMCA before the end of the year.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Senate will not vote on the agreement until sometime in the new year.

Carter also discussed his support of the Forest Recovery Act, which would amend U.S. tax code to give a deduction to landowners who lose uncut timber due to natural disasters.

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GFB Field Notes page 3 of 13 Continued from previous page “Georgia is the number one forestry state in the nation,” Carter said. “The Forest Recovery Act will help forest owners who suffer a catastrophic event by assuring them they can get a tax deduction that takes the fair market value of the uncut timber into consideration.”

Per the proposed legislation, the tax deduction may not be less than the difference between the fair market value of uncut timber immediately before a loss occurs and the salvage value of the harvested timber.

Carter also discussed his work on the U.S. House Select Committee on Climate Crisis, established in January 2019 that is charged with delivering climate policy recommendations to Congress to achieve reductions in pollution and other activities that contribute to climate change.

“I wanted to bring a reasonable, rational, common sense approach to addressing climate change,” Carter said. “I have been a voice for the rural community and ag community.”

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black discussed the status of the state block grant the USDA has allocated for Georgia to help farmers with crop losses from Hurricane Michael not covered by other USDA disaster programs, such as the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+).

Ag Commissioner Black discusses disaster funding disbursal & hemp production guidelines Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black discussed the status of the state block grant the USDA has allocated for Georgia to help farmers with crop losses from Hurricane Michael not covered by other USDA disaster programs, such as the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+).

Black said Georgia is receiving $347 million in block grant funds to help beef, dairy, nursery, pecan, poultry, timber and vegetable producers affected by Hurricane Michael.

“I believe we’re very close to signing a contract with the USDA for the state block grant,” Black said. “We have vendors waiting to distribute the funds as soon as the contract is signed.”

Farmers with eligible commodities in counties that received disaster designations due to Hurricane Michael will sign up for block grant funds online only, Black said, adding he expects the website www.farmrecovery.com to be live within three weeks of the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) signing the contract with USDA. The GDA plans to publicize the signup period before it begins taking applications. The enrollment period is expected to last 21 calendar days.

On Nov. 8, the USDA announced $800 million in state block grants for ag losses in Georgia, Alabama and Florida from Hurricanes Michael and Florence in 2018. The block grants were authorized under the $3 billion Disaster Relief Act (DRA) of 2019 signed into law in June to help producers nationwide recover from 2018 and 2019 disasters. DRA includes WHIP+ and programs for loss of milk and stored commodities.

Black also outlined the GDA timeline for implementing Georgia’s guidelines for growing industrial hemp, which the 2018 farm bill made a legal crop nationwide.

Per federal regulations, industrial hemp must contain less than 0.3 % tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component of marijuana that produces a “high.” The two most common uses of hemp are cosmetics and cannabidiol (CBD) oil. Hemp fibers are used in fabrics, paper, carpeting, construction materials and auto parts.

On July 10 the GDA issued proposed rules for growers and processors of industrial hemp, in -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 4 of 13 Continued on previous page accordance with the 2018 farm bill and the Georgia Hemp Farming Act passed during the 2019 session of the Georgia General Assembly to comply with federal statue. GDA developed the rules in consultation with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

“The thirty-day comment period [for the July 10 proposed rules] came back with some very good suggestions. It set us so we have another set of rules to get back out to you. That’s about to happen,” Black said.

Georgia is still waiting on the USDA to approve the state plan it submitted in July, Black said.

The USDA released its proposed regulatory rules to manage hemp production nationwide in late October. Georgia’s rules must be compliant with the USDA rules.

“We [Georgia] have to be in compliance. We have to have an approved plan from USDA. We turned in our plan July 10. We do not have the approved plan from USDA. That is paramount to everything that has to take place between now and hopefully 2020. We’ve gone as far as we can go with respect to predicting what we think the federal government is going to do and then how we can make our state law fit.”

The final GDA rules for hemp production will establish requirements for licensing, recordkeeping, inspections and sampling of hemp to determine THC levels, standards for storage and transportation. The proposed rules include a sample list of violations that would be subject to enforcement under the Georgia Hemp Farming Act and other state laws.

The Georgia Hemp Farming Act sets a standard for concentration of delta-9-THC at a maximum 0.3%. The proposed rules allow for the destruction of hemp that has concentrations higher than 0.3%.

Black said the state of Georgia has set no limit on the number of industrial hemp producers or processors, but anyone who applies for a state permit to grow or process hemp will have to pass background checks and pay for licenses.

Black said its common knowledge that some hemp enthusiasts jumped the gun on growing hemp before federal and state guidelines have been implemented. He said this will be addressed by state legislators in the upcoming General Assembly.

“We must have changes in Georgia law to make it a crime to grow hemp without a permit,” Black said.

GEORGIA FARM BUREAU PRESENTS STATE AWARDS Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) recognized the best of the organization’s volunteers and county chapters during its 82nd annual convention on Jekyll Island. The state award winners were honored for the programs they completed this past year to promote agriculture.

“Volunteer members are the lifeblood of our organization. They do a lot, from reading to students at local schools to attending county commission meetings and visiting with elected officials at all levels,” GFB President Gerald Long said. “Our volunteers drive GFB forward, promoting agriculture in a wide variety of ways. None of Farm Bureau’s work on behalf of Georgia farmers would be possible without a large and committed network of volunteers. We’re extremely proud of the work all of them do on our behalf, and we congratulate the individual award winners, -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 5 of 13 Continued from previous page county volunteers and staff who received state awards.”

GFB named a McKemie Award winner - the highest honor given to a county Farm Bureau in recognition of its overall member programs - from each of its three membership categories. Bacon County Farm Bureau, whose president is David Lee, received the McKemie Award for the small membership category. Polk County Farm Bureau, whose president is James Casey, won the McKemie Award for the medium membership category. Franklin County Farm Bureau, whose president is Michael Thomason, received the award in the large membership category. The McKemie Award is a memorial to former GFB President W.J. McKemie.

Finalists for the McKemie competition, listed alphabetically, in the small membership category were: Crawford, Heard, Jasper, Macon, Treutlen, Turner and Upson counties. Finalists in the medium membership category were: Berrien, Decatur, Greene, Jeff Davis, Pike, Screven, Stephens, Toombs and Troup counties. Finalists in the large membership category were: Banks, Cherokee, Cobb, Coffee, Habersham, Henry, Paulding, Newton and Walker counties.

Other state awards presented were the: Outstanding Promotion & Education Award received by Franklin County Farm Bureau; Outstanding Women’s Leadership Committee Award received by Franklin County Farm Bureau; Outstanding Legislative Committee Award received by Mitchell County Farm Bureau; and Outstanding Young Farmer Committee Award received by Polk County Farm Bureau.

Staci Waters, the Barrow County Farm Bureau (BCFB) office manager, received the organization’s Outstanding Office Manager Award. Waters, who has been employed with BCFB since 2013, was recognized for the work she has done to promote agriculture and Farm Bureau in her local community. Waters is responsible for coordinating BCFB’s agricultural advocacy and Ag in the Classroom activities throughout the year.

Diana Cole, an elementary teacher in Barrow County, received GFB’s Georgia Agriculture in the Classroom 2019 Teacher of the Year Award. Cole, who teaches second through fourth grades at Statham Elementary School, was recognized for incorporating information about agriculture into her reading, writing, math, science and social studies lessons to teach her students how agriculture impacts their daily lives. She received a $500 award and an expense-paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 2020.

Jeff Lamb of Turner County won the 2019 GFB Quality Hay Contest, which was open to any Georgia Farm Bureau member who produces Bermudagrass hay. Samples of hay entered in the contest were tested at the University of Georgia Testing Lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which predicts fiber digestibility and the likeliness livestock will eat the hay. Lamb’s winning Russell hay had an RFQ rating of 155.57. He won the free use of a Vermeer TM1200 Trailed Mower for one year courtesy of the Vermeer Manufacturing Company with the option to purchase the mower at a reduced price at the end of the year.

GFB also recognized its Young Farmers & Ranchers competitive event winners, who were announced during the YF&R Summer Leadership Conference in July. The YF&R winners are: Preston and Kendall Jimmerson, of Colquitt County, who won the GFB 2019 YF&R Achievement Award; Rachel and Jason Kinsaul, of Morgan County, who are the 2019 GFB YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award recipients; Kaitlyn Marchant, of Morgan County, who won the 2019 YF&R Discussion Meet; and Walt Pridgen, of Coffee County, who was voted the GFB YF&R Member of the Year.

GFB Field Notes page 6 of 13 GFB ELECTS 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Johnson designated GFB 1st Vice President Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) voting delegates elected the organization’s 2020 board of directors Dec. 10 during the 82nd Annual GFB Convention held on Jekyll Island.

GFB President Gerald Long begins the last year of his second two-year term as GFB President.

Long, of Bainbridge, raises cattle and grows peanuts, vegetables, corn, cotton, hay, small grains and timber with his family on their farm near Bainbridge. He has served on the GFB Board of Directors in various roles since 1999 and is a Decatur County Farm Bureau director. In addition to his Farm Bureau leadership, Long is a member of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and is a past treasurer of the Georgia Beef Board.

GFB members in the organization’s South Georgia Region re-elected Daniel Johnson of Pierce County to represent their region on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors for his second three-year term. Johnson was also designated as the organization’s 1st vice president by all GFB voting delegates. The GFB South Georgia Region 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’s 10th 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.

Robert Fountain Jr. of Emanuel County continues to represent the organization’s Middle Georgia region on the GFB Board of Directors in the second year of his fourth consecutive threeyear term. The GFB Middle Georgia Region includes 56 county Farm Bureaus in the middle third of Georgia. 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.

Bernard Sims of Catoosa County continues to serve as the GFB North Georgia vice president.

Sims begins the third year of his fourth three-year term. The GFB North Georgia Region includes 49 county Farm Bureaus in the northern third of Georgia. Sims serves as the Catoosa County Farm Bureau president. He grows turf grass, small grains, strawberries and hay, and raises cattle.

Leighton Cooley of Crawford County was elected unopposed to a two-year term on the GFB Board of Directors, representing the 5th District. Cooley replaces Ralph Adamson of Lamar County, who stepped down from the state board after 13 years of service. Cooley and his wife, Brenda, run Cooley Family Farms in partnership with his parents, Larry and Terri, raising broilers, cattle and hay.

The following were re-elected unopposed to serve two-year terms on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors: 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, 4th 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.

GFB directors beginning the second year of the two-year terms they were elected to in 2018 are: Wesley Hall of Forsyth County, 1st District; Randy Ruff of Elbert County, 2nd District; Nora Goodman of Paulding County, 3rd District; Skeetter McCorkle of McDuffie County, 4th District; -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 7 of 13 Continued from previous page 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.

Will Godowns of Pike County was named chairman of the GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee. Heather Cabe of Franklin County was named chairman of the GFB Women’s Leadership Committee. Each will serve a one-year term as committee chairmen and will sit on the GFB Board of Directors.

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.

Delegates also voted on policy that will direct the organization’s stance on legislative issues pertaining to agriculture in the coming year.

GFB HARVEST FOR ALL RAISES $22,924 FOR GA FOOD BANK ASSOCIATION For the 10th straight year, Georgia Farm Bureau supported the Georgia Food Bank Association by making a financial donation during the 82nd Annual Georgia Farm Bureau Annual Convention, held Dec. 8-10 on Jekyll Island. Funds for the $22,924 donation were raised through Farm Bureau’s Harvest for All campaign, which included donations from county Farm Bureaus, the organization’s state office, and the GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee’s “Calf’s Weight in Change” drive earlier this year.

“While we are blessed to have an abundance of food in America, too many among us still struggle to acquire enough food to sustain good health,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long. “We are happy to continue supporting the Georgia Food Bank Association and its programs through our Harvest for All donation.”

According to the Georgia Food Bank Association, food banks on average can provide four meals for every dollar they receive, meaning GFB’s donation will provide almost 100,000 meals.

The USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), in its report, “Household Food Insecurity in the United States in 2018,” shows an average of 11.3 percent of Georgia households (approximately 1.1 million people) experienced food insecurity over the three-year period from 2016 to 2018, meaning that during that time those households experienced periods where their diets were reduced in quality, variety or desirability, or they had disrupted eating patterns or reduced food intake. ERS reported food insecurity in 11.1 percent (14.3 million) of households nationwide in 2018. Food insecurity has been linked to a variety of chronic health issues. The full report is available here.

Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap interactive tool, which tracks county-level hunger statistics, showed that 98 of Georgia’s 159 counties had food insecurity in more than 15 percent of their households. In Clay, Dougherty, Randolph and Terrell counties, more than 25 percent of households experienced food insecurity in 2017, the most recent year for which statistics are cited in the Map the Meal Gap report. Clay County had the highest household food insecurity rate in the -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 8 of 13 Continued from previous page state, at 27.4 percent.

The Map the Meal Gap report indicated 1,501,680 food insecure people in Georgia in 2017, or 14.4 percent of the state’s total population. Nationally, the report estimated more than 40 million food insecure people.

Long and GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee Chairman Ben Cagle presented the check to Georgia Food Bank Association Executive Director Danah Craft. The GFB Young Farmer Committee coordinated the Harvest for All Campaign.

In addition to helping with purchases of high-protein foods like chicken and peanut butter, donated money helps the GFBA offset costs associated with collecting and distributing food donations.

“We are grateful to the Young Farmers and Ranchers for their leadership in Georgia,” Craft said. “Harvest for All provides critical resources to the regional food banks, with the added benefit of making more farmers aware that they can donate to food banks in several ways. Georgia farmers generously donated more than 16 million pounds of fresh, nourishing produce to our network this year through the Farm to Food Bank Program."

The GFBA started its Farm to Foodbank program in 2014, through which it accepts food donations directly from farmers, who give nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables that grocery chains won’t buy for aesthetic reasons. Donations of food by Georgia’s farmers provide millions of meals each year, which the GFBA attributes to its affiliation with Georgia Farm Bureau.

Georgia Farm Bureau’s Harvest for All donation will have a statewide impact. The Georgia Food Bank Association distributes the funds to America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia in Savannah, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank (Food Bank of Northwest Georgia), Feeding the Valley in Columbus, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens, Golden Harvest in Augusta, the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank in Macon and Second Harvest of South Georgia in Valdosta. To see which counties each food bank serves, click here.

Past Harvest for All campaigns have solicited direct donations of food. Since 2004, GFB has coordinated 14 Harvest for All campaigns through which GFB members across the state donated about 49,000 pounds of staple food items and more than $220,000 in cash donations distributed to the food banks located throughout Georgia affiliated with Feeding America.

JEFF LAMB WINS 2019 GFB HAY CONTEST GFB announced the winners of the 2019 GFB Quality Hay Contest in the Hay Committee commodity meeting during the GFB Convention.

Jeff Lamb of Turner County won the contest. Lamb's sample of Russell Bermuda hay achieved a relative forage quality (RFQ) score of 155.57. Lamb will receive the use of a Vermeer TM1200 trailed mower for a year, courtesy of Vermeer Manufacturing, and hats from Mason Tractor Company.

Ronnie Hadden of Glascock County (Coastal Hay, RFQ 148.61) finished second and won a $200 gift card courtesy of GFB and a hay sample probe courtesy of the GFB Hay Committee. Neal Pannell (Tift 85, RFQ 147.23) of Walton County placed third and received a $100 gift card courtesy of GFB and three bundles of baler twine courtesy of B&B Farm Services. Carlton Hale -continued on next page

GFB Field Notes page 9 of 13 Continued from previous page of Oconee County (Alicia, RFQ 139.16) finished fourth and was awarded a $100 gift card courtesy of GFB and two bundles of baler twine courtesy of B&B Farm Services. Jimbo Crumley of Morgan County (Tift 85, RFQ 132.32) came in fifth and received a $100 gift card courtesy of GFB. Mason Tractor Company gave hats to all of the GFB Hay Contest winners.

USE GFB CFM FARM PASSPORT TO GET TASTY HOLIDAY TREATS AND GIFTS! In need of Christmas decor? Looking for gift ideas? Would you like to complete your holiday shopping and qualify for cool prizes at the same time?

The Georgia Farm Bureau Certified Farm Markets Farm Passport lets you do all three!

The Farm Passport is available at GFB county offices and at the 67 farms participating in the GFB Certified Farm Markets (CFM) program.

Christmas trees, holiday treats and gifts are all available through the 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 live out your love of exploring Georgia, supporting local farms and eating fresh.

Passport travelers will discover where their food comes from, meet the people who grow it, and see our state’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 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. 10, 2020.

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 a GFB insulated tumbler. A collection of 15 stamps will qualify for a $15 gift certificate to the CFM of 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.

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. Email cfm@gfb.org for questions.

GFB Field Notes page 10 of 13 USDA EXTENDS DEADLINES FOR DAIRY, TRADE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS Dec. 20 new signup deadline Due to the prolonged and extensive impacts of weather events this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended the deadline to December 20 for producers to enroll in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program for the 2020 calendar year. The deadline had been December 13. USDA announced is also continuing to accept applications for the Market Facilitation Program through December 20. Authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and available through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), the DMC program offers reasonably priced protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. The Market Facilitation Program is part of a relief strategy to support American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets to help American farmers compete globally. MFP payments are aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. For more information, visit the DMC webpage, the MFP webpage or your local USDA service center. To locate your local FSA office, visit www.farmers.gov/service-locator.

SIGN-UP FOR TIMBER TAX CREDIT FOR HURRICANE LOSSES ENDS SOON Applications for the Hurricane Michael Georgia Timber Tax Credit are being taken online by the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) at www.gfb.ag/timbertaxcredit through Dec. 31. The tax credit applies to forest landowners with timber damage from Hurricane Michael within the 28-county state-declared disaster area who plan to replant or restore acreage for the production of forest products or ecological services. Landowners who applied and were preapproved in the first round that ended May 31 need not reapply. The tax credit is designed to assist in offsetting up to $400 per acre of timber fair market value losses.

2020 GEORGIA/FLORIDA SOYBEAN/SMALL GRAIN EXPO Jan. 8, 2020 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry The Soybean/Small Grain Expo will provide marketing projections and the newest production techniques, as well as remarks from University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences leaders. Attendees are invited to visit with exhibitors showcasing the latest in new varieties, pest control and more. To register for the Expo call 706-542-3793.

Registration is $10 until Jan. 3 and $20 after. Attend and receive pesticide applicator credits for commercial categories 21 (Agricultural Plant), 25 (Seed Treatment) and two hours for private applicators.

GFB Field Notes page 11 of 13 2020 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL FRUIT & VEGETABLE GROWERS CONFERENCE Jan. 9-12 Savannah International Trade Center Savannah The Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference is the largest educational conference and trade show in the southeastern United States that unites growers, vendors and suppliers. The conference features more than 70 hours of commodity-specific seminars for peaches, vegetables, Vidalia onions, watermelons, muscadine, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.

There are also sessions on business operations, food safety, roadside markets, organic production and precision ag technology. For more information on hotels, educational sessions or to register for the 2019 SE Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, visit www.seregionalconference.org or call 877-994-3842.

TOWALIGA SWCD ANNOUNCES CONSERVATION EDUCATION INITIATIVE Jan. 14, 2020 deadline to apply The Towaliga Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) is offering funding for educators and other public organizations to install raised garden beds on site. This financial and technical assistance opportunity is available to schools, 4-H educators and other educational partners within the Towaliga SWCD service area, including Butts, Fayette, Monroe, Pike, Spalding and Upson counties. Each project application considered is eligible for $650 in project funding. Project sites will be inspected prior to full application review by the Towaliga SWCD Board of Supervisors.

These site inspections will occur between Jan. 16 and 30, 2020, A project coordinator/lead should be available for a meeting between these dates. Paper copies are available at county Extension offices. For more information, contact Towaliga SWCD Program Coordinator Wesley Doyle at wesley.doyle@gacd.us for an electronic copy of the application. All applications and required materials must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2020. Partially completed applications or those submitted without the requested supporting paperwork will not be considered for funding.

44TH ANNUAL GA PEANUT FARM SHOW & CONFERENCE Jan. 16, 2020 UGA-Tifton Campus Conference Center 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Tifton Don't miss out on the 44th Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show & Conference. 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. The event features the UGA Peanut Production Seminars and the industry-sponsored Peanut Seed Seminar, as well as the annual awards ceremony and door prizes for farmers. The Georgia Peanut Commission will hold a blood drive through OneBlood during the show. January is Blood Donor Month, so help save a life by donating during the Farm Show. All donors receive a FREE gift and wellness screening including cholesterol, iron and blood pressure check. Give the gift of life donate blood! Donors can stop by the blood mobile bus any time during the show. For more information visit www.gfb.ag/20GAPnutFarmShow or contact Hannah Jones at 229-386-3470 or hannah@gapeanuts.com.

GFB Field Notes page 12 of 13 2020 GEORGIA DAIRY CONFERENCE Jan. 19-22 Marriott Savannah Riverfront Savannah The annual Georgia Dairy Conference includes educational sessions covering robotic milking, milk quality, marketing, a trade show with more than 80 companies exhibiting and much more!

Registration to attend is free for Georgia dairy farmers. Indiana farmer and motivational speaker Damian Mason will present the keynote address. Visit www.gfb.ag/2020gadairyconf to register.

For a complete speaker agenda and information on special rate for accommodations, visit our website at www.gadairyconference.com.

GEORGIA COTTON COMMISSION 12TH ANNUAL MEETING Jan. 30, 2020 UGA-Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton The Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting is held in conjunction with the UGA Cotton Production Workshop conducted by the UGA Research & Extension Cotton Team. The workshop will feature breakout sessions where attendees will learn the latest technical production strategies from researchers whose projects are funded by the Commission’s research program. The Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting will follow the breakout sessions and feature speakers from several industry organizations. The program speakers are Southern Cotton Growers Vice President Lee Cromley, National Cotton Council Vice Chairman Michael Tate and Cotton Council International Executive Director Bruce Atherly. Following the program, the GCC will host a lunch where door prizes will be given away. The meeting, production workshop, and lunch are open to cotton growers and anyone interested in the cotton industry. The UGA Cotton Production Workshop breakout sessions will be repeated after lunch. There is no charge to attend. Preregistration is requested to help with meal plans. To register, call (229) 386-3416.

USDA 1890 NATIONAL SCHOLARS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY The 2020 scholarship application cycle is open for the USDA/1890 National Scholars Program.

The program aims to increase the number of students studying agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, and other agriculture-related disciplines. All application materials must be postmarked by Jan. 31, 2020. Visit www.gfb.ag/1890hsapp for the 2020 high school application and www.gfb.ag/1890sophapp for the the 2020 college application. For other questions, email 1890init@usda.gov.

GACD OFFERING $1,500 SCHOLARSHIP Feb. 1, 2020 deadline to apply The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) awards one $1,500 scholarship each year to a student majoring in, or intending to major in, a soil and water conservation-related area.

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 need financial assistance.

There will be no discrimination on basis of race, sex, or religion. To apply, please fill out the following scholarship application and email to info@gacd.us. Applications are due by Feb. 1, 2020. To access the application visit www.gfb.ag/2020GACDscholarship.

GFB Field Notes page 13 of 13 WEST GEORGIA SMALL FARM CONFERENCE Feb. 26-27, 2020 West Georgia Technical College Waco This event, free to the first 120 to register, is co-hosted by the Chestatee RC&D Council, Carroll County Young Farmers and the UGA Cooperative Extension in Carroll and Haralson counties.

Featured exhibits include small ruminants, crop scheduling, honeybees/pollinators, business practices and more. Todd Anduze of the UGA Small Business Development Center will give the keynote address. For more information or to register call 770-836-8546. The deadline to register is Feb. 17, 2020.