Feb. 20, 2019
www.gfb.org
Vol. 37 No. 4
GFB MEMBERS PUSH AG ISSUES AT STATE CAPITOL Georgia Farm Bureau members visited the state capitol on Feb. 12, working to keep state legislators focused on issues that affect agriculture, including taxes and the state budget, natural resources and environment, animal agriculture and other topics important to the Georgia’s farmers. Gov. Brian Kemp spoke to the GFB group at lunch, pledging continued support for farmers and ranchers in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. “I just want you to know that my commitment is that we’re not going to forget,” Kemp said. “It will continue to be on our minds as we go through this long recovery. But I know that we can rebuild and revive south and southwest Georgia.” Almost 500 GFB members representing 87 counties made the trip to reinforce messages delivered by GFB staff throughout the legislative session. “The relationships that our Public Policy Department has inside the capitol are directly related to the relationships you have at home,” GFB President Long said. “Very few organizations can bring this many people to the capitol to advocate for their cause, and you should be proud of your efforts here today.” GFB urged legislators to protect the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE) and the Conservation Use Value Assessment (CUVA) and expressed support of funding for research that helps farmers. Farm Bureau members voiced support for preservation and enhancement of “right to farm” laws that shield producers from frivolous nuisance lawsuits and for protecting agricultural access to water. Kemp said he would focus on rural Georgia by addressing farmers’ concerns as well as needs in rural communities. “I believe that a successful rural Georgia is not possible without successful farm families and farm agribusinesses,” Kemp said. “You are, and the people you’re working with are, the backbone of our state’s economy.”
GFB News Alert page 2 of 10 GFB SIGNS ONTO LETTER PUSHING FOR FEDERAL DISASTER AID On Feb. 14, Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black sent a letter to members of Georgia’s U.S. congressional delegation seeking federal disaster assistance funding for farms and communities that suffered devastating losses when Hurricane Michael blew through southwest Georgia last October. Georgia Farm Bureau and 21 other agricultural organizations signed the letter, which was accompanied by a petition signed by more than 2,600 Georgians urging action on disaster relief. Kemp and Black emphasized that the state has responded in an unprecedented way, but that “far too many families face heightened uncertainty approaching this planting season.” They went on to request that the state’s congressional delegation “utilize every sphere of influence, expand every previous limit of compromise, and exhaust every pathway of negotiation to ensure swift fulfillment of promises made to – and heard by – our producers and rural communities.” The letter followed passage of the compromise funding bill to keep the federal government open, which did not include disaster assistance funding. The bill, House Joint Resolution 31, passed by a 300-128 vote in the U.S. House and 83-16 in the U.S. Senate. Georgia’s House delegation was split, with Sanford Bishop (D-2nd District), Drew Ferguson (R-3rd District), Hank Johnson (D-4th District), John Lewis (D-5th District), Lucy McBath (D-6th District), David Scott (D-13th District) and Rob Woodall (R-7th District) voting for it. Georgia Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue both voted in favor of the funding bill. On Feb. 15 Isakson and Perdue issued a joint statement saying they would introduce a disaster funding bill when Congress reconvenes on Feb. 25. GEORGIA PRODUCTION DECLINES IN MOST MAJOR CROPS Georgia corn producers increased their production by 16 percent from 2017 to 2018, but most other major crops fell off in 2018, according to the Southern Region Annual Crop Production report released Feb. 8 by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The state’s corn growers produced 50.2 million bushels in 2018, up from 43.1 million bushels in 2017. Sorghum production in Georgia also grew, from 648,000 bushels in 2017 to 795,000 bushels in 2018. Georgia cotton growers, hit hard by Hurricane Michael in October, had what some thought would be a record crop but turned into a production decline. In 2017, Georgia growers produced 2.225 million bales. They increased overall acreage in 2018, and in early October, before Hurricane Michael, NASS forecast a crop of 2.9 million bales. The hurricane and subsequent rains reduced yield by 150 pounds per acre. NASS reported the 2018 cotton production at 1.95 million bales. Peanut growers cut acreage by 21 percent but increased yield to 4,450 pounds per acre and produced 2.89 billion pounds in 2018, a decline of 19 percent from 2017, when Georgia peanut production totaled 3.57 billion pounds. Hay production fell from 1.798 million tons in 2017 to 1.740 million tons in 2018, a decline of 3 percent. Georgia’s hay stocks fell from 1.24 million tons in 2017 to 1.18 million tons in 2018, a 5 percent drop. Georgia soybean production slipped from 6.3 million bushels in 2017 to 5.4 million bushels in 2018, a decline of 14 percent. Georgia tobacco production fell by 10 percent, from 26.25 million pounds in 2017 to 23.75 million pounds in 2018.
GFB News Alert page 3 of 10 EPA, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PUBLISH REVISED WOTUS RULE The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published the revised “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule in the Federal Register on Feb. 14, and the agencies are accepting public comments on the rule. During a Feb. 6 visit to McCorkle Nurseries in McDuffie County, Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler outlined the components of the new definition, as well as pointing out things defined as not being part of WOTUS. The definition has six components: traditional navigable waters; tributaries to those waters, certain ditches that were constructed to be navigable or tributaries; certain lakes and ponds, impoundments and wetlands adjacent to any of the other five components. Wheeler noted key non-WOTUS features: those that only contain water during or in response to a rainfall; ground water; many ditches, including roadside and farm ditches; prior converted cropland and stormwater control and wastewater treatment features. The two agencies originally announced the rulemaking in December, but the public comment process was delayed by the federal government shutdown. The deadline to submit comments is April 15. To read the proposed rule or submit a comment, visit https://gfb.ag/commentsrevisedwotus. CHEROKEE CO. FARM BUREAU RECEIVES WHITE-REINHARDT MINI-GRANT Cherokee County Farm Bureau (CCFB) is one of seven recipients of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s Spring 2019 mini-grants. The foundation awarded more than $9,000 in mini-grants to communities across the nation through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education program. CCFB, which was awarded a $1,000 grant, plans to install elevated beds to make a school sensory garden wheelchair-accessible. Hanging planters will incorporate vertical gardening and a composting bin will teach students about decomposers and the food web. The White-Reinhardt grants are allocated through county Farm Bureaus and are used to create new agricultural literacy projects or expand existing agricultural literacy efforts. Criteria for selecting winners included: the effectiveness of demonstrating a strong connection between agriculture and education; how successfully the project enhances learner engagement in today’s food, fiber and fuel systems; and the processes and timelines for accomplishing project goals. The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education is a project of the foundation in cooperation with the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. The fund honors two former committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were trailblazers in early national efforts to expand the outreach of agricultural education and improve agricultural literacy. Applications for a second round of mini-grants will be accepted in the spring with recipients announced in the fall. Visit www.agfoundation.org/projects/mini-grants-home for more information on the mini-grants, including application information for fall 2019 mini-grants.
GFB News Alert page 4 of 10 REINKE OPENS NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN GEORGIA Reinke Manufacturing announced on Feb. 4 that it is opening an expanded parts distribution center in Tifton. The facility will serve growers in the southeast and northeast regions of the United States, according to a company press release. The distribution center will give Reinke dealers the ability to deliver state-of-the-art irrigation technology and equipment to farmers faster than ever before. “Increasing the responsiveness of the Reinke dealer network is our goal,” said Mark Mesloh, vice president of sales for North America. “By expanding what this facility offers, we are now able to provide parts to these regions without waiting for them to ship from our manufacturing center. This will make it easier for farmers to get the equipment they need to help improve their crop yields faster.” Reinke operates two other distribution centers in the U.S. – one in Amarillo, Texas, serving the southwest, and the other in Burley, Idaho, serving the northwest. Future Reinke distribution centers are under consideration in other regions. “I’m really excited about having the distribution center here in the southeast. The dealers in the southeast have grown our market share significantly and it was time for Reinke to take this step to demonstrate to our customers our commitment to them and their operations,” said Mike Mills, Reinke’s southeast territory manager. “Our dealers are going to have significantly better access to a wider array of repair materials and products, so that they can take care of customers in a matter of hours rather than days and get them going and growing.” For more information on Reinke or to find a dealer, visit www.reinke.com. JAMES VAUGHN RECEIVES NATIONAL CONSERVATION AWARD Monroe County farmer James Vaughn was named the 2019 “Friend of Conservation” by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) at their Annual Meeting Appreciation Banquet on February 5. This award recognizes an individual, business or agency for outstanding contributions to the conservation of our nation’s natural resources. Vaughn, owner and operator of Vaughn Farms, LP, was nominated for this honor by the Towaliga Conservation District and the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts. Vaughn Farms is a family-owned and operated cattle and forestry operation recognized for decades of farm conservation practices and sustainable development in Monroe County. The Vaughn family's decades-long partnership with the Towaliga Conservation District and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has led to preserving the family farm for decades to come and continues to highlight the benefits of the farm bill on the local level to farmers and producers throughout the state of Georgia. Vaughn gives a great deal of credit for his farm preservation and his knowledge of conservation to USDA-NRCS District Conservationist Carmen Westerfield out of the USDA Service Center in Barnesville. Westerfield has worked with Vaughn Farms for decades to design and implement longstanding conservation practices for the farm. The Towaliga Conservation District serves Butts, Fayette, Monroe, Pike, Spalding and Upson Counties, providing technical assistance, conservation education and community outreach to conserve the area’s natural resources for future generations. More information can be found at www.gacd.us/towaliga.
GFB News Alert page 5 of 10 NEW VERSION OF IRRIGATOR PRO SCHEDULING TOOL AVAILABLE FOR 2019 A new version of Irrigator Pro will be available for free in the upcoming 2019 crop season, the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District (FRSWC) recently announced. A team of partners has been working to update the Irrigator Pro platform to increase adoption and accessibility for growers. Now, Irrigator Pro is available to download as a smartphone application in the Apple iOS and Google Play stores. A new cloud-based website platform will also launch in 2019. Irrigator Pro is an irrigation scheduling tool for peanuts, corn, and cotton developed by the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Peanut Research Laboratory (Peanut Lab). Irrigator Pro is an expert system designed to provide recommendations based on scientific data resulting in conservation-minded irrigation management while maintaining high yields. The FRSWC, with funding from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), partnered with the Peanut Lab and University of Georgia (UGA) to develop a smartphone app and cloud-based web platform for Irrigator Pro. Farmers, crop consultants, Extension agents, and researchers across the Southeast have come to trust Irrigator Pro. The original version is a desktop software that requires manual reading of soil moisture sensors in the field and manual data entry. The new smartphone app and cloud platform have automated the data collection process, integrating remote upload of soil moisture, soil temperature, and rainfall data with Irrigator Pro through the app and cloud platform. The new version has been in beta testing for the last two crop seasons to ensure consistency and accuracy. In a 2018 study at the UGA Stripling Irrigation Research Park in Camilla, researchers evaluated several irrigation scheduling methods for peanuts. The new version of Irrigator Pro out-performed all of the treatments in yield and irrigation water use efficiency. Visit http://flintriverswcd.org/irrigator-pro to learn more about Irrigator Pro and for updates related to the new version. SAFETY: KNOW YOUR LIMITS IS AG SAFETY WEEK THEME Across the U.S., county and state Farm Bureaus are making safety a priority through the Agricultural Safety Awareness Program. As part of ASAP, March 3-9 has been designated as Agricultural Safety Awareness Week. U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers will join Farm Bureau in promoting the week with its theme “Safety: Know Your Limits.” A different safety focus will be highlighted each day of the week: March 4, Emergency Preparedness; March 5, Livestock; March 6, Heat Stress and Hydration; March 7, Roadway Safety and March 8, Hearing Safety. During this week and throughout the year, Farm Bureau is encouraging farmers to make safety a priority on the farm. The Agricultural Safety Awareness Program is a part of the Farm Bureau Health and Safety Network of professionals who share an interest in identifying and decreasing safety and health risks. For more information and resources, visit the ASAP Facebook page. Visit the Centers’ YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/USagCenters for new content and fresh ideas on how to stay safe while working in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Join the movement to keep farms safe and share your own safety messages on social media using the hashtags #KeepFarmsSafe, #ASAP19 and #USAgCenters. The 11 U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers (www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep/agctrhom.html) are funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 10 MAY 1 IS DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR CENTENNIAL FARM AWARD Is your farm at least 100 years old? If so, it is probably eligible for one of three awards the Georgia Centennial Farm program awards each fall. The Centennial Family Farm Award recognizes farms owned by members of the same family for at least 100 years. The Centennial Heritage Farm Award honors farms that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and owned by the same family for 100 years or more. The Centennial Farm Award doesn’t require continual family ownership, but farms must be at least 100 years old and listed in the NRHP. Farm owners interested in applying for the 2019 awards should visit www.georgiacentennialfarms.org or contact Sarah Love at 770-389-7856 or sarah.love@dnr.ga.gov.
GFB News Alert 7 of 10 UGA MASTER CATTLEMAN PROGRAM Through March 25 Brooks County Extension Mondays 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Quitman This training will feature UGA Extension specialists covering forage management, economics, herd management and much more. Participants will be provided a course notebook as well as a USB thumb drive covering all program topics. Participants completing at least six of the eight sessions will receive a certificate of completion and UGA Master Cattleman cap. Registration is $85 per person and includes a dinner each night. Registration may be mailed with checks made payable to Brooks County Extension to 400 E. Courtland Ave., Quitman, GA 31643 or you may contact the Brooks County Extension office at 229-263-4103 to register and pay via credit card over phone. For more information, contact the program coordinators Jason Duggin at jduggin@uga.edu or 706-624-1403, or Michasia Dowdy at michasia@uga.edu or 229-263-4103. USING PESTICIDES WISELY TRAINING Through April 18 Various locations There are 30 sessions at various locations around the state for producers to receive the Using Pesticides Wisely (UPW) training. UPW is required training for anyone applying Engenia, XtendiMax or FeXapan. Also, any person in charge of Enlist One and Enlist Duo in-crop applications must attend. The training will last about 2 hours, 15 minutes. Immediately afterward, there will be a 45 minute training for those individuals wanting to obtain a 2 year certified pesticide applicators license to apply Engenia, XtendiMax or FeXapan. Each location has limited capacity under local fire codes, and advance registration is required. For a complete list of training dates and locations, visit http://agr.georgia.gov/auxin-main.aspx. WATER MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS Feb. 22 Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center Blairsville March 5 Wayne County Extension Office Jesup April 3 Houston County Extension Office Perry May 7 Dougherty County Extension Office Albany May 13 Gordon County Extension Office Calhoun May 15 Cobb County Water Lab Marietta These free workshops will explain the efficiencies of impact sprinklers, drip irrigation systems, how to develop an Irrigation Water Management Plan and hands-on activities assembling basic irrigation systems. Each workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register online visit www.tinyurl.com/CRSSWater or contact Dr. Gary L. Hawkins at 706-310-3526 or 706-310-3464. BEEKEEPING SHORT COURSE Feb. 23 Henry County Farm Bureau office 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. McDonough The class will emphasize that anyone can be a beekeeper. Class topics will include: meet the honey bee colony, equipment assembly; where to get bees; smoker lighting; hive manipulation; extracting honey from hives and beekeeping issues. Cost of the class is $25 for those who pre-register. Cost day of event is $30. Class fee includes a yearlong family membership to the Henry County Beekeepers. For more information, contact Jerry Haygood at 770-461-6686 or jchayg1@attglobal.net or Tom Bonnell at 678-983-7698 or tombonnell@bellsouth.net. The Henry County Farm Bureau office is located at 117 Racetrack Road in McDonough.
GFB News Alert 8 of 10 3RD ANNUAL GEORGIA CITRUS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE Feb. 25 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tifton The annual conference for the GCA features sessions on citrus production needs, citrus pests, growers’ perspectives, consultant observations, disease, citrus economics and more. Tickets can be purchased online at www.gfb.ag/19Gacitrusconf. GFB FOUNDATION FOR AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIPS March 1 application deadline The Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for agriculture is offering $58,000 in scholarships to students pursuing careers in ag or a closely related field. Scholarships are available for college, technical college and UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. Visit www.gfb.ag/19scholarships for complete details and to apply. 2019 GFB MIDDLE SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST March 8 state deadline to enter The GFB Middle School Essay Contest is an opportunity for students to use their writing skills and knowledge or research of agriculture. The contest is open to all 6th, 7th and 8th graders in Georgia. The topic for this year’s contest is: What would happen if there were no farmers or ranchers? One winner will be selected in each of Georgia Farm Bureau’s 10 districts. Each district winner will receive a cash prize of $100. The state winner will be selected from these 10 district winners and will receive an additional cash prize of $150. Contact your county Farm Bureau for county entry deadline and more details. You can also find information on the GFB Foundation for Agriculture website: www.gfbfoundation.org/aitc_essay.html. The state deadline is March 8. 2019 GFB HIGH SCHOOL ART CONTEST March 8 state deadline to enter Attention, high school artists! Explore new directions in your artistic skills and enter our annual art contest. The contest is open to any high school student (grades 9 - 12) in Georgia. We’re looking for artwork that best represents modern agriculture found in the student's home county, or Georgia agriculture as a whole. From all entries received, 10 finalists will be named (one from each of Georgia Farm Bureau’s districts). One of those will be named the overall state winner, and two others will be named state runners up. Cash prizes will be awarded to all 10 finalists, and additional prizes for the state winner and runners up. Contact your county Farm Bureau for county entry deadline and more details. Visit www.gfbfoundation.org/aitc_art.html for more information. The state deadline is March 8.
GFB News Alert 9 of 10 PRODUCE SAFETY RULE TRAINING March 15 Lowndes County Extension Office 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Valdosta This one-day workshop sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Fort Valley State University Extension and UGA Extension is offered to produce growers. The training will cover the standardized curriculum designed by the Produce Safety Alliance, which meets the regulatory requirements of the Produce Safety Rule under Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Individuals who participate in this course are expected to gain a basic understanding of requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them successfully, microorganisms relevant to produce safety and where they may be found on the farm, how to identify and reduce microbial risks and parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one. Fee to attend is $20 at the door (please bring exact change or check). The registration deadline is March 12. Any produce grower who grows, packs, harvests, and/or holds covered produce, makes more than $25,000 in annual produce sales (on average, based on the past three years of sales), and does not qualify for a Produce Safety Rule exemption is required to attend this training under new federal regulations. Grower operations with more than $500,000 in annual sales must comply with the Produce Safety Rule. To register, visit http://bit.ly/Lowndespsagt. CHEROKEE COUNTY AG EXPO March 22 Hickory Flat Fellowship Church 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Canton This annual event, sponsored in part by Cherokee County Farm Bureau, is a celebration of all things agriculture in honor of National Agriculture Month. Exhibitors will include Farm Bureau, Georgia Grown, 4-H, FFA and Farm to School. Farmer Sue & The Art Barn Crew from Morning Glory Farm will be on hand with some of her furry and feathery friends to celebrate agriculture through art and education. The Master Gardeners will present gardening classes. Concessions and refreshments will be available. For more information contact Shirley Pahl at 770-479-1481 or sfpahl@gfb.org. If you would like to exhibit at the Expo, please email Shirley Pahl to receive a vendor application. GEORGIA FOOD ANIMAL CONFERENCE March 29-31 The Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens Pine Mountain This event is hosted by Georgia Veterinary Medical Association and sponsored in part by Georgia Farm Bureau. The March 29 general session will feature nationally-renowned speakers including Dr. Morgan McArthur and Dr. Francis L. Fluharty. The sessions will focus on greater stress management, finding the value of the veterinary client-patient relationship, lost opportunities in cattle production, and veterinary stewardship. One-day registration is $50 for Georgia Cattlemen’s Association members for March 29. To register, visit http://gfb.ag/food-animal-15a24. PEANUT PROUD FESTIVAL March 23 Downtown area Blakely Come celebrate all things peanut at this annual festival on Blakely’s town square. The day-long celebration begins with a 5K race and fun run and ends with a street dance. Festivities include a parade, more than 100 vendors, a kids’ peanut butter obstacle course, free entertainment and more. For more information, visit www.peanutproudfestival.com.
GFB News Alert 10 of 10 GFB TAKING LISTINGS FOR HAY DIRECTORY Farm Bureau members with hay for sale or offering custom harvesting or custom sprigging services are invited to list in the GFB Quality Hay Directory published on the GFB website. Because this directory is now offered online, hay can be listed or removed from the site as your inventory dictates. To participate, please complete a submission form available at 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.