March 6, 2019
www.gfb.org
Vol. 37 No. 5
PERDUE, ISAKSON SPONSOR DISASTER RELIEF PACKAGE On Feb. 26, U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia) and David Perdue (R-Georgia) introduced a bipartisan disaster relief package with the backing of President Donald J. Trump. The senators indicated they’ve received support from President Donald Trump for disaster relief and encouraged Congress to pass legislation with funding for areas including Georgia and other states that are recovering from recent hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters. Sens. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Marco Rubio, (R-Fla.), Rick Scott, (R-Fla.), Tim Scott, (R-S.C.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Thom Tillis, (R-N.C.) signed on as cosponsors of the bill. “In October, President Trump and Vice President Pence both saw the devastation of Hurricane Michael firsthand and promised farmers they would have their backs. In pushing for this disaster relief bill, the President is fulfilling that promise,” said Perdue, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Now, it is up to Congress to follow through and pass this critical, bipartisan bill. Our farmers and rural communities cannot wait any longer for disaster relief. For some Georgia farmers, the timing of assistance will determine whether they put a crop in the ground ever again.” This funding package provides approximately $13.6 billion in overall relief efforts to all those affected by disasters. The bill includes agriculture disaster relief for farmers recovering in the wake of Hurricane Michael and other natural disasters across the country, development grants for small rural communities impacted by natural disasters in 2018, assistance for veterans’ health facilities and military bases devastated by Hurricane Michael, emergency funds for critical timber, watershed and wastewater infrastructure needs, restoration of highways, aviation facilities and other transit projects damaged by natural disasters and an additional $600 million in nutrition assistance for Puerto Rico. In a floor speech on Feb. 28, Isakson urged the Senate to pass the disaster relief package. “We had terrible disasters in the South and Southeast over the last few years – hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, late freezes – and billions of dollars lost in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and other locations,” said Isakson. “And we failed to meet the disaster demands that we have on ourselves to help those farmers and ag producers and businesses and industries get back on their feet. We now have a dire crisis, an emergency in the Southeast.”
GFB News Alert page 2 of 12 GFB COMMODITY MEETINGS HIGHLIGHT LEGAL ATTACKS ON NC HOG FARMS Members of Georgia Farm Bureau’s (GFB) Commodity Advisory Committees (CACs) learned about nuisance lawsuits against North Carolina’s swine community, received a briefing on happenings in the Georgia General Assembly and did some early work on GFB’s 2020 policy during meetings held Feb. 20 and 21 in Macon. GFB Public Policy Director Jeffrey Harvey provided a legislative update and instructed the committees to seek ways to implement GFB’s 2019 policy. Harvey also tasked the committees with setting priority issues for their commodities for 2020. The CACs meet again in August for the GFB Commodity Conference, the official kickoff of the policy development process for 2020. Andy Curliss, chief executive officer of the North Carolina Pork Council, gave an overview of the motives driving lawyers and the strategy they’ve used to win nuisance lawsuits against four farms that raised hogs for Murphy-Brown, the hog farm segment of Smithfield Foods. The first four jury trials involved 26 plaintiffs that resulted in juries awarding $550 million in damages to the plaintiffs. North Carolina law requires the damages be reduced to $98 million. Another 426 plaintiffs are bringing claims against other farms in trials waiting to be heard. Curliss explained that the suits are being brought to court by experienced trial lawyers who belong to Public Justice, an organization consisting of trial lawyer firms that is heavily funded by wealthy activists who enlist the lawyers to represent their causes. “This is not local attorneys representing plaintiffs but experienced trial lawyers bringing class action lawsuits against the profitability of agriculture,” Curliss said. “There is no claim of health issues. There’s no claim of property devaluation nor water pollution. It’s an annoyance claim over odor and noise from trucks entering and leaving the farms.” Although North Carolina has a right-to-farm law, U.S. Judge Earl Britt, who heard the early cases, said the law didn’t give farmers protection against the lawsuit. The cases were heard in federal court since the claims against the farmers were dismissed and the remaining defendant, Murphy-Brown, is part of Smithfield, a national company. While Murphy-Brown is responsible for paying the verdicts, the farms have stopped raising hogs to avoid more lawsuits. Curliss said the strategy to win the suits is called the Reptile Theory – which some trial lawyers believe enables them to tap into what they call a juror’s “reptile brain” responsible for the primitive survival instinct for safety and self-preservation. According to the theory, when a lawyer presents jurors with a perceived threat, even a small one, their “reptile brain” awakens, overpowering logic and reason. Reptile Theory advocates credit it for jurors granting massive awards. Curliss praised the support North Carolina communities and businesses have given hog farmers. “County commissions across North Carolina have adopted resolutions supporting farmers and Eastern North Carolina communities have shown support for farms with yard sign campaigns not organized by the North Carolina Pork Council,” Curliss said. GFB members listening to Curliss’ presentation asked if Georgia’s right-to-farm law would prevent similar suits in Georgia. On Feb. 28, Georgia House Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McCall introduced HB 545, which changes the language in the state’s right-to-farm statute. The bill eliminates “changed conditions” language in current state law and replaces it with a requirement that any nuisance complaint against a farm be filed within one year of the date when the farm began its operations. At press time the House had not voted on the bill. Curliss encouraged the agriculture community to solidify its strengths to develop a plan to counter the attacks wealthy activists are waging against animal agriculture farms through the use of nuisance lawsuits.
GFB News Alert page 3 of 12 GEORGIA FSIS PEANUT GRADING REDESIGN MAKING PROGRESS The redesign of the grading/inspection process the Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service (GAFSIS) uses to inspect peanuts farmers bring to buying points is a step closer to completion, project leaders say. Engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Lewis M. Carter (LMC) Manufacturing Company and University of Georgia (UGA) have been working to update the GAFSIS grading system since April 2017. The team gave an update of their progress during a meeting held in Albany Feb. 28. “Our goal is to have an initial working prototype [of the new system] for the Georgia FederalState Inspection Service this fall to test it out,” said Dr. Doug Britton, manager of the Georgia Tech Agricultural Technology Research Program. The current grading system, which has changed very little since it was first implemented in the late 1950s, relies heavily on seasonal workers who manually sort and grade the peanuts as they’re brought to buying points from the field. “Our current system is an intensive, hands-on process,” explained GAFSIS President T.E. Moye. “With the current system you have to pick foreign material out of the peanut samples with your fingers, and that’s what we want to get away from. We can hire six hundred people [to run the samples] but I don’t know that we’ll continue to be able to hire the eleven hundred people we need.” After visiting several Georgia buying points to study the existing inspection process, the engineering team is developing a system to measure in-shell peanut moisture and proposes that this be done early in the inspection process. In the proposed new process, peanut samples would be taken pneumatically from the peanut trailer and the moisture content of the in-shell peanuts measured immediately using a microwavebased system. If the moisture level of the peanuts is too high, the trailer of peanuts can be sent for further drying, eliminating the need to do further testing and measurements of the load at that time. If the moisture level of the peanuts is acceptable, then the grading/inspection process would resume with taking an initial weigh with foreign material followed by removal of foreign material, pre-sizer sorting, mechanical shelling, sizing of the peanuts using a mechanical screen shaker, mechanical kernel splitting and final grading using a computerized imaging system. The USDA ARS team is focusing on developing microwave measurement technology to determine the moisture content and detect foreign materials. LMC engineers are working to improve the efficiency of the pre-sizer, sheller, screen shaker and kernel splitter. Georgia Tech engineers are developing the computerized imaging system that will visually grade the peanuts by imaging the peanuts and using advanced image processing algorithms to determine if the peanuts are good or have various stages of defects including burrow bug, discolored skin, discolored meat, rancid/mold/decay, sprouts and miscellaneous issues. “We have imaged and characterized 19,072 peanuts from across Georgia’s peanut belt, and we’re still imaging peanuts. It’s very important that the system we develop works on all types of peanuts grown in Georgia,” said Colin Usher, a member of the Georgia Tech research team. “The magic of the system is the use of algorithms that gives the computer the artificial intelligence to read the images, which is equivalent to humans looking at the peanuts and grading them.” -continued on next page
GFB News Alert page 4 of 12 Continued from previous page After the computer grades the peanut as good or bad the peanut will be sorted into the appropriate bin. UGA is working with Tech on perfecting the digital grading and testing side. At the request of the American Peanut Shellers Association, Mitchell County grower Casey Cox shared comments she had heard from multiple growers and shellers. “In the grading process, one peanut has too much power. One peanut can cause a whole load of peanuts to be graded Seg 3 or to have to be resampled,” Cox said. She said she repeatedly heard that the grading system needs to be more efficient and faster and that the peanut industry needs to fairly value peanuts and incentivize growers to grow better peanuts. For example, since sound split peanuts can be marketed to make peanut butter, growers should get a fair price for them. GA DEPT. OF REVENUE ACCEPTING TIMBER TAX CREDIT APPLICATIONS In November of 2018, the Georgia General Assembly enacted House Bill 4EX. This bill allows eligible taxpayers to apply for a Timber Tax Credit to assist in offsetting the substantial economic losses incurred during Hurricane Michael. Under House Bill 4EX, eligible timber properties must be located in the disaster area established in Executive Order 11.06.18.01, which includes the following counties: Baker, Bleckley, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Colquitt, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Laurens, Lee, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Pulaski, Randolph, Seminole, Sumter, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Wilcox, and Worth. Eligible taxpayers may apply for preapproval on the Department’s Georgia Tax Center. To learn more about the submission process for the Timber Tax Credit applications, please visit the department’s website at https://dor.georgia.gov/. SENATE CONFIRMS WHEELER AS EPA ADMINISTRATOR On Feb. 28, the U.S. Senate confirmed Andrew Wheeler as EPA administrator by a 52-47 vote. Wheeler had served as acting director since July 2018. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue of Georgia voted in favor of Wheeler’s confirmation. “Farm Bureau welcomes the Senate’s confirmation of Andrew Wheeler as EPA administrator. This is a tribute to his deep experience and the expertise he brings to the office,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duval said. Wheeler previously worked as chief of staff of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Wheeler visited Georgia in early February, when he provided details of the new Waters of the U.S. rule published by the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The rule is open for public comment. The deadline to submit comments is April 15. To read the proposed rule or submit a comment, visit https://gfb.ag/commentsrevisedwotus.
GFB News Alert page 5 of 12 UGA LIVESTOCK LEADER COMMITTED TO PREPARING STUDENTS TO FARM Dr. Francis Fluharty, who began leading the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Animal and Dairy Science Department a year ago, has a vision for engaging students in livestock production. That’s why Fluharty wants to improve the internship and off-campus work study program for animal science students to prepare them for careers in production agriculture. “I want to see students seeing production agriculture up close,” Fluharty said. “Today’s students are really bright, but the flip side is very few have grown up on a farm. We are expected to train these students, many coming from suburban backgrounds, on what we do and why.” Fluharty shared his goals for the CAES livestock program with Georgia pork producers while speaking at the annual meeting of the Georgia Pork Producers Association held in Macon, Feb. 19. He also said the department is looking ahead to address issues threatening the survival of animal agriculture. He said the animal science Francis Fluharty department plans to hire an animal welfare specialist to help Georgia’s livestock sector raise animals with best practices and bridge the gap to help consumers understand farmers are properly caring for their animals. Fluharty said he wants to strengthen the CAES meats and livestock judging teams to increase students’ ability to make decisions and defend them. He said the department will soon be hiring a meat scientist who will help with the team. He also said he’s committed to helping students graduate with undergraduate degrees in four years and encouraged producers to contact him if they know of a student interested in attending CAES. “We’ve got to get kids in school and pursuing careers in production agriculture,” Fluharty said. “I think if we can start talking to these kids when they’re 13 to 14 by the time they graduate high school they know us [UGA livestock faculty]. If y’all know young people in your town who are interested in pursuing an ag degree give me a call and we’ll work to get them to Athens to take a tour of our campus and to see our livestock programs.” Fluharty may be reached at ffluharty@uga.edu or 706-542-6259. Dr. Mike Azain, from the CAES Animal & Dairy Science Department, discussed research projects the college is doing centered on swine nutrition science. Azain said his colleague, Dr. Robert Dove, is studying the effect different rates of manganese have on the growth rate of nursery pigs. The studying is showing that piglets feed a higher rate of manganese had a slight growth advantage over those fed half as much or none at all. Azain is looking at the effect feeding nursery pigs the enzyme Protease can have on the pigs’ growth rate. He said baby pigs can usually only digest 78-84 percent of their diets. Initial study results indicate adding protease to the diet improves diet digestibility 4-6 percent, which would allow producers to feed a lower protein diet and cut production costs.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 12 COLQUITT CO. TEACHER AWARDED AFBF WHITE-REINHARDT SCHOLARSHIP Justin McDowell, a teacher at Hamilton Elementary School in Colquitt County, is one of 15 educators nationwide to receive scholarships to attend the 2019 National Ag in the Classroom Conference (NAITC). The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture recognized teachers and classroom volunteers for their exceptional efforts to encourage agricultural literacy. Those recognized will each receive a $1,500 scholarship. The National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference is set for June 18-21 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The foundation, through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education, sponsors the scholarships in cooperation with the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. McDowell teaches science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses at Hamilton Elementary School, located in Hartsfield, west of Moultrie. The conference helps educators from across the nation learn how to incorporate real-life agricultural applications into science, social studies, language arts, math and nutrition lessons. Scholarship recipients were judged on their past use of innovative programs to educate students about agriculture as well as plans to implement information gained at the NAITC conference in their own lesson plans and share the information with other teachers and volunteer educators. The American Farm Bureau Federation and state Farm Bureaus also support and participate in the program’s efforts. The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education honors two former American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were leaders in early national efforts to educate about agriculture and improve agricultural literacy. UNITED STATES WINS WTO DISPUTE WITH CHINA OVER GRAIN SUPPORT On Feb. 28 the World Trade Organization released findings in a dispute between the United States and China in which the U.S. alleged China provided excessive government support for grain producers in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The WTO panel reviewing the case determined that China’s support for growers of wheat and two types of rice exceeded WTO allowances. The original complaint, filed in 2016, also included Chinese corn producers. The WTO declined to rule on the corn portion of the complaint, concluding that China had come into compliance. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and the USDA and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said China’s market price support policy artificially raises Chinese prices for grains above market levels, creating incentives for increased Chinese production of agricultural products and reduced imports. The ruling is a significant victory for U.S. agriculture that will help American farmers compete on a more level playing field, the two agencies said. This dispute is the first to challenge China’s agricultural policies that disregard WTO rules. “We know that America’s farmers and ranchers thrive in a market-oriented, rules-based global economy. That means all countries must play by the rules, which is why this finding is so important to U.S. agriculture,” said Secretary Perdue. U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson welcomed the ruling. “I’m very pleased that the WTO has ruled in favor of our farmers. Today’s ruling is a huge win at a time when such wins are sorely needed,” Peterson said. “It should enable a fairer playing field and allow our farmers to focus on farming. I hope the panel will issue a similar ruling on Chinese corn subsidies, but it’s also my hope that this ruling can help our negotiators reach a positive path forward to reopen trade with China and reclaim the markets that the trade war has cost our farmers.”
GFB News Alert page 7 of 12 GEORGIA PESTICIDE WASTE CLEAN DAY IS APRIL 3 Georgia Clean Day is a program that offers an opportunity to discard old, unusable, or cancelled pesticides to a hazardous waste contractor for disposal. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UGA Southeast Research Center in Midville. Pesticides in leaking containers or disposed of improperly may cause environmental damage by contaminating water supplies or harming people and wildlife. Some pesticides that have been used in the past are now in need of proper disposal. Participation in the Clean Day Program remains free of charge to all private and commercial applicators with the understanding that the event is intended for farmers, lawn care, golf courses, and pest control companies. The Georgia Department of Agriculture requires pre-registration for the event. For more information about the event please contact your local Extension agent, www.agr.georgia.gov/georgia-clean-day.aspx or contact event coordinator Rick Hayes at ricky.hayes@agr.georgia.gov, 404-656-4958 or 404-535-1614. This is an opportunity to dispose of pesticides that famers have been holding because they had neither an economical nor legal means to dispose of them. Canceled and suspended pesticides cannot be used and must be disposed of, often as hazardous waste. All canceled, suspended, unusable and unlabeled materials classified as pesticides may be turned in for collection. Please refer to the brief list below to determine what types of materials will or will not be accepted at the event. Please list all pesticides to be turned in on the preregistration form in order to estimate types and volumes to be collected. Any pesticides without a brand name, trade name, or active ingredient on the label may require analysis to determine the contents. Please label all unidentifiable pesticides as “unknown� on the pre-registration form. Acceptable materials are: insecticides; growth regulators; fungicides; harvest aid chemicals; nematicides; bactericides; herbicides and miscellaneous pesticides. Excluded materials are: compressed gases; solvents; paints; antifreeze; motor oil; explosive materials and fertilizers or nutrients that are neither hazardous or do not contain pesticide admixtures. Pre-registration is mandatory for program participation and must be completed by March 27. All pesticides brought to the collection site must be listed on the pre-registration form. Items not registered will be refused at the collection site. Empty containers or rinsates will not be accepted. Special arrangements can be made to accommodate ag dealers. Your pesticide waste disposal will be weighed and billed on site at approx. $1.15 per pound. Please Contact Rick Hayes for special instructions at ricky.hayes@agr.georgia.gov To access the pre-registration form, visit www.agr.georgia.gov/georgia-clean-day.aspx.
GFB News Alert page 8 of 12 GNFA ANNOUNCES GA NATIONAL JUNIOR LIVESTOCK AMBASSADORS The Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter (GNFA) has named its 2019-2020 Georgia National Junior Livestock Ambassador Team. Congratulations to Jordan Rodgers, Chase West, McKenna Walker, Bryson Smith, Emma Long, Lily Norton, Addie Bridges, Mary Catherine Maloy, Parker Fleming, and Emma Newberry for being named to the team. For the next year, these students will represent the GNFA during livestock, equine and commercial events held at the fairgrounds and across Georgia. Each of the ambassadors exhibits livestock at the fairgrounds and will continue in their FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience project as they advocate for livestock showing and agriculture. The students were selected based on their written applications, video applications and interviews. The GNFA Ambassadors will serve in leadership roles in their communities to educate the public about the Georgia Junior Livestock Program, FFA and 4-H organizations, and the benefits of being involved in livestock showing, where the entire family can be involved. “It is our desire for each student to walk away with a sense of pride in their state, an understanding that what they are doing today directly affects the outcome of tomorrow and a chance to reach those who do not understand their love and passion for the livestock and equine industry,� GNFA Marketing Director Keaton Walker said.
GFB News Alert 9 of 12 UGA MASTER CATTLEMAN PROGRAM Now through March 25 Brooks Co. Ext. 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 Now 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. 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 10 of 12 USDA AMS INDUSTRIAL HEMP WEBINAR March 13 Noon – 3 p.m. online The Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crops Program will conduct this webinar to solicit public comments on the sections of the 2018 USDA Farm Bill dealing with industrial hemp. Up to 1,000 people at a time may view the webinar; however, time constraints will allow only 60 speakers during the webinar and it will not include a question and answer session. Speakers will have a maximum time limit of three minutes and must submit a written copy of their comments to farmbill.hemp@usda.gov by March 11. To register, visit https://gfb.ag/ARShempwebinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. For questions regarding the listening session, email Jeff Davis at jeffrey.davis4@ams.usda.gov or view the Federal Register notice at https://gfb.ag/redregisterhempnotice. For more information, visit the USDA’s hemp marketing webpage at www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/farmbill-hemp. NEW TOOLS TO MANAGE RISK FOR DAIRY March 12 Georgia Farm Bureau 10 a.m. Macon This meeting, sponsored by Georgia Milk Producers Inc. and American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, will provide an overview of Dairy Revenue Protection program, how the program works, including the various options to tailor the program to producers’ individual needs by locking in either class or component prices, as well as what a producer can expect to pay for — and get back — in the form of indemnity payments using Dairy RP. A review of the revamped Margin Protection Program, now called the Dairy Margin Coverage Program, will be covered as well. This meeting is open to dairymen, managers, insurance providers and industry - free of charge and will be held from 10 a.m. until noon. A complimentary lunch will be served. Please preregister for meal by calling Georgia Milk Producers at 706-310-0020. 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.
GFB News Alert 11 of 12 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. 54TH ANNUAL GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE March 26-27 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton Join the GPGA for this annual event, which features an orchard tour, the annual golf tournament, a trade show with more than 100 exhibitors, the annual awards luncheon and much more. Registration ends March 21. For more information or to register, visit https://georgiapecan.org/events/. 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. WATER MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS 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.
GFB News Alert 12 of 12 BOVINE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN TRAINING April 8 Gordon County Agricultural Service Center Calhoun April 10 UGA Tifton Campus Tifton April 11 Henry County Cooperative Extension Office McDonough April 12 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry The Bovine Emergency Response Plan (BERP) provides a standardized framework for response to roadway incidents involving cattle transport. All emergency management disciplines are invited to train together regarding the following: Incident dispatch; emergency response arrival; scene assessment; security and containment; livestock extrication; euthanasia; relocation; mortality disposal; vehicle uprighting and incident debriefing. Four identical eight-hour sessions available. Registration is required for all sessions. Space limited to 50 trainees per session. Register at the TIME Task Force of Georgia’s website at www.timetaskforce.com/calendar. For more information contact TIME Task Force of Georgia at info@timetaskforce.com or 678-730-7417. EPA TAKING COMMENTS ON REVISED WOTUS RULE April 15 deadline to submit comments 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. The deadline to submit comments is April 15. To read the proposed rule or submit a comment, visit https://gfb.ag/commentsrevisedwotus. MAY 1 IS DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR CENTENNIAL FARM AWARD 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 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.