June 5, 2019
www.gfb.org
Vol. 37 No. 11
DISASTER ASSISTANCE BILL HEADS TO PRESIDENT’S DESK On June 3 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the long-awaited disaster assistance package for victims of natural disasters across the U.S. from 2017 to 2019. H.R. 2157, the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019, passed by a 354-58 vote. All 14 Georgia representatives voted in favor of the bill, which includes funding to assist farmers in their recovery from Hurricane Michael, which struck Southwest Georgia on Oct. 10, 2018, leaving an estimated $2.5 billion of agricultural damage in Georgia. According to UGA Extension estimates, the storm caused massive crop losses in Georgia to cotton, pecans, timber, vegetables, peanuts, dairy, nurseries, peanuts, poultry and soybeans. The crop losses resulted in many farmers having difficulty paying off their 2018 operating loans, and had a ripple effect on businesses and communities supported by agriculture. “We’re thankful the disaster assistance bill finally made it through Congress. Georgia’s farmers and rural communities devastated by Hurricane Michael last October desperately need help,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long. “Many farmers have delayed planting because of financial shortfalls and uncertainty resulting from the hurricane. We’re grateful to all of the members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation who worked tirelessly to get this bill to the finish line in a bipartisan effort to help our farmers and rural residents rebuild from a storm that did generational damage to Georgia agriculture.” GFB is optimistic President Donald Trump will sign the bill soon so the USDA can begin work to get funds to farmers who need to pay off loans to close out the 2018 crop year. The bill, which provides a total of $19.1 billion, includes $3 billion in emergency assistance funding for agricultural producers who suffered losses from 2018 natural disasters. The bill also includes funding for losses to peach and blueberry crops in 2017 due to extreme cold. The final bill passed the Senate by an 85-8 vote on May 23. Three attempts in the House to pass it by unanimous consent were blocked by Republican representatives, delaying the final vote until June 3 when Congress returned from its Memorial Day recess. Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga. 2nd District), who chairs the House ag appropriations subcommittee, and Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga. 8th District), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, led the push in the House to get the emergency assistance passed, while Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue carried the torch in the Senate. Each has expressed frustrations in recent months at the delays in passing a disaster assistance bill.
GFB News Alert page 2 of 12 MAKE GEORGIA YOUR STAMPIN’ GROUND THROUGH GFB PASSPORT! If you enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables straight from the farm, Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) wants to make the state your “stampin’ ground.” The Georgia Farm Passport is available at GFB county offices and at the 67 farms participating in the GFB Certified Farm Markets (CFM) program. The passport guides family and friends to farms across Georgia that offer food items for virtually any taste. Travel with the passport to live out your love of exploring Georgia, supporting local farms and eating fresh. Plus, GFB is offering prizes in exchange for your passport stamp collection! 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. These farms range from u-pick strawberry patches to farms that grow a variety of goods. 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, make new friends, enjoy fruits and vegetables they pick directly from the tree or field, or simply enjoy an ice cream 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. 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. There is a limited supply of passports, so don’t wait to get yours! 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 News Alert page 3 of 12 GFB YF&R COMMITTEE COLLECTING 750 LBS OF CHANGE TO FIGHT HUNGER We’ve all got change scattered about. In our vehicle cup holders. Near the washing machine. On our nightstands or dresser tops. Until July 1, gather your loose change and take it to your county Farm Bureau office for the “Calf’s Weight in Change” drive to benefit the Georgia Food Bank Association (GFBA). The Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Committee is asking Farm Bureau members and ag supporters to dig deep to help the committee collect 750 pounds of change statewide – now that’s a big calf! “Farmers like a little healthy competition, so let’s see which county Farm Bureaus can collect the most change for our drive to fight hunger,” GFB YF&R Committee Chairman Ben Cagle said. “I bet we’ll all be surprised how much money we can raise if we gather all the loose pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters we have laying around or exchange some paper dollars for silver dollars.” County Farm Bureaus are collecting donations. After July 1 county offices will weigh and count their collections and submit their totals online at www.GFB.ag/CalfsWeight. County Farm Bureaus are also encouraged to take a photo of their office staff, county president or any other county Farm Bureau member with the collected change. Pictures will be used at the GFB YF&R Summer Leadership Conference (SLC). Grand prizes will be awarded to the county with the most amount of change donated, the GFB District with the most amount of change donated, the county with most weight in change donated and the GFB District with most weight in change donated. Prizes will include Farm Bureau gear, Amazon gift cards and free registrations to the 2020 GFB YF&R SLC! Winners will be announced July 20 at the GFB YF&R SLC. The GFBA consists of eight regional food banks across Georgia that work with more than 2,000 partner agencies and food pantries to distribute about 130 million pounds of food annually in Georgia. GFBA food banks include: 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. EPA TAKING COMMENTS ON CONTINUED REGISTRATION OF GLYPHOSATE The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting comments on registration of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and the most widely used herbicide in U.S. agriculture. Comments will be accepted through July 5. To make a comment, visit www.regulations.gov and search for docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0361. On April 30, the EPA said there are no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label and that glyphosate is not a carcinogen. The agency’s scientific findings on human health risk are consistent with the conclusions of science reviews by many other countries and other federal agencies. While the agency did not identify public health risks in the 2017 human health risk assessment, the 2017 ecological assessment did identify ecological risks. For more information about glyphosate, including the proposed interim decision and supporting documents, visit https://gfb.ag/glyphosateinfo. The glyphosate draft risk assessments and supporting documents can be found at https://gfb.ag/epaglyphosatecomments.
GFB News Alert page 4 of 12 PRESIDENT TRUMP, USDA ANNOUNCE TRADE MITIGATION PAYMENTS Three Georgia sons were among the group of U.S. farmers standing in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 23 when President Trump held a press conference to announce he was authorizing the USDA to administer up to $16 billion to offset the economic loss farmers are experiencing due to the ongoing trade war with China and other countries. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall and Georgia Peanut Commission Director Donald Chase were among a group of 24 representing the commodities being impacted by the trade war. Later that day, Secretary Perdue held a conference call with reporters to discuss the three existing USDA programs the agency will use to administer the mitigation payments. “The plan we are announcing today ensures farmers do not bear the brunt of unfair retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and other trading partners. Our team at USDA reflected on what worked well and gathered feedback on last year’s program to make this one even stronger and more effective for farmers,” said Secretary Perdue. Recognizing that the trade war has decreased U.S. ag exports to China, the USDA announced it will provide $14.5 billion in direct payments to producers of multiple crops through the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) for 2019 administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Payments will be made in up to three installments with the second and third installments dependent on future market conditions and trade opportunities. The first payment will begin in late July/early August after FSA crop reporting is completed on July 15. If conditions warrant, the second payment will be made in November and the third payment in early January. Producers of cotton (extra-long staple & upland), peanuts, corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, alfalfa hay, barley, canola, crambe, dry peas, flaxseed, lentils, long & medium grain rice, mustard seed, dried beans, oats, rapeseed, safflower, sesame seed, chickpeas, sunflower seed and temperate japonica rice will receive a payment based on a single county rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings to those crops in 2019. Total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. Since the May 23 announcement, the USDA has emphasized that the MFP is being designed to avoid skewing planting decisions. The USDA has stressed that farmers should continue to make their planting and production decisions with the current market signals in mind rather than an expectation of what the MFP payment rate might be. Dairy producers will receive a per hundredweight payment based on the farm’s production history. Hog producers will receive a payment based on hog and pig inventory for a time frame to be announced at a later date. Producers of tree nuts, fresh sweet cherries, cranberries and fresh grapes will receive a payment based on 2019 acres of production. In addition to using the MFP to help farmers, the USDA will allocate $1.4 billion to the Food Purchase & Distribution Program to buy surplus commodities affected by trade retaliation such as fruit, vegetables, beef, pork, poultry, milk, lamb and some processed food for distribution to food banks, schools and other outlets serving low-income individuals. The USDA will also allocate $100 million to the Agricultural Trade Promotion Program to assist commodity organizations in developing new export markets for farmers. Details regarding eligibility and payment rates will be released at a later date.
GFB News Alert page 5 of 12 NRCS CHIEF MATT LOHR TOURS GEORGIA FARMS Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) chief Matt Lohr took a two-day tour through Georgia on June 3 and 4, visiting with USDA and NRCS staff and visiting six different farms. Lohr, a Virginia native, saw conventional row crop and livestock farms and closed out the trip with a stop at an urban farm in Atlanta. “Georgia agriculture is very diverse,” Lohr said during a stop at the farm of American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall in Greene County. “There are lots and lots of different types of operations and practices, but they all are partners with NRCS. It doesn’t matter the operation or the type of agriculture, there’s always a place for good conservation.” Lohr said that the agency spends about $8 million a day implementing its various programs, but through volunteer partnerships with farmers, the NRCS creates many times that value in conservation. “We can’t do it alone,” Lohr said. “This trip is about being able to visit and hearing about the agreements that are in place and the work that’s being done,\ and looking for how we can improve that going forward.” The tour was done at the request of the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD), Lohr said. “We just wanted to share with the chief on a firsthand basis the grassroots efforts of conservation that are being put on the ground all around the state,” said GACD President Woody Snell. Duvall shared some of the ways NRCS has helped on his farm, including installing water troughs and implementing rotational grazing and weed control practices. These things and others, Duvall said, couldn’t have been done “without the help of NRCS and being a partner with them to help us protect natural resources. That’s what it’s all about.” 2015 WOTUS RULE REJECTED BY TEXAS COURT While the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work to finalize a revised clean water rule, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled the agencies broke the law in finalizing the 2015 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. The 2015 WOTUS rule was opposed by Georgia Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation. The court invalidated the EPA and Corps of Engineers’ 2015 expansion of federal jurisdiction over small and isolated waters. After years of litigation in suits filed by dozens of state governments and trade groups, this is the first court to reach a final decision on the lawfulness of the 2015 rule. Several court decisions preliminarily blocked the rule while lawsuits progressed. The U.S. Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled that the agencies violated basic requirements of fair process when they concluded the 2015 rulemaking without first releasing for comment a key report that was the basis for many of their most controversial decisions. The order came in response to suits by a group of 17 private-sector plaintiffs that included AFBF and a broad coalition of business and industry organizations as well as the states of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The groups challenged the 2015 WOTUS rule as unlawfully expanding federal jurisdiction at the expense of state and municipal authority and offending basic rules of fair process. Having found the rule unlawful for procedural violations, the court did not consider the various other statutory and constitutional challenges. Several other legal challenges to the 2015 rule remain pending in federal courts across the country.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 12 UGA SURVEY FINDS ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES IN 60% OF VEGETABLE FIELDS A recent University of Georgia Cooperative Extension survey of 431 Georgia vegetable fields found that more than 60% contained root-knot nematodes, tiny parasitic worms that feed on roots and destroy plants. The survey was conducted May 2018 through December 2018 by UGA Extension nematologist Abolfazl Hajihassani. His research group surveyed fields in 30 Georgia counties for plant-parasitic nematodes and found 10 types of nematodes. Root-knot nematodes are the most important nematodes that vegetables producers should be concerned with, he said. Hajihassani conducted the survey to better understand the incidence, abundance and spread of plant-parasitic nematodes within vegetable fields in southern Georgia. The counties surveyed represent about 85-90% of the state’s vegetable production. During the survey, soil samples were collected from vegetable fields and nematodes were extracted and identified to the genus level. “Right now, the root-knot nematode is the main problem in most vegetable crops grown here, based on distribution, soil population density and incidence,” he said. “Therefore, root-knot nematodes will be the target of our future research, which will include the evaluation of old and newly introduced fumigant and nonfumigant nematicides.” Root-knot nematodes can enter the plant’s roots and move through the cells where they grow, produce more eggs in only three to four weeks and cause the roots to swell. This reduces the plant’s growth and yield potential. South Georgia’s sandy soils allow nematodes to reproduce frequently because they can move easily through the soil’s loose texture. UGA Extension’s observations in the field indicated that fumigating the soil before applying plastic will stop the nematodes for the season, but only for that season. Hajihassani said that there are a few nematode-resistant vegetable varieties available, but Georgia producers don’t want to use them because of quality issues. Growers prefer to plant highyielding varieties and use chemical nematicides, although they’re not 100% effective. Currently, Hajihassani is researching the nine other types of nematodes the survey identified in case they could become threats to vegetable production in Georgia. This includes stubby root, ring, spiral, root lesion, reniform, lance, cyst, stunt, and dagger nematodes. “Hopefully, in one to two years, we’ll have a good source of information as to what species of nematode we have,” he said. “Through Extension agents, we have already communicated the survey data with those growers who participated in our survey. Our aim is to continue sharing the data with growers, find out what problems they have and design the appropriate management techniques.” Nematodes need three components to thrive: water, high temperatures and a suitable host. Georgia has water, hot summers and a variety of host plants, which has Georgia farmers concerned. Along with vegetables, nematodes can cause problems in cotton, peanut and tobacco plants.
GFB News Alert page 7 of 12 CROP PLANTING DELAYS REACH HISTORIC LEVELS In many parts of the country, the weather just isn’t cooperating for farmers. All across the Midwest record-breaking precipitation is causing headaches for farmers with flooding of fields and excess soil moisture. As a result, tractors are getting stuck in mud, fields are completely under water. The USDA’s May 28 release of the Crop Progress report showed historic delays in corn and soybean plantings across farm country. Many acres are, or soon will be, eligible for prevented planting payments through crop insurance policies. The U.S. is looking at the biggest event for grain and oilseed markets since the drought of 2012. The combination of record-breaking extreme weather alongside continued policy uncertainty has agricultural economists across the board scratching their heads trying to figure out how everything will shake out. The USDA report showed historic delays in corn and soybean plantings across the country. Looking at the five year average, typically at this point in the year corn planting would be 90% complete, but this year farmers have only planted 58% of their intended acres. This translates to nearly 39 million acres of corn still waiting to be planted. Soybeans are planted later than corn, but so far are showing a similar pattern, largely falling behind the five-year average. The U.S. is only 29% complete on planting soybeans, while the fiveyear average is 66%. As of May 28, there were still 60 million acres of soybeans that farmers intended to plant that are not planted. For more details visit https://gfb.ag/19plantingdelays. EPA OKS YEAR-ROUND SALE OF E15 GASOLINE, IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY On May 31 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the final action that would allow the use of gasoline blended with up to 15% ethanol (E15) during the summer driving season and reform the renewable identification number (RIN) compliance system under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program to increase transparency and deter price manipulation. With the action, EPA finalized regulatory changes to apply the 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver that currently applies to E10 during the summer months so that it applies to E15 as well. This removes a significant barrier to wider sales of E15 in the summer months, thus expanding the market for ethanol in transportation fuel. EPA is also finalizing regulatory changes to reform certain elements of the RIN compliance system of the RFS program to increase transparency and deter price manipulation in the RIN market. The reforms include requirements for public disclosure if a party’s RIN holdings exceed certain thresholds and additional data collections to improve EPA market monitoring capability. More information is available at https://www.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program/finalrulemaking-modifications-fuel-regulations-provide-flexibility.
GFB News Alert page 8 of 12 FVSU FUNDING PLANT SCIENCE SCHOLARSHIPS WITH NSF GRANT A National Science Foundation (NSF) grant is helping to reduce the costs for Fort Valley State University students pursuing a plant science degree in biotechnology. The NSF’s Division of Undergraduate Education awarded FVSU a $986,869 grant to recruit, retain and provide scholarship support for students in the plant science-biotechnology program. Dr. Sarwan Dhir, a FVSU plant biotechnology professor and director of the Center for Biotechnology, said the goal is to select and increase the enrollment and graduation rates of academically high-performing students who demonstrated financial need, particularly among first generation minority college students. FVSU will offer the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program to eligible incoming first-year and transfer students in fall 2019. The grant will support 30-35 undergraduate students majoring in plant science-biotechnology. They will receive an annually renewable $4,200 scholarship for four years ($16,800 total) and must maintain required academic standards by the university and program. Dhir said the NSF S-STEM Program initially started in 2006. Basic eligibility requirements for the NSF S-STEM Program include students seeking a bachelor’s degree, graduate school or career in the area of plant science-biotechnology and maintaining an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Other requirements include showing strong academic potential or ability, demonstrating financial need as defined by the U.S. Department of Education and being a U.S. citizen. In addition, eligible students must fully participate in the program enrichment activities such as guest speaker seminars, workshops, events at the campus level and community outreach activities. Recipients also must be willing to participate in internships that reflect their academic goals. Former scholarship recipients currently have careers as medical professionals, science teachers, environmental specialists, biological science technicians and soil conservationists. To apply for the NSF S-STEM Program, contact Dhir at (478) 822-1057 or dhirs0@fvsu.edu.
GFB News Alert page 9 of 12 FLINT RIVER CONSERVATION DISTRICT NAMES CAMPIS PROJECT DIRECTOR The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District (FRSWCD) has hired Perri Campis as the district’s project director. Campis will provide direct support to the district’s executive director in project development, implementation, and management. Campis graduated from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences with a degree in agriscience and environmental systems in 2013 and received her master’s in public policy from Georgia State University in 2016. She comes to the FRSWCD with a passion for conservation. “I’m excited to be involved in the impactful projects that the Flint River Soil & Water Conservation District has spearheaded and drastically grown over the last several years,” Campis said. “I’m most looking forward to learning from the innovative farmers and conservationists in the district and across the Southeast and can’t wait to contribute to the wonderful work being done.” Campis has worked with various agricultural nonprofits across Georgia Perri Campis in project development and management, and most recently directed a USDA 2501 grant focused on organic peanut production in Georgia as farmer services coordinator at Georgia Organics. She brings extensive event planning experience and organizational skills to her new role. Campis has led projects focused on health insurance access and affordability for farmers and assisted in program evaluation and reporting for various USDA grants. “Perri’s knowledge, experience, and passion for conservation will serve as a tremendous asset for the district,” said FRSWCD Chairman Marty McLendon. “We look forward to expanding our impact with her on the team.” A Georgia native, Campis lives in Americus. “Southwest Georgia is one of the most important places to be not just in the state, but in the world, for agriculture and conservation efforts,” says Campis. The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District encompasses nine counties in Southwest Georgia and is comprised of farmers, landowners, and community leaders that are dedicated to the conservation, wise use, and protection of natural resources in the Flint River Basin. Visit www.flintriverswcd.org to learn more about the district.
GFB News Alert page 10 of 12 GFB YF&R CONFERENCE June 10 deadline to register/enter Registration has been extended for the 2019 Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Summer Leadership Conference, July 17-20 on Jekyll Island. Conference registration should be completed online and are due by June 10 at 5 p.m. The GFB YF&R Committee encourages every county to send a YF&R representative to the conference. Each county Farm Bureau will have two free registrations for first-time attendees. To register YF&R members visit www.gfb.ag/yfrslc. Fees are waved for collegiate members. For more information contact GFB YF&R Coordinator Erin Nessmith at ennessmith@gfb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5232. UGA EXTENSION SCOUT SCHOOLS June 10 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Tifton June 18 SE Research & Education Center 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Midville University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has scheduled these two insect scouting schools for Georgia’s cotton, peanut and soybean farmers. Both workshops will serve as an introduction to insect monitoring for new scouts and a review for experienced scouts and farmers. Attendees will learn basic information about how to identify pests and signs of pest damage, natural enemies, scouting procedures and safety in the field. The sessions will end with an in-field review. The events are free. To attend the scout school in Tifton, contact Debbie Rutland at 229-386-3424. To attend the scout school in Midville, contact Peyton Sapp at 706-554-2119. CLINCH COUNTY FARMERS MARKET First Saturday each month 8 a.m. – noon Empire Plaza Homerville This monthly farmers market co-hosted by Clinch County Farm Bureau and Homerville Main Street features a variety of locally produced treats, arts and crafts. Empire Plaza is located at the water fountain behind Heritage Bank on U.S. Highway 84. COBB COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays through September 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. Lost Mountain Park Powder Springs The public is invited to check out a variety of vendors with locally grown produce, baked goods, strawberries, peaches, jams, jellies and much more. Lost Mountain Park is located at 4845 Dallas Highway in Powder Springs. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/cobbcofarmbureau/ or call 770-943-3531. PRESCRIBED FIRE WORKSHOP June 6 Chattahoochee Technical College 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Jasper University of Tennessee Extension Wildlife Specialist Dr. Craig Harper will be a featured speaker at this one-day workshop, which will include sessions on the effects of wildlife, air quality and more. Registration fee of $35 includes a light breakfast and lunch plus handouts. Early registration is encouraged. For more information and to register, visit www.garxfire.com/events, or call Kim McCollom at 706-894-1591.
GFB News Alert page 11 of 12 2019 GEORGIA-FLORIDA TOBACCO TOUR June 10-12 Various locations Blackshear, Ga. – Live Oak, Fla. This annual tour of South Georgia and North Florida tobacco fields and research plots kicks off on June 10 with a 7 p.m. supper at Johnson’s Pond House in Blackshear. Tour includes on-farm demonstrations and interaction with producers, as well as a stop at the Bowen Farm at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton. Visit https://gfb.ag/19GaFlatobaccotour for more information or to register. 2019 CORN SILAGE AND FORAGE FIELD DAY June 20 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton This field day presents an opportunity to tour corn and forage test plots and hear tips on best management practices for making silage, managing Bermudagrass stem maggot, using dairy wastes and other byproducts for growing forage, weed control and incorporating legumes into summer grasses. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the event starts at 8 a.m. www.ugatiftonconference.caes.uga.edu/events.html. AFBF WOMEN IN AG SURVEY The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Program has launched a Women in Ag online survey that aims to gauge the goals, aspirations, achievements and needs of women who hold various roles in the American agriculture industry. All women who are farmers, ranchers, farm/ranch employees, employed in agricultural businesses, pursuing ag-related higher education or supportive of agriculture in other ways are invited to participate in the survey at www.fb.org/women. Respondents must reside in the United States. Farm Bureau membership is not required to participate. Data collected from respondents will be used to gauge trends related to the achievements of women in agriculture, including leadership positions, business successes and election to public office. Results from the survey are slated for release in the fall and will add to findings from a similar survey conducted in 2014. The AFB Women’s Leadership Committee is sponsoring the survey and is working with other farm and agriculture organizations to encourage participation. Participants will be entered to receive one of five $100 “thank you” gift cards after the survey closes on June 21. COLBERT 50TH YEAR JULY 4 CELEBRATION FOCUSES ON AGRICULTURE Since July 4, 1970, the city of Colbert in Madison County has celebrated Independence Day with its “July 4th Homecoming.” The celebration will honor Colbert’s agricultural heritage and spotlight surrounding farming communities. A farmers market will be set up for anyone interested in selling fresh homegrown produce, fruits, and vegetables. Vendor registration forms are available at the Colbert city hall or on the city website www.colbertgeorgia.com. The parade will begin at 9 a.m. at the Old Colbert Elementary School. Activities are planned for the entire day, including a “best home-made pie” contest. The pies should be homemade apple, blueberry, and/or peach. To enter the pie-baking contest, register at city hall. Call 706-788-2311 to receive more information.
GFB News Alert page 12 of 12 UGA EXTENSION SCHOOL GARDEN CONFERENCE July 18 Carroll County Ag Center, 900 Newnan Rd. Carrollton This program is designed to help educators enhance curriculum development by incorporating school gardens and agriculture into all areas of educational learning. This conference will cover everything from starting and maintaining a school garden to curriculum, resources and grants associated with agriculture in school systems. Schools that participate in the School Garden Conference will have the opportunity to win a raised bed kit and gardening supplies. All schools will be given seed packets and plants. Lunch will be provided and participants will have the opportunity to network with other education professionals. Registration is $25 and the registration deadline is July 11. For more details or to register, call us at 770-836-8546 or email Anne Anglin a tanne.anglin@uga.edu. 2019 ADVANCED GRAZING SCHOOL July 16-17 Livestock Instructional Arena Athens This will be an intense, two-day hands-on event that will overlap with the Deep South Stocker Conference on the second day. Registration will include coffee and snacks throughout the day, lunch for both days, a large notebook with handouts and supplemental information, and numerous interactive presentations and hands-on learning activities. Tentative topics include: forage systems for stocker cattle: cool season and warm season systems; economics of forage systems; putting an entire forage system together; regenerative grazing; grassfed livestock production data reviews; supplementation strategies; producer panel fencing and water systems workshop. Registration is $100 per person. For more information or to register, visit https://gfb.ag/19AdvancedGrazingSchool. 2019 DEEP SOUTH STOCKER CONFERENCE July 17-18 UGA Livestock Instructional Arena Athens This will be an intense two-day hands-on event that will overlap with the Advanced Grazing School on the first day. Registration is $100 and will include refreshments, dinner for the first day and lunch for the second, a large notebook with handouts and supplemental information, and interactive presentations and learning activities. Tentative topics include: beef cattle outlook; receiving nutrition feedlot feedback; technologies and strategies for diagnosing sick cattle; necropsy demonstration; and much more. For more information or to register, visit https://gfb.ag/19DeepSouthStockerConf. SOUTHERN PEANUT GROWERS CONFERENCE July 18-20 Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort Panama City Beach, Florida The 21st Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference will provide farmers with information about peanut production, legislative issues, marketing and promotions. In addition to the conference sessions, the event focuses on the family by offering a ladies program and a golf tournament. For more information about the conference and sponsorship opportunities visit www.gfb.ag/19SPGconference. Resort reservations can be made by calling 1-855-512-3843 and ask for the “Southern Peanut Growers Conference Rate� or use the Booking ID: 10Z6G7. Visit
www.resortcollection.com/resorts/edgewater/ to book rooms online. Rooms are available at the group rate until June 14.