July 1, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 26
UGA EXTENSION DIRECTOR SPARKS RETIRES Dr. Beverly Sparks retired June 30 after serving for seven years as director of University of Georgia Extension, according to a UGA press release. She is the first female to lead the organization. Sparks spent 32 years working in Extension, first as an entomologist in Texas and Georgia conducting research, publishing papers and educating Extension agents and then in leadership roles with UGA Extension. “I’m proud to know we are just as important now as we were in the past,” said Sparks, whose official title is associate dean for Extension in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “There are always going to be new problems, and our relevance is still there. We have new agents that learn in different ways, and they will teach in different ways.” Sparks earned an associate degree in agriculture from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College before heading to Athens, where she Sparks earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and a master’s degree in entomology from UGA. She earned a doctoral degree in entomology at Louisiana State University and began her career at Texas A&M as an Extension entomologist. She returned to Georgia in 1989 as the UGA Extension entomologist. Her work focused on fire ants and other ornamental and turf pests. She worked closely with the structural pest control industry and trained UGA county agents, her favorite aspect of the job. In 2000, Sparks became director of UGA Extension’s Northeast District. In 2005, Sparks took another step up the administrative ladder and became interim director of Extension before officially assuming the post in 2007. “Dr. Beverly Sparks has led Cooperative Extension through periods of growth and decline. Through both, she has shown determination and skill to make Extension the best it can be as it serves the citizens of Georgia,” said Scott Angle, dean and director of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “Most importantly, her grace and tact have held the organization together during some very difficult times; as the economy improves, Extension is once again poised to assume its position as one of the very best. The university, college and agriculture all owe Dr. Sparks our thanks.” Sparks said she only has one regret - that she wasn’t a Tift County 4-H’er. “We were only supposed to be in Tifton for a year so I wasn’t active in 4-H. But I was friends with Pat Barkaloo’s students,” she said. “What a missed opportunity that was. 4-H benefits so many kids, especially ones that are introverted like me.” CAES Assistant Dean for Extension Steve Brown will serve as acting associate dean for Georgia Extension until Sparks’ replacement is selected through a national search.
Leadership Alert page 2 of 5 SUPREME COURT ISSUES RULING IN EPA GHG CASE On June 23 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that EPA overstepped its statutory authority in key provisions of its Clean Air Act (CAA) greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations. AFBF and dozens of other industry organizations had challenged the regulations. While the Supreme Court did not invalidate the GHG rules entirely, it rejected EPA’s attempt to expand its authority to regulate millions of sources, including small businesses and farms, based solely on their emissions of GHGs. First, the Court rejected EPA’s argument that the CAA authorizes prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) and Title V (major source) permit requirements based solely on GHG emissions, noting that EPA’s interpretation would allow the agency to impose elaborate and costly permit requirements on millions of small sources nationwide. The Court found that “the PSD program and Title V are designed to apply to, and cannot rationally be extended beyond, a relative handful of large sources capable of shouldering heavy substantive and procedural burdens.” Second, the Court rejected the so-called “Tailoring Rule,” in which EPA ignored explicit numeric statutory thresholds that trigger Title V and PSD permit requirements. The Court upheld EPA’s power to require the “best available control technology” (BACT) to limit GHG emissions of large new or modified sources whose construction will trigger PSD permitting requirements due to non-GHG pollutants anyway. GFB BOARD GROUP, LEGISLATORS VISIT FARMS A group of Georgia Farm Bureau district directors visited a Putnam County farm where interplanted alfalfa is being tested and WDairy in Morgan County on June 25. Many member of the Georgia Senate and House Agriculture committees also attended and after the tours, the group had supper with Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. GFB President Zippy Duvall and Black each talked about the importance of building and maintaining relationships. “Strong relationships are required for anything you do that brings you success, happiness or fulfillment,” Duvall said. At Dodson Farm, where alfalfa is interplanted with Bermudagrass on a 40-acre field and used to generate feed materials for cattle, UGA Seed Specialist Donald Wood discussed the interplanting project, which has produced sustainable crops that yielded higher nutrient content than Bermudagrass alone. “We feel like the program that we’re in now has the potential to be a game-changer,” Wood said. “We bring a high-quality feed with our Bermudagrass. We’re not saying anything negative about Bermudagrass because these are making very good companion crops. But we’ll increase our [Relative Forage Quality] 30 to 40 points and in some cases we double our protein.” The result, Wood said, was that cattle do not require as much feed using an alfalfaBermudagrass mix – whether from hay cut from the field or from grazing – and save money on feed. At WDairy in Morgan County dairy owner Everett Williams showed the group his feeding operation for the 1,500 cows he milks, as well as his waste disposal setup and the rotary milking parlor the dairy has used since 2012. It is one of about 10 rotary parlors in the state and can accommodate 72 cows at once.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 5 GSWCC PROGRAM TARGETS WATER IMPROVEMENTS The Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) has begun a voluntary multi-phased nutrient planning management initiative for poultry and livestock operations in the Settingdown Creek Watershed in North Georgia and the Altamaha River Basin in Southeast Georgia. Farmers participating in this project will receive a free on-farm assessment, soil testing, an updated nutrient management plan (NMP) and an incentive payment for participation in the program. GSWCC will assist in identifying potential funding sources to complete improvements based on the farm assessment. There is no cost to farmers for this service. Nutrient management plans are recommended for all animal feeding operations, including poultry farms. An assessment and updated NMP saves costs while improving soil health and water quality by avoiding the overapplication of fertilizers to fields, preventing runoff of nutrients into creeks and streams, and improving the disposal of dead animals. Farmers wishing to take advantage of this free service to update their plans should contact GSWCC region offices to set up a time to complete an on-farm assessment. Agricultural producers in Cherokee, Dawson, Forsyth, and Pickens counties may contact Jessica Bee in the GSWCC Region I office in Calhoun by calling 706-624-1434 or emailing jbee@gaswcc.org. Producers in Appling, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Long, McIntosh, Montgomery, Tattnall, Toombs, and Wayne counties may contact the GSWCC Region III office in Statesboro by calling 912-6815241 or emailing region3@gaswcc.org . The GSWCC has produced a free manual, Best Management Practices for Georgia Agriculture, listing agricultural water quality improvements. The manual is available online at http://tinyurl.com/betterh2o . BAKER NAMED DEAN OF ABAC SCHOOL OF AG AND NATURAL RESOURCES Dr. Jerome F. Baker became dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on July 1, according to an ABAC press release. “Jerry not only brings many academic credentials to his new position of dean, but he also brings a wealth of executive leadership experience,” said ABAC President David Bridges. “We anticipate continued growth and enhanced reputation of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources under his leadership.” Baker has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sigma Xi: the Scientific Research Society, a prestigious international honor society for scientists and engineers. Founded in 1886, Sigma Xi has more than 538,000 members in 524 chapters worldwide. Baker has also served as publisher of the Sigma Xi American Scientist Baker Magazine. Baker said he looks forward to returning to Tifton. His previous academic experience included 13 years as a faculty member in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia. From 1990-2003, he served as an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Research and Extension Location Leader for Animal and Dairy Science at the UGA Tifton Campus. “The visionary leadership of ABAC has laid the foundation for significant growth,” Baker said. “I am excited about the opportunity to join the exceptional faculty and staff of ABAC which gives me the chance to serve the students, community and diverse stakeholders of ABAC programs.”
Leadership Alert page 4 of 5 SUNBELT EXPO FIELD DAY July 10 Sunbelt Ag Expo Farm, Spence Field Moultrie This free event gives farmers a chance to see the crops and research projects being conducted at the Expo farm on seed varieties, irrigation, crop protection, precision ag technology, soil fertility and organic farming. University researchers and ag company representatives conducting the trials will give presentations on their research. Registration for door prizes begins at 7:15 a.m. followed by a free biscuit breakfast and welcome from Georgia Farm Bureau and Georgia Dept. of Agriculture representatives. Trams will depart for field tours at 8 a.m. sharp. Tours will end by noon. Attendees will receive a grab & go BBQ lunch courtesy of Ameris Bank. Due to a renewed interest in crop dusting, an aerial application demonstration will be held after the field tours sponsored by Thrush Aircraft, Eagle Vistas and WinField Solutions. GEORGIA JUNIOR CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION FIELD DAY July 10 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter 9 a.m. Perry This one-day event features tracks for ages 10 & under, 11-14 and 15 & over. Registration is $15 until July 1 and $20 onsite for GJCA members. Non-members are required to join the GJCA; annual dues are $15. Field day stations include Beef Quality Assurance certification, stockman’s quiz, scholarship tips & tricks, careers in ag, a hula hoop contest, photo booth and more. For more information call 478-474-6560. MASTER GOAT FARMER CERTIFICATION TRAINING Aug. 5 – Sept. 9 Camp Fulton Truitt College Park This six-week course, sponsored by the UGA Cooperative Extension in Fulton County, provides training for goat producers on topics related to managing and producing goats for meat. Topics include nutrition, body condition scoring, goat selection, breeds, reproduction & kidding, hoof trimming, health & diseases and many more. Classes meet on Tuesday, with refreshments served at 6 p.m. followed by class from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Class size is limited to 75 participants. Registration deadline is July 11. Cost is $100, which includes study materials, refreshments, a t-shirt and graduation certificate. Camp Fulton Truitt is located at 4300 Herschel Rd. in College Park. To register, contact the Fulton County Extension office at 404-762-4077. POND MANAGEMENT FIELD DAY July 17 Gunnell’s Pond, Adams Road 9 a.m. – noon Danielsville This free event will provide important information on how to improve pond quality and performance. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will give presentations on fish health, pond maintenance and NRCS programs. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Region 2 office at 706-552-4479. NUT HACCP FOOD SAFETY COURSE July 29-31 UGA Food Science Building Athens The UGA Food Science Extension Outreach Program and the American Peanut Council (APC) are co-sponsoring this program specifically designed for the nut industry to teach safe handling and processing practices for nut product manufacturers. Registration is $800 per person, and the deadline to register is July 18. APC Members receive a discount. Space is limited. For more information and to register, visit http://tinyurl.com/nuthaccp .
Leadership Alert page 5 of 5 FSA ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR COUNTY COMMITTEES The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting nominations for its county committees through Aug. 1. Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA. They help deliver FSA farm programs at the local level. Farmers who serve on committees help decide the kind of programs their counties will offer. They work to make FSA agricultural programs serve the needs of local producers. Elections will take place in November and newly elected county committee members take office on Jan. 1, 2015. Nomination forms may be requested from the local USDA Service Center or obtained online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections . ASA DUPONT YOUNG LEADER PROGRAM The American Soybean Association (ASA) and DuPont are seeking applicants for the 2015 ASA DuPont Young Leader Program. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1. The program is a challenging and educational two-part training program. Phase 1 will take place at the DuPont Pioneer headquarters in Johnston, Iowa, Nov. 18-21, 2014. The program continues Feb. 24-28, 2015, in Phoenix, Ariz., with training held in conjunction with the 20th annual Commodity Classic Convention and Trade Show. The ASA DuPont Young Leader Program offers the opportunity for participants to strengthen their natural leadership skills, expand their agricultural knowledge and develop strong peer relationships with other soybean growers from across the country. To apply visit http://soygrowers.com/learn/young-leader-program/ . One couple or individual per state will be selected to participate. For information, contact Christine Luelf at 314-754-1291 or cluelf@soy.org. NORTHWEST GEORGIA MASTER CATTLEMEN’S PROGRAM Sept. 8 – Oct. 27 Carroll County Ag Center Carrollton This eight-week course will meet on Mondays from 6:30 pm. to 8:30 p.m. Each week’s class focuses on a single aspect of beef cattle production, including nutrition, forages, reproduction, herd health, economics and marketing, Beef Quality Assurance, the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, livestock facilities sire selection and record keeping. Participants who attend six of the eight classes will receive a certificate of completion and a UGA Master Cattlemen’s cap. Registration is $60 per person and includes a dinner on the final night. Advance registration deadline is Aug. 25. For more information contact Jason Duggin at 706-624-1403 or jduggin@uga.edu or Paula Burke at 770-836-8546 or pjburke@uga.edu. GEORGIA GROWN FARMERS SHOWCASE Sept. 6 Moultrie Farmers Market 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Moultrie This family-friendly event features numerous vendors from around the state, with a wide variety of products from Georgia farms. For more information about the Georgia Grown program, visit http://www.georgiagrown.com . GRAZING BEHAVIOR SEMINARS Sept. 8 UGA Livestock Instructional Arena 6 – 8 p.m. Athens Sept. 11 Tift County Extension Office 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tifton Sept. 12 Location TBD 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Carrollton This series of seminars, led by Utah State Professor Emeritus Dr. Fred Provenza, will address eating habits of grazing animals, whether they can be trained to consume specific forage species and much more. Registration is $10. For more information or to register, contact Cathy Felton a 706-310-3464 or feltonc@uga.edu or Dr. Dennis Hancock at dhancock@uga.edu.