July 20, 2011
www.gfb.org
Vol. 29 No. 29
EGG PRODUCERS, HSUS AGREE TO PETITION FOR WELFARE STANDARD On July 7 the United Egg Producers (UEP), the nation’s largest cooperative of egg farmers, reached an agreement with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) under which the two organizations would petition the federal government to enact new animal welfare standards, to include the use of “enriched cages.” “America’s egg producers have continually worked to improve animal welfare, and we strongly believe our commitment to a national standard for hen welfare is in the best interest of our animals, customers and consumers,” said UEP Chairman Bob Krouse. Farm Bureau has traditionally opposed efforts to legislate animal care standards, preferring instead that welfare criteria be established using science-based methods. The proposed standards under the agreement would require cages currently used by more than 90 percent of U.S. commercial layers to be replaced with new enriched housing systems. The standards would apply to all commercial layers in the U.S. and the industry costs are estimated at $4 billion over the next 15 to 17 years. The enriched cage systems would double the amount of space of most hen cages currently in use and provide perches, nesting boxes and scratching areas, according to a joint press release from the UEP and HSUS. The proposed legislation mandates labeling on all egg cartons informing consumers of the method used in production, would create euthanasia standards for egg-laying hens to be approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association and would prohibit the sale of eggs or egg products that don’t meet the requirements. The joint release indicated that the proposed legislation, if enacted by Congress, would supersede state laws concerning animal welfare, including those that have been passed recently in Arizona, California, Michigan and Ohio. “We are committed to working together for the good of the hens in our care and believe a national standard is far superior than a patchwork of state laws and regulations that would be cumbersome for our customers and confusing to consumers,” Krouse said. The HSUS agreed to halt its undercover videotaping at U.S. poultry operations and cease pursuit of an additional state legislative or ballot initiatives. HSUS has pursued 44 ballot initiatives in 19 states since 1996, including ones in Florida, Arizona and California centering on gestation housing for animal agriculture operations.
Leadership Alert page 2 of 6 DUVALL, OTHER STATE PRESIDENTS BRIEFED ON FARM BUREAU ISSUES Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall attended the AFBF Council of Presidents in Washington, D.C. on July 12-13, where he received briefings on AFBF’s priority issues and other legislative and organizational issues. Duvall also visited several members of the Georgia legislative delegation. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) addressed the group expressing support for more congressional oversight of EPA and the free trade agreements (FTAs) currently before Congress. Lucas said he is disappointed at the budget deliberations and with those advocating additional cuts to farm programs. The group also received information from American Farm Bureau Federation staff on a number of topics, including an update on immigration that covered H.R. 2164, the federal bill calling for national E-Verify. During the AFBF briefings, a gloomy outlook was shared on the 2012 farm bill, for which the House-passed budget included cuts of $12 billion (commodity title), $18 billion (conservation title), and $18 billion (crop insurance). Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood explained the Mexican trucking agreement and how the agreement will remove tariffs from U.S. farm products. He also briefly discussed US DOT proposed rules to rewrite some of the Federal Motor Carrier regulations that would eliminate the CDL exemptions for agriculture. In meetings with members of the Georgia Congressional delegation, Duvall discussed the need for a workable guest worker program as well as reining in the Environmental Protection Agency and the 2012 farm bill. U.S., MEXICO REACH AGREEMENT ON CROSS-BORDER TRUCKING In a move that will end a running dispute that has lasted 15 years between the U.S. and Mexico, the two countries reached an agreement to end their dispute over cross-border trucking on July 6. The United States agreed to provisions allowing Mexican trucks into the U.S., while Mexico agreed to lift tariffs on imports of manufactured goods and agricultural products from the United States. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Mexico’s Secretary of Communications and Transportation Dionisio Arturo Pèrez-Jàcome Friscione signed the agreement, which will allow Mexican long-haul trucks into the United States with the requirement that haulers comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards and that they be equipped with electronic monitoring systems to track hours-of-service compliance. The tariffs ranged from 5 percent to 25 percent on certain fresh and processed U.S. agricultural products destined for Mexican markets and totalled $2.4 billion, including $800 million on U.S. agricultural products. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the tariffs could be completely removed by late August. The tariffs were assessed in retaliation for Mexican trucking companies being denied entry into the U.S. The tariffs were to be reduced by half after the agreement was signed and eliminated entirely once the first Mexican trucking company is authorized to operate in the U.S. under the program.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 6 TATTNALL, SURROUNDING COUNTIES GET DISASTER DESIGNATION The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated Tattnall County as a primary natural disaster area on July 13 due to losses caused by excessive rain, high winds and a hail storm that occurred in late March. In addition, counties bordering Tattnall were declared contiguous disaster areas. They are Appling, Candler, Emanuel, Evans, Liberty, Long, Toombs and Wayne counties. All qualified farm operators in those counties are eligible for low interest emergency operating loans from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. The FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. The FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. The USDA has also made other programs available to assist farmers, including the Supplemental Revenue Assurance Program (SURE), which was approved as a part of the 2008 farm bill, the Emergency Conservation Program, federal crop insurance and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA service center for more information on eligibility requirements and application procedures, or they may visit http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. BILL TO REPEAL WITHHOLDING FROM PAYMENTS GAINS COSPONSORS A bill in the U.S. House to repeal the new 3 percent withholding requirement on government payments has surpassed 200 cosponsors. To reach a majority, 218 are needed. The bill, H.R. 674, which does not contain a revenue offset, repeals the new tax withholding requirement on government payments of $10,000 or more for goods and services beginning in 2013. The tax would apply to many payments under United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, and would be withheld in anticipation of endof-the-year tax liabilities that may or may not be due. Those include direct and countercyclical payments, Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) payments, dairy support programs, specialty crop block grants, the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Georgia Reps. Sanford Bishop (D-2nd Dist.), Paul Broun (R-10th Dist.), Hank Johnson (D4th Dist.), John Lewis (D-5th Dist.), Tom Price (R-6th Dist.), Lynn Westmoreland (R-3rd Dist.) and Rob Woodall (R-7th Dist.) have all signed on as cosponsors. Concerned over the potential cash-flow problems this tax would create for farmers, Farm Bureau opposes the 3 percent withholding tax and supports H.R. 674. Because doctors and rural medical facilities treat a higher percentage of Medicare patients, the bill would make it harder to maintain rural health facilities and to attract doctors to rural areas. Two similar bills have been introduced into the Senate. S.89, introduced by five senators, including Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson, does not contain a revenue offset, while S.164 would pay for the repeal by rescinding unspent discretionary funds.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 6 U.S. BLUEBERRY COUNCIL REFERENDUM July 5-26 The USDA will conduct a referendum July 5-26 to ask blueberry growers if they want to continue the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Under the marketing order, the USDA is required to conduct a continuation referendum of the national research and promotions program every five years. The USDA mailED ballots directly to blueberry growers and importers in late June. If you did not receive a ballot, contact the USDA or the Highbush Blueberry Council at jgowan@blueberry.org. The results will be based on a simple majority of the number voting and a majority of the volume voted. COTTON, TOBACCO COMMISSIONS ACCEPTING BOARD NOMINATIONS The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commissions for cotton and tobacco are accepting nominations for their respective boards of directors through July 27. The nomination procedure has changed. Nominations can be made by filling out a nominee information form and sending it to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Room 328, Agriculture Building, 19 MLK Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30334. It can also be faxed to 404-656-9380. The forms are available at FSA offices. For more information, call the GDA at 404-656-3678. GFB ACCEPTING COMMODITY COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS Georgia Farm Bureau is accepting nominations for its state commodity committees until Monday, Aug. 1. GFB’s 20 commodity committees serve in an advisory capacity to the Georgia Farm Bureau president, board of directors and state staff and make recommendations to the GFB Policy Development Committee. For more information contact the GFB Commodity Department at 1-800-342-1196. GRAZING SCHOOL SEEKING INPUT FROM PARTICIPANTS University of Georgia Extension Forage Specialist Dr. Dennis Hancock is conducting a survey of participants of the Georgia Grazing School to evaluate the impact of the school’s programs. Please note: The deadline to participate in the survey is Aug. 1. The survey can be found at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22CLBRJANUS. Survey participants will receive a gift as a token of thanks. FSA TAKING NOMINATIONS FOR COUNTY COMMITTEES The nomination period for Farm Service Agency county committees runs through Aug. 1 To be eligible to serve on an FSA county committee, a person must participate or cooperate in a program administered by FSA, be eligible to vote in a county committee election and reside in the local administrative area in which the person is a candidate. For more information visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. DAIRY CALF RAISING WORKSHOP Aug. 3 Oglethorpe Courthouse Annex 9 a.m. to 2 p.m Montezuma Aug. 17 Morgan County Extension Office 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Madison This free training presented by the UGA Animal and Dairy Science Department will be offered in English and Spanish. To register call the Macon County Extension Office at 478- 472-7588 or the Morgan County Extension Office at 706-342-2214 by July 28. DEADLINE TO VOTE IN VIDALIA ONION JINGLE CONTEST Aug. 5 The Vidalia® Onion Committee (VOC) is seeking the most popular Vidalia jingle and you are encouraged to cast your vote at www.vidaliaonion.org. The most popular jingle will earn $1,000 cash, while another winner based on talent and creativity as chosen by a judging panel will win an Ultimate Nashville Getaway. Contest submissions have run the audio and visual gamut: a cappella lyrics, pre-produced videos with guitar and drum accompaniments, Southern drawls, thick New York accents, giggling girlfriends, family reunion attendees, wannabe rappers, ladies crooning in flowered hats, and more.
Leadership Alert page 5 of 6 RED ROSE CLASSIC GOAT SHOW Aug. 13 Entry deadline Aug. 19-20 Ga. National Fairgrounds Perry Show participants will check in and have their goats weighed between 2-10 p.m. on Aug. 19. The Junior Market Meat Goat Show (for kids pre-K to 12th grade) will begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 20, followed by showmanship classes and the International Boer Goat Association Show. There is no limit to the number of goats an exhibitor may enter in any show. Entry fees of $15 per goat must accompany entry form along with $7 per pen needed. Current health certificates are required for all goats. Goats six months or older must be registered with the International Boer Goat Association, the American Boer Goat Association or the U.S. Boer Goat Association. Original registration papers must be shown at check in. The Junior Market Meat Goat Show is open to any breed or crossbred wether or market doe. No bucks are allowed. Goats entered in the Market show are not eligible to show in either of the Breeding Boer Goat Shows. All goats exhibited in the Market show must be carrying all of their milk teeth at time of weigh in. Goats showing either or both of the first pair of permanent incisors are not eligible. Exhibitors from both the Junior Market Meat Goat Show and the Open Boer Goat Show are eligible to compete in the showmanship classes. There is no entry fee as long as the animals exhibited are entered and qualified for either the Junior Market Show or the Open Boer Goat Show. If an animal is not entered in either show, a $7 entry feed will be charged. There will be four showmanship classes divided by age of exhibitors: Class 1 – 5 years and under; Class 2 – 6-10 years; Class 3 – 11-14 years; Class 4: 15-18 years. Contact Rusty or Rayna Lee at 678-410-7785 or 770-652-6030 or leefarmsboers@aol.com for entry forms or more information. SE RESEARCH & EDUCATION CENTER FIELD DAY August 16 UGA Southeast Research and Education Center Midville Event will highlight UGA field crop variety tests for corn, soybean and peanuts. Contact Anthony Black at 478-589-7472 for information. LOGANBERRY HERITAGE FARM GARLIC FEST August 27 LoganBerry Heritage Farm Cleveland Garlic is the center of attention at this free, fun, family event, which celebrates the farm’s garlic harvest and runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be food tastings and cooking demos with garlic dishes, live entertainment, artisans and animals all in a memorable setting on this Appalachian heritage farm. Visit www.loganberryheritagefarm.com or call Sharon Mauney at 706-348-6068 for more information. The farm is located at 2660 Adair Mill Road, Cleveland, Ga, 30528. NATIONAL ANGUS CONFERENCE & TOUR Sept. 6-8 The Classic Center Athens Sponsored by Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC, this tour includes two days of visits at ranches in central and northeast Georgia as well as presentations from industry representatives, researchers and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. Registration fee is $150 before Aug. 1 and $175 after. For more information, visit http://www.nationalangusconference.com, call 816-383-5100 or email sstannard@angus.org. 4TH ANNUAL UGA COTTON & PEANUT RESEARCH FIELD DAY Sept. 7 Tifton The tour will begin at 9 a.m. and will conclude with lunch. The Georgia Cotton Commission and the Georgia Peanut Commission are sponsoring the field day.
Leadership Alert page 6 of 6 GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION FALL FIELD DAY Sept. 8 UGA Tifton Campus 8 a.m. Tifton This free event will feature a review of the latest insect, disease, fertilizer, and breeding research by UGA pecan researchers including Jim Dutcher, Tim Brenneman, Lenny Wells, and Patrick Conner. Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact Janice Dees at georgiapecan@gmail.com. BROOKS COUNTY SKILLET FESTIVAL Sept. 17 Brooks County Courthouse Square Quitman This farm, food & arts festival will highlight the area’s abundant agriculture and fine southern cuisine. The one-day event will feature the “Cast-Iron Man,” a 5k road race and 1m fun run, vendors on the courthouse square, the “Cast-Iron Chef” cooking competition, a skillet throwing contest and an evening with local musicians. Visit www.skilletfestival.com for more information or contact Lauren Basford at 229-305-7822. WILLIAM HARRIS HOMESTEAD HERITAGE DAY.....A CALL TO ARMS Sept. 24 3636 Ga. Hwy. 11 Monroe This event, which runs from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m, offers fun for the entire family. There will be re-enactments to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, tours of the 1825 log house and outbuildings, demonstrations of 1800's crafts, plowing with the Old Time Georgia Plow Club, antiques, children's 1800's games, petting zoo, agricultural displays, great food and entertainment all day. General admission is $10, $5 for children 5-12 and children under 5 are free. For more information contact Judy Hardegree at 770-867-2449 or judyhardegree@yahoo.com. 2011 ANNUAL PEANUT TOUR Sept. 27-29 Southwest Ga./Bainbridge The 2011 Peanut Bus Tour of South Georgia, sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission, begins in Bainbridge on Tuesday, Sept. 27, with an early-bird hot topics session at 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Bainbridge. Presentations will include economic and food issues by University of Georgia faculty and USDA scientists on U.S. peanut program and policy, processing, quality, nutrition and uniform peanut performance tests. A reception follows at 6 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the Holiday Inn Express.Tour highlights include production research at the Attapulgus Research farm, on-farm demonstrations, equipment manufacturing, peanut handling, grading and shelling, and product processing facilities. Lunch will be at the Cloud Livestock Pavilion and a low country boil will be held at 7 p.m. at the Earle May Boat Basin. The agenda for Thursday, Sept. 29 includes lunch in Blakely, a 6 p.m. reception at Cotton Hall in Colquitt, with dinner and theater presentation of Swamp Gravy. Bus seats will be reserved on a first-come basis, with international visitors being given priority. For more information, contact Rebecca Whitehead at 229-386-3470 or email rebecca@gapeanuts.com SEPT. 30 DEADLINE TO SUBMIT GFB POLICY Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual policy development process is underway. Sept. 30 is the deadline for county Farm Bureaus to submit policy recommendations to the state policy development committee. The state committee will meet this fall to consider the recommendations submitted by county Farm Bureaus and GFB’s commodity advisory committees. Contact the GFB Legislative Department for more information.