July 20, 2016
www.gfb.org
Vol. 34 No. 26
YOUNG FARMER CONFERENCE: TELL YOUR STORY OR SOMEONE ELSE WILL Young farmers were prompted to make agriculture more visible to consumers, learned about Department of Transportation rules for trucks hauling farm products and received information about USDA programs and the Georgia Ports Authority during the 2016 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Young Farmer Leadership Conference, held July 13-16 on Jekyll Island. Using the theme, “Tell your story or someone else will,” several speakers at the annual conference encouraged nearly 300 young farmers to share what they do and why with the general public. “I ask, hope and expect you to be involved,” GFB President Gerald Long said. “It’s so important. You are the future leaders of this organization.” Long stressed that developing relationships in their communities with those not involved in farming is key for agriculture’s long-term survival. “You sell yourself,” Long said. “Do that, and your product will take care of itself.” Look for the Keynote speaker Matt Rush, a New Mexico rancher who gives humorous next issue of presentations on leadership, put it this way: Make sure your product is viable GFB News (willing and able to grow), valuable and visible. Alert on “Is our product viable? Absolutely. We’re the most viable industry on the August 3. planet,” Rush said. “Our products are amazingly valuable. But, does everyone know what value you bring?” It’s not enough, Rush said, to simply churn out great products. “Those of us in agriculture are content to sit on a tractor, sit on a horse and just do our job,” Rush said. “I’d truly just like to be left alone to do my job. I just want to farm. We’d be content to just do our job. But in the absence of our voices, those who don’t know us, don’t understand us or don’t like us are redefining who we are.” GFB Legislative Director Jeffrey Harvey gave a summary of what the Legislative Department does and key bills in Congress and the Georgia Legislature, where an attempt to change the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE) program was introduced in the 2016 session but failed. “We must protect this program,” Harvey said. “We need to be extra careful every time we put -continued
GFB News Alert page 2 of 12 Continued from previous page something on the cash register and be sure the items are allowable GATE purchases.” Harvey also noted that a new class of lawmakers will enter the legislature for the 2017 session, and GFB’s efforts to forge relationships with them. GFB needs the support of farmers in their districts. “You are the ones who vote for them,” Harvey said. “They will listen to you.” During the conference attendees voted in the 2016 Picture Georgia in Agriculture Photo Contest, selecting a photo by Cody and Grace Martin of Walton County as the overall winner from 12 finalist photos. The 12 finalist photos will be featured in the 2017 GFB Young Farmer Calendar. The Martins’ photo featured a young boy leading a horse toward rolls of hay. The conference also featured the always-popular low-country boil, a golf outing to raise money for the Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and a charity auction to support the GFB Young Farmer program. Capt. James Steen of the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Motor Carrier Compliance Division reviewed the state’s rules for trucks hauling farm products. Rodney Brooks of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency gave an overview of USDA programs available to young and beginning farmers. Andrew Brooks of the Georgia Ports Authority discussed the impact exports have on agricultural producers. To view photos from the conference visit http://tinyurl.com/GFBYFconf. GFB YOUNG FARMER AWARD WINNERS REVEALED Jonathan and Bridget Hitchcock, Bennett and Rebecca Jacobs and Skye Gess left Jekyll Island as the big winners in the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer competitive events. The winners were announced during the closing session of the Young Farmer Leadership Conference on July 16. The Hitchcocks, from Washington County, won the GFB Young Farmer Achievement Award, given to recognize young farmers who derive the majority of their income from production agriculture. Jonathan and Bridget farm with Jonathan’s family, growing peanuts, corn, cotton, soybeans and produce, while also raising cattle and running an agritourism special events venue. The couple received a Polaris RTV 570 Crew Cab Ranger sponsored by Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance and $500 cash from AgSouth Farm Credit. Thomas and Alicia Harrell of Madison County and Brian and Melissa Ogletree of Spalding County were the other finalist couples for the Young Farmer Achievement Award. Each couple received $500 cash courtesy of AgSouth Farm Credit. State winners in all three contests also received expense-paid trips to the 2017 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, in Jauary to compete for national honors. The Jacobses, from Polk County, were named winners of the GFB Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture Award, given to recognize young farmers who derive the majority of their income from something other than production agriculture. Bennett and Rebecca maintain a small herd of cows and calves and Bennett teaches agriculture at Rockmart High School. The couple received a Polaris 4x4 ATV sponsored by Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance and $500 cash from Georgia Farm Bureau. Matthew and Kimberly London of White County and Troy Windham of Laurens County were the other finalists for the Excellence in Agriculture Award. The Londons and Windham received -continued
GFB News Alert page 3 of 12 Continued from previous page $500 cash sponsored by SunTrust Bank. Gess, from Hancock County, emerged from a field of 26 competitors to win the GFB Young Farmer Discussion Meet. Skye is an assistant district attorney in the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit. She and her husband Josh Pennino raise beef cattle. Skye received a Polaris 4x4 ATV sponsored by Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance. Other Discussion Meet finalists were Newt Gilman of Jackson County, Caroline Lewallen of Hall County and Rachel Patrick of Walton County. Each received $350 in cash sponsored by SunTrust Bank. In the final round, the four finalists discussed how a national immigration policy should be drafted since American agriculture depends on a foreign-born labor force. Gilman was the top collegiate finisher in the competition and earned a trip to the AFBF Fusion Conference in February to compete in the AFBF Collegiate Discussion Meet. For photos of finalists and winners visit http://tinyurl.com/GFBYFawards. MILLENNIALS HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE BIG IMPACT They’re the second-largest voting-age generation and they’re hard to pin down to a particular ideology, but millennials – generally referring to those born after 1980 and the first generation to come of age in the new millennium – have the potential to have a profound impact on politics and policy moving forward, according to American Farm Bureau Federation Director of Advocacy and Political Affairs Cody Lyon, who spoke about millennials and the political process on July 15 during the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Leadership Conference. “You look at Generation X or Baby Boomers or traditionalists, and you could determine their mold pretty easily,” Lyon said. “You could determine how they would typically vote pretty easily. With millennials it’s very different because they don’t want to be put in a box one way or the other.” Millennials are more tolerant of differing culture and lifestyles than Cody Lyon previous generations and their defining moments have largely been traumatic occurrences, like Sept. 11, the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado and Occupy Wall Street. “They have a certain sense of fear in the world that they want to try to ease and make better,” Lyon said. Then there’s what Lyon referred to as the privacy paradox: Millennials are very focused on protection of privacy, but they share details of their lives freely on social media. Millennial philosophy, Lyon said, is very team- and goal-oriented and seems more concerned with end results than with who gets the credit. “Large or small, they’re going to be very team-oriented to achieve whatever goal they’re setting out to do,” Lyon said. For the young farmers at the conference, many of whom could be classified as millennials, the characteristics of their generation present great opportunities to drive change, whether it’s in the political arena, within Farm Bureau or other organizations. “They want to be involved in structural decision-making with things that are happening with Farm Bureau at the county and state levels,” Lyon said. “They’re going to absolutely be involved and they’re going to have opportunities to do that, because they have the skill set, the ability and the desire. They just need to be able to focus on the things they want to accomplish.”
GFB News Alert page 4 of 12 LAUREN GOBLE NAMED GFB 6TH DISTRICT FIELD REPRESENTATIVE Lauren Goble of Gray has been named the new field representative for Georgia Farm Bureau’s 6th District effective July 11. Goble will be responsible for coordinating member programs for the 16 county Farm Bureau offices in the district and will serve as a liaison between the county offices and the organization’s home office in Macon. “We are excited to have Lauren join our Field Services Department and the 6th District Leadership Team,” GFB President Gerald Long said. “We believe her experience with the Ag in the Classroom program will be an asset in helping counties in her district reach consumers in their communities.” GFB’s 6th District includes Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Dodge, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Montgomery, Telfair, Treutlen, Twiggs, Washington, Wheeler and Wilkinson counties. A native of Jones County, Goble previously taught elementary school for eight years in Bibb and Jones counties. She received the 2015 Georgia Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from Georgia Farm Bureau and Lauren Goble was one of seven teachers nationwide to receive the 2016 Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award sponsored from the USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture and the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization. She has served as a member of the Jones County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee. Goble grew up visiting her grandparents’ farm – Jones County Farm Bureau members Ralph and Wanda Crumbley – where she would help feed their chickens and cows. Goble holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Georgia College & State University and a master’s degree in early childhood education from Wesleyan College. Goble and her husband, Corey, enjoy traveling and camping. She is a member of Haddock Baptist Church. SUNBELT EXPO FIELD DAY HIGHLIGHTS CROP RESEARCH Farmers attending the Sunbelt Expo Field Day on July 14 learned about new seed varieties and other crop research being conducted at the 600-acre Expo farm in Moultrie. “Field Day is a great time for farmers to come in and see the latest seed varieties, crop protectants and fertilizers and start making decisions for next year’s crop,” Chip Blalock, executive director of the Sunbelt Ag Expo, said. “This lets the public see the crops in the growing stage and is a sneak preview of the crops that will be harvested during Expo.” Sunbelt Expo will be held Oct. 18-20. Speaking at the kickoff breakfast, Georgia Farm Bureau Chief Administrative Officer & Corporate Secretary Jon Huffmaster told those attending the field day that GFB is proud to continue its partnership with Expo. Huffmaster serves on the Sunbelt Ag Dr. Stanley Culpepper Expo Executive Board. UGA Extension Weed Scientist Stanley Culpepper gave farmers an overview of research he is doing on a 22-acre plot at the Expo Farm to determine how cotton growers can best control -continued
GFB News Alert page 5 of 12 Continued from previous page glyphosate-resistant pigweed when growing 2,4-D-tolerant cotton, dicamba-tolerant cotton or standard cotton. He is also researching how cotton growers can control pigweed and reduce herbicide use by planting cover crops such as rye or clover. Culpepper warned farmers who plan to plant the new varieties of cotton that are 2,4-D and dicamba-tolerant, once they are approved, to be mindful not to plant the crops near other crops, such as peanuts or vegetables, that could be damaged by accidental spray drift. “The potential for off-target damage is greater than anything you’ve ever used,” Culpepper said. Members of the UGA Peanut Team discussed the research they are conducting to evaluate 14 varieties of peanuts, the impact of fertilizer applications on peanut canopy growth and use of plant regulators to decrease vine growth to increase nut yield. UGA Extension Forages Specialist Dennis Hancock gave an overview of the six varieties of Bermudagrass being evaluated at the Expo Farm – Alicia, Coastal, CoastCross II, Russell, Tifton 44 and Tifton 85. Hancock and his colleagues are comparing the yield and digestibility of each variety and looking at ways to control Bermudagrass Stem Maggots. “Tifton 85 is king of the Bermudagrasses. CoastCross II is very similar to it and will be good below the fall line, but I don’t recommend planting it in North Georgia,” Hancock said. Research funded by the Georgia Beef Commission shows that Alicia Bermudagrass is the variety most susceptible to Bermudagrass Stem Maggot, while CoastalCross II is the least susceptible followed by Tifton 85 and Coastal, which demonstrated the same level of susceptibility. “It’s hard for us to get federal funds to do this research because it’s not a widespread problem,” Hancock said. “So the $1 you pay when you sell your cows is being put to good use.” UGA Vegetable Horticulturist Tim Coolong discussed a research project comparing the yield of watermelons grown on narrow-row plastic irrigated with a pivot system versus watermelons grown on raised-bed plastic with drip-irrigation. “It’s common knowledge that watermelons grown with drip irrigation outperform center pivot watermelons, but the purpose of this study is to get large block data to say this is the economical savings you can expect if you put in a drip irrigation system,” Coolong said. “We haven’t compiled all of the data but the drip system substantially out-yielded the pivot system.” Bill Moore with Conger LP Gas promoted the benefits of using propane-fueled irrigation engines during a stop at the field day. “I’m now as efficient and inexpensive to use as electric engines but you don’t get cut off at four in the afternoon during peak electrical use hours,” Moore said. Moore estimates it costs $25,000 to install a propane-fueled generator and engine. He said rebate money is available for engine purchases and the average price of propane is running $1.19 a gallon. Representatives of the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission, Valley
Irrigation, Certified Ag Resources and Reinke discussed water metering programs, and other technology their companies offer to help farmers irrigate their crops as efficiently as possible.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 12 GFB ACCEPTING ENTRIES TO HAY CONTEST AND HAY DIRECTORY Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members who grow Bermudagrass hay are encouraged to enter the GFB 2016 Quality Hay Contest. Hay entered in the contest will be tested at the University of Georgia Testing Lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which predicts fiber digestibility and likely animal intake of hay. Producers may enter more than one sample in the contest. There is a $20 entry fee for each sample entered in the contest to cover lab costs. Applications and instructions for submitting samples are available at county Farm Bureau offices or may be downloaded at the GFB website http://www.gfb.org/commodities/hay_contest.html. Submitted samples must be dried in the field. Samples with moisture levels above 18 percent or nitrates greater than 4,500 parts per million will be disqualified. To review the contest rules in their entirety visit the website above. Checks to cover the entry fee should be made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau. Entry forms and samples should be sent to the GFB Commodities Department, 1620 Bass Road Macon, Ga., 31210. The deadline to enter is Oct. 31. The first-place prize is free use of a Vermeer 504N Baler for one year courtesy of Vermeer. Winners will be announced on Dec. 4 during the GFB Awards Program at the GFB Convention on Jekyll Island. Farm Bureau members with hay for sale are also invited to list their farm in the 2017 GFB Quality Hay Directory. The directory will be printed in late November. Hay producers should complete a form and send to the GFB office in Macon along with a check for $10 for each listing. Those who enter the hay contest receive a free entry in the directory. Checks should be made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau. The deadline for submitting entries for the hay directory is Oct. 31. Because this directory is used for the entire year, producers should include normal and projected production of round and square bales they anticipate selling. Directories are sent to all county Farm Bureau offices, county Extension offices, the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, cattle producers, dairy producers, horse owners, directory participants, and at the Sunbelt Expo and the annual GFB convention. The directory is also listed on the GFB website, http://www.gfb.org/commodities/hay.html. GA COUNTIES RECEIVE USDA DISASTER DECLARATIONS A total of 27 North Georgia counties are eligible for disaster assistance form the USDA’s Farm Service Agency due to losses resulting from ongoing drought conditions, according to two USDA announcements. On July 7, the USDA designated Banks, Catoosa, Dade, Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Jackson, Madison and Walker counties as primary disaster areas. Fourteen other counties – Barrow, Chattooga, Clarke, Floyd, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Lincoln, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Stephens, Whitfield and Wilkes – are eligible for disaster assistance because they are contiguous to primary disaster counties. On July 13, Columbia, Elbert, Hart and Lincoln counties were deemed eligible for disaster assistance because they are contiguous to counties in South Carolina that received primary designation. Qualified farm operators in all of these counties are eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from 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. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
GFB News Alert page 7 of 12 CONGRESS PASSES GMO LABELING BILL The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to set labeling standards for products that contain genetically modified ingredients on July 14. The bill, S. 764, passed by a 306-117 vote. All 14 of Georgia’s congressmen voted for the measure, which passed the Senate on July 7 by a 63-30 vote. Georgia’s two senators voted for it. The bill sets a national mandatory labeling standard and prohibits states from enacting their own standards. Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) supported voluntary labeling, but welcomed a national standard that avoids a patchwork of state labeling laws. A Vermont state law mandating GMO labeling went into effect July 1. “We are grateful to our members of Congress who supported this bill in the hopes of finding a solution to this issue,” said GFB President Gerald Long. “GFB continues to have concerns about the labeling mandate contained in the bill and would prefer a voluntary national labeling standard. However, the negative consequences of the Vermont law and the potential for more states to adopt similar laws make the passage of this bill critical.” The White House has indicated President Obama will sign the bill. The bill allows food companies multiple options on how the labeling is executed, including the use of quick-reference (QR) codes that can be scanned with smartphones and would take consumers to the label information on the food companies’ websites. FARM CREDIT TURNS 100 Farm Credit celebrated its 100th anniversary on July 17. In recognizing the organization’s milestone, President Obama shared a message of appreciation, the House of Representatives and the Senate both introduced resolutions to commend and congratulate the Farm Credit system, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack lauded the organization’s role in American agriculture and spoke to its ongoing importance to the future. “By providing loans and financial services to farmers and communities through its network of cooperatives, the FCS [Farm Credit System] plays an integral role in local economies across the United States,” Obama said. “I commend everyone working to ensure America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities have the resources and information they need to thrive, and I wish all those celebrating this historic occasion the very best.” House Resolution 591 was jointly sponsored by U.S. House Agriculture Committee Leaders Mike Conaway (R-Texas), Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota), Austin Scott (R-Georgia), and David Scott (D-Georgia) and co-sponsored by more than 160 other members of the House. Senate Resolution 349 was introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee leaders Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) and co-sponsored by 56 other senators. Both resolutions received bi-partisan support and applaud Farm Credit for helping to meet the credit and financial services needs of rural communities and agriculture. “Farm Credit is made up of dedicated Americans who understand the needs and champion the values of rural America,” said Austin Scott. “For a century Farm Credit has been providing our farmers, ranchers and rural communities with the capital they need to build and grow successfully.”
GFB News Alert page 8 of 12 DUPONT, DOW SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE MERGER DuPont and The Dow Chemical Company announced that stockholders of both companies have voted to approve the merger of the two companies, according to a joint press release. The companies expect the merger transaction to close in the second half of 2016, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals. Shareholders of both companies met July 20 to vote on the merger. DuPont and Dow intend that, following the completion of the merger, the combined company will pursue the separation of the combined company’s agriculture business, material science business and specialty products business into three independent, publicly traded companies, subject to approval by the DowDuPont board and any required regulatory approvals. The separation into three independent companies is expected to be complete within two years of the merger becoming final.
GFB News Alert page 9 of 12 AGAWARE FREE AGRICULTURE FINANCE TRAINING July 22 Merry Acres Inn & Conference Center 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Albany Aug. 5 Screven County Agricultural Center 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sylvania Sept. 23 Gordon County Ag Center 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Calhoun Farm Credit, AgSouth Farm Credit, and Southwest Georgia Farm Credit are all offering workshops in their territories. Young farmers are defined as those 35 years of age or younger; beginning farmers are defined as those having 10 years or less of experience; and small farmers are defined as those having annual gross agricultural sales of $250,000 or less. Topics covered include: balance sheets, income statements, family finance & family budgeting and business plan. The workshops also offer videos on recordkeeping, marketing, and technology. The AGAware educational program is also certified for FSA Direct Borrower Training Credit. To register for the Albany workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawarealbany. To register for the Sylvania workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawaresylvania. To register for the Calhoun workshop visit http://tinyurl.com/agawarecalhoun. CROP INSURANCE FOR CORN PRODUCERS IN THREE GA COUNTIES The final date to apply for crop insurance coverage is July 31. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the July 31 sales closing date to do so. Crop insurance provides protection against a loss in production due to natural perils, such as drought or excessive moisture. Coverage is available for fresh market sweet corn in Decatur, Grady, and Mitchell counties. Growers are encouraged to visit their crop insurance agent soon to learn specific details for the 2017 crop year. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA agent locator at http://www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html. Growers can use the RMA Cost Estimator at https://ewebapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/costestimator/ to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at www.rma.usda.gov. 8TH ANNUAL DEEP SOUTH STOCKER CONFERENCE Aug. 4-5 Carroll Co. Ag Center Carrollton This conference for cattle producers in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi will include a combination of seminars, demonstrations and tours of cattle farms. Seminar topics include: Beef Cattle Outlook, Stocker Marketing Options, Veterinarian Feed Directive and Feedlot Feedback. Demonstrations will cover necropsy and understanding the impacts of respiratory disease and properly administering drugs, Animal Disease Chute-side and understanding when to treat cattle and techniques to improve treatment response and reduce drug costs, understanding how rumen microorganisms work and the impact on diet, maximizing warm-season annual forages, handling cattle to improve safety and cattle performance. Conference cost is $100 and includes all of the seminars, demonstrations, notebook, tour, lunch both days and dinner. To register or for more information visit www.DeepSouthStocker.com or call your local Extension office at 1800-ASKUGA-1.
GFB News Alert page 10 of 12 COTTON GINNING COST-SHARE PROGRAM Aug 5 deadline to sign up Eligible producers can receive a one-time cost share payment, which will be based on a producer's 2015 cotton acres reported to the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), multiplied by 40 percent of the average ginning cost for each production region. The program estimates the costs based on planting of cotton in 2015. Since the local FSA offices already have this information for the vast majority of eligible producers, the applications will be able to use existing data. Sign-up for the program is at local FSA offices and payments will be processed as applications are received. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov. For more on the ginning assistance program visit http://tinyurl.com/ginassist. JOINT AGRICULTURE CHAIRMEN’S AG ISSUES SUMMIT Aug. 9 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter 10 a.m. Perry This meeting, led by Georgia House Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McCall and Georgia Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Wilkinson, will cover a variety of issues important to agriculture, including water resource planning, the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE), agriculture and forestry survey and others. Lunch is sponsored by Georgia Farm Bureau, the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Georgia Poultry Federation, Georgia Urban Agriculture Council and the Georgia Forestry Association. Space is limited and an RSVP is required by Aug. 5. To register contact Leigh Goff at 404-656-5099 or leigh.goff@house.ga.gov or Taylor Hartshorn at 404-463-5257 or taylor.hartshorn@senate.ga.gov. GFB ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR COMMODITY COMMITTEES Georgia Farm Bureau is taking nominations for members to serve on its commodity advisory committees. These committees serve in an advisory capacity to the GFB president, board and staff to implement Farm Bureau Policy. They also make recommendations to the GFB Policy Development Committee pertaining to their commodity. All county Farm Bureaus may nominate members to serve on a commodity advisory committee for a one-year term. Every county is encouraged to review their candidates and make nominations to each committee for commodities grown in the county. A person can only be nominated to serve on one committee. The chairperson will be appointed for a one-year term, and will serve on the G F B Policy Development Committee. Nomination forms are available at county Farm Bureau offices. The deadline to submit nominations is Aug. 19. BAYER BEE CARE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD Aug. 19 deadline to apply Bayer Crop Science Division is seeking nominations for its fourth annual Bee Care Community Leadership Award. The 2016 program recognizes a partnership between a beekeeper and a grower whose collaboration protects pollinators and benefits their community. The award provides a $6,000 grant to the winners to be used in support of a community partnership that demonstrates how beekeepers and growers are working together to promote and protect pollinators. Any beekeeper and grower pair that has created a partnership that promotes bee health in their community may apply. Those interested in applying for the award can obtain an application at http://tinyurl.com/bayerbeeaward.
GFB News Alert page 11 of 12 ONGOING FARM BUREAU-SPONSORED FARMERS MARKETS MONROE FARMERS MARKET Saturdays until Oct. 8 Court Street 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monroe This market, sponsored in part by Walton County Farm Bureau, will feature fresh produce and goods from local farmers, work from local artisans and family friendly activities. For more information visit www.monroedowntownfarmersmarket.com COBB COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays Lost Mountain Park 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Powder Springs Cobb County Farm Bureau (CCFB) in cooperation with Cobb County Parks and Recreation will host this farmers market. CCFB is offering vendor space to farmers, growers, and producers in Cobb and surrounding counties, with the goal of offering locally grown produce and food to the community and to engage the community about where their food comes from as well as support Cobb County farmers. Each vendor must be a member of Farm Bureau. Vendor fees will be waived in lieu of this membership. For more information contact Debbie Payne at dmpayne@gfb.org or 770-943-3531. ROCKDALE/DEKALB FARM BUREAU FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. – noon Thursdays 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. The Rockdale/DeKalb Farm Bureau Farmers Market will be open at 1400 Parker Rd. SE in Conyers. The public is invited to stop by and shop for fresh locally grown vegetables, dairy products, crafts and more! For more information contact the Rockdale/DeKalb County Farm Bureau office at 770-922-3566. SHIELDS-ETHRIDGE HERITAGE FARM CULTIVATORS’ MARKET Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 15 and Nov. 19 Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 2355 Ethridge Rd. Jefferson Jackson County Farm Bureau (JCFB) is sponsoring this monthly open-air market that will allow local farmers and entrepreneurs to sell products they make or grow in a festival atmosphere. Market will be held rain or shine. The Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm is an outdoor ag museum that functions as an educational and interpretative facility. Proceeds from the market will be used for restoration projects at the farm. If you are interested in having a booth at the market, contact JCFB Office Manager Denise Temple at dftemple@gfb.org or call 706-367-8877 or visit www.shieldsethridgefarminc.com to complete an application online. PAULDING COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS’ MARKET Thursdays through Oct. 28 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Paulding County Farm Bureau Paulding County Farm Bureau is accepting vendors for its weekly farmers market. There is no fee to participate but vendors must be Farm Bureau members so the market qualifies as a Georgia Farm Bureau Certified Farm Market. If you would like to participate in the PCFB Farmer’s Market, please contact Tracy Grice at Paulding County Farm Bureau at 770-445-6681 or email her at tcgrice@gfb.org. Vendors may sell locally grown produce or other ag commodities or homemade crafts. Paulding County Farm Bureau is located at 549 Hardee St., Dallas, GA 30132.
GFB News Alert page 12 of 12 DODGE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET Saturdays Dodge County Courthouse 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Eastman This open-air market, sponsored in part by Dodge County Farm Bureau, features locally produced meats, vegetables, eggs and artisanal crafts. For more information contact market manager T.I. Papel at 478-374-5895 or tipapel@bellsouth.net, or visit www.facebook.com/dodgecountyfarmersmarket.