Georgia Farm Bureau's Leadership Alert - July 28, 2010

July 28, 2010

www.gfb.org

Vol. 28 No. 30

GFB YOUNG FARMERS HOLD FAMILY FARM CONFERENCE The Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee held a Young Farmer Family Conference at the Lake Blackshear Resort in Crisp County July 24-25. Conference events included the preliminary rounds of the GFB Young Farmer Discussion Meet, recognition of the GFB Young Farmer Achievement Award finalists and selection of the GFB photo contest winners. Workshops covered social media, farm safety and GFB’s legislative efforts.

Christy Bryan of Chattooga County, Jessica Bryant of Jackson County, Jonathan Fordham of Bleckley County and Will Godowns of Pike County were selected from 19 contestants as the four finalists who will compete in the final round of competition to be held in December during the annual GFB Convention on Jekyll Island.

The three finalists of the GFB Young Farmer Achievement Award were also named during the conference. They are: Brian and Melissa Ogletree, Spalding County, 5th District; Stuart and Lauren Boykins, Screven County, 7th District; and Steven and Tiffany Metcalf, Turner County, 8th District. The state winner will be named at the GFB Convention in December.

Bonnie Duvall, wife of GFB President Zippy Duvall, kicked off the workshop sessions Saturday afternoon by sharing her Farm Bureau experiences with the young farmers.

“I’m proud to be a part of the greatest and number one industry in Georgia,” Duvall said.

She encouraged the young couples attending the conference to become involved in Farm Bureau together, saying, “I guarantee you will make lifelong friends who share your desire to promote agriculture. The young farmer program is your chance to become a part of this great organization. I hope you’ll take to heart what I said today and get involved.”

GFB Commodity Specialist Brandon Ashley gave conference attendees an overview of the GFB Certified Farm Market Program. GFB Web and Video Manager Michael Edmondson explained how Farm Bureau is using social media tools Facebook, Twitter and You Tube to educate consumers about agriculture. Celena Williams, CEO of C7 Marketing, encouraged the young farmers to use social media to advocate for agriculture.

Farm safety expert Jay Daniel encouraged the farmers to review their farms for potential hazards and eliminate them or reduce the risks they pose. GFB Legislative Specialist Tas Smith explained how the GFB Legislative Department represents farmers at the state capitol and encouraged the young farmers to establish relationships with their state legislators and the staff in the field offices of their U.S. congressmen.

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GFB PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED Teresa Chambers of Jones County was named the grand prize winner of the Picture Agriculture in Georgia Contest sponsored by the GFB Young Farmer Committee.

Chambers received a $150 prize. Contestants receiving honorable mentions and $75 each were: Dana Chamma of Washington County, Becky Durham of Greene County, Robert Grizzle of Cherokee County, Jeannene Powell of Polk County and Vicki Franklin of Baldwin County.

The contest drew 205 entries. A panel of professional photographers selected 12 photos from which attendees at the GFB Young Farmer Conference selected the winners. The top photos can be seen on the GFB Web site at http://www.gfb.org and our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/georgiafarmbureau. Contest winners will also be featured in the fall issue of the Georgia Neighbors magazine.

GEORGIA CLAIMS COURT VICTORY IN WATER DISPUTE In the ongoing tri-state water dispute over access to water from Lake Lanier, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson last week denied Florida’s petition to have more water released through Buford Dam. Florida was seeking additional flows to support the gulf sturgeon and three species of mussels. Magnuson based his ruling on a 2008 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study, which indicated that the Army Corps of Engineers’ reservoir operations at Lake Lanier do not threaten the survival of those species.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has been in negotiations with the governors of Alabama and Florida over use of water from Lake Lanier since January. Under a previous ruling from Magnuson, the three states have until 2012 to reach a water-sharing agreement.

“Judge Magnuson’s rejection of Florida’s efforts to seek a judicial decree for higher downstream flows that were not supported by science or the law is a major victory for Georgia,” Perdue said. “Any kind of higher guaranteed flow for Florida would have put a strain on Georgia communities up and down the Chattahoochee River.”

SENATE ENERGY BILL WON’T INCLUDE CAP-AND-TRADE PROVISIONS Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hoped to bring a new energy bill to the Senate floor this week, but he acknowledged in published reports that it would have to be without cap-and-trade or Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) provisions that would require a percentage of the nation’s electricity to come from renewable sources.

The cap-and-trade provisions could be kept alive if the energy bill passes the Senate and is then conferenced with the Waxman-Markey bill that passed the House last summer, allowing them to be brought up for a post-election vote in November. With a number of other pressing issues facing the Senate and the recess scheduled to begin Aug. 6 followed by mid-term election campaigns, the debate and vote on the Senate energy bill may not come until November. In a related action, Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) introduced a bill that would prevent cap-and-trade from being added to a House-Senate Conference bill if previous action has not been taken in the Senate.

Reid’s energy bill has provisions to tighten restrictions for offshore drilling and removes the cap on liability oil companies face. The bill also includes incentives for homeowners to install energy-efficient retrofits, natural gas-powered vehicles and provisions for expanded land and water conservation.

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COMMENT PERIOD FOR GIPSA RULE EXTENDED Following sharp criticism from Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, the USDA extended the comment period on its proposed marketing rules under the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) by 90 days, to Nov. 22.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the proposed rule June 18 and originally established a comment period set to expire Aug. 23. The USDA is conducting a series of joint workshops with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to allow livestock and poultry stakeholders the chance to voice concerns over how their industries operate. Those workshops are scheduled to conclude Dec. 8 with a discussion on margins between prices paid by consumers and prices received by farmers. Two of the five workshops were completed before the USDA issued its proposed rule.

Scott said the proposed rule was an attempt to circumvent Congress’ intentions by imposing measures that were rejected in the development of the 2008 farm bill. He expressed disappointment that the rule was proposed before the completion of the workshops, and he and 21 other congressmen requested a 120-day extension for comment.

The proposed rule would establish new protections for producers that choose arbitration to remedy disputes, require uniform base pay to growers raising the same type and kind of poultry, require 90-day advance notice when a company intends to suspend delivery of birds, require sample contracts to be made available on GIPSA’s Web site for producers, outline protections so producers can remedy a breach of contract and place limits on exclusive arrangements between packers and dealers.

Visit www.gipsa.usda.gov for copies of the proposed rule and additional information.

Comments may be submitted by email to comments.gipsa@usda.gov or by mail to Tess Butler, GIPSA, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Room 1643-S, Washington, DC 20250-3604.

GFB SUBMITS COMMENTS ON NPDES, FOOD SAFETY Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall recently sent letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stating GFB’s position on upcoming rules to be instituted by those two agencies.

In response to the EPA’s draft “Pesticide General Permit,” Duvall pointed out that when Congress ratified the Clean Water Act, its intent was not to subject agricultural producers to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Instead, Congress created state and local waste treatment management plans for farmers to implement to reduce and eliminate potential agricultural pollutants.

In anticipation of the FDA’s rulemaking for produce safety on the farm, Duvall asked that the diversity of fruits and vegetables be considered in the development of regulations.

He suggested that farmers who sell produce directly to consumers through farm markets or roadside stands should not be subjected to the same regulatory scrutiny as large growers who pack and ship produce commercially. Finally, he asked that the FDA be certain of problems before issuing food safety alerts.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 4 UPCOMING EVENTS

SOUTHEAST BIO-ENERGY & RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE Aug. 3-5 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton This fifth annual event includes sessions on the topics of rising gas prices, development of energy market jobs, wood pellet production and many other topics. For information visit www.sebioenergy.org or contact Evelyn Folds at 229-386-7274 or efolds@uga.edu.

UGA TURFGRASS FIELD DAY Aug. 4 UGA Griffin Campus 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Griffin This event will present the latest research information on management of turfgrass varieties grown in Georgia. The morning sessions will also be offered in Spanish. Participants can earn four hours of Georgia Pesticide License Credit in category 24 and four hours in category 21.

Registration fee is $65. For information or to register, visit www.GeorgiaTurf.com or call 770-229-3477.

UGA SOUTHEAST RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER FIELD DAY August 18 UGA Southeast Research and Education Center Midville Event will highlight UGA field crop variety tests for corn, soybean and peanuts, trials to test peanut fungicides and control cotton stinkbugs and biofuel projects. Event starts at 9 a.m. followed by a provided lunch at 12:30 p.m. Call 706-542-1060 for more information.

COTTON, PEANUTS AND SOYBEAN FIELD DAY August 26 Southwest Georgia Research and Educational Center Plains Event begins at 8:30 am. Lunch will be provided. Call 229-824-4375 for more information.

PROGRESSIVE AGRICULTURE SAFETY DAY Aug. 28 Habersham County Fairgrounds Clarkesville This event, which lasts from 8 a.m. to 5p.m., is open to children ages 5 – 13 and utilizes interactive activities to teach kids about farm and rural safety. Topics include snake and wildlife safety, ATV safety, chemical safety, meth awareness, and tractor/PTO safety.

Children ages 9 and under must be supervised by an adult. For information or to register please contact the Habersham County Farm Bureau at 706-776-6739 or jhcanup@gfb.org.

UGA COTTON AND PEANUT FIELD DAY Sept. 8 Coastal Plain Experiment Station Tifton Event begins at 8:30 a.m. and includes a sponsored lunch. Call 229-386-3328 for more information.

24TH ANNUAL GEORGIA PEANUT TOUR Sept. 14-16 Various locations Americus Coordinated by the Georgia Peanut Commission, the University of Georgia, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the National Peanut Research Lab, this annual event begins with a “Hot Topics” seminar on Sept. 14 at 3 p.m. Lodging and registration will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, 1611 E. Lamar St., Americus, Ga. 31709. For more information visit www.gapeanuts.com or call 229-386-3470.