March 20, 2013
www.gfb.org
Vol. 31 No. 12
USDA IMPLEMENTS ANIMAL TRACEABILITY RULE The USDA’s Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule, which requires official identification for livestock being moved across state lines, went into effect on March 11. The species covered in the rule include beef and dairy cattle, bison, sheep and goats, swine, horses and other equines, captive cervids like deer and elk, and poultry. According to Georgia State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Cobb, the ADT rule calls for cattle and bison crossing state lines to be accompanied by an official interstate certificate of veterinary inspection (ICVI) or other movement document as agreed to by both the shipping and receiving states. Cattle and bison traveling directly to slaughter to be harvested within three days do not require an ICVI. In addition to the ICVI, cattle and bison are subject to the following identification requirements: • Beef cattle and bison - ages 18 months and older will require official individual identification, consisting of official ear tags, metal ear tags, electronic identification ear tags or a registration tattoo or brand. Beef cattle going directly to slaughter may travel with back tag identification. Steers, spayed heifers and cattle under 18 months of age are exempt from the identification rules. • Dairy cattle - Female dairy cattle of any age and all males born after March 11, 2013, are required to be officially identified, as are steers. DHIA official ear tags are accepted as official ID. • Exhibition livestock - All exhibition/show and rodeo cattle and bison require individual identification. • Livestock markets - Cattle and bison moving through livestock markets must meet the identification and travel requirements. The rule phases in the use of official tags with the U.S. route shield with either “US” or the state postal abbreviation stamped inside the shield. All tags imprinted after March 11, 2014, must have this shield, and all animals tagged after March 11, 2015, must have tags with the shield on them. Official tags will be distributed to official tagging sites. Producers, veterinarians and livestock markets may be approved to become official tagging sites. Metal ear tags can be obtained from the Georgia Department of Agriculture for free by calling 404-656-3667. For poultry and swine, the rule reduces the record-keeping requirements from five years to two years. Interstate movement of chicks from hatchery and redistributor is exempt. Growers are required to keep records of where they obtained the birds. The rules for moving goats, sheep, swine and cervids have not changed. To view the final rule in its entirety, visit http://tinyurl.com/ce3kccu. For more information call the Georgia Department of Agriculture at 404-656-3671 or 404-656-3667.
Leadership Alert page 2 of 6 GCC REAFFIRMED; BOLL WEEVIL ASSESSMENT PROPOSED Georgia’s cotton growers reaffirmed the Georgia Cotton Commission in a referendum vote held Feb. 4 - March 5. Of 1,020 ballots cast, 93 percent supported continuing the GCC’s research, education and promotion activities. The GCC, which has been in operation since 1965, is required by Georgia law to be subject to a reaffirmation vote every three years. “For years I was a voting producer but these last several years serving on the commission board have enabled me to see up-close how the commission works in so many ways to address our needs concerning research, legislation and promotion. On behalf of the entire board, I want to thank our fellow growers for this great vote of confidence to keep us working. We are all looking forward to these next three years serving our cotton industry,” said GCC Chairman Mike Lucas of Bleckley County. Meanwhile, the National Cotton Council has proposed an assessment to fund efforts to eradicate the boll weevil from South Texas. The boll weevil is now largely contained to the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, where criminal activity and climate issues make boll weevil control difficult. The National Cotton Council’s Boll Weevil Action Committee has proposed a plan to involve all states in maintaining this very important buffer zone. The proposal is to assess up to 75 cents per acre on each acre of cotton grown in areas of the U.S. where the weevil is eradicated. The Georgia Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation and the Georgia Farm Bureau Cotton Committee support the plan, which aims to prevent reinfestation in areas where the boll weevil has been eradicated. The additional assessment would take effect with the 2014 crop. GFB ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR 2013 PHOTO CONTEST The Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee is accepting entries for its 4th Annual Picture Agriculture in Georgia Contest - open to any Georgia Farm Bureau member who receives no income from photography. The contest is intended to show off the beauty and/or humor of Georgia’s rural life. Cash awards will be presented in two categories: Farm Bureau Members and Farm Bureau Employees. Prizes for the member category are: 1st Place - $150 and 11 Honorable Mentions - $75 each.The winner of the member category will be featured on the front of the 2014 GFB Young Farmer Calendar. Prizes for the employee category are: 1st Place - $100, 2nd Place $75, 3rd Place - $50. Only digital photos that are a minimum of 1 megabyte (MB) in file size may be submitted with a limit of two entries per person. All photos must have been shot in Georgia in 2012 or 2013. Photos altered in any way will not be judged. All photos become the property of GFB. Digital photos must be sent as a JPEG file attachment via email to yf@gfb.org by 4:30 p.m. on April 26. If children or people are included in photos, you must complete a model release entry form that must be received by GFB by 4:30 p.m. April 26 via fax or U.S. mail. Visit your county Farm Bureau office for complete contest rules, entry instructions and the model release form or visit the GFB website at http://www.gfb.org/programs/yf/photo.html. Contest winners will be posted on the GFB website in early August and featured in the fall issue of GFB’s Georgia Neighbors magazine.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 6 GFB PREPARES MEMBERS TO TEACH AG LITERACY About 250 county Farm Bureau volunteers and staff attending the Georgia Farm Bureau Educational/Leadership Conference March 15-16 in Macon got a crash course in teaching students about agriculture and eating healthy. GFB Women’s Leadership Committee Chairman Nanette Bryan announced that beginning July 1 the organization will launch a comprehensive program to promote locally grown food, GFB’s Certified Farm Markets and proper nutrition habits as recommended by the USDA Choose My Plate program rather than promoting one Georgia commodity as GFB has previously done. “My Plate is Georgia Grown,” is the theme of the promotion for the 2013-2014 school year. The change in promotion strategy is designed to take advantage of consumers’ increased interest in where their food comes from and the growing effort to fight childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes. The new promotion strategy is intended to complement the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s (GDA) Feed My School for a Week and the USDA’s Farm to School programs. Numerous speakers led workshops designed to show GFB volunteers how they can teach students about the basics of agriculture while promoting healthy eating habits. GDA Nutrition Educator & Outreach Specialist Melanie Harris and GFB Commodity Specialist Brandon Ashley taught conference attendees to make snacks promoting vegetables and Georgia commodities. The kid-friendly recipes included Veggie Man, a skeleton constructed of raw vegetables with a bowl of ranch dressing for the head; “sushi” rolls made from wheat bread, peanut butter and jelly; and apple “snakes.” Crawford County teachers Andrea Seagraves and Amy Hill discussed curriculum they developed for their kindergarten class based on agriculture and their weekly Farm Fridays. Bleckley County third grade science teachers Christy Jones and Tanya Rogers shared how they plant a school garden and use it to teach according to Georgia Performance Standards. UGA Extension Agents Edda Cotto-Rivera and Cindee Sweda discussed teaching kids which Georgia commodities can help meet the recommended daily intake of the five food groups USDA Choose My Plate advocates. GFB Women’s Committee members Elaine Avery and Angela Todd discussed resources available through USDA Choose My Plate such as Supertracker, a calorie tracker with a listing of 8,000 food items that helps consumers keep a daily tally of their food consumption, and daily nutrition tips sent via email. Todd urged attendees to watch their portion sizes to control their weight. USDA SUSPENDS REPORTS, DETAILS FURLOUGH PLANS The USDA announced the suspension of a number of NASS reports and more details on furloughs for U.S. meat inspectors have emerged as the USDA takes steps to comply with requirements of sequestration, according to published reports. The NASS suspended 10 of its regular reports for the rest of fiscal year 2013, including the July Cattle Report and Milk Production Reports. U.S. meat inspectors will be furloughed a total of 11 days, which are expected to begin in July. Undersecretary for Food Safety and Inspection Dr. Elisabeth Hagen told a House Appropriations subcommittee that the inspectors would all be furloughed on the same days and none of the furlough days would be consecutive.
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PEANUT PROUD FESTIVAL March 23 Courthouse Square Blakely This annual celebration of Georgia's peanut industry features the Peanut Proud Parade, a 5K run, a wide variety of arts and crafts, kids games and free entertainment featuring country artist John Berry and Diamond Rio. For more information, visit http://www.peanutproud.com. FILING FOR WOMEN, HISPANIC FARMERS ENDS MARCH 25 The filing period ends March 25 for women or Hispanic farmers alleging discrimination by the USDA in loan application or loan servicing processes between 1981 and 2000. The voluntary claims process, which is offered as an alternative to litigation, will make available at least $1.33 billion for cash awards and tax relief payments, plus up to $160 million in farm debt relief to eligible claimants. There are no filing fees to participate. For more information call 1-888-508-4429 or visit https://www.farmerclaims.gov. GEORGIA’S INTERNATIONAL TRADE REPRESENTATIVES 2013 VISIT March 26 Woodruff Arts Center 3:30 p.m. Atlanta Georgia’s international trade representatives in Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Europe, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico and the United Kingdom will be on hand for this annual event, where attendees will gain market insights and discuss export and investment opportunities. The Global Market Insights Seminar begins at 3:30 p.m. followed by the Go Global Reception at 5 p.m. Registration fee is $30 per person. Visit http://tinyurl.com/b3xomay to register. For more information, email mmartz@georgia.org or call 404-962-4091. WEED MANAGEMENT FIELD DAY April 2 Embry Farm Services 9:15 a.m. – 1 p.m. Eatonton This event will feature presentations by representatives from USDA-NRCS, UGA Cooperative Extension and Chem Nut covering weed identification, herbicide selection, livestock grazing for weed management and sprayer selection and calibration. Embry Farm Services is located at 619 Greensboro Road, about 6 miles NE of Eatonton on Highway 44. Please register for the event before March 27 by contacting the Milledgeville Soil and Water Conservation Commission office at 478-445-5766. The field day is being sponsored by Piedmont Conservation Products, a local non-profit organization that promotes natural resources conservation and education for the citizens and youth in the seven-county Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation District. One hour of pesticide applicator’s credit is available during registration and a barbecue and stew lunch is available for $5/person. DAIRY HEALTH FINANCIAL CHECKUP SERIES March 27 Trinity United Methodist Church Clermont March 28 Pennington Church Annex Madison This series will help dairymen assess their financial health and discover ways to make adjustments, including recognition of a variety of important financial indicators. Meetings are open to dairymen, managers, and employees free of charge and will last from 10 a.m. until noon, ending with lunch. Please preregister for meal by calling 706-310-0020. The series is sponsored by Georgia Milk Producers, Inc., Dr. Curt Lacy, University of Georgia and SARE (Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education)
Leadership Alert page 5 of 6 CONFERENCE ON UNMANNED SYSTEMS IN AGRICULTURE March 28-29 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton This conference, cosponsored by the Atlanta Chapter of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the Georgia Center of Innovation, is designed to introduce Georgia farmers to the benefits and practical applications of unmanned systems. Speakers include Young Kim, general manager of BOSH Global, John Deere Manager of Field Robotics Stewart Moorehead, UGA Tifton Dean Dr. Joe West and others. The program features live unmanned systems demonstrations and interaction between potential users and manufacturers. To register, visit http://www.ugatiftonconference.org. For more information, contact Karen McIlroy at kmcilroy@uneqconsulting.com. GEORGIA FORAGES CONFERENCE April 3-4 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry For the second straight year, the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association’s Annual Convention begins with its focus on “Making the Best Better” with the Georgia Forages Conference. On April 3 UGA Extension Forage Specialist Dr. Dennis Hancock will begin the program with a mini-“hay school,” which will cover key steps to making more and better hay. UGA Extension Livestock Economist Dr. Curt Lacy will provide an economic outlook for 2013 and cover some of the new drought insurance products that are on the market. On April 4, specialists from Auburn University and the University of Florida speaking on the opportunity to renovate and improve tall fescue, bermudagrass, and bahiagrass pastures. For more information or to register for the event, visit http://www.gabeef.org/gca or call 478-474-6560. You can also learn more about the Georgia Forages Conference at http://www.georgiaforages.com. GEORGIA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION 51ST ANNUAL CONVENTION April 3-6 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry This jam-packed four-day event covers all things beef, including a forage conference led by UGA’s Dr. Dennis Hancock, Pfizer Cattlemen’s College seminars on the topics of political/regulatory issues, risk management, nutrition and road safety; a livestock marketing seminar conducted by UGA’s Dr. Curt Lacy; the annual awards banquet; a the GCA general membership meeting; angus, hereford, commercial heifer and club calf sales; the annual Cattlemen’s Ball; and a new products and junior awards luncheon. Visit http://www.gabeef.org/gca/conventionregistration.htm for more information or to register. 2013 GEORGIA WATER RESOURCES CONFERENCE April 10-11 The Georgia Center for Continuing Education Athens The two-day conference features technical presentations, panel discussions and a poster session. Students can attend for free if they assist with conference activities. Student prizes of $150, $100 and $50 will be awarded for the best oral or poster presentations. Discount registration is $110 for both days or $65 for one day before April 9. Discount student registration is $70 for both days or $40 for one day before April 9. To register for the conference, wisit. http://tinyurl.com/amk6e2h. Hotel rooms also may be reserved through this website. The conference, held biennially since 1989, was spurred by a 1984 statewide water forum led by Georgia State University with funding provided by the Georgia Water Research Institute. For more information about the conference, visit http://www.gawrc.org/ or contact Jenny Yearwood at 706-542-0947 or Yearwood@uga.edu.
Leadership Alert page 6 of 6 BROAD RIVER BEEF CATTLE & FORAGE FIELD DAY April 17 Moore Cattle Company 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Washington This free event, sponsored by 2 Rivers Resource Conservation & Development, the NRCS, FSA, UGA Cooperative Extension, Wilkes County chapter of Georgia Young Farmers and the Central Savannah River RC&D, will begin with registration at 9 a.m. Topics to be covered are utilizing winter animals, soil health benefits of managed grazing, fly control for beef cattle and low stress handling of cattle. Lunch will be provided. To register, contact Wilkes County Cooperative Extension at 706-678-2332. MOUNTAIN BEEF CATTLE FIELD DAY April 18 Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center Blairsville Georgia cattle farmers will gain useful research-based information at this free event, which is sponsored by AgGeorgia Farm Credit, Pasture Management Systems and Resaca Sun Feeds. The field day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes lunch and refreshments, Topics include pasture ecology, soil and fertilizer management, beef cattle efficiency, weed control in pastures and hay field and fly control. For more information, call 706-745-2655. NRCS ACCEPTING AWEP APPLICATIONS THROUGH APRIL 19 Approximately $1.2 million in financial assistance has been approved for the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) in the Lower Flint River Basin project. Local NRCS offices will be taking applications through April 19. This project will improve water efficiency by deploying advanced irrigation management practices across 27 counties in Southwest Georgia. Funded practices include low pressure drop nozzle irrigation retrofits with end gun shut-offs, remote soil moisture monitoring, sod based rotation and variable rate irrigation. Everyone receiving assistance through AWEP must meet Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) eligibility requirements. For more information about specific AWEP projects visit: http://www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov, or visit the nearest USDA Service Center. NOMINATE A FARM MOM TO WIN $10,000 Nominations are being accepted for the 2013 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year Contest until 11:59 p.m. on April 23. To nominate a farm mom for the award, visit http://www.americasfarmers.com/farmmom/nominate. Complete rules and nomination instructions are available at http://www.americasfarmers.com/farmmom/rules.aspx. Nominations may also be submitted by mail to Osborn & Barr, Attn: America’s Farm Mom of the Year, 914 Spruce Street, St. Louis, MO 63102. Five regional winners will be selected and by a panel of judges from American Agri-Women and Monsanto. Online voting will determine the national winner, which will be announced on Mother’s Day, May 12. Each regional winner will win a $5,000 prize, and the national winner will get another $5,000. GEORGIA HERD SALE April 23 Tifton Bull Evaluation Center 12:30 p.m. Irwinville For more information contact Dr. Lawton Stewart at 706-542-1852 or lawtons@uga.edu or Patsie T. Cannon at 229-386-3683 or ptcannon@uga.edu