Georgia Farm Bureau's Leadership Alert - March 31, 2014

March 31, 2014

www.gfb.org

Vol. 32 No. 13

GFB HONORS GRAND CHAMPION LIVESTOCK WINNERS Georgia Farm Bureau treated the grand champions from Georgia Junior National livestock shows in October 2013 and February 2014 to a prime rib dinner and presented them with commemorative belt buckles during the GFB Evening of Grand Champions on March 28 at the GFB home office in Macon.

GFB Young Farmer Chairman Matthew London of White County served as master of ceremonies during the Evening of Grand Champions, welcoming the winners, their families and advisors. The event featured remarks from UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Dean Scott Angle, Georgia Agricultural Education Program Manager Chip Bridges, State 4-H Leader Arch Smith and GFB President Zippy Duvall. Attendees were also shown stories from “The Georgia Farm Monitor” about the two shows.

Duvall encouraged the grand champions to embrace their roles as leaders of their peers, highlighting key aspects of leadership.

“If you take your passion for what you believe to make things happen in your life and your community, you will make a difference. And when you do that, you not only will be successful, but you’ll be happy,” Duvall said.

Bridges and Smith presented Duvall with a framed collection of pictures of the grand champions, which Duvall said would be hung on the GFB wall of champions at the GFB home office.

The Grand Champions were: Decatur County 4-Her Bo Bailey, who won the Grand Champion Market Steer Award at the 2014 Georgia Junior National Livestock Show; Colquitt County FFA member Lakyn Davis who won the Grand Champion Breeding Heifer Award at the 2014 Georgia Junior National Livestock Show; Morgan County 4-Her Ben Porter, who won the Grand Champion Breeding Ewe Award at the 2014 Georgia Junior National Livestock Show; Houston County 4-Her Abbi Rainwater, who won the Grand Champion Market Barrow at the 2014 Georgia Junior National Livestock Show; Worth County FFA member Chase Roberts, who won the Grand Champion Market Goat Wether Award during the 2013 State 4-H & FFA Market Goat Show; Pickens County 4-Her Mason Sims, who won the Grand Champion Market Lamb Award during the 2013 State 4-H & FFA Market Lamb Show; Jeff Davis County 4-Her Chanleigh Underwood, who won the Grand Champion Market Gilt Award at the 2014 Georgia Junior National Livestock Show and Houston County FFA member Jacie Babb, who won the Grand Champion Commercial Dairy Heifer Award at the 2014 Georgia Junior National Livestock Show.

Each champion’s parents and FFA advisor or Extension agent were also presented with John C. Maxwell’s book, “Leadership.”

Leadership Alert page 2 of 8 BASICS OF FARM BILL DAIRY AND LIVESTOCK PROGRAMS Dairy and beef producers learned key points about the dairy and livestock provisions in the 2014 farm bill during an informational meeting hosted by Georgia Farm Bureau on March 24.

The meeting featured presentations by UGA experts on all of the farm bill’s titles. Dr. Tommie Shepherd covered the dairy provisions and Dr. Curt Lacy reviewed livestock provisions.

The bill’s dairy provisions renewed the Dairy Promotion & Research Program, the Dairy Indemnity Program and the Dairy Forward Pricing Program and added Dairy Producer Margin Protection and the Dairy Product Donation Program.

The bill, signed into law by President Obama in February, eliminated the Dairy Price Support Program, the Dairy Export Incentive Program, Federal Milk Marketing order (FMMO) Review Commission and the Milk Income Loss Coverage (MILC).

The Dairy Margin Protection Program (DMPP) is a revenue Shepherd insurance-style instrument based on the margin between the all milk price (the national average price per hundredweight received for all milk sold in the U.S.) and average feed costs. Payments will be triggered when that margin falls below $4 for two consecutive months. There is no premium for producers who enroll at the $4 margin level, and producers have the option of paying progressively higher premiums for higher margins up to $8.

There premiums increase after the first 4 million pounds of milk produced in a calendar year.

All U.S. dairy operations are eligible. There is an annual administrative fee of $100 and DMPP cannot be used in conjunction with the Livestock Gross Margin Program.

The Dairy Product Donation program will be triggered when the margin between the all milk price and feed costs falls below $4 for two consecutive months. The USDA will purchase manufactured dairy products for three months or until margins exceed $4, and the purchased product will be donated to food banks or feeding programs. The program will be suspended if U.S. prices exceed international prices by more than five percent.

UGA Extension Livestock Economist Curt Lacy reviewed the livestock provisions of the farm bill, noting that funding for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farmraised Fish (ELAP) were restored and funded retroactively to Oct. 1, 2011. The programs are administered through the Farm Service Agency, and total of payments under the disaster programs cannot exceed $125,000 per person or entity.

Under LFP, payments are available for eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire. Determinations are made using county data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Producers making claims under LFB will need documentation on the number of livestock affected and verification of control over affected grazing acreage.

Under LIP, producers can receive payments for livestock loss through predation by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law, or those lost to adverse weather events like hurricanes, floods, blizzards, wildfires or extreme heat or cold.

For more information on farm bill dairy and livestock programs, contact your local FSA office or visit http://tinyurl.com/plbfatd.

Video of the GFB farm bill meeting can be viewed at http://www.gfb.org/farmbill.

Leadership Alert page 3 of 8 PEANUT PRODUCERS TO VOTE ON RESEARCH AND PROMOTION PROGRAM The U.S. Department of Agriculture will conduct a referendum April 7-18 for eligible U.S. peanut producers. Producers will vote on whether to continue the Peanut Promotion, Research, and Information Program.

Growers who have produced peanuts and paid assessments from Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2013, are eligible to vote. If a simple majority of eligible producers vote in favor, the program will continue.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will conduct the referendum by mail ballot. Ballots and voting instructions will be mailed to all known eligible producers by April 7, 2014. Eligible producers who do not receive a ballot, have questions or need additional information may contact the referendum agent, Jeanette Palmer, by e-mail at Jeanette.Palmer@ams.usda.gov, by telephone either toll free 888-720-9917 or 202-720-9915, or

by U.S. mail at Promotion and Economics Division, Fruit and Vegetable Program, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Room 1406-S, Stop 0244, Washington, D.C. 20250-0244.

Visit http://www.regulations.gov for more information.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, were authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 20 research and promotion boards.

FSA LOAN PROGRAMS MODIFIED UNDER NEW FARM BILL The 2014 farm bill expands lending opportunities for thousands of farmers and ranchers to begin and continue operations, including greater flexibility in determining eligibility, raising loan limits, and emphasizing beginning and socially disadvantaged producers, according to a USDA press release.

Changes that take effect immediately include: • Elimination of loan term limits for guaranteed operating loans.

• Modification of the definition of beginning farmer, using the average farm size for the county as a qualifier instead of the median farm size.

• Modification of the Joint Financing Direct Farm Ownership Interest Rate to 2 percent less than regular Direct Farm Ownership rate, with a floor of 2.5 percent. Previously, the rate was established at 5 percent.

• Increase of the maximum loan amount for Direct Farm Ownership down payments from $225,000 to $300,000.

• Elimination of rural residency requirement for Youth Loans, allowing urban youth to benefit.

• Debt forgiveness on Youth Loans, which will not prevent borrowers from obtaining additional loans from the federal government.

• Increase of the guarantee amount on Conservation Loans from 75 to 80 percent and 90 percent for socially disadvantaged borrowers and beginning farmers.

• Microloans will not count toward loan term limits for veterans and beginning farmers.

Additional modifications must be implemented through the rulemaking processes. Visit the FSA Farm Bill website at http://tinyurl.com/pnm7yew for more information and updates.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 8 GEORGIA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION 53rd ANNUAL CONVENTION April 2-5 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, Cattlemen’s College seminars on a variety, a livestock marketing seminar conducted by UGA’s Dr. Curt Lacy; the annual awards banquet; 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/annual_convention_and_beef_expo.html for more information or to register.

USB’S A SOYBEAN’S JOURNEY: SEE FOR YOURSELF PROGRAM The United Soybean Board (USB) invites soybean farmers to participate in this program, which provides farmers with the chance to learn about and evaluate specific investment areas of the soy checkoff, such as international marketing, animal agriculture, industrial uses and soybean farmers’ freedom to operate. All U.S. soybean farmers over the age of 18 can apply now for the seventh annual See for Yourself program. To apply, visit the USB website, http://www.UnitedSoybean.org/SeeforYourself, through April 4. A group of 10 U.S. soybean farmers will first travel to St. Louis to witness firsthand the operations of the checkoff and visit local sites related to domestic uses for soybeans. Then, since about half of the soy produced in the United States is exported, participants will travel internationally to experience how international customers use soy. The program is scheduled to take place Aug. 15-22 and USB will cover all related rooming, meal and travel expenses.

2014 FARM BILL EDUCATION MEETINGS April 4 GA/FLA Tobacco Exchange 9:30 a.m. - noon Alma April 7 Cloud Livestock Facility 9:30 a.m. - noon Bainbridge April 8 UGA Tifton Conference Center 9:30 a.m. - noon Tifton April 10 Burke County Office Park Noon - 2:30 p.m. Waynesboro April 11 Captain’s Corner Restaurant Noon - 2:30 p.m.

Vidalia April 14 Sumter County Extension Office 9:30 a.m. - noon Americus These meetings, sponsored by Georgia Farm Bureau, Farm Credit and the UGA Extension, are designed specifically for Georgia row-crop producers and landowners. Presentations and discussions will be led by UGA agricultural economists Don Shurley and Nathan Smith. Topics include Price Loss Coverage (PLC), Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC), base acreage decision options, payment yield update decisions, generic base decisions, cotton transition assistance, marketing loans, the Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) for cotton and Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO). Coffee and biscuits will be served at the morning meetings. Lunch will be served at the noon meetings. To attend, contact your local county Extension office.

FARM FRESH BEEF & PRODUCE SPRING FLING April 5 696 Hightower Trail Ball Ground Drop by Farm Fresh Beef & Produce from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday to sample the farm’s famous beef and pork products and homemade chicken & dumplings, beef stew and meatloaf.

Other food products including Amish cheeses, olive oils, jellies and jams, and homemade strawberry and vanilla bean ice cream from Woodbridge Inn will be available. Kids will be able to plant seeds and have their faces painted. Dawson County Farm Bureau will have a booth promoting Farm Bureau member benefits and handing out free popcorn. For more information call Robin Solomon at 404-732-4315.

Leadership Alert page 5 of 8 AMERICA’S FARMERS GROW RURAL EDUCATION FUND April 6 Nomination deadline April 21 School application deadline Monsanto is accepting nominations from farmers in 33 Georgia counties for grants of up to $25,000 from Monsanto’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Fund. Eligible counties are Appling, Baker, Berrien, Bleckley, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Calhoun, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Early, Grady, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Lee, Macon, Miller, Mitchell, Screven, Seminole, Sumter, Tattnall, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth. Visit http://www.growruraleducation.com and click the “Farmers Nominate Now” button or call 1877-267-3332 to submit a nomination. Complete rules and eligibility requirements are posted on the website. Once nominated, school districts will be notified and sent an invitation code to apply for their choice of a $10,000 or $25,000 grant. Charter schools are eligible if their National Center for Education Statistics is located in an eligible county. Nominations are limited to one per farmer. Grants promoting math and science will be awarded based on merit, need and community support, which is based on the number of farmer nominations a school district receives.

BEEKEEPER’S SCHOOL April 12 Dawson County Extension 1 p.m.

Dawsonville This three-hour workshop covers the history of beekeeping, tools and equipment, feeding and caring for bees and much more. The event is sponsored by the Amicalola Beekeepers Association. Registration costs $7 for members and $35 for non-members. Fees cover the cost of a beekeeping book. Visit http://www.amicalolabeekeepers.com/bee_school.htm or call 706364-3660 for more information.

SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM April 18 Deadline to apply The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is pleased to announce the competitive solicitation process to award the 2014 Specialty Crop Block Grant. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds projects that “enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.”

Specialty crops are defined as: fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, Christmas trees, turfgrass/sod, nursery and greenhouse crops, including floriculture. For a listing of all eligible crops visit www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/scbgp. Please refer to the links available on the GDA grants webpage located at www.agr.georgia.gov/grants.aspx for the grant application, guidelines, and additional information. For additional questions please contact Jeanne Maxwell at Jeanne.Maxwell@agr.georgia.gov or 404-657-1584.

MULTICULTURAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE April 17 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Perry The Upper Ocmulgee River RC&D Council, Inc., in partnership with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, will host a conference for multicultural farmers and producers.

Registration fee is $20 per person, which covers the cost of lunch and conference materials.

Topics include muscadine wine production, building a diverse urban farm enterprise, growing farm profits, pecan and peanut production and many more. For updates on speakers, classes, agenda and to register, visit http://tinyurl.com/mecjba8. For more information contact the Upper Ocmulgee River RC&D Council, Inc. at 678-376-9518 or USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Lawrenceville Service Office at 770-963-9288.

Leadership Alert page 6 of 8 GA. HEIFER EVALUATION AND REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT (HERD) SALE April 22 Tifton Bull Evaluation Center Irwinville Sale begins at 12:30 p.m. For information contact Dr. Jacob Segers at 229-386-3214 or jacobs@uga.edu or Patsie T. Cannon at 229-386-3683 or ptcannon@uga.edu.

GEORGIA CATTLEWOMEN’S ASSOCIATION REGION II MEETING April 25-27 Forrest Hills Mountain Resort & Conference Center Dahlonega The Georgia Cattlewomen's Association invites you to three days of fun, fellowship and educational opportunities! There will be social media training, leadership development, ANCW business and updates, as well as lots of fun like a Winery/Farm Tour and trail walking. The registration form can be found at http://www.gabeef.org/gcwa/index.html. For more information contact Melissa Miller at millerm@uga.edu or 813-928-2437.

NEWTON COUNTY AG DAY ON THE SQUARE April 26 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Covington This event, sponsored by the Newton County Farm Bureau Young Farmers, features a modern and antique tractor show. Peddle tractors for the kids, arts and crafts, live music, food, face painting and a cow train. A drawing will be held for a Yeti cooler, and those who register tractors for the tractor show receive a free raffle ticket. For more information contact Crystal Powell at 770-786-7201.

GEORGIA FORESTRY FOUNDATION ARTWORK AND SLOGAN CONTESTS April 30 Deadline for entries Georgia students in grades 5 through 12 are invited to participate in a contest to express the value of Georgia’s sustainable working forests through submission of a creative artwork and slogan.

There are two levels of competition: fifth through eighth and ninth through 12th grades, with one winner from each level. Each winning entry will be awarded a prize valued up to $35,000, which includes a $15,000 cash award to the school, $2,500 cash award and forestry camp scholarship to the student, Project Learning Tree environmental professional development for up to 20 teachers and an invitation to attend the Georgia Teacher Conservation Workshop for two teachers from the winning schools, a field trip for students in the grade level of each winning student, and materials featuring the winning artwork and slogan. For more information on the contest including submission guidelines, entry form, terms and conditions and other resources for schools visit http://www.forestry4Rfuture.org or call 478-992-8110.

GEORGIA CENTENNIAL FARM NOMINATION DEADLINE IS MAY 1 The Georgia Centennial Farm Program, which recognizes historic farms and encourages their preservation, is accepting nominations. To qualify, farms must: be a working farm with a minimum of 10 acres actively involved in ag production, generate at least $1,000 in annual farm income and include 10 acres of the original farm purchase. Farms must have been continuously farmed for at least 100 years. The Centennial Farm Program has recognized 451 Georgia farms since 1993. The Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources administers the program in partnership with several organizations including Georgia Farm Bureau. Visit http://www.georgiacentennialfarms.org to download an application or contact Charlie Miller, Centennial Farm Awards Committee chairman at 404-651-5287 or by email at Charlie.miller@dnr.state.ga.usApplications must be postmarked by May 1. Selected farms will be honored during the Georgia National Fair in October.

Leadership Alert page 7 of 8 MONROE COUNTY HERD SALE May 3 Sleepy Creek Farm 12:30 p.m.

Forsyth This sale will feature 85 bred heifers. Data available on the heifers includes A.I. breeding and sire EPD’s, pelvic area, frame score, disposition score, weight per day of age and average daily gain. All heifers will sell confirmed safe in calf to calving ease Angus bulls. For more information contact the Monroe County Extension office by phone at 478-994-7014 or by email at uge2207@uga.edu.

Information about the sale may also be found online at http://www.ugaextension.com/monroe GFB ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR PHOTO CONTEST Georgia Farm Bureau is accepting entries for its 5th Annual Picture Agriculture in Georgia Contest open to any GFB member who receives no income from photography. Cash awards will be presented in two categories – Farm Bureau Members and Farm Bureau Employees. Prizes for the member category are: 1st Place - $150; 11 Honorable Mentions - $75 each. The winner of the member category will be featured on the front of the 2015 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 2013 or 2014. 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 May 6. If children or people are included in photos, you must complete a Model Release Entry Form that must be received by GFB at the time of the deadline. Visit your county Farm Bureau office for contest rules, entry instructions and the Model Release Form or visit the GFB website at http://www.gfb.org.

2013 YOUNG HARRIS/UGA BEEKEEPING INSTITUTE May 15-17 Young Harris College 8 a.m. each day Young Harris This event offers classes for beekeepers at all levels of experience and the annual honey show.

May 15 is dedicated training and certification exams for journeymen and master beekeeper qualifications, as well as the Welsh honey judge training, the first licensing program for honey judges in North America. May 16 and 17 provide training and certification, including individual and colony biology, low-tech beekeeping, occupational safety and much more. Registration fees for 18 and older is $120 for May 16, $100 for May 17 and $199 for both days. For ages 11-17, fees are $59 for May 16, $49 for May 17 and $99 for both days. Two-day registration and additional fees apply for advanced courses and exams on May 15. Participation is capped at 175 people, and classes generally fill up quickly. For more information, visit http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/young-harris/.

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION WORKSHOP DEADLINE Rising 10th, 11th and 12th grade students have until May 24 to apply to attend a one-week residential camp the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission is offering June 8-12 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. Natural resource experts will give lectures, guide field trips and lead hands-on activities to enhance students’ understanding of Georgia’s natural resources. More than $18,000 in college scholarships will be awarded during the event.

Tuition is $150 per student but scholarships are available for students who have not previously attended the event. Visit http://abac.edu/nrcw to download the camp application and more information. Contact Luke Crosson at lcrosson@gaswcc.org or 229-995-6001 for more information.

Leadership Alert page 8 of 8 CALHOUN BEEF CATTLE REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP May 27 NW Georgia Research & Education Center Livestock Pavilion Calhoun Workshop begins at 6 p.m. For information contact Dr. Lawton Stewart at 706-542-1852 or lawtons@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or pworley@uga.edu.

GA. HEIFER EVALUATION AND REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT (HERD) SALE Â May 28 NW Georgia Research & Education Center Livestock Pavilion Calhoun Sale begins at 12:30 p.m. For information contact Dr. Lawton Stewart at 706-542-1852 or lawtons@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or pworley@uga.edu.

GFB ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR YOUNG FARMER CONTESTS Georgia Farm Bureau is accepting applications for its Young Farmer Achievement Award, Excellence in Agriculture Award and Discussion Meet. . GFB members between the ages of 1835 may apply for these awards. Applications are available at county Farm Bureau offices Finalists for each of the competitive events will be named at the GFB Young Farmer Leadership Conference to be held July 10-13 on Jekyll Island. Applications for each contest and the leadership conference will be accepted through May 30 at 4:30 p.m. The preliminary rounds of the discussion meet will be held at the leadership conference. For more information on these awards or the conference, please visit http://www.gfb.org/yf or stop by your county Farm Bureau. The GFB Achievement Award will recognize an outstanding young farmer or couple whose primary income is derived from farming. The GFB Excellence in Agriculture Award will recognize an outstanding individual or couple whose primary income is not derived from farming. Extension agents, FFA advisors and ag lenders are examples of individuals who may apply for this award. The GFB Discussion Meet is a competitive event designed to simulate a committee meeting where young farmers discuss topics relevant to agriculture today and explore solutions to issues facing them as agriculturalists. The state winner of each award will be announced during the GFB convention in December. The winner of each contest will compete on the national level at the American Farm Bureau Convention in San Diego, Calif., Jan. 11-13, 2015. Details on state and national prizes will be available at a later date.

UGA CAES ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS June 1 Deadline for submitting applications The CAES Alumni Association awards two non-renewable scholarships to the most outstanding transfer students from two- and four-year colleges who will be enrolling full-time at The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Selection is based on the student's ability to make significant contributions to the academic and co-curricular campus environment.

Application forms may be accessed at http://www.caes.uga.edu/alumni/caa/scholarships.html#awards.