May 18, 2016
www.gfb.org
Vol. 34 No. 20
USCIS, STATE DEPARTMENT LAUNCH ONLINE H-2A APPROVAL SYSTEM The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. State Department announced on May 9 the launch of electronic approval for Form I-129, petition for a nonimmigrant worker, for the H-2A classification. The program, which went into effect May 11 according to an announcement from USCIS, allows the agency to send approval information for H-2A petitions to the State Department by the end of the next business day. The State Department will accept the electronic information in place of a Form I-797 approval notice and allow processing of H-2A visa applications. The USCIS announced the move after the American Farm Bureau Federation and numerous members of Congress, including 12 of Georgia’s 16 members, raised concerns over delays in processing H-2A applications. Paperwork backlogs in the H-2A program have resulted in extensive shortages of labor for many farmers and in some cases have led to farmers losing crops that were not harvested in time. "Farm Bureau is pleased to see the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department launching a new online approval platform that will hopefully expedite H2A processing,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. "These visa approval delays have gone on far too long and cost farmers across the country hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost business. Without workers in place to plant, tend and harvest, crops are going to waste while bureaucratic paperwork keeps piling up.” The USCIS indicated it will continue the current practice of updating case status online at https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do upon approving a case and mailing approval notices to petitioners. The USCIS also announced it will use prepaid mail notices to petitioners. Employers will not be charged any additional fees for the USCIS/DOS e-Approval process. “Farm Bureau raised the flag on this major breakdown in our food-growing system in hopes that agencies would find an immediate solution, and we believe USCIS and DOS are taking an important step to bring the H-2A processing system into the 21st century,” Duvall said. “However, farmers across the country are still experiencing delays due to this backlog that spans multiple agencies. We will continue to work with congressional leaders and the agencies to ensure farmers get workers by their date of need.”
GFB News Alert page 2 of 11 GEORGIA STUDENTS CAN READ THEIR WAY TO THE GA. NATIONAL FAIR! Who says reading is boring? Kids across Georgia ages 5-12 can read their way to the 2016 Georgia National Fair by participating in the summer reading program (SRP) at their local library. The Georgia Agriculture Exposition Authority (GAEA), which oversees the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter (GNFA), is teaming up with the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) to reward the winners of each of the SRP contests at Georgia’s 405 local libraries with four tickets to the fair, which will be held Oct. 6-16 in Perry. GAEA and GPLS representatives announced details of the program during a May 11 press conference held at the GNFA. “We hope this will help encourage every child to read the most books he or she can read during the program this summer,” said GNFA Executive Director Stephen Shimp. “We feel this partnership fits perfectly with the mission of the Georgia National Fairgrounds. It encourages continued Stephen Shimp education for Georgia’s youth and hopefully educates the state of Georgia about the Georgia National Fair held each October for the past 26 years.” Corporate sponsors – Kroger, Sutherland’s Foodservice, Georgia Agribusiness Council, Atlanta Motor Speedway and the Georgia FFA Foundation - are funding the tickets. “When I learned about this partnership between the fair and the library system there wasn’t any way for me to say no,” said Diana Sutherland Earwood, who is coordinating corporate sponsorships for the program and is vice president of Sutherland’s food service. “I love the library and I love the fair.” Earwood shared how she used to take her teenage daughter, Corey, to the library in the summer to get books and how she’s always enjoyed going to the fair. Earwood said the program is still seeking sponsors. Those interested in sponsoring the program may contact Earwood at 678-446-4385 or info@plainstated.com. More than half a million children and teens participate in summer reading at Georgia’s public libraries, said Assistant State Librarian Jessica Everingham. “We hope this partnership will encourage even more young readers to join us for this year’s program, called ‘On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!’” Everingham said. Kids can read any book they check out from the library to qualify for the contest, Everingham said. “The fair is about young people. That’s been our mission from day one,” said GAEA Vice Chairman Foster Rhodes. “To partner with the Georgia Public Library System ties it all together. We’re extremely glad to be part of this.” Visit your local library or www.georgialibraries.org for details about the SRP contest.
GFB News Alert page 3 of 11 U.S. TO FILE WTO COMPLAINT AGAINST CHINA OVER BROILER DUTIES United States Trade Representative Michael Froman has announced on May 10 that the U.S. is mounting a challenge to China at the WTO because of the Chinese government’s failure to bring its antidumping and countervailing duties against imports of U.S. chicken broiler products into compliance with WTO rules. These duties, which act as high taxes on American poultry exports to China, have remained despite a WTO report that previously found China to be breaching its WTO obligations. Now, the United States is challenging these taxes on behalf of American poultry producers and the hundreds of thousands of people employed in the poultry industry. This trade enforcement action marks the 12th complaint brought by the Obama Administration against China at the WTO, and the United States is firmly committed to ensuring that China lives up to its WTO obligations, and that American farmers and workers can compete and win on a level playing field in the global economy. “Today’s action holds China accountable for unfair taxes they are imposing on American exports of broiler chicken products,” said Froman. “These unfair and unjustified taxes are in direct violation of China’s international commitments and tilt the playing field further against America’s poultry farmers. American farmers deserve a fair shot to compete and win in the global economy and this administration will continue to hold China responsible when they attempt to disadvantage our farmers, businesses and workers. Today’s action is the 12th that this administration has taken against China at the WTO – and to date we have won every case that has been decided.” The move drew praise from Farm Bureau and Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson. “China is misusing anti-dumping rules. China's actions keep U.S. poultry from being sold to Chinese consumers at a price that reflects a fair profit for American farmers and real value for its own citizens," said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “Trade enforcement is an essential part of an effective trade policy. Farm Bureau supports trade that brings fair prices to farmers and good nutrition to a rapidly-growing population around the world. We applaud USTR for pursuing this action.” Isakson said the challenge is essential to allowing U.S. poultry producers to be competitive in the global market. “The United States has been the only country that has been willing to challenge China’s compliance at the World Trade Organization,” said Isakson (R-GA), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and co-chair of the Senate Chicken Caucus. “Trade works when the rules are followed, and it is imperative that China—the world’s second largest economy—lives up to the rules it agreed to when it joined the WTO in 2001. I am pleased that the United States is mounting this challenge that will, if successful, put the hardworking poultry farmers of this country back on a level playing field.”
GFB News Alert page 4 of 11 AG FUNDING BILL WOULD EXEMPT COMMODITY GROUPS FROM FOIA The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for 2017 (H.R. 5054) included language urging the USDA to exempt commodity research and promotion boards from federal public records law. The House Appropriations Committee noted that commodity research and promotion boards, commonly referred to as checkoff programs, while overseen by the USDA, are not agencies of the federal government. Their funding is provided by producers and industry stakeholders, and their employees are not federal employees. According to published reports, this language was included at the request of 14 agricultural organizations, who wrote to leadership of the Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Subcommittee on April 11. An April 28 story by Capital Press said the organizations argued that their resources should be focused on research and promotion rather than records searches, particularly those that apply to limited operations not overseen by the USDA. The bill was submitted to the House on April 26. NATIONAL FFA NAMES CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER On May 11 the National FFA Organization and the National FFA Foundation announced that Mark Poeschl of Brookville, Ohio, will become the new chief executive officer of both organizations effective Aug. 1, according to an FFA press release. Poeschl is a former FFA member and past state FFA president from Nebraska. He currently serves as vice president, group director, stakeholder engagement at Cargill, Inc., Cargill Animal Nutrition. During his tenure at Cargill, Poeschl was deeply involved in the successful integration of Provimi Holding BV as well as major capital expansion programs in the United States, South Africa, Jordan, France, Ireland and the Netherlands. In addition, he built and implemented business plans to assure profit objectives are consistently achieved and was actively involved in developing and executing Cargill Animal Nutrition’s global 2020 strategy. Poeschl played a key role in talent selection and career development in the company and was instrumental in collaborating and implementing long-range business strategies. In 2016 he began working on sustainable and responsible animal protein production issues with key stakeholders. “I am honored and excited to assume this leadership role in the FFA, an organization that has been instrumental in both my personal and career development,” said Poeschl, a graduate of the University of Nebraska. “I have deep admiration and affection for the FFA and I look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of the organization. It will be a privilege to work with the FFA team, FFA members and agricultural education professionals.” Poeschl succeeds outgoing CEO W. Dwight Armstrong, Ph.D., who retires June 30 after leading the organization for the past seven years during an era of dramatic growth and success.
GFB News Alert page 5 of 11 CHEF LUCAS HEADLINES TOUR FOR VIDALIA ONIONS, TURKEYS The Vidalia Onion Committee (VOC) is hitting the road this season by teaming up with the National Turkey Federation to host blogger dinners and food truck events featuring the 13-yearold inspiration and aspiring food truck chef Lucas Hobbs. Lucas Hobbs was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in January 2015. He is now in remission but during his hospital stay he was inspired by the movie Chef and The Food Network. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation came calling and asked Lucas for his wish, he requested a food truck to feed the doctors and nurses who cared for him along with the pediatric cancer patients who had become like family. His wish came true and one event spiraled into multiple food truck events around Minneapolis that garnered national attention and helped feed thousands. In addition to hospital personnel and patients, trucks visited the local police station and a homeless shelter. Lucas appeared on the Rachael Ray Show and various regional and national news outlets and Sallie Mae awarded him a $10,000 scholarship. By summer of 2015 Lucas was cancer free and by fall 2015 Chef Lucas Food was born with the mission to do good with food. Lucas Hobbs The VOC is working with Chef Lucas Food to create similar food truck events as part of their marketing program and consumer outreach in markets that will include Minneapolis and Nashville during May and June. “We were moved by Lucas’ story and his mission to do good with food and we felt it was a perfect tie-in for our V Inspired campaign this year,” said Susan Waters, VOC executive director. “We like to think of Lucas as our Chief Inspiration Officer and know that not only are we inspiring a new generation of cooks and consumers, but we are supporting his efforts to raise funds to serve pediatric cancer patients and their families via restaurants and chef-designed meal kits for cooking at home.” In addition to the Chef Lucas events the VOC, along with the National Turkey Federation, will be hosting food influencer dinners in New York, Minneapolis and Nashville that will include food bloggers, local media and dietitians. Food influencers are invited to a farm-to-table themed restaurant, which includes a custom four-course dinner that features Vidalia onions and turkey. “The VOC hosted a blogger dinner in Atlanta last year and the event was so successful, we decided to take this concept on the road this season,” said Waters. “Turkey complements Vidalia onions on the menu and the chefs really get creative with the recipes, plus we have an opportunity to develop one-on-one relationships with the bloggers. It’s a win-win event.” These events will be featured on Facebook at Facebook.com/VidaliaOnions and Facebook.com/ServeTurkey.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 11 R-CALF USA SUES USDA OVER USE OF BEEF CHECKOFF FUNDS! The Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund (R-CALF) and United Stockgrowers of America (USA) filed suit against the USDA and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in federal court on May 2, claiming use of funds collected through the Beef Checkoff violates the First Amendment rights of independent cattlemen. The complaint centers on the fact that checkoff-funded promotional campaigns make no distinction between cattle raised under varying production practices or between domestic and foreign beef. R-CALF members, the suit asserts, disagree with this lack of distinction and claim that by being subjected to the checkoff assessments they are being forced to fund promotions with which they do not agree. The suit alleges that this violates the First Amendment and seeks an injunction to halt the Beef Checkoff until it is brought into constitutional compliance. The Beef Checkoff, under which cattle producers are assessed $1 per head, funds research and promotion of beef on behalf of all beef cattle producers. Georgia Farm Bureau supports checkoffs and commodity commissions for promotion, education, and research when the producers of those commodities elect to fund one. UGA TO HOST INSECT SCOUT SCHOOLS Georgia farmers and agriculture consultants hoping to refine their scouting skills are invited to this year’s Insect Scout Schools, hosted by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. The schools will be held in Tifton at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center on June 13, and in Midville at the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center on June 21. The training in both locations will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. Program topics will cover scouting for bug and larval insect pests, identifying beneficial insects, and conducting in-field reviews. Participants will also learn about safety precautions and procedures. Crops that will be covered include cotton, peanuts and soybeans. According to Phillip Roberts, Extension cotton and soybean entomologist on the UGA Tifton Campus, the scout schools are beneficial to new insect scouts being introduced to insect monitoring. They’re also helpful for veteran insect scouts because the sessions serve as a review. “These scout schools are very beneficial to farmers who want to learn more about insect pests and the problems they can pose to their respective crops,” said Roberts. “Not all insects are bad, and just because you see a pest doesn’t necessarily mean you have a problem that warrants chemical treatments. That’s why these schools are so important – they cover a wide range of information that’s beneficial to growers’ crops.” For additional information about the programs, contact Debbie Rutland about the event in Tifton at 229-386-3424 or Peyton Sapp about the event in Midville at 706-554-2119.
GFB News Alert page 7 of 11 BEEF CATTLE FIELD DAY May 27 Greene Farm, 779 Martin Church Rd. 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Thomaston This field day, sponsored by the Towaliga Soil & Water Conservation District, Middle Georgia Cattlemen’s and Two Rivers RC&D Council, features presentations on a range of cattle-related topics, including herd health, heifer development, frame score, pasture management and many more. Registration is required by May 20. Fee is $5, which is payable on site. To register, call 770-358-0787 ext. 3 or email kyle.penny@ga.usda.gov. UGA EXTENSION EGG CANDLING CLASS May 24 Carroll County Ag Center, 900 Newnan Rd. Carrollton Two sessions of egg candling classes will be offered. The first is from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and the second will be from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. There is no charge to attend these classes. Register early as the classes are filling up quickly and space is limited. Those who sell eggs from their own flocks at the site of production, on a door-to-door retail route, or at an established place of business they own and manage and sell directly to a household consumer as the end user are required to only have an egg candling license on these restricted eggs. Each sale of restricted eggs shall be limited to no more than 30 dozen eggs from a flock of 3,000 hens or less. To register for one of the upcoming egg candling class for restricted egg sales, please contact the Carroll County Extension Office at 770-836-8546 or email Richard Littleton at rlittle@uga.edu for more details. 2016 GFB YOUNG FARMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE July 13-16 Jekyll Island Convention Center Jekyll Island Registration is open for this conference, an annual highlight for young farmers from around the state. The conference is open to GFB members ages 18-35 and features educational workshops, competitive events and networking. The deadline to register is 4:30 p.m. on May 27. For more information contact GFB Young Farmer Coordinator Taylor Sills at 478-474-0679, ext. 5232 or trsills@gfb.org. 2016 GFB YOUNG FARMER COMPETITIVE EVENTS May 27 deadline to enter The GFB Young Farmer Committee is now accepting applications for the Young Farmer Achievement Award, Excellence in Agriculture Award and Discussion Meet. Contest entries will be accepted through May 27 at 4:30 p.m. Applications are available at county Farm Bureau offices. Finalists and winners for each of the competitive events will be named at the Young Farmer Leadership Conference. GFB members between the ages of 18-35 may apply for these awards. To be eligible to compete, the member must not turn 36 before Jan. 31, 2017. All rounds of the discussion meet will be held at the leadership conference. For more information on any of these awards or the conference, please visit http://www.gfb.org/yf or stop by your county Farm Bureau. The winner of each contest will compete on the national level at the American Farm Bureau Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, in January 2017.
GFB News Alert page 8 of 11 JARRELL PLANTATION FAMILY FARM DAY May 28 Jarrell Plantation Historic Site 10:30am-3:30pm Juliette The farm comes to life with volunteers demonstrating crafts and chores of the past. See the skills from long ago, such as sewing, blacksmithing, woodstove cooking, gardening, woodworking and many other farm activities. Admission to Jarrell Plantation, located at 711 Jarrell Plantation Road is $6.50 for adults, $6 for seniors ages 62 and older, $4 children ages 6-17 and free for children younger than 6. For more information call 478-986-5172 or visit www.gastateparks.org/jarrellplantation. ABAC NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION WORKSHOP June 12-16 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Tifton More than $18,000 in college scholarships, back-to-nature field trips, and a true taste of college life will be on the line for students who attend this workshop, which targets students with a desire to learn more about Georgia’s natural resources and the opportunities and responsibilities these resources provide. !Experts will provide students with lectures and hands-on activities! to enhance their understanding of Georgia’s vital natural resources, including soil, water, air, plants, minerals, and animals. Tuition is $175. The final deadline for all applications is June 1. Tuition is often provided to the students by local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), local businesses, and individuals. The workshop application and information is now available online at www.abac.edu/nrcw. ALFALFA WORKSHOPS/FIELD DAYS June 2 Hall Co. (to RSVP, call 770-535-8293) June 9 Putnam Co. (to RSVP, call 706-485-4151) UGA Extension will host these events, which will focus on how to successfully use alfalfa, including how to grow your own nitrogen and feed supplement by interseeding alfalfa into Bermudagrass. Subjects covered include: site selection, establishment protocol, soil fertility, trait selection, harvest management, and how to use this high quality and cost-effective crop. Attendees will visit fields where alfalfa is growing in each of these counties. !Cost of the one-day workshops is $10 and includes lunch, an “Alfalfa in the South” notebook and other publications on alfalfa production and use in the South. To register, call the County Extension Offices at the phone numbers listed above. TEAM AG GEORGIA SPRING WORKSHOP June 15 West Georgia Technical College, 176 Murphy Campus Rd. Waco This free one-day workshop for small, beginning and limited-resource farmers will feature sessions on beekeeping, goats and sheep, small farm financing, government programs and more. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a farm tour. Lunch will be provided. To attend the workshop register by June 8 by calling 912-367-7679 or sending an email to sevenrivers@bellsouth.net.
GFB News Alert page 9 of 11 2016 ACADEMY OF CROP PRODUCTION June 12-15 Hotel Indigo Athens This four-day conference will focus on information about advanced ornamental crop production and business management techniques for ornamental producers. The event will be hosted by the University of Georgia and the Georgia Green Industry Association. The program will include 18 presentations on topics such as government regulations, weed control, research variety trials, tools, marketing and more. All attendees are also invited to attend the GGIA Annual Reception at the State Botanical Gardens. Registration is $400 per person. Pesticide CEU credits are available. The event room rate is $109 per night. To reserve a hotel room call 706-546-0430 and use booking code “UGA Horticulture Commercial Agriculture.” For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/GGIAcademy. NOMINATIONS FOR GA AG COMMISSION BOARD MEMBERS June 15 Deadline for nominations The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commissions for Beef, Cotton, Equine and Tobacco are accepting nominations to fill several positions for each commodity commission board with term lengths of three years. To be nominated a person must be an active and qualified Georgia producer of the commodity. Geographic representation may be considered when making appointments. The Beef Commission has five positions open for nominations, the Cotton and Equine Commissions each have two positions and the Tobacco Commission has one position. By statute three of the Beef Commission’s positions are to be beef producers, one a dairy producer and one a livestock marketer. Agricultural commodity commissions are farmer-funded programs to enhance research, promotion and education, and are authorized under Georgia law by the Commodity Promotions Act. Nominations can be made by producers of the applicable commodity by filling out a Nominee Information Form available for download at: www.agr.georgia.gov/cpf. The completed form should be mailed to: Georgia Department of Agriculture!19 MLK Jr. Drive SW!Room 320!Atlanta, GA 30334 no later than June 15. It may also be faxed to 404-656-9380, or emailed to andy.harrison@agr.georgia.gov. USDA VALUE-ADDED PRODUCER GRANTS June 24 electronic applications due July 1 paper applications due The USDA is making up to $44 million available to farmers, ranchers and businesses to develop new bio-based products and expand markets through the Value-Added Producer Grant program. Value-Added Producer Grants may be used to develop new products and create additional uses for existing ones. The deadline to submit paper applications is July 1. Electronic applications submitted through grants.gov are due June 24. For more information about the Value-Added Producer Grants or to submit an application, visit http://tinyurl.com/VAPGrants.
GFB News Alert page 10 of 11 SYNGENTA #ROOTED IN AG CONTEST June 30 deadline to enter Syngenta is accepting applications for its #RootedinAg contest. The contest asks growers and other industry professionals to describe how their agricultural roots help their families and communities thrive. The five best entries will each receive a mini touch-screen tablet. From those finalists, one grand prize winner will receive a $500 gift card, plus Syngenta will make a $1,000 donation in the winner’s name to a local charity or civic organization. To apply, visit http://tinyurl.com/rootedinag. Syngenta will then post all finalists’ entries at http://tinyurl.com/syngentathrive and ask visitors to help choose the grand prizewinner by voting for their favorite. These votes, along with the judges’ scores, will determine the winner. Online voting ends Sept. 15, with Syngenta announcing the grand prizewinner in October. 2016 FARM SAFETY CAMP July 28 UGA Griffin, Stuckey Auditorium 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Griffin This fun-filled day of learning for children ages 8-13 covers stranger danger, boating safety, small animal safety, general farm safety and much more. Cost is $5 per child, and $1 for each additional child in the same family. Fee includes lunch, snacks and drinks. Preregistration by the July 11 deadline guarantees a t-shirt and a goody bag with take-home materials. For more information contact Cindy Vandiver at 770-228-2341 or Shelby Reese at 770-461-3436. 18th ANNUAL SOUTHERN PEANUT GROWERS CONFERENCE July 21-23 Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Miramar Beach, Fla. This three-day event provides farmers with information on peanut production, legislative issues, marketing and promotions. In addition to the conference sessions, the event offers a ladies program and a golf tournament. For information on registration and accommodations, visit http://tinyurl.com/16sopnutconf. ONGOING FARM BUREAU-SPONSORED FARMERS MARKETS MONROE FARMERS MARKET Saturdays May 14-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 SHIELDS-ETHRIDGE HERITAGE FARM CULTIVATORS’ MARKET May 21, June 18, July 16, 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.
GFB News Alert page 11 of 11 COBB COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays beginning May 24 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 Cobb County Farm Bureau or Georgia Farm Bureau. Vendor fees will be waived in lieu of this membership. Only direct growers and their agents will be approved – no resellers. Farm visits will be conducted and all licensing and state compliance will be required. The vendor application may be found at www.facebook.com/CobbCountyFarmBureau. For more information contact Market Manager Sonia Lopez at twobytwofarms@comcast.net or 770-608-1119 or Debbie Payne at dmpayne@gfb.org or 770-943-3531. PAULDING COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS’ MARKET Through Oct. 28 Thursdays 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Paulding County High School Paulding County Farm Bureau is accepting vendors for its weekly farmers market that will be held each Thursday until Oct. 28. There is no fee to participate but vendors must be Farm Bureau members so that 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. PCFB is teaming up with the Paulding County High School this year to host the market in the north parking lot of the school located at 1297 Villa Rica Hwy., Dallas, Ga. 30132. 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.