May 4, 2011
www.gfb.org
Vol. 29 No. 18
FARMS ACROSS GEORGIA DAMAGED BY TORNADOES The rash of tornadoes that struck central and north Georgia on April 27 destroyed chicken houses, damaged barns and fences and left some producers without power for extended periods of time. The tornadoes killed more than 300 people across the Southeast, including 15 in Georgia. The EF3 tornado that moved through Spalding County crossed Georgia Highway 16 at the farm of Spalding County Farm Bureau President Charles Rucks, destroying a house on the property occupied by one of Rucks’ employees. The tornado destroyed one of Rucks’ hay barns, tore the roof off another, and downed approximately two miles of fencing. “We were blessed,” Rucks said. “It left our house. It did minimal damage. We got through it good because we didn’t lose our house.” Some of the damage around the state: In Bartow County, farmers Roger Rutledge, James Huskins, Cu Van Lam and Michael Howren had chicken houses damaged or destroyed. Irrigation pivots on corn field owned by Aubrey Corporation were destroyed, and Bartow County Farm Bureau President Dean Bagwell sustained damage on eight different farms, including destroyed hay barns and fences downed. In Catoosa County, at least three farmers had damage to their barns, and three more farmers in Polk County sustained damage to their farm facilities. Dade County Farm Bureau Office Manager Brenda Croft and secretary Connie Blevins were in the DCFB office when it was hit by a tornado. They were unhurt other than a minor cut to Blevins’ hand. DCFB operated out of a tent temporarily and on May 2 moved into a rental building. President Barack Obama approved a federal disaster declaration for 16 Georgia counties. Local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in those counties are eligible for federal funds to help offset 75 percent of the cost of debris removal and emergency protective measures. Residents and business owners in Bartow, Catoosa, Dade, Floyd, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rabun, Spalding and Walker counties who sustained losses are eligible for federal assistance and are eligible for grants to help with home repairs, temporary housing and other serious disaster-related expenses. Low interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration will also be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance. The disaster declaration makes all counties in the state eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which gives aid to state and local governments and certain private non-profit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural hazards. To apply for federal assistance visit http://www.disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or 800-462-7565 (TTY) between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
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VIDALIA ONION MUSEUM OPENS Vidalia onion growers, members of Georgia’s agricultural community and community leaders celebrated the grand opening of the Vidalia Onion Museum at 100 Vidalia Sweet Onion Drive in Vidalia on April 29. “It’s a dream come true to be able to have something that shows off our industry and have something to let the public know what we do,” Toombs County Vidalia onion grower R.T. Stanley said. Housed in the same building as the Vidalia Onion Committee, Vidalia Onion Business Council and Vidalia Area Convention & Visitors Bureau offices, the 1,300-square foot museum consists of interactive exhibits that outline the sweet onion’s history, its growing process and rise to fame in culinary and pop culture circles. A hands-on kids room introduces kids to Yumion, the Vidalia mascot, and lets them turn the wheel of a grading machine that uses balls instead of onions. “The Vidalia Onion has such a colorful story,” said Wendy Brannen, executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee. “There was a need for this museum because we had people coming off of I-16 and driving 20 miles to learn more about the Vidalia Onion. When you’re coming from Montana or New York City just having a few pamphlets and a poster doesn’t fit the bill.” Guests can even see Vidalia onions growing in the smallest registered Vidalia onion field in flower beds in front of the museum. After the speeches and ribbon cutting, celebrity chefs treated guests to signature dishes featuring Vidalias. “I want to commend the growers and everyone involved in this project for putting this museum together,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black said. “This is a great promotional tool for our state vegetable that has a $115 million production value and is sold worldwide.” The museum’s regular operating hours will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. with Saturday hours available for tours by appointment. For more information visit http://www.vidaliaonion.org or call 912-537-1918. VILSACK, INDUSTRY EXPLORE ETHANOL OPTIONS Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack defended the government incentives for ethanol production during a trip to the Midwest in mid-April while voicing support for an industry proposal to channel some federal funding into renewable energy research. The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), a 45-cent-per-gallon credit for ethanol production, is scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2011, one of several renewable fuels tax credits that expire at the end of this year. According to published reports Vilsack warned that jobs could be lost if Congress does not act to continue it. “When the biodiesel tax credit was allowed to expire [in 2009], we lost 50 percent of production capacity immediately,” Vilsack said in an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, noting that 12,000 jobs were lost when that tax credit was allowed to expire. As an alternative to eliminating VEETC, ethanol industry group Growth Energy and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have proposed diverting money to research into renewable energy and incentives that would advance the infrastructure at the point of fuel sale, measures Vilsack said he would support.
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GFB ANNOUNCES ESSAY, ART CONTEST WINNERS Jay Jones of Decatur County won the 17th Annual Georgia Farm Bureau Art Contest and Lynlee Poppell of Grady County won the GFB Middle School Essay Contest. Jones, an 11th-grade student at Bainbridge High School, won the top prize of $250 and $100 for winning the GFB 9th District contest with his pencil drawing of a farm landscape of a barn, tractor and pickup truck. The contest was open to all high school students in Georgia and drew 58 entries statewide. Jose Lopez of Monroe County (5th District) and Aaron Bruce of Lanier County (10th District) were runners-up in the art contest. They each received $150 in addition to the $100 district prize. The other district winners were: 1st District, Kira Ray, Cherokee County; 2nd District, Nick Maysonet, Jackson County; 3rd District, Nathan Trippe, Carroll County; 4th District, Ashton McKettrick, Columbia County; 6th District, Brianna Watkins, Dodge County; 7th District, Kaidy English, Emanuel County; 8th District, Layla Lewis, Lee County. Poppell, an 8th-grade student at Whigham School, claimed a $150 cash prize for winning the state contest and also received $100 for winning in the GFB 9th District. The essay contest was open to all Georgia students in grades 6 through 8 and drew 63 entries statewide. Using the theme, “Agriculture Counts: The Importance of Agriculture in Georgia to Me, My Community, My State and the World,” students were asked to discuss the impact of agriculture. The other district winners were: 1st District, Hunter Young, Chattooga County; 2nd District, Lea Presley, Stephens County; 3rd District, Conner Muse, Carroll County; 4th District, Maddison Wilkes, Oconee County; 5th District, Morgan Tillman, Jasper County; 6th District, Harley Robertson, Jones County; 7th District, Wyatt Colley, Candler County; 8th District, Rachel Minick, Sumter County; 10th District, Kade Moore, Coffee County. GEORGIA REPS SIGN LETTER OPPOSING EPA WATER AUTHORITY Six members of the Georgia Congressional delegation signed a “Dear Colleague” letter opposing an unreleased guidance document from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would greatly expand the definition of “waters of the U.S.” in the Clean Water Act. The letter, which originated with Reps. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) and Tim Holden (D-Pa.), questioned using such guidance to expand federal jurisdiction. Georgia Reps. Phil Gingrey (R-11th Dist.), Austin Scott (R-8th Dist.), Lynn Westmoreland (R-3rd Dist.), Sanford Bishop (D-2nd Dist.), John Barrow (D-12th Dist.) and David Scott (D-13th Dist.) signed the letter. Reps. Austin Scott and David Scott are members of the House Ag Committee. Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) said the Clean Water Protection Guidance by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers builds a foundation for regulation of virtually any body of water in the U.S. “Once again the EPA is trying to broaden its jurisdiction without authority to do so. Changes to the regulatory scheme of the Clean Water Act should be done through notice and rule-making or legislative action. Issuing a guidance document is informal and ambiguous. If this is important to the administration, I urge it to reconsider this approach and move forward with a transparent rule-making process,” Lucas said.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 6 PEANUT PROUD SENDING PEANUT BUTTER TO TORNADO VICTIMS Peanut Proud is collecting donations to send peanut butter and bottled water to church shelters and feeding distribution centers in Alabama and Mississippi for victims of the recent storms. Contributions to this project may be sent to: Peanut Proud Inc, P.O. Box 624, Blakely, GA 39823. Checks should be made payable to Peanut Proud., Inc., and allocated for Project Giving Back. For information please contact LeaJean Manry at 229-723-2802 or lmanry@birdsong-peanuts.com or Chuck Hancock, 229-7232815 or chancock@birdsong-peanuts.com. 3rd ANNUAL ST. JUDE BENEFIT TRACTOR RIDE May 7 Macon County This 20-mile ride is a fundraiser for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Riders will pay a $25 entry fee per tractor. The parade will leave the farm of Charles Hughes located at 3344 South St., Marshallville, Ga., 31057 at 10:30 a.m. The ride will stop for lunch at Yoder’s Deitsch Haus on Hwy. 26 and return back to the Hughes farm. The public is invited to join the riders for lunch and a chance to see the tractors on display. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the fundraiser may mail checks made payable to St. Jude Children’s Hospital to Neil Skipper at 107 Gregg Dr. Macon, Ga. 31216. The Bibb County Farm Bureau is also selling $1 raffle tickets for a handmade University of Georgia birdhouse and a handpainted window featuring a beautiful farm scene. Tickets may be purchased individually or six for $5 or 12 for $10. Tickets are also being sold for a Ducks Unlimited print - $5 per ticket or three for $10. Checks for the raffle tickets can be made out to St. Jude’s and should be mailed to the Bibb County Farm Bureau at 100 Northside Crossing Macon, GA 31210 or sent via the GFB courier system. All proceeds from the raffle will go to St. Jude’s. Contact Pat Steed at pgsteed@gfb.org for more information about the raffle. For more information contact Neil Skipper at 478-286-1940 or James Emory Tate at 912-3758367. DEADLINE TO VOTE IN FARM MOM CONTEST IS MAY 8 Your favorite farm mom could win up to $7,500 in the 2011 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year Contest. Visit www.AmericasFarmers.com until May 8 to nominate her by explaining in 300 words or less how your nominee embodies the caring, values and hard work that make up the family farm way of life. Five regional winners – Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, West and Southwest – will be selected and posted on the Web site where voting will determine one national winner. Each regional winner will receive $5,000. The national winner, to be announced on May 27, will get an additional $2,500. The contest is sponsored by Monsanto and the American Agri-Women. Entries will be judged on how nominees contribute to their families, farms, communities and industry. To be eligible, a mom must be at least 18 years of age and work on a farm within the United States that produces at least 250 acres of corn, soybeans, cotton, vegetables and/or specialty crops (canola, sorghum, wheat or alfalfa); and/or at least 40 acres of fruits and vegetables; and/or raise at least 100 head of cattle or hogs; and/or maintain at least 50 head of dairy cows and/or at least 20,000 broilers or layers. GEORGIA CORN CHECKOFF REFERENDUM BALLOTS DUE MAY 10 The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Corn is holding a reaffirmation vote on their corn checkoff until May 10. The funds collected from this checkoff are strictly for research, education and promotion of corn. Producers growing corn for grain commercially sold within the state pay a one cent per bushel assessment collected when the corn is sold. First handlers are responsible for deducting the checkoff and remitting it to the commission on behalf of the producers. Producers growing sweet or fresh corn, silage corn or corn for on-farm use are exempt from the checkoff. Only producers who grew corn in 2010 are eligible to vote. Producers who receive a ballot but did not grow corn last year should indicate this on the ballot and return it. Eligible producers who did not receive a ballot may contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture at 404-656-3678.
Leadership Alert page 5 of 6 MONROE COUNTY H.E.R.D SALE May 12 Sleepy Creek Farm 12:30 p.m. Monroe County More than 60 bred heifers will be for sale during the event. Data available on the heifers includes A.I. Breeding and Sire EPDs, pelvic area, frame score, disposition score, weight per day of age and average daily gain. For more information call Monroe County’s Extension office at 478-994-7014 or email uge2207@uga.edu or visit http://www.ugaextension.com/monroe. 20th ANNUAL BEE KEEPING INSTITUTE May 12-14 Young Harris College Young Harris Workshops led by beekeeping experts will be offered for beekeepers at all levels of experience. The event will also include a honey show. The event’s first day is set aside for training and certification examinations for the journeyman, master beekeeper and master craftsman levels and Welsh Honey Judge qualifications. The cost for ages 18 and older is $88 for one day and $138 for both days. For ages 11 to 18, the cost is $44 for one day and $70 for both days. There is no charge for participants under the age of 10. Event is limited to 150 persons so pre-registration is recommended. If you cannot pre-register, call first to make sure there’s space before attending. For more information visit http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees or contact Detsy Bridges at 706- 542-9035 or at detsyb@uga.edu. NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION WORKSHOP APPLICATION DEADLINE May 20 is the deadline to apply for this weeklong camp that provides rising 10th, 11th and 12th grade students a chance to learn about Georgia’s natural resources from university, state and federal natural resource experts. The camp, which gives students a taste of college life and insight into career opportunities related to natural resources, will be held June 5-9 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. Tuition is $150. More than $17,000 in scholarships will be awarded from this workshop. This is the 50th anniversary of the NRCW. To celebrate, the NRCW Executive Board will award a special $5,000 scholarship. The committee is also asking former NRCW participants, both students, volunteers and staff, to share their story of how the NRCW has influenced their life or career path. Contact the NRCW by phone at 229-391-5072, via e-mail at nrcw@abac.edu or post your story on the NRCW Facebook page. Interested persons can download an application and get more information about NRCW at http://www.abac.edu/psbo/nrcw or through your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office. NRCS ORGANIC CONSERVATION PROGRAM SIGNUP DEADLINE MAY 20 The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for Organic Initiative contracts under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help organic producers and those transitioning to organic production implement natural resource conservation practices on their farms. Organic producers may use the funding to plant cover crops, establish integrated pest management plans or implement nutrient management systems consistent with organic certification standards. Eligible producers include those certified through USDA’s National Organic Program, those transitioning to certified organic production and those who meet organic standards but are exempt from certification because their gross annual organic sales are less than $5,000. Under Organic Initiative contracts, producers are paid 75 percent of the cost for the organic conservation measures they implement. Producers qualifying as beginning, limited resource and socially disadvantaged producers are paid 90 percent. Producers interested in applying for Organic Initiative funding must submit applications through their local NRCS Service Center. BCAP PROPOSAL DEADLINE IS MAY 27 The deadline for project area proposals to be considered for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) is May 27. BCAP provides incentives to eligible farmers, ranchers and forest landowners for the establishment and production of biomass crops for heat, power, bio-based products and biofuels. BCAP project areas are specific geographic areas where producers grow eligible biomass crops. Producers then receive annual payments for growing those crops. In Georgia, proposals should be sent to Farm Service Agency, 355 East Hancock Ave., Athens, Ga., 30601-2775. For more information, contact Anna Bramblett at 706-546-2256 Ext. 4., or anna.bramblett@ga.usda.gov.
Leadership Alert page 6 of 6 DEADLINE TO ENTER GFB PHOTO CONTEST MAY 31 The Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee is accepting entries for its 2011 Picture Agriculture in Georgia Contest. The contest is open to any Georgia Farm Bureau member who receives no income from photography. There are three categories: GFB members, GFB Young Farmers (farmers between the age of 18-35), and GFB staff/family (state or county). All photos must highlight Georgia agriculture and must have been taken in 2010 or 2011. Each entrant may enter only two photos. All photos must be high-resolution images of a minimum of 1 megabyte (MB) in size. Horizontal photos of at least 1024 x 768 pixels or greater are preferred. All digital photos must be sent as an attachment in a JPEG format by e-mail to yf@gfb.org. In the subject line of the e-mail type “Photo Contest” and the category in which you are competing. Type the following information in the body of the e-mail: entrant’s name, address, phone number, Farm Bureau membership number, county in which you have the membership, title of photo, group in which you are competing (GFB members, GFB Young Farmers or GFB staff/family) and where and when the photo was taken. Photos entered in the GFB photo contest may not have been entered in any other contest. Photos will be judged on the use of angle, lighting, balance, color, contrast, viewpoint and technical ability. Altered photos will not be accepted. GFB reserves the right to disqualify photos for any reason. All photos become the property of GFB, which may use them for any purpose, such as publishing them in the organization’s member magazines the Georgia Neighbors and/or the Georgia Farm Bureau News, using them on GFB’s Web site, printing a calendar, reproducing it for Farm Bureau use or selling it. Georgia Farm Bureau has the final decision on any and all questions or concerns regarding rules, judging, eligibility, prizes awarded or anything else that may arise pertaining to the photo contest. If you use children or people in your photo, you must complete a Model Release Entry Form complete with signatures. Please visit http://www.gfb.org to download a copy. This form must be completed and received by fax at 478-405-3422 or by U.S. mail by June 10. Prizes will be awarded as follows: a 1st place prize of $150 in both the GFB members and Young Farmer categories. Honorable mentions in each of these categories will receive $75. The 1st place winner in the GFB staff category will receive $100, 2nd place $75 and 3rd place $25. GFB YOUNG FARMER FAMILY CONFERENCE & DISCUSSION MEET REGISTRATION DEADLINE MAY 31 July 23-24 Callaway Gardens Pine Mountain This event will allow young farmers ages 18-35 the opportunity to network with other young farmers around the state and attend personal and professional development workshops. The conference will include free time to allow attendees the opportunity to tour Callaway on their own. There will be childoriented activities while parents attend workshops. The preliminary rounds of the GFB discussion meet will be held during the conference. The four finalists will compete for the state title at the GFB Convention on Jekyll Island, Dec. 4-6. The state winner will receive an Arctic Cat 500 4x4 ATV, $500 cash and an expense-paid trip to the 2012 American Farm Bureau convention in Hawaii, Jan. 8-11, 2012, to compete for national honors. Contact your county Farm Bureau if you are interested in attending the conference or competing in the discussion meet. The deadline to register for either event is May 31. UGA COTTON SCOUT SCHOOLS June 13 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton June 21 Southeast Research & Education Center Midville These programs offer basic information on cotton insects and scouting procedures and will serve as a review for experienced scouts and producers and as an introduction to cotton insect monitoring for new scouts. Both schools run from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. For more information about the Tifton school call Debbie Rutland at 229-386-3424. Contact Peyton Sapp at 706-554-2119 for more information about the school in Midville.