December 23, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 51
RESOLUTION TO FUND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SIGNED INTO LAW On Dec. 13 the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 83, a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through Sept. 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on Dec. 16. The law includes some key provisions important to Georgia agriculture. The law requires the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw their March 2014 interpretive rule entitled “Interpretive Rule Regarding the Applicability of the Clean Water Act Section 404(f)(1)(a).” The interpretive rule (IR) went into effect immediately in March and removed Clean Water Act (CWA) permit exemptions under Section 404 of the CWA. While Georgia Farm Bureau was against the IR, it should be noted that the IR is not the same as the agencies’ proposed rule “Definition of the Waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act”, the subject of the “Ditch The Rule” campaign conducted by GFB and the American Farm Bureau Federation this year. The proposed rule was published in April and is still moving toward finalization under the federal rulemaking process. The continuing resolution includes $45 million for construction and improvement to agricultural research facilities. According to a press release from Rep. Jack Kingston, this is to fund upgrades to the Southeast Poultry Research Lab in Athens, part of a multiyear $155 expansion of the facility. The USDA has made the modernization of this facility its top construction priority. “Our members are pleased Congress appropriated $45 million to begin reconstruction of the USDA Southeastern Poultry Lab,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “The lab is a vital part of finding solutions to emerging poultry diseases that impact poultry and human health. Farm Bureau will continue to work with our congressional delegation to ensure funding is available to see this project through to completion.” Overall, the funding law provides a total of $1.013 trillion and funds 11 of the 12 appropriation bills through Sept. 30, 2015. A short-term continuing resolution funds the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 27, 2015. Under agriculture appropriations, the law includes $20.6 billion in discretionary funding, which is $305 million below the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 level. The law includes $871.3 million – a $49.5 million increase above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level – for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This funding includes increases to fight citrus greening and the epidemic porcine virus. The law restricts the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) from implementing regulations for private livestock and poultry markets. The law also prohibits the USDA from conducting inspections at horse processing facilities.
GFB News Alert page 2 of 9 GFB HARVEST FOR ALL CAMPAIGN RAISES $20,000 FOR GA FOOD BANKS Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual Harvest For All campaign is aimed at providing food to those who have struggled to put food on the table. For the fifth straight year, the campaign solicited cash donations in 2014. Georgia’s 158 county Farm Bureau chapters and home office contributed $20,000, which was presented to Georgia Food Bank Association (GFBA) Director Danah Craft during Georgia Farm Bureau’s 77th Annual Convention on Jekyll Island. According to the GFBA, 18.9 percent of Georgians are food insecure, meaning they do not always know where they will find their next meal. The national average is 15.9 percent. Hunger is more extensive among the state’s children; more than 700,000, or 28.1 percent, live in food insecure households. More than 200,000 of Georgia’s food insecure children are from working families whose household income is above poverty level, which is defined as $23,850 for a family of four. “Really, the number of Georgians who struggle to put food on the table is profound,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. “Georgia Farm Bureau is always mindful that we have fellow Georgians who are hungry, and the Harvest For All campaign is our way to help ease their pain.” The GFB Young Farmer Committee coordinated the 10th Annual Harvest For All Campaign. Craft said that on average the GFBA can leverage each dollar into $7 worth of food. The GFBA also uses donated dollars to purchase high-protein, low-cost foods like chicken and peanut butter and to offset the costs of various outreach programs like mobile pantries, Manna drops and backpack programs. Craft added that the relationship between GFBA and Georgia Farm Bureau has yielded increased visibility, which in turn has increased farmers’ direct donations of fresh produce. The GFBA in 2014 launched the Farm to Foodbank program to facilitate direct food donations from farmers. Craft said her organization’s increased visibility through its affiliation with Georgia Farm Bureau has generated greater than anticipated results. “We were hoping to get 2 million pounds of No. 2 product, fresh fruits and vegetables that would otherwise have been thrown back in the field,” Craft said. “So far this year we’ve gotten more than 10 million pounds. That’s 250 tractor-trailer loads of product that is aesthetically imperfect, but nourishing and absolutely essential to add to the diets of the one in five families in Georgia that need assistance.” Using Feeding America’s standard of 1.2 pounds of food per meal, that 10 million pounds of donations translates to 8.3 million meals that Craft attributes to GFBA’s affiliation with Georgia Farm Bureau. Georgia Farm Bureau’s Harvest For All donation will have a statewide impact. The Georgia Food Bank Association distributes the funds to America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia in Savannah, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank (Food Bank of Northwest Georgia), Feeding the Valley in Columbus, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia in Athens, Golden Harvest in Augusta, the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank in Macon and Second Harvest of South Georgia in Valdosta. “Our hearts go out to all the people around the state who struggle to put food on their tables,” said 2014 GFB Young Farmer Committee Chairman Matthew London. “The Harvest For All program has been an important part of our work on the Young Farmer Committee along with cooperation from many of our county Farm Bureaus.”
GFB News Alert page 3 of 9 RETIRING CHAMBLISS REFLECTS ON TIME IN HOUSE, SENATE When the 114th Congress convenes Jan. 6, 2015, Johnny Isakson will be Georgia’s senior U.S. senator, and David Perdue will be Georgia’s new junior senator. These changes come after Sen. Saxby Chambliss decided not to seek re-election. Chambliss talked to Georgia Farm Bureau media on Dec. 11, the day after he gave his nine-minute farewell speech on the U.S. Senate floor. The interview focused on the eight years he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the 12 years he served in the Senate. Chambliss, 71, expressed some frustration over the gridlock in Congress in recent years, but primarily he looked ahead to the future for him and his family. “We’ve been fortunate that a number of people have talked to us about our life after. Looks like my best fit is going to be with a law firm in some capacity. We’re going to be relocating to Atlanta,” Chambliss said. The outgoing senator said he is happy for the new leadership that is about to take shape in the Senate, and he’s excited about David Perdue’s role as a senator. “My replacement, David Perdue is a great friend, a great man, and he’s going to do a good job, and I’m happy for him,” Chambliss said. “Johnny Isakson, my dear friend of 52 years, is going to be a committee chairman of a major committee. Wow.” Isakson has been appointed as chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Chambliss expressed optimism about the future of Georgia agriculture. “We’re number one in the production of broiler chickens, pecans, peanuts, and we’re right at the top in production of cotton. People like our cotton better than other parts of the country because of our staple. So, Georgia agriculture is in good shape,” he said. Chambliss pointed to work he and his staff did on four farm bills while he was in Congress as a major boost to help farmers and producers in the U.S. overcome a dependency on the federal government. “We gradually changed the market opportunities for farmers. I have never met a farmer who didn’t want to get a stream of income out of the market place versus any out of Washington. Now, thanks to the last two farm bills, we’re seeing that opportunity for farmers and ranchers across America.” Though Chambliss was optimistic about the future of the ag industry and Georgia’s contribution, he shared concerns, specifically about the nation’s controversial immigration policies. “Immigration is a key issue and changes to the system have to be made,” he said. “When it comes to agriculture, we did modify the H-2A (certification) program in the latter years of the Bush Administration. Elaine Chao, former secretary of labor, made changes to make the (visa) program more easily navigated by our farmers. Unfortunately, when the Obama Administration came in, they threw out those rules and we’re back into the old system.” Before Chambliss left his office to cast one of his final votes, he said that he’d be working closely with the intelligence community once he joins the Atlanta law firm. The firm will help him stay engaged with work and contacts he’s already established around the world. “I’ve been blessed that the folks in the Intel world recognize that we’ve made real efforts in trying to make the world a safer place,” he said. “I think that when my grandchildren go look at my papers one of these days, maybe they won’t be too bored reading about some of the things I did.”
GFB News Alert page 4 of 9 USDA ABANDONS PURSUIT OF SECOND BEEF CHECKOFF Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will not pursue a second beef checkoff, according to multiple published reports. Vilsack said in September the department would establish a second beef checkoff under the Commodity Promotion and Information Act of 1996 in an attempt to increase funding to advance beef industry causes. The appropriations bill signed into law by President Barack Obama on Dec. 16 prevents the USDA from implementing a new beef checkoff program. Dozens of beef organizations and beef industry supporters, including the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association, voiced opposition to the second checkoff, which under the 1996 law would likely have a different organizational structure and be allowed higher operational costs than the National Beef Checkoff, which was established under the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985. The second checkoff Vilsack was proposing would not require a producer referendum before being established. Georgia Farm Bureau delegates passed policy during the 2014 GFB Convention in early December opposing “any new government agency-mandated beef checkoff without a prior producer referendum.” In comments submitted Dec. 10, GFB expressed support for the existing National Beef Checkoff with an assessment to be increased to as much as $2 per head. GFB recommended that any new checkoff be structured the same as the existing one. FLAVOR OF GEORGIA FOOD PRODUCT CONTEST ACCEPTING ENTRIES Registration is open and continues through Jan. 30, 2015, for the Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest, hosted by the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development. Nearly 90 percent of the finalists in the 2014 Flavor of Georgia Contest reported seeing increased interest in their products following the contest, and many others benefitted from increased sales, profits, publicity and website traffic. Some also indicated an increase in fulland part-time employees, according to a UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences press release. Contest finalists will be invited to participate in the final round of judging and a public tasting March 9-10 as part of the Governor’s Agricultural Awareness Day in Atlanta. Food marketing experts, grocery buyers, chefs and Georgia agricultural experts will judge each product based on flavor, Georgia theme, unique or innovative qualities and commercial appeal. Product categories include barbecue sauces; beverages; confections; dairy products; jams and jellies; marinades and sauces; meat and seafood; salsas, chutneys and condiments; snack foods and miscellaneous products. There is no limit to the number of products an individual can submit. Follow @Flavor_of_GA on Twitter for updates. For more information or to register, see www.flavorofgeorgia.com or call 706-583-0347. Registration is $100 per product for entries completed online or $115 each for entries received by mail. Registration fees will increase in the last weeks before the deadline.
GFB News Alert page 5 of 9 CONGRESS PASSES TAX EXTENDERS BILL On Dec. 16 the U.S. Senate approved legislation to extend a number of expiring tax provisions and President Barack Obama signed it into law on Dec. 19. The bill, H.R. 5771, called the Tax Increase Prevention Action of 2014, passed the Senate by a 76-14 vote. It passed the House on Dec. 3 by a 378-46 vote. The bill included the extension through tax year 2014 for dozens of individual and small business expenses. The key ones for farmers are Section 179 small business expensing, which allows small businesses to immediately expense up to $500,000 instead of depreciating them over time and there will be an additional 50 percent bonus depreciation for the purchase of new capital assets. American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman praised Congress for passing the bill while noting that a long-term solution is needed. “Thanks to tax provisions like Section 179 for small business expensing and bonus depreciation, hard-working Americans will be free to put their money directly back to work on their land and in their local communities,” Stallman said. “Farmers and ranchers need more than just a temporary tax fix, however. They need certainty that these provisions will be there in the coming years as they make long-term business decisions. “ LONGTIME COWETA COUNTY FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT ODOM DIES Harry B. Odom, who served as Coweta County Farm Bureau president from 1971 to 2012, died on Dec. 20. He was 84. Odom’s involvement in Farm Bureau spanned more than 50 years. He farmed all his life, growing row crops, small grains, cattle and vegetables. He also had a small store in Turin. “We are extremely saddened by the passing of Mr. Odom,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall. “Farm Bureau has long depended on people like him who have made our organization what it is. He will be truly missed.” Odom Coweta County Farm Bureau dedicated its building to Odom in 2012. He was instrumental in the growth of CCFB membership, as well as serving on the GFB Policy Development Committee and several of GFB’s commodity advisory committees. AMERICAN FARM BUREAU CONDUCTING WOMEN IN AG SURVEY The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Program has launched “Women in Ag,” an online survey that aims to gauge the goals, aspirations, achievements and needs of women in American agriculture in a number of different areas. All women who are farmers, ranchers, farm/ranch employees, employed in agricultural businesses, pursuing ag-related higher education or supportive of agriculture in other ways are invited to participate in the survey at www.womeninag.fb.org. Respondents must reside in the United States. Farm Bureau membership is not required to participate. Data collected from respondents will be used to gauge trends related to the achievements of women in agriculture, like leadership positions, business success and election to public office. The AFB Women’s Leadership Committee is sponsoring the survey and is working with other farm and agriculture organizations to encourage participation. Participants will be eligible for an opportunity to win one of five $100 gift cards after the survey closes. Preliminary findings from the survey will be released in February 2015 at AFBF’s FUSION Conference in Nashville, Tenn. The full report will be released in late spring.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 9 OBAMA ANNOUNCES MOVE TOWARD NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH CUBA In a Dec. 17 statement, President Barack Obama announced that the United States will begin moving toward normalizing diplomatic relations with Cuba. Obama outlined several steps in the process, including the establishment of a U.S. embassy in Havana and lifting of certain restrictions that have inhibited business transactions between the U.S. and Cuba. For agriculture one key move in Obama’s action is to allow U.S. financial institutions to open accounts with their counterparts in Cuba, making it easier for U.S. exporters to sell in Cuba, which has a population of 11 million people. The U.S. has allowed agricultural exports to Cuba since 2001, but the process has been complicated because of the banking restrictions. Payments had to be routed from Cuban banks to banks in other countries before the money could be sent to the U.S. Farm Bureau has long called for a removal of trade restrictions with Cuba, maintaining that expanded trade with the U.S. can serve as a cornerstone for additional reforms. “The president’s opening to Cuba promises to improve trade conditions by making it easier for Cuba to buy U.S. agricultural and food products. This is welcome news for our nation’s farmers and ranchers,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said in a statement. The U.S. trade embargo is federal law, barring sales of most non-agricultural consumer goods produced in the U.S. to customers in Cuba. Lifting the embargo would require legislation to pass Congress.
GFB News Alert page 7 of 9 2014 GATE CARDS EXPIRE DEC. 31 The Georgia Agriculture Tax Exemption (GATE) program is an agricultural sales tax exemption certificate issued by the Georgia Department of Agriculture that identifies the card holder as an ag producer qualified for the tax exemption. All 2014 GATE cards expire Dec. 31. To renew your card visit http://forms.agr.georgia.gov/gate/ or call 1-855-FARM-TAX (855-327-6829) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. There is a $20 fee for online applications and a $25 fee for applications made via mail or phone. Many county Farm Bureau offices will assist their members with online signups or renewals. NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR OUTSTANDING YOUNG PEANUT FARMER Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer. The winner will be announced at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, in Tifton. The award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF. The Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award is based upon the applicant's overall farm operation; environmental and stewardship practices; and leadership, civic, church, and community service activities. The award is open for any active Georgia peanut farmer who is not over 45 years of age, as of Jan. 15, 2015. An individual may receive the award only once. There is no limit on the number of applicants from each county in Georgia. Applications are due to the GPC office by Jan. 2, 2015. The award application is available online at the GPC Web site, www.gapeanuts.com or by contacting Joy Crosby at 229-386-3690 or joycrosby@gapeanuts.com. INAUGURAL ABAC YOUNG FARMERS STEER AND HEIFER SHOW Jan. 23-24, 2015 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry This show, organized by the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Farm Bureau chapter, is open to all 4-H and FFA members in Georgia in grades 4-12. Georgia show rules and regulations apply to all entries. Complete rules are available at http://tinyurl.com/4hshowrules. Entry fees are $35 per exhibitor and entry forms must be postmarked by Jan. 3, 2015. Late entries will be accepted with a $10 late fee. T-shirts will be given to all exhibitors. For more information contact Charlsy Anesetti at 770-490-6391 or canessett@stallions.abac.edu or Johnathan Barrett at 706-499-3456 or j24barrett@gmail.com. VEGETABLE MARKETING ORDER HEARING Jan. 6, 2015 Macon Farmers Market 10 a.m. Macon This is a public hearing regarding the proposed marketing order for the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Vegetables. Anyone may make comments. Participants at the hearing are required to register on arrival. Individuals may also submit written comments concerning the proposed marketing order by mail or email to: Andy Harrison, Commodity Commissions Manager, Ga. Dept. of Agriculture, 19 MLK Jr. Dr. S.W., Room 324, Atlanta, Ga. 30334 or via email to andy.harrison@agr.georgia.gov. Written comments must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2015, in order to be considered. The proposed marketing order would assess vegetable producers 1 cent per marketing unit on affected products. The affected products are include bell peppers, specialty peppers, beans, broccoli, beets, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumbers, eggplants, greens, squash, sweet potatoes and tomatoes produced for sale on the fresh market. The order would apply to all producers of those vegetables for sale who have 50 acres ore more of vegetable production annually. Revenue generated by the marketing order would be used for research promotion and education. For more information contact Harrison at 404-586-1405.
GFB News Alert page 8 of 9 AG SAFETY GROUP OFFERING GRANTS Jan. 7, 2015 Deadline to apply Grants of up to $10,000 are being offered by a national coalition of agribusinesses, producer organizations and safety professionals in order to foster new champions of agricultural safety and health. The Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA) has announced an application deadline of January 7, 2015. Information regarding eligibility, priorities, application instructions and frequently asked questions is available at http://www.ashca.org. The purpose of the ASHCA Safety Grants Program is to provide financial support to promote evidence-based safety/health strategies addressing farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers. SOUTHEAST REGIONAL FRUIT & VEGETABLE CONFERENCE Jan. 8-11, 2015 International Trade and Convention Center Savannah This annual conference features nine crop-specific workshops plus workshops on roadside markets, business operations and food safety. New for 2015 are the Southeast Farm Market Bus Tour on Jan 8 and the National Vegetable Grafting Symposium, and the always-popular trade show with more than 200 exhibitors. For more information or to register, visit http://www.seregionalconference.com. 2015 AG FORECAST MEETINGS Jan. 14 Brenau Georgia Mountains Center Gainesville Jan. 15 Clarence Brown Conference Center Cartersville Jan. 16 Cloud Livestock Facility Bainbridge Jan. 21 Toombs County Agricenter Lyons Jan. 22 UGA Conference Center Tifton Jan. 23 Georgia Farm Bureau Macon This series, supported by an endowment from Georgia Farm Bureau with additional support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, focuses on how technology is being used to solve problems for the ag industry along with the 2015 economic outlook for agricultural commodities. Check-in for all of the meetings, except Tifton, begins at 9 a.m. with seminars starting at 10 a.m. followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. Check-in for the Tifton event starts at 7 a.m., breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m. followed by the seminar from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Cost is $30 per person or $200 for a table of eight. Advance registration is required. For more information or to register, visit http://www.georgiaagforecast.com, call 706-583-0347 or email carlam@uga.edu. Follow the meetings on UGA CAES Facebook or on Twitter @GaAgForecast and join the conversation with #AgForecast. GEORGIA PEANUT FARM SHOW & CONFERENCE Jan. 15, 2015 UGA Tifton Conference Center 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Tifton This annual must-go event features 100 exhibits, nearly $40,000 in door prizes, a free farmer lunch and educational sessions, including pesticide applicators certification classes. For more information contact the Georgia Peanut Commission at 229-386-3470 or info@gapeanuts.com, or visit the GPC website at www.gapeanuts.com. BOLL WEEVIL ERADICATION FOUNDATION ANNUAL MEETING Jan. 15 Holiday Inn Express (1502 Sam Nunn Blvd.) Perry Meeting, which begins at 1 p.m. will provide a program update for 2015. Call 1-800-269-9926 to RSVP or for more information.
GFB News Alert page 9 of 9 UGA DAIRY HEIFER SHOW Feb. 6-7, 2015 UGA Livestock Arena Athens State Junior Commercial Dairy Heifer Show rules and regulations apply. Entry fees are $12 per heifer and entries must be postmarked by Jan. 15, 2015. All heifers entered must have been individually tagged by Nov. 14. A contest to design the show t-shirts is being held, with a $50 prize to the winner. Entries for the t-shirt design contest are also due Jan. 15, 2015. A dairy judging contest for FFA and 4-H students will be held Feb. 6. Entry fees for the judging contest are $5. For a printable entry form visit http://tinyurl.com/ugadairyheifer. For more information contact Dr. William Graves at wgraves@uga.edu. GCC ANNUAL MEETING & UGA COTTON PRODUCTION WORKSHOP Jan. 28, 2015 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 8 a.m. Tifton Featured speakers for the Georgia Cotton Commission Annual Meeting are Mark Messura, Senior Vice President for Global Marketing, Cotton Incorporated; John Maguire, Senior Vice President of the National Cotton Council, and a representative for Southern Cotton Growers. The UGA Cotton Production Workshop, conducted by the Research & Extension Cotton Team, provides the latest technical production strategies from the researchers whose projects were funded by the Commission using growers’ dollars. There is no charge to attend. Pre-registration is requested to help with meal plans. Register online at www.ugatiftonconference.org or call 229.386.3416. For more information call 478-988-4235 or visit http://tinyurl.com/cottonmtg. 2015 GA/FLA SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION SOYBEAN/SMALL GRAIN EXPO Feb. 5, 2015 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry The Expo will provide up-to-date marketing projections and the newest production techniques, as well as remarks from University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences leaders. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the general session starts at 9:30 a.m. Speakers are UGA Extension Economist Dr. Nathan Smith, who will give a world outlook for southern ag commodities; American Farm Bureau Federation Deputy Chief Economist John Anderson, who will discuss the 2014 farm bill andDow AgroSciences Field Specialist Dr. Ralph Lassiter, who will discuss Dow Enlist technology. The registration fee is $10 for advance registration or $20 on the date of the Expo. Please make checks payable to the Georgia /Florida Soybean Association, mail to 2425 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, Georgia 30605. Registration must be received before Feb. 1, 2015. For more information contact the Georgia/Florida Soybean Association at 706-542-3793 should you have questions or comments. UGA ACCEPTING CAES ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATIONS The UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Alumni Association invites you to make nominations for its Young Alumni Achievement Award, Alumni Award of Excellence and the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame. The Young Alumni Achievement Award is for alumni who are 35 years old or younger. The CAES Alumni Award of Excellence recognizes extraordinary CAES alumni 36 years or older. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to recognize individuals making unusual and extraordinary contributions to agriculture and agribusiness industries in Georgia. The Young Alumni Achievement and Alumni Excellence awards must be received by Feb. 28. Hall of Fame nominations must be postmarked by March 15. For more information or to make nominations for these awards, visit http://www.caes.uga.edu/alumni/CAA/scholarships.html.