Georgia Farm Bureau's Leadership Alert - November 10, 2010

November 10, 2010

www.gfb.org

Vol. 28 No. 45

POLICY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MULLS MORE THAN 350 RESOLUTIONS The Georgia Farm Bureau Policy Development Committee met in Macon on Nov. 1 to finalize its recommendations for changes to GFB’s official policy, the guidebook for Farm Bureau’s legislative initiatives. The committee’s recommendations will be considered by voting delegates on Jekyll Island during the annual convention Dec. 5-7.

The committee is composed of 30 county presidents from across the state, chairmen of the 20 GFB commodity advisory committees and 25 members of the GFB Board of Directors.

They met on Oct. 11 and Nov. 1 to consider more than 350 resolutions submitted by county Farm Bureaus.

More resolutions dealt with tax issues than any other issue, and estate tax reform was number one on that list. Unless Congress acts, estate taxes will go back into effect next year.

Farm Bureau supports repeal of estate taxes, but would support a $5 million exemption if repeal is not possible. GFB members were also adamant in their belief that farm input costs should not be subject to sales taxes at the state or local level. Another concern was expressed about expanded rules regarding IRS form 1099 scheduled to go into effect in 2012.

County Farm Bureaus were concerned about rule changes proposed by the Grain Inspection Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) related to livestock and poultry production contracts. Counties expressed support for tournament-style production contracts and reiterated their support for policy calling for more fairness for growers related to required capital expenditures.

Current GFB policy favors legislation calling for a statewide referendum on whether to have pari-mutuel betting on horse racing in the state. The GFB Equine Committee and 15 county Farm Bureaus asked GFB to work for passage of such legislation. If horse racing were allowed in Georgia, farmers would benefit from additional sales of agricultural products and services.

The committee also recommended a more streamlined GFB policy on international trade, which currently includes portions that are contradictory or outdated. The committee recommended combining current trade policy from two different sections into a single section. Other issues that received considerable attention included water, energy and biotechnology.

County Farm Bureaus also submitted resolutions related to GFB’s operation and priorities.

The committee referred some of these organizational issues to the GFB Board of Directors for further study. There was a recommendation to increase the property protection reward to help deter metal theft and another to make control of feral hogs a priority issue.

Final ratification comes only after approval by the voting delegates Dec. 7 at Jekyll Island.

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GFB HOSTS GERMAN FARMERS ON GEORGIA AG TOUR German farmers touring farms in Georgia and other states came away impressed with the size of American farm machinery and saw a number of similarities between farming in the United States and their own country.

Arno Billen of Kaschenbach, Brigitte Wenzel of Berlin, Henrik Wendorff of Lietzen and Werner Schwarz of Rethwisch visited Washington D.C., West Virginia, Georgia, Oregon, Minnesota and New York as a part of the John J. McCloy Fellowship, an exchange program designed to establish working relationships and awareness between young professionals in the U.S. and Germany.

“What we have in common is that we have a hard life to get our money,” said Billen, who has a dairy farm and grows wheat barley and corn in Kaschenbach, located west of Frankfurt near Germany’s border with Luxemburg. “I think that’s the same here as in Germany. We have to have a lot of acres and we have to do hard work to earn money. But I think as a farmer in Germany as well as in America you have a good life, because you’re with nature, and you have to be on your own. You don't have to be working for somebody else, so you’re the boss and you do your job. That’s the same here as in Germany.”

During a meeting with GFB President Zippy Duvall, the McCloy Fellows discussed American attitudes toward production of energy crops, similarities between the two countries’ poultry industries and international trade.

“We enjoyed serving as one of the host states for the McCloy Fellows. It’s always good for us to exchange ideas from farmer to farmer, whether it’s across county lines or national borders,” Duvall said. “Programs like the McCloy Fellowship are beneficial because they allow us to connect with farmers from another country, learn how much we have in common and to hear a different point of view.”

During their four-day visit in Georgia Oct. 24-27, the German farmers made stops at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter and the offices of the Georgia Cotton Commission in Perry; the Heart of Georgia Peanut & Cotton Gin, Rodney Dawson Farms and Black Gold in Pulaski County; Gully Branch Tree Farm in Bleckley County; Robert Dickey Farm and Cooley Poultry Farms in Crawford County; the GFB home office; Southern Belle Farm in Henry County and the State Farmer's Market in Clayton County.

They also attended the GFB 6th District Annual Meeting in Dublin.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD APPLICANTS SOUGHT The Georgia Center of Innovation for Agribusiness is seeking applicants for the 2011 Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Award, an annual award designed to recognize agricultural producers who are exceptional caretakers of the environment.

Applicants will be judged on the environmental benefits derived from their conservation efforts, voluntary implementation and economic viability of conservation practices and leadership on environmental issues. One winner will be selected in each of five regions and a statewide winner will be chosen from the five regional winners. The statewide winner will be announced during Ag Awareness Week in March 2011.

The deadline to apply is noon on Dec. 17. For more information, contact Sara Cook at 229391-6882 or smcook@uga.edu.

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DEADLINES APPROACHING FOR POULTRY, AQUACULTURE ASSISTANCE Producers have until Nov. 24 to to apply for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Poultry Loss Contract Assistance Program and Dec. 1 for the Aquaculture Grant Program, both of which are under a Section 32 program for losses that occurred during 2009.

The two programs are part of an ad hoc disaster assistance agreement between Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and the Obama administration to fund disaster aid administratively rather than through passage of a disaster assistance bill.

The Poultry Loss Contract Assistance Program (PGAP) was set up for Georgia poultry growers whose arrangements were terminated when Pilgrim’s Pride declared bankruptcy.

The growers’ contract terminations must have occurred between May 1, 2008 and July 1, 2010 for them to be eligible.

For more information, contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture Animal Industry Division at 404-656-3671.

The Aquaculture Grant Program provided $102,501 to the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) from Commodity Credit Corporation. Its purpose is to provide financial assistance to eligible aquaculture producers who suffered financial losses associated with high feed input costs during the 2009 calendar year. For more information on the Aquaculture Grant Program, call the GDA grants administration office at 404-463-6851.

U.S. DECLINES APPEAL OF WTO RULING ON CHINESE CHICKEN A World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling on a complaint by China against the U.S. was allowed to stand when the U.S. declined to appeal it.

China filed the complaint in response to a provision in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 (HR 1105) that prohibited funds from being used to facilitate imports of Chinese poultry. An explanatory statement in the bill cited concerns over contamination of foods imported from China.

The ruling in the case, which was published on Sept. 29, condemned U.S. restriction on imports of Chinese chicken. According to a WTO summary of the case, the U.S. expressed disappointment, but considered the dispute resolved because the provision in question had expired.

AG HALL OF FAME MEMBER MELVIN JOHNSON SR. DIES Melvin Johnson Sr., who served as state FFA/FCCLA camp director and state director of Agricultural Education, died Oct. 28 after an extended battle with cancer. He was 74.

Johnson’s 42-year career in ag education included service as director of the State FFA/FCCLA Center in Covington from 1979 to 1996. He was inducted to the Georgia Agricultural Education Teachers Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2007. Johnson was honored as the National Outstanding State Supervisor for Ag Education in 1999 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National FFA. In lieu of flowers, Johnson’s family has requested donations be made to the FFA Foundation, P.O. Box 237, Swainsboro, Ga. 30401.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 4 SUGAR CANE SYRUP MAKING Nov. 13 Jarrell Plantation Juliette The Jarrell Plantation Historic site will hold its annual Syrup Makin’ & Storytellin’ Day from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This program brings the event back to life with the sounds, sights, tastes, and smells of a sugar cane mill, syrup kettle, steam engine, wood stove cooking and story telling.

Admission is $3.50 for children and $5 for adults. Children under the age of 6 are free. No food will be sold but there is a picnic area and soft drinks in the gift shop. Jarrell Plantation is 20 miles north of Macon in western Jones County. The address is 711 Jarrell Plantation Rd., Juliette, GA 31046. For more information contact Ranger Bretta Perkins at 478-986-5172 or via e-mail at jarrell_plantation_park@dnr.state.ga.us..

UGA FISH POND WORKSHOP Nov. 16 UGA Black Shank Farm picnic area Tifton This workshop is designed specifically for fish pond and stock pond owners and managers.

Extension faculty will cover fish stocking, weed control, oxygen management, trophy bass management, trophy bluegill management, fish diseases and fish pond renovation. A $5 lunch will be available. For more information, call 229-386-3218.

BOVINE REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS Nov. 16 Greene County Extension Office Greensboro Nov. 18 Burke County Extension Office Waynesboro Both workshops begin at 9:45 a.m. and last until 2 p.m. A sponsored lunch will be provided for all attendees. The workshops will be offered in English and Spanish. Workshop speakers will include: UGA Animal and Dairy Science Professor Dr. William Graves, Morgan County Extension Coordinator Robert C. Smith and Greene County Extension Coordinator Jonael H. Bosques-Méndez. For registration or more information call the Greene County Extension Office at 706-453-2083 for the workshop on Nov. 16 or the Burke Co. Extension office at 706-5542119 for the workshop on Nov. 18.

MASTER GARDENER VOLUNTEER TRAINING Registration Deadline Nov. 19 Want to learn more about gardening, teach others what you have learned or help UGA Extension reach more homeowners? Then this class might be for you! Class will be held Wednesdays, Jan. 26-April 13, 2011 from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the USDA Research Station in Byron. Cost is $175. To register or for more information, call 478-987-2028.

GEORGIA FARM BUREAU 72nd ANNUAL MEETING Dec. 5-7 Jekyll’s Historic District Convention Campus Jekyll Island This annual event includes an address from GFB President Zippy Duvall, the organization’s policy development session, commodity conferences, the final round of the Young Farmer Discussion Meet competition, announcement of 2010 statewide award winners and a trade show.

For more information, contact your county Farm Bureau office.

CALHOUN PERFORMANCE TESTED BULL SALE Dec. 10 NW GA Research & Education Center Livestock Pavilion Calhoun Begins at 12:30 p.m. Contact Ted Dyer at 706-624-1403 or tgdyer@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or nwgastn@uga.edu .