November 11, 2015
www.gfb.org
Vol. 33 No. 45
GEORGIANS VOICE WOTUS RULE OPPOSITION, SENATE AGREES In a video released by U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Purdue on Nov. 4, Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall and former American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer & Rancher Chairman Jake Carter voiced opposition to the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule finalized by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in September. The video included statements from Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Georgia Agribusiness Council Executive Director Bryan Tolar, Forest Landowners Association Past President Joe Hopkins and Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Charlotte Nash. “The EPA has gone too far this time and we need Congress’ help to overturn the Waters of the U.S. rule,” Duvall said in the video. “This rule erodes our private property rights for our farmers and ranchers across this country. It regulates ditches and low-lying areas that don’t even come close to the definition of navigable waters.” Carter said the rule would cause a number of problems for farmers with varying types of operations. “Not only is the WOTUS rule just a simply ridiculous rule that would affect us here on our farm with the crops that we grow, whether it be strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, or peaches. It would tremendously affect the agritourism operation,” said Carter, who is a Henry County Farm Bureau director. To view the video visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxxDxx8l3Xw. Also on Nov. 4, the Senate approved a joint resolution of disapproval of the WOTUS rule by a 53-44 vote. The resolution, which would prevent the implementation of the rule, is now up for consideration by the House. “Washington’s fourth branch of government, the regulators, originally put this rule in place with complete disregard for the negative impact it would have on Georgia farmers and landowners,” said Perdue, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “Thirty-one states have come together to stop this land grab and today we’re finally putting this harmful regulation back on President Obama’s desk for him to strongly consider.” The Senate voted on the resolution after the Federal Water Quality Protection Act (S. 1140) came up three votes short of a filibuster-proof majority in a Nov. 3 vote. Isakson and Perdue were cosponsors of the bill.
GFB News Alert page 2 of 9 GPLN HPAI PREVENTION GUIDELINES FOR ON-FARM SERVICES With the very real possibility that it could arrive in Georgia with migratory waterfowl, the Georgia Poultry Lab Network (GPLN) is urging poultry farmers to discourage visitors on their farms, but it is sometimes necessary for essential services to be provided through farm visits. The following guidelines from the GPLN are practical measures that must be undertaken in order to mitigate the risk of spreading avian influenza or other poultry diseases: • If service is provided inside the chicken house, the producer should have coveralls, disposable boots, hairnets, Lysol (or equivalent spray disinfectant) and hand sanitizer to be used by visitors prior to entering. • If service is provided on the farm but outside the chicken house: Lysol and hand sanitizer must be utilized. • Service providers are urged to notify the poultry grower by telephone that a service visit is taking place so the grower can meet them at the farm entrance to disinfect the tires on the provider’s vehicle. • Service providers entering poultry farms that have biosecurity stations at their entrance are asked to stop and follow instructions. The station may include a visitor’s log, which should be signed, and a sprayer for disinfecting tires. Other instructions may also be provided through signage at the biosecurity station. • In the event that a service provider needs to enter the poultry house, strict bio-security measures must be followed. In addition to wearing coveralls, disposable boots, and a hairnet, the provider must apply spray disinfectant to all tools and supplies. In the case that a provider does not have the necessary protective equipment, the grower should meet them at the farm and provide protective clothing. A very important protective step that must be followed is to have the provider step in a disinfecting foot pan upon entering the poultry house. • Visitors working in the immediate vicinity of the poultry house should spray their footwear with disinfectant and use hand sanitizer before exiting their vehicle. This process should be repeated when the visitor returns to the vehicle. • Meter Reading: Many of the meters on poultry farms are read remotely. In cases where meters are still read manually, utility companies are encouraged to consider implementing a plan that would allow them to avoid farm visits to read meters if an emergency response to avian influenza in Georgia becomes necessary. • In situations where a service provider enters a farm to provide service or repairs not in the immediate vicinity of the poultry houses, they should still follow the bio-security instructions provided by the grower or signage posted at the entry of the farm. In these cases, spraying footwear with Lysol would be a good extra precaution to take. • If avian influenza is discovered in Georgia, control zones will be established at a 6 mile radius of the infected farm. Service providers will be kept informed about the zones and status of the control efforts. In this scenario, it might be necessary to have a higher level of bio-security measures in place. Options include having pump-up disinfectant sprayers on service vehicles operating in these areas in addition to Lysol for footwear and hand sanitizer. Another good option is to make contact with the grower before entering the farm so that the service vehicle can be met at the farm entrance. This is especially important if the service vehicle is traveling from one poultry farm directly to another. - Continued on next page
GFB News Alert page 3 of 9 - Poultry guidelines, continued • Individuals who come into contact with “backyard” chickens or other birds during their daily lives pose a higher risk to commercial poultry operations. Employees who provide services in the immediate area of a poultry house should take precautions to reduce the risk of spreading avian diseases if they come into contact with backyard birds, pet birds or fowl (including ducks and geese). Ideally, clothing and footwear worn at these outside activities would not be worn on the job. If the same footwear is worn on the job, then it is critical that the shoes/boots be disinfected thoroughly using a disinfecting spray and hand sanitizer prior to providing any service on the farm. Individuals who have contact with backyard chickens or other birds during their daily lives should not provide services inside a chicken house regardless of the biosecurity measures taken. • Individuals providing services on poultry farms who hunt birds should not wear any items used while hunting to work on these farms and should not use the work vehicle for bird hunting. In the case of inadvertent contact with wild or domestic birds, service providers who must enter poultry houses should shower and change all clothing prior to providing service on a poultry farm. • Companies that provide services on poultry farms are asked to communicate with their employees about the increased risk of spreading avian diseases to commercial poultry farms if they have contact with backyard chickens and other birds outside of work. If an employee reports that they have such contact with birds outside of work, it would be ideal if work schedules could be arranged to have other employees handle poultry farm service work. If this is not possible, service providers are encouraged to strictly follow the biosecurity recommendations outlined above. USDA ISSUES RECOMMENDATION FOR PECAN FEDERAL MARKETING ORDER Pecan growers and other industry stakeholders have until Nov. 27 to submit comments on the proposed Federal Marketing Order (FMO) for Pecans that the USDA published in the Federal Register on Oct. 28. The USDA recommendation for the marketing order follows public hearings held in July in New Mexico, Texas and Georgia during which an Administrative Law Judge and USDA personnel heard 60 hours of testimony from pecan industry stakeholders as to how a FMO for pecans will benefit growers, shellers, processors and consumers. “This recommended decision on the FMO by USDA is truly historic for our industry. It is the result of a unified effort of dedicated growers, supporting shellers and our congressional senators and representatives whose backing was invaluable,” said American Pecan Board President Mike Adams, who grows pecans in Texas. “After the Secretary’s final recommendation in early 2016, pecan growers will have the opportunity to vote on the FMO in a grower referendum followed by sheller and grower nominations for the FMO Council and Alternates.” The proposed FMO would cover pecans grown in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Visit http://tinyurl.com/PecanFMOFR to read the USDA recommendation published in the Federal Register. Directions for submitting comments are provided on the first page. In addition to the Nov. 27 deadline for submitting overall comments on the FMO, pecan stakeholders have until Dec. 28 to submit comments on any burden caused by completing forms that may be necessary to implement the FMO for Pecans, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act.
GFB News Alert page 4 of 9 AFBF ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EPA PRACTICES UNDER CWA The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and a coalition of agricultural and builder groups asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 6 to review a lower court ruling that allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to micromanage local land use and development decisions under the guise of implementing the federal Clean Water Act. The lower court’s ruling, according to the petition, “opens the door for a dramatic expansion of federal power” and must be overturned. The lawsuit arose in the context of EPA’s so-called “blueprint” for restoring the Chesapeake Bay, but Farm Bureau pointed out that the issue at stake is national in scope. “It’s about whether EPA has the power to override local decisions on what land can be farmed, where homes can be built, and where schools, hospitals, roads and communities can be developed,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “This is nothing less than federal super-zoning authority. As much as we all support the goal of achieving a healthy Chesapeake Bay, we have to fight this particular process for getting there.” Twenty-one states, 39 members of Congress and a group of counties within the Bay watershed supported AFBF’s legal challenge in the lower courts. “We certainly hope for even more support in asking for Supreme Court review,” said AFBF General Counsel Ellen Steen. “There has been a lot of attention to EPA’s recent rule expanding its jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. EPA’s overreach in the Bay ‘blueprint’ is just as aggressive, and its impact on communities and businesses is just as dramatic. From the beginning, this was designed as a model that would be followed around the country.” According to today’s court filing, the greatest practical, local harm of the Bay blueprint is that it “locks in” decisions made in 2010 and “deprives state and local governments of the ability to adapt their plans to take account of changes in societal needs, developing technologies, or new information. It prevents them from exercising their own judgment about the best and most efficient ways to achieve the goals for the Bay.” Implementation of the blueprint is expected to cost roughly $28 billion to $30 billion in Maryland and Virginia alone. HOUSE PASSES HIGHWAY BILL, TRUCK WEIGHT AMENDMENT FAILS On Nov. 5 the U.S. House passed a long-term transportation funding bill that will direct $325 billion toward highway projects through 2021. The bill, H.R. 22, was sent to conference to resolve differences between House and Senate amendments. The Senate passed the bill in July. An amendment that would increase allowable weights for tractor-trailer rigs failed. The amendment, introduced by Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), would raise permissible weights from the current maximum of 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds. The 84,000-pound limit has been in place since 1982. A collection of 70 agriculture groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, had voiced support the amendment, which they maintain would lower shipping costs for farmers. A U.S. Department of Transportation study showed that improved tractor-trailer design can accommodate such a weight increase while improving highway safety by reducing the number of tractor-trailers on the roads, as well as reducing wear on the nation’s highways.
GFB News Alert page 5 of 9 NCC REQUESTS COTTON SEED BE COVERED UNDER OIL SEED PROGRAM The National Cotton Council (NCC) has asked the USDA to use its administrative authority and designate cottonseed as “other oilseed,” making cottonseed oil a separate crop from cotton lint and thus eligible for coverage under Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) under the 2014 farm bill. In making its case, the NCC noted that cotton revenue is 25 percent lower than the average market returns between 2010 and 2013, and further decline is expected for the 2015 crop year. Meanwhile, production costs have consistently increased over the past 10 years, and the difference between market revenue and production costs is the greatest since 2006. As a consequence, farmers have reduced cotton acreage to less than any year since 1983. There is growing concern, the NCC said, about farmers’ ability to secure production financing for the 2016 crop. The NCC noted that declines in cotton area translate into difficulties for local economies that depend on cotton production. The 2014 farm bill provides statutory authority to the USDA to designate “other oilseeds” for purposes of farm bill programs. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency recently released a cottonseed endorsement under the Stacked Income Protection (STAX) program, the farm bill crop insurance program for cotton. GEORGIA CORN, SOYBEANS FORECAST FOR RECORD-HIGH YIELDS Georgia corn and soybean growers are forecast to set yield records according to the November Crop Production report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The state’s corn production is projected at 50.7 million bushels in 2015, a decline of two million bushels from 2014. The production decline, is attributable to a reduction in acres from 310,000 statewide in 2014 to 280,000 in 2015. The average yield of 181 bushels per acre is down slightly from the October crop report, but would still be a state record, according to NASS. Georgia soybean production is forecast at 14.1 million bushels, unchanged from the October report, reflecting a 21 percent increase from 2014. The state’s cotton production remained at 2.3 million bales in 2015, down 11 percent from 2014. Georgia’s forecast peanut production remained at 3.43 billion pounds, the same as in the October report and an increase of 41 percent of 2014 production. EPA PROPOSES RULE TO BAN CHLORPYRIFOS In response to an August court ruling, the EPA has issued a proposed rule to revoke tolerances for chlorpyrifos, an insecticide used on a wide variety of crops, including soybeans, cotton and corn. In August, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the EPA to issue a proposed or final tolerance revocation. Tolerances are the allowed residual amount of a chemical on crops or products. The proposed rule was published in The Federal Register on Nov. 6, and the EPA will accept public comment on the proposed rule until Jan. 5, 2016. To review the proposed rule visit http://tinyurl.com/chlorpyrifosban. To make a comment, visit http://tinyurl.com/chlorpyrifoscomment.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 9 See page 9 for a list of ongoing Farm Bureau-affiliated farmers markets! GA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE EQUINE AUCTION Nov. 14 Mansfield Impound Barn, 2834 Marben Farm Rd. Mansfield The Georgia Department of Agriculture will hold this live auction of 12 horses in accordance with the Humane Care for Equines Act. The horses may be inspected at the facility beginning at 10 a.m. and the sale will start at approximately 11 a.m. Pictures of the horses will be posted, when available, on the GDA website, www.agr.georgia.gov. Sealed bids will not be accepted. The GDA will make any documentation about the animals in its possession available upon request; otherwise the horses will be sold on an as-is basis. Purchased animals must be picked up from the facility by 3 p.m. on Nov. 15 and payment is required at that time. For more information, call the GDA Equine Health office at 404-656-3713. Office hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Sealed bids will not be accepted. PRF, APICULTURE CROP INSURANCE Nov. 15 deadline to enroll Forage, livestock and honey producers have until Nov. 15 to enroll in crop insurance under the Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) program and the Apiculture program. For 2016, both programs are under the Rainfall Index insurance plan. Information about these crop insurance plans and other resources are available on the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) website at http://www.rma.usda.gov/policies/ri-vi/. GEORGIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION FORESTRY FORWARD SERIES Nov. 19 Flinchum’s Phoenix Athens Dec. 9 Interfor Southeast Region Office Peachtree City Dec. 10 James-Bates-Brannan-Groover LLP Macon Dec. 15 TOOHOLLY Tree Farm Oliver Dec. 17 Location TBD Rome Jan. 7, 2016 Oxbow Meadows Columbus Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) members and those who depend on Georgia’s working forests are encouraged to attend the local, reception-style events to learn more about the priorities of the GFA and the challenges facing working forest landowners and the forest industry. GFA is also partnering with Dr. Dale Greene, dean of the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, for the Athens and Columbus events. Attendees at those events will have the chance to meet Dr. Greene and learn about the future of the Warnell School. Space is limited at each event. To RSVP visit www.eventbrite.com/o/georgia-forestry-association-7811066383. FREE BQA CERTIFICATION PERIOD Through Nov. 20 online Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica will pay the $25-$50 online training fee for every person completing the Beef Quality Assurance training through Nov. 20. Individuals who work with beef cattle or dairy cattle are eligible. Visit www.bqa.org to take advantage of the open certification period.
GFB News Alert page 7 of 9 DAIRY MARGIN PROTECTION PROGRAM SIGNUP Dairy producers they have until Nov. 20 to select coverage under the Dairy Margin Protection Program established by the 2014 farm bill. The program provides financial assistance to dairy producers when the margin – the difference between feed costs and the price of milk – falls below the coverage level selected by the applicant. Enrolled dairy operations must pay a $100 administrative fee annually to receive basic catastrophic coverage. Greater levels of margin protection are available for a higher premium, and provide expanded coverage based on historic dairy production. Once enrolled, producers can change their levels of coverage each year. Dairy producers are encouraged to review protection options online at www.fsa.usda.gov/dairy or by visiting their local FSA county office. The nearest FSA county office can be found at http://offices.usda.gov. CROP INSURANCE DEADLINE FOR TREE FRUIT PRODUCERS Nov. 20 Deadline to purchase Producers of apples, blueberries and peaches have until Nov. 20 to purchase crop insurance policies for those crops. Coverage is available for apples in Fannin, Gilmer, and Rabun counties. Coverage is available for blueberries in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Burke, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Long, Pierce, Ware, and Wayne counties. Coverage is available for peaches in Bacon, Banks, Brooks, Crawford, Dooly, Hall, Henry, Macon, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Oconee, Peach, Pierce, Pike, and Taylor counties. Crop insurance provides protection against production losses due to natural perils such as drought, hail and excessive moisture. Policies are sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online with the RMA agent locator and cost estimator at https://ewebapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/costestimator/. Growers can use the RMA to get a premium amount estimate of their insurance needs online. Learn more about crop insurance and the modern farm safety net at www.rma.usda.gov. MM CATTLE COMPANY AND CALLAWAY BULL SALE Nov. 21 Carroll County Livestock Sales Barn noon Carrollton Sale includes 50 Angus and SimAngus bulls and more than 40 commercial replacement heifers. For more information contact Mike McCravey at mmcattle@yahoo.com or 770-328-2047 or John Callaway at callawaycattle@gmail.com or 770-355-2165. EMERGENCY MANURE SPILL RESPONSE DEMONSTRATION Dec. 1 UGA Coastal Plain Experiment Station 1 p.m. Tifton The University of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Agriculture have organized this educational opportunity for a live action manure spill emergency response demonstration, the first demonstration of its type to be held in Georgia. Kevin Erb from the University of Wisconsin Environmental Resources Center will conduct this activity. The demonstration will feature a controlled spill of manure across the soil surface and demonstrate several actions that can be taken to stop the flow of manure into sensitive environmental areas. The event will include two lagoon agitation boats to allow producers to see how the boats can be utilized in their manure management system. For more information visit www.aware.uga.edu.
GFB News Alert page 8 of 9 2015 GEORGIA FARM BUREAU ANNUAL CONVENTION Dec. 6-8 Jekyll Island Convention Center Jekyll Island Gov. Nathan Deal and former Senator Saxby Chambliss are slated to speak on Dec. 7 and GFB President Zippy Duvall will give his annual address. Other events at the GFB Convention will include commodity conferences for Georgia’s 20 major commodities on Dec. 7, announcements of the 2015 state award winners on Dec. 6 and the annual trade show Dec. 6-7. Voting delegates will adopt the organization’s policy for 2016 on Dec. 8 and elect the 2016 GFB Board. For more information contact your county Farm Bureau office. GFB AG FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER BREAKFAST Dec. 7 Jekyll Island Convention Center, Ballroom G-H Jekyll Island This breakfast, part of the 2015 Georgia Farm Bureau Convention, begins at 6:45 a.m. Program includes an update on the GFB Foundation for Agriculture and will highlight the children’s book Bacon County Farm Bureau published this year about blueberries. Tickets are required for entry and are $25 per person. Seats are limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Checks for tickets should be sent to: GFB Foundation for Agriculture, P.O. Box 7068, Macon, GA 31209. For more information, contact the GFB Foundation for Agriculture at 478-474-8411 or by email at jcevans@gfbfoundation.org. FSA COUNTY COMMITTEE ELECTIONS The USDA begin mailing ballots to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the 2015 FSA County Committee elections on Nov. 9. Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices by Dec. 7 to ensure that their vote is counted. Each committee has three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office. One-third of county committee seats are up for election each year. Voters who do not receive ballots can pick one up at their local FSA office. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Dec. 7. Newly elected committee members and their alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2016. For more information, visit the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections. You may also contact your local USDA Service Center or FSA office. Visit http://offices.usda.gov to find an FSA office near you. WETLANDS, AG CONSERVATION EASEMENTS The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting enrollment for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). To be considered for the fiscal year 2016 program, applications must be submitted by December 18. ACEP, created through the 2014 farm bill, has two components, known as Agricultural Land Easements (ALE) and Wetlands Reserve Easements (WRE). ACEP combines NRCS’ former Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP), Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) and Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). The WRE applications are accepted directly from producers on eligible lands. These easements would restore and enhance wetlands and improve habitat. Applications for ALE are accepted from eligible partners. These eligible entities may submit proposals to NRCS to acquire a conservation easement on eligible agricultural land. Some examples of eligible entities include county boards of commissioners, land trusts and land conservancies. Approved ALE easements would prevent productive working lands from being converted to non-agricultural uses and maximize protection of land devoted to food production. Applications are available at your local USDA Service Center and at www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted. For more information about ACEP and other farm bill programs in Georgia, visit http://www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov.
GFB News Alert page 9 of 9 ONGOING FARMERS MARKETS NOTE: Schedules are subject to change according to produce availability HINESVILLE FARMERS’ MARKET Thursdays until Nov. 19 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Downtown Hinesville This market, sponsored by the Liberty County Farm Bureau, offers customers fresh local produce and other farm items, cut flowers, plants, baked goods, specialty foods, prepared foods, and original crafts. Market is held in Bradwell Park on Commerce St. across from the Hinesville City Hall. To apply to be a vendor or for more information call the Hinesville Downtown Development Authority at 912-877-4332. ROCKDALE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET Through Nov. 21 Tuesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. – noon, Thursdays 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Rockdale County Extension office, 1400 Parker Road Conyers Rockdale/DeKalb County Farm Bureau manages this market with support from the Rockdale County Extension, set up to allow farmers to sell locally grown products directly to the public. For more information or to receive a vendor application contact the RDCFB office at 770-9223566.