Georgia Farm Bureau's Leadership Alert - November 21, 2011

November 21, 2011

www.gfb.org

Vol. 29 No. 47

GFB TO HOLD 73rd ANNUAL CONVENTION ON JEKYLL ISLAND Georgia Farm Bureau members will travel to Jekyll Island for the organization’s annual meeting Dec. 4-6. For the second year, Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual meeting will be held at Jekyll’s Historic District Convention Campus. The convention campus is located behind the Jekyll Island Club Hotel and is accessed by turning onto Old Plantation Road from Stable Road. Construction of the new convention center is expected to be complete by next spring.

“I’m pleased to announce that Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black will address our members during the general session on Monday,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “We have a great lineup of speakers for our commodity conferences on Monday afternoon.”

Convention activities begin at noon on Dec. 4 with registration in the lobby of the Grand Oaks Hall. The exhibit hall also opens at noon in the Morgan Center. The final round of the Young Farmer Discussion Meet will begin at 1 p.m. in Magnolia Hall. The four finalists are Kyle Dekle of Habersham County, Sara Ervin of Jackson County, Skye Gess of Oconee County and Troy Windham of Laurens County. Other events on Dec. 4 include the Women’s Committee Recognition & Leadership Program, an open session of policy development followed by a closed session for members of the policy development committee and the memorial service, vespers and state awards program.

On Dec. 5, the day will start at 7:30 a.m. with complimentary biscuits and beverages served at Grand Oaks Hall, where registration will also open at 7:30 a.m. The general session begins at 9 a.m. during which Duvall will give his annual address and Gov. Deal and Commissioner Black will speak. Also on Dec. 5 are the county presidents/secretaries luncheon and commodity conferences which will address production and policy issues for Georgia’s major commodities.

Two sessions of a special labor conference will be held, featuring Paul Schlegel, an American Farm Bureau labor specialist, and Sydne Smith with the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Dec. 6 activities start at 6:45 a.m. with the membership breakfast. Voting delegates will convene to discuss and approve GFB policy. District caucuses will be held to elect district directors in District 1 and District 7, as will the caucus for GFB North Georgia Vice President.

Incumbent Bernard Sims is running unopposed for his second term. The general business session will continue following the caucuses with the annual designation of GFB 1st vice president. GFB 1st Vice President Gerald Long is seeking the re-designation. Any further action that is needed on policy will also take place during the general business session.

Leadership Alert page 2 of 5 KINGSTON SUBMITS BILL TO STREAMLINE GUEST WORKER PROGRAM Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston (R-1st District) introduced H.R. 3443, the Better Agricultural Resources Now (BARN) Act, which would reform the H-2A agricultural guest worker program.

“The federal government has failed America’s farmers,” Kingston said. “It has made the process so cumbersome that those who want to abide by the law are unable to do so. Even when a farmer successfully navigates the bureaucracy, another line waits for them with outrageous requirements. In many cases, enforcement officials are working against producers rather than working with them to ensure compliance.”

Kingston’s bill, which was cosponsored by Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-3rd District), would shift a portion of the regulatory responsibility for H-2A from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture, expand the definition of agricultural worker to include the dairy and ranching industries, allow farmers to attach an experience requirement to job postings to allow farmers to be matched with more qualified workers and remove the H-2A requirement that farmers hire domestic workers during a contract period when there is no existing need for additional workers.

The bill would establish a new method of setting farm wages, establishing the farm minimum wage at 115 percent of the federal, state or local minimum wage, whichever is highest. It would allow employers to apply for H-2A workers 30 days in advance of their labor need, reducing that time from the current 45-day requirement and giving them more flexibility in managing their labor supply. The BARN Act would make H-2A visas good for one year and renewable once before the worker is required to return to his or her home country, and employers would have to retest the domestic labor market between renewals.

The bill, which would also place new restrictions on the Legal Services Corporation and on workers participating in the H-2A program, was referred to the House Agriculture and Judiciary committees. The bill is available for review online at http://thomas.gov. Search for bill number H.R. 3443.

CONGRESS PASSES REPEAL OF WITHHOLDING TAX ON FARM PAYMENTS On Nov. 17, the U.S. House passed H.R. 674, a repeal of the 3 percent withholding tax on many USDA payments, including direct and counter-cyclical payments, Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE), dairy support programs and conservation programs. The house vote was 4220. The Senate passed H.R. 674 on Nov. 10 by a 95-0 vote, with an amendment to include tax credits to employers who hire veterans. It had previously passed the House, but another vote was required because of the Senate amendment. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the repeal into law.

The withholding tax was scheduled to go into effect in 2013. American Farm Bureau maintains that imposing a withholding on USDA payments will create a financial hardship on farm and ranch operations.

The withholding requirement would also make it more difficult to maintain rural health facilities and attract doctors to rural areas, because the withholding would also apply to Medicare payments. Rural medical facilities and doctors see a higher percentage of Medicare patients.

Leadership Alert page 3 of 5 THANKSGIVING MEAL COST RISES BUT REMAINS UNDER $5 PER PERSON Although the average cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 10 increased about 13 percent this year from last, the price per person is only $4.92, less than the cost of most fast food meals. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 26th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Price Survey, the national retail cost of menu items for a classic Thanksgiving meal is $49.20, a $5.73 price increase from last year’s average of $43.47.

“Although we’ll pay a bit more this year, on a per-person basis, our traditional Thanksgiving feast remains a better value than most fast-food value meals, plus it’s a wholesome, homecooked meal,” said John Anderson, an AFBF economist.

The shopping list for the informal AFBF survey included enough turkey, bread stuffing, cranberries, green peas, rolls, a relish tray of carrots and celery, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and beverages of whole milk and coffee to serve a family of 10.

“The era of grocers holding the line on retail food cost increases is basically over,” Anderson said. “Retailers are being more aggressive about passing on higher costs for shipping, processing and storing food to consumers, although turkeys may still be featured in special sales and promotions close to Thanksgiving.”

A total of 141 volunteer shoppers from 35 states, including one from Georgia, participated in this year’s survey. The prices of the menu items purchased by the Georgia shopper ranged from eight percent to 44 percent cheaper than the national average with the exception of the carrot and celery relish tray, which cost 55 percent more. The Georgia shopper was able to buy the Thanksgiving meal items for $38.19, $11.01 less than the national meal price. The national average price of the big-ticket item - a 16-pound whole turkey - came in at $21.57 this year, contributing the most to the cost of the meal. That was roughly an increase of about $3.91 per turkey from 2010. The Georgia shopper paid $14.72 for a 16-pound frozen turkey, 32 percent less.

Anderson also noted that despite retail price increases during the last year or so, American consumers have enjoyed relatively stable food costs over the years, particularly when adjusted for inflation. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. consumers spend just 10 percent of their disposable income on food each year.

USDA RESEARCH FARM LOSES FUNDING UNDER APPROPRIATIONS BILL Funding for the J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resources Conservation Center, a 1,100-acre USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) farm in Oconee County, was eliminated under an appropriations bill both houses of Congress passed Nov. 17 and President Barack Obama signed Nov. 18. The center was one of 10 ARS facilities across the country for which the bill eliminated funding. The bill authorizes the USDA to lease the closed ARS facilities to land-grant colleges and universities to use the property for agricultural and natural resources research for a minimum of 25 years. The Campbell Center is expected to be leased to the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences.

The bill, H.R. 2112, included the FY 2012 appropriations for the Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Urban Development and Transportation/Housing departments along with other agencies including NASA. It includes $19.8 billion in discretionary spending for agricultural agencies and programs, a cut of $350 million from FY 2011.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 5 NOV. 30 IS DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR MONSANTO CHARITY PROGRAM Farmers in 31 south Georgia counties have until Nov. 30 to register to win $2,500 for a charity of their choice in the 2nd Annual America’s Farmers Grow Communities Program sponsored by Monsanto. Eligible counties are: Appling, Baker, Berrien, Bleckley, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Calhoun, Coffee, Cook, Colquitt, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Early, Grady, Irwin, Jefferson, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Screven, Seminole, Sumter, Tattnall, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth. The winning farmers and charities will be announced in January 2012. Visit http://www.growcommunities.com or call 1-877-267-3332 for eligibility rules and to apply.

FSA ACCEPTING BALLOTS IN COUNTY ELECTIONS UNTIL DEC. 5 The 2011 FSA county committee elections began Nov. 4 and the deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 5. Eligible voters who do not receive ballots in the coming week can obtain ballots from their local USDA Service Center. Ballots returned by mail must also be postmarked no later than Dec. 5. More information on county committees can be found on the FSA website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.

TECHNICAL LARGE ANIMAL EMERGENCY RESCUE TRAINING Dec. 7-9 TLAER Facility Gray This event will provide certification training in operations and awareness on large animal rescue topics. For more information visit http://www.tlaer.org/.

CALHOUN PERFORMANCE TESTED BULL SALE Dec. 9 NW GA Research & Education Center Livestock Pavilion Calhoun Sale begins at 12:30 p.m. For more information contact Ted Dyer at 706-624-1403 or tgdyer@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or pworley@uga.edu.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AWARD APPLICANTS SOUGHT Nominations are being accepted until Dec. 16 for the 7th Annual Governor’s Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Award, which recognizes farmers who are exceptional caretakers of the environment. One winner will be selected in each of five regions based on Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Districts. Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black will recognize all district winners and announce the state winner on March 13, 2012 at the 9th Annual Agriculture Week event in Atlanta. Applications are available online at http://agribusiness.georgiainnovation.org. For more information, contact Steven Meeks at 912207-0813 or Sarah Cook at 229-391-6882 or smcook@uga.edu.

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONFERENCE Jan. 5-8, 2012 International Trade and Convention Center Savannah Conference workshops will focus on improving crop production and the latest in produce trends as well as the latest legislative updates From Washington and Atlanta. During the three-day program, more than 85 hours of commodity specific production training, pest management information and marketing updates will be offered to attendees. Commodities include peach, vegetable, Vidalia onion, watermelon, muscadine, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, olive and pecan. In addition to the commodity production sessions, workshops covering good agricultural (GAP) food safety practices, organic production and roadside markets will be held.

Continuing education credits are available. On Sunday, an Industry Roundtable is planned for both growers and suppliers to discuss issues of mutual concern. For information or to register, visit http://www.seregionalconference.com.

Leadership Alert page 5 of 5 36th ANNUAL GEORGIA PEANUT FARM SHOW Jan. 19, 2012 Albany Civic Center Albany This event offers farmers the chance to view the products and services of more than 75 exhibitors and attend marketing and production workshops with UGA peanut specialists. The show provides exhibitors with an opportunity to highlight their products or services to nearly 1,500 farmers from across the Southeast.

2012 AG FORECAST MEETINGS Jan. 23 Georgia Farm Bureau Building Macon Jan. 24 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton Jan. 25 Nesmith Lane Conference Center, GSU Campus Statesboro Jan. 26 Georgia Mountains Center Gainesville Jan. 27 Carroll County Ag Center Carrollton These meetings are a UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences program made possible through an endowment from Georgia Farm Bureau and support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Agribusiness Council. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The seminar will be held from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. followed by a luncheon. UGA ag economists will give the 2012 economic outlook for agriculture. The keynote speaker will give an update on current farm labor issues. Registration is $30 per person or $200 for a table of eight. Call 706583-0347 or visit http://www.georgiaagforecast.com for more information or to register.

UGA 20TH ANNUAL FOCUS ON EPD'S BULL SALE Feb. 2 UGA Livestock Instructional Arena Athens Begins at noon. For information contact Dr. Ronnie Silcox at rsilcox@uga.edu or by phone 706542-9102.

OLD SOUTH FARM MUSEUM HOG KILLING DEMONSTRATION Feb. 4 Old South Farm Museum 8:30 a.m.

Woodland This event will demonstrate how hogs were once harvested and the products made from them.

Program includes a meat-cutting class and demonstrations on making various pork products. The fee to observe and receive free sausage is $12 per person. To participate in the workshop, gain hands-on experience and receive pork products, the fee is $35. Registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Paul Bulloch at 706-975-9136 or visit http://www.oldsouthfarm.com.

TIFTON BEEF CATTLE SHORT COURSE March 6 Tifton Bull Evaluation Center Irwinville Registration starts at 9 a.m. For more information contact Dr. Lawton Stewart at 706-542-1852 or lawtons@uga.edu or Patsie T. Cannon at 229-386-3683 or ptcannon@uga.edu.

TIFTON PERFORMANCE TESTED BULL SALE March 7 Tifton Bull Evaluation Center Irwinville Begins at 12:30 p.m. For more information contact Dr. Ronnie Silcox by phone at 706-542-9102 or rsilcox@uga.edu or Patsie T. Cannon at 229-386-3683 or ptcannon@uga.edu