Georgia Farm Bureau's Leadership Alert - October 26, 2011

October 26, 2011

www.gfb.org

Vol. 29 No. 43

GEORGIA FARM BUREAU FARM TOUR VISITS 2ND DISTRICT Georgia Farm Bureau members got a taste of fall while traveling through the rolling hills of the organization’s 2nd District during the Georgia Farm Bureau Farm Tour, Oct. 21-22. The annual tour, usually held in the summer, was moved to October to allow participants to enjoy the fall foliage and apples for which the district is well known.

“We identified the best time of the year to tour the district that would allow us to see not only the diversity of agriculture the district has but also the diversity of the landscape,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “The time of year we hold our tour may change according to the district we visit, but the tour will still highlight agriculture and let our members fellowship with other farmers.”

The tour kicked off with a stop at Bar Shoe H Livestock in Madison County where owners Larry and Flo Hix breed Hancock and Driftwood quarter horses used for rodeo events, working cattle and trail riding. The second stop on the tour was Keystone Memorials in Elberton, where GFB members watched slabs of granite transformed into headstones. Elberton is the granite capital of the world with 150 granite manufacturing plants producing granite products.

After lunch, GFB members toured Hart AgStrong in Hart County, an oilseed processing plant that crushes oil from canola. The oil is shipped by rail and truck to Iowa where it is refined and used in food products. Hart AgStrong President Robert Davis said the plant currently buys about 30% of its canola from Georgia farmers.

After enjoying a reception hosted by the Banks County Chamber of Commerce and Banks County Farm Bureau, the tour traveled to Jaemor Farms in Hall County. GFB members enjoyed shopping for apples, pumpkins and gourds at the market and then enjoyed a hayride through the farm, one of the many agritourism activities Jaemor offers. Drew Echols, who gave an overview of the family farm, said 90 percent of the produce they grow is sold through their market.

On Saturday, the tour visited Tallulah Gorge in Rabun County where GFB members had the chance to hike down to see the Tallulah River that formed the two-mile gorge that’s almost 1,000 feet deep. The tour then visited Tiger Mountain Winery where Dr. John and Martha Ezzard have been making award-winning wine since 1999. Afternoon stops included Mark Wilkinson Lumber in Stephens County, where the Wilkinsons specialize in the production of pallets, lumber and crates. At London Farms in White County, Stanley and Matthew London discussed their dairy replacement operation that buys and sells heifers in 17 states. The last stop of the tour was Mountain Fresh Creamery in White County, where Scott and Jennifer Glover sell nonhomogenized milk, ice cream and butter made from milk produced on their dairy.

Leadership Alert page 2 of 5 GOV. DEAL MAKES APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS IMPORTANT TO AG This fall, Gov. Nathan Deal has made several appointments to state boards important to Georgia agriculture.

On Sept. 23, Sumter County Farm Bureau Director Jim Reid and Dougherty County Farm Bureau Director Richard R. Thomas were named to the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission along with Johnny R. Stevens of Richmond County.

Reid, who supervises the Lower Chattahoochee District, is president of Reid Brothers Irrigation and Equipment LLC. He holds certifications in irrigation design, agricultural irrigation, and nutrient plan management, and won both the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer Achievement Award and the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Award in 1985. Thomas, a conservationist and pecan farmer, supervises the Flint River District. He has been named District Conservationist of the Year in Worth and Dougherty counties. Stevens supervises the Brier Creek District.

James L. Allen of Tift County was appointed to the Georgia Forestry Commission on Oct. 7. A former professional golfer and accountant, Allen is co-owner of Pike Creek Turf Inc., a turfgrass production and installation company. He is a member of the Georgia Forestry Family Association and the Tift Regional Medical Center Board among others.

On Oct. 12, Irwin County Farm Bureau President Gary Paulk and Crisp County Farm Bureau member Charles “Buddy” Leger were appointed to the Georgia Rural Development Council.

Paulk, a fifth-generation farmer, is part owner of Muscadine Products Corp., a juice and healthfood production company. Paulk holds a seat on the Irwin County Board of Education, is chairman of the Ameris Bank Board and South Central Primary Care.

Leger is co-owner and operator of Leger and Son, Inc., a watermelon production company. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he’s a former manager of the Cordele Farmers Market and has served on numerous boards of watermelon and pecan organizations, as well as the Georgia Agribusiness Council.

CAGLE’S FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY Noting that the poultry industry has been under severe stress due to historically high corn and soybean meal prices, Cagle’s Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Cagle’s Farms Inc. have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta.

Georgia-based Cagle’s, an integrated poultry company that has been in operation for more than 60 years, has a processing plant in Pine Mountain Valley, a hatchery in Dalton and a feed mill in Rockmart.

Cagle’s President and CEO J. Douglas Cagle said the company would continue normal operations.

“After careful consideration we concluded that a Chapter 11 restructuring represents the best long-term solution for Cagle’s Inc. and Cagle’s Farms Inc.,” said Cagle. “It is our goal to reach an agreement with our creditors in a quick and efficient manner, allowing us to restructure our debt with minimal disruption to our operations.”

The company announced that it anticipates receiving approval for a debtor-in-possession financing facility from AgSouth Farm Credit.

Leadership Alert page 3 of 5 GA. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE UNVEILS “GEORGIA GROWN” CAMPAIGN The Georgia Department of Agriculture has unveiled its new marketing campaign, “Georgia Grown,” with a revamped logo endorsed by many of the state’s top produce manufacturers and potential users.

The electronic billboard near the State Farmers Market in Forest Park sports the fresh new Georgia Grown look. GDA representatives expect the new logo to be prominently displayed on packages of products grown in the state.

“We talked with many of our top growers and sellers to develop a Georgia Grown logo that will be consumer-attractive but also userfriendly,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. “Our vision is that the updated Georgia Grown imagery will be omnipresent wherever Georgia food products are being marketed.”

The logo, which will have variations that are specific to different commodities, will also be displayed on state vehicles, signage at farmers markets, in grocery stores, during statewide expo events and in consumer advertising.

The GDA will also be launching a new Georgia Grown website in 2012 that will provide producers and manufacturers with instructions on how to best incorporate the Georgia Grown look into their marketing elements.

“We have so many great products here in our state that are all Georgia Grown - apples, blueberries, peaches, peanuts, pecans, Vidalia onions, tomatoes, watermelons and many more and we are proud to tout their Georgia roots,” Black said.

For information about the campaign, visit http://agr.georgia.gov/georgia-grown.aspx.

EPA ADMINISTATOR JACKSON SAYS NO EXPANSION TO DUST RULES In a letter sent to two senators, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said the agency would not expand its current air quality standards relating to PM10 (coarse particulate matter), which is found mainly in rural areas and occurs naturally from driving on unpaved roads or working in farm fields.

The EPA is in the process of its periodic review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for particulate matter. The agency has been considering making the PM10 standard tougher. Farm Bureau opposes any change in the current PM10 standard.

Jackson’s letter to Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) indicated that she was “prepared to propose the retention - with no revision - of the current PM10 standard and form when it is sent to the OMB [Office of Management and Budget] for interagency review.”

There are two bills in Congress to address the farm dust issue. Both H.R. 1633 and S. 1528 would prohibit the EPA from revising the PM10 standard for at least a year and would exempt dust from normal activities raised in rural areas from regulation under the Clean Air Act. H.R. 1633 was introduced in April by Reps. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and Robert Hurt (R-Va.) and was co-sponsored by Georgia Reps. Jack Kingston (R-1st District) and Austin Scott (R-8th District). S. 1278 was introduced in September by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) and cosponsored

by Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss (R) and Johnny Isakson (R). Farm Bureau supports both of these bills.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 5 GEORGIA FARM BUREAU DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Nov. 3 8th District South Georgia Technical College 7 p.m.

Americus Nov. 8 4th District Greene County High School 7 p.m.

Greensboro Nov. 10 6th District Poplar Springs North Bapt. Ch. 7 p.m.

Dublin Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information. Note: These meetings are for Farm Bureau members only and not open to the general public.

GEORGIA SUSTAINABLE AG COALITION KICK-OFF MEETING Oct. 27 Georgia Center for Continuing Education 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m Athens This free event, titled “Food Hubs for the Future: Growing Georgia’s Mid-size Farms,” is designed to create awareness among stakeholders, policymakers, farmers, businesses and others interested in the future of Georgia agriculture. Jim Barham of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will be the featured speaker, and a panel discussion will include Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Fort Valley State University School of Agriculture Dean Govind Kannan, UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean Scott Angle, Alice Rolls of Georgia Organics and Georgia Farm Bureau Commodities and Marketing Director Don McGough. For more information contact Julia Gaskin at jgaskin@engr.uga.edu or Kate Munden-Dixon at katemd@uga.edu or visit http://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event.cfm?pk_id=928.

HOUSTON EXTENSION OFFICE PRUNING CLASS FOR HOMEHOWNERS Oct. 27 Old courthouse 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Perry The Houston County Extension Office is offering a pruning class—Cutting Up: The Three T’s of Pruning—to area homeowners who want to know how and when to prune. The class will be taught in the Extension Office Multipurpose Room located on the top floor of the old courthouse in Perry. Cost for the class is $10 per person. Jeff Cook, UGA Extension agent, will be discussing the proper tools for the job, the correct techniques to use to achieve your goals, and the importance time of year plays in pruning. For a registration form, visit http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/houston/news.html or email mg@uga.edu.

GEORGIA SWEET POTATO FESTIVAL Oct. 29 Downtown area Ocilla The 51st Annual Georgia Sweet Potato Festival features a parade, arts and crafts show, cooking contest, pageant, classic car and tractor show, and much more For more information, visit http://www.gasweetpotatofestival.com.

SOUTHERN WOODLAND OWNERS CONFERENCE & SOLUTIONS FAIR Oct. 31-Nov. 2 UGA Tifton Campus Tifton Two optional preconference field trips will be offered Oct. 31 to Norbord Mill (cost of $20), a wood products mill in Cordele, and Oakridge Farms (cost of $45), a longleaf plantation. The two-day conference will feature a variety of topics to address challenges in forest management in the southern U.S., including timber security, intergenerational transfers, the latest in seedling development, timberland value trends, forest certification and conservation easements. Full conference participation earns attendees up to 9 CFE credits and 10 CLE credits. Registration without CFE/CLE credits is $110. Registration with CFE/CLE credits is $150. For more information visit or contact Michele Lawson at michele@gfagrow.org or 478-992-8110.

Leadership Alert page 5 of 5 FARM TO FORK CONFERENCE Nov. 1-2 UGA Tifton Campus Tifton This conference, sponsored by the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development and the Georgia Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, will cover the basics of developing a business to make and sell a food product. Workshops will cover developing a business plan, securing financing, legal issues, food quality and safety regulations, packaging, sales techniques, food products reviews and much more. Business owners who are successfully operating businesses selling food products they created will also speak. Registration cost is $39. Visit http://www.areg.caes.uga.edu to register. For more information contact Sarah Cook at smcook@uga.edu or 229-391-6882.

BIBB COUNTY FARM BUREAU 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Nov. 2 Bibb County Farm Bureau Office Macon Join members of the Bibb County Farm Bureau as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of their organization with a drop-in reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall will speak at 6 p.m. Door prizes will be awarded to commemorate the event.

Everyone is invited to attend but please RSVP to Pat Steed at 478-477-5740 or pgsteed@gfb.org

by Oct. 28 to help with food preparation.

SOUTHEAST DAIRY HERD MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE Nov. 2 Georgia Farm Bureau Home Office 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Macon This one-day conference will feature a PCDART workshop beginning at 9:30 a.m. and afternoon sessions will cover approaches to milk fat depression, heat-related fertility issues, environmental and economic concerns and much more. The registration fee of $50 per person covers admission, meals and a copy of informational materials. For more information, contact Dr. Steve Nickerson at 706-542-0658 or scn@uga.edu.

GEORGIA FARM BUEAU 73RD ANNUAL MEETING Dec. 4-6 Jekyll’s Historic District Convention Campus Jekyll Island This annual event includes addresses from GFB President Zippy Duvall, the organization’s policy development session, commodity conferences, the final round of the Young Farmer Discussion Meet, announcement of 2011 state award winners and a trade show. For more information, contact your county Farm Bureau office.

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/.