October 29, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 43
USDA OKS LOW YIELD EXCLUSION FOR FARMS AFFECTED BY SEVERE WEATHER The USDA has announced the implementation of a new farm bill initiative that will provide relief to farmers affected by severe weather, including drought. The Actual Production History (APH) Yield Exclusion, available nationwide for farmers of select crops starting next spring, allows eligible producers who have been hit with severe weather to receive a higher approved yield on their insurance policies through the federal crop insurance program, according to an Oct. 21 USDA press release. Spring crops eligible for APH Yield Exclusion include corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, barley, canola, sunflowers, peanuts, and popcorn. Nearly three-fourths of all acres and liability in the federal crop insurance program will be covered under APH Yield Exclusion. “Key programs launched or extended as part of the 2014 farm bill are essential to USDA's commitment to help rural communities grow. These efforts give farmers, ranchers and their families better security as they work to ensure Americans have safe and affordable food,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By getting other 2014 Farm Bill programs implemented efficiently, we are now able to offer yield exclusion for Spring 2015 crops, providing relief to farmers impacted by severe weather.” The APH Yield Exclusion allows farmers to exclude yields in exceptionally bad years (such as a year in which a natural disaster or other extreme weather occurs) from their production history when calculating yields used to establish their crop insurance coverage. The level of insurance coverage available to a farmer is based on the farmer's average recent yields. In the past, a year of particularly low yields that occurred due to severe weather beyond the farmer's control would reduce the level of insurance coverage available to the farmer in future years. By excluding unusually bad years, farmers will not have to worry that a natural disaster will reduce their insurance coverage for years to come. Under the new farm bill program, yields can be excluded from farm actual production history when the county average yield for that crop year is at least 50 percent below the 10 previous consecutive crop years' average yield. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency will provide additional program details in December. Federal crop insurance, which is sold through private crop insurance agents, offers a variety of options that may impact coverage and premium costs. Producers are encouraged to work with their crop insurance agent to determine the coverage that best meets their risk management needs. Farmers can find a crop insurance agent in their area at http://www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agen.html.
GFB News Alert page 2 of 6 UGA BREAKS GROUND ON FOOD TECHNOLOGY CENTER IN GRIFFIN On Oct. 17 the University of Georgia—in partnership with state and local officials—broke ground for the Food Technology Center located on the university’s Griffin campus, according to a UGA press release. The facility will house the Food Product Innovation and Commercialization, or FoodPIC, Center. “The food industry is thriving in the state of Georgia, and FoodPIC is playing a leading role in its growth and economic success,” said UGA President Jere Morehead. “Upon completion, the center will support a valuable partnership between the University of Georgia, the public sector and the global food industry.” The state-of-the-art facility—which will be located at the southeast corner of the Melton Building—will house pilot plants and laboratory spaces for hot and cold temperature work; wet and dry processing; quality control laboratories; refrigerated, frozen and dry storage; a demonstration kitchen and administrative offices. Researchers from the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and industry experts will use the new University Food Technology Center to provide guidance to business owners in the areas of food product development, concept generation and evaluation, packaging, safe processing, business development, pilot plant preparation and consumer acceptance. The FoodPIC staff includes engineers, chemists, microbiologists, consumer sensory scientists and research chefs. The facility is being constructed through leadership and funding provided by Gov. Nathan Deal, members of the General Assembly, the University System of Georgia Chancellor and Board of Regents, the Griffin-Spalding Development Authority, the U.S. Economic Development Administration and UGA. Additional ceremony speakers included Charles Copeland, chairman of the Griffin-Spalding Development Authority, and State Rep. David Knight (R-Griffin). USDA DESIGNATES TWO MORE GA COUNTIES AS DISASTER AREAS The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Miller and Seminole counties in Georgia as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Farmers and ranchers in Early County also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their county is contiguous. The USDA gave six other Southwest Georgia counties primary disaster designation due to drought on Oct. 15. These counties were designated natural disaster areas on Oct. 22, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity. Additional programs available to assist farmers and ranchers include the Emergency Conservation Program, The Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
GFB News Alert page 3 of 6 PESTICIDE DRIFT TARGETED IN VOLUNTARY EPA PROGRAM The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new voluntary Drift Reduction Technology (DRT) program to encourage the use of verified, safer pesticide spray products to reduce exposure and pesticide movement while saving farmers money by preventing pesticide loss, according to an EPA press release. One to ten percent of agricultural pesticide sprays drift or move from the intended target crop. Every year about 70 million pounds of pesticides valued up to $640 million are lost to pesticide drift, the release stated, and state agencies use substantial resources each year investigating drift complaints. DRT is a voluntary program that encourages manufacturers to test their technologies (such as nozzles, spray shields and drift reduction chemicals) for drift reduction potential. EPA encourages pesticide manufacturers to label their products for use with DRT technologies. The four DRT ratings represented by one, two, three or four stars are awarded for technologies that demonstrate at least 25 percent reduction in potential spray drift compared to the standard. Spray technology manufacturers interested in participating in EPA’s DRT program may now submit data verifying their technology reduces pesticide movement. EPA will evaluate each data submission and, if appropriate, assign a drift-reduction star rating to the product based on its ability to reduce spray drift. EPA will post these ratings at: http://www2.epa.gov/reducingpesticide-drift A pesticide manufacturer can choose to label a product for use with a DRT of a particular rating after receiving approval from EPA. Over time, the program will move the agricultural sector toward the widespread use of lowdrift technologies. Drift-reduction ratings could appear on pesticide labels as early as fall 2015. Additional information on EPA’s DRT Program, including how to test technologies, is available at: http://www2.epa.gov/reducing-pesticide-drift . WTO COMPLIANCE PANEL RULES AGAINST U.S. IN COOL DISPUTE On Oct. 20 a WTO compliance panel ruled that the United States’ Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rules result in less favorable treatment of livestock products from Canada and Mexico in U.S. markets. The ruling is the second to go against the U.S. over COOL requirements included in the 2008 farm bill. The compliance panel concluded that a rule finalized in 2013 by the USDA to implement COOL poses a technical barrier to trade. The panel noted that compliance with the requirements in the COOL final rule are less costly for U.S. companies to meet if they rely exclusively on domestic livestock, thus avoiding some recordkeeping requirements as well as having to segregate imported livestock and meat. Georgia Farm Bureau policy is to support COOL provided it does not violate trade agreements under the guidelines of the WTO. The American Farm Bureau Federation supports COOL within the guidelines of U.S. trade agreements, though AFBF policy supports USDA implementation of COOL rules in such a way that does not result in undue costs, liability or recordkeeping for farmers and ranchers.
GFB News Alert page 4 of 6 MARGIN PROTECTION PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL MEETING Oct. 30 The Hut 10 a.m. Eatonton Georgia Milk Producers, Inc., UGA Extension and USDA-FSA will hold this educational session in Georgia this month for dairymen interested in learning more about the Margin Protection Program. The Margin Protection Program (MPP) for Dairy producers is a new risk management program established by the 2014 farm bill that replaces the MILC program. It offers producers protection against low margins and provides a payment if margins fall below a specified level. The meeting is open to dairymen, managers, and employees - free of charge and will be held from 10 a.m. until noon, ending with lunch. Please preregister for meal purposes by contacting Georgia Milk Producers at 706-310-0020 or gamilkproducers@gmail.com. FARMLAND AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING ON HULU THROUGH OCT. 30 Academy AwardŽ-winning filmmaker James Moll’s feature length documentary, Farmland, is exclusively available to stream for free, on the Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service until Oct. 30. Viewers have the opportunity to stream Farmland from their connected TVs, Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. To watch Farmland in its entirety on Hulu visit http://www.hulu.com/farmland. GDA PESTICIDE COLLECTION DAY Oct. 30 Brooks Co. Ag. Annex/Extension Office Quitman From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Georgia Department of Agriculture will collect unwanted, old, unusable or cancelled pesticides. No fees are charged for participating in the program. Persons wishing to participate in the program must have pre-register ed with the Brooks County Extension office by Oct. 27 so program organizers may plan for the collection, transportation and disposal of the pesticides collected. Farmers in surrounding counties are welcome to participate. Contact Andrea Duncan at 229-263-4103 or uge4027@uga.edu to obtain pre-registration forms. PROPOSALS SOUGHT FROM FARMERS TO MANAGE SW ATLANTA FARM Oct. 30 Site Visit at 1150 Allene Ave. 5:30 p.m. Atlanta Nov. 21 Proposals Due Noon Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) is requesting proposals from farmers for the purpose of procuring a qualified individual, team, or group to cultivate the first Atlanta BeltLine Urban Farm located in Southwest Atlanta. Send sealed responses to 86 Pryor Street, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30303. The outside of the envelope must plainly identify the project title and the name and address of the applicant. To view the full Request for Proposals, visit http://beltline.org/about/work-withus/rfps-and-rfqs-2/urban-agriculture/ or contact Meghan Injaychock at minjaychock@atlbeltline.org or 404-477-3648 GFB ACCEPTING ENTRIES TO HAY CONTEST AND HAY DIRECTORY Georgia Farm Bureau is conducting is annual Bermuda grass Hay Contest and publishing the GFB Quality Hay Directory for buyers and sellers of Georgia grown hay. Checks for both should be made payable to Georgia Farm Bureau and mailed to the Georgia Farm Bureau Commodities/Marketing Department. The cost for the contest is $15 per sample. Anyone entering the contest receives a free listing in the hay directory. The directory will be distributed statewide. The cost for listing in the hay directory alone is $10. The deadline to submit entries for the contest and the directory is Oct. 31. For more information, please contact the GFB Commodities Department at 1-800-342-1196.
GFB News Alert page 5 of 6 WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKET GRITS & GREENS DAY Nov. 1 Downtown/Market Street Woodstock This season’s corn crop will be served up as grits this day at the market. Yellow, white and speckled grits along with seasonal greens will be served up by area restaurants and local cooks. Market goers will vote for the best grits and greens! Donations will be accepted to benefit the Woodstock Farmers Market Ag Scholarship Fund. To enter the grits or greens contests contact Liz Porter via email at lp1954@gmail.com or call 678-491-5843. CHILD AG SAFETY GRANTS AVAILABLE Nov. 7 Deadline to apply The National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety is offering three mini-grants of up to $20,000 each to support small-scale projects and pilot studies that address prevention of childhood agricultural disease and injury. Highest funding priority will be given to projects that: Address issues pertaining to barriers, motivators and interventions for keeping young children out of the farm worksite; address vulnerable populations (e.g., immigrant workers’ children, Anabaptists, African Americans, and Native Americans); test safety strategies with new partners (e.g., insurers, bankers, equipment dealers, media). Information on eligibility, priority topics and the application process is available at http://www.marshfieldclinic.org/nccrahs/minigrants. CROP MANAGEMENT SEMINAR & WORKSHOPS Nov. 12-13 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton This free workshop, sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, offers continuing education units. Meals will be provided. To register visit http://www.ugatiftonconference.org. For more information call 919-678-2392 or visit http://www.cottoninc.com. MID-ATLANTIC GRAZING CONFERENCE Nov. 12-13 Sunbelt Expo grounds Moultrie The program will include discussions on grazing management, genetic selection, branding and marketing, herd management, building soil organic matter, rainfall/runoff simulator, equipment demonstrations and incorporation of corn silage. For more information or to register visit http://www.georgiaforages.com. EPA ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON WATERS OF THE U.S. RULE The comment period for the “Waters of the United States” rule proposed by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been extended to Nov. 14. Farm Bureau is urging its members to submit comments calling for the rule to be withdrawn. For more information about the proposed rule and to submit comments, visit http://www.gfb.org/ditchtherule. NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL FARM BILL INFORMATION WORKSHOPS Nov. 18 Bulloch County Ag Center 3 p.m. Statesboro Nov. 19 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 9 a.m. Tifton The National Cotton Council (NCC) staff are conducting another round of information meetings regarding the implementation of the 2014 farm bill. This round of meetings will emphasize new crop insurance provisions, including sample STAX and SCO rates, county groupings and county yield information for upland cotton for 2015. For more information contact the GCC at 478-9884235 or visit http://www.georgiacottoncommission.org.
GFB News Alert page 6 of 6 CENTRAL GEORGIA FARMERS LUNCH AND LEARN Nov. 19 Bleckley County Extension Office 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Cochran This free event will feature discussions of issues affecting farmers. Speakers include Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Fort Valley State Vice President for Land Grant Affairs Dr. Mark Latimore, Sen. Ross Tolleson, James Mitchel of Chaney Bush Irrigation and Cartrell Watts of Georgia Power. RSVP by Nov. 12 to Rhonda Fulford at rbfulfor@southernco.com or 800-891-0958. GEORGIA AGRIBUSINESS COUNCIL HARVEST CELEBRATION Nov. 21 Cobb Galleria Center Atlanta Tickets are on sale for this annual event, which features platinum country group Diamond Rio scheduled to perform. Visit https://connect.computility.com/f/fid.php?id=955559f0f92e71e5e95de669f5af3da0 to buy tickets. For more information about Harvest Celebration, please contact GAC’s Christy Page at cpage@ga-agribusiness.org or 800/726-2474. MM AND CALLAWAY BULL SALE Nov. 22 Carroll County Livestock Sales Barn noon Carrollton Sale includes 40 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. CALHOUN PERFORMANCE TESED BULL SALE Dec. 5 NW Ga. Research & Education Center Calhoun Sale begins at 12:30 p.m. For more information contact Jason Duggin at 706-624-1403 or jduggin@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or pworley@uga.edu. 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. 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.