Georgia Farm Bureau's Leadership Alert - September 25, 2013

September 25, 2013

www.gfb.org

Vol. 31 No. 39

FARM BILL INCHES FORWARD AS HOUSE PASSES NUTRITION BILL The U.S. House passed the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act by a 217-210 vote on Sept. 19. The bill addresses the lack of a nutrition title in the farm bill passed by the House on July 11.

The vote was mostly along party lines, and while there were stark differences of opinion on the nation’s nutrition programs, it moved the farm bill process forward. Georgia’s nine Republicans voted for the measure, while the state’s five Democrats voted against it.

The 2008 farm bill extension passed earlier this year expires on Sept. 30.

The farm bills passed by both the House and the Senate await deliberations in conference committee. The Senate appointed its conferees before the August recess, and House leadership had indicated it would appoint its conferees after passage of the nutrition bill.

The House was expected to take action to formally link the separate farm and nutrition bills and generate a repeat of procedures taken in the Senate in late July. The House farm bill was rejected by the Senate, which replaced the bill’s language with its own version before the two chambers agreed to the conference committee to reconcile the two bills. Should the House act to link its nutrition bill with its farm bill, the timeline for completing the farm bill through conference committee could be pushed back.

The House nutrition bill, H.R. 3102, was introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.). It contains a number of reforms to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and is projected by the Congressional Budget Office to save $39 billion over the next 10 years. By comparison, the nutrition portion of the Senate farm bill calls for $4 billion in cuts to SNAP over the next 10 years.

The House nutrition bill reinstates asset and income tests and includes work requirements for adults between the ages of 18 and 50 in order to qualify for benefits. The bill blocks states from sending heating assistance payments below $20 for the purpose of increasing SNAP benefits for the recipients.

The bill takes steps to prevent illegal immigrants, lottery winners, traditional college students and deceased persons from receiving SNAP benefits, as well as denying SNAP eligibility for persons convicted of violent crimes.

The farm bills passed in both chambers earlier this year lean heavily on crop insurance programs and eliminate direct payments. In pursuit of WTO compliance, each includes a statcked income protection plan (STAX) for cotton producers.

Leadership Alert page 2 of 5 EPA SEEKING COMMENTS ON DRAFT WETLANDS REPORT The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting public comment on a new draft science report titled: Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters. A public docket has been opened to receive comments, and comments received by Oct. 31 will be considered by the Scientific Advisory Board review panel during its public peer review meeting later this year. Comments received after Oct. 31 may be considered, but not at the public meeting.

This draft science report reportedly presents a review and synthesis of the scientific literature that will inform an upcoming joint EPA/ Army Corps of Engineers rulemaking to define “navigable waters.” This report, when final, will provide the scientific basis for determining federal Clean Water Act (CWA) jurisdiction.

The report draws three main initial conclusions. First, streams, regardless of their size or how frequently they flow, are connected to and have important effects on downstream waters. It is important to note that the term stream is used ambiguously. In this instance, stream is not necessarily an aquatic feature but any place on the landscape where water may puddle or run during a rainfall event.

Second, wetlands and open-waters, floodplains, streams and rivers and riparian areas (transition areas between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems) are integrated with streams and rivers and influence downstream waters.

Third, there is insufficient information to generalize about wetlands and open-waters located outside of riparian areas and floodplains and their connectivity to downstream waters. This means that while the federal government cannot claim jurisdiction categorically, they can use the concept of connectivity to claim jurisdiction on a case-by-case basis.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, once EPA jurisdiction has been determined, it establishes grounds for litigation by third parties, not simply assertions of jurisdiction by EPA or the Army Corps of Engineers.

In addition to the release of this report, EPA, with the Army Corps of Engineers, has sent a draft rule to clarify the jurisdiction of the CWA to the Office of Management and Budget for interagency review. The interagency review generally takes about 90 days to complete. Once the interagency review is complete, the EPA will officially propose the results as a proposed rule. To read the entire report, visit http://tinyurl.com/l3eoyxp. To submit a public comment, visit http://tinyurl.com/lrp47bp.

GEORGIA 4-H TO FILL EIGHT AMERICORPS POSITIONS ACROSS THE STATE Georgia 4-H is seeking eight applicants for AmeriCorps state member positions in Clayton, Decatur, Haralson, Lincoln, Muscogee, Paulding, Union and Washington counties.

AmeriCorps, a domestic program modeled after the Peace Corps, offers individuals the chance to make a difference in communities throughout Georgia.

The eight new AmeriCorps staff members will join eight existing members, who contributed more than 22,000 hours of service to Georgia 4-H this past year. They reached more than 8,000 students with programs focused on the importance of healthy lifestyles.

Interested applicants must apply for these AmeriCorps positions by the end of September on the UGA IPAWS website at www.ugajobsearch.com/applicants/jsp/shared/Welcome_css.jsp. To find the application, search for “community service specialist positions.”

Leadership Alert page 3 of 5 USDA TO SURVEY PEANUT PRODUCERS In October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will begin contacting peanut growers to learn about their production practices during the 2013 growing season for the Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). NASS and USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) jointly conduct this three-phase survey, the second phase of which gathers data on farmers’ chemical use, pest management and irrigation practices for the peanut crop.

“In recent years there have been significant changes in the peanut industry,” said NASS Southern Region Director Doug Kleweno. “The results of this survey will update information on these major sectors of agricultural production and will ensure that agricultural leaders, legislators, and producers themselves can base their decisions on accurate data that comes directly from the growers.”

ARMS, which is conducted in three separate phases during the growing season, serves as the primary source of information on production practices, resource use and economic well-being of America’s farm operations and farm households.

During the second phase of ARMS, NASS will collect information only through personal interviewing. Trained representatives will conduct face-to-face interviews with approximately 900 peanut growers nationwide beginning in October and continuing through mid-December.

Kleweno said interviewers will ask peanut growers to provide information on their fertilizer or nutrient use and biocontrol or chemical use, and their pest management and irrigation practices.

Some participants will be asked to provide additional economic and cost of production data early next year.

All sectors of the agricultural industry rely on this information. These data are relevant for farmers, producer organizations, agribusinesses, policymakers, and even users outside of the ag community. NASS will publish the chemical use data in a May 2014 report.

As with all NASS surveys, information provided by respondents is confidential by law. NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes data only in aggregate form, ensuring that no individual operation or grower can be identified.

For more information on NASS surveys and reports, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov or call the NASS Georgia Field Office at 800-253-4419.

HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES WATER RESOURCES BILL On Sept. 19 the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2013.

The full House is expected to vote on the measure in early October. The Senate passed its version, the Water Resources Development Act, in May. According to a committee summary, the House bill would authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out its missions to develop, maintain and support the nation’s port and waterways infrastructure while providing targeted flood protection and environmental restoration. The bill would reform and preserve the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. It also sets target expenditures for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.

Federal legislation to reauthorize waterways maintenance and projects has historically been enacted every two years, but the last time it was done was in 2007.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 5 VIDALIA ONION REFERENDUM UNDERWAY A referendum to determine whether Vidalia onion producers favor the continuation of the Vidalia onion marketing order will be held through Sept. 27. To be eligible to vote, producers must have produced Vidalia onions within the designated production area during the period from Jan. 1, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2012. For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/jw9jd66 or contact Corey E. Elliott or Christian D. Nissen in the Agricultural Marketing Service Southeast Marketing Field Office by phone at 863-324-3375 or by email at Corey.Elliott@ams.usda.gov or Christian.Nissen@ams.usda.gov.

GEORGIA GROWN FARMER SHOWCASE Sept. 28 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta This family-friendly series features dozens of vendors from around the state, offering locally grown fresh Georgia produce and plant sales, meet and greets with local farmers and much more.

For more information, visit http://www.georgiagrown.com or call 404-656-3689.

5TH ANNUAL LUKE BRYAN FARM TOUR Oct. 2 Perry’s Field Claxton Oct. 3 Wild Wind Farm Athens Oct. 4 Culler Farms Gaston, S.C. Oct. 5 Midway at Central City Park Macon Oct. 9 V-Plex Villa Rica Oct. 10 Ingram Farms Opelika, Ala. Oct. 11 Tallahassee Automobile Museum Tallahassee, Fla. Oct. 12 Valdosta Wake Compound Valdosta Country music artist and Lee County Farm Bureau member Luke Bryan embarks on his 2013 Farm Tour a series of concerts to benefit students from farm families. Each venue is near a university, and Bryan’s organization is sponsoring a college scholarship at each of them for a student from a farm family. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will fund the scholarships. Tickets go on sale to the public on July 26. For more information, visit http://www.lukebryan.com/farmtour.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE Oct. 3 Oconee County Civic Center 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Watkinsville UGA Extension and the Athens Land Trust are taking registration for a Sustainable Agriculture Conference for New and Beginning Farmers. The conference will focus on farm business basics like food safety, record keeping, naturally grown and organically grown certifications, and developing markets for produce and meat. Information will be presented by Representatives from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, Fort Valley State University, Georgia Organics and the Georgia Department of Agriculture, and experts lead break-out workshops on beekeeping, food safety certifications, meat goat production, more effective composting and Farm to School programs. The cost of the daylong conference is $15.

The Oconee County Civic Center is located at 2661 Hog Mountain Road in Watkinsville. For more information visit http://www.athenslandtrust.org or call the land trust at 706-613-0122 or UGA Extension at 706-613-3640.

Leadership Alert page 5 of 5 GEORGIA FARM BUREAU DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Oct. 8 9th District Mitchell County Ag Center Camilla Oct. 10 1st District First Baptist Church Calhoun Oct. 17 8th District South Georgia Technical College Americus Oct. 28 6th District Poplar Springs North Baptist Church Dublin Oct. 29 4th District Greene County High School Greensboro Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information. Note: These meetings are for Farm Bureau members only and are not open to the general public. All begin at 7 p.m.

BEYOND THE FARM GATE SOCIAL MEDIA SEMINAR Oct. 22 UGA CAES Activity Center 8:45 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Athens This free event, funded under a USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Grant, will help farmers gain the skills and knowledge they need to establish and maintain an effective online presence for their farm or ranch. To register, contact Chris Morgan at 706-542-7102 or acm@uga.edu. visit http://www.depts.ttu.edu/aged/beyondthefarmgate/events.html.

GA. AGRIBUSINESS COUNCIL TAKING SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS The Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) for the William C. “Bill” Baisley “Sumpin' Big” Scholarships and the Dr. Joe B. Crane Memorial Classroom Grant program. Two Baisley Scholarship will be awarded to qualified college students or incoming college students who are majoring in an agriculture-related subject. Scholarship recipients will be selected by agricultural interest, leadership experience and financial need. Winners will be announced in November and publicly recognized at GAC's Harvest Celebration on Nov. 22. Applications must be postmarked by Oct. 25. The Crane Classroom Grant provides four $500 awards to Georgia educators for funding of special projects aimed at teaching agriculture in the classroom. The grants may be awarded to any Georgia teacher, public or private, regardless of grade level.

Applications must be postmarked by Oct. 11 and the winners will be announced in November.

To download the applications for both programs, visit http://www.ga-agribusiness.org/.

GFB TAKING HAY CONTEST ENTRIES Georgia Farm Bureau members who grow Bermuda grass hay are encouraged to enter the GFB 2013 Quality Hay Contest. Contest entry forms are available at county Farm Bureau offices or online at http://www.gfb.org/commodities/hay_contest.html. Producers may enter more than one sample. Entry fees are $15 per entry to cover the cost of the lab tests. Nov. 1 is the deadline to enter. Winners will be announced at the GFB Hay Committee meeting on Dec. 3 during the annual GFB Convention on Jekyll Island. Prizes will be awarded for the top five places. Contact Joe McManus at 1-800-342-1196 for more information.

GFB TAKING LISTINGS FOR HAY & LITTER DIRECTORY GFB members with hay or poultry litter for sale are invited to list their farm in the 2014 GFB Quality Hay & Litter Directory. The directory will be printed in late November. Producers should complete a form and send to the GFB office in Macon along with a check for $10 for each listing. Checks should be made out to Georgia Farm Bureau. Nov. 1 is the deadline to submit listings. Directories are distributed to all county Farm Bureau offices, county Extension offices, the Georgia Cattlemen's Association, cattle producers, dairy producers, horse owners, directory participants, and at the Sunbelt Expo and the annual GFB convention. The directory is also listed on the GFB website. Forms for the directory are available at your local Farm Bureau office or on our website http://www.gfb.org. Contact Joe McManus at 1-800-342-1196 for more information.