September 14, 2011
www.gfb.org
Vol. 29 No. 37
VILSACK ISSUES DISASTER DECLARATION FOR 150 GEORGIA COUNTIES For the second time in 2011, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has issued a drought-related disaster declaration for Georgia counties. On Sept. 7 Vilsack designated 150 Georgia counties as primary natural disaster areas due to ongoing drought and excessive heat conditions that have damaged thousands of acres of crops. In June he issued a disaster designation for 22 counties and an additional 26 counties were declared contiguous disaster areas due to drought and heat conditions. In addition to the 150 counties designated as primary disaster areas, the other nine counties were designated as contiguous disaster areas. Border counties in Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee also received contiguous disaster county designation. “Many producers have lost their crops and ultimately their livelihood due to the devastation caused by the drought,” Vilsack said. “President Obama and I want these farmers and ranchers to know that we are here for them and we will support them through the recovery process and help them once again become productive suppliers of food, fiber and fuel that keep America prospering. This designation will provide that support.” The drought, which has persisted throughout the state since April, has caused crop losses and contributed to increases in feed prices for animal producers statewide. Some level of drought was still present in 148 counties as of Sept. 6, and the majority of the state’s counties were still under extreme drought conditions. Gov. Nathan Deal sent Vilsack a letter in August requesting disaster designation for 157 of the state’s 159 counties and members of Georgia’s congressional delegation wrote letters urging Vilsack to honor Deal’s request, which came after a second round of loss assessment reports by the Farm Service Agency. Qualified farmers in the counties designated as primary or contiguous disaster areas are eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the FSA and to sign up for other United States Department of Agriculture programs that provide assistance to farmers suffering agricultural losses due to natural disasters. These include the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) approved under the 2008 farm bill. To qualify, a county must have a 30 percent loss in at least one crop due to a natural disaster. Farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to cover part of their actual losses. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA service centers or visit http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. for information on eligibility requirements and application procedures.
Leadership Alert page 2 of 8 DEAL APPOINTS NEW STATE CLIMATOLOGIST Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Bill Murphey of Coweta County to serve as state climatologist of Georgia on Sept. 6. Nyasha Dunkley of Henry County was appointed deputy state climatologist. Murphey, who works in the meteorology unit of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), replaces Dr. David Stooksbury with the biological and agricultural engineering department at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Stooksbury has been the state climatologist for 12 years. Dunkley replaces Pam Knox, who is also a UGA employee. According to published reports, Deal wanted to consolidate the climatology work under the EPD. SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE PASSES AG SPENDING BILL On Sept. 7 the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a Senate version of H.R. 2112, the fiscal year 2012 agriculture appropriations bill that will fund programs within the United States Department of Agriculture and related agencies. The house passed an ag appropriations bill under the same bill number on June 3. The Senate bill includes $266 million for U.S. agricultural disaster relief. The version of the bill the committee forwarded to the full Senate contained a total spending package of $19.78 billion, compared with $17.081 billion passed by the House. The Senate bill cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) from $6.734 billion in FY 2011 to $6.582 billion in FY 2011, the committee’s response to lower participation rates. Funding for research under the National Institute on Food and Agriculture was increased from $1.5 billion in FY 2011 to $1.562 billion in FY 2012. Loan programs under the Farm Service Agency were cut from $461 million in FY 2011 to $404 million in FY 2012. GA. COTTON, PEANUTS AND SOYBEAN YIELD ESTIMATES LOWERED Georgia cotton growers are expected to produce 789 bales of cotton per acre in 2011 according to the September projections from the USDA. The anticipated yield is off by 81 bales an acre from the projections listed in USDA’s August crop report. Georgia cotton growers produced 821 bales per acre in 2010. Despite the lower yield projection, the state’s cotton production is expected to increase by 11 percent from 2010 due to additional acreage planted in cotton in 2011. In 2010 Georgia cotton growers harvested 1.315 million acres. This year they’re expected to harvest 1.52 million acres. Yields and production in the state’s soybean crop are also projected to fall significantly. Anticipated yields are down 19 percent, from 26 bushels per acre in 2010 to 21 bushels per acre in 2011. The August crop report had projected soybean yields to remain the same as they were in 2010. Harvested soybean acreage is expected to drop from 260,000 in 2010 to 160,000 in 2011. Statewide soybean production is expected to drop 50 percent from the 6.76 million bushels produced in 2010 to 3.36 million. The USDA also lowered its peanut production estimates. The state’s peanut growers are expected to harvest 5,000 fewer acres and projected yields are 50 pounds per acre lower than than predicted in August. Total production is expected to drop by 19 percent from 1.9 billion pounds in 2010 to 1.5 billion pounds in 2011.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 8 FARMERS & RANCHERS ALLIANCE TO HOST FOOD DIALOGUES The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has announced it will host The Food Dialogues, a town hall-style discussion to address Americans’ questions about how their food is grown and raised and the long-term impact of the food they are eating – on their own health and the health of the planet. These topics, as well as findings from recent surveys of farmers, ranchers and consumers conducted by USFRA, will all be discussed during this interactive event taking place at four locations across the U.S. and online on Sept. 22. The USFRA is a coalition of agricultural groups that includes Farm Bureau. The Food Dialogues will include four panel discussions, featuring leaders in food, food service, media and policy, farmers of all types and business leaders, who will share different viewpoints about the current and future states of food, and how food is grown and raised. These discussions will take place at four U.S. locations including Washington, D.C., New York, the Midwest and California, as well as online via Facebook and USFRA’s new website, http://www.fooddialogues.com. Farmers and ranchers interested in participating in The Food Dialogues online can register on USFRA’s Facebook page. Participants will include Claire Shipman, television journalist and senior national correspondent on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” who will moderate the event from Washington, D.C., and Chef John Besh, who will moderate from New York. Additional participants include Max Armstrong of Farm Progress Companies and Jane Wells of CNBC. The panel discussion will initiate in Washington, D.C. at 11:30 a.m. EDT and will conclude with the final panel taking place in California. The entire event will stream live online from 11:30 a.m. EDT through 5 p.m. EDT, providing opportunities for farmers, ranchers and the general public to register to watch and participate in the discussion online. VIDALIA ONION FARMERS ESTABLISH SCHOLARSHIP Georgia’s Vidalia onion growers are seeking donations to establish an annual scholarship to honor the memory of Courtney Wilkes, a rising junior at Toombs County High School who was an FFA officer and aspired to become a veterinarian. Wilkes was murdered while vacationing with her family in Seagrove Beach, Fla., in June. A close member of the Wilkes family has been a longtime employee of the Vidalia industry and a vital contributor to the industry, and so Georgia's Vidalia producers would like to pay tribute to Courtney’s life by establishing a scholarship that will be awarded once a year to a student possessing characteristics and interests similar to those of Wilkes. Among other prerequisites, applicants must be a senior graduating high school within the Vidalia onion growing region and enrolled in a four-year college pursuing an agriculture or veterinary degree. Contribution checks should be made payable to the GVF Foundation, Courtney Wilkes Scholarship and mailed to: Courtney Wilkes Scholarship, C/O Vidalia Onion Business Council, P.O. Box 2611, Vidalia, Ga. 30475. This project is a direct initiative of the Vidalia farmers and not the Vidalia Onion Committee, which the USDA prohibits from conducting activities pertaining to this project. For more information contact Bob Stafford with the Vidalia Onion Business Council at 912-537-1881 or via email at bstaffordvobc@gmail.com
Leadership Alert page 4 of 8 GEORGIA FARM BUREAU DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Sept. 15 10th District Jamestown Baptist Church 7 p.m. Waycross Sept. 20 2nd District North Georgia Technical College 7 p.m. Avalon Sept. 27 5th District Thomaston Civic Center 7 p.m. Thomaston Sept. 29 1st District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Calhoun Oct. 11 9th District Mitchell County High School 7 p.m. Camilla Oct. 13 7th District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Statesboro 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 are not open to the general public. FORT VALLEY STATE AG FIELD DAY Sept. 15 Agricultural Technology Conference Center Fort Valley Event will cover livestock grazing systems, aquaculture systems, organic vegetable and fruit systems and include a bioenergy crops showcase, food preservation demonstrations and goat and lamb samples. Conference center is located at 46 Camp John Hope Road in Fort Valley. For more information call 478-825-6268. CAES SOUTHEAST GEORGIA STUDENT RECRUITMENT EVENT Sept. 22 Toombs County Agricultural Center 5 p.m. Lyons This inaugural event will provide a free meal, followed by a general informational session on UGA’s College of Agricultural & Environemental Sciences as well as two different sessions designed for high school and transfer students. Information about financial aid, admissions and the different majors will be available. An alumni panel will be present to speak and answer questions about their experience as a CAES student. High school students and transfer students can sign up by contacting UGA Tifton at (229) 386-3338 or Leanne Chafin at slwood@uga.edu. Applicants should register by Sept. 15. CAES SOUTHWEST GEORGIA STUDENT RECRUITMENT EVENT Sept. 20 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center 5 p.m. Tifton The event will include an informational session on UGA’s College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, programs available, financial aid and admissions. There will also be a session for transfer students on admission requirements. Representatives and current students from CAES will be available to answer any questions that students or parents may have. Dinner will be provided. High school students in the tenth through twelfth grades can sign up by calling their local UGA Cooperative Extension office at 800-ASK-UGA1 or the UGA Cooperative Extension Southwest District office at 229-386-3414. College transfer students should call 229386-3528. Applicants should register by Sept. 16. BROOKS COUNTY SKILLET FESTIVAL Sept. 17 Brooks County Courthouse Square Quitman This farm, food & arts festival will highlight the area’s abundant agriculture and fine southern cuisine. The one-day event will feature the “Cast-Iron Man,” a 5k road race and 1m fun run, vendors on the courthouse square, the “Cast-Iron Chef” cooking competition and more. Visit www.skilletfestival.com for more information or contact Lauren Basford at 229-305-7822.
Leadership Alert page 5 of 8 UGA CONDUCTING FERTILIZER PRICE SURVEY UGA Extension Livestock Economist Dr. Curt Lacy is conducting a brief survey of input prices around the state in preparation for the Fall 2011 Forage Budgets. The survey, which runs through Sept. 18, should take less than 10 minutes and can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TBVF5XT. AGRIBUSINESS WORKSHOP Sept. 21 Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro Workshop will cover new business models, social media, farm-to-table opportunities, risk management and agritourism. Interactive sessions will be led by panelists who have local, regional and national expertise including chefs, agribusiness/agritourism owners, loan and insurance experts, organic farmers and farm agency representatives. Registration is $65 per person and includes a hot lunch prepared with local food. Online registration begins July 29 at www.ogeecheetech.edu and www.georgiamicrobiz.com. For more information or to inquire about exhibitor opportunities call 912-688-6098. GEORGIA GRAZING SCHOOL Sept. 21-22 UGA Double Bridges Farm East of Athens In addition to the classroom activities at the UGA Animal & Dairy Science Department’s teaching farm, we'll be doing hands-on exercises on the farm's new pastures. Plus, we will tour the Chandler Family farm just outside of Danielsville, Ga. We toured this farm during the 2009 Georgia Grazing School and it was definitely a highlight of that event. For more information visit http://bit.ly/nGHmeX or call Dr. Dennis Hancock at 706-542-1529. GEORGIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION REGIONAL FORESTRY MEETING Sept. 22 Monroe Co. Clubhouse 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Forsyth You are invited to attend GFA’s Forsyth Regional Forestry meeting to be held at the new Monroe County Clubhouse on September 22, 2011. The local planning committee has put together an excellent agenda for this year’s meeting. Speaker Jeff Scroggin, AEP, J.D., will discuss federal estate and gift laws that impact family businesses and assets. In order to attend this meeting you must pre-register by 9/16. To pre-register and be included in the meal count, call Michele Lawson at 478-992-8110 or send an email listing the attendee’s names to michele@gfagrow.org. A payment of $10 (Cash or Check only) per person will be taken at the door the night of the meeting. We encourage you to bring a guest.
DAWSON COUNTY FFA ANTIQUE TRACTOR SHOW Sept. 24 Tractor Supply Company Dawsonville Antique tractor enthusiasts are invited to bring their tractors for this free show, which begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Tractors may begin to arrive at 8:00 am and all should be in place by 9:30 am. All makes and models of tractors are welcome! Restored or everyday work tractors are welcomed. Hit and Miss or steam equipment is also welcome to display. Anyone interested in participating may contact Dawson County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee Member Seth Stowers at 706-429-6469 or Reggie Stowers at 706 265-0153. No pre-registration is required driveups the day of the event are welcome. The Dawson County FFA will be selling concessions and taking donations to raise $1,000 to send FFA students to their National FFA Convention in October. The Dawsonville Tractor Supply Company is located at 6921 Hwy. 53 E, Dawsonville, GA 30534.
Leadership Alert page 6 of 8 BERRIEN COUNTY HARVEST FESTIVAL Sept. 24 Downtown area Nashville The Berrien County Chamber of Commerce and Nashville Better Hometown are marking plans for the 2nd Annual Berrien County Harvest Festival to be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The festival will feature craft and food venders, entertainment as well as a grape stomping. The festival will conclude that evening with an open-air concert featuring the Swinging Medallions at Horse Creek Winery. For more information contact the Chamber of Commerce 229-686-5123 or Nashville Better Hometown 229- 686-9290. 15TH ANNUAL PLAINS PEANUT FESTIVAL Sept. 24 Downtown area Plains The annual Plains Peanut Festival is centered around one of the Sumter County community's claims to fame, its peanut production, and features the community's most famous residents in active roles. The festival kicks off with a 1-mile fun run and a 5-K road race. People line the sidewalks of Plains each year to watch the unique entries in the parade downtown. Visitors enjoy the all-day event and educational exhibits are on display to accent the importance of agriculture in this region. WILLIAM HARRIS HOMESTEAD HERITAGE DAY... A CALL TO ARMS Sept. 24 3636 Ga. Hwy. 11 Monroe This event, which runs from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m, offers fun for the entire family. There will be reenactments to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, tours of the 1825 log house and outbuildings, demonstrations of 1800's crafts, plowing with the Old Time Georgia Plow Club, antiques, children's 1800's games, petting zoo, agricultural displays, great food and entertainment all day. General admission is $10, $5 for children 5-12 and children under 5 are free. For more information contact Judy Hardegree at 770-867-2449 or judyhardegree@yahoo.com. WOOFSTOCK PURINA RALLY TO RESCUE Sept. 25 Jones County Fairgrounds Gray If you’re looking to adopt a dog or horse or just want to celebrate the pets you already have, come out for a day of family fun. In addition to animal adoptions, events will include dog demonstrations, live music, a kids’ zone, food, contests, and a Blessing of the Animals at 3 p.m. There will also be vendors selling both pet and non-pet related items. Event runs from 12-6 p.m. Proceeds will benefit Georgia animal rescue groups. For more information visit http://www.furever-friends.org or contact Angie Stapp at 478-955-1183 or fureverfriend@windstream.net.
Leadership Alert page 7 of 8 2011 ANNUAL PEANUT TOUR Sept. 27-29 Various locations Southwest Ga./Bainbridge The 2011 Peanut Bus Tour of South Georgia, sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission, begins in Bainbridge on Tuesday, Sept. 27, with an early-bird hot topics session at 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Bainbridge. Presentations will include economic and food issues by University of Georgia faculty and USDA scientists on U.S. peanut program and policy, processing, quality, nutrition and uniform peanut performance tests. A reception follows at 6 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the Holiday Inn Express.Tour highlights include production research at the Attapulgus Research farm, on-farm demonstrations, equipment manufacturing, peanut handling, grading and shelling, and product processing facilities. Lunch will be at the Cloud Livestock Pavilion and a low country boil will be held at 7 p.m. at the Earle May Boat Basin. The agenda for Thursday, Sept. 29 includes lunch in Blakely, a 6 p.m. reception at Cotton Hall in Colquitt, with dinner and theater presentation of Swamp Gravy. Bus seats will be reserved on a first-come basis, with international visitors being given priority. For more information, contact Rebecca Whitehead at 229-386-3470 or email rebecca@gapeanuts.com LUKE BRYAN FARM TOUR Sept. 29 The Beach at Clemson University Seneca, SC Sept. 30 Tucker Plantation Colbert Oct. 1 Luther Williams Field Macon Oct. 5 Longneedle Farm Claxton Oct. 6 Coffee Weed Plantation Valdosta Oct. 7 VFW Fairgrounds Carrollton Country music artist and Lee County Farm Bureau member Luke Bryan embarks on his Farm Tour, sponsored by Southern Ag Carriers, the National Peanut Buying Points Association and the American Peanut Shellers Association. 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. To order tickets, visit http://www.lukebryan.com/farmtour. SEPT. 30 is DEADLINE FOR GFB POLICY SUBMISSIONS Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual policy development process is underway. Sept. 30 is the deadline for county Farm Bureaus to submit policy recommendations to the state policy development committee. The state committee will meet this fall to consider the recommendations submitted by county Farm Bureaus and GFB’s commodity advisory committees. Contact the GFB Legislative Department for more information. 17th ANNUAL MULE ROUNDUP Sept. 30-Oct.1 Guysie Community, Highway 32 Near Alma Experience yesteryear at this showcase of heritage farming, featuring a pioneer village, farm demonstration, cane grinding, sausage smoking, a grist mill and lots moore. A gospel sing begins at 7 p.m. on Sept. 30. Admission is free for participants and vendors and $5 for spectators ages 10 and up. For more information call 912-632-1777.
Leadership Alert page 8 of 8 GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIR Oct. 6–16 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry The award-winning Georgia National Fair features livestock and horse shows, youth exhibits, home and fine arts competitions, family entertainment, midway rides and games, fair food, and major concerts that includes Blake Shelton and the JaneDear Girls. For more information, visit www.georgianationalfair.com. UGA HORTICULTURE FIELD DAY Oct. 7 UGA Horticulture Farm Watkinsville Experts will highlight the latest information on a range of topics from honeybee management to organic vegetable productionUGA faculty from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be stationed throughout the farm to discuss current research projects. Registration is $25 per person and includes lunch. Participation is limited to the first 250 registrants. For more information, see the event's website atwww.areg.caes.uga.edu/#hortfieldday. SUNBELT AGRICULTURAL EXPOSITION Oct. 18-20 Spence Field Moultrie World’s premier farm show with more than 1,200 exhibitors and harvesting demonstrations, as well as the unveiling of the new Georgia Agriculture Building, a joint project between GFB and the Georgia Department of Agriculture that will be located inside the main gate. This building will replace GFB's former exhibit area. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. daily. Admission is $10 per person and $20 for a multi-day ticket. Children ages 12 and under are admitted free. For more information call 229-985-1968 or visit http://www.sunbeltexpo.com. 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. Proceeds from this year's car show will benefit the Irwin County High School Marching Big Red Band for their trip to the Sugar Bowl in January 2012. 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 Norbid 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 $90 per person before Oct. 14 and $110 after Oct. 14. Registration with CFE/CLE credits is $130 per person before Oct. 14 and $150 after. For more information visit or contact Michele Lawson at michele@gfagrow.org or 478-992-8110.