September 29, 2010
www.gfb.org
Vol. 28 No. 39
UGA COLLEGE OF AG DEDICATES NEW LIVESTOCK FARM The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) held a dedication ceremony Sept. 21 for Double Bridges Farm, its new livestock teaching and research farm. Located partially in Clarke and predominantly in Oglethorpe County off of U.S. Highway 78, the farm will replace the college’s former beef, sheep and swine teaching and research facilities located on South Milledge Avenue in Athens. The 237-acre farm is expected to be in full operation by next spring, according to Dr. Keith Bertrand, head of the CAES Animal and Dairy Science Department. The farm will be home to a small herd of beef cattle with about 35 head, a flock of 30 sheep and a farrow-to-finish swine facility that will initially house 60 sows but is likely to grow to a capacity of 100 sows in the next year. “Our students are lucky. We now have a great facility to do the things we need to do to teach and do research,” Bertrand told those attending the dedication ceremony. Farm structures include a classroom building, a hay and equipment storage shed, a sheep pavilion and a shed and corral for working cattle. The swine facility includes six hog barns, an office building that houses the computer which runs the facility’s automated feeding system, a feed barn and a building that houses equipment which will run the facility’s waste management system. “Our teaching and research has been somewhat limited by the old facilities on Milledge,” said CAES Dean Dr. Scott Angle. “This [facility] is going to help propel the college to the next level of success.” The CAES has 261 undergraduate and 37 graduate students in its ADS program, Bertrand said. “Having the beef, sheep and swine facilities located in one area will make it easier for students to participate in labs and workshops,” said Ali Terrell, a CAES student and president of Block and Bridle, a student livestock club. State legislators appropriated about $5 million in 2006 to build the facility and the college began the process of building the farm in 2007. The milking parlor at the existing CAES dairy facility located across the highway from Double Bridges Farm was also renovated. The CAES hopes waste management practices that are being used at the swine facility will help improve the image of agriculture. A 17,000-gallon methane digester will separate the methane from the hog waste and prevent it from entering the air to reduce the odor of the hog manure. Then, the waste slurry will be stored in a tank and applied as fertilizer to the farm’s pastures when needed. The methane that is removed will be used to heat water to create steam to power the digester. Propane will power the digester if the manure doesn’t produce enough methane.
Leadership Alert page 2 of 4
CULPEPPER RECEIVES AWARD FROM EPA University of Georgia Associate Professor and Extension Agronomist Dr. Stanley Culpepper received the 2010 Montreal Protocol Award, formerly known as the Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award. The Montreal Protocol Awards are given annually by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize efforts in ozone layer protection, climate protection and human health protection through sun safety. Culpepper was chosen as one of nine individual recipients for his research in finding weed control solutions as alternatives to methyl bromide. There were also eight groups recognized. Culpepper’s research produced UGA 3-way, a combination of fumigation, herbicides and mulch that can be used instead of methyl bromide to keep weeds out of plasticcovered planting beds. According to the EPA, UGA 3-way is used on nearly 70 percent of the plasticulture acreage in Georgia, and Georgia vegetable growers have saved more than $4 million as a result of his research. Culpepper drew praise from Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Sen. Johnny Isakson, both of whom wrote letters in support of his nomination for the award. His work also focused on protecting vegetable production workers and the environment surrounding vegetable production land, and it produced data to define buffer zones, adjust field re-entry times and develop protocols for emissions monitoring. Culpepper received the award during a ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 23. STATE REP. ENGLAND TO CHAIR NCSL AG AND ENERGY COMMITTEE Georgia state Rep. Terry England has been named co-chair of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Agriculture and Energy Committee. England was appointed in July by NCSL President Richard T. Moore, a state senator from Massachusetts. “I’m honored to serve as co-chair of a national committee that oversees two of our state’s biggest economic engines,” said England, who serves as a Barrow County Farm Bureau director. “Not only is agriculture Georgia’s No. 1 industry, but we also have some of the lowest energy prices in the country. I look forward to working with leaders from around the nation to find ways for us to further improve these two key areas.” The Agriculture and Energy Committee is one of the NCSL’s 12 standing committees. Its purpose is to protect states’ interests regarding agriculture and rural development, natural resources, energy and electric utilities. England was elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 2005. He serves as vice chairman of the Georgia House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee and is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. According to a Georgia House press release, England worked closely with Gov. Perdue and other legislators in putting together the 2010 Water Stewardship Act, which Perdue signed into law on June 1. England was involved in forming the portions of the law related to outdoor watering, including agricultural and landscaping irrigation. England’s term on the NCSL Ag and Energy Committee runs through Aug. 2011.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 4 SOYBEAN BOARD CONDUCTING ANNUAL QUALITY SURVEY The United States Soybean Export Council is accepting samples for its annual Soybean Quality Survey, used to evaluate protein and oil content in U.S. soybeans. The levels of protein and oil determine how much soybean meal can be processed and how much soybean oil can be extracted from a bushel of soybeans. The survey, which has been conducted annually since 1986, also measures seed size and foreign material in most varieties of soybeans commonly grown in the U.S. and provides national, regional and state quality averages. U.S. soybean growers are asked to submit samples from their crop. The Soybean Export Council is providing sample kits that include a heavyweight zip-top bag, a postage-paid return envelope and instructions. Farmers who submit samples will receive a free analysis of the protein and oil content of their crop. Data from the samples received by Oct. 23 will be used as the basis for the 2010 Soybean Crop Quality Report and quality conferences presented in China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. Samples received after Oct. 23 will be included in the final report scheduled to be completed by Jan. 1, 2011. Kits can be requested by contacting Dr. Seth Naeve, an extension soybean agronomist with the University of Minnesota. He can be reached by e-mail at naeve002@umn.edu or by phone at 612-625-5772. For more information, visit http://www.unitedsoybean.org. SENATE AG COMMITTEE AIMS CRITICISM AT EPA Saying that current regulatory initiatives by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hinder the future growth of agriculture, multiple members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry voiced criticism of the EPA last week during an oversight hearing. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson testified at the hearing, held to examine the impact of EPA regulations on agriculture, and while she said the agency is not out to get farmers, senators in the hearing cited numerous examples of burdensome and costly EPA regulations. “According to a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. agriculture sector is improving and exports are growing,” said Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), the ranking member of the committee. “The question we then ask is what impact EPA’s regulatory plans will have on future opportunities for growth. Given the regulatory issues before us, I believe the EPA’s plans will hinder the growth in agriculture and rural America.” Chambliss noted a collection of EPA rules underway that will drive up energy costs, force agribusinesses into permitting programs and impose unnecessary paperwork burdens on pesticide users. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), the committee chairman, asked the EPA to provide America’s farmers and ranchers with certainty and stability rather than more regulations. “At a time when every American feels anxious about his or her own economic future, our farmers, ranchers and foresters are facing at least 10 new regulatory requirements that will drive up their costs and make it more difficult to compete in the global marketplace. These regulations rely on dubious rationales and, as a consequence, will be of questionable benefit to the goal of conservation and environmental protection,” Lincoln said.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 4 UPCOMING EVENTS Oct. 6 Macon State College Professional Sciences Conference Center Macon The Regional Water Councils, created by the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan adopted by the Georgia General Assembly in 2008, will hold a joint meeting from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to continue the ongoing discussion of how to implement the statewide water management plan. For more information contact Michelle Vincent at michelle_vincent@state.dnr.ga.us or 404-675-1641. GFB DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Sept. 30 1st District First Baptist Church Oct. 12 9th District Mitchell Co. High School Oct. 14 7th District First Baptist Church Oct. 26 6th District Poplar Springs North Baptist Church Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information.
7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
Calhoun Camilla Statesboro Dublin
16TH ANNUAL MULE ROUNDUP Oct. 1-2 Guysie Community (Hwy. 32) Near Alma Experience yesteryear at this showcase of heritage farming, which features a pioneer village, barnyard animals, farm demonstrations, mule plowing, a log smokehouse, a grist mill and lots more. A free gospel sing begins at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1. A horse and mule show will be held at 1 p.m. on Oct. 2. $50 cash will be awarded to the winners of the single and double mule plowing competition. Admission is $5 but is free for exhibitors and participants. For more information, call 912-632-1777. GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIR Oct. 7 -17 Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter Perry The Georgia National Fair provides an educational forum for the public to learn more about agriculture while having fun. The award-winning fair features livestock and horse shows, youth exhibits, home and fine arts competitions, family entertainment, rides and games, fair food, and major concerts. Visit www.georgianationalfair.com for more information. GIPSA WEBINAR Oct. 14 12 – 2 p.m. The National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas is hosting this webinar for poultry and livestock producers. Attorneys will provide an overview of the proposed rule changes the USDA Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration are suggesting for poultry and livestock production. The webinar will review the UDSA rule-making process, explain how to submit comments on the proposed rules and include a question and answer session. Before the webinar, visit the following URL to confirm your ability to connect to the server: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/testconnect/. The day of the meeting, visit the following web address: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/aglaw to participate in the webinar. Enter your name under the "Enter as a Guest" heading. Click on "Enter Room." Instructions that detail how to join the conference will be displayed. If you have questions about attending or connecting to the webinar, please contact Shannon Mirus at smirus@uark.edu or 479-575-2364. FUMIGATION MANAGEMENT PLAN WORKSHOPS Oct. 26 Bulloch County Extension Office Statesboro Oct. 27 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton Oct. 28 Decatur County Extension Office Bainbridge This series of workshops, organized by the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and the UGA Cooperative Extension, is designed to help familiarize growers with the EPA’s new soil fumigant regulations and create plans for their operations. Dr. Stanley Culpepper will be the principal speaker. All meetings will begin at 9 a.m. and end by 10:30 a.m. For more information call the GFVGA at 706-845-8200.