September 4, 2013
www.gfb.org
Vol. 31 No. 36
DEADLINE FOR KEY HEALTHCARE REQUIREMENT APPROACHING Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also referred to as Obamacare, employers will be required to give current employees an exchange notice by Oct. 1. The exchange notice is intended to inform employees of the availability of health insurance through state or federally run insurance exchanges, and provide information about the benefits and costs related to the decision on whether to buy insurance through the exchange. The notice must be provided to all current full-time, part-time and seasonal employees, including H-2A workers. It is required whether the employer offers healthcare insurance to their employees or not. Employees hired after Oct. 1 must be provided with the exchange notice within 14 days of the date of hire. According to a fact sheet from the American Farm Bureau Federation, farm employers who are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act are required to provide the exchange notice. The exchange notice must include the name and contact information of the health exchange available in the employer’s state. A listing of state insurance exchanges is available online at https://www.healthcare.gov/what-is-the-health-insurancemarketplace/. The notice must also describe the services provided by the exchange available in the employer’s state, inform employees that they may be eligible for premium tax credits or cost sharing reductions if they choose to purchase health coverage on the exchange, inform the employees that if they elect to purchase health coverage on the exchange (and not an employer-sponsored plan), the employee will forfeit the company’s contribution to his or her health coverage premium. Employees may also lose the related tax benefit associated with health insurance premium contribution since it may have been excludable from the employee’s income for federal income and payroll tax purposes. The exchange notice must be given in either written or electronic form to each employee. It is recommended that employers provide written notice via first-class mail or deliver the exchange notice in-person. Employers may also consider requiring each employee to sign a document acknowledging receipt. According to the AFBF fact sheet, employers are solely responsible for the costs of providing the exchange notice to their employees. The U.S. Department of Labor has a model notice employers can use. It is available at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/FLSAwithplans.pdf .
Leadership Alert page 2 of 7 CARGILL, TYSON TO STOP BUYING ZILMAX-FED BEEF Two of the U.S.’ largest meat-packing companies, Cargill and Tyson have each announced plans to suspend buying cattle that has been provided feed supplemented with beta-agonist Zilmax, which promotes feed efficiency and muscle tissue conversion to produce heavier, leaner carcasses. In an interview with Georgia Farm Bureau media, UGA Beef Economist Dr. Curt Lacy said that although Georgia producers generally do not use Zilmax, they very often sell their cattle to feedlots in other states where the supplement is used and may begin to receive lower prices as a result of the actions taken by Tyson and Cargill. “The implication is that their buyer can’t use Zilmax, and as a result, he has to pay less for their cattle,” Lacy said, noting that feeders who use Zilmax have the option of selling to other companies, though he expected other major packing companies would follow Tyson and Cargill’s lead. Tyson announced its decision in early August after some of its beef plants received nonambulatory cattle. While the company said in a memo to cattle feeders that it did not know the cause of the problems, it noted that some animal health experts have suggested a possible connection to the use of Zilmax, or zilpaterol. The company indicated it would evaluate the issues and would suspend purchases of Zilmax-fed cattle on Sept. 6 as an interim measure. Tyson also noted that this was not a food safety issue, but instead it was intented to ensure the proper treatment of livestock. In a response dated Aug. 8, Zilmax manufacturer Merck Animal Health said it would work with Tyson to determine contributing factors to the non-ambulatory cattle and noted that the supplement has been in use for more than 30 years and has received the approval of numerous regulatory agencies worldwide. Merck also said it would suspend sales of the supplement in the U.S. and Canada while conducting a product review and implementing additional efforts to ensure its effective use. TOP-YIELDING PEANUT GROWERS RECOGNIZED Art Dorminy of Irwin County produced the highest peanut yield in the state in 2012 at 6,808 pounds per acre, winning the Georgia Peanut Achievement Club (GPAC) Award for District IV in the category for farmers who harvested more than 300 acres of peanuts. The GPAC winners were recognized during the Southern Peanut Growers Conference, held in July in Panama City Beach, Fla. The winners were determined through records reviews by former UGA Extension Peanut Agronomist Dr. John Beasley. Eddie Miller III of Seminole County had the state’s highest yield in the under 300 acres category, averaging 6,383 pounds per acre. The district winners in the 300 to 699.9 acres category were: District I, Al Sudderth, Calhoun County, 6,623 pounds per acre; District II, Eddie Miller Jr., Seminole County, 6,752 pounds per acre; District III, Michael Selph, Wilcox County, 6,610 pounds per acre and District IV, Philip Grimes, Tift County, 6,474 pounds per acre. The district winners in the more than 700 acres category were: District I, Jimmy Webb, Calhoun County, 6,465 pounds per acre; District II, Rentz Family Farm, Decatur County, 5,376 pounds per acre; District III, Ken Hall Farms, Worth County, 5,252 pounds per acre and District IV, Wayne Sayer, Irwin County, 5,301 pounds per acre.
Leadership Alert page 3 of 7 GEORGIA GROWN TOBACCO BALE LABELS AVAILABLE Georgia tobacco growers have a new way to show pride in their product courtesy of the Georgia Tobacco Commission (GTC). The new 4” by 4” labels feature the Georgia Grown logo and a golden tobacco leaf. They are free to growers, who can get the labels from the GTC or from their county extension agent. University of Georgia Tobacco Agronomist Dr. J. Michael Moore said the commission came up with the idea for the stickers after hearing in February from Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, who encouraged the commission to get involved with the Georgia Grown program. “The hope is that not only is the grower showing some pride in the product that he is producing and presenting for sale, but that the buyers also begin to associate Georgia Grown with quality tobacco,” Moore said. “When it goes to the processing plants in North Carolina and Virginia perhaps there will be customers from other countries coming through that will also see those bales and bale stickers in the racks waiting to be processed and they’ll say, ‘That’s great-looking tobacco. That has the quality we’re looking for. Make sure our tobacco is coming from Georgia.’” Moore said the commission placed an initial order for 5,000 stickers and anticipated that two more orders would be placed during the rest of the 2013 harvest season. “Going into next season we’ll have a better idea who wants how many and we’ll be prepared at the beginning of the season,” Moore said. To see the stickers and photos of bales with the stickers on them, visit http://tinyurl.com/lkf3lsc. USDA MAKES FARM LABOR HOUSING FUNDS AVAILABLE On Aug. 14 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of nearly $40 million to provide housing for farmworkers and their families. Under the Farm Labor Housing Program, loans and grants are provided to farmers, farmers associations, family farm corporations, Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and farmworkers associations to develop or improve multi-family housing facilities for farmworkers and their families. Approximately $30 million in loans, $8.5 million in grants, and $951,000 in rental assistance is available through the program. Applications for Farm Labor Housing assistance are due by Sept. 13. More information about how to apply is available in the Aug. 14 Federal Register announcement, which is available at http://tinyurl.com/kxd7px7, or by contacting any USDA Rural Development state office. In Georgia, call 706-546-2164. Funds can be used to purchase a site or a leasehold interest in a site; to construct housing, day care facilities or community rooms; to pay fees to purchase durable household furnishings; and to pay construction loan interest. In general, loans are for 33 years at 1percent interest, though in some cases the interest rate may be based on the cost of federal borrowing. Grants may cover up to 90 percent of development costs. The balance may be a Farm Labor Housing Program loan. Funds may be used to build, buy, improve or repair labor housing and to provide related facilities.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 7 VIDALIA ONION REFERENDUM TO BEGIN SEPT. 9 A referendum to determine whether Vidalia onion producers favor the continuation of the Vidalia onion marketing order will be held from Sept. 9 to 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 MILK PRODUCERS FALL MEETINGS Sept. 9 Preston Williams Community Center 7 p.m. Montezuma Sept. 10 Wiregrass Restaurant noon Quitman Sept. 11 Sara's in the City noon Baxley Sept. 12 Krystals Taste of Kountry noon Millen Sept. 12 Burke County Extension Office 7 p.m. Waynesboro Sept. 13 McGill/Woodruff Ag Building noon Washington Sept. 16 Bonner's Restaurant 7 p.m. Buckhead Sept. 17 Barnstormer's Grill 7 p.m. Williamson Sept. 19 Western Sizzlin' 7 p.m. Dalton Sept. 20 Ryan's noon Commerce Meetings will include election of officers, reports on industry issues and promotional efforts and upcoming events. Meals will be served at each meeting. To preregister, contact the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association at 1-800-343-4693. For directions to meeting locations contact Farrah Newberry at 706-310-0020 or visit http://www.gamilk.org. GEORGIA FARM BUREAU DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Sept. 10 3rd District Center at Arbor Connection 7 p.m. Douglasville nd Sept. 12 2 District North Georgia Technical Coll. 7 p.m. Avalon Sept. 16 5th District Thomaston Civic Center 7 p.m. Thomaston Sept. 19 10th District Jamestown Baptist Church 7 p.m. Waycross Sept. 24 7th District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Statesboro Oct. 8 9th District Mitchell County Ag Center 7 p.m. Camilla Oct. 10 1st District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Calhoun Oct. 17 8th District South Georgia Technical Coll. 7 p.m. Americus Oct. 28 6th District Poplar Springs North Bapt. Ch. 7 p.m. Dublin th Oct. 29 4 District Greene County High School 7 p.m. 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. EGG CANDLING CLASS Sept. 10 Coastal Ga. Botanical Garden at Historic Bamboo Farm Savannah The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Egg Candling Inspector, Lee Lancaster, will conduct this certification class. The information and training received in the lecture will prepare participants for the written examination, as well as, the hands on candling evaluation at the end of the day. If you plan to sell your eggs to individuals, or at a farmers market, an egg candling certificate is required. For more information, call 912-652-7981 or visit http://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event.cfm?pk_id=2528.
Leadership Alert page 5 of 7 2013 UGA COTTON & PEANUT RESEARCH FIELD DAY Sept. 11 UGA Gibbs Farm 8:30 a.m. Tifton This field day, sponsored by the Georgia Cotton Commission and the Georgia Peanut Commission, will showcase the latest innovative research supported by our commissions. The field day will end with lunch at the UGA Black Shank Pavilion. In order to secure an accurate head count for the meal, please RSVP to Michelle Pitts at mpitts@uga.edu or 229-386-3006. GEORGIA GROWN FARMER SHOWCASE Sept. 14 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta 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. CAES UGA STUDENT RECRUITMENT EVENTS Sept. 19 Toombs County Agricultural Center 5 p .m. Lyons Sept. 24 UGA Tifton Campus Conf. Center 5 p.m. Tifton These events are for high school students in grades 10 -12 who are interested in learning more about the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES). Parents are welcome, and a meal will be provided. Pre-registration deadlines are Sept. 12 for the Lyons event and Sept. 17 for the Tifton event. To register, contact the Office of Academic Programs at 229-386-3528 or ugatift@uga.edu. GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION FALL FIELD DAY Sept. 12 Friendship Pecans 8:30 a.m. Albany This annual field day will cover hedge pruning, fruit thinning, fertilizer management, pecan cultivars, management of young trees and inter-planting nursery trees in existing orchards. No registration is required and there will be a sponsored lunch. Friendship Pecans is located at 1807 Williamsburg Road. For more information call 229-382-2187 or email Janice Dees at janice@georgiapecan.org. EGG CANDLING CLASS Sept. 12 Harris County Extension Clubhouse Hamilton Upon completion of this class, you will be mailed an egg candling certificate which enables you to sell eggs to individuals or at a farmer's market. There will be a 30-minute break for lunch. Light snacks will be provided. Pre-registration is required for this class. To register or for more information call 706-628-4824, email uge2145@uga.edu or visit http://extension.uga.edu/calendar/event.cfm?pk_id=2484 GEORGIA MULTICULTURAL SUSTAINABLE AG CONFERENCE Sept. 17 Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway 8 a.m. – 4 pm. Duluth This conference for beginning and established multicultural farmers features sessions on small scale organic farming and marketing, building diverse urban farm enterprises, aquaculture, mushroom production, pasture management and many more. Registration is $20, which includes lunch and instructional materials. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/mecjba8. For more information contact the Upper Ocmulgee River RC&D Council at 678-376-9518 or the NRCS Lawrenceville Service Center at 770-963-9288.
Leadership Alert page 6 of 7 27TH GEORGIA PEANUT TOUR Sept. 17-19 Varous locations around Valdosta This tour spotlights South Georgia’s peanut production area, giving participants a variety of field conditions, peanut harvest clinics, production research, handling and grading, and on-farm demonstrations. Stops include the UGA Tifton Campus and the Georgia Department of Agriculture lab in Tifton. For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/nye84yl or call 229-3863470.
BEYOND THE FARM GATE SOCIAL MEDIA SEMINAR Sept. 24 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. Registration deadline is Sept. 17. 2013 TRI-STATE PEANUT DISEASE TOUR Sept. 24-26 Multiple locations Tour stops include research plots in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The tour includes a stop at the UGA-Tifton Lang-Rigdon Farm on Sept. 25. Other stops include the University of Florida Citra Research Center on Sept. 24 and the Wiregrass Experiment Station in Headland, Ala., on Sept. 26. Meal will be served at the Georgia and Alabama stops, and advance notice of attendance is requested. For more information contact Albert Culbreath at spotwilt@uga.edu or call 229-386-3156. INTERNATIONAL AGRIBUSINESS CONFERENCE AND EXPO Sept. 25-26 Savannah International Trade & Convention Center Savannah This inaugural event will help farmers and businesses learn how to capitalize on the growing export market. Participants will be provided with information on the markets open to their products, how to export their goods and what exporting can do for their bottom lines. They also will have a chance to meet with international trade representatives. The conference’s main sponsor is Georgia Farm Bureau. For more information about the conference’s schedule, see http://www.iace.us.com. Registration is $190 in advance and $210 onsite. 5TH ANNUAL LUKE BRYAN FARM TOUR Oct. 2 Perry’s Field Claxton Oct. 3 Venue TBD 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 Venue TBD 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.
Leadership Alert page 7 of 7 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. At any accredited college or university in Georgia. 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/.