Hurricane relief fund raises over $1.7 million
Avian flu found in Ga. commercial flocks
GFB looking for ’25 Farm Dog
FARM AID COMES IN PIECES
Contents
pages 6 & 7
Economic help for farmers comes in pieces
Congress passed the American Relief Act of 2025 in December. It extends the farm bill through September 2025 and funds disaster relief and economic assistance, providing farmers economic relief in pieces.
page 8
Strategies to cope with stress
Using healthy ways to deal with stress may keep it from harming our health.
pages 9 - 11
Hurricane relief fund raises over $1.7 million to help Georgia farmers
Thanks to the generosity of 932 donors, the Weathered But Strong: Hurricane Relief Fund has been able to help 920 Georgia farms damaged by Hurricane Helene.
Want to subscribe? Join Georgia Farm Bureau to receive GFB News four times a year. Your membership supports farmers & agriculture while giving you access to more than 300,000 discounts. Visit gfb.ag/join.
Departments
page 4
View from the Field
page 5
Public Policy
pages 24 & 25
Ga. Foundation for Agriculture
page 26
Young Farmers & Ranchers
page 29
Women’s Leadership
page 31
Ag in the Classroom
page 12
Avian flu found in Georgia commercial flocks
Two farms in Elbert County were found to have avian flu in January. These were the first cases of avian flu in Georgia commercial flocks since the latest nationwide outbreak began in 2022.
page 13
GFB elects 2025 Board of Directors
page 16
GFB shows strength during visit to state capitol
About 600 members from 80 counties met with their state legislators during the annual GFB Day at the Capitol.
GFB News Staff
Kenny Burgamy Director
Jennifer Whittaker Editor
Jay Stone News Reporter
Jared McGukin Graphic Designer
Logan Thomas Photographer
page 17
Mosely new GFB CFO/ corporate treasurer
page 18
Weeding out regulatory challenges for herbicides
UGA Extension staff have been working diligently with the EPA to find a way to help farmers comply with the agency’s regulations to protect endangered species and still protect their crops.
page 19
GFB honors volunteers
page 20
Peanut show includes awards & industry updates
page 21
Who’s a good dog?
GFB is accepting entries for its 2025 Georgia Farm Dog Contest until May 1.
page 22
Chronic Wasting Disease found in Lanier County deer
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On The Cover:
by Logan Thomas
For information concerning advertising, contact Wendy McFarland at 334-6529080 or mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com. For questions about your membership or member benefits, call 1-800-633-5432. For questions regarding editorial content call 478-474-0679, ext. 5334 or e-mail jawhittaker@gfb.org.
Photo
View from the Field
Tom McCall, GFB President
Over 30 years ago I first met a young man from Barrow County who was heavily involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program. Terry England followed in his father’s footsteps with the organization that taught him the importance of strong leadership.
Because of these strong roots in FFA, Terry went on to provide outstanding service to Georgia’s farming communities in a number of meaningful ways. Terry’s ag leadership has included chairing Georgia Farm Bureau’s (GFB) Young Farmers and Ranchers (YFR) Committee and serving on American Farm Bureau’s YF&R Committee, serving as a county board member and president, plus time as a member of the Vegetable Commodity Advisory Committee. And in 2023, Terry was awarded the GFB Commodity Award. All of these endeavors proved beneficial as Terry was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives 116th House District in 2004 from Barrow County.
Without a doubt his over 20 years of service has been a labor of love, determination, compassion, and grit. During his time in the House, he served as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Agricultural Education Advisory Commission. He also served on the Ag
& Consumer Affairs, Education, Natural Resources & Environment, Industry and Labor, and Ways & Means Committees, as well as Co-Chair of the House Rural Development Council. And as if that’s not enough, he served as Chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference’s Ag and Rural Development Committee.
I was fortunate that he was my seatmate as we served in the Georgia House Chamber for several years.
Even though he retired from the State House in 2022, he’s still playing a crucial role as Chief of Staff to the Georgia Speaker of the House Jon Burns.
You can see that Terry has had a significant role when it comes to agriculture in the state. As producers, we owe Terry a big thank you for his service.
A few weeks back, Terry was involved in a farm-related accident that caused a very serious injury requiring spinal surgery. He’s making impressive progress, but he and his family covet our continued thoughts and prayers. I know for certain that Terry and Cindy appreciate your prayers and support. We appreciate you for lifting him up, and for being such a strong support group when farmers around you need it most.
We appreciate each of you!
Tom McCall, GFB President
Prayers are requested for Terry England and his wife, Cindy, as he recovers from a farm accident in February.
Here, GFB President Tom McCall presents the 2023 GFB Commodity Award to Terry.
OFFICERS
President
TOM McCALL, Elbert Co.
1st Vice President &
South Georgia Vice President
DANIEL JOHNSON, Pierce Co.
North Georgia Vice President
BERNARD SIMS, Catoosa Co.
Middle Georgia Vice President
RALPH CALDWELL, Heard County
General Counsel
DUKE GROOVER
Chief Financial Officer, Corp. Treasurer
RACHEL MOSELY
Chief Administrative Officer
JEFFREY HARVEY
Corporate Secretary & Senior Counsel
JEANNA FENNELL
DIRECTORS
FIRST DISTRICT: Bill Bryan, Chattooga Co.; Wesley Hall, Forsyth Co. SECOND DISTRICT: Gilbert Barrett, Habersham Co.; Russ Moon, Madison Co. THIRD DISTRICT: Chad Carlton, Polk Co.; Brad Marks, Newton Co. FOURTH DISTRICT: Skeetter McCorkle, McDuffie Co.; Russ Wilburn, Barrow Co. FIFTH DISTRICT: Matt Bottoms, Pike Co.; Leighton Cooley, Crawford Co. SIXTH DISTRICT: James Malone, Laurens Co.; James Emory Tate, Jeff Davis Co. SEVENTH DISTRICT: Gary Bell, Evans Co.; Ben Boyd, Screven Co. EIGHTH DISTRICT: Scotty Raines, Turner Co.; Don Wood, Wilcox Co. NINTH DISTRICT: Lucius Adkins, Baker Co.; Paul Shirah, Mitchell Co. TENTH DISTRICT: David Lee, Bacon Co.; Lamar Vickers, Berrien Co. YOUNG FARMERS & RANCHERS CHAIR: Allie Andrews, Lamar Co.
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CHAIR: Julie Hardy, Thomas Co.
ADVERTISING POLICY
All advertising accepted subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers must assume liability for content of their advertising. Publisher maintains right to cancel advertising for non-payment or reader complaint about advertiser service or products. Publisher does not accept per-order, political or alcoholic beverage ads, nor does publisher prescreen or guarantee advertiser service or products. Publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised in the Georgia Farm Bureau News. For advertising rates and information, contact Wendy McFarland at 334-652-9080 or mcfarlandadvantage@gmail.com. Georgia Farm Bureau News was established in 1937. Copyright 2025 by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation. Printed by Panaprint, Macon, Georgia.
Public Policy Update EPD to issue new ag water permits for Lower Flint River Basin
By Adam Belflower
In fall 2024, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) announced access to new agricultural water withdrawal permits for farmers in the Lower Flint River Basin and SubArea 4. This announcement is a significant win for farmers in Southwest Georgia and builds on the work EPD has done in recent years to provide new access to farmers under the constraints of the 2012 suspension. Georgia Farm Bureau applauds the work of EPD Director Jeff Cown and the EPD Watershed Protection Branch to promote the growth of agriculture in Southwest Georgia by granting new access to water.
In 2012, due to litigation between Georgia and Florida, EPD placed a moratorium on new agricultural water withdrawal permits in the Lower Flint River Basin. Although the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Georgia, concluding that Georgia farmers were not abusing the water supply and were allowing a reasonable supply to pass to our neighbors, EPD kept the moratorium in place because species of endangered mussels live in the Lower Flint River Basin. The EPD wanted a better understanding of the impact new withdrawals would have on these mussels.
EPD’s stated goal has been to protect Georgia farmers from violating the Endangered Species Act, which would risk the ability of any farmer to irrigate in the region, while finding ways to promote the growth of agriculture.
With a better understanding of the hydrological connectivity of the region and over a decade of research, EPD has found a path for farmers to begin drilling new wells. Beginning April 1, farmers in the region will be able to apply for droughtrestricted or volumetric-limited permits for agricultural water withdrawal.
Farmers may choose between a volumetric permit, subject to the annual volumetric limit, or a drought-restricted permit, which would be suspended during the most critical droughts as determined through a series of monitoring wells in the region. On new permits, farmers would be required to install meters for EPD to ensure compliance with the permit’s regulations. Because of the hydrologic sensitivity of the region, this is necessary to protect new and existing users of all agricultural water withdrawal permits.
EPD is offering multiple tools to ensure all users in the basin comply. Through internal adjustments, irrigated acre corrections, permit corrections and modifications, or new modified permits, EPD wants to help farmers access an
appropriate supply of water and avoid legal ramifications for excessive withdrawals from the Flint Basin.
If you are a farmer in the Lower Flint River Basin, you may want to consider whether one of the new modified permits is best for your operation. Contact the Georgia EPD Southwest District Office at (229) 430-4144 or visit www.epd.georgia.gov/waterwithdrawal-permitting for more information on compliance for existing users and full details on new modified permits.
Adam Belflower is Georgia Farm Bureau’s State Affairs Manager. He may be reached at acbelflower@gfb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5259.
Lower Flint River Basin & Sub-Area 4 where the Environmental Protection Division is granting farmers new ag water permits beginning April 1. / Map courtesy of EPD
FARM AID COMES IN PIECES
By Jay Stone & Jennifer Whittaker
Even before Hurricanes Debby and Helene struck last year, many Georgia row crop farmers were facing a financial crisis. For most, what they made on their 2023 crops didn’t cover their production costs. The situation repeated itself in 2024, but with higher losses due to excess rain and drought that required many farmers to replant crops to get a stand.
American Farm Bureau economists say farmers having to rely on safety net programs from the 2018 farm bill with outdated reference prices have left farmers nationwide exposed to severe financial pressure. Higher labor costs, interest expenses and taxes are the highest of production expenses.
Last September, USDA forecast that net farm income, a key measure of profitability, was expected to decline nationwide by $6.5 billion (4%) from 2023. This came after a 19% drop in farm income from 2022 to 2023. Many farmers had to seek additional loans last year to harvest their crops.
Congress failed to pass a new farm bill last year but in December passed the American Relief Act of 2025, which was signed into law on Dec. 21, 2024. This act extends the 2018 farm bill through September 2025 and funds disaster relief and economic assistance to farmers.
The U.S. House passed the bill by a 366-34 vote and the Senate by a 85-11 vote. Ten of Georgia’s 14 representatives and both of Georgia’s senators voted for it.
While the extension gives Congress until Sept. 30 to pass a new farm bill, it did not fund numerous programs without baseline funding. Unfunded programs range from the Feral
ECONOMIC AID
Of the American Relief Act’s $31 billion in direct payments for farmers and ranchers, $10 billion is specifically for economic aid in response to the dire financial situation farmers are facing. The bill states the $10 billion must be distributed within 90 days of enactment through a one-time payment to producers of eligible commodities in the 2024 crop year. Eligible commodities are those covered by Title I of the farm bill.
Payments per acre for each crop will be determined as the higher of the two formulas – primary payment or minimum payment.
The primary payment will be calculated by multiplying projected per-acre losses by a factor of 26%. For corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, sorghum, oats and barley, the payments are to be calculated using the USDA’s published national average cost-of-production forecasts.
For all other crops, USDA is to calculate a comparable total estimated cost of production. The projected revenue per acre will be calculated using projected 2024/25 market year average prices set in the Dec. 10 World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates and a 10-year average of the national average harvested yield per acre.
A minimum per-acre payment will be calculated by multiplying 8% of a crop’s statutory reference price by the
Swine Eradication & Control Pilot Program to Emergency Citrus Disease Research.
national average payment yield. The payment yield is the yield used in calculating Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program payments.
The farmer will then be paid on all acres planted to eligible commodities for harvest, grazing, haying, silage or other similar purposes for the 2024 crop year. Additionally, farmers will be paid on 50% of all acreage prevented from planting during the 2024 crop year due to drought, flooding, other natural disasters or other conditions beyond the control of the farmer determined by the secretary of agriculture.
Estimated Economic Aid Payments ($/Acre)
planting, and harvested adulterated wine grapes), trees, bushes and vines.
Qualifying losses include those caused by the following natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024: droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze, smoke exposure and excessive moisture. Of the $21 billion, up to $2 billion will be used to cover livestock losses related to drought, wildfires and floods.
USDA may provide the disaster assistance through block grants to eligible states and territories, including assistance in the form of compensation to producers for timber, citrus, pecan and poultry (including infrastructure).
Producers insured under the Federal Crop Insurance Program or with coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the applicable crop years are eligible to receive payments covering up to 90% of their disaster-related revenue losses, as determined by USDA. Payments are available for producers without crop insurance or NAP coverage but are capped at 70% of their disasterrelated revenue losses as determined by USDA.
*Activated minimum payment
**While bill text states that the Secretary will determine the COP for peanuts, the ERS does publish a COP estimate for the crop. Source AFBF.
Economic aid will be capped at $125,000 for farmers and ranchers with less than 75% of their average gross income across tax years 2021, 2022 and 2023 derived from farming, ranching or forestry. The cap is $250,000 for farmers with 75% or more of their average gross income derived from farming, ranching and forestry.
The legal structure of the farm will determine the per-farm aid limit. If multiple farmers are part of a general partnership or joint venture, payment limitations are not imposed on the entity level but apply to each farmer individually.
DISASTER AID
Another ag-related provision in the American Relief Act is $21 billion in disaster aid. Dozens of natural disasters occurred in 2023 and 2024. Before estimates for Hurricanes Helene and Milton-related losses were included, AFBF estimated that uncovered disaster-related ag losses already exceeded $14.1 billion in 2023 and 2024.
Most of the $21 billion in ag disaster aid in the American Relief Act is to be distributed by USDA to cover necessary expenses related to the losses of revenue, quality or production for crops (milk, onfarm stored commodities, crops prevented from
USDA has significant discretion to set program provisions, which will determine the assistance farmers receive.
Eligibility requirements and payment structures will follow the framework established in the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022.
STATE HELP
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Nov. 1 that the Georgia State Financing & Investment Commission approved redirecting $75 million to the Georgia Development Authority to provide disaster relief loans to farmers hit by Hurricane Helene. An additional $25 million was allocated for timber debris cleanup programs administered by the Georgia Forestry Commission.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture has worked with the development authority to get these loans up and running. Farmers in disaster counties or an adjacent county were eligible to apply for up to $500,000 at 2% fixed interest.
Kemp and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture
Tyler Harper are asking the Georgia legislature to appropriate more money for more loans. Georgia legislators are also considering Kemp’s proposal to exempt ag federal disaster payments from state income tax, give a tax credit for the cleanup or replanting of trees damaged by Helene, and a sales tax exemption for materials used to repair buildings used to raise animals like poultry houses and livestock barns.
STRATEGIES TO COPE WITH
Stress
How to cope with stress? For one thing, stay grounded.
By Jay Stone
There are several terms for it – earthing, touching dirt, touching grass – but the idea is to put your bare feet on the ground, and in doing so, give your brain a brief pause from stress.
Grounding is one of several tactics noted during a breakout session titled “Cultivating Resilience: Empowering Leadership in Farm Family Mental Health” at the 2024 GFB Convention.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Dunn of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) discussed ways to cope with stress.
Dunn travels around the state promoting DBHDD services and coaching groups in the basics of dealing with crises, whether they’re money-related, peoplerelated, weather-related or something else.
The coping strategies often involve communicating.
“My message, if you don't hear anything else we say, is that connectivity is the key,” Dunn said. “So long as you're connecting with people, that is the key to me. Isolation is what kills us.”
OTHER TACTICS:
• Distraction. Dunn said this may include entertainment or hobb ies.
• Exercise. It’s well-known that regular exercise is a major tool in managing stress. “It’s the most helpful, but the least-used,” Dunn said.
• Maintain healthy sleep habits.
• Hunt/fish. Rural Georgians enjoy their outdoor activities. Hunting and fishing are two major ones. Dunn noted that both are good for meditation and reflection.
• Acts of service. One attendee noted his experience stepping away from his job duties following Hurricane Helene. He went out to help people face-toface, delivering meals or helping with recovery efforts. “That helped me a lot because I was stressed out because I couldn't figure out how I was going to get everything done that we needed to get done on the farm,” he said. “You get out and see kids that their trailer, their whole house is gone. You realize that, and it puts things in perspective.”
• Meditation. Dunn has started working meditations into her work with groups. “I had 60 or so school nutrition workers in one of them and some fell asleep,” she said. “They enjoyed it so much. Sometimes just shutting your brain off for a minute can be so helpful,” Dunn said. Obviously, do not do this while driving or operating heavy machinery.
• Grounding. Take off your shoes and walk around on the dirt or grass.
Relief fund raises more than $1.7 million for Georgia farmers
Following the devastation Hurricane Helene caused last September, more than 40 agriculture organizations joined forces to establish the Weathered But Strong: Hurricane Relief Fund for Georgia Farmers to help those whose livelihoods were upended by the storm. Thanks to the generosity of 932 donors, the fund raised $1,774,282 in just three months.
All of the funds raised are in the process of being delivered to 920 farms to help them recover from agricultural losses not covered by insurance. Farmers affected by the storm had the opportunity to apply for funds from midNovember to Dec. 31, 2024. Checks are being distributed based on the needs outlined in their applications.
The relief effort was spearheaded by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, which facilitated the collection of all donations and is coordinating the distribution of the funds.
“The overwhelming support we saw for this fund is a testament to the deep appreciation and respect that people hold for Georgia farmers,” said Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Executive Director Lily Baucom. “Donations poured in from individuals, businesses and major philanthropists underscoring the shared recognition of the critical role farmers play in ensurin g food security and economic stability.”
Helene is estimated to have cost Georgia’s economy at least $5.5 billion in agricultural and timber losses, according to damage assessments compiled by the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, the UGA Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, the governor’s office, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, and the Georgia Forestry Commission.
“For farm families impacted by Hurricane Helene, the Weathered But Strong Fund represents more than just financial relief - it represents the generosity and kindness of our fellow Georgians who had our farmers’ backs during their time of need.That means the world to our ag community, and I’m grateful to everyone who was a part of this effort,” said Georgia Commissio ner of Agriculture Tyler Harper. It will take generations for Georgia farms to recover from much of the storm damage. Hurricane Helene blew across 8.9 million acres of Georgia timber, according to a state forestry report. Most of the damage occurred on 1.47 million acres causing $1.28 billion in losses to Georgia’s timber sector.
Many pecan growers had entire orchards blown over, destroying not only last year’s crop but future ones, too. A survey done by the American Pecan Council and Land IQ using satellite imagery estimates 17,874 to 26,750 acres of Georgia pecan orchards lost 20% or more of thei r trees.
“Georgia’s farmers will feel the pain of this event for years to come,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall. “The relief fund won’t make farmers whole, but it will help and will also send a powerful message to our farmers that their community supports them.”
Georgia Farm Bureau was one of the more than 40 organizations that made the relief fund possible. For more information about the fund and other resources available to help farmers recover visit www. SupportGeorgiaFarmers.org.
generous donors make relief effort a success
The Weathered But Strong: Hurricane Relief Fund for Georgia Farmers sincerely thanks the 932 donors who generously gave to help farmers and ranchers recover from Hurricane Helene. Because of your generosity, the fund raised $1,774,282 in only three months. These funds will provide direct assistance to 920 farms in 69 counties to cover agricultural losses that include damage to crops, livestock and farm structures not covered by insurance.
All the funds raised are in the process of being distributed. Relief checks were calculated using submitted losses and market-based values from UGA’s Agricultural Economics Department. Farmers had the opportunity to apply for funds from mid-November to Dec. 31, 2024.
This relief fund was spearheaded by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, which facilitated the collection of all donations and is coordinating the distribution of the funds. More than 40 Georgia agricultural organizations supported the relief fund efforts. To see a complete list of donors, visit https:// gfb.ag/wbsfulldonorlist.
CHANGE CULTIVATOR
($250,000)
Anonymous Family Foundation
LEGACY PLANTERS
($100,000+)
AgGeorgia Farm Credit
Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company
Loyce and Annette Turner Foundation
Verizon Foundation
COMMUNITY BUILDERS
($50,000-$99,999)
AGCO Agriculture Foundation
AgSouth Farm Credit ACA
Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Foundation
Tull Charitable Foundation
We Care by ZYN Fund
AG ALLIES
($25,000-$49,999)
Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation CareSource Foundation
Georgia Association of Conservation Districts in partnership with Georgia's Conservation Districts:
Altamaha, Blue Ridge Mountain, Brier Creek, Broad River, Catoosa County, Cobb County, Coastal, Coosa River, DeKalb County, Flint, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Hall County, Henry County, Lower Chattahoochee River, McDuffie County, Ocmulgee River, Oconee River, Ogeechee River, Ohoopee River, Piedmont, Pine Mountain, Satilla River, Stephens County, Towaliga, Upper Chattahoochee River, Walton County, Warren County & West Georgia.
Georgia EMC, Oglethorpe Power, Georgia
Transmission Corp., & Georgia Systems Operations Corp.
Georgia Farm Bureau, Inc.
Georgia Power Foundation
Harley Langdale Junior Foundation
Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher
Magnolia Loom
QuikTrip
Truist Foundation
FIELD SUPPORTERS
($10,000-$24,999)
AgWest Farm Credit
Atlanta Braves Foundation
Barrow County Farm Bureau
Charter Communications
Cobb County Farm Bureau
Community Foundation of Central Georgia, Inc.
Gulfstream
Henry County Farm Bureau
Kansas Farm Bureau
MAR-JAC Poultry, Inc.
Newton County Farm Bureau
Soaring Eagle Dairy LLC
Southern Belle Farms
Stevenson, Hunt
Texas Farm Bureau
The Peyton Anderson Foundation, Inc.
FARMING FOUNDATIONS
($5,000-$9,999)
Organizations/Funds
Chase Farms
Consoliplex Holding
Elbert County Farm Bureau
Fortsonia Baptist Church
Georgia Development Authority
Harper for Georgia (Tyler Harper)
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
OrthoGeorgia
Silicon Ranch
SoWeGa Feeder Cattle Marketing Association
Synovus
The Hayes Hepburn Charitable Fund
Three Pines Leasing LLC
Wellington Management Company, LLP
Individuals
McMichael, Homer T
Meschi, Amie
Pattillo Cohen, Lynn
Rountree, William R
Schumann, Ann
Taft, Wilbur
Thomason, Robert
Damaged cotton in Johnson County. Photo by Jay Stone
Damaged timber in Treutlen County. Photo by Jennifer Whittaker
Adestroyedpoultryhousein JeffDavisCounty. PhotobyJenniferWhittaker
Avian Flu Found in Georgia Commercial Flocks
By Jennifer Whittaker
Two commercial poultry farms in Elbert County located about 210 yards apart tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in January. One farm had broiler breeders and the other grew broilers, chickens raised for meat, the Georgia Department of Agriculture reported.
The Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network (GPLN) confirmed Jan. 16 that the first farm had HPAI after the producer noticed his flock showing clinical signs of avian flu on Jan. 15.
On Jan. 17, the GPLN found samples collected from the second poultry farm in routine premovement testing were positive for HPAI.
Because the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory (USDA NVSL) confirmed on Jan. 17 the case of HPAI at the first farm, which was located so close to the second, the GDA was able to begin depopulating both flocks before receiving additional confirmation from USDA NVSL on the second farm. GDA, however, had to wait to publicly announce the second positive case until it received USDA confirmation late in the evening Jan. 21.
“Our team at the Georgia Department of Agriculture responded immediately to start depopulation, disposal, and cleaning and disinfecting operations,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said. “The proximity of the affected premises allowed our team to respond to both cases concurrently. I want to thank our team at the Georgia Department of Agriculture and our partners, who worked 12-plus hour days during a holiday weekend [Jan. 17-20] in the bitter cold to protect our state’s #1 industry and the farm families who fuel its success.”
According to the GDA, the first farm had about 45,000 broiler breeders while the second had about 130,000 broilers.
These are Georgia’s first HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks since the latest nationwide outbreak began in 2022, the GDA reports. There have been three detections of HPAI in Georgia backyard poultry flocks since 2022, including a small flock of chickens and ducks in Clayton County announced Jan. 10. HPAI has also been detected in wild birds in Georgia.
On Feb. 10, the GDA lifted the suspension it placed in January on poultry activities in Georgia involving live birds including sales at auctions, flea & livestock markets, swaps and exhibitions.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports there is no evidence that anyone in the United States has been infected with avian flu after eating properly handled and cooked poultry products or eggs. Cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including avian flu viruses.
If you think your commercial or backyard flock may have avian flu, call the Georgia Avian Influenza hotline at 770-766-6850 or visit www. gapoultrylab.org/avian-influenza-hotline/ If you see large numbers of dead wild birds in one location, report this to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at 1-800366-2661 or visit https://georgiawildlife.com/ report-dead-birds
For more information visit: www.gfb.ag/protectyourflock www.gfb.ag/avianflufaq www.gfb.ag/hpaiusdainfo www.gfb.ag/allinallgon e
GFB ELECTS ’25 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By Jennifer Whittaker
Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) voting delegates elected the organization’s 2025 board of directors during the 2024 GFB Convention in December. Tom McCall was re-elected for a third, two-year term. He was first elected in 2020. McCall and his wife, Jane, grow a variety of grain crops, sweet corn, hay and straw along with beef cattle, hogs and sheep on their Elbert County farm.
GFB South Georgia Vice President Daniel Johnson of Pierce County was redesignated as the organization’s 1st vice president from among GFB’s three regional vice presidents, a position he has held since 2021. He was first elected as South Georgia VP in 2016. Johnson and his wife, Patricia, grow tobacco, corn, cotton and peanuts.
GFB members in the organization’s Middle Georgia region re-elected Ralph Caldwell of Heard County to a second, three-year term as GFB Middle Georgia vice president. Caldwell was first elected in 2021. Caldwell and his wife, Kim, raise poultry and cattle and grow corn and soybeans.
Bernard Sims of Catoosa County begins the second year of his sixth, three-year term as the GFB North Georgia vice president. Sims was first elected in 2008. He and his wife, Janet, grow turf grass, small grains and hay, and raise cattle.
GFB 3rd District voting delegates elected Chad Carlton of Polk County to a two-year term on the GFB Board of Directors to represent the district’s 14 counties in the Metro Atlanta area. Carlton and his wife, Julie, produce dairy, eggs and meat (beef, pork, chicken, lamb and turkey) sold directly to consumers. He replaces Nora Goodman who died in January 2024.
Carlton has served on the Polk County Farm Bureau Board of Directors for about 15 years. He previously served a fiveyear term as county vice president and multiple years as the Young Farmer chairman. He served on the GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee in 2005-2006, chairing the committee in 2006.
All other members of the GFB Board of Directors up for reelection in 2024 ran without opposition.
CHAD CARLTON
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HOW YOU’LL EARN
Receive guaranteed annual payments during a 30-year contract. All profits from pre-approved timber harvests remain yours. You can also continue farming or raising livestock on adjacent acres.
HOW PLANTING
BEGINS
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Your land holds your family’s roots, and a partial conversion to pine will help maintain that legacy. Check your eligibility at fieldsandforests.org. Fields & Forests is a tree planting program by the American Forest Foundation, available to landowners with 40+ acres. YOU WORKED HARD FOR YOUR
GFB DAY A T THE CAPITOL
GFB SHOWS STRENGTH DURING VISIT
By Jay Stone
Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) members visited Atlanta Feb. 11 for the annual GFB Day at the Capitol. About 600 people from 80 counties participated, meeting elected officials outside the Georgia House and Senate chambers. GFB hosted a lunch for members and legislators at the Georgia Freight Depot.
“Your representatives and your senators, they want to see you, they want to talk to you,” GFB President Tom McCall said, underscoring the reason for the annual event. “If it’s nothing but y’all getting to know them, that makes a huge difference.”
GFB members carried messages to the legislature on a variety of ag concerns, and two key topics emerged - disaster relief and tort reform.
Gov. Brian Kemp has pushed the federal government to provide funding for block grants and state legislators for low interest loans to help Hurricane Helene storm victims keep their farms going.
“It was truly a generational storm,” Kemp said. “It was the largest, most dangerous and costliest storm in state history.”
A key piece of state disaster relief legislation is House Bill 223, which would exempt federal disaster relief payments for agricultural losses from state income tax, provide a tax credit for eligible timber losses at $400 per acre, and exempt building materials used for repairing poultry and livestock barns from sales tax.
In remarks to GFB members, Senate Ag Committee
Chairman Russ Goodman noted a bill he sponsored called the Timberlands Recovery, Exemption and Earnings Stability (TREES) Act. This bill would suspend “severance” taxes in the 66 counties declared federal disaster areas after Hurricane Helene. The bill would also set up a grant program for municipalities in those counties to recoup lost revenue because of diminished timber prices.
“People that would normally be selling wood for $25 or $30 a ton are selling wood for 50 cents or a dollar,” Goodman said,
noting that the basis for severance taxes is the sale amount in dollars. “It’s going to help the landowner a little, but it’s a lso going to help those counties.”
Kemp has urged the General Assembly to act on tort reform - making changes to the civil justice system to limit plaintiffs’ ability to sue and the amount of damages they can receive. Kemp noted the five-year average of legal claims in Georgia has risen by 25%, faster than Georgia’s population growth. The number of claim awards exceeding $1 million has also increased.
Proposed legislation would allow business owners - including farms - to be held liable only for what they can control. It would set up legal proceedings so that juries decide damages for actual pain and suffering rather than have attorneys suggest damage amounts. It would also allow for separation of the liability and damage portions of trials, so juries aren’t weighing both topics simultaneously.
GFB YF&R Committee Chairwoman Allie Andrews & husband, Luke, joined other GFB members at the Georgia Capitol on Feb. 12.
Photo by Logan Thomas
MOSELY NEW GFB CFO/CORPORATE TREASURER
Rachel Mosely began serving as Georgia Farm Bureau’s chief financial officer and corporate treasurer on Jan. 1.
Mosely, who was GFB’s assistant corporate treasurer & senior director of accounting, assumed her new role after David Jolley, who previously held the positions, retired Dec. 31.
“Rachel brings a wealth of experience at Georgia Farm Bureau to this new appointment. That includes starting as a staff accountant in 2008. She takes this important role at a critical juncture as we pursue our long-term strategic goals,” said Georgia Farm Bureau President Tom McCall. “She will continue serving as a liaison between accounting and the administration at GFB. Rachel’s organizational skills and accounting knowledge continue to serve our members, volunteers, and staff well.”
Before joining Farm Bureau, Mosely worked for McNair, McLemore and Middlebrooks for two years. She was promoted to GFB assistant corporate treasurer & senior director of accounting in 2019.
A Bibb County native, Mosely graduated from Wesleyan College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She earned a master’s degree in accountancy from Georgia College and State University and received her CPA license in 2009.
Mosely and her husband, Matt, are parents of twin boys, Gunnar and Kain.
Jeffrey Harvey continues to serve as GFB’s chief administrative officer. Jeanna Fennell is GFB’s corporate secretary and senior counsel.
WEEDING OUT Regulatory Challenges for Herbicides
By Jay Stone
Since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed its “herbicide strategy” in July 2023, UGA Extension has worked to find ways to help farmers work within it and still protect their crops. EPA created the strategy to give it a more efficient way to get plant crop protection products approved while complying with the Endangered Species Act.
“It would have been ‘game over’ for most of us,” UGA Extension Weed Scientist Stanley Culpepper said. “There was no way if the original proposed rule had moved forward that we would've been able to use these tools in practice.”
Culpepper spoke to Georgia cotton growers as part of the program at the 2025 Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) Annual Meeting on Jan. 29.
The EPA’s original herbicide strategy included requirements for spray drift and runoff mitigation measures that would have placed an unworkable compliance standard on growers, effectively eliminating farm use of herbicides to control weeds, Culpepper said.
EPA said it received more than 10,000 public comments in response to its initial proposed rule.
In search of ways to make rule compliance feasible for farmers, Culpepper arranged for key EPA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials to visit numerous Georgia farms and talk to farmers about how herbicides are used to control weeds that threaten crop yields.
“Every single farmer, no matter who was in the car, they said, ‘Yes, bring them on,’” Culpepper said.
Meanwhile, Culpepper and Taylor Singleton, then a doctoral candidate, developed an alternate way of viewing the runoff issues. Singleton developed a field-specific mapping technique that offered more detailed looks at where protected species are.
The county-wide approach to defining habitat for the reticulated flatwoods salamander applied to more than 951,000 acres statewide. By using the advanced mapping techniques, the covered areas for the salamander were reduced to 3,526 acres. EPA has modified this technique for other use nationwide.
The finalized herbicide strategy that the EPA published in August 2024 gives farmers more flexibility but made the guidance labels more complex. Culpepper said efforts are underway to simplify the labels.
The cotton meeting also included presentations from Cotton Inc., and the National Cotton Council representatives.
National Cotton Council Senior Government Relations Director Jeff Kuckuck said getting a new farm bill is a priority for the NCC, but it could take a back seat in Congress to tax measures and border wall funding espoused by President Donald Trump.
Cotton Incorporated President & CEO William Kimbrell explored the organization's efforts to make cotton competitive with synthetic fibers. These include discussions about sustainability and the development of ToughCotton and TransDry Tech cotton fabrics to rival durability and moisture wicking properties associated with synthetic fibers.
GFB HONORS
Georgia Farm Bureau thrives because of its volunteer members and the activities they do in their communities to promote agriculture. Since 2022, GFB has recognized a volunteer of the year from each of its 10 districts at its annual convention. Congratulations and thank you to the 2024 Georgia Farm Bureau District Volunteers of the Year! From left are: Cecil Oakley, Elbert Co., GFB Dist. 2; Sarah Nichols, Newton Co., GFB Dist. 3; Sammy McCorkle, McDuffie Co., GFB Dist. 4; Cynthia Douglas, Upson Co., GFB Dist. 5; Brad Mason, Jeff Davis Co., GFB Dist. 6; Julie Hardy, Thomas Co., GFB Dist. 9. Recipients not pictured are: Brian Hart, Walker Co., Dist. 1; Whitney Sheppard, Screven Co., Dist. 7; Robin Peavy, Dooly Co., Dist. 8; & Ashley Smith, Coffee Co., GFB Dist. 10./Photo by Jennifer Whitt aker
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PEANUT SHOW
INCLUDES AWARDS & INDUSTRY UPDATES
By Jennifer Whittaker
All things related to Georgia peanuts were highlighted at the 48th Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show & Conference Jan. 16 in Tifton. The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) sponsors the one-day event each year. The day began with an awards breakfast honoring an Outstanding Peanut Farmer from each GPC district. Congratulations to Martine Phillips, GPC Dist. 1; Billy Senkbeil, GPC Dist. 2; Daniel Johnson, GPC Dist. 3; Wayne Peavy, GPC Dist. 4 & Sauls Partnership, GPC Dist. 5.
Dena Malsom, National Peanut Board (NPB) vice president of marketing and communications & chief marketing officer, gave an update on the work NPB is doing to promote U.S. peanuts.
“Since 2001, the National Peanut Board has invested over $48 million in peanut research to make sure the quality of peanuts is something we enjoy eating every day and to help growers increase your yield,” Malsom said.
To increase demand for peanut products, Malsom said the NPB is focusing its advertising efforts on Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012 who are ages 13-28.
“If you don’t see our marketing efforts it’s because we’re advertising on social media and streaming platforms geared towards Gen Z, which is really focused on health. Peanuts have a beautiful story to tell,” Malsom said.
The NPB is also working to return peanut products to school menus. Malsom said about 50% of U.S. schools don’t serve peanut products.
“We want schools and colleges to know they can safely serve peanuts despite students with allergies,” Malsom said. “We’re
The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) recognized individuals & businesses for their service to the peanut industry & promotion of peanuts. From left, GPC Chairman Joe Boddiford congratulates the award recipients: Research & Education Award - UGA professor Dr. Tim Brenneman; Distinguished Service Award - Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service President T.E. Moye Jr.; Media Award - WALB Anchor Karla Heath-Sands accepted for Jim Wallace, retired WALB-TV anchor; & Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award recipient Ryan Ireland of Turner County.
providing operating plans for schools to follow to safely serve peanuts.”
Last fall, the NPB introduced Little Peanut, a toy plushie, to educate parents and healthcare providers that feeding small amounts of peanut foods to infants at the right stage of development – typically around 4 to 6 months of age –can help prevent children from developing a peanut allergy. Parents can learn more at www.littlepeanut.tips/growingadventurous-eaters/
GPC Chairman Joe Boddiford, left, congratulates Georgia Farm Bureau 1st Vice President Daniel Johnson for being named the GPC Dist. 3 Outstanding Peanut Farmer of the Year. Other GPC District Peanut Farmers of the Year were: Martine Phillips, GPC Dist. 1; Billy Senkbeil, GPC Dist. 2; Wayne Peavy, GPC Dist. 4 & Sauls Partnership, GPC Dist. 5.
KOEHLER TO RETIRE IN ’26
GPC Executive Director Don Koehler announced his plans to retire Aug. 1, 2026, at which time he will have served 40 years .
“I love each and every Georgia peanut farmer. You have been my life for 38 and a half years. Koehler said. “I think it’s my obligation to help facilitate a smooth transition.”
The GPC has begun searching for his replacement.
“We are looking for someone with a huge passion for agriculture, specifically peanuts,” GPC Chairman Joe Boddiford said. “The Georgia Peanut Commission needs someone with great leadership qualities, exceptional communication talents and who is a strong advocate for Georgia’s peanut farmers.”
For details about the position, visit gapeanuts.com/ executivedirector
Do you have a special farm dog that herds or guards your livestock? Maybe it keeps you company as you do your daily chores and provides stress relief. Maybe it has done something heroic.
Georgia Farm Bureau is accepting entries for its 2025 Georgia Farm Dog Contest until 10:59 p.m. on May 1 or until 200 entries are accepted. Contest is open to GFB members ages 18 and over. The grand prize winner will receive a $500 gift card and be recognized at the 2025 Sunbelt Ag Expo. For contest rules and the criteria dogs will be judged by, visit https://gfb.ag/25farmdogcontest
Special thanks to GFB Insurance and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture for helping GFB sponsor the contest!
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
FOUND IN LANIER COUNTY DEER
By Jennifer Whittaker
A deer killed in Lanier County by a hunter in January is the first in Georgia to test positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) announced Jan. 23. The deer was tested as part of routine surveillance for CWD.
The sample was taken from a 2 ½-year-old male white-tailed deer hunted on private property. WRD has implemented a CWD Response Plan and is taking additional samples from the area.
“I want to assure our hunters that deer hunting will continue to thrive in Georgia, despite this current discovery,” said Georgia DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon. “Working together with our hunters and all Georgians, we will manage CWD and maintain healthy deer herds.”
CWD is a fatal neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by misfolded proteins called prions. There are no treatments nor preventative vaccines. CWD prions shed into the environment are not destroyed by heat, freezing temperatures, drying out nor sunlight.
The DNR CWD Response Plan is in effect and a CWD Management Area has been established, which includes the county where the positive sample was found and any county that touches a 5-mile radius around the location of the positive sample. The current CWD Management Area includes Lanier and Berrien counties.
DNR is now determining how far CWD has spread and the percent of deer with CWD in the management area. DNR will do that with landowner cooperation through “cluster sampling” and testing deer killed via deer crop depredation permits.
CWD was first discovered in 1967 in Fort Collins, Colorado, and has been reported in 36 states and 5 Canadian provinces: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
There is no known transmission of CWD to humans, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that hunters harvesting a deer, elk, or moose from an area known to have CWD test the animal for CWD before consuming the meat. Meat from an animal that tests positive should not be eaten. Unlike viruses and bacteria, cooking the meat does not kill diseased prions.
CWD isn’t known to infect pets, cattle or other livestock, the Georgia DNR says. Visit https://georgiawildlife.com/CWD for more information.
TO PREVENT SPREADING CWD
• Don’t move live deer. This is the greatest risk for introducing CWD to new areas.
• Dispose of carcasses properly. Don’t bring whole carcasses into Georgia from out of state or move them outside a CWD Management Area. Any carcass parts you don’t plan to eat should be sent to a landfill or buried deep to prevent scavaging.
• Report sick/abnormal deer to your nearest WRD Office.
OUR TOP DONORS IN 2024
The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture thanks everyone who supported our organization during 2024. On behalf of all students, teachers, and farmers who benefit from your support, we appreciate you! We couldn't have achieved so much this year without your help. Whether you supported an event, provided an in-kind donation, or made a general donation, we celebrate our GFA family of supporters. Below is a listing of organizations, companies, county Farm Bureaus and in-kind donors over $500. Hurricane Relief Fund Donations have been recognized on pages 10-11
Cartecay Vineyards
Center For Puppetry Arts
Chapman Trading / Magnolia Loom
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
AgGeorgia Farm Credit
AgSouth Farm Credit
Alliant Insurance Services
Anthem BCBS Healthcare Plan of GA
Atlanta Fire & Restoration Service Inc
Cardinal Investment Advisors
Chapman Trading / Magnolia Loom
Clover Leaf Gin, Inc.
Curtis Packing Company/Georgia Best
Brand Meats
Edward Jones Investment
Five Star Credit Union
Full Blown Firearms
Ga. Farm Bureau Insurance District 10
Georgia Farm Bureau - Field Services
Georgia Farm Bureau Incorporated
Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance
Company
Great American Insurance
GRESCO
Gulf Breeze Enterprises, Inc.
Harley Langdale, Jr. Foundation, Inc.
James-Bates-Brannan-Groover LLP
MAR-JAC Poultry, Inc.
Marsh McLennan
National Peanut Buying Points Association
PCOM South Georgia
PENCO Holdings, LLC
Penco Restoration Newnan
Penco Restoration Northeast Georgia
Premium Peanut
Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, Inc.
The Dairy Alliance
Tidewater Equipment Company
Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association
Triple Creek Cattle, LLC
Truist Bank
Villa Rica Shotgun Team
Wipfli LLP
Young, Thagard, Hoffman, LLP
Abenity
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Atlanta History Center
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Aussie Acres Ranch
BarkBox
Beautiful Briny Sea
Berry's Christmas Tree Farm
Big Sandy Creek Dairy Farm
Biron Organic Teas
Bull and Briar
Calhoun Produce
Coral Hospitality
Dawson County Farm Bureau
Edward Rowan Art
Egg Harbor Cafe
Ellis Bros. Pecans
Fifth Group Restaurants
Food Well Alliance
Fresh Harvest
Georgia Agricultural Commodity
Commission for Peanuts
Georgia Farm Bureau
Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.
Georgia Grown Citrus at Jo Nina Farm
Georgia Pecan Growers Association
Georgia Tech Athletic Association
Godfreys Feed
Grainger
Gwinnett Stripers
High Museum of Art
Hilton Garden Inn Tifton
Huff Harrington
Hunter Cattle Co.
Jom III Gallery LLC
Kendra Scott
Lane Southern Orchards
Life Line Screening
Macon Memorabilia
MAR-JAC Poultry, Inc.
Monk, George B.
Newton County Farm Bureau
Panaprint
Pappas Restaurants
Paulk Vineyards
PCOM South Georgia
Penn, Tabitha // Farm Farms
Perry Lane Hotel Savannah
Peyton Elizabeth Photography
Piedmont Brewery
Pretoria Fields
Richland Rum Distillery
Shaw Inc.
Sonesta
South Georgia Banking Company
Southern Proper
Springer Mountain Farms
Strategic Promotions, Inc.
Stripling's General Store-Tifton
Stuckey's Corporation
Tellus Science Museum
Texas Roadhouse Macon Georgia
The Dairy Alliance
The Westin Jekyll Island
Tito's Handmade Vodka
Total Wine & More
Wholesome Wave Georgia
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Yancey Brothers Caterpillar
Zoo Atlanta
Atkinson County Farm Bureau
Barrow County Farm Bureau
Ben Hill County Farm Bureau
Carroll County Farm Bureau
Cobb County Farm Bureau
Cook County Farm Bureau
Floyd County Farm Bureau
Gwinnett County Farm Bureau
Hancock County Farm Bureau
Harris County Farm Bureau
Henry County Farm Bureau
Jasper County Farm Bureau
Jeff Davis County Farm Bureau
Jones County Farm Bureau
Newton County Farm Bureau
Oconee County Farm Bureau
Schley County Farm Bureau
So. Fulton County Farm Bureau
Spalding County Farm Bureau
Walton County Farm Bureau
I N D I V I
A huge thank you to every individual who donated during the 2024 year. Scan the QR code below to find your name on our website!
Every effort has been made to present a complete list of donors over $500 who made financial or in-kind gifts between January 1December 31, 2024. If we have omitted or misspelled your name, please accept our greatest apologies and contact the GFA Office
To learn more about supporting the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, please scan the QR Code above or visit our website! gafoundationag.org/ donate
The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture is developing a pipeline for Georgia’s next generation of farmers and agricultural leaders. Through early exposure to agriculture, classroom learning, higher education, farm-based mentorship and professional learning, our programs provide a structured path that sparks a passion for agriculture
SEED
Planting seeds of inspiration for elementary learners and Georgia teachers through agricultural STEM resources and a state-of-the-art mobile educational classroom, The Georgia Ag Experience
GROW
Deepening higher education experiences through an ongoing ag scholarship program
HARVEST
Providing support for Georgia producers to equip them with the necessary tools to address challenges and harvest opportunities for successful careers in agriculture.
GROW Program
High School: $3,000
+$1,000 for top 3 recipients College (Junior/Senior): $2,000 Technical School: $1,500
Veterinary Medicine: $2,000
Investing in Georgia’s Future Ag Leaders
GFA proudly supports students pursuing careers in agriculture through its scholarship program In 2024, we awarded $65,000 in scholarships to 24 outstanding students from 63 counties, helping them further their education at universities, colleges, and technical schools across Georgia.
Scholarship applications are due every year in March!
GFA made a big impact in 2024 scan the QR code below to explore our full annual report and see the difference we made together!
2024 AT A GLANCE
GENERAL GIVING
EARNED INCOME & EVENTS
INVESTMENT INCOME
PROGRAM GIVING
$2,580,970
SEED Program
GFB COUNTY FUNDS IN KIND DONATIONS
OTHER HURRICANE GIVING
In 2024, the SEED Program continued its mission to inspire Georgia’s next generation of agricultural leaders through innovative, STEM-focused education.
Mobile Ag Classroom: Traveled 32,000 miles over 190 days, reaching 89 counties our biggest year yet. We are moving toward reaching all 159 Georgia counties having visited 152 counties since 2021
STEM Challenge: Hosted two statewide competitions, engaging 200+ classes and celebrating 10 winning classes across various categories
Teacher Engagement: Delivered 12 monthly newsletters to nearly 5,000 teachers, providing agfocused curriculum, hands-on challenges, and grant opportunities to enhance agricultural education.
HARVEST Program
HARVEST Program 2024
Timeline
Winter: Kicked off with Mental Health Day @ The Capitol and trained new GFB Presidents on farm stress resources.
Spring: Presented mental health initiatives to Resilient Georgia and supported Farm Stress Summit 2024.
Summer: Completed the AFBF State Survey Guide, hosted mental health sessions for Young Farmers & Ranchers, and strengthened partnerships with Fort Valley State University.
Fall: Finalized mini-grant awards, presented the State Planning Guide, and led breakout sessions for farm families and spouses.
YF&R Update
Make plans to attend GFB YF&R Conference in July
By Levi Davis
Members of the 2025 YF&R Committee are from left: Bailey Rayfield, Cook Co., GFB Dist. 10; Tucker & Emily West, Taliaferro Co., GFB Dist. 4; Chelsea & J.T. Sumner, Thomas Co., GFB Dist. 9; Caitlyn & Christian Crispell, Tattnall Co., GFB Dist. 7; Vice Chairs Nicole & Cole Roper, Franklin Co., GFB Dist. 2; Luke Andrews & Committee Chairwoman Allie Andrews, Lamar Co., GFB Dist. 5; Cam Floyd (Joni not pictured), Douglas Co., GFB Dist. 3; Lindsay & Statham Sapp, Wilcox Co., GFB Dist. 8; Sarah & Garrett Hurley, Chattooga Co., GFB Dist. 1; and Haley & Seth Scruggs, Bibb Co., GFB Dist. 6.
This will be an exciting year for participants in Georgia Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Programs! YF&R opportunities are open to any Farm Bureau member ages 18-35 interested in agriculture. Our program is open to all in this age group who work in any agricultural sector – farming, ranching, ag lenders, ag teachers, ag product representatives, ag marketers, etc. College students who are enthusiastic about farming are also welcome.
GFB will hold its annual YF&R Summer Conference July 16-19 on Jekyll Island. This event is a great way for young people who love agriculture to network with other agriculturalists, sharpen their leadership skills, hear updates on current ag issues and learn more about Farm Bureau while having fun. The conference is kid friendly.
A cornerstone of GFB’s YF&R program is our award programs: the GFB Achievement Award in Agriculture; GFB Excellence in Agriculture Award, and GFB Discussion Meet. The Achievement Award recognizes YF&R members for their farming operations and leadership activities. The Excellence in Agriculture Award honors YF&R members who earn most of their income off the farm but are ag advocates. The Discussion Meet simulates a meeting where
participants talk about current ag issues and explore possible solutions.
GFB encourages existing and potential YF&R members to apply for our awards and participate in our YF&R activities. Award winners will be announced at the summer conference. State winners will represent GFB at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention next January in Anaheim, California.
Registration information for the conference, GFB YF&R awards and the annual YF&R Photo Contest was released in early March. Look for information on GFB social media or contact your county Farm Bureau.
Visit www.gfb.ag/yfr or contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information about the awards, photo contest and to register for the conference.
June 1: Deadline for YF&R Awards and conference registration
June 13: YFR Photo Contest entry deadline
Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Coordinator Levi Davis may be reached at ledavis@gfb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5233 for more information. Contact your county Farm Bureau if you’d like to get involved with your local YF&R program.
Photo by Jay Stone
THURMOND WINS 2ND PLACE IN AFBF DISCUSSION MEET
By Jay Stone
Cain Thurmond of Jackson County finished second nationally in the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Discussion Meet to headline Georgia Farm Bureau’s entries in AFBF’s YF&R competitive events.
Cason Anderson of Houston County competed for the AFBF YF&R Achievement Award, which recognizes farmers who earn most of their income from production agriculture. Kaitlyn and Kaleb Marchant of Oglethorpe County vied for the AFBF YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award, which highlights agriculturalists who earn most of their income from off-farm sources.
Georgia’s Cleve Jackson, of Floyd County, was named to the AFBF YF&R Committee for 2025-2027. Jackson served the last two years on the GFB YF&R Committee and chaired it in 2024.
Thurmond receives a $25,000 credit toward a new Case IH piece of equipment (value of $25,000). Case IH, located in Racine, Wisconsin, is the sponsor of the 2nd-place runner-up award. His second-place finish was the highest by a Georgia competitor since Steve Wilson of Henry County won the event in 1980. Thurmond was Georgia’s first Final Four qualifier since Becca Creasy of Bulloch County in 2019.
Abby Campbell of Ohio won the competition. In the Final Four round, she, Thurmond and other finalists Hayden
Ballard of Utah and John Norwood of North Carolina sought ideas to facilitate access and ownership of agricultural land for beginning farmers.
The discussion meet is a series of committee-style meetings in which contestants hash over solutions related to a specific ag-related topic. Thurmond was one of 32 state contestants.
Thurmond is a system relationship manager with Farm Credit Services of America. He and his wife, Whitney, live in Jefferson. The Thurmonds own the Storey Garden & Grove, a Christmas tree farm scheduled to open winter 2026. They also have a small pecan orchard.
A first-generation farmer who lives in Perry, Anderson grows 1,020 acres of pecans in multiple counties. He also grows sweet corn and provides custom farm work. Anderson is the Houston County Farm Bureau corporate secretary and YF&R chairman. He represented GFB’s 8th District on the state YF&R Committee in 2019-2021.
The Marchants, who live in Winterville, actively promote agriculture in their community. Kaitlyn is the Georgia Department of Education’s North Region ag education coordinator. Kaleb is pursuing a PhD from UGA and manages the UGA Double Bridges Farm Beef & Sheep unit. They served on the GFB YF&R Committee in 2023-24.
Georgia competitors in AFBF YF&R events were, from left, Kaleb & Kaitlyn Marchant, Excellence in Agriculture; Cason Anderson, Achievement Award & Cain Thurmond, Discussion Meet.
Photo by Levi Davis
AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee member Cleve Jackson
Photo by Jay Stone
PANNELL WINS GFB HAY CONTEST
Walton County Farm Bureau member Neal Pannell won the 2024 GFB Quality Bermudagrass Hay Contest. Pannell won the contest with hay that had a Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) test score of 145.95. As the first-place winner, Pannell receives the free use of a Vermeer mower-conditioner for one year, courtesy of Vermeer. He will have the option to buy the equipment at a reduced price at the end of the year.
GFB also congratulates the runner-up winners: 2nd place - Will Cabe of Franklin Co. for hay with an RFQ of 145.41; 3rd placeTony Petty of Bartow Co. for hay with an RFQ of 139.20 ; 4th place - Paul H. Kelly Sr. of Jasper Co. for hay with an RFQ of 138.20; and 5th place - Eddy Turner of Washington Co. for hay with an RFQ of 138.12.
Cabe won a $200 gift card and gift bag. Petty, Kelly and Turner each won a $100 gift card and gift bag sponsored by GFB.
GFB offers an online hay directory at https://www.gfb.org/join/hay You must be a GFB member to list hay for sale. Anyone who entered the 2024 GFB Hay Contest is eligible to list their hay for free. The cost to list hay in the directory if you didn’t enter the contest is $10 and may be submitted at any time. Contact Jeremy Taylor at 800342-1196 or jrtaylor@gfb.org for more information.
GFB Hay Committee Chairman Harry Thompson, left, congratulates Neal Pannell for winning the GFB Hay Contest!/Photo by Kenny Burgamy
Women's Leadership Update WLC ready to educate, advocate & lead!
By Heather King
The 2025 Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee (WLC) is looking forward to a great year of educating consumers and students about agriculture, advocating for our industry, and helping Farm Bureau women develop their leadership potential!
We have a great group of enthusiastic district chairwomen who are looking forward to promoting agriculture and helping ladies in their districts do the same.
Planning is underway for this year’s district Women’s Leadership meetings that will begin this spring and run throughout the year. At these events attendees usually tour a farm, hear an educational lesson or informative speaker, do a hands-on activity, and enjoy networking with other female Farm Bureau members. Be on the lookout for announcements about the 2025 meetings from your county offices and on the Friends of Georgia Farm Bureau Facebook group.
Many thanks to the ladies who represented GFB at the Annual Meeting of the American Farm Bureau Women in San Antonio, Texas, at the AFBF Convention in January. GFB delegates were: Alicia Berry, Missie Petty, Carol McQueen, Angie Roberts, Romy Strickland, Jane Wooten, Lauren Stanley, Lindsey Morgan, Donna Barrett, Terri Marks and Lisa Rainwater.
In November, the GFB WLC hosted its 3rd Annual Women in Ag Summit in Savannah to provide personal and professional development to women in Georgia agriculture. Breakout sessions covered topics such as poultry myths, mental health, public service, Ag in the Classroom, social media strategies, and the online educational tools about agriculture Georgia Public Broadcasting offers.
Cattle rancher turned motivational speaker, Kiah Twisselman Burchett, delivered an uplifting and encouraging keynote address on finding joy and overcoming hardships. Summit attendees also participated in a service project where they made blankets to donate to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire.
Women’s Leadership activities can range from teaching an Ag in the Classroom lesson at your local school or library, hosting a legislative event, or manning an exhibit at a local festival to promote agriculture to consumers. Please reach out to your county Farm Bureau if you’re interested in getting involved.
Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Program Coordinator Heather King may be reached at hcking@gfb.org or 478-4740679, ext. 5232. Contact your county Farm Bureau if you’d like to volunteer with your local Women’s Leadership Committee.
Members of the 2025 Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee are from left: Chairwoman Julie Hardy, Thomas Co., GFB Dist. 9; Vice Chairwoman Alicia Berry, Sumter Co., GFB Dist. 8; Missie Petty, Murray Co., GFB Dist.1; Anna Strickland, Madison Co., GFB Dist. 2; Carol McQueen, Henry Co., GFB Dist. 3; Angie McCorkle Roberts, McDuffie Co., GFB Dist. 4; Romy Strickland, Spalding Co., GFB Dist. 5; Jane Wooten, Jeff Davis Co., GFB Dist. 6; Lauren Stanley, Toombs Co., GFB Dist. 7; & Lindsey Johnson Morgan, Pierce Co., GFB Dist. 10.
GFB Federation Ambassadors Announced
The GFB Federation Ambassadors kicked off their year with a weekend orientation at the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) office in Macon on Jan. 24-25. Promoting GFB, its members and membership opportunities, and sharing the important role of agriculture in Georgia is the ambassador team’s purpose.
During their orientation, the ambassadors did team building exercises, met GFB staff, and learned about Farm Bureau. They also adopted a mission statement for their year of service: To engage and inspire Georgia’s current and future agriculturalists while equipping them with the information and resources GFB provides.
The ambassadors will promote GFB through a variety of member recruitment, public relations and brand awareness campaigns. Ambassadors will work alongside GFB staff and industry professionals on projects and events throughout Georgia. Their year will conclude at the 2025 GFB Convention.
Federation ambassadors are chosen for their interpersonal skills, passion for ag advocacy, innovative thinking and overall enthusiasm. To serve as an ambassador, candidates must be over the age of 18 when selected, commit to the hours of service and present an exceptional application. They must maintain good academic standing while serving.
To learn more about the program, contact Keaton Walker at kgwalker@gfb. org, visit www.gfb.ag/ambassadors or follow @gafarmbureau on Facebook and Instagram.
Meet the 2025 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Federation Ambassadors, from left: Vera Tyre, Bacon Co.; Wyatt Hammons, Clarke Co.; Riley Metzger, Effingham Co.; Kaleb Chambers, Carroll Co.; Natalie Wisekal, Houston Co.; Adam Caudell, Habersham Co.; & Rachel Hayes, Decatur Co./
Photo by Keaton Walker
Ag in the Classroom Update
GFB accepting nominations for AITC Teacher Award
By Lauren Goble
The Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Teacher of the Year award recognizes educators who excel at incorporating agriculture into their lessons while meeting Georgia curriculum standards. Agricultural concepts provide valuable connections to science, technology, engineering, math (STEM); science, technology, engineering, art, math (STEAM); and science, technology, emotional learning, art, and math (STREAM).
This award highlights the importance of teaching students how agriculture impacts their daily lives. County Farm Bureaus are invited to nominate teachers who do an exceptional job in bringing agriculture to life. GFB will recognize one of these teachers as the 2025 Georgia Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year.
Erin Pringle, the 2024 award winner, received $500 sponsored by Georgia EMC and $2,000 to attend the 2025 National Ag in the Classroom Conference, courtesy of the
Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and Georgia Farm Bureau. She is an instructional effectiveness coach at Henry County’s Unity Grove Elementary School. Visit gfb.ag/pringle24aitcteacher to learn more about Pringle’s innovative approach to agricultural education. Pringle’s program flourishes through strong community partnerships, especially with the Henry County Farm Bureau (HCFB). HCFB volunteers assist with hands-on activities, garden projects, and reading books to classrooms. She also collaborates with local high school FFA students to create lessons and activities for grades K-5.
• May 16 is deadline to submit applications. The winner receives $500 & a paid trip to the 2026 National Ag in the Classroom Conference.
• High school/middle school/elementary school ag teachers are not eligible for this award.
• Teacher should have a close partnership with their local Farm Bureau.
• If interested in applying, contact your local Farm Bureau office. Visit www.gfb.ag/contact to find your county Farm Bureau’s contact information.
• Applications must be submitted online. Visit www.gfb. ag/teacheraward for more information & to apply.
2025 National AITC Conference
• June 23-26/ Minneapolis, MN
• Visit www.agclassroom.org/conference/ for more information & to register.
Georgia Farm Bureau Educational Program Coordinator Lauren Goble may be reached at ldgoble@gfb.org or 478-4740679, ext. 5135. Visit www.gfb.ag/AITC for the latest AITC news & for resources to teach children how their food is grown.
Henry County educator Erin Pringle, second from right, is Georgia Farm Bureau’s 2024 Georgia Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year! GFB President Tom McCall, right, presented the award to Pringle along with, from left, Georgia Foundation for Agriculture Executive Director Lily Baucom and Georgia EMC Public Relations Representative Andy Paul.
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