Georgia Ag News November 2011 Edition

Georgia

AG News

Inside: Fall harvest produce. Page 2 4-H environment classes. Page 5 White House turkey. Page 9 Avoiding roadway deer. Page 11

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ee

November 2011

North Georgia’s Agricultural Newspaper

Peanut butter may soon see higher prices

By David B. Strickland Georgia Ag News Staff dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

GAINESVILLE — Georgia is the number one producing state for several agricultural crops, and one of them is currently making headlines because of potentially rising prices.

The peanut industry — a crop where Georgia produces approximately half of the nation’s supply — is presently looking at a situation of low supply and high demand.

The hot summer weather also did its damage to the state’s peanut crop. The drought, compounded with other

See Peanuts, Page 7

Photo courtesy of National Turkey Federation

The holiday meal: Turkey, the centerpiece of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, will be abundantly served again this year. The National Turkey Federation recommends, when purchasing, to allow for 1 pound of uncooked turkey per person from an 8 to 12 pound bird. Larger turkeys have a larger proportion of meat to bones, so approximately 3/4 pound per person should be fine — with leftovers remaining for turkey sandwiches.

Thanksgiving traditions

By Barbara Olejnik Georgia Ag News Staff bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

GAINESVILLE — As the year winds down, Thanksgiving is viewed as ushering in the start of the holiday season. The day is filled with what have come to be seen as traditional observances — including the Thanksgiving Day parade, the family meal featuring turkey and an afternoon watch-

ing a football game.

But where did all of these observances come from?

Thanksgiving itself was observed in various ways before being established as the day recognized today.

Most people attribute the origin of Thanksgiving to a 1621 event when Plymouth, Mass., settlers held a harvest feast

See Turkey, Page 8

Photo by David B. Strickland

Georgia’s peanuts: Georgia — the nation’s number one producer of peanuts — is experiencing its lowest crop of peanuts in years.

Drought and low acreage, combined with supply and demand, may result in higher prices for such items as peanut butter.

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GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

Fall harvest is great time for cool weather produce

By Steven Thomas

Special to Georgia Ag News

GAINESVILLE — Fall is a wonderful time for the vegetable garden. Cooler weather brings back the crops seen only for a short period in early spring, as well as some welcome additions only available at this time of year.

The best of the fall crops has to be the return of lettuce and similar greens. Here in North Georgia, the spring harvest is usually cut too short by the onset of very hot weather. With the coming of fall, once again we can enjoy fresh lettuce in its many varieties.

At the Historic Downtown Market On The Square in Gainesville on Friday afternoons, local farmer Glen Cook offers a mixed bag of greens.

Red leaf, green leaf, arugula, mustard greens and turnip greens are among the varieties.

These are sold mixed or separately in bags or whole heads and bunches. These greens are, of course, good when making salads. I use them in soup; gather a bunch and roll like a big cigar, then slice thinly giving you nice shreds of greens. Toss into the soup for about the last 2 or 3 minutes. The arugula and mustard greens have a very peppery taste; so don’t season the soup with pepper until serving.

Turnips are a highly underrated fall vegetable. Turnips are great in soups and stews, but my favorite way to eat them is roasted. Olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and some crumbled bay leaves make them a treat to eat.

Beets are back! There are so many things to do with beets and they are so good for you. Again, roasting is my favorite; blanch the beets in boiling water for 20

minutes first as they are very hard to begin with.

Toss with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and roast Thomas for 40 minutes. I usually do this even when putting them in a salad, but they hardly ever get further than roasted and eaten. A great way to use raw beets is to peel them with a speed peeler or vegetable peeler. Just keep peeling and turning the beet until all you have is thin, crispy raw ribbons of beets. Toss with fresh-squeezed orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and add to a salad. This is probably the healthiest way to use beets in your diet.

Green beans are still in season, so this is not only a good time to add them to your dinner menu, but to buy in bulk and freeze them for winter. Trim the ends, blanch in boiling water for a few minutes, plunge into ice water, pat dry and put them into baggies for freezing.

Divide them into serving sizes based on how many people you are feeding. This way, you only need to pull out a bag, defrost and cook them. I put them back into boiling water for 5 minutes or so, then sauté them in butter and garlic.

Butternut squash is the big gift of fall. This is a great vegetable to use in so many different dishes. First, there is no reason to peel a butternut squash; the skin becomes soft and a bit chewy. Cut in half; remove the seeds (but save them). Roast the squash, coated with a little olive oil, until soft. Add to soup stock, simmer and puree for a

great soup served with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkle of paprika. Again, I like mine roasted; cut into eight wedges, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and sprinkle on some paprika and dried oregano. Roast until soft for a wonderful side dish. As for the seeds, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them to put on top of salads or for a tasty snack; they are just like toasted pumpkin seeds.

Among the other kinds of fall produce available are onions and shallots, potatoes, some yellow squash and zucchini, late tomatoes, eggplant and early apples.

These crops will be coming in for the next month, so get them while you can. Some, such as butternut squash, turnips, beets and potatoes will last in the pantry or fridge until late November or early December.

You can find these vegetables at the market each Friday on the square in downtown Gainesville until at least November 18, although the market may open for a week or two after Thanksgiving if the fall crop is good. The market is open from 2:30-6:30 p.m., and includes local craftspeople with some excellent gift items for your holiday shopping list.

For information about The Historic Downtown Gainesville Market On The Square, and the other Hall County markets, go to http://www.hallfarmers.org; and on Facebook at http://www. facebook.com/hallfarmers.

Steven Thomas is market manager of the Historic Downtown Gainesville Market on the Square. He can be reached at 678-943-4442; by e-mail at steve@hallfarmers.org; or the web site http://www.hallfarmers.org.

School lunch week promotes nutrition at Georgia school DECATUR — On Oct. 14, U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan highlighted positive changes in the school meals programs to promote childrens’ health during National School Lunch Week (Oct. 10-14).

Merrigan joined students, staff, and local farmers to celebrate National School Lunch Week and Farm to School Month at Carl G. Renfroe Middle School in Decatur, Ga. USDA, along with its partners, celebrated the program’s accomplishments, including the achievements of HealthierUS School Challenge honorees and the enactment of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

“We know that children are America’s greatest treasure and contributing to their health is one of our most important jobs we have at USDA,” said Merrigan. “The Obama administration has enacted historic reforms in USDA’s school meals programs but our work has just begun and our commitment to improving the quality and standards of food in our schools, coupled with efforts to increase physical activity, will help more kids to lead healthier lifestyles and put them on a path to win the future.”

Since President Obama signed the HHFKA into law last December, USDA has worked to implement the act’s reforms, including provisions to simplify program administration, expand access and improve nutrition in school meals, the department noted. And more than 1,500 schools across the country have made improvements as part of the Healthier US School Challenge, a key component of first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation. Participating schools voluntarily adopt USDA standards for food they serve at their schools, agree to provide nutrition education and offer greater opportunities for physical activity.

The theme of this year’s National School Lunch Week was “School Lunch – Let’s Grow Healthy” and placed special emphasis on Farm to School efforts.

This year also marked the first time that October was recognized as Farm to School Month. The initiative connects schools with regional or local farms to serve healthy meals using locally produced foods.

“Farm to school activities bring fresh, locally-produced food into school meals while providing our hardworking farmers with new marketing opportunities and school children with the chance to learn about how food is produced and

See Lunches, Page 6

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

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Keeping your poultry house dry in winter

By Michael Wheeler Special to Georgia Ag News

GAINESVILLE — Poultry house ventilation is tricky business. During the winter, ventilation is just as important as it is during the summer.

Winter ventilation is critical for moisture control in the poultry house, air quality and maintaining bird health. A poultry house that is too dry can lead to dust problems, which can irritate the birds and result in high heating costs. On the other hand, one that is too wet has its own set of problems.

This article is simply going to

discuss the science behind how air behaves as it enters and goes through the poultry house during the winter.

Anyone who Wheeler is growing commercial poultry, contact your local field service representative to discuss how to better set up your farm for wintertime ventilation.

In order to properly control moisture, the moist inside air

must be replaced with cooler outside air. This isn’t as simple as it may seem because of the temperature difference between the two sources of air.

Cold air will not hold a lot of moisture, but warm air will.

The more moisture that is held in the air and carried throughout the poultry house, the drier the poultry house will become as moisture from the litter is wicked away.

If the cold air is allowed to simply drop in from the inlets, it will go straight to the floor and chill the birds. So the critical thing all poultry growers

Deer hunting’s special time of year

By Caleb Copeland

Special to Georgia Ag News

MURRAYVILLE — When I got in the stand this morning I couldn’t help but think ahead to the rut. This was the first cold morning and the deer were on the move.

This is the special time that I have spoken of so many times before. Getting to sit here in God’s creation with the deer on the move, there is no place I would rather be.

While I was getting settled in and got the tree arm set up, there was a small buck bumping and pushing a doe down the trail by the stand.

Being mid-October at the Copeland time, it was a sign of things to come. The buck felt the cold and knew it was getting close to breeding time so he was just going to check the doe to see if she was receptive, but being unseasonably cold right now, she was not ready yet and she wanted nothing to do with this small buck.

I have been getting reports from several hunting buddies from around the state with these same sightings. We must finally be over the lull from early season to deer being on the acorns, soon now will be the pre-rut.

This part of the season is when the big boys usually hit the ground. When it’s the rut, they forget all wisdom and know nothing but eating and

breeding. Big bucks will now get on their feet and look for any doe that might be ready to breed.

They will literally run themselves to death in some cases. Many times when you are hunting and a buck comes by during the peak rut, he will not even stop when you try and stop him. He has nothing else on his mind.

Here in North Georgia there is not a really defined rut. Where I hunt, most of the time, there is a week around Thanksgiving when I see bucks bumping does and rutting hard. Other than that, the rut is not really much to mention. In other parts of the county the rut lasts for weeks and some note their whole season revolves around this time of year. I know some guys that plan their vacation for the month of November, so they can travel and hunt the ruts in different states.

For more info on the rut, or for some info on filming your own hunt send me an e-mail at drt@drthunting.net.

Hunt hard and hunt safe . . . and take a kid hunting, they are the future of the sport. l (Firearms deer season (northern zone) began on Oct. 22 and goes through Jan. 1. Check with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at http://www.gohuntgeorgia.com for restrictions.)

Avid hunter Caleb Copeland produces the hunting web site D.R.T. Hunting, which can be reached at http://www.drthunting.net.

must do is to condition the cold air as it comes in to the house.

Conditioning the air is done by bringing in cold air from attic or sidewall inlets at a relatively fast speed so it travels across the ceiling and then gently drops to the floor.

As the cold air comes in, it is at a high relative humidity, and as it moves across the warm ceiling, it warms up and drops in relative humidity. This will help break up the different temperature air layers in the poultry house and more effectively warm the birds. Getting that warm, relatively drier air to the floor will help move moisture out of the litter.

When poultry house conditions are nice and uniform, bird performance improves, heating costs are kept to a minimum, and

the poultry house does not sweat or condense on the inside. All of this helps to make the job of the poultry grower a little easier. But with that all being said, growing poultry is definitely a mix of art and science.

In talking to growers, there seems to be at least a poultry house or two on the farm which behaves differently than the others. Being able to deal with these little issues is a testament to the abilities of our poultry growers here in the county.

Michael Wheeler is the Hall County Extension Coordinator and agricultural Extension agent. He can be reached at 770-535-8293; e-mail at wheelerm@uga.edu; or http://www. hallcounty.org/extension.

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GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

Viewpoint Robotic challenges for poultry plants

By Gary McMurray

Special to Georgia Ag News

ATLANTA — The development of the poultry industry in the state of Georgia and the United States has been an incredible American success story.

From humble roots, this industry evolved from small production facilities selling whole birds to local customers, to larger companies selling products in their specific geographic regions, to the vertically integrated, international companies of today.

Gary McMurray is division chief of the Food Processing Technology Division and principle research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta.

During this evolution, the companies have been able to produce a better product at a lower cost to the customer while McMurray still making a reasonable profit. But, what will the process of poultry production look like in 10-20 years? How will the industry survive against threats from foreign competitors and compete in the global market?

For those of us that work in a research environment, we are constantly asking ourselves the question: how can we do it better? Along with our colleagues

at the University of Georgia, we have been asking the question: how would we change poultry processing if we could start with a completely clean sheet of paper — not be constrained by this is how we do it now, or this is the only way to do it, or this is how we have always done it?

Are there new technologies and methodologies that, if properly implemented, could have a dramatic impact on the industry?

When considering this question, there are a number of measures that any and all ideas could be measured against. This is why the evaluation of any new idea is so incredibly complex. For our work, we suggest the following variables that any idea must be measured against: labor costs, yield, animal welfare, sustain-

For the future of agriculture — avoid dire predictions

By Stewart Truelsen Special to Georgia Ag News

WASHINGTON — Here is a prediction: American farmers and ranchers will be able to feed this nation well into the future if given access to land, water, capital and scientific advances. If you’d like the prediction to be more specific, let’s say the nation’s food supply will be secure until at least the year 2061.

There’s an excellent chance this prediction will Stewart Truelsen is a regular contributor to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Focus on Agriculture series, and is the author of a book marking the AFBF’s 90th anniversary, Forward Farm Bureau.

be true, but it’s hardly the stuff books are written about. A prediction like this would only bring a yawn, and the reader would go back to worrying about dire predictions of economic collapse or the 2012 apocalypse.

Finally, someone has written a book about expert predictions: “Future Babble” by Dan Gardner.

The author claims so-called expert predictions are next to worthless, and we can probably do better ourselves.

The expert predictions that catch our eye are ones predicting doom and gloom. One such book was “Famine 1975!” Written by William and Paul Paddock in 1967, the book predicted food scarcities so severe that food aid would have to be cut off from a few nations leaving their populations

See Truelsen, Page 11

“

Traditional, industrial robots will not work in this industry.

” ability (water and energy) and food safety.

In this column, I would like to concentrate on why robotics will have a big impact on the poultry plant of the future. First, it is important to realize that while robotics has had a huge impact on the automotive and electronics industry, its application to the poultry industry has been very slow in coming. Unlike these other industries, the poultry in-

Corporate Headquarters Poultry Times P.O. Box 1338 Gainesville, Georgia 30503 Telephone: 770-536-2476; 770-718-3444 (after 5:30 p.m.)

Fax: 770-532-4894

General Manager Cindy Wellborn 770-718-3443

cwellborn@poultrytimes.net

Editorial/Advertising Staff Editor David B. Strickland 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net Associate Editor Barbara L. Olejnik 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net Graphic Artist Courtney Canaday 770-718-3437 ccanaday@poultrytimes.net

dustry has a product that is soft, flexible, slippery and not well defined physically. In addition, these other industries do not have to undergo a high pressure washdown at the end of every day. The result is that it is challenging to simply drop a robot into a poultry processing line and expect it to work.

One of the things that I have

See McMurray, Page 10 Account Executive Stacy Louis 770-718-3445 slouis@poultrytimes.net Account Executive Dinah Winfree 770-718-3438 dwinfree@poultrytimes.net

Companion Publications: Poultry Times; A Guide to Poultry Associations; Poultry Resource Guide.

The opinions expressed in this publication by authors other than Georgia Ag News staff are those of the respective author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Georgia Ag News.

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GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

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Georgia 4-H takes learning outside classroom

By Melanie Biersmith Special to Georgia Ag News

ATHENS — Whether a classroom is virtual, at home or in a brick-and-mortar school, learning can happen anywhere. The Georgia 4-H Environmental Education Program uses nature as a classroom for students across the Southeast.

Offered at all five 4-H centers across Georgia, this research-based education program is taught in the unique ecosystems of Georgia, from the mountains, through the Piedmont and to the sea. Wahsega 4-H Center is in the North Georgia mountains of Dahlonega, Fortson 4-H Center is just south of Atlanta in Hampton, Rock Eagle 4-H Center is in the heartland of Georgia in Eatonton, Burton 4-H Center is just outside Savannah on Tybee Island and Jekyll Island 4-H Center is on the barrier island of Georgia

known as “Georgia’s Jewel.”

Going outside Whether they are enrolled in public, private, virtual or homebased schools, students can take advantage of these experiential learning opportunities from September through May of each school year.

The EE program serves kindergarten through 12th grade youths, as well as the teachers, leaders and

chaperones that attend. Experiences range in length from two hours to several days.

Each 4-H center has lodging and a full-service dining hall. A typical three-day/two-night field study includes seven meals, two nights of lodging and approximately 16 hours of education.

EE programs are not typical educational experiences. At one coastal site, students learn marsh ecology by walking into the marsh to feel detritus, hold fiddler crabs and see rare birds like the wood stork or the roseate spoonbill. In the Piedmont, students experience life as a pioneer by using pioneer tools, playing pioneer games and visiting historic sites. In the mountains, a stream ecology lesson takes students into a cool mountain stream to sample and identify macro-invertebrates.

Coalition aims to create food hubs

By Candace M. Pollock Special to Georgia Ag News

ATHENS — Local food hubs may be the next evolution in Georgia’s agricultural industry, turning the state’s largest economic sector into an even larger engine of job creation and rural community revitalization.

Food hubs are infrastructures that provide an outlet for local farmers to get their products into the hands of local businesses. To help develop them, agricultural stakeholders have joined forces to create the Georgia Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Ag partners Key partners include the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Farm Bureau, USDAAgricultural Research Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Georgia Organics and Community Health Works.

The coalition was made possible through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education, or SARE, Planning Grant. One of the coalition’s goals is to create two food hubs in the state within the next five years.

“The goals of the group are to support sustainable agriculture systems and improve rural economies and communities by collaborating to create and deliver science-based information to current and future farm-

ers, students, policymakers and the general public,” said Julia Gaskin. She coordinates UGA Cooperative Extension’s sustainable agriculture programs.

To help create awareness among stakeholders, policymakers, farmers, businesses and others interested in sustainable agriculture and the future of Georgia’s agricultural industry, the coalition held a kick-off event, “Food Hubs for the Future: Growing Georgia’s MidSize Farms,” on Oct. 27.

The featured speaker was Jim Barham, with the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service. A panel discussion included Gary Black, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture; Govind Kannan, Fort Valley State University; Scott Angle, dean of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Alice Rolls, Georgia Organics; and Don McGough, Georgia Farm Bureau.

“We’ve got a strong agricultural industry, and we’ve got all of these great resources,” Gaskin said.

“The purpose of this group is to have a coordinating body that can help leverage and focus those resources in areas where there is sufficient public and private interest.”

More information about the Georgia Sustainable Agriculture Coalition may be obtained at http://extension.uga.edu.

Candace M. Pollock is the public relations coordinator for the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

Different experience Each center provides a different experience.

While each 4-H center provides programming that is unique to its ecosystem, each program shares a common standard for excellence maintaining correlations to the Georgia Performance Standards. The EE program brings school concepts to life and connects students to nature by using nature as a classroom without walls.

While the programs emphasize the sciences, lessons also complement history/social studies, language arts and mathematics and promote team building, skill development, communication and relationship building.

In its rich 31-year history, the EE program has served close to 900,000 youths. The program

reaches a large number of students but the student-to-instructor ratios are kept low, typically at 15:1 or even less. These small learning groups allow students to connect and interact with adults in ways that are not offered in typical school settings.

Georgia 4-H EE also recognizes that every child has a unique learning style and that by presenting new information and concepts in a variety of ways (including visual, auditory and kinesthetic formats) students are more likely to succeed and benefit from the programming.

More information on Georgia 4-H EE may be obtained at http://www.georgia4h.org/ee; or 706-484-2800.

Melanie Biersmith is a Georgia 4H specialist.

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6

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

Garden spiders show themselves in autumn

By Sharon Dowdy

Special to Georgia Ag News

ATHENS — Whether you are an arachnophobe, or you just don’t like the creepy feeling of walking face first into a spider web, most people cringe when they see a spider. A University of Georgia expert says most spiders are actually helpful to keep around.

Brown recluse spiders seem to strike the most fear. Nancy Hinkle gets a lot of calls this time of year from people who think they’ve spotted a brown recluse.

Brown recluse Very few brown recluses live in Georgia.

“We get calls about ‘brown recluse’ spiders being in webs outside people’s houses,” said Hinkle, an entomologist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “There are two fallacies there: brown recluses are never found in webs, and they’re almost never outdoors.”

Hinkle says the spider gets its name for a reason. It’s reclusive and almost never seen. They have been found in less than 20 percent of Georgia counties, mostly in the Northwest corner.

“In all of recorded history, fewer than 100 brown recluse spiders have been collected in Georgia, despite hundreds of pest control operators and entomology students avidly looking for them,” she said.

Web-makers There are plenty of other spiders in Georgia. Barn spiders are to blame for creating the webs most often walked into by people.

“I would bet that almost every home in Georgia has a barn spider on the porch or somewhere nearby this time of year,” she said.

Hinkle has one on her deck, one at her back door, and one at her front door. They’re handy to keep around, she said. Being nocturnal, they construct new webs every evening, where they wait to trap insects. Rusty brown with legs extending 2 inches, they’re noticeable this time of year.

“Their webs trap all sorts of flying pests,” she said. “People get annoyed when they walk into these webs and get silk covering their faces, but I consider that a people problem, not a spider problem.”

The yellow garden spider is one of the longest spiders in Georgia.

Found in gardens and around shrubbery, it constructs large webs. The abdomen has distinctive yellow and black markings while the front part of the body is white.

The female typically remains in one spot throughout her life, repairing or reconstructing her web as it is damaged or ages. Also called the “writing spider,” its web may have a distinctive zigzag of silk through the middle.

Another common Georgia spider is the orb-weaver. It makes

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For firearms safety be sure to ‘ACTT’

Nancy Hinkle/UGA

Spiders in autumn: A female golden garden spider, also known as a writing spider, weaves its web. The golden garden spider’s web may have a distinctive zigzag of silk through the middle.

large webs, too.

Large in fall Spiders have been living in Georgia landscapes all summer.

They’re now just large enough to be really noticed. The first hard frost will kill most of them, Hinkle said. Until then, they are busy mating and producing egg sacs that will overwinter and re-establish the population next spring.

In addition to relying on the spiders to help with outdoor pest control, Hinkle uses them to avoid doing lawn work.

“A golden garden spider has built her web attached to my lawnmower handle,” she said. “Not wanting to disturb her, I haven’t mowed in weeks!”

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

SOCIAL CIRCLE — For the 2010-2011 hunting season, Georgia reported 44 hunting incidents, 22 of which involved firearms. With the opening of firearms deer hunting season, which began on Oct. 22, review the “Four Primary Rules of Firearms Safety” before heading to the woods.

“Ultimately, each hunter is responsible for keeping themselves and others safe while pursuing deer this hunting season,” says Walter Lane, hunter development program manager of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division. “This includes respecting all firearms safety rules and being absolutely certain of their target and what is in front of it and beyond it.”

The “Four Primary Rules of Firearms Safety” is an excellent safety checklist, covered in all hunter education courses and well worth a review by any hunter who utilizes firearms to hunt.

The rules, which can easily be remembered with the acronym ACTT, are as follows: l A — Always treat every firearm as if it were loaded. l C — Control the muzzle of the firearm at all times. l T — Be certain of the Target and what is in front of it and beyond it. l T — Keep your finger outside of the Trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

For more information on firearms safety, visit http://www.gohuntgeorgia.com, or contact the WRD’s Hunter Education office at 770-761-3010.

•Lunches (Continued from page 2)

harvested — a win-win situation all around,” Merrigan said.

During National School Lunch Week, USDA, along with its partners, highlighted the positive changes in the school meals programs to promote children’s health and celebrated the program’s accomplishments, including the achievements of HealthierUS School Challenge honorees and the enactment of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

The law takes new steps to address childhood obesity by setting nutritional standards for foods sold in schools, updating requirements for school wellness policies and providing more nutritional information to parents, the department added. It also works to eliminate hunger during the school day by increasing the number of eligible children enrolled in school meal programs and removing barriers to school meals for children most in need.

USDA also noted that that the Let’s Move! initiative has collaborated with individuals and organizations across the nation to bring more than 800 salad bars to schools, providing thousands of children with greater access to fruits and vegetables. School nutrition professionals, chefs, students, parents and communities have also used their talents to develop nutritious foods for schools through the Recipes for Healthy Kids competition and the Chefs Move to Schools initiative.

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

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•Peanuts (Continued from page 1)

factors, and Georgia’s peanut growers are now facing their lowest acreages in more than three decades, along with the highest prices they have seen in about two decades.

Drought also affected the peanut crop in Texas very harshly. Texas produces approximately 15 percent of the nation’s peanuts. The result is a shortfall being faced by the peanut industry nationwide.

According to the USDA, the U.S. peanut harvest will be about 300,000 tons fewer than last year, coming in at about 1.8 million tons.

The University of Georgia noted in a report that about 2.1 million tons are used and exported every year and that, “carryover from last year’s crop is being used now.” Georgia’s crop, which began its harvest in September, is currently estimated to be around 470,000 acres.

The state’s peanut producers have only harvested less than 500,000 acres twice in the last 30 years, UGA added.

The national peanut industry generally keeps approximately 500,000 tons on reserve to help facilitate supply through the year.

“If the peanut industry wanted to know what the bottom floor was for peanut acreage in Georgia in modern time, we reached it this year,” Nathan Smith, a farm economist with UGA’s Cooperative Extension noted in a report.

In addition to the weather affecting the crop, the state’s peanut growers planted fewer acres of the popular legume this year, opting to grow crops

such as cotton and corn.

Prices Many of the nation’s peanut butter producing companies have also been announcing possible price increases for their products.

The J.M. Smucker Co., producer of Jif peanut butter, has announced that it has plans to raise its wholesale prices by 30 percent within a month, the Associated Press reported.

In addition, Kraft Foods plans to increase its prices 40 percent. Kraft recently launched a Planters peanut butter product. Reports also note that Peter Pan peanut butter company, ConAgra Foods, will probably be raising its prices as well.

And Unilever, which owns the Skippy brand, adds that it will also make price changes if needed, it was reported.

Industry reaction In response to the current situation affecting Georgia’s peanut industry, as well as consumer perceptions, Georgia Peanut Commission Chairman Armond Morris and Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall, released a co-authored statement.

“Recent reports of increasing peanut butter costs and farmers receiving record high peanut prices don’t tell the whole story. Some consumers may have concluded from these reports that farmers are responsible for the higher peanut butter prices peanut butter manufacturers have announced,” they noted in the statement.

They added that most Georgia farmers contracted their crops last spring at $550 to $600 a ton prior to planting,

even though some growers have been offered up to $1,000 a ton now at harvest time.

“Peanut market experts estimate 75 to 80 percent of Georgia’s farmers contracted their peanuts with buyers at the lower prices, so only 20 to 25 percent of the peanuts that farmers are harvesting this fall are expected to be sold at the higher prices,” their statement said. “References to USDA estimated prices, known in the industry as the USDA National Posted Price, also misled consumers. In mid-October, the USDA National Posted Price, which is issued weekly, listed runner peanuts — the type used to make peanut butter — at $1,200 a ton, but it’s well known in the peanut industry that farmers never receive the USDA estimated price.”

Runner peanuts are one of the four market varieties of peanuts. The other three are Spanish, Virginia and Valencia. About 50 percent of the runner peanut crop is used for peanut butter, 25 percent is for snack nuts, with the remaining 25 percent used in candies. The in-shell roasted peanuts found on store shelves are primarily Virginia variety peanuts (the majority of this type of peanut is grown in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina). Georgia’s peanut crop has been noted to be about 99 percent runner peanuts.

In addressing possible price increases, Morris and Duvall said that, “a low supply of peanuts from last year’s crop, poor market prices at planting and drought conditions throughout this year’s growing season have converged at one

time to create a perfect storm that is driving up the price of peanuts. The tight peanut supply and the rules of supply and demand, not farmers, are responsible for higher prices consumers may experience.”

“Some might criticize farmers for not planting enough peanut acres, but farmers told peanut buyers in the spring that prices were not high enough to compete for cotton and corn acres, but buyers assumed there would be enough peanuts. Farmers are business owners and just like other businesses, they have to make planting decisions that will keep their farms economically viable to survive,” they said.

Morris and Duvall also addressed peanut farmers’ use

of crop rotation as leading to many choosing not to grow peanuts this year.

“Peanuts require crop rotation to maximize production efficiency and to protect natural resources. Cotton and corn are the predominant crops used for this purpose. Farmers already have the specialized equipment to plant, tend and harvest each of these crops, so it requires only a shift in resources when the market dictates,” they said.

But even if higher prices are seen on the grocery shelves in the coming weeks, Duvall and Morris note that peanut butter will still be, “a relatively inexpensive source of high quality protein.”

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GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

•Turkey (Continued from page 1)

after a successful growing season and were joined by several Native American tribe members.

Gradually, an annual Thanksgiving after the harvest developed in the 17th century, but this did not occur on any set day or necessarily on the same day in different colonies in America.

Connecticut celebrated Thanksgiving as early as 1639 and annually after 1647. The Dutch in New Netherland appointed a day for giving thanks in 1644 and occasionally thereafter. Charlestown, Mass., held the first recorded Thanksgiving observance June 29, 1671, by proclamation of the town’s governing council.

The first national proclamation of Thanksgiving was given by the Continental Congress in 1777. As president, on Oct. 3, 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government.

President Abraham Lincoln, however, is credited with being the first to proclaim a specific day as a national day of thanksgiving. In 1863 Lincoln declared that the final Thursday in November would be observed as Thanksgiving Day. This was later changed in

1941 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, when the fourth Thursday became the official U.S. Thanksgiving Day. In the U.S. certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. The main course usually consists of a baked or roasted turkey.

According to USDA, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving.

Even though the bird is native to the Americas, the pilgrims might have already been familiar with turkey in England. The Spaniards had brought domesticated turkey back from Central America in the early 1600s, and the birds soon became a popular addition to menus all over Europe, including England where turkey became an alternative to the traditional goose.

While turkey will be enjoyed on Thanksgiving as a main course throughout the U.S., two very lucky turkeys will receive a special honor.

The National Thanksgiving Turkey, and its alternate, are presented to the president in a White House ceremony that dates back to 1947.

The turkeys were originally presented for the president’s dinner. However, in 1989,

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President George H.W. Bush began the tradition of pardoning the White House turkey; and recent birds have enjoyed celebrity status as Grand Marshals at Disneyland or Disney World parades.

This year ’s National Thanksgiving Turkey is being raised by Willmar Poultry Co. of Willmar, Minn. Company executive Rick Huisinga, who is serving as 2011 chairman of the National Turkey Federation, will present the turkey to the White House.

Thanksgiving Day usually begins with family members enjoying the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, whether in person or around the television set. One of the most famous is the parade presented

by Macy’s in New York City as a launch to the Christmas shopping season.

The first Macy’s parade took place in 1924, and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. Today, some 3 million people attend the annual parade and another 44 million watch it on television.

Yet another tradition of the day is watching a football game. Yet the game on Thanksgiving didn’t start with a professional team.

The newly formed American Intercollegiate Football Association held its first championship game on Thanksgiving Day in 1876. By the 1800s, more than 5,000 club, college and high school football games were taking place on Thanksgiving.

The National Football League took up the tradition in 1934 when the Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears at the University of Detroit stadium before 26,000 fans.

Since that time the Lions

Photo courtesy of National Turkey Federation

Turkeys at Thanksgiving: The USDA notes that more than 240 million turkeys will be raised for the year, with a value of more than $3 billion. To “talk turkey,” you can travel to Turkey, N.C.; or Turkey, Texas; or maybe even Turkey Creek, La.; but for the most turkeys you would need to travel to Minnesota — the top turkey producing state.

game on Thanksgiving has become an annual event, taking place every year except during World War II years of 19391944. In 1956, fans watched the game on television for the

first time.

Thanksgiving traditions have evolved throughout the years since 1621, all leading up to a day to be enjoyed by all.

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

9

Three Ga. schools to win salad bars for cafeterias

By Sharon Dowdy

Special to Georgia Ag News

ATHENS — Three Georgia high schools will win salad bars for their cafeterias through the Raise the Salad Bar contest.

The contest is presented by Dole Food Co. Inc. in partnership with Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s Healthy Kids Georgia project and Georgia 4-H.

Tackling obesity Healthy Kids Georgia was formed in 2010 to address childhood obesity in the state. By working with educational leaders from across the state, the program teaches children nutritious school lunch options, increased daily physical activity and the importance of healthy living.

“Health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure and low self-esteem all have the effect of holding our children back and keeping them from reaching their true potential,” Cagle said. “Georgia’s youths deserve to be given the tools to live a happy and healthy life, and we have the opportunity through our schools to lead by example in teaching our children wellness and proper nutrition.”

In Georgia, childhood obesity has reached an epidemic level, with nearly a quarter of students

considered obese by the time they are in third grade.

Healthy Kids Georgia was developed to fight this epidemic.

Healthy kids become healthy adults “Teaching healthy habits and showing young people that fruits and vegetables can be tasty is a key step in maintaining good eating habits in adults,” said Marty Ordman, vice president of marketing and communications for Dole.

To win a salad bar for their school, high school students must submit an essay or video on how their school is working to meet Georgia’s health education standards.

The deadline is Feb. 3, 2012.

For additional contest details, visit http:// www.raisethesaladbar.com. To learn more about Healthy Kids Georgia, visit http://www. healthykidsgeorgia.org. For more information on Georgia 4-H, visit http://www.georgia4h. org.

Thanksgiving turkey for the White House being raised in Minn.

WILLMAR, Minn. — If invited by the White House, Willmar Poultry Co. executive, Rick Huisinga, will present President Obama and his family with the 2011 National Thanksgiving Turkey in November. Huisinga will have this honor as the 2011 chairman of the National Turkey Federation.

The annual presentation of the National Thanksgiving Turkey to the president has become a highly anticipated ritual in the nation’s capital, signaling the unofficial beginning of the holiday season and providing the president an opportunity to reflect publicly on the meaning of Thanksgiving.

The 2011 National Thanksgiving Turkey eggs were laid at a WPC farm in early June and they hatched at the WPC Hatchery in Willmar on July 7, 2011. In September, a small number of male turkeys, or toms, from that hatch were selected and moved to a facility specially designed for them. One of those toms will ultimately be selected as the National Thanksgiving Turkey, and one will be his alternate.

The Minnesota Turkey Growers Association and WPC are

See Presidential, Page 13

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

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10

Fall is ideal time to install plants

By Timothy Daly

Special to Georgia Ag News

LAWRENCEVILLE — As the weather grows cooler most landscape plants begin to go dormant. Fall is an excellent time to install new plant material.

Many home gardeners like to install plants in the spring when their leaves are unfurling and many go into bloom. Spring planting is acceptable, but fall planting is preferable. The summer months are not good for planting due to the intense heat and prolonged dry spells.

Newly installed plant material, even if properly watered, is highly stressed and can die. In the fall months, the air temperatures have cooled and the plants are not under as much stress. The stems and leaves will begin going dormant, but the roots will continue to grow in the soil.

Cold weather gives the plant more time to become established and develop a strong, healthy root system. By the following spring and summer, the plants will be more resistant to heat and drought conditions. Spring-planted trees and shrubs have a much shorter period of time to become established. This makes them more vulnerable to the stresses of summer.

For trees and shrubs, dig the width of the hole at least one and onehalf to two times the size of the root ball. Plant it at the same depth as it was in the container. Do not install the plant’s crown below soil level. Planting too deeply can lead to rot and other problems leading to damage and possible death of the plant material.

Research has shown adding organic matter, like compost or top soil, to the hole is not necessary. The plant’s roots might be so happy in the rich soil that it prevents their roots from growing out into the native soil.

However, when planting a bed of multiple trees and shrubs, add organic matter and till it in throughout the entire planting bed. Do not fill the individual holes with organic matter.

When purchasing plants, select plants that appear healthy and free of insects and diseases. Pull the plant out of the pot and examine the roots. Healthy roots should be white or light brown and spread throughout the root ball.

Avoid plants with black mushy roots, or those with poorly developed root systems. If plants roots are matted around the edge of the root ball, use a knife and make a few cuts to break up the mat and allow the roots to spread.

Do not apply fertilizer to the individual planting holes. Wait until the plants become established before fertilizing.

Thoroughly water the plants once or twice a week. Apply two to three inches of mulch, such as pine straw, pine bark or cypress mulch, around the plants. Do not mass mulch around the stems of the trees and shrubs. This can lead to disease and insect infestation of the stem.

Fall is the best time of the year to establish trees, shrubs and many types of perennials. Install these plants now to enjoy them in the spring and into the future.

Timothy Daly is an agricultural and natural resource agent with the Gwinnett County Cooperative Extension office.

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

•McMurray (Continued from page 4)

learned in my years of doing research in robotics for the poultry industry is that traditional, industrial robots will not work in this industry. However, the potential impact of this technology to the poultry industry is huge. This technology not only has the ability to reduce the cost of labor (a major cost and an increasingly more difficult resource to acquire), but it can improve the yield and increase the flexibility of the processing plant.

In recent years, a common trend in manufacturing has been to move production overseas. The main justification given for this move has been labor costs. From the surface, it is hard to argue with companies that move to Mexico and Asia when the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics finds that the average hourly rate in Mexico is a little over 1/6’s that of a U.S. worker. In industries that require a lot of manual labor, this is seems like a reasonable decision.

However, there are a number of companies that have resisted this trend. Companies like Intel and foreign automotive companies are more than happy to build large plants in the United States. Why is this? While I am not an economist or business expert, I do know that there are several very specific reasons. First, they want to be close to their customers. The companies feel that by producing the products here in the U.S., they avoid the long delays in their supply chains (it can take up to six weeks to ship a car from Japan to the U.S. by boat) and the market can change dramatically in that time.

The second reason is that for companies like Intel and foreign automotive manufactures, labor costs are not the dominant cost in the production of their product. They have accomplished this through strategically partnering with robotic and automation companies around the world to develop solutions unique to their products. This also allows them to produce products that are more consistent and maximize the performance of their process, while reducing the cost of production. At the Georgia Tech Research Institute, we are actively involved in many projects that fall into this category.

However, there is another benefit to the

use of robotics that was well demonstrated in the automotive industry in recent years. In the past, the U.S. auto manufacturers dedicated particular plants to the production of specific vehicles. For example, a plant was known as a Ford Taurus or a Chevy Camaro plant because it only produces that particular vehicle. The Japanese, however, built their plants around a standard platform that could be used to produce a family of cars.

When gas prices started to soar and when the financial bubble burst, consumer choices for cars changed rapidly and dramatically.

Suddenly, large SUV’s were shunned by the consumer in favor of small, fuel efficient cars. Suddenly, the American plants kept producing cars that no one wanted because they could not pivot fast enough to the market changes. The cost of retooling an American automotive plant to produce a different line of cars is in the billions of dollars and takes over a year to happen. This, seemingly simple choice had a tremendous impact on the ultimate success of these companies.

Today, we have poultry plants that run large birds or small birds; plants that run product for quick service restaurants and plants that run product for institutional customers. The result of this is that just like the U.S. automotive industry, it is difficult if not impossible for companies to pivot quickly to respond to changes in the market place.

Is there a different model for poultry production that will allow U.S. companies to remain competitive in the domestic and world markets and respond faster and more efficiently to market changes?

If we could accomplish these lofty goals, would this have a dramatic impact on the long-term survivability of our industry in the U.S.?

Those of us working in the research arena believe that the answer to these questions is yes and we are beginning to work toward these ambitious goals with the support and partnership of the industry, state and hopefully federal agencies. Only by working together can we assemble the teams and expertise required to address these difficult questions. I am confident that we are up to the challenge.

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

11

Use precaution to help avoid deer on roadways SOCIAL CIRCLE — With an estimated 50,000 deer-car collisions annually in Georgia, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources

Division advises motorists across the state to be extra cautious of increased deer and wildlife sightings this fall season.

“Some Georgia motorists may

USDA Agricultural Research Service

White-tailed deer: Motorists are urged to use caution to avoid collisions with the many deer that could wander into the roadways, especially at this time of year.

only expect deer to cross rural roadways, while in fact, urban and suburban roads are also prime areas for deer-car collisions,” said Don McGowan, Wildlife Resources Division biologist. “Hunting is oftentimes mistakenly blamed for increased deer-car collisions in autumn when, in reality, deer are on the move due to a series of both natural and human causes.”

Increased deer sightings may occur for a number of reasons, such as the following: l Mating season — Deer mating season occurs between October and early December. Male deer go into rut and begin actively searching for mates. This greatly contributes to the increased movement of deer, bringing them across roadways. l Increased human population and rural development — As the human population continues to grow and expand into traditionally rural areas, deer lose their natural food source and consequently move into new areas in search of food and water. l Time changes — As we begin to “fall back” for daylight savings time, our days become shorter and nights become longer. Rush hour for most commuters tends to fall

•Truelsen (Continued from page 4)

to starve. India and Egypt were said to fit this description.

The Paddocks underestimated the Green Revolution and other advances in production agriculture around the world, but they weren’t the only ones. Paul Ehrlich predicted a similar fate when he said, “The battle to feed all humanity is over,” in his book “The Population Bomb.”

In a 1982 book, “Encounters with the Future,” respected futurist Marvin Cetron and co-author Thomas O’Toole forecasted that the Soviet Union would invade Australia within 10 years for its natural resources. They missed the part about the Soviet Union crumbling.

Why do we pay attention to expert predictions in the first place?

In “Future Babble,” Gardner gives several reasons.

Most people love certainty, so if someone says they know what will happen in the future, it attracts our

attention.

We jump to conclusions about the future because we tend to look for patterns where none exist. Randomness and chaos limit our ability to see very far ahead.

We also are attracted to experts who are bold and confident about their predictions despite the fact that Gardner says they have the worst track records. In his words, “Reliable forecasting is a challenge on a par with climbing Mt. Everest barefoot.”

Life is unpredictable and uncertain, but that isn’t as bad as it seems. Gardner believes an accurate prediction isn’t necessary to make good decisions. A rough sense of possibilities and probabilities will do fine.

That’s why we can stick by our prediction that American farmers and ranchers will meet our food needs for at least the next 50 years. They’ve done it in the past despite all kinds of obstacles and dire predictions. There’s every reason to believe they can do it in the future.

during the same hours in which white-tailed deer are most active — at dawn and dusk.

The division also offers motorists some tips and information to help avoid potential collisions: l Unpredictable — Always remember deer are wildlife and therefore, can be unpredictable. A deer calmly standing on the side of a road may bolt into or across the road rather than away from it when startled by a vehicle. l One deer usually means more — Take caution and slow down when a deer crosses. Deer generally travel in groups, so if one crosses, be prepared that others may follow. l Time of day — As deer are most active at dawn and dusk, they typically are seen roadside during the early morning and late evening — the same times most people are commuting to and from work.

l Time of year — While deercar collisions can occur any time of year, the fall breeding season is a peak time for such accidents. Road shoulders generally provide green food both during extremely dry times of the year and following a long, hard winter. l Minimize damage — If it is too late to avoid a collision, drivers are advised to slow down as much as possible to minimize damage — resist the urge to swerve to avoid the deer, this may cause further damage, sending drivers off the road or causing a collision with another vehicle. If an accident occurs, alert the police as soon as possible.

More information about white-tailed deer or deer seasons can be obtained from the WRD at 770-918-6416; or http://www. georgiawildlife.com.

12

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

Make it at Home Recipe

Lemon-Garlic Roasted Turkey National Turkey Federation Servings: 22 servings (at 6 ounces per portion)

Ingredients: 1 15-pound whole turkey, fresh or frozen, thawed 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 6 to 8 cloves fresh garlic, peeled 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper As needed lemon wedges As needed parsley or other fresh herbs Directions: Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. In blender, combine olive oil and lemon juice. While blending, drop in garlic cloves one at a time. Gradually add lemon zest.

Continue to blend until mixture is pureed.

Using an injector, inject marinade into all parts of the thawed turkey. (Strain marinade if it is too thick to pass through the injector.)

Gently massage turkey to distribute marinade.

Place turkey in a large plastic bag (cooking bag or foodservice grade plastic bag). Close bag and refrigerate overnight.

Remove turkey and drain excess marinade.

Scrape off excess marinade and discard. Do not re-use marinade to baste the turkey.

Fold neck skin and fasten to the back with 1 or 2 skewers. Fold the wings under the back of the turkey. Return legs to tucked position.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2-1/2 inches deep) roasting pan.

Rub turkey with salt and pepper. Insert ovensafe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone.

Roast the turkey in a preheated 325 degree F oven about 3-3/4 hours. During the last hour of roasting time, baste with pan drippings. If necessary, loosely cover with foil to prevent excessive browning.

Continue roasting until the thermometer registers 180 degrees F in the thigh, or 170 degrees F in the breast. Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Place on a warm large platter and garnish with fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

More turkey recipes may be obtained from the National Turkey Federation at http://www. eatturkey.com.

Seasonal ingredients falling from trees NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The first documented great idea that ever fell out of a tree took place in 1666, when a falling apple inspired Sir Isaac Newton to formulate some theories about gravity.

Great ideas can still fall out of trees — like the idea to make traditional holiday recipes fresh and local with ingredients like apples and pecans, notes the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Apples and pecans fall just in time for the holiday season, bringing a bright, clean taste to dishes sometimes weighed down with heavy herbs and gravy. Using local, seasonal foods at holiday meals is a great way to celebrate.

American holiday dishes are still anchored firmly in 18th century New England, featuring Old World herbs and staple foods made new with ingredients that were close at hand. English colonists, and later, citizens of the new republic, used local game and seafood with newfangled produce like pumpkins and corn, creating foods that expressed their newfound sense of self sufficiency and abundance.

Local pecans found on the farm or at a local farmers market are likely to be sold still in their shells, so be prepared to use some simple tools and techniques to crack their shells and extract the treasure inside. A simple hammer and a solid surface will suffice, though specially designed pecan crackers will do a cleaner, more efficient job. Ordinary slip joint pliers or a general purpose nutcracker also can be used.

Once shelled, place the nutmeats in a perforated container or a colander to dry. This allows the pecans to season, giving them a better flavor when eaten. Store the nutmeats in a sealed container.

Pecans stay fresh for several days on a countertop if not exposed to moisture, for weeks in a refrigerator and up to a year in a freezer.

The following recipe for “Sweet Apple Pecan Stuffing,” comes

from Tammy Algood, food expert and spokesperson for the Pick Tennessee Products campaign.

Sweet Apple Pecan Stuffing Servings: 6-8 Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 sprigs fresh sage 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 large sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced 1 cup chopped pecans 2 eggs 3/4 cup cream 1 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup apple cider 5 cups sourdough or French bread, torn into 1-inch pieces 6 sprigs parsley, chopped Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan and set aside. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add the sage and thyme sprigs and allow to heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the sage and thyme and discard. Add the onions and cook 15 minutes until caramelized. Season with the salt and pepper. Remove the onions from the pan and add the apples and pecans. Gently sauté 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, stock and cider. Add the bread pieces, onions, apples, pecans and parsley.

Mix the stuffing until well combined. Transfer to the prepared pan. Bake 35 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Note: Stuffing can be stuffed into the cavity of a pork crown roast or turkey, or stuffed into winter squash shells.

More recipes can be obtained from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture at http://www.picktnproducts.org.

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

13

‘Kudzu bug’ threatens southern farmers’ crops The Associated Press

BLACKVILLE, S.C. — Kudzu — the “plant that ate the South” — has finally met a pest that’s just as voracious. Trouble is, the so-called “kudzu bug” is also fond of another East Asian transplant that we happen to like, and that is big money for American farmers.

“When this insect is feeding on kudzu, it’s beneficial,” Clemson University entomologist Jeremy Greene says as he stands in a field swarming with the brown, pea-sized critters.

“When it’s feeding on soybeans, it’s a pest.”

Like kudzu, which was introduced to the South from Japan in the late 19th century as a fodder and a way to stem erosion on the region’s worn-out farmlands, this insect is native to the Far East. And like the invasive vine, which “Deliverance” au-

thor James Dickey famously deemed “a vegetable form of cancer,” the kudzu bug is running rampant.

Megacopta cribrari, as this member of the stinkbug family is known in scientific circles, was first identified near Atlanta in late October 2009. Since then, it has spread to most of Georgia and North Carolina, all of South Carolina, and several counties in Alabama.

And it shows no signs of stopping.

Kudzu and soybeans are both legumes. The bug — also known as the bean plataspid — breeds and feeds in the kudzu patches until soybean planting time, then crosses over to continue the moveable feast, says Tracie Jenkins, a plant geneticist at the University of Georgia.

On a recent sunny day, Greene and doctoral student Nick Seiter visited the 10-acre test field at

•Presidential (Continued from page 9)

working in tandem on the project and see it as a great opportunity to highlight Minnesota’s turkey industry and its farmers.

“I’ve asked MTGA to be very involved in this project because it’s important to me that the entire Minnesota turkey industry gain visibility during this project,” Huisinga said. “We don’t get this opportunity every year, and I’d like to make sure that people all over the country know how significant turkey is to Minnesota and Kandiyohi County specifically.”

The National Thanksgiving Turkeys are being raised using normal feeding and other production techniques. The one exception is that the birds are provided increased interaction with people so that they will be prepared for the White House Ceremony.

WPC and MTGA selected four FFA (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) students from Willmar Area High School to help with the birds’ care and to provide that increased interaction. The FFA team members visit the birds for an hour each day to check the birds’

Clemson’s Edisto Research & Education Center in Blackville, about 42 miles east of Augusta, Ga. Starting in the middle of the field, Seiter walks down a row, sweeping a canvas net back and forth through the bean plants as he goes. Bugs cling to his pants and shirt, dotting his face like moles.

“I feel like I’m wearing a bee beard over here,” he says. “It tickles.”

At row’s end, Seiter pushes his hand up through the net. Bugs cascade over the edge and pool on the sandy soil at his feet.

The writhing pile makes a fizzing sound like a freshly opened soda.

“Wow. It’s a couple of inches thick,” Greene says. “That’s just shy of a standard sample that we use to evaluate soybean insects . . . and we’re looking at a couple of thousand bugs, easy.”

feed and water, and to clean the pens when necessary. In addition, they sit amongst the birds to acclimate them to movement and sounds not normally found in a turkey barn, such as music, clapping and human conversation. They also pet the birds as part of the taming routine. In the coming weeks, the kids will begin picking up the birds and placing them on a table in simulation of the White House ceremony.

MTGA is hosting and maintaining a special section on its web site for the project at http:// www.minnesotaturkey.com/presidentialturkey.

The web site includes pictures, video and a weekly blog written by the FFA team chronicling their experiences with the birds and the project as a whole. The site also features turkey puzzles, mazes and color sheets for kids, as well as information for parents on nutrition, food safety and turkey recipes.

In addition to the web site, MTGA will use Facebook (www.facebook.com/MinnesotaTurkey) and Twitter (@MinnesotaTurkey) to help publicize additional details of the National Thanksgiving Turkey, as available.

The bugs secrete a caustic substance that smells like a cross between a commercial cleanser and an industrial lubricant.

Greene says it’s unclear whether this is a defensive device, a way of locating each other in a field, or serves some other purpose.

Whatever it’s for, the secretions are potent enough to etch the bottoms of the plastic tubs he uses to ship samples to colleagues — and to stain the skin on Seiter’s blistered right palm a pale orange that can’t be washed off.

“Self tanner,” he quips.

These insects are what entomologists call “true bugs,” meaning they have needle-like mouth parts that they use to suck on the plant. So rather than feeding on the pods or leaves, as corn ear worms and common stinkbugs do, kudzu bugs attack the stems and leaf petioles, literally draining the life out of the soybeans.

“It’s reducing the ability of the plant to produce or to send photosynthate . . . the food that the plant makes from the sun, to the fruit, to the seed,” says Greene.

“So we’re going to have . . . a reduced number of pods per plant, reduced number of seed per pod, and reduced seed size as well — all the above,” he says. “It’s not showy in terms of the damage that it does to the plant . . . but it’s going to cause yield loss.”

University of Georgia researchers have recorded losses

as high as 23 percent in untreated fields.

“If you add up all our insect damage put together of different pests on soybeans, it probably would total maybe in an average year maybe a 5 percent yield loss,” says North Carolina State University pest specialist Jack Bacheler, who has been warily watching the bug’s spread through his state. “And sometimes, with agricultural crops like soybeans, 20 bushels an acre at $10 to $13 could be the difference between profit and loss.”

One thing that concerns Bacheler and others is the bug’s hardiness.

Jenkins says they may be able to respond to temperature and other environmental changes by turning a gene or genes on or off, making them particularly adaptable. They’ve been found on the windows of Atlanta skyscrapers, from the mountains to the coast.

“And these are pretty resilient little suckers,” she says. “They can get on your car, and you can be going 60, 70, 80 miles an hour down the road, and then you stop, and they’re still there.

And they’re alive. So they can take a pretty good lot of abuse.”

Studies of climate data in the bug’s native land are not encouraging.

“I think it’s going to be able

See Bug, Page 15

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14

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

USDA awards grants for specialty crops WASHINGTON — U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has announced 29 grants across 19 states to develop and share science-based tools to address the needs of America’s specialty crop industry. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture is awarding the grants, totaling $46 million, through its Specialty Crop Research Initiative.

“Over the last 60 years, agriculture, including horticulture, has become increasingly reliant on science and technology to maintain profitable production,” Merrigan said. “Specialty crop producers in the United States — as with all of American agriculture — are seeing sales surge both domestically and abroad as consumers search for high quality, ‘Grown in America’ fruits, vegetables and tree nuts. These projects will help provide specialty crop producers with the information and tools they need to successfully grow, process and market safe and high quality products, supporting jobs and opportunities for Americans working in specialty crops. From herbs to apples, from walnuts to grapes, specialty crops are central to the richness of American agriculture.”

SCRI supports the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address the needs of specific crops. Specialty crops are defined in law as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.”

Funded projects address five focus areas: (1) improve crop characteristics through plant breeding, genetics and genomics; (2) address threats from pests and diseases; (3) improve production efficiency, productivity and profitability; (4) develop new innovations and technologies; and (5) develop methods to improve food safety.

SCRI gives priority to projects that are multistate, multi-institutional or trans-disciplinary; and include explicit mechanisms to communicate results to producers and the public. Each of the focus areas received at least 10 percent of the available funds. The majority of funded projects addresses two or more focus areas, and includes many collaborating institutions in addition to the awardee.

The projects funded address research and Extension needs for crops that span the entire spectrum of specialty crops production, from researching plant genetics to improving crop characteristics; identifying and addressing threats from pests and diseases; improving production and profitability; developing new production innovations and technologies; and

developing methods to respond to food safety hazards.

Projects were funded in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Most of the grant recipients are universities and colleges.

Some of the grant highlights include: l The University of Georgia Research Foundation will help to improve the long-term competitiveness of U.S. pecans based on their nutritional and healthpromoting components. l The University of Massachusetts-Amherst will study pollination security for fruit and vegetable crops. l Michigan State University will develop a system to deliver resource-efficient, ecologically sustainable fruit production systems for apple and cherry producers. l The University of Wisconsin system will study improved breeding and variety evaluation methods to increase quality in processed potato products l Washington State University will help U.S. raspberry producers find new tools for breeding and reaching markets The full list of awardees can be found online at http://www.nifa.usda.gov.

Sugar and corn syrup producers continue to clash The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The setting sun splashes warm hues across a ripening cornfield as a man and his daughter wander through rows of towering plants.

Like any parent, the dad says in the television commercial, he was concerned about high fructose corn syrup. But medical and nutrition experts reassured him that in essence, it’s the same as cane sugar.

“Your body can’t tell the difference,” he says. “Sugar is sugar.”

That key claim, made last year by the corn industry as it tries to

rebrand high fructose corn syrup as simply “corn sugar,” was weighed for the first time by a federal judge on Sept. 13 after a group of sugar farmers and refiners sued corn processors and a lobbying group.

Their lawsuit alleges the father-in-the-cornfield advertisement and other national television, print and online commercials from the corn industry amount to false advertising because sugar is not the same as high fructose corn syrup, the sweetening agent now found in the bulk of sodas and many processed foods.

Sugar makers say there are nu-

merous differences between the white, granular product and the sticky liquid that is high fructose corn syrup. Attorney Adam Fox claimed the syrup industry has even acknowledged as much in the past.

At a hearing on the corn industry’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Fox showed U.S. District Judge Consuelo Marshall the papers from a case in Mexico filed by the Corn Refiners Association that carefully outlined how sugar and high fructose corn syrup are different.

That case in 1997 was related to the export of high fructose corn syrup to Mexico.

“Like the horse and the automobile, sugar and (high fructose corn syrup) are two different products in terms of their physical and functional characteristics, as well as in their production process, distribution and commercial application,” corn industry expert Peter Buzzanell stated in an affidavit at the time.

Corn industry lawyers counter that Fox was taking such statements out of context because the Mexico case dealt merely with the physical properties of high fructose corn syrup and never addressed the manner in which the body processes it.

“Sugar and high fructose corn syrup are equivalent as far as how they are metabolized by the body,” attorney Dan Webb said.

Webb and other lawyers had filed a motion to dismiss the sugar makers’ lawsuit on the grounds that the advertising campaign is protected speech because it forms part of a national conversation about the merits and pitfalls of high fructose corn syrup and sugar in general.

“At the core of this case is clearly a lawsuit filed by the other side that is attempting to stifle debate,” Webb said.

He also argued that because

See Sugar, Page 15

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

•Sugar (Continued from page 14)

the Corn Refiners Association is an industry group and does not directly sell any products, it cannot be sued for false advertising.

Without providing a timeline, the judge said she would issue a ruling on the dismissal motion.

High fructose corn syrup’s image has suffered in recent years after public awareness of its widespread use increased and some studies suggested a link to rising obesity levels.

Americans increasingly blame the syrup for a range of health problems, and first lady Michelle Obama has said she does not want her daughters eating it.

The American Medical Association has said there’s not enough evidence to restrict the use of high fructose corn syrup, although it wants more research.

A year ago, the Corn Refiners Association asked the U.S. Food & Drug Administration if it could start using the term “corn sugar” as an alternative to high fructose corn syrup. It could take another year for the FDA to decide on the name, but the corn industry didn’t wait before it started using it in advertisements.

Sugar industry lawyers claim corn refiners have already spent $50 million trying to persuade the public to accept corn sugar as a name.

It would not be the first time a food has been rebranded.

In 1988, for instance, low erucic acid rapeseed oil became much more popular after it was renamed “canola oil.”

More than 100 citizens and consumer groups have written to the FDA as it weighs the name change, many of them slamming the rebranding as a cynical attempt to confuse customers who may be wary of high fructose corn syrup.

“Given the current controversy, consumers who look to avoid (corn syrup) should be able to easily differentiate among products that do and don’t use (it),” the Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports, wrote to the FDA. Expert opinion was divided on high fructose corn syrup.

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, has said that there was no evidence that the sweetener is any worse for the body than sugar.

Michael Goran, a professor of preventive medicine and director of the Childhood Obesity Center at the University of Southern California, said he does not give his kids products containing high fructose corn syrup because it contains high levels of fructose, which can be stored in the liver as fat and trigger gout and hypertension problems.

“As a father and as a consumer, I like to know what I am eating,” he said. “The industry has done a very good job trying convince people it’s sugar from corn. It’s not . . . it’s manufactured from corn by a highly industrialized process.”

Goran and other professionals say the healthiest option is consume smaller amounts of all sugar.

“The U.S is the highest consumer of sugar in the world,” Goran said. “To prevent obesity and diabetes, we should be consuming less sugar in general.”

15

Ag chemical dealers urged to remain vigilant with security ATLANTA — Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black is reminding sellers and users of agricultural chemicals and equipment to continue their vigilance with security measures to ensure that their products not fall into the wrong hands.

“Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,

our nation became more fo- to harm people. For example, cused on our security and be- ammonium nitrate, a high-nigan to take extra precautions,” trogen fertilizer, has been used Black said. “This heightened in isolated terrorist activity alertness and awareness ex- here and abroad.” tended to farmers, structural “The increased security afpest control operators, garden ter 9/11 has become standard centers, fertilizer dealers and practice for the most part,” he agricultural businesses. Some added. “(Following the 10th of our fertilizers, pesticides and equipment can be misused See Security, Page 16

•Bug (Continued from page 13)

to dwell anywhere in the United States that we grow soybeans,” says Greene. “So that should be concerning for some of the states that produce millions of acres of soybeans.”

That seems to be where they’re headed.

In 2010, Georgia produced 6.8 million bushels of soybeans, South Carolina 10.5 million and North Carolina more than 40 million, according to the American Soybean Association. Jenkins says there have been unconfirmed sightings in Tennessee, which produced 44 million bushels of soybeans last year.

From there, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to states like Illinois and Iowa, where production is measured in the hundreds of millions of bushels.

“They’re moving north and west,” Jenkins says.

“And I think they’ll keep going.”

Especially without an effective way to control them, says Bacheler.

“Its opportunities to spread seem to be unlimited right now,” he says.

Researchers are experimenting with a tiny Asian wasp that lays its eggs inside the kudzu bug eggs.

So far, the wasp doesn’t seem to have any effect on native insects, Greene says.

Jenkins is trying to pinpoint the country of origin by studying the DNA of a bacterium, or endosymbiont, that lives in the bug’s gut. She is comparing DNA from the U.S. bugs with samples sent to her from India, Japan and China.

The samples she’s analyzed from the various states have all so far been traced back to the same maternal line — meaning this infestation could have begun with a single gravid or egg-bearing female that hitched a ride here on a plant or in someone’s luggage.

Jenkins is hoping a weapon might emerge from her DNA analysis.

“If there’s a gene that’s allowing it to adapt really well, if it has the insect gene, then I might be able to pull that out and use it against it,” she says.

For now, farmers are having to rely on chemicals.

So far, the results have been mixed, at best.

Insecticides that work on other stinkbugs have shown promise. But a couple of days after an application, the fields are re-infested.

“We basically spray, we get kill on what we touch with the spray, and then we get decent activity for a couple of days,” says Greene. “And then it’s pretty much gone.”

“The problem with this insect is its sheer numbers,” says Bacheler. “It’s not that this thing can’t be controlled. But it’s probably going to be costly to do so.”

Greene says the bug is still too new for experts to have come up with the most effective spraying regimen. He hopes data from this season’s tests will help solve the problem.

Farmers like Jack Richardson here in Blackville are counting on it.

He has been farming for about 30 years and has about 200 acres of soybeans under cultivation. He buys some of his chemicals from a dealer in Georgia, but a year’s more experience hasn’t imparted any special wisdom.

“He says, ‘If you get too nervous, spray ‘em,’” says Richardson, standing waist-deep in a field speckled with bugs. “Well, I’ve sprayed ‘em twice, and it doesn’t seem to kill ‘em.”

Rumbling across the field in his sprayer, Richardson stares at the bugs clinging to the windshield and sighs.

“We don’t need any new pests,” he says. “We’ve got enough now.”

16

GEORGIA AG NEWS, November 2011

Farm expenditures rise WASHINGTON — After a brief reprieve in 2009, last year farm production expenditures resumed an upward trend. In 2010, U.S. farmers reported spending $289 billion to produce agricultural products, up from $287.4 billion in the prior year.

The Farm Production Expenditures 2010 summary recently released by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service provides national, regional and crop and livestock farm expenditures.

Highlights from the 2010 summary include: l Farm expenditures of $45.4 billion for feed, $35.7 billion on farm services and $27.4 billion on labor expenses. These three categories account for more than a third of all expenses incurred by producers in 2010. l Livestock farm expenditures of $130.6 billion, which is up 1.3 percent from the previous year. l Crop farm expenditures of $158.4 billion, a slight decrease

from 2009. l The largest increase in expenditures (7.3 percent) on southern region farms. l An increase of 1.5 percent in farm expenditures reported by Atlantic region farms. l A significant decrease in the amount spent on farm improvements and construction. Producers spent $12.6 billion on these expenditures, $1.5 billion less than in 2009.

The Farm Production Expenditures summary provides the official estimates for production input costs on U.S. farms and ranches, NASS noted. These estimates are based on the results of the nationwide Agricultural Resource Management Survey, conducted annually by the department.

The Farm Production Expenditures 2010 summary and all NASS reports are available online at http://www.nass.usda.gov.

•Security (Continued from page 15)

anniversary) of that dreadful day, I feel it is appropriate to remind everyone to remain vigilant and continue the security measures.”

Black made the following suggestions to assist users and dealers of agricultural chemicals with their security plans: l Have a list of all emergency contacts and telephone numbers. Introduce yourself to local law enforcement and your local fire department personnel. Make sure they are familiar with your operation so they can do a better job with their surveillance and respond more effectively in the event of a fire. An emergency should not be the first time you meet these responders. l Train your personnel to know your products and what your customers will normally ask for, and how the customers will use the items. l Report all suspicious activities, vehicles or persons to law enforcement. For example, does a stranger insist on paying with cash, not want delivery, seem unfamiliar with fertilizer or farming, insist on ammonium nitrate and is nervous or hesitant when asked for information?

l Report all threats on personnel and facilities. l Report all thefts, inventory shortages, or missing products or equipment that could pose a public health or safety risk. Keep track of inventory so you will know immediately if a theft has occurred. l Report all burglaries or attempted burglaries, sabotage to facilities or equipment, and all vandalism. This includes any sign of product tampering. l Visit the web site of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms at http://www.atf.gov/explosives/programs/ammonium-nitrate-security/ to learn more about security issues and ammonium nitrate. l Threats and time-sensitive information should be reported to local law enforcement. Tips may be reported to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Office of Homeland Security at http://bit. ly/qwaIoL. “It may be difficult for many of us to think of someone using our tools of agriculture in destructive ways,” Black said. “However, it is better to prevent a problem than to have to deal with the aftermath. Although it has been 10 years since the attacks of 2001, we must remain vigilant.”

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