Georgia Farm Bureau's Leadership Alert - August 17, 2011

CHILDS HONORED DURING GFB COMMODITY CONFERENCE

Long-time Georgia Farm Bureau volunteer Donald Childs was recognized with the 2011 GFB Commodity Award and American Farm Bureau Federation Chief Economist Bob Young gave commodity committee members an update on the progress toward the 2012 farm bill during the annual GFB Commodity Conference at the Georgia Center on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens on Aug. 11.

Currently vice president of Jackson County Farm Bureau, Childs served on the GFB Board of Directors from 1979 to 2008, including a stint as North Georgia vice president from 1984 to 2008 and 1st vice president from 1994-2008. He has also been instrumental in securing prizes for the GFB Hay Contest.

“I really didn’t do any of the things I’ve done for an award,” Childs said. “It’s a great organization. I’m proud to have been a part of it. I hope I can be a part of it for many more years.”

In addition to his work with Farm Bureau, Childs has served on the Ag Advisory Committee for the Jackson County School System and various other organizations.

“We’re very honored to be able to recognize somebody that’s meant so much to our organization and to Georgia agriculture,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said.

Young said that funding for the USDA’s direct payments in particular are likely to be cut. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black spoke during lunch at the conference, which kicks off GFB’s annual policy development process with meetings of all 20 of the organization’s commodity committees.

UGA CAES Dean Scott Angle told conference attendees that student enrollment in the college is a bright spot for the college in these times of bad budget news.

“One thing that’s gone really well for the college in the last six years is we’ve got our numbers up to 1,900, and I think enrollment will be over 2,000 for the coming year,” Angle said. “We’ve done this by recruiting students at a young age and adopting a transfer policy that helps us get students into UGA. We look to see if students have a 4-H or FFA background that indicates they really have an interest in agriculture and will stay in our college.”

Angle advised parents and grandparents with students interested in attending CAES to have the students start working to meet UGA entrance requirements in junior high or at least by the first two years of high school.

“It’s really hard to get into UGA and that’s not going to change because it’s campus policy.” Committee members took tours of UGA’s agricultural research facilities.

August 17, 2011 www.gfb.org Vol. 29 No. 33

Leadership Alert page 2 of 4 SCOTT, KINGSTON HEAR CONCERNS ON MIGRANT WORKER PROGRAM

More than 80 farmers from around the state voiced their concerns to U.S. Reps. Austin Scott (R-8th District) and Jack Kingston (R-1st District) during a listening session on Aug. 16 at the National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory in Tifton.

Kingston said he is working on legislation to restructure the H-2A program, taking steps to counteract what he and Scott both referred to as a “gotcha” culture in the Legal Services Corporation, moving the H-2A program under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Agriculture, doing away with H-2A’s 50-percent rule and addressing problems with the Adverse Effective Wage Rate. Sen. Saxby Chambliss introduced S. 1384 in the Senate on July 19 to address many of the same concerns.

Kingston and Scott received questions and comments on a variety of topics related to the immigration issue, including complaints about Legal Services. Scott has introduced H.R. 2774, a bill to defund Legal Services.

“We saw the end result of Legal Services and some of the things the federal government has funding with people’s tax dollars that are actually contrary to the interest of Georgia’s farmers,” Scott said. “We can cut the funding. They haven’t been reauthorized in the last 30 years, and quite honestly, if you can't get the votes to be reauthorized, then you ought not get any money from the U.S.taxpayers.” USDA FORECASTS SHARP INCREASE IN GEORGIA CORN PRODUCTION

Georgia’s corn production is expected to increase by 25 percent over 2010 while significant declines in peanut, hay and soybean production are forecast in 2011, according to a crop forecast from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

The state’s corn growers planted 300,000 acres of corn for grain in 2011, up from 245,000 in 2010. The yields are expected to average 148 bushels per acre, boosting expected corn production to more than 44 million bushels in 2011. The state produced 35.5 million bushels in 2010. Georgia cotton growers planted 65,000 more acres in 2011 than in 2010, and their yields are expected to increase to 870 bales per acre, which would increase the state’s production to 2.5 million bales this year, up from 2.25 million in 2010.

Winter wheat production is expected to nearly double, from 5 million bushels in 2010 to 9.9 million bushels in 2011. The NASS forecast harvested acres in hay to decline by 80,000 acres, from 650,000 in 2010 to 570,000 in 2011, and yields are also expected to decline from 2.5 tons per acre in 2010 to 2.2 tons per acre in 2011, producing 1.254 million tons of hay in 2011, a drop of 23 percent from 2010 production.

Georgia peanut growers, whose harvested acreage is forecast at 475,000 in 2011, are expected to produce 17 percent fewer peanuts in 2011. The anticipated yields of 3,450 pounds per acre in 2011 are expected to produce 1.638 billion pounds, 17 percent less than the 1.976 billion pounds the state produced in 2010. While the harvested acres in tobacco were predicted to be up slightly, the yields and production are expected to drop. The state’s tobacco growers are predicted to produce 26.45 million pounds in 2011, down 3 percent from 2010, when they produced 27.36 million pounds. The state’s soybean production is expected to drop 38 percent from 6.76 million bushels in 2010 to 4.16 million in 2011.

Leadership Alert page 3 of 4 DOT DECLINES TO PROPOSE NEW RULES ON FARM VEHICLES

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Aug. 10 that it would not propose new regulations governing the transport of agricultural products and released a

guidance urging states to employ common sense exemptions to allow farmers to do their work.

The DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sought comments on proposed rules in an effort to determine how it should apply commercial drivers license rules to farm vehicles and interstate commerce rules to trucks carrying agricultural products.

“We have no intention of instituting onerous regulations on the hardworking farmers who feed our country and fuel our economy,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Farmers

deserve to know that reasonable, common-sense exemptions will continue to be consistently available to agricultural operations across the country, and that’s why we released this guidance.”

The FMCSA received approximately 1,700 comments, including those submitted by Georgia Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau Federation. According to an FMCSA press release, the vast majority favored allowing states to continue carrying out farm exemptions.

“We’re pleased that the FMCSA heeded the comments of farmers and chose not to propose new regulations,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. “It is our belief that imposing additional regulations could have had a negative impact on rural communities without significantly improving safety, and we agree that allowing the states to determine the CDL exemptions was the proper course.”

SUSTA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR EXPORT FUNDING

The Southern U.S. Trade Association (SUSTA) is taking applications for the 2012 Market Access Program (MAP) Branded. The program is designed to help small agriculture companies enter export markets with 50 percent reimbursement for promotional costs like advertising, exhibiting at trade shows, and changes to packaging and labels. Hundreds of companies are already tapping into these resources and growing their businesses despite the slow economic recovery.

The application process opened Aug. 1, and because there is limited funding, SUSTA officials encourage growers to get their applications in early.

To be eligible for the Branded program, companies must be considered small according to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) standards, have yearly sales of at least $100,000, and promote a brand-name product that is at least 50 percent U.S. agricultural origin. MAP Branded is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and administered to southern U.S. companies by SUSTA. Companies located in any of SUSTA’s member states can apply for funding: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

Companies applying for MAP Branded funds can download the pre-qualification form on the SUSTA website at http://www.susta.org. For more information, contact your state’s Department of Agriculture or the SUSTA office at 504-568-5986.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 7 RED ROSE CLASSIC GOAT SHOW Aug. 19-20 Georgia National Fairgrounds Perry Show participants will check in and have their goats weighed between 2-10 p.m. on Aug. 19. The Junior Market Meat Goat Show (for kids pre-K to 12th grade) will begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 20, followed by showmanship classes and the International Boer Goat Association Show. There is no limit to the number of goats an exhibitor may enter in any show. Entry fees of $15 per goat must accompany entry form along with $7 per pen needed. Current health certificates are required for all goats. Goats six months or older must be registered with the International Boer Goat Association, the American Boer Goat Association or the U.S. Boer Goat Association. Original registration papers must be shown at check in. The Junior Market Meat Goat Show is open to any breed or crossbred wether or market doe. No bucks are allowed. Goats entered in the Market show are not eligible to show in either of the Breeding Boer Goat Shows. All goats exhibited in the Market show must be carrying all of their milk teeth at time of weigh in. Goats showing either or both of the first pair of permanent incisors are not eligible. Exhibitors from both the Junior Market Meat Goat Show and the Open Boer Goat Show are eligible to compete in the showmanship classes. There is no entry fee as long as the animals exhibited are entered and qualified for either the Junior Market Show or the Open Boer Goat Show. If an animal is not entered in either show, a $7 entry feed will be charged. There will be four showmanship classes divided by age of exhibitors: Class 1 – 5 years and under; Class 2 – 6-10 years; Class 3 – 11-14 years; Class 4: 15-18 years. Contact Rusty or Rayna Lee at 678-410-7785 or 770-652-6030 or [email protected] for entry forms or more information. NOMINATIONS BEING TAKEN FOR COTTON CONSULTANT AWARD Aug. 26 Nomination deadline Cotton Farming Magazine is accepting nominations for the Cotton Consultant of the Year award, which honors contributions to the cotton industry through outstanding customer relations, leadership and innovation. The recipient will be honored at a reception during the 2012 Beltwide in Orlando, Fla. Nomination forms are available in the July and August issues of Cotton Farming or online at http://www.cottonfarming.com/home/Consultant_Nomination_2011.pdf. LOGANBERRY HERITAGE FARM GARLIC FEST August 27 LoganBerry Heritage Farm Cleveland Garlic is the center of attention at this free, fun, family event, which celebrates the farm’s garlic harvest and runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be food tastings and cooking demos with garlic dishes, live entertainment, artisans and animals all in a memorable setting on this Appalachian heritage farm. Visit www.loganberryheritagefarm.com or call Sharon Mauney at 706-348-6068 for more information. The farm is located at 2660 Adair Mill Road, Cleveland, Ga, 30528. STOCK HORSE OF GEORGIA VERSATILITY EVENT Aug. 27-28 Quercus Cattle Co. Arena Gay Brian Sumrall, president of the Stock Horse of Texas and Dr. Dennis Sigler, vice president of the American Stock Horse Association (ASHA), will lead the clinics on Saturday, which run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is 460 for Stock Horse of Ga. members and $85 for nonmembers. Participants must pre-register by 5 p.m. on Aug. 22. The ASHA will hold a show on Aug. 28 beginning at 8 a.m. Contestants will compete in four categories - pleasure, trail, reigning and working cow in appropriate age or skill divisions. Contestants must pre-register by 5 p.m., Aug. 22. For more information contact Amanda Johnson at 817-706-6669 or [email protected] or visit http://www.littlecreekquarterhorses.com

Leadership Alert page 5 of 7 GEORGIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION REGIONAL FORESTRY MEETING Aug. 30 Potter Community Center 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Dublin You are invited to attend GFA’s Dublin Regional Forestry meeting to be held at the Potter Community Center on August 30, 2011. The local planning committee has put together an excellent agenda for this year’s meeting. Including keynote speakers Vicki Lambert of the Georgia Department of Revenue to speak on “FLPA (Forest Land Protection Act” and Lori Eckhart of Auburn University speak on “Pine decline in the Southeast”. In order to attend this meeting you must pre-register by Aug. 25. To pre-register and be included in the meal count, call Michele Lawson at 478-992-8110 or send an email listing the attendee’s names to [email protected]. A payment of $10 (Cash or Check only) per person will be taken at the door the night of the meeting. We encourage you to bring a guest to share this great opportunity. FINANCIALS FOR FARMERS WORKSHOP Aug. 31 The Snipes Water Resources Center Athens At this workshop, which runs from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., two statewide experts will present crucial information necessary for all successful farm operations, including tax issues related to self-employment, Schedule F, interns and part-time help, accounting 101 and how to set up QuickBooks for a Fruit and Vegetable business including Chart of Accounts, Customers, Items, Sales Tax Items, Classes, Vendors and Payment Methods. Cost is $20 per farm for Georgia Organics members and $30 per farm for the public, and scholarships are available. For more information, contact Jonathan Tescher at [email protected] or at 678-702-0400. NATIONAL ANGUS CONFERENCE & TOUR Sept. 6-8 The Classic Center Athens Sponsored by Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC, this tour includes two days of visits at ranches in central and northeast Georgia as well as presentations from industry representatives, researchers and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. Registration fee is $150 before Aug. 1 and $175 after. For more information, visit http://www.nationalangusconference.com, call 816-383-5100 or email [email protected]. 4TH ANNUAL UGA COTTON & PEANUT RESEARCH FIELD DAY Sept. 7 Tifton The tour will begin at 9 a.m. and will conclude with lunch. The Georgia Cotton Commission and the Georgia Peanut Commission are sponsoring the field day. GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION FALL FIELD DAY Sept. 8 UGA Tifton Campus 8 a.m. Tifton This free event will feature a review of the latest insect, disease, fertilizer, and breeding research by UGA pecan researchers including Jim Dutcher, Tim Brenneman, Lenny Wells, and Patrick Conner. Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact Janice Dees at [email protected].

Leadership Alert page 6 of 7 GEORGIA FARM BUREAU DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Sept. 13 3rd District The Center at Arbor Connection 7 p.m. Douglasville Sept. 15 10th District Jamestown Baptist Church 7 p.m. Waycross Sept. 20 2nd District North Georgia Technical College 7 p.m. Avalon Sept. 27 5th District Thomaston Civic Center 7 p.m. Thomaston Sept. 29 1st District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Calhoun Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information. Note: These meetings are for Farm Bureau members only and are closed to the general public. BROOKS COUNTY SKILLET FESTIVAL Sept. 17 Brooks County Courthouse Square Quitman This farm, food & arts festival will highlight the area’s abundant agriculture and fine southern cuisine. The one-day event will feature the “Cast-Iron Man,” a 5k road race and 1m fun run, vendors on the courthouse square, the “Cast-Iron Chef” cooking competition, a skillet throwing contest and an evening with local musicians. Visit www.skilletfestival.com for more information or contact Lauren Basford at 229-305-7822. AGRIBUSINESS WORKSHOP –RESOURCES TO MAXIMIZE YOUR POTENTIAL Sept. 21 Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro Workshop will cover new business models, social media, farm-to-table opportunities, risk management and agritourism. Interactive sessions will be led by panelists who have local, regional and national expertise including chefs, agribusiness/agritourism owners, loan and insurance experts, organic farmers and farm agency representatives. Registration is $65 per person and includes a hot lunch prepared with local food. Online registration begins July 29 at www.ogeecheetech.edu and www.georgiamicrobiz.com. For more information or to inquire about exhibitor opportunities call 912-688-6098. 15TH ANNUAL PLAINS PEANUT FESTIVAL Sept. 24 Plains The annual Plains Peanut Festival is centered around one of the Sumter County community's claims to fame, its peanut production, and features the community's most famous residents in active roles. The festival kicks off with a 1-mile fun run and a 5-K road race. People line the sidewalks of Plains each year to watch the unique entries in the parade downtown. Visitors enjoy the all-day event and educational exhibits are on display to accent the importance of agriculture in this region. WILLIAM HARRIS HOMESTEAD HERITAGE DAY.....A CALL TO ARMS Sept. 24 3636 Ga. Hwy. 11 Monroe This event, which runs from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m, offers fun for the entire family. There will be re-enactments to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, tours of the 1825 log house and outbuildings, demonstrations of 1800's crafts, plowing with the Old Time Georgia Plow Club, antiques, children's 1800's games, petting zoo, agricultural displays, great food and entertainment all day. General admission is $10, $5 for children 5-12 and children under 5 are free. For more information contact Judy Hardegree at 770-867-2449 or [email protected].

Leadership Alert page 7 of 7 2011 ANNUAL PEANUT TOUR Sept. 27-29 Various locations Southwest Ga./Bainbridge The 2011 Peanut Bus Tour of South Georgia, sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission, begins in Bainbridge on Tuesday, Sept. 27, with an early-bird hot topics session at 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Bainbridge. Presentations will include economic and food issues by University of Georgia faculty and USDA scientists on U.S. peanut program and policy, processing, quality, nutrition and uniform peanut performance tests. A reception follows at 6 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the Holiday Inn Express.Tour highlights include production research at the Attapulgus Research farm, on-farm demonstrations, equipment manufacturing, peanut handling, grading and shelling, and product processing facilities. Lunch will be at the Cloud Livestock Pavilion and a low country boil will be held at 7 p.m. at the Earle May Boat Basin. The agenda for Thursday, Sept. 29 includes lunch in Blakely, a 6 p.m. reception at Cotton Hall in Colquitt, with dinner and theater presentation of Swamp Gravy. Bus seats will be reserved on a first-come basis, with international visitors being given priority. For more information, contact Rebecca Whitehead at 229-386-3470 or email [email protected] SEPT. 30 is DEADLINE FOR GFB POLICY SUBMISSIONS Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual policy development process is underway. Sept. 30 is the deadline for county Farm Bureaus to submit policy recommendations to the state policy development committee. The state committee will meet this fall to consider the recommendations submitted by county Farm Bureaus and GFB’s commodity advisory committees. Contact the GFB Legislative Department for more information. WOMEN AND HISPANIC FARMERS CAN APPLY FOR A USDA CLAIMS PACKAGE USDA recently announced the establishment of a process to resolve the claims of Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who assert that they were discriminated against when seeking USDA farm loans. Those wishing to register to receive a claims package or to request more information can visit www.farmerclaims.gov or can call the Farmer and Rancher Call Center at 1-888-508-4429. USDA cannot provide legal advice to potential claimants. Persons seeking legal advice may contact a lawyer or other legal services provider. CORRECTION: The Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin provided updated numbers for the county Farm Bureau subscription contest after publication of the Aug. 10 Leadership Alert. Elbert County secured 38 subscriptions.