Georgia Farm Bureau News - May / June 2011 Issue

FARM BUREAUThe Voice of Georgia Farmers

N E W S

G E O R G I AVol. 73 No. 3 May/June 2011

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GeorGia Farm Bureau News may-JuNe 2011 / 3

table of contentsmay/june 2011

departmentswe, the farmers

PAGE 4

legislative updatePAGE 8

women’s committee update

PAGE 14

commodities updatePAGE 16

young farmer updatePAGE 18

around georgiaPAGE 26

public relations staff Paul Beliveau Director Jennifer Whittaker Editor

Lillian Davis Publications/Advertising Manager Jay Stone Print/Web Specialist Denny Moore TV Producer/Anchor Rick Treptow Senior Radio-TV Specialist Michael Edmondson Web/Video Manager Mark Wildman Radio-TV Specialist Dean Wood Radio-TV Specialist Damon Jones Radio-TV Specialist Vickie Amos Office Coordinator

For questions about your membership or member benefits, call 1-800-633-5432.

For questions regarding editorial content call 478-474-0679, ext. 5334 or e-mail

[email protected]

For questions regarding advertising contact Hurst and Associates, Inc., 1-800-397-8908

Visit the GFB Web site today! www.gfb.org

Find us on Facebook, YouTube and follow us on Twitter

(Photo by Anna Wilson) Grace Wilson, daughter of Franklin County Farm Bureau members Anna and Jason Wilson, helps her dad check the moisture content of his hay to see if it’s ready to be baled. Grace was one and a half last year when Anna shot this photo in May. Anna won an honorable mention in the 2010 GFB Photo Contest, and the photo is featured as the November picture in the photo contest calendar. Look for the winners of this year’s photo contest to be announced later this summer.

GFB members hear of budget woes, trade opportunities during trip to D.C.A group of 106 county Farm Bureau and GFB leaders traveled to Washington May 4-6 to meet with the Georgia congressional delegation. PAGE 6

Budget cuts force CAES to cut 18 jobs, sell farmThe University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has terminated 18 employees and put a 522-acre research farm on the market due to the latest round of budget cuts. PAGE 10

Georgia farms sustain widespread damage from April tornadoesThis Bartow County irriga-tion pivot belonging to Aubrey Corporation was among the many losses sustained by Georgia farm-ers from the tornadoes that struck central and north Georgia in late April. PAGE 12

GCA celebrates golden anniversaryMembers of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association (GCA) celebrated the organiza-tion’s 50th anniversary during their annual convention March 31-April 2. PAGE 19

Vidalia Onion museum opens The Vidalia Onion Commit-tee and Toombs County business leaders cut the rib-bon during the grand open-ing of the Vidalia Onion Mu-seum April 29. PAGE 21

Deal signs ag bills Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law a number of bills related to agriculture in May. PAGE 22County Farm Bureaus celebrate Ag WeekIn March, county Farm Bureaus celebrated National Agriculture Week with a va-riety of activities, and Georgia agriculture took center stage in downtown Atlanta March 22 during the 8th Annual Georgia Ag Day event. PAGE 24

GFB mourns loss of volunteersGeorgia Farm Bureau lost several current and former volunteer leaders this spring. Join us in recognizing these dedicated volunteers. PAGE 28

on the cover

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It seems our country’s landscape is consumed with destruction and devasta-tion. April 2011 will be remembered for a long time. Tornadoes ripped our country apart from the Midwest through the South and in our own neighborhoods. Floods up and down the Mississippi ran people out of their homes and business-es, flooding 3.5 million acres of farm-land. May’s droughts have a gridlock on farmland from Texas to Georgia. On my farm, for the first time I can remember, we started feeding hay to our cows in May. Normally, spring ryegrass should still be plentiful. One might ask, “What is going on and what will we do?” Many times we look to our govern-ment to step in during times of trouble. These kinds of trials warrant the gov-ernment stepping in and lending a helping hand. That’s what we expect from our nation. Unfortunately, there are times when the government oversteps its bounds, such as the U.S. Environmental Pro-tection Agency’s attempt to expand its regulatory authority by expanding the definition of “waters of the U.S.” under the Clean Water Act. During Georgia Farm Bureau’s 2011 County Presidents’ Trip to Washington, our delegation took the opportunity to thank our friends in Congress who signed onto a letter expressing opposition to this unwarrant-ed expansion of federal authority. Thank you Congressmen John Barrow, San-ford Bishop, Phil Gingrey, Austin Scott, David Scott and Lynn Westmoreland. Farmers were the first conservationists, and we will continue to be with pride. Speaking of friends in Congress, I’d like to recognize the members of Georgia’s U.S. Congressional delegation who received the Friend of Farm Bureau

Award for 2010 from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson and Reps. Barrow, Gingrey, Jack Kingston and former Rep. Jim Marshall voted with Farm Bureau at least 60 percent of the time on key agricultural issues. Thank you for your constant and continuous support of Georgia’s largest industry – agriculture. AFBF Executive Director of Public Policy Mark Maslyn and I pre-sented the award to Sens. Chambliss and Isakson during the Presidents’ Trip, and our county leaders presented the award to Reps. Barrow, Gingrey and Kingston during their constituent meetings. As our county leaders met with their representatives, they discussed a number of issues, including the need for federal immigration reform rather than leaving it up to states to address the issue, concerns about the next farm bill, the need for per-manent estate tax reform, the importance of free trade agreements to agriculture and our concerns about attempts by the U.S. EPA to expand its regulatory reach. You can read more about this trip on page 6. Another federal issue GFB has voiced concern about is the need for the EPA to reregister aldicarb, the active ingredient in Temik, a granular pesticide used to control a variety of pests in row crops, including cotton and peanuts. Due to EPA pressure, Bayer CropScience agreed to phase out production of aldicarb by the end of 2014 and cease all remaining uses of the pesticide by August 2018. As cotton and peanut producers are hav-ing difficulty finding a replacement for Temik, Ag Logic, a North Carolina com-pany, has applied to register a pesticide containing aldicarb for use on cotton, peanuts, soybeans, sweet potatoes, dry

we, the

farmersZippy Duvall, GFB President

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FARM BUREAUG E O R G I A

N E W SThe Voice of Georgia Farmers

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ZIPPY DUVALL

1st Vice President/South Georgia Vice PresidentGERALD LONG

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Middle Georgia Vice President ROBERT FOUNTAIN JR.

Treasurer/Corporate SecretaryWAYNE DANIEL

General CounselDUKE GROOVER

DIRECTORSFIRST DISTRICT: Henry J. West, Rydal SEC-OND DISTRICT: Bobby Gunter, Dahlonega; Randy Ruff, Elberton THIRD DISTRICT: George Chambers, Carrollton; Nora Goodman, Temple FOURTH DISTRICT: Marvin Ruark, Bishop; Wil-liam Hutchins, Winder FIFTH DISTRICT: Jim Ham, Smarr; Ralph Adamson Jr., Barnesville SIXTH DISTRICT: James Emory Tate, Denton; James Malone, Dexter SEVENTH DISTRICT: Ben Boyd, Sylvania; Gennis Folsom, Glennville EIGHTH DISTRICT: Phil Redding, Bluffton; Don Wood, Rochelle NINTH DISTRICT: Paul Shirah, Camilla; Lucius Adkins, Elmodel TENTH DIS-TRICT: David Lee, Alma; Daniel Johnson, Alma YOUNG FARMER CHAIRMAN: Wesley Hall, Cumming WOMEN’S COMMITTEE CHAIR: Donna Powell, Pelham

ADVERTISING POLICY All advertising accepted subject to publisher’s approval. Advertisers must assume liability for content of their advertising. Publisher maintains right to cancel advertising for non-payment or reader complaint about advertiser service or products. Publisher does not accept per-order, political or alcoholic beverage ads, nor does publisher prescreen or guarantee advertiser service or products. Publisher assumes no liability for products or services advertised in the Georgia Farm Bureau News. For advertising rates and information, contact Hurst and Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 6011, Vernon Hills, IL 60061, 1-800-397-8908. Georgia Farm Bureau News was established in 1937. Copyright 2011 by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federa-tion. Printed by Panaprint, Macon, Georgia.

Hope for the Home Place

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (pictured above, center) accepts the Friend of Farm Bureau Award from Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall (right) and Ameri-can Farm Bureau Executive Director of Public Policy Mark Maslyn (left).

See WE, THE FARMERS page 9


Adverse weather conditions from storms this spring and drought conditions have played havoc with

Georgia agriculture, so on June 2 Georgia Farm Bureau hosted a prayer service to ask for favorable agricultural conditions. Many areas of the state have gone as long as two months without significant rainfall, affecting planting decisions and prompting worries of crop losses. “This whole year has been dry. We have no surface water reserves whatsoev-er, and our ground water is lower than it’s been at this time of the year in recorded history. I’ve got irrigated crops that I’ve got up but without rain I won’t be able to carry them through harvest with irriga-tion,” said Baker County Farm Bureau Treasurer Tim Burch. Birch intended to plant more of his peanut crop in dryland this year because he planted more cotton in his irrigated acreage to take advantage of high prices. “I’ve got a good bit of dryland peanut acres this year and I haven’t planted them. I’m waiting until the promise of rain. I’ll wait the month of June. I don’t want to do that. Last year [peanuts] planted the first of June were affected by frost, so I’m certainly going to be at great risk planting after this date. We’ve got to hope that we are going

to get rain and get it soon enough that I can get those peanuts planted.” Birch said if he can’t plant his dry-land acreage in peanuts he may plant it in cotton. The drought conditions were the big-gest focus of the prayer service, which drew approximately 100 people to the auditorium at the GFB home office. Ber-rien County Farm Bureau held a separate observance at its office in Nashville, Ga. “It’s very, very severe for this par-ticular point in the growing season,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, who encouraged the staging of the prayer service. “We’re having many, many producers that are having to water a crop in just to get a stand. Certainly there are expense issues involved there. It’s just not viable long-term. You use irrigation to nurture a crop. You do not use irrigation to produce a crop. The dry land has come under significant stress.” In addition to the drought, forest fires and late-April tornadoes destroyed nearly 400 square miles of timberland and caused damage to chicken houses, hay barns, irri-gation pivots, fencing and other ag assets across north Georgia. According to Georgia Farm Service

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GFB holds prayer service to ask for favorable ag weather

Pictured from left, GFB Middle Georgia Vice President Robert Fountain Jr., Wash-ington County Farm Bureau members Rabun and Glenn Waller and GFB 6th District Director James Malone were among those praying for favorable weather for agricul-ture during the service held at Georgia Farm Bureau June 2.

By Jay Stone__________________________________________________________________________

Gov. Deal requests disaster declaration for drought Gov. Nathan Deal wrote to U.S. Agri-culture Secretary Tom Vilsack June 3 re-uesting a secretarial disaster designation for 22 Georgia counties based on FSA evaluations in mid-April. In a follow-up letter, members of the Georgia U.S. Congressional delegation wrote Vilsack June 9 urging him to con-sider designating those counties as disaster areas. In that letter, Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson noted that as much as 54 percent of the state has been docu-mented as suffering from extreme drought conditions by the U.S. Drought Monitor through June 2. Reps. Jack Kingston (R-1st Dist.), Sanford Bishop (D-2nd Dist.), Aus-tin Scott (R-8th Dist) and John Barrow (R-12th Dist.) also signed the letter. Noting that Georgia farmers have already experienced extensive losses to numerous crops, Deal asked for designa-tions for Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Chatham, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Dodge, Effing-ham, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Telfair, Thomas, Wayne and Wheeler counties. According to Deal’s letter, the USDA’s County Emergency Boards have prepared loss adjustment reports, which have been reviewed by the USDA State Emergency Board (SEB). The SEB agreed with the loss data reported and has recommended the secretarial disaster declaration, which would make farmers in those counties eligible to apply for assistance, including emergency loans and benefits under the 2008 farm bill. Georgia FSA Director Hobby Strip-ling has also submitted the 22 counties for secretarial disaster designation, the next-to-last step in the process and says it is possible that the SEB, which meets monthly, could recommend other coun-ties in Georgia for secretarial disaster dec-larations due to drought conditions. To qualify for a secretarial designa-tion, a county must have a minimum 30 percent production loss in at least one crop due to a natural disaster.See PRAYER page 14


GFB members hear of budget woes,trade opportunities during D.C. tripArticle & photos by Jay Stone_____________________________________

A group of 106 Georgia Farm Bureau county leaders and state directors met with the Georgia U.S. Congres-

sional delegation during a trip to Washing-ton, D.C., May 4-6. During visits to the of-fices of all 13 of the state’s representatives, the GFB members voiced the organization’s concerns about the 2012 farm bill, perma-nent estate tax reform, free trade agreements, immigration reform and attempts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expand its regulatory reach. “This is the most important meeting as far as national policy we have outside of our policy development meeting,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. “After we develop our policy, trying to get it implemented is the next stage of what we do. For our people to come and present our policies on the is-sues we’re facing to our representatives and our senators at this time of year is very im-portant.” Georgia Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss spoke at a breakfast meeting with the GFB group, during which American Farm Bureau Executive Director of Pub-lic Policy Mark Maslyn gave an outlook on

Farm Bureau’s key issues. While the national budget poses great challenges for the ag industry, the news was not all bad. Mike Dwyer of the USDA’s Foreign Agri-cultural Service discussed factors likely to af-fect ag trade in the coming years, chief among

them the rapidly growing demand for food in developing countries experiencing growth in their middle class populations. “The situation in American agriculture has never looked better than it does today,” Dwyer said. “Much of that prosperity is due to booming demand around the world for

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (center) ac-cepts the Friend of Farm Bureau Award from Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall (right) and American Farm Bureau Executive Director of Public Policy Mark Maslyn (left).

Pictured from right, Haralson County Farm Bureau Vice President Joe Griffith and GFB 3rd District Director Nora Goodman present Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) with the Friend of Farm Bureau Award along with GFB 3rd District Director George Chambers.

GFB Middle Georgia Farm Bureau Vice President Robert Fountain Jr. (center, left) and GFB members from Rep. John Barrow’s district presented Barrow (center, right) with the AFBF Friend of Farm Bureau Award during their constituent visit.

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Mike Dwyer of the USDA’s Foreign Agricul-tural Service said the prospects for agricul-tural international trade look good over the next 10 years.

what we have to sell.” He added that while a short-term dip in commodity prices is likely, the USDA is ex-pecting the nation’s net farm income to re-main in the $80 billion -$95 billion range for the next 10 years. In addition to hearing Farm Bureau’s pri-ority issues, congressmen uniformly warned of difficult financial times ahead as Congress grapples with the national debt. Chambliss said the U.S. is on the way to financial col-lapse, a track similar to those experienced by Ireland, Greece and Portugal. Chambliss said those countries “are truly in dire finan-cial straits. That’s how important it is that we do something about this.” Chambliss, who sits on the Senate Ag Committee, said the 2012 farm bill will have less money and more sectors competing for it. Multiple congressmen said the estate tax is unlikely to go away completely, but that the chances are good that the current $5 million per person exemption with a top tax rate of 35 percent, which expires at the end of 2012, would be made permanent. “Eliminating it totally is what I’d pre-fer, but the problem is you’ve got all these super-wealthy people that are getting out of it, and then you get into the political ques-tions there,” said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-1st Dist.). “I’ve always felt like if you could just do [the exemption] in the $5 to $10 million range with inflation, then you take care of 97 percent of the American people, and then it would be fine.” Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-3rd Dist.) said the federal approach to immigration reform would not change under the current adminis-tration. He said the borders need to be sealed and the identification process improved.

GFB 10th District Director David Lee (left) presents Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) with the Friend of Farm Bureau Award.

Michael Reed, senior policy advisor for Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-2nd Dist), told GFB members that the Obama administration plans to initiate discussions on the issue of immigration. “From our perspective, regionally we’re very interested in trying to figure out how to deal with H-2A visas and being able to make sure that we have a consistent migrant policy that supports our workers in a fair manner,” Reed said. The GFB delegation presented American Farm Bureau Federation Friend of Farm Bu-reau awards to Sens. Chambliss and Isakson, Reps. John Barrow, Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston. This award is based upon voting records on AFBF’s priority issues, number

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-3rd Dist., second from right) talks with (from left) GFB District 3 Director Ralph Adamson, Harris County Farm Bureau President Gilbert Andrews and his wife Susan, Henry County Farm Bureau President Ross McQueen, Pike County Farm Bureau President Thomas Lacey and Meriwether County Farm Bureau Director Kenneth Murphy (behind desk).

of bills that a member has sponsored and co-sponsored, specific leadership role for Farm Bureau on priority issues and how accessible and responsive that member is to Farm Bu-reau members and leaders.

U.S. Blueberry Council holds referendum The USDA will conduct a referendum July 5-26 asking blueberry growers if they want to continue the U.S. High-bush Blueberry Council. Under the marketing order, the USDA is required to conduct a continuation referendum of the national research and promotions program every five years. The USDA will mail ballots directly to blueberry growers and importers in late June. If you do not receive a ballot by July 5, contact the USDA or the Highbush Blue-berry Council at [email protected]. The results will be based on a simple majority of the number voting and a majority of the volume voted.


The United States Supreme Court recently upheld the mandatory E-Verify provisions in the Legal Arizona Work-ers Act of 2007. The decision is impor-tant because it impacts similar provisions included in Georgia’s immigration law passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. Georgia’s new law includes lan-guage mandating the use of E-Verify by private employers. E-Verify is the free federal online data-base program that checks whether a per-son is authorized to work in the United States. E-Verify does not check immigra-tion status, but it cross-checks a name with a Social Security number. If there is a match, the person is authorized to work. The case Chamber of Commerce of United States of America v. Whiting was decided May 26 in a 5-3 decision. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion and was joined in the decision by Justices Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas. The minority included Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader-Ginsberg and Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Elena Kagan recused herself because she had worked on the issue in the Obama Administration before being appointed to the court. At issue was whether the Arizona law, which became effective in 2008, was pre-empted by federal law regarding the use of E-Verify. The federal Immigration Reform & Control Act (IRCA) makes it a violation to knowingly hire illegal immigrants but also restricts actions of states regarding immigration law. The IRCA expressly pre-empts “any state or local law imposing civil or criminal sanctions (other than through licensing and similar laws) upon those who employ ... unauthorized aliens.” The phrase “other than through licensing and similar laws,” was the crux of the argument before the Supreme Court. The federal E-Verify program is voluntary. The Arizona law makes E-Verify mandatory. Arizona’s enforce-ment of the law is based on withholding

or revoking licenses for violation and “license” is defined so broadly in Arizo-na law as to include “any agency permit, certificate, approval, registration, charter or similar form of authorization.” The U.S. Chamber of Commerce argued that the IRCA reflected Congress’ careful balancing of several policy consid-erations: deterring illegal alien employ-ment, avoiding burdens on employers, and guarding against employment dis-crimination. The chamber characterized Arizona’s effort to revoke business licenses and articles of incorporation as a “business death penalty” and contended this was counter to congressional intent. Chief Justice Roberts disagreed. In writing the majority opinion, he stated that “even if a law regulating articles of incor-poration, partnership certificates, and the

like is not itself a ‘licensing law,’ it is at the very least ‘similar’ to a licensing law.” Rob-erts also noted that in a federal system of government, a certain amount of variance between states is to be expected. Justices Breyer, Bader-Ginsberg and Sotomayor all expressed concern the Ari-zona law provides incentives for employ-ers to discriminate against persons of Hispanic ancestry. “How will employers behave,” asks Breyer, “when erring on the side of discrimination leads only to rela-tively small fines, while erring on the side of hiring unauthorized workers leads to the ‘business death penalty’?” The majority responded that employ-ers are in no danger if they simply fol-low the law. “The most rational path for employers is to obey the law - both the law barring the employment of unauthorized aliens and the law prohibiting discrimina-tion - and there is no reason to suppose

legislative updateJon Huffmaster, Legislative Director

Supreme Court upholdsmandatory E-Verify

that Arizona employers will choose not to do so,” wrote Justice Roberts. The bottom line is the United States Supreme Court has ruled that states can require employers to use the federal E-Ver-ify program. Georgians were closely follow-ing this ruling because Georgia’s new immi-gration law also contains provisions for mandatory E-Verify being tied to business licenses. Had the court ruled differently, it could have affected the Georgia law. Another Arizona law, SB 1070, is cur-rently making its way through the court system. Passed in 2010, it was challenged by the Obama Administration and was struck down by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the same court that previously upheld the E-Verify challenge. That law involves questions about local law enforce-ment checking a person’s immigration status during routine traffic stops, etc. The Supreme Court could hear that case as early as next year. The outcome of that case could also have ramifications for the Georgia law. Earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union and several civil rights groups challenged Georgia’s immigration law in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The suit questions the constitutionality of some provisions in the Georgia law. Meanwhile, Congress may soon revisit the issue of mandatory E-Verify. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) plans to introduced federal legislation June 15 that would require E-Verify of all employers in every state. While the Supreme Court has upheld the legality of mandatory E-Verify, Farm Bureau continues to question the wisdom of it. Requiring small businesses and farm-ers to navigate yet another layer of federal bureaucracy will only increase costs and reduce efficiency. What America really needs is effective border enforcement and a workable guest worker program for agriculture. Jon Huffmaster is director of the GFB Legislative Department.

The bottom line is the United States Supreme Court has ruled that states can require employers to use the fed-eral E-Verify program.


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WE, THE FARMERS from page 4beans and sugar beets. I submitted comments to the EPA in April urging the agency to reregister aldicarb. I explained that Georgia farmers have relied on this effective pesticide for more than 40 years and that aldicarb reduces a grower’s need for additional foliar pesticide sprays during the growing season as a single application at plant-ing provides control of nematodes and insects for up to six weeks. At home in Georgia, with the state’s new immigration bill set to go into effect July 1, the fears we pointed out to our legislators are already coming true. In our statement released at Farm Bureau Day at the Capitol, we warned the legis-lators that our seasonal workers may choose to skip over Georgia and move to other states to work. We are receiving reports of just that. On the organizational front, we have been saddened by the loss of too many good Farm Bureau leaders this spring. J. Louis Hunt served as a state board member for 32 years and as president of the Walker County Farm Bureau for more than 40 years. Betty Nash, a true woman of Georgia agriculture and wife of past president Bob Nash, spent many years volunteering for Georgia Farm Bureau and the Georgia Cattlewomen. Danny Page was president of Bryan County Farm Bureau and was a strong supporter of his local 4-H and FFA programs. Joe Harry Rowland served on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors from 1982-1987 and as Johnson County Farm Bureau president from 2001-2009. Lex Strick-land served on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors from 1963–1992, was an Evans County Farm Bureau director and was an active cattlemen’s association member. Harvey Weldon was president of the Harris County Farm Bureau and a dedicated member of the Georgia Farm Bureau Aquaculture Commod-ity Advisory Committee. Our condolences go out to all of these families along with heartfelt thanks for the contributions these leaders made to our orga-nization. You can read their obituaries on pages 28–29 This spring, our farm families have suffered losses of all kinds - drought, tornadoes, floods, and the loss of lives. Always remember, there is hope for the home place. In Psalm 107:41, the Bible says, “He sets the poor on high, and makes their families like a flock.” In times like these, our farm families flock together to praise God for His blessings and offer up to him our faithfulness. May God bless you and your home place.


In the latest round of downsizing due to the ongoing state budget crisis, the Univer-sity of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has terminated 18 employees and put a 522-acre research farm on the market. All 18 of the positions eliminated were staff, according to CAES Dean Dr. Scott Angle, who said he was not allowed to lay

off faculty. Most of the positions cut were technical positions on farms and about one-third were administrative, secretarial support positions. Angle said three of the 18 employees have found ways to stay employed by having their salaries funded by contracts or grants. Angle said the college administration worked hard during the past three budget

cycles to avoid laying off employees, but the latest cut to the college’s budget, set to go into effect for the new fiscal year beginning July 1, required layoffs. “The second half of the story is we’ve lost about 340 of our faculty and staff over the last couple of years through natural attrition and incentives to retire. Overall, we’re looking at 355 individuals who were around a couple of years ago that are not around today,” Angle said. The college is closing its peach research program at the USDA peach research facil-ity in Byron, Ga., and eliminating the sup-port positions for the pecan pest man-agement program in Tifton. Other staff layoffs included positions on the Griffin and Athens campuses and the secretaries in the Crawford, Dade and Talbot County Extension Offices. The elimination of the office staff in these county Extension offices means these counties have been reclassified from Tier 2 to Tier 1 counties in the tier ranking sys-tem UGA Cooperative Extension adopted last fall to best utilize the reduced staff and resources it has been left with due to repeated budget cuts. Tier 2 counties have a core 4-H program and a county Exten-sion office with an office manager to help residents access diagnostic services and Extension resources. A county extension

Budget cuts force CAES to cut 18 jobs, sell farmBy Jennifer Whittaker__________________________________________________________________________

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Georgia farmers need 11,080 work-ers to fill jobs available in the state’s ag industry, according to a survey recently conducted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) at the request of Gov. Nathan Deal to assess the current ag labor situation in the state. Survey participants indicated that the duration of the jobs range from one day to a year. “The agriculture industry is the num-ber one economic engine in Georgia, and it is my sincere hope to find viable and law abiding solutions to the current problem our farmers face,” Gov. Deal stated in a re-lease summarizing the survey issued by his office June 14. “I asked Department of Cor-rections Commissioner Brian Owens and

[Agriculture] Commissioner [Gary] Black to review the current situation and offer possible options. Commissioner Owens has indicated that there are 100,000 proba-tioners statewide, 8,000 of which are in the southwest region of the state and 25 percent of which are unemployed.” According to Deal’s office, Commis-sioner Owens is working with Commission-er Black and other state agencies to connect unemployed probationers, especially those in the southwest part of the state, and others who are preparing to re-enter the workforce to employers who are seeking labor. “I believe this would be a great partial solution to our current status as we contin-ue to move towards sustainable results with the legal options available,” Deal said in his released statement.

Deal asked Commissioner Black to con-duct the study in late May. The GDA con-ducted the survey for 15 days and sent the results to Deal June 10. A total of 233 pro-ducers from 76 counties, who grow a wide variety of Georgia commodities, responded to the survey. “Responses suggest a degree of unmet labor needs this season. The spring veg-etable harvest is rapidly drawing to a close,” Black wrote to Deal in the letter and survey summary he submitted. “The purpose of this study is to explore trends regarding the availability of agricultural workers in Geor-gia. In the interest of time, a non-scientific survey was developed and administered to various agricultural commodity com-missions and agricultural–based trade as-

GDA labor survey shows farmers need 11,080 workersBy Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

See SURVEY page 12

The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is accepting bids on its 522-acre Plant Sciences Farm in Watkinsville where variety testing and development re-search has been conducted on cotton and grain production for north Georgia. The college is selling the farm and eliminated 18 staff positions in May due to budget cuts.


Turning Dreams Into Reality

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coordinator from another county serves as administrator. Tier 1 counties do not have an Extension office but have a basic 4-H program offered in the school sys-tem through an employee supervised by an agent in another county. In addition to Crawford, Dade and Talbot counties, Chattahoochee and Taliaferro counties are also classified as Tier 1 counties. “These positions were eliminated in counties where we currently don’t have a county agent. We didn’t want to close these county offices, but our resources have been cut, and we’re having to prioritize positions,” explained Northwest District Extension Director Greg Price. “ We hope this is a temporary move. Our hope is to be able to come back with a county agent when the budget allows us to, but until that time, Extension will be operating in these counties with part-time staff and with the support of volunteer leaders.” The college is also accepting sealed bids on its 522-acre Plant Sciences Farm in Watkinsville, Ga., where variety test-

ing and development research has been conducted on cotton and grain production specific for north Georgia. “We need that research to be done up in that part of the state because it’s location testing. We’re going to move some of it to the horticulture farm, which is just a few miles away. We’re going to move some of it to a farm we have in Eatonton, which is about 25 miles away,” Angle said. Bids will be accepted for the Plant Sci-ences Farm until June 27. “If we don’t get any bids that we consid-er to be adequate, then we’ll stop the process and it won’t be sold. We’ll either continue to use it as we are or rent it out to someone.” The CAES previously accepted bids on its Redbud Farm in north Georgia but ended up leasing it rather than selling it, Angle said, and a parcel of about 100 acres that the CAES owns in Griffin is under negotiation. “We have downsized in a way that I think will allow us to continue with areas where we’re strong but frankly we’ve had to give up a few things,” Angle said. “We’re going to have to look at the next couple of

years to try to enhance our budget, not to where we used to be, but try to get some of it back to continue to try to do some things that are pretty important to the state.” Meanwhile, there’s a possibility UGA might be interested in acquiring the USDA J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resource Conservation Center in Watkinsville if it closes as expected this year. On June 16, the U.S. House Appropriations Commit-tee passed the 2012 Agriculture Appro-priations bill for the USDA and related agencies, that did not include funding for the Campbell center. The appropriations bill includes a provision that would allow UGA, as a land grant university, to acquire the 1,100-acre property as long as it uses the land for agriculture or research for at least 25 years. “It is entirely too early for anyone to be talking about UGA taking over the research center,” cautioned UGA CAES Public Affairs Director Faith Peppers. Now the funding bill must be agreed to by the Senate and signed by President Obama.

Continued from previous page


By Jay Stone__________________________________________________________________________

The rash of tornadoes that struck cen-tral and north Georgia on April 27 and 28 destroyed chicken houses,

damaged barns and fences and left some producers without power for extended peri-ods of time. The tornadoes killed more than 300 people across the Southeast, including 15 in Georgia. The EF3 tornado that moved through Spalding County crossed Georgia Highway 16 at the farm of Spalding County Farm Bu-reau President Charles Rucks, destroying a house on the property occupied by one of Rucks’ employees. The tornado destroyed

one of Rucks’ hay barns, tore the roof off another and downed approximately two miles of fencing. The storm also felled be-tween 150 and 200 trees on his farm. “We were blessed,” Rucks said. “It left our house. It did minimal damage. We got through it good because we didn’t lose our house.” Some of the damage around the state included: In Bartow County, farmers Roger Rutledge, James Huskins, Cu Van Lam and Michael Howren had chicken houses dam-aged or destroyed. Irrigation pivots on a cornfield owned by Aubrey Corporation

Spalding County Farm Bureau President Charles Rucks looks over the damage done to his hay barn by the April 28 tornado.

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sociations in Georgia. I believe the methods utilized - though not thoroughly scientific - have generated sound, honest and clearly reported data.” According to the survey summary, the most survey responses came from Bacon County followed by Appling, Coffee, Brooks and Clinch counties. Georgia crops repre-sented in the study included cotton, blue-berries, corn, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, wa-termelons, bell peppers, cucumbers, squash and pecans. Cotton has become more labor intensive in recent years as farmers hire workers to hand pull pigweed. “We urged farmers to participate in this survey because it’s important to know the full extent of the labor problems farmers

Georgia farms sustain widespreaddamage from April tornadoes

were destroyed, and Bartow County Farm Bureau President Dean Bagwell sustained damage on eight different farms, including destroyed hay barns and downed fences. In Catoosa County, at least three farmers had damage to their barns, and three more farmers in Polk County sustained damage to their farm facilities. Dade County Farm Bureau Office Man-ager Brenda Croft and Secretary Connie Blevins were in the DCFB office when it was hit by a tornado. They were unhurt other than a minor cut to Blevins’ hand. DCFB operated out of a tent temporarily and on May 2 moved into a rental building. Lamar County Farm Bureau Director Clay Allen’s Honeywood Farm lost most of its fencing, a hay barn, an office and pole barns, while his neighbor and LCFB mem-ber Jim Adams lost four chicken houses. According to Georgia Farm Service Agen-cy statistics, chicken producers in Bartow, Floyd, Lamar and Pickens counties lost 638,000 chickens. Nearly 1,500 farm dwellings, service buildings and farm structures across the state were either damaged or destroyed. The tor-nadoes also damaged or destroyed more than 290,000 acres of timber, fruit and nut trees and vineyards across the state. President Barack Obama approved a fed-eral disaster declaration for 25 Georgia coun-ties. Local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in those counties are eligible for federal funds to help offset 75 per-cent of the cost of debris removal and emer-gency protective measures. Residents and business owners in Bar-

face,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. “We hope this data will help state officials more clearly see the predicament farmers are in.” Most survey participants currently em-ploy 25 or fewer employees. Survey partici-pants indicated that they have 6,307 farm jobs available paying an hourly wage be-tween $7.25-$8.99; 3,236 farm jobs that pay $9-$11 an hour; 1,368 jobs available that pay $12-$15 an hour and 169 available jobs that pay $16 or more an hour. The survey summary shows that 47.7 percent of the survey participants do not of-fer any additional benefits beyond an hourly wage or salary while 36 percent offer work-ers compensation. Housing is offered by 22.5 percent of the respondents and transporta-

SURVEY from page 10tion is offered by 19.8 percent. Health insur-ance is offered by 7.7 percent of the survey participants. A majority of the survey participants (41.4 percent) use farm labor contractors to recruit farm employees; 32.3 percent use word-of-mouth to recruit workers; 18.8 per-cent use the Georgia Department of Labor as a recruitment source and 7.5 percent use the federal H-2A program. According to the survey summary, the GDA will continue to review the survey results and incorporate the findings into a comprehensive, scientific study that will explore the labor issue in a detailed manner as delegated to the department by Georgia House Bill 87, which goes into effect July 1.


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tow, Catoosa, Cherokee, Coweta, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Greene, Habersham, Har-ris, Heard, Jasper, Lamar, Lumpkin, Meri-wether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Pick-ens, Polk, Rabun, Spalding, Troup, Upson, Walker and White counties who sustained losses are eligible for federal assistance and are eligible for grants to help with home repairs, temporary housing and other seri-ous disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Ad-ministration will also be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance. The disaster declaration makes all counties in the state eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which gives aid to state and local governments and certain pri-vate non-profit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural hazards. To apply for federal assistance visit http://www.disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or 800-462-7565 (TTY) between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.


The Dade County Farm Bureau office in Trenton took a direct hit with Manager Bren-da Croft and Secretary Connie Blevins inside. The roof was damaged and windows blown out.

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Pfizer Animal Health is helping veteri-narians and livestock owners in the South-east treat livestock impacted by the April tornadoes. Vouchers worth $100 are being offered to reimburse vets to cover consult-ing fees for assessing livestock impacted by the storms. Cattle owners who have suffered tornado damage need to watch their cattle for signs the animals may have ingested metal storm debris, are experienc-ing respiratory distress or are developing

the bacterial infection Clostridium cha-voei, commonly known as “blackleg”. Pfizer is also making its long-acting antibiotics (Draxxin, Excede and LA-200) available at no cost to vets who are treat-ing affected animals. In addition, Pfizer will replace its cattle products for clinics damaged or destroyed by the storms. This program will be in place until September. Vets who are interested in participating in the program should call 1-800-366-5288.

Pfizer Animal Health offers storm relief


women’s committee updateDonna Rocker, Field Services Program Specialist

GFB Women’s Leadership Committee attends AFBF Leadership Conference

Mary C. Cromley of Bulloch Coun-ty, Nicollette Poole of Glascock County and Kollin Pyle of Early County have been awarded the top Georgia Farm Bureau 2011 Scholarships for Agriculture, valued at $3,000 each. The scholarships are intended to recognize and assist deserving and outstanding young people who are pursuing college degrees in agricultural and environ-mental sciences, family and consumer sci-ences or related agricul-tural fields. Eligibility is limited to students who plan to enroll in a unit of the University System of Georgia or Berry Col-lege for the 2011-2012 academic year. “Each of these students is to be con-gratulated on the accomplishments they

have achieved during their high school careers,” said GFB President Zippy Du-vall. “It’s a pleasure to help these students pursue their dreams as they take the next step in beginning a career in agriculture.” Poole plans to attend the University of Geor-gia and study animal science. Cromley plans to study agricultural and applied econom-ics at the University of Georgia, while Pyle intends to study agricultural engineering at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. In addition to the three top awards, seven other students were awarded $750 each. The other scholarship finalists were Ben Bennett of Cook County, Emilee Brinton of Coweta County, Ashley Dalba of Henry County, Davis Roper of Oconee County, Kendall Singleton of Upson County, Kaylee South of Franklin County and Jessica Still of Early County.

GFB names scholarship winners

Nicollette Poole

Mary Cromley

Kollin Pyle

Five members of the Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee attended the American Farm Bureau Fed-eration’s National Women’s Leadership Conference in Baltimore, Md., April 15-19. Pictured from left are committee members Melanie Raines, GFB 8th District, Turner

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County; Londa Champion, GFB 5th Dis-trict, Jasper County; Linda Crumley, GFB 4th District, Barrow County; Charlotte Ward, GFB 2nd District, Elbert County and Committee Chairman Donna Powell, GFB 9th District, Grady County. The theme was “Changing Perceptions,

Unlimited Possibilities” and included work-shops on working with the media, working with activism issues, women’s health, rural development and agricultural literacy. The conference ended with an inspi-rational speech by Patrick Henry Hughes, a young man who was born without eyes and unable to walk, but still managed to become an accomplished musician and even march in the University of Louis-ville Marching Band. The Hughes family has been featured on ABC’s “Extreme MakeOver Home Edition,” “ABC World News Tonight” and on ESPN. Patrick has written a book, I Am Potential, Eight Lessons on Living, Loving & Reaching Your Dreams with the help of his dad, Patrick John Hughes and Bryant Stamford. Visit Patrick’s website at http://www.patrickhenryhughes.com to learn more about this incredible young man and his family.

Agency statistics, chicken producers in Bartow, Floyd, Lamar and Pickens coun-ties lost 638,000 chickens, and nearly 1,500 farm dwellings, service buildings and farm structures across the state were either dam-aged or destroyed. The prayer service featured brief speeches from Black and GFB President Zippy Duvall, music from Johnny Pret-tyman of Mabel White Baptist Church in Macon and a message from Rev. David Sharpton. Sharpton, the minister of edu-cation & evangelism at Maysville Bap-tist Church, delivered the main message. “Ask God to rain down on us spiritually,” Sharpton said, “but also to heal us physi-cally by providing rain.” Prettyman led the gathering in singing the hymns “Amazing Grace” and “Show-ers of Blessings”. Black and Duvall each urged those gathered to pray without ceasing, stressing the widespread need for rain “Before it will mean anything to God, it has to mean something to us,” Duvall said. “This means a lot to us.”

PRAYER continued from page 5


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Teresa Chambers, Jones County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee chairman, was named the Southeast regional winner of Monsanto’s America’s Farmers Mom of the Year Contest held this spring. One of five regional winners, Chambers was selected by judges from Monsanto and the American Agri-Women in recognition of the contributions she makes to her fam-ily, farm community and agriculture. JCFB Office Manager and friend Barbara Bridg-ers nominated Teresa. Teresa and her husband, Judd, who is the JCFB president, operate Chambers’ Dairy. In addition to their cattle, the family also raises hay, sorghum and ryegrass. The couple has three sons Maine, 17, Bailey, 14, and Justin, 13. “I wasn’t aware that Barbara nominat-ed me for the honor, so I was surprised to receive a phone call telling me I had been selected as the Southeast Farm Mom of the year,” Teresa said. “I am certainly no more special than any other mom out there, but

Chambers is Southeast Farm MomI do appreciate the recognition and the op-portunity to increase public awareness of agriculture. Next to God and my family, agriculture is the main focus of my life. My livelihood depends on it.” In her application nominating Teresa, Bridgers wrote, “Teresa works on one of the last operating dairy farms in Jones County, Ga., with her husband, Judd. She works daily with her husband in all the work and production at the dairy. She is also active in Ag in the Classroom, taking time to share ag with elementary school children. On World School Milk Day she dresses as a dairy cow and shares information on milk and dairy with the kids. She is always will-ing to be involved with ag events at schools and the “Mini Farm Day” for the county pre-k, where she brings one of her calves for the kids to pet. She welcomes and en-courages field trips to the dairy farm for a firsthand experience for children and teens to see a working dairy. This remarkable young woman who balances home, farm

and community is a wonderful candidate for “Farm Mom of the Year.” Teresa won $5,000 as the regional win-ner. Bette Lu Lerwick from Albin, Wyo., was named the 2011 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year winner based on an on-line voting competition held May 18-26. Lerwick represented the northwest region. Visit http://www.monsanto.com/americas-farmers/Pages/farm-mom-vote-form.aspx to read more about the contest. Congratu-lations, Teresa!


commodities/marketing updateJoe McManus, GFB Commodities/Marketing Dept. Assistant Director

Animal welfare is farmer’s highest priority

Most Americans have never spent time on a modern working farm. Everybody wants an abundant,

safe and nutritious food supply, yet most do not understand the complicated farm-ing practices of today’s livestock operations. They simply take it for granted. Farmers and ranchers provide the food supply we all want, while taking great care of their animals and the land. They realize that the well-being and comfort of their live-stock is in their best interest. Healthy living conditions, nutritious diets and good veteri-nary care are among the many animal wel-fare practices routinely used by farmers and ranchers. Proper care of animals leads to healthy, calm and content animals that will produce high-quality meat, eggs and milk. The livestock industry has several pro-grams available for producers designed to help producers use best management and care practices and to help them market their livestock. Such high regard for animal care is evident by the species-specific ani-mal welfare guidelines that each industry has embraced. The Beef Quality Assurance Program incorporates animal welfare issues in its curriculum. This program sets guidelines and standards for producers to care for their animals. Producers can get updates on ad-vancements and changes in the industry to make decisions based on sound production practices and consideration of the animals’ well-being. The swine industry has a program called Pork Quality Assurance Plus. This is an on-farm program focusing on quality assur-ance, professionalism, social responsibility and high-quality production practices. It is a certification program that is credible and affordable to pork producers to assure food safety and animal care. This assures con-sumers that they are purchasing the highest quality and safest product possible. The dairy industry works closely with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state regulatory officials to establish safety regulations and practices such as the

Farmers take care of their animals 24/7, 365 days a year, even in extreme weather. Fayette County Farm Bureau Director Tom Kerlin is pictured feeding his cattle hay during a snowstorm last year.

Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and the Haz-ard Analysis and Critical Point System. The National Milk Producers Federation has a comprehensive animal care guide called the National Dairy FARM Program developed by veterinarians and animal care experts. American milk is routinely tested and dair-ies are regularly inspected to make our milk and dairy products the safest in the world. Producers are constantly tracking air, water and ground quality to ensure they are meet-ing with EPA regulations and ensure the safety of their animals. Poultry is the largest agriculture industry in Georgia with a farm gate value approach-ing 5 billion dollars. Egg farmers have a program called United Egg Producers Cer-tified. It assures retailers and food service professionals as well as consumers that eggs originate from farms that follow responsible science-based production methods. Pro-ducers are audited through an independent certification program to ensure standards are being met. The National Chicken Coun-cil developed Animal Welfare Guidelines to ensure the proper care, management and handling of broiler chickens and broiler breeders. These guidelines are specific and encompass all aspects of the bird’s physi-

cal and mental needs throughout their life. Companies use an Animal Welfare Audit Checklist to validate performance. Poultry companies also have their own animal wel-fare audits in addition to the national guide-lines that farmers must monitor. Although animal abuse is not represen-tative of farms in America there are some cases. Mistreatment of animals should not be tolerated on the farm, processing plant or in the home. Abusers should be held accountable. Some animal rights extrem-ists take advantage of the rare cases that do happen. Extremists often infiltrate live-stock operations and record mistreatment of animals. Not reporting the abuse should also be punishable. Animal rights extremist have become organized, well-funded and aggressive. Some of these groups stand out as unscrupulous and are very accomplished at manipulating public opinion. One such organization calls itself the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Countless Americans confuse HSUS with their local pet shelter when in fact less than 1 percent of the donations made to HSUS actually go to pet shelters. Instead,

See COMMODITIES UPDATE page18

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perishable commodities. The use of COOL for beef, pork and lamb was first enacted under the 2002 farm bill. Requirements for fish and shellfish were added in 2005 and the program was

The Georgia Farm Bureau Forestry Ad-visory Committee (top photo) held its spring meeting in Barnesville to review the organi-zation’s forestry policy. Committee mem-bers toured the Jordan Forest Products LLC timber mill and a Rayonier timber opera-tion. Pictured from left are GFB Commodi-ties/Marketing Director Don McGough and committee members Ben Hudson of Cedar-town, Scotty Dumas of Jasper County, Gary Bell of Evans County, committee chairman John Mixon of Pike County, GFB District 3 Director Nora Goodman of Paulding County, Willie Tyson of Houston County, William Tanner of Johnson County, Steve Collins of Mitchell County, Jimmy Ken-nedy and James Gaskins of Berrien County. The Georgia Farm Bureau Pecan Ad-

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GFB Forestry, Pecan Committees take toursvisory Committee (bottom photo) held its spring meeting in Tifton at the University of Georgia Campus where the committee toured the research orchards and saw re-search being conducted by Dr. Jim Dutcher and Dr. Patrick Conner. Pictured from left are committee members Danny Brooks of Habersham County, Mike Lamb of Tattnall County, UGA researcher Dr. Patrick Con-ner, committee chairman James Exum of Brooks County, committee members El-liot Ellis of Dooly County, Vinson Griffin of Berrien County, UGA researcher Dr. Jim Dutcher, committee members Lanair Wor-sham of Mitchell County, GFB 8th District Director Don Wood of Wilcox County and GFB 8th District Field Rep. Ken Murphree, who serves as committee secretary.

WTO panel rules against U.S. COOL requirements In a preliminary ruling in May, a World Trade Organization (WTO) dis-pute panel agreed with Canada and Mex-ico in a case over U.S. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rules for meats and

expanded in the 2008 farm bill to include fresh nuts, fruits and vegetables. Those re-quirements went into effect in 2009, and both Canada and Mexico filed complaints in December 2009. The U.S. has maintained that the concepts of COOL have been in practice by other countries since before the WTO was formed. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is responsible for administration and enforcement of COOL. Canada and Mexico argued that the COOL requirements resulted in imported cattle and pork being treated less favorably in the U.S. than cattle and pork produced domestically, constituting a technical bar-rier to trade. They further argued that the U.S. COOL requirements act as a protec-tionist barrier and unfairly distort compe-tition between imports and domestic cattle and pork, resulting in lower prices for cattle and pork produced in their countries. The panel is expected to issue its final ruling this summer. After it is made public, the U.S. will have 60 days to appeal.


young farmer updateJed Evans, Young Farmer Coordinator

GFB sponsors FFA Discussion Meet

The Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee hosted the 2011 FFA Discussion Meet during the 2011 FFA State Convention held in Macon in April. Twelve area winners

competed in the state competition held April 30. Samantha Floyd of White County won the contest and $250 courtesy of GFB. “Georgia Farm Bureau has been a long-time sponsor of this contest as a way to support Georgia’s FFA program and to increase the students’ awareness of our organization,” said GFB Young Farmer Committee Chairman Wesley Hall. “We’d love to have these students continue their involvement in agriculture by joining Farm Bureau and participating in our young farmer programs.” During the first two rounds of competition, contestants dis-cussed two topics. The first topic was: Has technology become es-sential for American farmers? Should Farm Bureau influence and encourage all generations of farmers, ranchers and agriculturalists to embrace technological opportunities? The second topic dis-cussed was: Farm Bureau is the leading voice for agriculture but not the only voice. How do we encourage other agricultural groups to work together for the common good of our industry? After the first two rounds, the final four contestants were named. Other contestants competing in the final round with Floyd were Alisha Mikell, Golden Isles Career Academy; Matthew Reid, Putnam County and Jacob Schindler, Lowndes County. Each of the three runners-up received a $100 prize from GFB. During the final round, participants discussed this question: Given recent challenges, such as volatile food prices and limited world food supplies, do American consumers adequately appre-ciate the importance of U.S. produced food? Will American con-sumers consider American agriculture important to our security in the future?

GFB Young Farmer Committee Chairman Wesley Hall (cen-ter) congratulates (pictured from left) Jacob Schindler, Samantha Floyd, Matthew Reid and Alisha Mikell for making it to the final round of the Georgia FFA Discussion Meet held April 30. Floyd, of White County, won the competition.

Other area winners competing in the competition were: Timo-thy Hubbard, Gordon Central High School; Alex Cole, Temple High School; Katelin Benkoski, Morgan County; Alexis Albertie, Northside Warner Robins; Sam Whitaker, Southeast Bulloch High School; Ashley Buchan, Bryan County; Reese Giddens, Turner County; Hillery Reeves, Irwin County. Each of the area winners re-ceived $50 from GFB. Floyd was raised on a horse farm, where her love for agricul-ture flourished and her participation in FFA began. She is a dual-enrolled student at North Georgia College and hopes to continue learning through FFA and Georgia Farm Bureau. Congratulations to all participants in the 2011 FFA Discussion Meet!

HSUS donations are mostly spent on lobbying, salaries and fund-ing board members’ retirement accounts. An analysis of the HSUS 2009 federal tax return by Animal People News showed that HSUS spends nearly half of every dollar donated on fundraising and other overhead costs, the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) reported in December. CCF, which is funded by food companies and restaurants as well as consumers, conducted its own analysis and found that fewer than one percent of HSUS donations from the public go to animal shelters. Bottom line, HSUS is NOT a pet shelter umbrella group! The true goal of this organization is to eliminate all livestock produc-tion, hunting and fishing and to promote a strict veganism life-style. That means not a trace of milk, cheese, eggs, meat or fish in a person’s diet. Some people are comfortable with that lifestyle but that should be an individual choice. The leaders of this group have never had contact with livestock yet their agendas include promot-ing laws that govern how livestock are treated. Appropriate parties

such as veterinarians and the farm community should make deci-sions about animal care, not extremist groups. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ani-mals (ASPCA) is another group that uses the same tactics and has the same agenda. Ever since these organizations started aggressive fund raising, local humane societies have suffered. People who donated money believe the local shelter was being helped. Both organizations have huge budgets but their intentions are wrong, grossly misdirected and they mislead consumers. If you want to help homeless animals, make a donation to your local shelter rath-er than the HSUS or ASPCA. Caring for animals is something farmers and ranchers take pride in. These animals are domestic animals but are livestock and not pets and certainly should not be considered to have a higher value than people. Some people want to equate animals with humans, but the calves in my pasture don’t compare to my grandchildren.

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COMMODITIES UPDATE from page 16


Members of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association (GCA) celebrated the organiza-tion’s 50th anniversary during their annual convention held March 31-April 2 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry. Workshops highlighted the histo-ry of the state’s cattle industry, the national Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Program and the importance of exports along with other management and marketing issues. According to UGA Extension Livestock Economist Dr. Curt Lacy, the three major events that shaped Georgia’s cattle industry were: the invention of the fence and a state law passed in the 1940s that eliminated open range (most counties had previously passed fencing laws after the Civil War); the development of feed yards which led to the rise of auction markets; and the adoption of federal feeder cattle grades, which made the grades used to describe the muscling and size of cattle uniform across the country. “As we got into fencing that’s when we started seeing improved genetics, and farmers had to make a profit off of their land,” Lacy said. As for changes facing the industry, Lacy predicts the trend of providing consumers information about their beef will continue. “I wouldn’t be surprised if in years to come consumers will be able to scan the bar code on a beef product and learn where and on whose ranch the product was grown.” Although a large percentage of con-sumers can’t afford to buy locally pro-duced beef, Lacy predicts that the grow-ing interest consumers are showing in purchasing beef straight from the pro-ducer is a trend and not a fad. And while feedlots are interested in being able to control the quality and uniformity of the final beef product, Lacy thinks feedlots will do this through contracts that specify how producers raise their cattle rather than adopting a true form of vertical integration such as the poultry industry uses. “We (buyers) want uniform cattle –

Outgoing GCA President Bill Bryan welcomes GCA members to a workshop on the Beef Quality Assurance Program, a voluntary program designed to help cattle growers produce the highest quality, safest product possible through a certification process that can be used to assure consumers of the quality of the beef they purchase.

GCA celebrates golden anniversaryBy Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

same size, grown using the same health program,” said Dell King, owner of King Livestock Company and a livestock order buyer since 1968. “Lack of uniformity results in discounts.” Because of the distance cattle have to travel from the Southeast to the Midwest feedlots, shipping healthy cattle is crucial to establishing and maintaining a good repu-tation for your cattle. “Give your agents all of the details on your health program – what you’ve given them, how much and when,” King said. “The larger feedlots may get as many as 50 loads of cattle from all over the country in one day, and they need to know the cattle’s history.”

King also sang the praises of the BQA Program, saying, “It’s one of the most grat-ifying things I’ve been involved with. I think it’s helping prices and has helped with exports, which have kept our prices up.” Georgia native and former GCA intern Maggie Hodge O’Quinn told producers about the work she is doing to increase beef exports as an executive account manager with Certified Angus Beef. According to O’Quinn, U.S. beef consumption grew 4.4 percent in 2010 but increased 17 percent in the rest of the world last year. “Exports are what’s driving your bot-tom line. That’s what’s driving your future.

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See CONVENTION page 29


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Funding for the National Peanut Re-search Laboratory (NPRL) in Daw-son was cut by 20 percent with the

elimination of earmarked funding from the federal budget approved in April. The lab will have its staff of Ph.D. scientists re-duced from 12 to eight. The scientists lost are Dr. Ling Zhang, plant physiologist; Dr. Charles Chen, breeder and geneticist; and agronomists Dr. Wilson Faircloth and Dr. Russell Nuti, plus related support technicians and student workers. The cuts will affect research projects on irrigation, sustainable production, ge-netics and physiology. Overall, the NPRL lost $1.08 million in earmarked funding for the water efficiency aspects of those projects. The largest portion was a cut of more than $600,000 from a study on pea-nut irrigation management. The genet-ics and physiology study had more than $320,000 cut and the sustainable produc-tion study lost $135,000. NPRL Research Leader Marshall Lamb said the affected projects were on-going projects, and that because of the un-certainty surrounding the federal budget, the lab did not plant test plots of peanuts for those studies this year. Lamb emphasized that much of the NPRL’s work continues. “We still have scientists in our lab,” Lamb said. “We’re still doing our best to

Peanut growers reject assessment increase

The proposed increase in the checkoff assessment for the Georgia Peanut Commission from $2 a ton to $3 a ton did not receive sufficient votes for passage in the referen-dum of peanut growers held March 15-April 15. Ballots were certified and counted May 5 by Allen Pritch-ett & Bassett Accounting Firm in Tifton. A total of 1,124 ballots were counted with 56.2 percent voting in favor of the increase. According to Georgia law, at least 25 percent of the state’s peanut farmers had to vote in the referendum and of those voting, at least 66.67 percent had to vote in favor of the increase for it to pass. “We are disappointed that we only received four ballots over the 25 percent needed to count the ballots,” said GPC Executive Director Don Koehler. “We had 75 percent of the growers that did not vote.” The proposed assessment in-crease would have helped peanut farmers by funding additional pea-nut research, according to the GPC. The GPC has been allocating about $254,000 annually to research proj-ects. Cuts in research funding and other commission programs are ex-pected due to farmers planting fewer peanut acres this year and the pro-posed assessment increase failing, the commission said in the release it issued announcing the referendum results. “We appreciate all of the sup-port we received,” GPC Chairman Armond Morris said. “However, we are disappointed that this rejection will hamper future opportunities to expand peanut research, which is one core focus of the commission. We’re going to do everything in our power to continue the best research pos-sible with the dollars that we have” The peanut assessment has not been increased since 1980, when it went from $1 per ton to $2 ton.

Budget cuts cost NPRL researchersBy Jay Stone__________________________________________________________________________

answer the questions that peanut produc-ers have.” In March, GFB President Zippy Du-vall sent a letter to Dr. Edward B. Kni-pling, administrator of the USDA Ag-ricultural Research Service, urging the agency to support measures that would save the lab from spending cuts. The let-ter was also sent to Reps. Sanford Bishop, Jack Kingston, Austin Scott, David Scott and Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson seeking their support. “These are difficult times and difficult decisions must be made,” Duvall wrote. “However, it is important to recognize that research is the key to our future in agricul-ture. The USDA/ARS National Peanut Re-search Laboratory has been very responsive implementing and conducting research that is vital to our competitiveness.”


Vidalia onion growers, members of Georgia’s agricultural community and community leaders celebrated the grand opening of the Vidalia Onion Museum at 100 Vidalia Sweet Onion Drive in Vidalia on April 29. “It’s a dream come true to be able to have something that shows off our indus-try and have something to let the public know what we do,” Toombs County Vida-lia onion grower R.T. Stanley said. Housed in the same building as the Vidalia Onion Committee, Vidalia On-ion Business Council and Vidalia Area Convention & Visitors Bureau offices, the 1,300-square foot museum consists of in-teractive exhibits that outline the sweet on-ion’s history, its growing process and rise to fame in culinary and pop culture circles. A hands-on kids room introduces children to Yumion, the Vidalia mascot, and lets them turn the wheel of a grading machine that uses balls instead of onions. “The Vidalia onion has such a color-ful story,” said Wendy Brannen, executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee. “There was a need for this museum because

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Vidalia Onion museum opensBy Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

we had people coming off of I-16 and driv-ing 20 miles to learn more about the Vidalia onion. When you’re coming from Montana or New York City just having a few pam-phlets and a poster doesn’t fit the bill.” Guests can even see Vidalia onions growing in the smallest registered Vidalia onion field in flower beds in front of the museum. After the speeches and ribbon cutting, celebrity chefs treated guests to signature dishes featuring Vidalias. “I want to commend the growers and

Stakeholders wishing to comment on the USDA’s proposed National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (NLGMA) have un-til July 28 to submit them. The NLGMA would authorize the development and imple-mentation of production and handling regulations (audit metrics) to reflect the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) good agricultural practices and good manufacturing practices and USDA good handling practices. The NLGMA covers lettuce, spinach, cabbage and similar plants. The program would be voluntary and would cover both im-ported leafy greens and those grown domestically. It would be financed by assessments collected from first handlers. A board appointed by the secretary of agriculture with USDA oversight would administer the NLGMA. In 2010, Georgia Farm Bureau signed onto a brief expressing support for a marketing agreement for leafy greens along with other agricultural groups.

everyone involved in this project for put-ting this museum together,” Georgia Ag-riculture Commissioner Gary Black said. “This is a great promotional tool for our state vegetable that has a $115 million pro-duction value and is sold worldwide.” The museum’s regular operating hours will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. with Saturday hours available for tours by appointment. For more infor-mation visit http://www.vidaliaonion.org or call 912-537-1918.

Guests attending the grand opening of the Vidalia Onion Museum enjoyed learning about the industry.

USDA seeks comments on Leafy Greens AgreementBy Jay Stone_______________________________________________________

Visit http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=AMS-FV-09-0029-0150 to view the entire agreement. Visit http://www.regulationsgov/#!submitComment;D=AMS-FV-09-0029-0150 to read the proposed agreement or submit a comment.


Gov. Nathan Deal has signed into law bills addressing sustainable agriculture, deer hunting, feral hogs and the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter, as well as HB 87, an immigration bill. HB 225, which Deal signed on May 6, establishes definitions of “sustainable agriculture” and “sustainable agricul-tural practices,” which Deal said would promote responsible agriculture and best practices. It also establishes promotion of sustainable agriculture as state policy. “Growing Georgia’s economy through sustainable agriculture is criti-cal to ensure that we have a viable future for Georgia’s No. 1 industry,” Deal said, emphasizing that one in seven Georgians work in agriculture or related fields and that agriculture is a $65 billion industry in the state. HB 277, also signed into law on May 6, allows hunters of deer or feral hogs to bait privately owned land in south Georgia. The governor noted that provisions in HB 277 would enhance Georgia’s sta-tus as the nation’s top destination for hunting while controlling deer popula-tions. According to a press release from the governor’s office, deer hunting is responsible for an estimated 10,000 jobs statewide. HB 277 also expands the op-tions for farmers combating feral hogs. “People come from all over the world to hunt our prized deer population, and

the sport is an economic engine for many rural parts of Georgia,” Deal said. “HB 277 also helps address a growing problem in Georgia as it expands hunters’ options for going after feral hogs. The cost of crop damage from feral hogs is tremen-dous, and this legislation helps Georgia farmers protect their livelihood.” HB 125, signed into law on May 11, places the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter (GNFA) in a position to re-ceive its state allocation from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, rather than the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The GNFA has been attached to the DNR since its opening in June 1990. According to published reports, GNFA was also allocated $1.1 million for the renovation of its older barns. The bill adds the commissioner of agriculture as an ex officio member of the board of the Georgia Agricultural Exposition Author-ity, which operates the GNFA. Also on May 11, Deal signed HB 485, which makes it illegal to release feral hogs into the wild and enacts penalties for those who do. On May 13, Deal signed HB 87, which gives police authority to check im-migration status in certain situations and places immigration status verification re-quirements on employers. Farm Bureau opposed the provision in HB 87 making employers’ use of E-Verify mandatory.

Gov. Deal signs ag bills By Jay Stone__________________________________________________________________________

Ga. House establishes committee to study horse racing Before the 2011 session of the Georgia General Assembly adjourned, the Georgia House passed a resolu-tion (HR 643) to create a committee to study the benefits of developing Georgia’s equine industry to include pari-mutuel betting and training and racing horses at tracks in the state. A bill to allow a statewide referendum on pari-mutuel wagering on horse races, HR 18, was sent to the House Com-mittee on Regulated Industries. The six-member committee is to be comprised of three members of the House of Representatives, two citi-zens of the state and one person who is involved in the horse racing indus-try. HR 643 calls for the committee to publish the results of the study and any recommendations by Dec. 31, 2011. Farm Bureau policy supports al-lowing voters to decide the issue of pari-mutuel betting on horse racing.

Callaway appointed to Ag Exposition Authority Gov. Nathan Deal has named John Callaway, who chairs the Georgia Farm Bureau Beef Cattle Commodity Advisory Committee, to the board of the Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority (GAEA). The GAEA is a nine-member board appointed by the governor that presides over the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. Owner of Callaway Cattle Company, he is a past president of the Georgia Cattlemen’s Association and serves on the Troup County Farm Bureau Board of Di-rectors. Callaway is retired from the University of Geor-gia Cooperative Extension, where he worked for 29 years in Clarke and Haralson counties. He and his wife Marcia live in Hogansville.

2011 Sunbelt Expo Field Day

July 7 • Spence Field • Moultrie This free event lets attendees view the latest in modern agriculture. Topics include GPS navigation, irrigation technology, test plots for switchgrass and miscanthus, or-ganic peanuts, variety tests on cotton, corn, peanuts and soybeans and tractor technol-ogy. Shuttles to the field start at 8:30 a.m. A free lunch will begin at 12:15 a.m. with door prizes. Register before 8:15 a.m. for a chance to win a $100 early bird cash prize. For more information, call 229-985-1968 or visit http://www.sunbeltexpo.com.


Forest forecast released On May 17, the U.S. Forest Service and the South-ern Group of State Foresters released a report identi-fying areas forest managers will focus on to maintain southern forests in coming decades. The Southern Forest Futures Project used com-puter models and expert analysis to develop the re-port, which will serve as a guide to forest service per-sonnel seeking to maintain the vitality and efficiency of forests in the South. According to the report, ur-banization, bioenergy use, weather patterns, land ownership changes and invasive species will alter the South’s forests between now and 2060, by which time it is projected that as many as 23 million acres of southern forest land could be lost. The study found that population growth will bring more runoff from roads, buildings and parking lots as well as increased pollution, impacting supplies

of clean drinking water and the quality of aquatic habitats. The quantity and severity of forest fires is expected to increase, presenting challenges to community and forest wildfire organizations. The stated goal of the project is to “inform forest management choices, policy discussions and science programs with the best possible understanding of the long-term implications of changes in southern forests,” according to a forest ser-vice press release. The technical and summary reports complete phase one of the two-phase project and begin a 60-day public comment period. To submit a comment, visit the Futures Project website at http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/futures.

The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Ap-peals granted a motion March 29 to delay enactment of pesticide permit rules under the Clean Water Act until Oct. 31. On January 7, 2009, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a 2006 Clean Wa-ter Act rule relating to pesticide use (Na-tional Cotton Council v. EPA). The rule in question had exempted pesticides applied near or into water from NPDES permits if those permits were applied in accordance with the label and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). As a result of the ruling, discharges to waters of the U.S. from the application of pesticides will require NPDES permits when the court’s mandate takes effect. According to EPA’s website, the rul-ing will affect 365,000 pesticide applica-tors nationwide that perform 5.6 million pesticide applications annually. Without congressional remedy, these EPA regu-lations will expose farmers to litigation

Court delays effective date of NPDES rulesfrom activist groups seeking to thwart all pesticide use. NPDES reporting will add recordkeep-ing and reporting requirements and pre-empt the science-based ecological review of pesticides and label requirements for uses regulated under FIFRA. Pesticide us-ers who are not eligible for coverage under an NPDES general permit will be at risk of citizen or EPA enforcement action for pes-ticide application without a permit. In the 62 years of FIFRA and 38 years of the Clean Water Act, the federal gov-ernment has never required such permits to apply pesticides. Congress chose not to include pesticides in 1972 when it enacted the Clean Water Act NPDES program, and despite major rewrites since, never looked beyond FIFRA for pesticide regulation. The House of Representatives is con-sidering H.R. 872, which would amend FIFRA to clarify Congress’ intent regard-ing permits for the use of pesticides.

On April 14 President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 4, which repeals the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1099 requirements included in the national health care law passed last year. Sponsored by Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-Calif.), the law does away with the require-ment that small businesses file a 1099 for all non-employee suppliers of goods and ser-vices with whom they have $600 or more in transactions during a calendar year. Rental payments were included in the reporting requirement, but payments made to cor-porations were generally excluded. H.R. 4 cancels the 1099 requirement, which was set to go into effect in 2012. Farm Bureau supported the passage of H.R. 4, maintaining that agricultural pro-ducers were already overburdened with tax paperwork and reporting obligations. Farm Bureau contended that the 1099 reporting requirement created an over-whelming administrative burden to small businesses, particularly agricultural pro-ducers, without improving the nation’s health care system. On April 5 the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 4, 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repay-ment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011, by an 87-12 vote. Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson both voted for the bill. The bill passed the House in early March by a 314-112 vote. In January, the House passed H.R. 2, a bill to repeal the entire health-care law that was referred to the Senate subcommittee on health in early February. Chambliss and Isakson co-sponsored similar legislation in the Senate (S. 192).

IRS Form 1099 requirements repealed


County Farm Bureaus across the state celebrated National Agriculture Week, March 13-19, and Georgia Agriculture Day, March 22, with a variety of activities that educated

their communities about the state’s most important industry. Visit GFB’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/GeorgiaFarmBu-reau to view all of the county photos.

CATOOSA COUNTY Catoosa County Farm Bureau part-nered with their coun-ty Cooperative Exten-sion office to create an exhibit showcasing Georgia agriculture that was displayed during Agriculture Week at the Georgia Visitor’s Center lo-cated in Ringgold on

I-75 South at the Georgia/Tennessee state line.

FRANKLIN COUNTY Franklin County Farm Bureau volunteers Joyce Manus, Bev Parsons and Beverly Stroud (pictured) gave a presentation on peanuts at Royston Elementary School to four first-grade classes, reaching 72 students. The volun-teers read and acted out “The Case of the Mysterious Peanut” and “Let’s Make a Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich.” They also showed the students the various stages of a peanut plant and gave each student a peanut coloring book and recipe for making peanut butter at home.

County Farm Bureaus celebrate Ag Week

Georgia agriculture took center stage in downtown Atlanta March 22 during the 8th Annual Georgia Ag Day event at the Georgia Freight Depot. The event, hosted by Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Agricul-ture Commissioner Gary Black, drew 4-Hers and FFA students from across the state along with state officials, their staff members and repre-sentatives from Georgia’s many ag organizations. Exhibits manned by 52 ag organizations and agencies showcased the diversity of Georgia agriculture. “We have a great opportunity to tell everyone how important Geor-gia agriculture is today,” said Black. “Agriculture and commerce is what our state was built on dating back to 1776.” Deal spoke directly to the 4-Hers and FFA students attending the event, encouraging them to be part of agriculture’s future success. “You are honing your talents and learning skills you will need for being a part of keeping Georgia the number one agriculture state,” Deal said. “Agriculture is going to change as you grow up, and I want to encourage you to be willing to adapt to the changing horizon.” Deal and Black recognized Everett and Carol Williams of Morgan County as the state winners of the Governor’s Environmental Steward-ship Award. The Williams operate a 1,900-cow dairy farm and were selected for the conservation measures they have adopted such as con-servation tillage and implementation of a manure management system that recycles water and sand flushed out of the barns and uses manure solids for fertilizer on their silage crops. Other district winners included Andy Futch of Gilmer County, Will Harris of Early County, Jeff Herrin of Habersham County and Ce-cil Stafford of Long County. All of the stewardship winners are Farm Bureau members. Emily Myers and Gina Bodell of Dunwoody won the grand prize

Pictured from left, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Carol and Everett Williams, Gov. Nathan Deal and Donnie Smith, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Agribusi-ness, are pictured with the sign the Williams received for being named the 2011 state winners of the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award.

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Ag Day event celebrates Georgia’s top industry

in the 5th Annual Flavor of Georgia Contest for their Emily G’s Pear Honey Jam. Lauri Jo Bennett of Norman Park won the people’s choice award for her Blueberry Pepper Jelly. The contest, designed to promote Georgia entrepreneurs producing food products made with Georgia-grown commodities, drew 89 entries from which 21 finalists were se-lected to compete in the contest. Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall delivered the closing remarks, reiterating the economic contribution agriculture makes to the state economy. “If you look around the world no one else can produce agriculture like we do,” Duvall said. “When you look at the economic crisis we have been going through it is agriculture that has carried us through.”

By Jennifer Whittaker_______________________________________________________

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McDUFFIE COUNTY McDuffie County Farm Bureau celebrated Ag Day on March 22 by throwing a pizza party for the fifth-grade students at Briarwood Acad-emy. MCFB Women’s Committee Chair-man Avis McGahee, pictured handing out peanuts, showed the students GFB’s “With-out Farmers, Georgia Can’t Grow” video, talked to them about where the ingredients for pizza come from and handed out Ga. ag maps, and pencils. For a class assign-ment, the students wrote essays reporting what they learned about agriculture.

MITCHELL COUNTY Mitchell County Farm Bureau hosted an Ag Day event for third-grade students attended by more than 200 students. MCFB Young Farmer Chairman Lanair Wor-sham is shown talking to the students about the many hats farm-ers wear and the global positioning system farmers use on their tractors to help plant their crops. Mitchell EMC employees talk-ed about farm safety, MCFB member Cheryl Powell talked to the students about horses, care of animals and gave a barrel racing demonstration. GFB 9th District Women’s Chair Donna Powell gave a presen-tation about Georgia’s peanut industry.

PIERCE COUNTY Pierce County Farm Bureau joined forces with the PC Ex-tension Service to hold an Ag Day event attended by about 600 students from three county elemen-tary schools. PC High School 4-H students gave presentations on Georgia commodi-ties including cotton and peanuts. PCHS 4-Her Maikala Mc-Gauley (center) holds a Holstein calf for the students to pet. PCFB President Daniel Johnson and PCFB Office Manager Dolly

Yeomans served ice cream to all of the students.

TOOMBSCOUNTY Toombs County Farm Bureau and the TC FFA Alumni As-sociation held a Lawn & Garden Expo for the community to in-crease awarenesss of agriculture. In addi-tion to co-hosting the event, TCFB manned an exhibit showcasing member benefits, the GFB cookbook and showed the GFB ag video. The event was attended by Farm Bureau members from five counties.

TROUP COUNTY Troup County Farm Bureau celebrated Ag Awareness Day by donating 25 cases of Georgia grown and processed peanut butter to the local Boys and Girls Club of West Georgia. TCFB President Har-rell Landreth is pic-tured presenting the healthy snack to club members on behalf of the TCFB. TCFB Vice President Joel Keith and past TCFB Presi-dent Lewis Shelton joined Landreth in presenting an additional 25 cases of peanut butter to the Georgia Sheriffs’ Pineland Youth Home.

WILCOX COUNTY The Wilcox County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee (Janice Clark, Jennifer Clark, Karen Crawford, Sue Powers and Donnell Stubbs) visited the Wilcox El-ementary School nu-merous times during March to celebrate the month being National Peanut Month and observed Agriculture Day. The committee did different activities educating students in kindergarten, first and second grades about peanuts. To celebrate Ag Day, the en-tire student body was entertained by Goose the Peanut Circus Clown. Committee members Jennifer Clark (left) and Karen Crawford are pictured teaching students to make homemade peanut butter.

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AROUND GEORGIANews from County Farm Bureaus

BAKER COUNTY In celebration of Arbor Day, the Baker County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee planted a Bosque elm tree, donated by Oak Pond Nursery, on the grounds at Baker County School. BCFB Women’s Committee member Frances Deese spoke to the stu-dents about trees and their importance to the earth’s ecosystem. She also discussed the “National Audubon Society Regional Guide to the Southeastern States,” a book that the Women’s Committee donated to the school’s library. Pictured from left, BCFB Women’s Committee member Frances Deese, Women’s Committee Chair-man Jill Adkins and Committee member Evera Moye are pictured with some of the students who participated in the event.

BROOKS COUNTY Friends and family of Bill Lanier, who served as Georgia Farm Bureau president from 1964-1970, celebrated his 84th birthday on March 16 during a party at the Presbyterian Home in Quit-man. Pictured from left, Brooks County Farm Bureau Presi-dent Andrew Thomp-son visits with Bill and Jean Lanier dur-ing the party. A native of Candler County, Lanier served as presi-dent of the Candler County Farm Bureau from 1988-2010. The Laniers moved to Brooks County, Mrs. Lanier’s native home, last year. Anyone who would like to send a note to the Laniers may send it to the following address: Bill & Jean Lanier P.O. Box 407 Quitman, GA 31643.

COLUMBIA COUNTY The Columbia County 4-H held a contest for its 4-Hers to come up with recipes for peanut butter in four categories: “Most Unusual,” “Most Nutritious,” “Most Ingredients” and “Messi-est.” CC Farm Bureau Women’s Committee Chair Wanda Anderson (pictured) and CCFB Secretary Tori Knox judged

the event. There were more than 200 initial entries. CCFB vol-unteers read through each recipe and selected seven in each category to compete for the contest. The winners had to pre-pare their recipe for it to be judged by Anderson and Knox. Each student was awarded a certificate for participation.

DOUGLAS COUNTY In April, the Douglas County Farm Bureau participated in the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce trade show at the local mall. DCFB used its booth to promote Farm Bureau member-ship and Georgia’s beef producers. Pictured from left are: DCFB Director Joey Rainwa-ter, DCFB Agents Matt Murray, Amanda Slay and Joel McGraw with son Grayson, DCFB Office Manager Steph-anie Parson, DCFB President Travis Henry and his wife, Emma. Other volunteers, not pictured, who helped with the event were Lisa Rainwater, Jaci Rainwater, Kay Green and Terry Cowan.

EARLY COUNTY Early County Farm Bureau Director Mike Newberry, a fourth generation Arlington farmer, was honored as the Early County Ag Producer of the Year at the 2nd Annual Peanut Proud Farmer Appreciation Banquet March 25. Mike served as the grand marshall of the Peanut Proud Parade March 26. Mike, his wife Sher-rie (right) and daugh-ter Michealyn, are pictured leading the parade on his 4020 (Continued)


John Deere Tractor. Mike owns and manages Hillside Farms, which includes 2,000 acres of row crops, pasture and timber and a 100-head brood cow herd.

ELBERT COUNTY Elbert County Farm Bureau displayed an exhibit in its office to promote peanuts. The display included recipes and peanut facts and col-oring books for mem-bers to take home. A wash tub was filled with roasted peanuts for members to enjoy while visiting the office or to take with them. Members had a chance to win a basket of peanut products by guessing the number of peanuts in a jar. Amanda Wansley, who won the contest, is pictured with her basket.

EVANS COUNTY Evans County Farm Bureau won second place for its float promoting pea-nuts in the Claxton Rattlesnake Roundup parade held March 12. ECFB Women’s Co-Chair Nancy Clark (left) and ECFB Wom-en’s Chair Angela Todd made the float come to life by dressing as Mr. Peanut and handing out packs of peanuts.

GREENE COUNTY On April 16 Greene County Farm Bureau participated in Greensboro’s Southland Jubilee. More than 100 vendors and exhibitors and more than 1,000 visi-tors filled the streets of Greensboro dur-ing the day. Greene County Farm Bureau President Charles Crumbley (left) and GCFB Director Larry Eley are pictured manning the GCFB booth, which high-lighted Farm Bureau membership and the many segments of Georgia agriculture including Georgia’s peanut and beef industries.

HENRY COUNTY Henry County Farm Bureau mem-bers were informed and entertained by fifth grader Savannah Simpson at their spring quarterly Family Night Dinner. Savannah, who lives on a cattle farm, gave a very interest-ing presentation about beef to the more than 100 members who attended the meeting. Savannah’s speech won 1st place at the 4-H Northwest District competition at Rock Eagle and was very timely for Farm Bureau’s upcoming beef promotion. Savannah is the daughter of David and Kellie Simpson.

JONES COUNTY The Jones County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee served lunch to the teachers at Gray Elementary School during an in-service day in Febru-ary. They served 68 teachers and staff a lunch of sandwiches and homemade soups. JCFB used this as an opportunity to edu-cate the teachers about Ag In the Classroom and promoted the Ag in the Classroom workshop that will be held this summer for teachers. Pictured from left are JCFB Office Manager Barbara Bridgers, Women’s Committee Chair Teresa Chambers and JCFB Directors Harold and Pat Daniels and Betty and Lonnie Smith.

RICHMOND COUNTY Richmond County Farm Bureau Women’s Chairman Mar-sha Rider (standing, right) is pictured speaking to the Betty Lamp Georgia Homemakers group at the Mann Memorial Methodist Church. She discussed the different varieties, names and uses of the peanut. The club members traded peanut reci-pes. On behalf of RCFB, Rider gave each member a GFB gift bag filled with a peanut butter spreader, peanut bookmark and different peanut items.

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Georgia Farm Bureau has lost sev-eral current and former volunteer leaders since March. We gratefully

recognize the years of service they gave our organization. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of each.

J. Louis Hunt ------------------------- Georgia Farm Bureau 1st District Di-rector Louis Hunt, 84, died May 10 from medical complications following a farm ac-cident on April 30. Hunt, who grew hay, rye, soybeans and wheat straw on his farm, was president of Walker County Farm Bu-reau for 44 years and served as a GFB 1st District direc-tor since 1979. He also served on numer-ous state commodity advisory committees for Georgia Farm Bureau and represented the organization as a voting delegate to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Hunt served in the U.S. Army in Ja-pan from 1945-1946. He was a graduate of West Georgia College and the University of Georgia where he obtained a bachelor of science degree in botany and agronomy. His wife Opal, who died in 1999, pre-ceded Hunt in death, as did one grandson. His sons, Charles Louis “Buster” Hunt and John W. Hunt; daughter Jo Ann Hunt Bell and son-in-law Frankie Bell; four grandchil-dren and eight great-grandchildren survive him. He was a member of East Armuchee Baptist Church. He was the son of the late Joseph U. and Georgia Ward Hunt. Condolences may be sent to the family in care of Walker County Farm Bureau, 101 S. Cherokee Street, LaFayette, Geor-gia 30728.

Betty Nash ---------------------------- Betty Nash, 85, wife of former Georgia Farm Bureau President Bob Nash and a life-long champion of agriculture, died April 4 after battling cancer. In addition to her husband, their daugh-ter Cynthia and her husband Steve Douglas

GFB mourns loss of volunteersObits compiled by Jay Stone & Jennifer Whittaker__________________________________________________________________________

of The Rock; son Clifford Nash and his wife Laverne of Moultrie; and son Charles Nash and his wife Alexis of Chicago, nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchil-dren survive Nash. Nash was a mem-ber of Barnesville First United Meth-odist Church. Nash earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics from Oklahoma A&M University. She and Bob were married for 64 years and worked side-by-side for more than 50 years at ev-ery level of the Farm Bureau organization. The couple worked to establish the Geor-gia Cattlemen’s and CattleWomen’s Asso-ciations and supported 4-H and FFA. Nash was named Georgia CattleWom-an of the Year in 1990 and is a past recipient of the American National CattleWomen’s Educator Award. The Nashes received the 2010 Georgia Farm Bureau Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor Georgia Farm Bureau gives its volunteer leaders. Condolences may be sent to the family at 5416 Barnesville Hwy., The Rock, Ga., 30285.

Danny Page -------------------------- Bryan County Farm Bureau President Danny Page, 52, died April 3 after a brief illness. Page, who was elected as Bryan County Farm Bureau president in 2008, was trained as an EMT and later as a nationally registered paramedic and flight paramedic. He re-turned to work on his family’s farm in 1997 and also served as coroner of Bryan County for 8 1/2 years. Bryan County 4-H and the Bryan County High School Future Farmers of America recognized him for his contribu-tions to their organizations. He was a mem-ber of Ellabell United Methodist Church.

His father Hughlynn Page preceded him in death. His son Shaun and daughter-in-law Angel of Ellabell; his mother Mar-ian Edwards Page of Ellabel; his sister Patti Newman of Ellabell; and his fiancée Tania Barker of Ellabell survive him. Condolences may be sent to the family at 770 Page Rd., Ellabell, Ga., 31308.

Joe Harry Rowland ------------------ Joe Harry Rowland, 74, of Johnson County, died March 13 at his residence. Rowland served on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors from 1982-1987. He served as the Johnson County Farm Bureau president from Oct. 2001-2009. In addition to being a farmer, Row-land was the former owner of Rowland’s Gin and Bonded Warehouse, Parker Fish Company and the Wrightsville Oil Com-pany. He was a member of First Christian Church of Wrightsville, served in the Geor-gia National Guard, was an Eagle Scout and was a former director of the Exchange Bank of Wrightsville. Rowland is survived by his wife, Barbara P. Rowland; two sons, Joe Allen (Al) Row-land and William Jason Rowland; three grandchildren: John Allen Rowland, Eli Rowland and Josey Rowland. All of Row-land’s family live in Wrightsville He was preceded in death by his son, John Robbie Rowland. He was the son of the late Harry and Vennie Oliver Rowland. Condolences may be sent to the family at P.O. Box 25 Wrightsville, Ga., 31096.

Lex Strickland ------------------------ Lex W. Strickland, 77, of Claxton, died May 5. Strickland served on the Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors from 1963-1992. He was an Evans County Farm Bureau director and served as county president from 1962-1964. Strickland is sur-vived by his wife

J. Louis Hunt

Betty Nash

Danny Page

Joe Harry Rowland

Lex Strickland



JoAn; son, Lex W. Strickland, Jr., of Deca-tur; daughter, Suzanne Tippins and son-in-law Brad and their three sons of St. Mary’s; and three brothers, Gerald L. Strickland and Daniel M. Strickland of Claxton and Dr. James E. Strickland of Glennville. He was the son of the late E.W. and Rubeye Durrence Strickland. Strickland was a graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia where he earned a degree in agricultural engineering. After serving in the U.S. Army for two years, he returned home to Evans County where he farmed and operated several businesses including Claxton Grain & Elevator and Claxton Tobacco Warehouse. In 1985 he began a business building and repair-ing farm ponds and preventing erosion on farmland. He was a member of Daisy United Methodist Church. Condolences may be sent to the fam-ily at 581 Lex Strickland Rd., Claxton, Ga., 30414.

Harvey Weldon ---------------------- Harris County Farm Bureau President Harvey Weldon, 77, died March 19. Wel-don served as the HCFB president for 19

years and also served on the GFB Aqua-culture Commodity Committee for more than 10 years, includ-ing several as commit-tee chairman. Weldon is survived by his wife Chloris; daughter Glenda and son-in-law Ed Jones of Seneca, S.C.; daugh-ter Jan and son-in-law Tim Carter of Fayette-ville, Ga.; son Pete Weldon and daughter-in-law Cindy of Cataula, 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; two broth-ers Charles Suber and William A. Suber and one sister Donna Braun all of Fla.. He was the son of the late Hugh Ernest Weldon and Sarah Lucille Hundley. Weldon served in the U.S. Navy aboard the destroyer U.S.S. John Hood, was a Mason for more than 50 years, sat on the Harris County Planning and Zon-ing Board for more than 13 years and served as a regional representative of the National Safety Council. He was a mem-ber of Bethesda Baptist Church. Condolences may be sent to the family at 611 Denney Road, Cataula, Ga., 31804.

Harvey Weldon


Gilmer County Farm Bureau hosted a tailgate lunch for Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall and county Farm Bureau leaders from GFB’s 1st District at R&A Orchard in Ellijay May 9. GCFB members Andy and Roger Futch sell fresh apples, peaches and produce grown on their farm at their roadside market year-round. Duvall gave an update on the 2011 session of the Georgia General Assembly and action state legislators took on issues

impacting agriculture such as immigra-tion, tax reform and water. Duvall also gave a report of the organization’s annual Presidents’ Trip to Washington, May 4-6, when county presidents and leaders from across the state visited Georgia’s Congres-sional delegation. Attendees enjoyed a delicious bar-beque lunch with fried apple pies for des-sert catered by R & A Orchard. R&A Or-chard is a member of the GFB Certified Farm Market program.

GFB names Purvis 10th District field rep

Michael Purvis of Ocilla has been named the new field representative for Georgia Farm Bu-reau’s 10th District. His first day was April 25. “We are excited to have Michael join our Field Services Department as he provides support for all counties in the district,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. Purvis graduated from Valdosta State University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and has a strong agricultural background. Since 2005, he has worked with the Coffee County Gin and the Irwinville Peanut & Grain Com-panies as a field representative, working with producers in many of the counties in District 10.

Michael Purvis

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Gilmer County hosts GFB tailgate lunch

Our growth and our profitability lies out-side of our borders,” O’Quinn said. In 2003, exports contributed $136.46 per head to the value of slaughtered cattle, O’Quinn said. By 2010 the value of exports had increased to $153.09 per head. “Parts of the cow we don’t consume here are highly-valued outside the U.S.,” O’Quinn said. Eygpt buys most of the beef liver exported from the U.S. and pays 65 cents per pound for it. Japan likes U.S. beef tongues and pays $2.30 per pound. Continuing GCA’s quest to increase its membership is the organization’s top pri-ority, said incoming GCA president Steve Blackburn of Waynesboro. “We’re launching a new program called ‘Just Ask’ for our current members to ask a friend or relative to join us,” Blackburn said. “My quest is to get every member to ask just one person to join. That would increase our membership to 9,000. Our second issue is bringing some more young people into beef production. We’re an aging industry, but we’re trying to do our best to educate and help young people see some of the opportunities the industry offers. These current beef prices are helping.”

CONVENTION from page 19


Georgia Farm Bureau members at-tending the organization’s annual Educational Leadership Confer-

ence in Columbus on March 26 gained skills and information to help them answer the call to leadership in their counties. The conference gave the 230 members attending the event ideas for promoting beef, the commodity GFB will promote from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012. GFB Women’s Leadership Committee members Nanette Bryan and Linda Crum-ley, who are both beef producers, gave an overview of promotional materials avail-able through the Georgia Beef Board. Katie Perrin, a third-grade teacher at Toccoa Elementary School, shared books and activities she uses to teach her students about agriculture while meeting state cur-riculum requirements. Stephens County Farm Bureau sent Perrin to the 2010 Na-tional Ag in the Classroom Conference after she showed an interest in agriculture during the annual farm day the county holds. “As a teacher I have a hand in who my students become as adults,” Perrin said. “Think of what an impact you can have on

your community by stepping up and doing some of these activities.” Conference participants also learned how to recruit new members using the new membership brochures available from the GFB Member Services Department and new PowerPoint presentations available through the GFB Field Services Depart-ment. A “make & take” fair gave attendees a chance to learn about a wide variety of ag education, Farm-City Week and farm safe-ty activities. During lunch, GFB President Zippy Duvall and GFB Women’s Leadership Committee Chairman Donna Powell pre-sented $6,000 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of West Georgia on behalf of the county and state Farm Bureau Wom-en’s Committees.

GFB conference prepares members to promote agriculture

Pictured from left, Tabatha Fowler, Kim Hindmon and Tracy Grice listen to Coffee Coun-ty Farm Bureau’s Dea Davison and Carla Palmer explain the Build A Burger activity.

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By Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

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Beef Board provides promotional materials Georgia Junior Cattlemen’s Asso-ciation member Joel Noles, of Eastman, recently volunteered an afternoon at the Georgia Beef Board’s office in Macon to help compile materials for 79 county Georgia Farm Bureau offices. GFB is promoting beef as its commodity of the year. Beef is one of our most versatile, and nutritious protein sources, with lean options for a healthy lifestyle. The pro-duction of beef cattle is one of Georgia’s largest and most important segments of the state’s ag industry, giving $2.1 bil-lion to Georgia’s economy with 16,000 beef producers and 1.11 million cattle. The Georgia Beef Board is the promotional board for beef produc-ers, established to implement the beef check-off program for the research and promotion of beef.

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