Georgia Farm Bureau News - November / December 2012

FARM BUREAUThe Voice of Georgia Farmers

N E W S

G E O R G I AVol. 74 No. 6 November/December 2012

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* Program #33834: $500 Bonus Cash offer exclusively for active Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee Farm Bureau members who are residents of the United States. Offer is valid from 1/04/2012 through 1/02/2013 for the purchase or lease of a eligible new 2011/2012/2013 model year Ford or Lincoln vehicle (not available on Shelby GT/GT500, Mustang Boss 302, Focus Electric, Edge SE AWD, F-150 Raptor and Taurus SE). This offer may not be used in conjunction with other Ford Motor Company private incentives or AXZD-Plans. Some customer and purchase eligibility restrictions apply. You must be an eligible Association member for at least 60 consecutive days and must show proof of membership. Limit one $500 Bonus Cash offer per vehicle purchase or lease. Limit of five new eligible vehicle purchases or leases per Farm Bureau member during program period. See your Ford or Lincoln Dealer for complete details and qualifications.

Now Georgia Farm Bureau members can get $500 Bonus Cash* savings off vehicle MSRP toward the purchase or lease of any eligible 2011/2012/2013 Ford or Lincoln vehicle.

Enjoy valuable savings on your choice of vehicles from our hard-working, technologically advanced new lineup of cars and trucks—including the 2012 Ford F-150 with available 4.2-inch productivity screen and 11,300 lbs. maximum towing capacity (when properly equipped).

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GeorGia Farm Bureau News NovemBer/DecemBer 2012/ 3

table of contentsnovember/december 2012

departmentswe, the farmers

PAGE 4

legislative updateGATE signup underway

PAGE 5

commodities updatePAGE 10

around georgiaPAGE 20

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

(Photo by Jennifer Whittaker) Georgia Farm Bureau members Dianne and Wayne Akins decorated their Greene County farm with this Christmas “tree” in 2010 with help from their daughter Holley and son-in-law Jay Cooper. This shot was captured Dec. 26, 2010, after snow fell across most of North Geor-gia Dec. 25 and 26, marking the first time the region received a measurable amount of snow at Christmas since 1882.

GFB to celebrate 75th anniversary at conventionGeorgia Farm Bureau will celebrate its 75th anniversary during its annual con-vention Dec. 2-4 in the new Jekyll Island Convention Center. Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Army National Guard Commander Brigadier General Joe Jarrard will speak Dec. 3; singer John Berry will perform that evening. Other highlights will include state awards, commodity conferences and state officer elections. PAGE 6

GFB sponsors market goat & lamb grand championsGeorgia Farm Bureau sponsored the grand champion prizes for market goat wether, market goat doe and market lamb awarded during shows held at the Georgia National Fair in Perry Oct. 5-7. PAGE 8

Sunbelt celebrates 35th anniversaryGeorgia’s Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. GFB co-sponsored the Georgia Agricul-ture Building for the second year and talked to Expo visitors about EPA’s attempt to expand its reg-ulatory authority over water on farms and about 1,500 signa-tures from people opposed to this were collected. PAGE 12

Cotton, peanut & pecan field days showcase research Farmers who attended the 2012 UGA Cotton & Peanut Research Field Day Sept. 12 learned about advances in peanut genetics, the emergence of a relatively new cotton disease and management of stressors for both crops to optimize yields and quality. Pecan producers attending the Georgia Pecan Growers Association Fall Field Day Sept. 6 heard about research on the alternate bearing cycle of pecan trees, pest and disease control and crop insurance. PAGE 14

GFB 2nd District supports youth with annual cattle showThe 4th Annual GFB 2nd District Young Farmer Steer and Heifer Show drew 74 par-ticipants to the show ring. Students in third to 12th grade competed to win prizes for best showmanship, breed, grand champion heifer and steer. PAGE 16

Sacrifices worth it for Young Farmer finalistsJames and Brooke Hitchcock, Chris and Marilynn Hopkins and Charlie Sand-ers are competing for the 2012 Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achieve-ment Award, which will be presented Dec. 2 at the GFB convention. All three finalists say the sacrifices they’ve made to farm were worth making for the farm lifestyle they enjoy. PAGE 18

on the coverGeorgia Farm Bureau TV:www.youtube.com/georgiafarmmonitor

“Like” us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/GeorgiaFarmBureau

Follow us on Twitter:www.twitter.com/gafarmbureau

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4 / NovemBer/DecemBer 2012 GeorGia Farm Bureau News

Fall is a busy time of year for Farm Bureau as we hold county and district annual meetings, policy development and prepare for our annual convention. One of the things I enjoy most about serving as your state president is meeting with our county volunteers and hearing about the things you’re doing in your communi-ties to promote agriculture. I share your passion for agriculture and Farm Bureau and am committed to ensuring that our livelihoods and our organization enjoy a prosperous future. Since you elected me president in 2006, I have asked county and state Farm Bureau leaders to join me in building relationships with leaders at all levels of government so Farm Bureau can successfully advocate for agriculture. This has been an ongoing effort, and to this end the GFB Board of Directors traveled to the Georgia Depart-ment of Agriculture in Atlanta for our September meeting. This gave us the chance to get an update from Georgia Agriculture Com-missioner Gary Black on the programs his department is executing for Georgia agri-culture. During the course of our meeting, Gov. Nathan Deal, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Attor-ney General Sam Olens dropped by to discuss issues impacting agriculture. Georgia Environmental Protec-tion Division Director Jud Turner also attended the meeting to discuss water. Director Turner has a good understanding of our need for water, but he said seri-ous challenges lie ahead unless we receive adequate rainfall to recharge our aquifers. Due to drought conditions, the EPD has suspended issuing new ag water permits for 24 counties in southwest Georgia. Rest

assured GFB will continue to work for farmers having access to the water we need to produce our commodities. I enjoyed visiting with many of you at Sunbelt in the Georgia Agriculture Building. GFB’s legislative programs are the core of our mission, so we used our exhibit to ask Sunbelt attendees who feel oppressed by federal environmental regu-lations to sign a banner urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Stop the Flood of Regulations. We shot a photo of the GFB Policy Development Commit-tee with the banner containing more than 1,500 signatures to send the EPA to give them a picture of how strongly Georgia farmers oppose their regulatory efforts. Speaking of policy development, I’d like to thank everyone who has served on GFB’s Policy Development (PD) Com-mittee this fall. The committee met Oct. 8 and Nov. 5 to prepare the policy GFB voting delegates will consider at our con-vention. During the past six years your state leaders and I have worked with GFB’s legislative staff to secure legislation and regulations based on the positions you adopted in our PD process. From 2007-2009, GFB spearheaded a statewide effort to get our members involved in the State-wide Water Management Plan. GFB helped develop this plan and 46 GFB members were appointed to serve on the 10 Regional Water Councils that have established water plans for watersheds across the state. In 2010, GFB played a key role in writing the provisions pertaining to agriculture in the Water Stewardship Act, which helped Georgia in its tri-state water negotiations.

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

North Georgia Vice President BERNARD SIMS

Middle Georgia Vice President ROBERT FOUNTAIN JR.

Treasurer/Corporate SecretaryWAYNE DANIEL

General CounselDUKE GROOVER

DIRECTORSFIRST DISTRICT: Wesley Hall, Cumming; Henry J. West, Rydal SECOND DISTRICT: Bobby Gunter, Dahlonega; Randy Ruff, Elberton THIRD DISTRICT: George Chambers, Carrollton; Nora Goodman, Temple FOURTH DISTRICT: Mar-vin Ruark, Bishop FIFTH DISTRICT: Jim Ham, Smarr; Ralph Adamson Jr., Barnesville SIXTH DISTRICT: James Emory Tate, Denton; James Malone, Dexter SEVENTH DISTRICT: Ben Boyd, Sylvania; Gary Bell, Bellville EIGHTH DISTRICT: Don Wood, Rochelle NINTH DISTRICT: Paul Shirah, Camilla; Lucius Adkins, Elmodel TENTH DISTRICT: David Lee, Alma; Daniel Johnson, Alma YOUNG FARMER CHAIRMAN: Jake Carter, McDonough WOMEN’S COMMITTEE CHAIR: Linda Crumley, Winder

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 2012 by the Georgia Farm Bureau Federa-tion. Printed by Panaprint, Macon, Georgia.

Pursuing the farmers’ ideas through relationships

Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall, left, visits with Irwin County Farm Bureau members Susan and Joey Veal during the GFB/Georgia Department of Agri-culture Coke and Peanut Social at Sunbelt Expo. GFB is celebrating its 75th year as a grassroots organization that serves as the voice of Georgia farmers.

See WE, THE FARMERS page 11

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legislative updateJon Huffmaster, Legislative Director

GATE signup underway The Georgia Department of Agricul-ture (GDA) is accepting applications for the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE) certificate, which farmers must have to receive sales tax exemptions on farm input costs effective Jan. 1, 2013. Applications may be completed elec-tronically at the GDA website http://www.agr.georgia.gov or printed from the web-site and mailed to the GDA. Applicants will pay an administrative fee to the GDA to process the GATE cards. The fee is $20 for online submissions payable with Visa or MasterCard or $25 for mailed appli-cations payable with a check made to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Call 1-855- FARM TAX (1-855-327-6829) from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or visit the website for more information. Most coun-ty Farm Bureau offices will have printed applications for mailing to the GDA. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McCall, and GFB Presi-dent Zippy Duvall launched the GATE signup during a press conference on Nov. 14 at the GFB home office in Macon. “I encourage farmers to apply for the GATE certificate immediately so they can receive the tax exemptions when they go into effect the first of the year,” GFB Presi-dent Zippy Duvall said. “Georgia Farm Bureau worked hard to educate our state officials about the importance of having these sales tax exemptions as the GATE program will help Georgia farmers remain competitive.” Georgia House Bill 386 authorized GATE earlier this year. The tax reform legislation was strongly endorsed by Georgia Farm Bureau, and the agricultural provisions allow a sales tax exemption on virtually all inputs used to produce a farm product. The new GATE certificate replaces the Agricultural Certificate of Exemption (form ST-A1) that producers currently use to receive existing sales tax exemptions.

“The legislators for a long time wanted

to have a more consolidated tax policy for the state,” Commissioner Black said. “HB 386 updates and modernizes our tax codes allowing the agribusiness community to become more competitive with our sur-rounding states.” To qualify for a GATE certificate, applicants must meet one of the follow-ing qualifications: 1) produce a minimum of $2,500/year of agricultural products 2) provide a minimum of $2,500/year of agricultural services 3) maintain orchards, timber or other multi-year products with the long-term capacity to produce $2,500 annually or 4) own property that qualifies for CUVA or FLPA. “It’s [GATE] one of the best things that we in the Legislature have ever done for production agriculture. It’s based on helping real farmers with their input costs,” Chairman McCall said. “Whatever tax money the farmer is going to save is going to get turned around and spent

right back into the economy.” GFB began work on the sales tax exemption issue in 2010 after the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation to create the Special Council for Tax Reform and Fairness to study Georgia’s revenue structure and offer recommendations for change. In 2011, the council recommend-ed to state officials that farmers keep their existing sales tax exemptions and that the exemptions be expanded to include energy, equipment parts, fence products and more. There is no deadline to apply for the GATE card, as the application process is ongoing. Once GATE is in effect, refunds will not be issued for sales tax paid on farm inputs purchased before producers acquire the GATE card. Certificates will expire each year on Dec. 31 starting in 2013 and must be renewed annually. Jon Huffmaster is director of the GFB Legislative Department.

Pictured from left, GFB President Zippy Duvall, Commissioner Gary Black and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McCall display their GATE cards. As of Jan. 1, 2013, Georgia farmers must have a GATE card to receive sales tax exemptions on farm input materials and equipment. Visit http://www.agr.georgia.gov to apply or call 1-855-FARM TAX from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for more information.

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By Jennifer Whittaker__________________________________________________________________________

Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual con-vention will be held Dec. 2-4 in the new Jekyll Island Convention

Center that opened earlier this year. All of the convention events will be held in the 128,000-square-foot building located on the beachside of the island about where the old center stood. “This is a milestone convention for Georgia Farm Bureau as we celebrate our 75th anniversary. Much of our organiza-tion’s history has been made at our annual conventions. Since we’ve held our conven-tion on Jekyll for 49 years, it’s only fitting that our 75th anniversary be celebrated in Jekyll’s new center,” Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall said. “I’m proud to announce Governor Deal and Brigadier General Joe Jarrard, commander of the Georgia Army National Guard, will speak during the gener-al session and singer John Berry will perform for us Monday evening.” Convention activities start at noon on Sunday, Dec. 2 when the exhibit hall opens

and registration begins. The final round of the Young Farmer Discussion Meet will begin at 1 p.m. The four finalists are Matt Bottoms of Pike County, Kyle Dekle of Habersham County, B.J. Marks of Newton County and Clay Talton of Elbert County. The finalists were selected during the pre-liminary rounds of the competition held in July at the GFB Young Farmer Conference. The Women’s Committee Recognition & Leadership Program will be held at 2:30 p.m. County Farm Bureaus will be honored for promoting GFB’s annual commodity and the GFB Art and Essay Contests. An open session of policy develop-ment (PD) will be held at 3:15 p.m. fol-lowed by a closed session for PD commit-tee members only. The last event on Sunday is the memo-rial service for deceased county presidents, inspirational message and state awards program beginning at 4:30 p.m. Counties and individuals competing for state awards are listed on page 15.

The second day of convention, Mon-day, Dec. 3, kicks off at 7:30 a.m. with a complimentary biscuit breakfast. Registra-tion and the exhibit hall will also re-open at 7:30 a.m. The general session begins at 9 a.m. during which GFB President Duvall will deliver his annual address and Gov. Deal will speak. Prizes in the annual GFB Young Farmer Raffle will be awarded dur-ing breaks in the program. The county presidents/secretaries lun-cheon will be held at noon. Counties will be recognized for outstanding member programs. Commodity conferences will be held at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Speakers will address a variety of production and policy issues affecting Georgia’s major commodities. The GFB 75th Anniversary Dinner begins at 6 p.m. After members enjoy a southern buffet, they will be treated to a concert by Georgia singer John Berry. Tuesday activities start at 6:45 a.m. with a membership breakfast served by the Georgia Association of County Agricultur-al Agents. Voting delegates will convene at 8:15 a.m. to discuss and approve GFB policy. At 10:15 a.m. district caucuses will be held to elect district directors. The only district races with opposition are for the 4th District seat formerly held by William Hutchins, who died in May, and an 8th District race to serve the last year of former 8th District Director Kim Brown’s term following her September resignation. Candidates for the 4th District seat are Ray Fowler of Barrow County and Skeetter McCorkle of McDuffie County. Candidates for Brown’s seat are Rodney Dunaway of Pulaski County and Scotty Raines of Turner County. Counties in the Middle Georgia Vice President Caucus will meet at 11 a.m. to elect their regional representative. Incum-bent Robert Fountain Jr. of Emanuel County and Brent Galloway of Newton County are running for the position. All voting delegates will meet at 11:30 a.m. to elect the state president. Incumbent Zippy Duvall of Greene County and Gary Paulk of Irwin County are running for the position. Voting delegates will also desig-nate the organization’s 1st vice president, which is being sought by incumbent Gerald Long of Decatur County.

GFB to celebrate 75thanniversary at convention

GFB members will meet in the new Jekyll Island Convention Center Dec. 2-4 for the organization’s annual convention. All convention events will be held in the oceanfront facility located about where the old center stood.

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Estate taxes, the farm bill and en-croaching environmental regula-tion were among the chief concerns

farmers in Georgia’s 8th U.S. Congressio-nal District expressed to Rep. Austin Scott (R) during a two-day farm tour Oct. 3 and 4. Scott also heard from farmers about im-migration and effects of the EPA’s Clean Water Act guidance. Scott made 11 stops at different farms and the NESPAL facility at the UGA Tifton Campus. Farmers and agricultural stake-holders were able to voice their concerns and ask questions of Scott, who serves on the U.S. House Ag Committee. At the farm of Twiggs County Farm Bureau President Rocky Nobles, a group of area farmers discussed the benefits of the Beef Checkoff, which funds research and marketing efforts on behalf of the na-

tion’s beef producers. During a stop at the farm of Sam Dykes in Bleckley County, Scott predicted that farmers in 2013 would likely operate under an extension of the 2008 farm bill. “Even if we pass a farm bill, the FSA won’t have the rules in place before you start liming your fields next year,” Scott said. He also reviewed some of the things included in the House Ag Committee’s version of the 2012 farm bill, including the fact that its commodity title places empha-sis on crop insurance. Regarding estate taxes, which without Congressional action are scheduled to re-vert to a $1 million exemption with a top rate of 55 percent on Jan. 1, 2013, Scott said he would like to see them repealed but most farmers would be covered by a $5 million exemption.

Scott visits farms in 8th Congressional District

Rep. Austin Scott, right, gets an up-close look at a field of sorghum with Bleckley County farmer Sam Dykes.

“Agriculture takes a tremendous amount of money and one of the things we want to do is make sure we get a reasonable exemption,” Scott said. “The $5 million [ex-emption] will solve the issue for 99 percent of the farms.”

The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is moving forward with hiring a peanut en-tomologist, fruit, soybean and vegetable specialists appropriated by the Georgia legislature this year, CAES Dean Scott Angle said in a September interview with Farm Bureau media, contrary to media re-ports that month regarding UGA budget cuts. Angle said the college hopes to have the positions filled by next spring. CAES is reducing its budget by 3 per-cent under a directive from Gov. Nathan Deal and the Georgia General Assembly issued last April, but this cut will be met by leaving 67 open positions vacant rather than laying anyone off, Angle said. Angle said the cuts were to be achieved through retirements and employees leav-ing for other jobs rather than layoffs. The budget proposal submitted in April de-tailed cuts of 40 jobs in Cooperative Ex-tension and 27 from CAES’ agricultural experiment stations. “We’re not going to lay off anyone, but

we’re not filling positions, which is just as devastating to our ability to carry out our mission,” he said. “We’ve got some real se-rious issues. I get calls regularly about why aren’t you hiring an extension agent in this county, and the reason is we’ve had a 28 percent budget cut over four years.” The college implemented significant re-ductions in 2010, when state budget woes prompted CAES to restructure its Exten-sion staff statewide. The current round of cuts, Angle said, will make it more difficult for CAES to meet its core research and out-reach missions.

CAES moves forward with hiring commodity specialists

By Jay Stone_________________________________________________________________________

Taylor Sills has joined the Georgia Farm Bureau Com-modities/Market-ing Department as a marketing specialist. He will be working with programs related to feed grains and soybeans and manage the depart-ment’s grain desk. Sills graduated in 2009 from Abra-ham Baldwin Agricultural College with an associate degree in agribusi-ness. He graduated from the Univer-sity of Georgia in December 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural and applied economics. Prior to joining GFB, Sills worked at the Georgia Federal-State Inspec-tion Service in Albany. A native of Eatonton, Sills is the son of Howard Sills and Cathy Mize, both of Eatonton.

Ga. Cotton Commission Annual Meeting & UGA

Cotton Production WorkshopJan. 30, 2013

UGA Tifton Campus Conference CenterBegins at 8 a.m.

For more information call 478-988-4235 or visit

http://www.georgiacottoncommission.org.

Sills joins GFB staff


Georgia 4-H and FFA students from across the state compet-ed in livestock shows during the Georgia National Fair in Perry Oct. 4-14. The 2012 State 4-H & FFA Market Goat Show was held Oct. 5-6, and the 2012 State 4-H & FFA Market Lamb Show was held Oct. 6-7. Georgia Farm Bureau sponsored the Grand Champion Market Goat Wether, Grand Champion Market Goat Doe and Grand Champion Market Lamb prizes. “Georgia Farm Bureau has a great partnership with 4-H and FFA. The Georgia Farm Bureau Board of Directors and I are proud to be a part of these kids showing their animals. The kids participating in these shows are learning responsibil-ity and how to accept success and defeat,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. “This money that we’re giving out is an invest-ment in the future of agriculture.”

GFB sponsors market goat& lamb grand champions

Worth County FFA member Chase Roberts, center, won the Grand Champion Market Goat Wether prize of $1,500. Roberts, an eighth grader at Worth County Middle School, has shown goats for six years. He is the son of Mike and Anita Roberts.

White County FFA member Brooke Helton won $1,500 for hav-ing the Grand Champion Market Goat Doe. Helton, a senior at White County High School, has shown goats for two years. She is the daughter of Ashley and Angie Helton.

Colquitt County FFA member Hannah Dixon won the Grand Champion Market Lamb prize of $1,000. Dixon, a senior at Colquitt County High School, has shown lambs for six years. She is the daughter of Frank and Sharon Dixon.

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USDA conducting ag census Georgia farmers will soon have the opportunity to partici-pate in the 2012 Census of Agriculture. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts the census every five years to get a complete count of all U.S. farms, ranches and those who operate them. “The census remains the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every county in the nation,” said Doug Kleweno, director of NASS’s Georgia Field Office. “It’s a critical tool that gives farmers a voice to influence deci-sions that will shape the future of their community, industry and operation.” The census looks at land use and ownership, operator char-acteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and other topics. Local, state and federal governments, ag organiza-tions and agribusinesses rely on census data to help farmers. For example, legislators use the data when shaping farm policy, and agribusinesses use the data to determine the locations of facilities to serve farmers. “Your answers to the census impact farm programs and ru-ral services that support your community,” Kleweno said. “So do your part and be counted when you receive your form, because there’s strength in numbers that only the census can reveal.” NASS will mail out census forms in late December to collect data for the 2012 calendar year. Completed forms are due by February 4, 2013. Producers may also fill out the census online via a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov, or return their form by mail. Federal law requires all agricultural producers to participate in the census and requires NASS to keep all individ-ual information confidential. For more information call 1-888-424-7828 or the Georgia Field Office at 1-800-253-4419.


Existing Farm Bureau Bank vehicle loans are excluded from this offer. * Rates disclosed as Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and are based on automated payments (ACH) and acquiring one of the following collateral protection products: Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) or Major Mechanical Protection (MMP). Additional discounts do apply for purchasing more than one collateral protection product. Final APR may differ from the loan interest rate due to additional fees, such as a loan documentation fee, which may be applicable. For a $25,050 vehicle loan with a term of 36 months, a 45 day first payment date and a 2.99% APR, the monthly payment will be $727.76. The APR may increase during the term of the loan if automatic payments are discontinued for any reason. To qualify for the disclosed rate, customer must be a Farm Bureau member. Finance charges accrue from origination date of the loan. Rates and financing are limited to vehicle models 2003 and newer. All loans are subject to credit approval, verification, and collateral evaluation. Other rates and financing options are available. Non-member rates may be 1-3% higher than posted rates. Loans for RVs, motorcycles, trailers, ATVs, watercraft and commercial vehicles may be 0.50% higher. This offer is not available in all states and rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Banking services provided by Farm Bureau Bank, FSB.

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County Farm Bureaus across Geor-gia celebrated National Farm-City Week with events designed to increase aware-ness of agriculture in their communi-ties. Although the week is officially Nov. 16-22, events were held throughout No-vember as schedules allowed. Kiwanis International began the an-nual celebration in 1955 in recognition of the partnership between farmers and their urban neighbors who help process, market and sell the food and fiber farm-ers grow. “Our county chapters do a great job of using this week to talk to their communi-ties about the importance of agriculture,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “I ap-preciate every county Farm Bureau that held a Farm-City event because these efforts are essential to telling consumers

GFB President Zippy Duvall, seated, signs a proclamation declaring Nov. 16-22 Farm-City Week. Pictured from left, GFB Middle Georgia Vice President Robert Fountain, GFB North Georgia Vice President Bernard Sims and GFB 1st Vice President Gerald Long join Duvall for the signing.

Farm-City Week celebrated Nov. 16-22

how we produce their food and fiber.” Three counties in each Farm Bureau district with the most outstanding events will receive a $50 credit to pur-

chase ag promotion items from the GFB Field Services Department. We’ll feature some of the events in the Feb./March GFB News.

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commodities/marketing updateDon McGough

GFB Commodity Conferences offer industry updates We hope you are making plans to at-tend the 75th Annual Georgia Farm Bureau Convention Dec. 2 – 4 on Jekyll Island. One of the highlights will be the commodity con-ferences on Monday, Dec. 3rd at 2 and 3:30 p.m. These meetings will feature 36 speak-ers addressing agricultural issues relevant to a wide range of commodity interests. All meetings will be held at the new Je-kyll Island Convention Center located at 75 North Beachview Drive. Meeting room as-signments will be listed in the convention program available at registration in the ex-hibit hall. Everyone is encouraged to attend these meetings to hear the latest updates on Georgia agriculture.

2 P.M. CONFERENCESBeef Cattle ------------------------------------- •BeefCattleSituation&Outlook Dr. Curt Lacy •BeefCheckoff:National&StateViews Jennifer B. Houston •Ga.BeefBoardUpdate Gerald Long Cotton ------------------------------------------ •NCCIndustryUpdate Chuck Coley •Ga.CottonCommissionUpdate Richey Seaton • 2012CottonAgronomicReview Dr. Guy Collins Feedgrain/Soybean --------------------------- •KudzuBugManagement Dr. Phillip Roberts • WheatVarietyUpdate&Resistant Ryegrass Management Dr. Dewey Lee Forestry ---------------------------------------- •Ga.WoodPelletExportOpportunities Steven Myers •LEEDImpactsonForestProduction Nathan McClure Goat & Sheep ---------------------------------- •Goat&SheepManagement David Gordon

Fruit/Vegetable ------------------------------- • BenefitsofGreenhouse&HighTunnel

Production Dr. George Boyhan •MediaTraining Lynn Kilroy •LocalVendorsCoalition Matt Granados Hay --------------------------------------------- • 2013ForageProductionOpportunities

& Challenges Dr. Dennis Hancock •GrowingChampionshipQualityHay Randall Selman •GFBHayContestWinnerPresentation Farrell Roberts Peanut ------------------------------------------ •FutureofPeanutGenomics George Birdsong • 2012-2013PeanutOutlook George Lovatt Pecan ------------------------------------------- • 2012SeasonUpdate Dr. Lenny Wells •PromotingGa.Pecans Lynn Kilroy Tobacco ---------------------------------------- •GeorgiaTobaccoCommission Activities Fred Wetherington • 2012TobaccoSeasonReview Dr. J. Michael Moore

Honeybee -------------------------------------- •Ga.BeekeepersAssociationUpdate Jerry Edwards •FloridaBeekeepingRegulations David Westervelt

Poultry ----------------------------------------- • 2013PoultryOutlook Jim Hodges Swine ------------------------------------------- • FeralSwineDistribution&Disease Implications Dr. Joseph L. Corn •Ga.PorkProducersUpdate Charles Griffin Water ------------------------------------------- •WaterIssuesFacingGeorgia EPD Director Jud Turner

3:30 P.M. CONFERENCESAquaculture ----------------------------------- • New Opportunities for Aquaculture

Producers Dr. Pat Duncan • ShrimpIndustryinGeorgia Pat Geer Dairy ------------------------------------------- • RenewableFuelsStandard& the Ethanol Complex Matthew Erickson Environmental Horticulture --------------- • WaterConservation&Production Enhancement Research Dr. Paul Thomas • SalesTaxExemptionsforFarmers Jon Huffmaster Equine ------------------------------------------ • StockHorseofGa.AssociationUpdate Darryl Landreth •Ga.EquineCommissionUpdate Ann Jones

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Taxes have long been a GFB priority issue and in recent years we’ve had several legislative successes that will benefit Georgia farmers for many years. Since 2010, GFB has worked to defend the sales tax exemp-tions on ag inputs that already existed and to secure sales tax exemptions for all ag inputs, as several of our border states have had for years. This year Gov. Deal signed legislation passed by the Georgia General Assembly that will waive sales taxes on most ag inputs effective Jan. 1, 2013. It’s estimated this will save Georgia farmers about $35 million a year in sales taxes. GFB has continued to defend the Conser-vation Use Value Assessment (CUVA) pro-gram, which allows farm and timber land to be taxed based on its current use rather than fair market value. We have secured legisla-tive changes that prevent county tax offices from classifying agritourism and aquaculture operations as a breach of CUVA contracts. This year GFB secured legislation that gives small farms of 10 acres or less the chance to enroll in CUVA if they meet the program qualifications. The law also lets farmers add 50 acres or less of contiguous qualifying property to their existing CUVA covenants. In 2008, GFB led a statewide effort to pass a constitutional amendment that created the Forest Land Protection Act, which helps timber owners afford to grow large tracts of timber that don’t qualify for CUVA. Metal theft has been a growing problem in recent years, and GFB has worked with state legislators to pass two laws to fight it. Legislation passed in 2009 tightened require-ments placed on recyclers buying metal, but thieves found recyclers willing to look the other way. This year we worked with state legislators to secure a law that provides stiff penalties for recyclers and thieves who break the law. It also requires recyclers to obtain a permit from the local sheriff and prevents recyclers from paying cash for metal. In 2009 GFB took a proactive position and initiated state legislation to protect live-stock producers from animal rights groups that would like to dictate how we raise our livestock. Georgia House Bill 529 prohibits local governments from instituting regula-tions that mandate the size of animal enclo-sures. On the federal level, we’ve actively voiced our opposition to proposed legisla-tion that would regulate the size of layer hen cages and thwarted attempts to add it to the

farm bill this summer. GFB continues to call for immigration reform at the national level. I have testified on numerous occasions in Atlanta and in Washington on the issue, explaining that farmers need a stable, reliable work force. When the Georgia legislature passed man-datory e-verify legislation last year, GFB stayed in the trenches working to educate legislators about the difficulties this presents for farmers and worked to soften the impact of the state legislation. Whenever Congress decides to take up the immigration issue on the federal level, I can assure you GFB will be there to represent your interests. When the U.S. Department of Labor attempted to prevent young people from working on farms, GFB came out of the gate swinging, raising the issue with USDA Administrator Bruce Nelson when he visited the GFB Board of Directors last year and submitting comments opposing the propos-al. I’m happy to report the DOL withdrew their proposal in April. These are just some of the many leg-islative successes GFB has achieved in the past six years as a result of we, the farmers,

working together through our grassroots organization to better Georgia agriculture. In a few weeks we’ll meet on Jekyll Island for our annual convention. We’ll get to enjoy the new convention facility as we celebrate our 75th anniversary. While delivering a radio address on WSB 75 years ago, GFB’s first president Robert Stiles explained the need for our organiza-tion this way, “Our congressmen really want to have a medium of contact with us (Geor-gia) farmers that is powerful, reliable and representative.” Stiles and GFB’s other founding mem-bers were brave enough to start our orga-nization to serve as the voice of Georgia’s farmers. II Timothy 1:17 says, “For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” God wants us to pursue our ideas and dreams without fear using the power, love and self-discipline he gives us. Georgia Farm Bureau has achieved so much for Georgia’s farmers and rural Geor-gia during its 75-year history. I look forward to what we will achieve in the coming years.

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The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposi-tion celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. The Oct. 16 opening day

of the annual three-day event in Moultrie featured numerous celebrations as well as a push for highway safety. Pulaski County farmer Barry Martin represented Georgia as the state’s Swisher Sweets Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition Farmer of the Year, one of 10 state winners to be honored during the Willie B. Withers Sunbelt Ag Expo Luncheon. Dale McLel-lan, a hay, corn and oats producer from Thonotosassa, Fla., was named the South-eastern Farmer of the Year. The luncheon featured remarks from Gov. Nathan Deal and Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama, the 2012 Sunbelt Expo spotlight state. “Agriculture is still the number one in-dustry in Georgia, accounting for about 10 percent of our overall economic activity. It employs thousands of people in various aspects of both direct agriculture and agri-business and related activities,” Deal said. “The Expo is one of those opportunities to showcase exactly what is happening in this very important industry for the Sunbelt states of our nation.” At the Georgia Agriculture Building, GFB collected approximately 1,500 signa-tures from visitors in the Stop the Flood

Sunbelt celebrates 35th anniversaryBy Jay Stone___________________________________ of Regulation campaign, aimed at limiting

EPA regulations harmful to agriculture. GFB and the Georgia Department of Ag-riculture also conducted a number of com-bined cooking demonstrations and held a Coke and peanut social hosted by Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and GFB President Zippy Duvall. Deal, Black, Governor’s Office of High-way Safety Director Harris Blackwood and Duvall held a press conference urging Georgians to be aware of farm vehicles on the road during the harvest season, marking the second year of the “Improving Georgia’s Yield Behind the Wheel” campaign. Deal cautioned Georgia drivers to re-duce their highway speeds, while Duvall urged farmers to make sure their warn-ing triangles are prominently displayed to maximize visibility and asked them to refrain from driving farm vehicles on the road before sunrise or after sunset. “As farmers, we have a responsibility not only to provide food and fiber for this state, this country and this world, but we have a responsibility to our communities, our neighbors, our friends and our fami-lies to make sure we do our part to ensure safety on the roads,” Duvall said. Blackwood noted that in 2011 there were 401 crashes involving farm vehicles on the state’s highways, resulting in 138 injuries and five fatalities. One of those

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Sunbelt Executive Director Chip Blalock, left, presents Pulaski County Farm Bu-reau member Barry Martin with a crystal ice bucket for being the Swisher Sweets Sunbelt Expo Georgia Farmer of the Year. Martin, a cotton and peanut farmer, was praised for his use of conservation tillage.

was Colquitt County teenager Jacob Sut-ton, whose parents, James and Ellen Sut-ton, shared their experience to promote awareness of highway safety in hopes other families will be spared the loss they’ve ex-perienced. According to Sunbelt officials, approx-imately 85,000 people attended the three-day event.

Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall speaks during a press conference urging motorists and drivers of farm equipment on Georgia roads to take extra care during the harvest season. Duvall asked that farmers make sure their triangle safety markers are clean and visible on their equipment and that farmers refrain from driving before sunrise or after sunset.

Georgia Farm Bureau has been an exhibi-tor at Sunbelt since 1977 when the show began.


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Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall, center front, recently sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson expressing GFB’s concerns about the level of regula-tion the EPA is enacting against agricul-ture. A copy of the letter was also sent to EPA Region 4 Administrator Gwendolyn Fleming and Georgia’s U.S. Congressio-nal delegation. The letter was accompanied by this photo of GFB Policy Development Com-mittee members with a “Stop the Flood of Regulation” banner containing signa-tures of more than 1,500 farmers who feel oppressed by EPA regulations. GFB col-lected the signatures during Sunbelt Expo. In the letter, Duvall expressed con-

cern about EPA’s attempt to remove the word “navigable” from the Clean Water Act through a guidance document after Congress chose not to do so and against Supreme Court precedent. Currently, the CWA applies only to traditional navigable waters, which are those capable of sup-porting interstate commerce. The letter also expressed Farm Bureau’s

concerns about farmers being required to obtain National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits for pesticides applied on, over or near water require-ments. The letter also urged EPA to make an exemption for farm dust under the Clean Air Act since dust in rural areas is related to rainfall and wind conditions which can’t be controlled.

By Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

GFB urges EPA to Stop the Flood of Regulation


By Jay Stone__________________________________________________________________________

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Nearly 300 pecan growers attended the Georgia Pecan Growers Association (GPGA) Fall Field Day Sept. 6 at the USDA Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Station in Byron. The event provided in-formation regarding pecan research on the alternate bearing cycle, pest and disease control and crop insurance. Alternate bearing, which refers to the occurrence of year-to-year fluctuations in pecan tree production, has been moderated through advances in cultivation techniques, according to Bruce Wood, the supervising horticulturist at the Byron lab. “On an individual tree basis, it still hap-pens, but on an orchard basis, a popula-tion of tree basis, it’s not as bad as it was,” Wood said. “The key to reducing alternate bearing … one, it’s variety dependent, but it’s also dependent on controlling the stress levels that the trees are exposed to and the orchard management. So it’s critical to con-trol insect, disease, pest, water, sunlight, nu-trient elements, things of that nature.”

GPGA President Randy Hudson said the field day has grown over the past few years due in large part to high prices gen-erated by export demand for pecans, even with key export destinations having pro-hibitive tariffs in place. “The export demand has driven this crop to a whole different level. If you look here today you’re going to see a lot of young people,” Hudson said. “These young people are getting in this industry because there’s a future here and the future is higher prices.” Diane Amera, director of the Risk Man-agement Agency’s Valdosta field office, discussed upcoming changes in crop insur-ance for pecans. She said that for 2013, the coverage structure will be changing from a two-year module to a one-year module. In 2014 the structure will revert to the two-year module. Amera advised growers to contact their crop insurance agents for details. Research Entomologist David Shapiro-Ilan discussed methods of pecan weevil control, including the use of bacteria to

combat weevils while reducing the use of chemical pesticides. Wood discussed man-agement approaches to minimize alternate bearing and return flowering, including techniques to improve the management of upper canopy on tall trees.

Visitors at the 2012 UGA Cotton & Peanut Research Field Day learned about advances in peanut genome work, the emergence of a relatively new cotton dis-ease and management of stressors for both crops to optimize yields and quality. The field day, held Sept. 12 at UGA’s Tifton Campus on the Gibbs and Lang Farms, featured sessions on cotton agro-nomics, variety testing, breeding and crop-ping systems, peanut fertility and more. UGA Extension specialist Dr. Bob Ke-merait noted that both crops experienced unusual stresses related to warmer weather during the winter months earlier this year. There was an early emergence of white mold on peanuts and nematodes persisted throughout the winter months in cotton, compounded by the removal of the use of Temik. “Temik has been such a workhorse,”

Cotton & Peanut Field Day shows off research

UGA Professor of Plant Science Dr. Tim Brenneman displays a peanut plant dam-aged by white mold. Brennaman said the 2012 growing season in Georgia had ex-tremely heavy pressure from white mold.

Kemerait said. “We’re looking to find out how we manage nematodes with the tools we have, with the varieties we have, with the management strategies we have and still make a profit for these growers.” Kemerait also discussed the emergence of target spot disease in Georgia cotton fields. Target spot causes extensive unexpected de-foliation, spots on the bracks, possible boll damage and ultimately reduced yields. Kemerait said fungicides may turn out to be effective in controlling target spot, though studies continue into which fungi-cides and application methods work best. In peanut fertility and breeding re-search, Dr. Peggy Ozias-Akins indicated that sequencing of the peanut genome has been completed and the markers for high oleic trait in peanuts have been located. The high oleic trait in peanuts has been linked to extending shelf life. Ozias-Akins also said

Alternate bearing key topic at Pecan Field Day

researchers are looking for resistance traits for leaf spot and white mold. Extension Peanut Agronomist Dr. John Beasley talked about the university’s studies into peanut responses to insect pressures, planting patterns and nutrient applications, while UGA Assistant Professor Dr. Scott Tubbs reviewed his team’s projects in till-age systems and rotation of peanuts and wheat crops.

By Jay Stone__________________________________________________________________________

During the Georgia Pecan Growers As-sociation Fall Field Day, Dr. Bruce Wood discussed factors that contribute to the al-ternate bearing cycle of pecan trees.

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Each of Georgia Farm Bureau’s 10 districts held its annual meeting this fall and recognized the follow-

ing 2012 district award winners. The state award recipients will be chosen from these district winners and announced at the an-nual GFB Convention in December. For 2012, the organization added the Member-ship Award, given to county Farm Bureaus with increases in membership.

FIRST DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Cherokee County; Young Farmer Committee: Floyd Coun-ty; Legislative Committee: Cherokee County; Promotion & Education Com-mittee: Cherokee County; Young Farmer Achievement: James and Megan Dault, Cherokee County; Office Manager: Can-dra Frady, Gilmer County.

SECOND DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Elbert County; Young Farmer Committee: Madison Coun-ty; Legislative Committee: Habersham County; Promotion & Education Commit-tee: Franklin County; Office Manager: De-nise Loggins, White County; Membership Award: Elbert County.

THIRD DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Polk County; Young Farmer Committee: Newton County; Leg-islative Committee: Newton County; Pro-motion & Education Committee: Henry County; Young Farmer Achievement: John and Megan Kirkley, Newton County; Of-fice Manager: Brandi Few, Carroll County.

FOURTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Barrow Coun-ty; Young Farmer Committee: Greene

County; Legislative Committee: Greene County; Promotion & Education Com-mittee: McDuffie County; Young Farmer Achievement: Charlie Sanders, Greene County; Office Manager: Jane Young, McDuffie County.

FIFTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Crawford County; Young Farmer Committee: Crawford County; Legislative Committee: Pike County; Promotion & Education Com-mittee: Upson County; Office Manager: Tina Yearta, Troup County; Member-ship Award: Lamar, Monroe, Peach and Troup counties.

SIXTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Washington Coun-ty; Young Farmer Committee: Laurens County; Legislative Committee: Wash-ington County; Promotion & Education Committee: Washington County; Young Farmer Achievement: James and Brooke Hitchcock, Washington County; Office Manager: Pat Steed, Bibb County. Mem-bership Award: Montgomery County

SEVENTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Wayne Coun-ty; Young Farmer Committee: Bulloch County; Legislative Committee: Emanuel County; Promotion & Education Com-mittee: Emanuel County; Young Farmer Achievement: Chris and Marilynn Hop-kins, Toombs County; Office Manager: Karon Anderson, Evans County; Member-ship Award: Jenkins County.

EIGHTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Wilcox Coun-ty; Young Farmer Committee: Wilcox

County; Legislative Committee: Wilcox County; Promotion & Education Com-mittee: Turner County; Office Manager: Zdenka Hollingsworth, Wilcox County; Membership Award: Dooly, Schley and Stewart counties.

NINTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Brooks County; Young Farmer Committee: Colquitt Coun-ty; Legislative Committee: Colquitt County; Promotion & Education Committee: Mitch-ell County; Young Farmer Achievement: Darren and Wendy Hembree, Colquitt County; Office Manager: Charlotte Wing-ate, Colquitt County; Membership Award: Miller County.

TENTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Coffee County; Young Farmer Committee: Bacon County; Legisla-tive Committee: Coffee County; Promotion & Education Committee: Cook County; Office Manager: Debra Orr, Glynn County; Membership Award: Irwin County.

2012 GFB district award winners recognized

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By Jennifer Whittaker_______________________________________________________ Legends of the Fall was the theme of the 4th Annual GFB 2nd District Young Farmer Steer and Heifer Show held Oct. 20 at the White County Agricenter in Cleveland. About 250 people attended the event designed to help cattle exhibitors keep their showmanship skills sharp between the Georgia National Fair and December shows. The district also uses the event to promote Farm Bureau membership and the GFB Young Farmer program in hopes of encouraging the students to get involved with their county Young Farmer Committees when they turn 18. Each of the 74 students who competed in the show received a GFB member-ship brochure, GFB Young Farmer calendar and a souvenir t-shirt designed by Franklin County Young Farmer Heather Cabe. The prizes for the show awards were funded by dona-tions from 2nd District county Farm Bureaus, county presi-dents and insurance agents. Logan Clark of Hall County won the Supreme Grand Cham-pion Heifer award of $300 with a Simmental-Angus heifer. Wy-att Chandler of Jackson County won the Grand Champion Steer prize of $300 with a Charolais steer. Tyler Arnold of Madison County won the Supreme Reserve Champion Heifer award of $200 with a Chi-influenced heifer. Arnold also won the Reserve Champion Steer prize of $200. Madison Westmoreland of White County won the 12th Grade Showmanship Award with her Simmental-cross heifer. Other showmanship winners were as follows: 11th Grade – Adam Floyd, Franklin County; 10th Grade – Austin Rose, Ste-phens County; 9th Grade – Logan Clark, Hall County; 8th Grade – Daniel Dobbs, Franklin County; 7th Grade – Janna Anderson, Elbert County; 6th Grade – Kayley Edwards, Jackson County; 5th Grade – Ellie Clark, Hall County; 4th Grade & Under – Pay-ton Jackson, Banks County. In breed heifer classes, winners were: Angus Champion – Macy Seagraves, Jackson County; Angus Reserve Champion – Jessi Bell, Jackson County; Simmental Champion – Austin Rose, Stephens County; Simmental Reserve Champion – Macy Seagraves, Jackson County; Percent Simmental Champion – Lo-gan Clark, Hall County; Percent Simmental Reserve Champion – Adam Floyd, Franklin County; Other Breeds Champion – Ty-

GFB 2nd District supports youth with annual cattle show

Ag water permit suspension meetings Dec. 4 Mitchell County Ag Building Camilla Dec. 12 Terrell Co. Govt. Building Dawson The Georgia Environmental Protection Division announced July 30 it is suspending issuing new applications for ag water withdrawal permits for a 24-county area in the lower Flint and Chattahoochee River basins, which includes all or part of Bak-er, Calhoun, Colquitt, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Sumter, Terrell, Turner

Logan Clark of Hall County won the Supreme Grand Champion Heifer award at the 4th Annual GFB 2nd District Young Farmer Steer & Heifer Show with this Simmental-Angus Heifer. His sister, Ellie, is pictured at left.

Pictured from right, Wyatt Chandler of Jackson County and his uncle David Farmer pose with the Charolais steer that won the Grand Champion Steer prize at the 4th Annual GFB 2nd District Young Farmer Steer & Heifer Show.

Madison Westmoreland of White County won the 12th Grade Showmanship Award with her Simmental-cross heifer. Her parents Jay and Kim Westmoreland are pictured with her.

ler Arnold, Madison County; Other Breeds Reserve – Hannah Barrett, Lumpkin County; Chyanne Pope of Habersham County showed the Commercial Heifer Champion and Katelyn Ford-ham of Jackson County showed the reserve champion.

See MEETINGS page 22

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Georgia Farm Bureau will award $14,250 in scholarships to 10 high school se-niors who plan to pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural and environmen-tal sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related agricultural field. The top three students will each receive a scholarship of $3,000. The remaining seven students will each receive a $750 scholarship. Winners will be announced in May 2013. Students submitting an application must currently be a Georgia high school senior and plan to enroll in a unit of the University System of Georgia or Berry Col-lege during the 2013-2014 academic year. Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information or an applica-tion. The application deadline is February 22, 2013. Applications must be approved and signed by the Farm Bureau president of the county in which the applicant re-sides or attends high school. You may also download a copy of the application by visiting http://www.gfb.org. Click on Programs and then Ag in the Classroom.

Fort Valley State University (FVSU) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house Sept. 12 for the new State Animal Fa-cility for Emergencies (SAFE) Center locat-ed on the FVSU campus. The 7,800-square-foot building is intended to provide shelter for pets in the event of a natural disaster, terrorist attack or animal control situation. The facility, a joint venture of the Geor-gia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and

FVSU opens animal emergency facility

Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, can house up to 80 cats, 105 dogs and 30 horses. The facility will be activated as needed by the GDA, Georgia Emergency Management Agency or other federal, state or local agencies. FVSU officials and state leaders partici-pated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Dr.

Robert Cobb Jr., Georgia Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian, is pictured inspecting the horse stalls at the new SAFE Center. In addition to the spacious stalls, the facility also includes fenced pastures, which will allow the center to house 30 horses in the event of a natural disaster or animal control incident.

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2013 Ag Forecast Meetings

Jan. 25 • Ga. Center for Continuing Education Athens

Jan. 28 • ECO Center • Rome

Jan. 29 • Georgia Farm Bureau • Macon

Jan. 30 • UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton

Jan. 31 • Decatur Co. Livestock Complex Bainbridge

Feb. 1 • Toombs Co. Agri-Center • Lyons

UGA economists will give the 2013 ag economic outlook and guest speakers will discuss international trade and how the global economy impacts local busi-nesses. Check-in for all sessions, except Tifton, begins at 9:30 a.m. Seminars run from 10 a.m. to noon followed by lunch. The Tifton event is a breakfast that runs from 7:30 a.m to 10 a.m. Cost is $30 per person or $200 for a table, which includes eight seats. Advance registration is required by January 23. For more information or to register, visit http://www.georgiaagforecast.com, call 706-583-0347 or email [email protected]. These meetings are a UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences program endowed by Georgia Farm Bu-reau and supported by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture and Georgia Agribusiness Council.

GFB announces scholarships

18 /NovemBer/DecemBer 2012 GeorGia Farm Bureau News

WASHINGTON COUNTY James Hitch-cock Jr. knows how good he has it, because he’s seen the difficult side of agriculture. Hitchcock grew up working on his fam-ily’s 2,500-acre crop and cattle operation, but not long after he graduated from Brent-wood School in 1997 his father, James Sr., started downsizing the family’s farm, their livestock sale barn in Tennille and feed store in Dublin. The family was out of farm ownership by 2005, but James Jr. never strayed far from his dream. “It’s just something I’ve always loved and had a passion for,” James Jr. said. For James, the reason is simple: he relish-es the farm life. He and his wife Brooke have

two children, J.W., 4, and Moriah, 5. “The kids love it. They love being out-side,” said Brooke, who works as an occupational therapy assistant and offers support on the farm. “You have to drag them in at night most of the time to make them come in and take a bath. They love

being outside on the tractors with their daddy.” Early on, James Jr. recognized the impor-tance of having a say in how farmers are treated by government and got involved in Georgia Farm Bureau activities. “I know growing up, we had a local chapter and we met once a month, had a supper and a meeting. That’s what I thought Farm Bureau was,” said James Jr., who is now the chair-man of the Washington County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee. “Then I went to Washington [D.C.] and it really opened my eyes to what actually goes into Farm Bureau and what they actually do for us.” James stayed in farming, working for

Steve and Ellen Hortman of Ohoopee Agri- Services, managing a row crop, cattle, hay and straw operation. In 2007, he restarted the family farm along with his brother Jona-than, sister Jennifer and James Sr. It was a part-time pursuit, but through his asso-ciation with the Hortmans, whom he cred-its with helping him get his farm business going, Hitchcock had access to equipment that allowed him to get it running. Last year, James Jr. and Jonathan start-ed running their farm full-time, facing the financial reality many beginning farmers face. “Financing is a big challenge, especially being young and not really having any cash to put into the farm,” he said. “I had to bor-row almost 100 percent of what it takes. Most banks won’t even talk to you. The Farm Ser-vice Agency had some young farmer loans that really have helped me get on my feet.” Now, James and Jonathan have bought back much of the family’s former land. James says the farm is up to 1,500 acres, on which he grows corn, cotton, peanuts and soybeans and maintains a herd of approxi-mately 250 cattle. James Jr. served on the GFB Young Farmer Committee in 2005, Brooke served with him on the committee in 2006.

Sacrifices worth it for Young Farmer FinalistsArticles by Jay Stone & Jennifer Whittaker____________________________________________________________________________

Whether it’s milking cows or growing row crops, the three finalist families in the 2012 Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Contest each hold a strong belief that they are doing what they are meant to do.

To be sure, there are challenges – daunting financial burdens, weather and regula-tory issues – but James and Brooke Hitchcock, Chris and Marilynn Hopkins and Charlie Sanders all love the lifestyle and feel the sacrifices of farming are worth making. The Hitchcocks, from Washington County, have led an effort to rebuild the family farm after James’ father got out of farming in the late 1990s. The Hopkinses, from Toombs County, started from scratch in 2006 and now have a thriving row-crop operation. Sanders, who manages heifers and calves on the farm run by his father-in-law, has enthusiastically embraced the family dairy farm he joined nine years ago, Each family receives a $200 travel allowance to the GFB Annual Convention, where the state winner will be announced Dec. 2. The state winner will receive a year’s use of a Kubota L or M Series tractor, a $500 cash award and an expense-paid trip to Nashville, Tenn., for the AFBF Annual Convention to be held Jan. 13-16.

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TOOMBS COUNTY Chris and Marilyn Hopkins started farming in 2006 growing 50 acres of cotton and five acres of watermelons on rented land. Seven harvests later, they’ve purchased 152 acres and expanded their total operation to about 600 acres of cotton, wheat, corn, peanuts, watermelons and pecans. Looking back, Chris says securing financing and acquiring land to rent or buy were the biggest challenges in starting the farm from scratch, and he’s quick to thank those who helped him start farming. “As a young producer you have to have someone who has faith in you, and I’ve been fortunate that my local lender put faith in me,” Chris said. “I also have a neighbor, Robert Jones, who I can never repay financially for the time he has invested in helping me. He has single-handedly helped me start from nothing to where we are today.” The Hopkinses, who met while students at the UGA College of Agricultural & Environ-mental Sciences, gained an appreciation for

The Hitchcocks Brooke and J.W. (left), James and Moriah (right).

GeorGia Farm Bureau News NovemBer/DecemBer 2012 / 19

The Hopkinses Marilynn, Chris and Banks

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farming growing up. Marilynn grew up on a dairy farm and studied agribusiness at UGA. She’s now put-ting that degree to use working in account-ing at Altamaha EMC and keeping the farm’s books. Chris grew up scouting cotton for his uncles Ricky and Ray Allen, which fostered his desire to farm and inspired him to get a master’s degree in plant protection and pest management. After graduating from UGA in 2004, Chris worked as an Extension Agent in Toombs County and then as an agronomist at Bayer Crop Science. In 2010 Chris became the store manager at the Lasseter Implement Company in Lyons, which made it easier for him to tend his crops before and after work. “Every day I get up and watch nature play out in front of me. To start with a seed in the spring and watch it turn into a harvest like we’re in the middle of – there’s nothing legal in life that can be more rewarding,” Chris said. About two-thirds of the Hopkinses’

acreage is devoted to cotton and is planted in five different varieties, not including a test plot of 14 varieties. “I think it’s important that a farmer try more than one variety on each of his soil types so he can see his best fit for his soil types and his irrigation capacity or dry land,” Chris said. “The old blanket approach of one variety across the farm is gone. We’ve got to be more management oriented.” Chris also works to protect erodible land by using conservation tillage and installing waterways and terraces. These conservation efforts won the Hopkinses the 2012 Gover-nor’s Environmental Stewardship Award. Marilynn, who served with Chris on the GFB Young Farmer Committee in 2006-2008, praises Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer Pro-gram for encouraging them. “We love going to Farm Bureau events,” Marilynn said, adding that it’s great to be able to bring their son Banks, 3, along. “People you work with don’t understand the farm life.

GREENE COUNTY The R.A. Moore Dairy has been in the family of Charlie Sanders’ in-laws for more than 200 years, and once he experienced working there for his father-in-law, Barry Churchwell, Sanders decided to make it his career. Charlie was living in Warner Robins when he married Nancie Churchwell in 2003. In 2004 they moved to the farm, and Charlie began working at the dairy full-time. Before joining the dairy, Charlie worked as a fire-fighter and served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a military police officer. He’d had some experience with beef cattle on his grandfather’s farm, but this was a new world. The dairy milks about 400 cows twice a day. In between, there’s feeding, trimming hooves, providing veterinary care, maintain-ing machinery and working the farm’s 1,200 acres of pasture and hayfields. “I didn’t know anything about dairying when I first started in the business,” Charlie said. “I probably know more now [about cattle] from these nine years than I learned in about 20 years when I was growing up, but I’m around them every day now instead of on the weekends and things like that.” Farming suits him well. He and Nancie have three children – daughters Brooke, 8, Breanna, 6, and son Caleb, 3 – and his work

on the farm keeps him close to home. “One of the main things I enjoy about this is I live close by,” Charlie said. “My family’s around all the time. If something happens I can go to the house for a minute and check on them or help them or whatever. I don’t have to be off in Atlanta or somewhere and be two hours away, and they say, ‘Something happened, you need to get home.’ I’m right here at the house. Granted, I’m not at the house a lot, but I’m right here around the house. So I get to see my family a lot.” The kids enjoy the animals, and Charlie said that during the summer this year, Brooke, Breanna and Caleb (with some assistance from Nancie), each raised a calf and received the money when the calves were sold. “They really enjoy being around and hav-ing the opportunity to have animals at the house,” Charlie said. The sort of help he provided to Brooke and Breanna, he said, is a key part of what is needed by anyone trying to start farming. “Somebody’s going to have to be there to help you and guide you. Obviously you’re going to have to have financial help,” he said. “I’d say the biggest thing though is, if you’re going to go into farming, you need to figure out what part of farming you want to go into, start in a field that you feel like you can suc-

ceed in. You don’t want to just start farming and then two years down the road you have to close the doors and you’re out of a lot of money that you invested, or that somebody has invested in you.” Charlie chairs the Greene County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee. He and Nancie were on the GFB Young Farmer Committee in 2010-2011, and they were finalists for the Young Farmer Achievement Award in 2007 and 2009.

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The Sanderses (clockwise from back left) Nancie, Charlie, Caleb, Brooke and Breanna.

It’s just nice to get away with people who do the same things you do and understand what you’re going through.” Toombs County Farm Bureau elected Chris its president this fall following his ser-vice as Young Farmer chairman since 2006. The Hopkins were finalists for the Achieve-ment Award last year.


AROUND GEORGIANews from County Farm Bureaus

COOK COUNTY The Cook County Farm Bureau Promotion & Education Committee visited first through sixth grade classes this fall to promote soybeans, GFB’s commodity of the year. The CCFB is utilizing the soybean kit provided by the GFB home office to educate students about soybeans. Melissa Williams, chairman of the CCFB P&E Committee is pictured talking to the students about soybeans. Committee members also showed the students how to make lip balm using soybean oil.

DODGE COUNTY Dodge County Farm Bureau Director Jim Tripp, pictured, recently visited fifth grade students at North Dodge Elementary School to educate them about growing soybeans. Tripp, who grows soybeans, brought soybean plants from his farm to show the students and told them about the different products made from soybeans.

FANNIN COUNTY Fannin County Farm Bureau made a $1,000 donation to the Family Connection food pantry to buy food for the needy. Pictured from left, Family Connection representative Doug Davenport accepts the donation from FCFB President Tim Mercier, FCFB Vice President Tom Hamby and FCFB Director Charles Hogsed.

GREENE COUNTY To celebrate June being Dairy Month, members of the Greene

County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee treated residents of Savannah Court, a senior assisted living community, with home-made ice cream and cookies. Pictured left to right are GCFB Women’s Committee members Emma O’Neal, Henrietta Duvall, Martha Copelan, Becky Durham, Patty Dowdy and Bonnie Duvall.

GWINNETT COUNTY Gwinnett County Farm Bureau awarded two $1,500 scholarships to high school seniors who began their college careers this fall. GCFB Scholarship Committee Chairman Phil Hall, left, presents a scholarship to Michael Ziegler, who is studying environmental science /geology at Georgia College & State University. The second scholarship went to Kayla Thompson, not pictured, who is studying early education/special education at North Georgia College & State University.

HANCOCK COUNTY Hancock County Farm Bureau Office Manager Kellie Webster talks to pre-k students at John Hancock Academy about soybeans and the many products made from them. The students also sampled roasted soy nuts and edamame.

HARALSON COUNTY The Haralson County Farm Bureau hosted a booth at the Dogwood Festival in Tallapoosa to promote Farm Bureau’s member benefits and beef, GFB’s previous commodity of the year. HCFB Director Stanley Williams is pictured working

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the booth. HCFB gave away peanuts and water and held a drawing for a free Farm Bureau membership.

HART COUNTY Hart County Farm Bureau won an honorable mention for the scarecrow display it entered in the Hartwell Downtown Development Authority’s Scarecrow Bash contest. HCFB used the display to promote Georgia Farm Bureau’s 75th anniversary and the fact that 50 dirt farmers founded GFB. HCFB staff members pictured with the display are, from left, Angela Huff, Candi Spires and Tina Simmons. “We received numerous positive comments from our customers while the display was up,” Huff said. “We even had some people tell us they thought the mule was real when the wind moved its tail.”

LANIER COUNTY Lanier County Farm Bureau President Paul Folsom, left, and LCFB Women’s Committee members Mary Folsom, pictured right, and Lindsey Stone and LCFB Office Angie Watson, not pictured, visited the Hallmark Headstart in Valdosta to teach the 100 students about soybeans. Each student planted a soybean seed in a portable greenhouse. LCFB volunteers gave each student a coloring book about soybeans and a soybean plant diagram so they could label the parts as their plants grow.

NEWTON COUNTY The Newton County Farm Bureau Young Farmers held a chain saw safety training in July. Gary House, a representative for the Husqvarna chain saw company, gave a presentation on general safety when using chain saws and safety equipment that should be worn while operating saws. The group of 23 attendees each had the chance to cut a log using the techniques House taught them. Shannon Lawrence, center, is pictured sharpening the saw’s chain under the instruction of House.

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Oconee County Farm Bureau hosted a meeting for young farmers in GFB’s 4th District in September. Special guests in-cluded 15 high school seniors from North Oconee County High school and their ag teacher Tim Griffeth, Bonnie Duvall, 4th District YF Chairman Andrew Ruark, 4th District Field Rep. Rick Hubert and GFB YF Coordinator Jed Evans. OCFB Young Farmer chairman Josh Pennino grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. Farm safety expert Jay Daniel, the guest speaker, discussed ways to improve farm safety. Georgia Farm Bureau’s 5th District recently held a cookout and skeet shoot for its young farmer members at the farm of

GFB 5th District Young Farmer Chairs Brian & Melissa Ogle-tree. More than 35 young farmers attended the event held Sept. 29. The group enjoyed shooting skeet and some friendly com-petition showcasing their shooting skills before a “pig picking” with all the trimmings. Brian Ogletree and Matt Bottoms, former GFB Young Farmer Committee chairman, shared their experiences with GFB’s Young Farmer program. GFB 5th District Field Rep. Cliff Bowden and GFB Field Services Director Mike Copeland attended the event and enjoyed meeting future leaders of the organization.

4th District YF Meeting 5th District YF Meeting

4th & 5th District YF Meetings


STEPHENS COUNTYStephens County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee member and teacher Karrie Perrin, right, presented a slide show and video about soybeans to local students. Students participated in discussions about soybeans and completed a diagram of the soy plant and a crossword puzzle about soybeans. Each child was also given a soybean bookmark.

TROUP COUNTY Troup County Farm Bureau (TCFB) Director & GFB Beef Committee Chairman John Callaway and his wife Marcia hosted the Georgia Simmental Association Field Day at their farm in June. More than 130 people attended the event, which included an ultrasound demonstration, a hay baleage demonstration and cattle judging contests. The program included speakers from the American Simmental Association and the University of Georgia. TCFB donated door prizes and peanut packets for attendees. Members of the Georgia Junior Simmental Association are pictured touring the Callaway Cattle Company.

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WASHINGTON COUNTY Washington County held its member appreciation day in June. Attendees were served hot dogs, chips and drinks. Members had a chance to learn more about Farm Bureau programs and benefits through display booths that promoted Williams Tractor Farm, a local GFB Certified Farm Market, GFB Member Services Farm Bureau Bank and Merritt carpet restoration. There were activities for kids including face painting and a bouncing house. Door prizes were given away, and all customers got a gift bag that included membership information.

WORTH COUNTY This fall Worth County Farm Bureau has been teaching about 100 students at Worth County Primary School about soybeans. WCFB Secretary Connie Melton is pictured teaching second grade students how soybeans are used. WCFB gave the students gift bags containing soybean coloring books, bookmarks and soybean crayons.

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and Worth counties. EPD is also suspend-ing issuance of new ag surface water with-drawal permits for parts of Calhoun, Chat-tahoochee, Clay, Early, Marion, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell and Web-ster counties. Permit applications received by July 30 are expected to be issued. The suspension will be re-evaluated an-nually beginning in November 2013. The UGA Cooperative Extension is hosting these meetings to discuss why EPD suspended issuing permits, how farmers can conserve water and the future of ag wa-ter permits. Registration for both meetings begins at 8:30 a.m. with the meeting starting at 9 a.m. and running until noon. There is no registration fee, but attendees are asked to RSVP by calling 229-386-3377 to ensure there is adequate meeting space.

MEETINGS from page 16


Georgia’s list of farms owned by the same family for more than 100 years grew by 25 this year bringing

the total to 426 since the Georgia Centen-nial Farm Program began in 1993. On Oct. 4, farms that have been owned by members of the same family and contin-uously operated for at least 100 years were recognized during a ceremony at the Geor-gia National Fair in Perry. The program is administered by the His-toric Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Farm Bureau, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Forestry Commission and Georgia National Fairgrounds with support from Georgia EMC.

Recipients of the 2012 Georgia Centennial Farm Awards were recognized Oct. 4 during a reception at the Georgia National Fair.

By Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________ Farms may be recognized with one of three awards. The Centennial Family Farm Award recognizes farms owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more. The Centennial Heritage Farm Award honors farms owned by the same family for 100 years or more that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Centennial Farm Award does not re-quire continual family ownership, but the farm must be at least 100 years old and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. To nominate a farm for the award in 2013, visit http://georgiashpo.org/historic/centennial_farms or contact Steven Moffson at 404-651-5906 or by email at [email protected]. The postmark deadline for applications is May 1 of each year.

Georgia Centennial Farms recognizedCentennial Heritage FarmPhillips Family Farm, Murray County

Centennial Family Farms•Baker/DormineyFarm,TiftCounty•Boring&BrooksEstate,BanksCounty•Clark-HarrellFamilyFarm, Grady County• Curryville Centennial Farm & Arena,

Gordon County•EcholsJaemorFarm,HallCounty• E.S.DorminyHomePlace&Farm,Ber-

rien County•FordhamBrothersFarm, Bleckley County•FountainFamilyFarm,JohnsonCounty•FutchFarm,CookCounty•GilliardFarms,GlynnCounty•GreeneFarm,CrispCounty• Hendricks Farm at Turner Crossing,

Candler County• HenryClaytonGibbsFarm, Worth County•HerringtonFarm,ApplingCounty•LodgeFarm,BrooksCounty•McAllisterFarm,MarionCounty•OliverFarm,WilcoxCounty•PinelandFarms,DodgeCounty•ReaganFarm,GradyCounty•ShirleyFarm,JacksonCounty•SkipperFarms,BibbCounty•Triple“C”Farms,CandlerCounty•WhiteOakPastures,ClayCounty•ZellobeeFarm,MarionCounty

Southwest Ga. Ethanol closes temporarily Southwest Georgia Ethanol (SWGE) has idled production at its ethanol facility in Mitchell County due to market conditions caused by the Midwest drought, according to a company press release. SWGE said it deemed it in the company’s best financial interest to idle production until the markets return to levels conducive to profits. SWGE said it has sufficient financial liquidity to maintain necessary expenses and payroll until the 2013 corn harvest if necessary, but will ramp up production earlier with the proper market opportunities. In anticipation of going back into full production at or before next year’s local har-vest, SWGE is writing contracts for local 2013 corn and is accepting grain sorghum planted for the plant. SWGE is currently handling repairs and maintenance items that would normally be performed during semi-annual shutdowns.

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