FARM TOUR SHOWSCASES GFB’S 7TH DISTRICT

Georgia Farm Bureau held its annual farm tour in the organization’s 7th District on May 15 and 16, highlighting the agricultural diversity of the 17-county district in upper Southeast Georgia.

The tour made its first stop at Gerrald Farms where Terry Gerrald and Jamie Brannen discussed how they grow and process sweet carrots. GFB members saw a harvest demonstration and visited the farm’s processing plant, where carrots are cleaned, sorted and bagged for distribution.

At the second stop, Bulloch County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee Chairman David Cromley welcomed the GFB tour to Nellwood Farms, a sixth-generation farm run by Cromley, his father Chap, uncle Hal and cousin Colby. Cromley shared how BCFB is working to get young farmers involved in the organization by holding quarterly meetings with guest speakers.

During a lunch stop at Tea Grove Plantation near Hinesville, Liberty County Farm Bureau President Danny Norman discussed his collection of antique farm equipment, trucks and cars in the village he built to recreate the rural communities found across Georgia in the early 1900s.

At Armstrong’s Cricket Farm in Glennville, GFB members learned how the Armstrongs have been raising crickets since 1947 to sell for fish bait and to pet stores for reptile food. The crickets are raised in climate-controlled rooms heated to 90 degrees from hatching until their 20th day, at which time the temperature is dropped to 80 degrees until shipment between 35 and 40 days of age.

During the stop at ArborGen outside Bellville, participants learned how the tree nursery cultivates pine seedlings, selecting varieties with disease resistance, straightness and rapid growth.

Georgia Sen. Jack Hill of Reidsville, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke to GFB members during a dinner in Statesboro, May 15. Hill thanked GFB and its members for their support in getting tax reform and metal theft legislation through the legislature.

The second day of the tour highlighted the district’s Vidalia onion and produce crops. Tattnall County Extension Agent Cliff Riner gave the tour an overview of the UGA Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center, where UGA scientists conduct research to improve production for onions and other vegetables and fruit. Timmy Pittman and his family welcomed the tour to their produce market and farm where they grow and sell cabbage, Vidalia onions, peas, corn and squash along with row crops.

Toombs County Farm Bureau President R.T. Stanley guided the tour through his farm’s packing facility, where the onions are graded and packaged to be shipped to buyers. Stanley’s son, Vince, welcomed the tour to the farm’s processing company, Vidalia Valley, where the Stanleys make relishes, dressings and salsas using Vidalia onions they grow.

May 23, 2012 www.gfb.org Vol. 30 No. 21

Leadership Alert page 2 of 6 COLEY, MORRIS TESTIFY AT FARM BILL HEARING

National Cotton Council Chairman Chuck Coley, of Dooly County, and Georgia Peanut Commission Chairman Armond Morris, of Irwin County, each testified in the U.S. House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management hearing on the 2012 farm bill on May 16 and 17 regarding commodity programs and crop insurance.

Coley told the subcommittee that it is critically important that new farm law provide certainty to those involved in production agriculture, who must make long-term investment decisions based in part on federal farm policy, while at the same time keeping the U.S. WTO-compliant in relation to the U.S.-Brazil cotton dispute.

“In developing new farm legislation, the U.S. cotton industry pledges to work with Congress and the administration to resolve the Brazil WTO case and remove the imminent threat of retaliation against exports of U.S. goods and services,” Coley said.

Morris, who also serves as chairman of the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, began his testimony affirming the need for a bill encompassing all American agricultural commodities. Morris urged the committee to consider including grower options if, as expected, direct payments are eliminated.

“The debate today in Congress is whether we will have a farm bill that works for one or two regions of the country, and one or two crops, or a national farm bill that works for all regions of the country, and all crops,” Morris said. “If we eliminate direct payments, what will work for peanut producers? After conferring with the University of Georgia’s National Center for Peanut Competitiveness (NCPC) over the last nine months, we believe producers need a policy choice to manage risk - revenue protection, price protection, and crop insurance.” BE MINDFUL OF RISK FACTORS FOR SKIN CANCER

Skin cancer is on the rise in the United States due to overexposure to ultraviolet rays of the sun. The American Cancer Society estimates that one American dies every hour from skin cancer.

This year alone, ACS estimates there will be more than 76,250 new cases of malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, and more than two million new cases of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers in the U.S. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, outdoor workers experience twice the amount of nonmelanoma skin cancers compared to those who work indoors.

To encourage sun safety awareness, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention declared May 25 – the Friday before Memorial Day – as “Don’t Fry Day.” Fortunately, skin cancer is highly curable if found early and can be prevented. Because no single step can fully protect you and your family from overexposure to UV radiation, the council recommends the following: do not burn or tan; seek shade often, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; wear sun-protective clothing; generously apply sunscreen; use extra caution near water, snow and sand; and get Vitamin D safely.

Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation. Individuals with lighter-toned skin are more susceptible to UV damage, although people of all races and ethnicities can be at risk for skin cancer.

For more tips about sun safety, visit http://www.gfb.org/programs/safety/SunSafety.htm.

Leadership Alert page 3 of 6 EGG COMMISSION RECIPE CONTEST HAS CONTESTANTS MAKE PIZZA

Karen Slaughter of Warner Robins won the $2,000 first-place prize in the Georgia Egg Commission’s 29th Annual Egg Recipe Contest, held May 16 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry.

The theme for the contest was “Your Supreme Pizza With Eggs,” and the nine finalists took the theme around the globe - from the German Pancake Pizza entered by Thomaston’s Kevin Meyer to the Mexican Huevos Rancheros Pizza submitted by James Brooks of Byron - and around the menu from breakfast to desert. The contest was judged by staffers from The Mellow Mushroom.

In her entry, Cornbread Pizza Scramble, Slaughter fashioned the pizza crust from cornbread and used honey vanilla greek yogurt, bacon, pineapple and apricots to a create warm and sweet pizza that combined a variety of flavors.

She tested it on her family and friends. “Whenever I made it around the house, playing with the

recipe, my husband just loved it so much he’d say don't throw it out,” Slaughter said. “When my husband says he'll just keep eating off of it, then I know I've got something going.”

Jackson County Farm Bureau Office Manager Ali Merk took the $850 second prize with her Taste of Summer Fruit Pizza. Brooks claimed the $650 third prize and Rhonda Hitch of Kathleen won the $100 “Best In Show” prize for presentation with her Garden of Eden Pizza. Other contestants were Meyer, Mildred Felton of Winterville, Betsy Tansey of Woodstock, Virginia Webb of Clarkesville and Jamie Jones of Madison.

For a free copy of the contest recipes, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Winning Recipes, Georgia Egg Commission, P.O. Box 2929, Suwanee, GA 30024. PECAN GROWERS VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT THEFT

Pecan growers from around the state expressed concerns about the growing problem of pecan theft during the annual budget meeting of the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Pecans, held May 17 at the Georgia Farm Bureau home office in Macon.

The commission heard research grant proposals from a number of programs searching for ways to combat beetle infestations and improve nut varieties. The commission also heard from UGA Professor Dr. Ronald Pegg about research he is doing, under a federal grant, into pecans’ antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as from At The Table Public Relations (formerly Sahlman Williams), which gave an update on marketing efforts being done for pecans. Information about the recent approval of pecans to be labeled with the American Heart Association’s heart check logo was also presented.

State Representative Robert Dickey (R-Musella) attended and heard some of the problems created by incidents of pecan theft, as well as suggestions on how pecan theft might be combated, ranging from requiring buyers to purchase their pecans only from certified growers to stiffening the penalties for theft of crops.

“It’s epidemic all over when prices get high,” Dickey said. “We saw it in the metal theft problem that we dealt with in the legislature this year. We’ve got some tools we can use. We don’t want too much regulation, but we want to try to deter these thefts. The tone in Atlanta is to try to help stem this. I believe we can get some things done.”

Slaughter

Leadership Alert page 4 of 6 CALHOUN BEEF CATTLE REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP May 29 NW GA Research & Education Center Livestock Pavilion Calhoun Sale begins at 6 p.m. Contact Ted Dyer at 706-624-1403 or tgdyer@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706/624-1398 - pworley@uga.edu for more information. HEIFER EVALUATION & REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT (HERD) SALE May 30 NW GA Research & Education Center Livestock Pavilion Calhoun Sale begins at 12:30 p.m. For more information contact Ted Dyer at 706-624-1403 or tgdyer@uga.edu or Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or pworley@uga.edu GFB YOUNG FARMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE July 13-15 The new Jekyll Island Convention Center Jekyll Island This family-friendly event will provide educational, networking and social opportunities for young farmers. The preliminary rounds of the 2012 Young Farmer Discussion Meet, in which contestants compete for a variety of great prizes, will be held during the conference, which also features breakout sessions on interacting with government agencies, farm budget, maximizing Farm Bureau involvement and legislative topics. Registration deadline is May 31. For more information, contact GFB Young Farmer Coordinator Jed Evans at 478-474-0679, ext. 5230 or jcevans@gfb.org. JUNE 1 IS THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR DCP The USDA’s Farm Service Agency reminds producers that enrollment for the 2012 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Program (DCP) and the Average Crop Revenue Election Program (ACRE) ends on June 1. Producers who choose to participate in either the revenue-based ACRE safety net or the price-based DCP safety net must enroll their farms each year. Producers can make use of the electronic DCP (eDCP) automated website to sign up, or they can visit a nearby FSA county office to complete their 2012 DCP or ACRE enrollment form. For more information on DCP or ACRE, contact a nearby FSA Service Center or visit the FSA website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dcp. UPCOMING DEADLINES FOR FSA PROGRAMS Below are upcoming enrollment deadlines for programs administered by the Farm Service Agency: June 1 Direct and Counter-Cyclical Payments (DCP) June 1 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payment Program (SURE) July 15 2011 Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) July 15 Certification of planted acres (all crops except tobacco) Aug. 1 Farm Reconstitutions (changes) for 2012 crop year Sept. 30 Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Dates vary Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), check with FSA service center for dates) and Crop Insurance (Contact a crop insurance agent or the regional Risk Management Agency (RMA) office.) For more information about FSA programs visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

Leadership Alert page 5 of 6 COTTON SCOUT SCHOOLS June 11 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton June 19 Southeast Research and Education Center Midville These programs, which run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., offer basic information on cotton insects and scouting procedures. The programs will serve as a review for experienced scouts and producers and as an introduction to cotton insect monitoring for new scouts. For more information about the Tifton session, contact Debbie Rutland at 229-386-3424. For information about the Midville session, contact Peyton Sapp at 706-554-2119. USDA SUSTAINABLE AG & CONSERVATION WORKSHOPS June 14 Love is Love Farm and Oakleaf Mennonite Farm Atlanta These three workshops, offered by the Upper Ocmulgee River Resource Conservation and Development Council, will show participants organically grown crops in various stages of development along with a variety of production practices. Information about how to become eligible for USDA programs will be presented. Registration is free but must be done in advance. To register, visit http://tiny.cc/LBdf2b. For more information, call the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service at 770-963-9288, contact Willie Torrey at 678-376-9518 or visit http://www.ebtfarmersmarket.com. USDA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE June 15 is the deadline for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to apply for FY 2012 funding under the USDA’s new water quality initiative. Using funds from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the initiative offers financial and technical assistance to help approved applicants employ water quality improvement practices like nutrient management, filter strips and terraces, and planting cover crops. Three watersheds in Georgia were selected for the program - Lower Deep Creek in Turner County and Lower Piscola Creek and Middle Piscola Creek, both in Brooks and Thomas Counties.Applications are accepted at local NRCS offices. GEORGIA EGG ASSOCIATION 51st ANNUAL MEETING June 20-22 King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort St. Simons Island The Georgia Egg Association meeting offers educational sessions, reports from the American Egg Board, United Egg Producers and the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council. The association will also hold its awards banquet, a spouse’s breakfast and much more. For more information, call 770-932-4622. DAWSON COUNTY FARM SAFETY FAIR June 23 Field on HWY 9@ canoe ramp near Riverview Middle Sch. Dawsonville The AGCO equipment company and Dawson County Farm Bureau are hosting a farm safety training from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for adults. AGCO will demonstrate new safety features available on hay equipment, and EMS personnel will give safety presentations. The local FFA will sell food as a fundraiser. For more information contact Tammy Wood at the DCFB at tewood@gfb.org or 706-265-3350.

Leadership Alert page 6 of 6 SUNBELT EXPO FIELD DAY July 12 Sunbelt Agricultural Expo, Spence Field Moultrie This complimentary preview for the Sunbelt Expo is an opportunity for farmers to see the latest seed varieties, chemical applications, irrigation technology and precision ag technology, all in an applied research setting. A biscuit breakfast reception with Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall begins at 7:15. Trams depart starting at 8:30 and a complimentary lunch is served at 12:15. Register before 8:15a.m. for a chance to win a $100 early bird cash prize. Grand Prize and Door Prize Giveaways. Every attendee receives an Expo cap. For more information, call 229-985-1968 or visit http://www.sunbeltexpo.com. UGA AG LEADERSHIP PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is now accepting applications for the inaugural class of the Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture program. Participants will attend eight sessions held across the state and travel to Washington, D.C., and abroad to study Georgia’s involvement with international trade. The first class will be chosen through an application and nomination process, which will begin this month. The application deadline is July 13 for the program that begins in the fall. For more information visit http://www.agla.caes.uga.edu or call Rochelle Strickland at 706-542-1204. GARLICFEST 2012 Aug. 25 LoganBerry Heritage Farm 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Cleveland This annual celebration of the Garlic harvest is a free and fun family event. It includes lots of garlic, chefs, creative food, cooking demos, tastings, live music, artisans and animals. For more information, contact LoganBerry Heritage Farm at 706-348-6068 or visit http://www.loganberryheritagefarm.com.