Georgia Farm Bureau's News - November / December 2011

FARM BUREAUThe Voice of Georgia Farmers

N E W S

G E O R G I AVol. 73 No. 6 November/December2011

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GeorGia Farm Bureau News NovemBer/DecemBer 2011 / 3

table of contentsnovember/december 2011

departmentswe, the farmers

PAGE 4

legislative updatePAGE 5

commodities updatePAGE 10

around georgiaPAGE 28

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 Perry Nettles) Polk County Farm Bureau member Perry Nettles shot this photo on Christmas last year when north Georgia received its first measurable Christmas snow since 1882. Each year Nettles creates a five-acre light display that he opens to the public Thanksgiving evening when Santa and Mrs. Claus drop by to greet visitors. The display remains open nightly from 6-11 p.m. through New Year’s Eve. There’s no charge, but donations are welcome. The Nettles farm is located on U.S. HWY 278 about five miles west of Rockmart. Call 404-210-8418 for more information.

GFB, Ga. Dept. of Ag unveil new building at SunbeltGFB used the new Georgia Agriculture Building at Sunbelt Expo to reach out to existing and prospective members through a series of educational seminars and refreshment socials. PAGE 6

GFB prepares for 73rd annual conventionGFB members will travel to Jekyll Island for the organization’s annual meeting Dec. 4-6. Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black will speak Dec. 5. Other highlights will include state awards, the Young Farmer Discussion Meet and commodity conferences. PAGE 8

Passion for farming brings out best in Young Farmer finalistsA passion for farming is what drives Chad and Julie Carlton, Chris and Marilynn Hopkins and Cody and Lora Lord to go the extra mile to make the vision they have for their farms a reality. These couples are finalists for the annual GFB Young Farmer Achieve-ment Award, which will be announced Dec. 4 at the GFB Convention. PAGE 12

Growing Christmas CheerThanks to the generosity of landscaper Tim Starks of Lithonia and Newton County Farm Bureau Director Chuck Berry, Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta received a perma-nently planted cedar that will serve as the base’s official Christmas tree. PAGE 15

GFB works to promote road safetyLast year there were 300 crashes involving passenger vehicles and farm equipment in Georgia. This fall GFB worked with state agencies to reduce this number through a safety campaign. PAGE 17

Study: Labor shortage cost Ga. growers $140 millionA UGA study released in October shows Georgia farmers lost an estimated $140 million due to the labor shortage during spring and summer harvests. PAGE 18

Reports of record peanut prices don’t tell the whole storyRecent media reports heralding record high peanut prices don’t tell the whole story, Georgia peanut experts say. Most farmers contracted their peanuts before planting for much less than the $800-$1,000 a ton prices offered this fall. PAGE 22

GFB Farm Tour visits 2nd districtThe agricultural diversity of GFB’s 2nd District in northeast Georgia was highlighted dur-ing GFB’s annual farm tour. Stops featured livestock production, agritourism, a canola oil plant and Elberton’s granite industry. PAGE 24

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4 / NovemBer-DecemBer 2011 GeorGia Farm Bureau News

Do you remember when you were young and someone praised you for a job well done? That person could have been your mother, father, grandparent or a family friend. Do you remember the good feeling that came over you and motivated you to keep up the good work? What about when one of your chil-dren says thank you - not for a material gift, but for just being you? It’s not pride that comes over you; it’s knowing that someone you love has acknowledged you did the right thing and it made a difference. In the spirit of the holiday season when we list the things we’re thankful for, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our members and friends for the efforts they’ve made this year on behalf of Georgia agriculture. I appreciate all the counties and their leaders for participating in GFB’s policy development process - especially GFB’s Policy Development Committee. This committee has worked hard to produce the policies that will be considered at our convention on Jekyll Island. This com-mittee is made up of 30 county presidents, the 20 commodity committee chairmen and the GFB Board of Directors. They discussed and voted on about 300 resolu-tions on a wide variety of topics submitted by 75 county Farm Bureaus. I’d also like to thank everyone who helped with GFB’s annual farm tour in the 2nd District. You did a great job hosting the tour and highlighting the agricultural diversity of the Northeast corner of our state! As most of you know, this is mountain coun-try, which is always beautiful in October,

and the food was great! This year’s Sunbelt Expo was a huge success, and Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and I want to praise the staffs of our two organizations for a job well done in showcasing Georgia agriculture in our new building at this year’s Expo. This building gave us a way to visit with existing GFB members and recruit new members, as our building was the first stop for many Sunbelt visitors entering through the main gate. The relationship between the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Farm Bureau has never been better, and I’m excited about what we will accomplish for Georgia agriculture by working together to lead our industry into the future. Speaking of working together, this fall Harris Blackwood, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) asked the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Farm Bureau to join his office in promoting road safety dur-ing harvest season. As part of this effort, Director Blackwood, Commissioner Black and I traveled the state to speak at media events in Perry, Blakely, Tifton and Statesboro. We outlined safety precautions motorists and farmers can take to help prevent collisions between farm equip-ment and vehicles. I’d like to thank every county that used the safety information we sent you to educate your community about road safety precautions. If we pre-vent just one accident or one death, the effort was worth it. A crucial part of leadership is building positive relationships to help the people

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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OFFICERSPresident

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

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

The Power of Praise

Pictured above, GFB President Zippy Duvall presents USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Acting Deputy Undersecretary Karis Gutter (left) and USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Bruce Nelson (right) with Georgia peanuts during their recent visit to GFB.

See WE, THE FARMERS page 30


legislative updateJon Huffmaster, Legislative Director

GFB Policy Development Committee prepares policy for convention

The Georgia Farm Bureau Policy De-velopment Committee met at the GFB headquarters in Macon on Oct. 10 and Nov. 1 to consider changes to the policy that guides Farm Bureau’s legislative ini-tiatives. The committee consists of 30 county presidents, the chairmen of GFB’s 20 commodity advisory committees and 25 GFB board members. This year, 75 county Farm Bureaus sub-mitted more than 300 resolutions - short statements of position on any issue. The 20 GFB Commodity Advisory Committees also offered resolutions for consideration. The policy development committee is tasked with sorting through Farm Bureau’s existing policy and the resolutions submit-ted this fall to make recommendations for the voting delegates to consider at our an-nual convention in December. “The main subjects on the minds of our members this year were our positions on ethanol subsidies, taxes, commercial driv-er’s license (CDL) requirements, immigra-tion and metal theft,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. “You are charged with giv-ing serious attention to all these resolutions and putting them into a useable document for our voting delegates to consider.” More than 50 county resolutions were submitted on the subject of Farm Bu-reau’s ethanol position. After consider-able debate and votes at both meetings, the policy development committee rec-ommended that Farm Bureau continue to call for government incentives to increase production and utilization of domestically produced ethanol. The committee reiterated Farm Bu-reau’s stance that farm inputs not be sub-ject to state and local sales tax. When farm-ers buy production inputs locally, rural economies are strengthened, and the policy development committee felt government should promote such business activity. The U.S. Department of Transporta-tion recently invited public comment about whether farmers should have a CDL before

driving farm equipment on a public road. The department decided not to change the current requirements, but the issue was still fresh on the minds of Farm Bureau members. The policy development com-mittee restated its opposition to increased CDL requirements for farmers. The committee also recommended that Georgia Farm Bureau create a new policy section dealing with immigration issues. While the organization remains committed to comprehensive immigra-tion reform at the national level, there was agreement that some level of state in-volvement might be required in order to obtain a stable work force for agriculture. This change is important because Georgia’s new immigration law, passed earlier this year, directs the Commis-sioner of Agriculture to conduct a study and suggest possible recommendations for consideration by the General Assem-bly. That report will be submitted to Gov. Deal, Lt. Gov. Cagle and House Speaker Ralston by Jan. 1, 2012. Farmers have been hit hard by metal theft, and there was broad consensus about ways to curb this crime. The committee rec-ommended that Farm Bureau support all

reasonable means to control metal theft by stricter enforcement of existing laws, addi-tional laws to strengthen existing laws and increased penalties for metal thieves and those who purchase stolen contraband. The committee will meet again for an open session of policy development on Jekyll Island on Sunday, Dec. 4, at 3:15 p.m., followed by a closed session for committee members only. The purpose of this meeting is to make last minute recommendations before the voting del-egates consider the final document on Dec. 6 during the GFB Convention. Policy development is an annual Farm Bureau exercise that occurs nationwide. Local Farm Bureau chapters submit resolu-tions to their state Farm Bureaus for consid-eration. In turn, state Farm Bureaus submit resolutions to the American Farm Bureau. National Farm Bureau policy will be debated and ratified by delegates at the AFBF Convention in January. AFBF uses its policy as a guide for the action it takes on national legislation just as GFB uses our policy to guide the action we take on state and national legislation. Jon Huffmaster is director of the GFB Legislative Department.

Members of the GFB Policy Development Committee met in Macon Oct. 10 and Nov. 1 to prepare the policy GFB members will vote on at the organization’s conven-tion in December.

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GFB, Georgia Dept. of Ag unveil new building at SunbeltBy Jay Stone_____________________________________

The new Georgia Agriculture Build-ing, a joint venture between Geor-gia Farm Bureau and the Georgia

Department of Agriculture, gave the 80,000 visitors who attended the 2011 Sunbelt Ag-ricultural Expo Oct. 18-20 a fresh look at the state’s leading industry. The agriculture building, designed to resemble the inside of a barn with a rough-cut lumber interior, featured a test kitchen, a My American Farm kiosk for the interactive video game produced by American Farm Bureau and more than 5,000 square feet of exhibit space. A number of events were held in the build-ing throughout the farm show. GFB made presentations on the 2012 farm bill, farmland preservation, GFB member benefits and GFB Certified Farm Markets. GFB President Zippy Duvall hosted an ice cream social on Oct. 19, and GFB staff staged a Coke and peanut so-cial on Oct. 20. GFB also held daily door prize drawings sponsored by Grainger. “This new building is giving Farm Bureau the chance to greet Expo visitors as they enter one of the main gates,” said Duvall. “It’s also giving us the chance to hold seminars on farm issues and Farm Bureau programs to let folks know more about the work our organization does on behalf of Georgia’s farmers.” The building was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony during the first day of Expo. GFB Middle Georgia Vice President Robert Fountain and GFB North Georgia Vice Presi-dent Bernard Sims represented the organiza-tion as GFB President Zippy Duvall and GFB 1st Vice President Gerald Long attended a Farm Bureau meeting. The building was the product of discus-sions between Duvall, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and Sunbelt Expo Executive Director Chip Blalock. The Georgia Department of Agriculture used exhibits and seminars in the building to highlight the many ag programs it oversees and used the test kitchen to spotlight Georgia grown commodities with a variety of cooking and food preservation demonstrations. Rainy weather on opening day followed by unusually cool weather the second day

saw attendance decline about 20 percent from normal, but those who attended the 34th an-nual Sunbelt Expo got a look at new agricul-tural equipment and products displayed by 1,211 exhibitors. During the Willie B. Withers Luncheon, North Carolina farmer Tommy Porter Jr. won the 2011 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo

Southeastern Farmer of the Year. Porter, who grows hay and raises livestock, was selected from nine state winners, including Georgia’s Carlos Vickers, a diversified row-crop farmer from Berrien County. Attendees at the luncheon also heard speeches from Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-2nd District) and FSA Administrator Bruce Nel-

One of the first stops for Sunbelt guests who entered the main gate was the new Georgia Agriculture Building. Although the first day of Expo was rainy, the sun came out for the last two days of the show.

Pictured from left, Sunbelt Ag Expo Exhibitor Coordinator Wendell Brown, Georgia Depart-ment of Agriculture Chief Operating Officer Billy Skaggs, GFB Middle Georgia Vice President Robert Fountain Jr., GDA Marketing Director Jack Spruill, GFB North Georgia Vice President Bernard Sims and Sunbelt Executive Director Chip Blalock help cut the ribbon for the Georgia Agriculture Building.

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GFB, Georgia Dept. of Ag unveil new building at Sunbeltson. They both emphasized the importance of maintaining a farm safety net in the fed-eral budget. “In these tough times we see how vital agriculture is, not only to our economy, but to the economy of the whole world,” Nelson said. “The ag safety net isn’t just for individual farmers and ranchers. The ag safety net is a safety net under the Main Street businesses you support, our rural communities and the food security of the nation.”

Sunbelt also unveiled the new Priefert Horse Arena, a joint project between Sunbelt and the Colquitt County Saddle Club, and unveiled a new eight-tower irrigation pivot provided by Reinke. Arkansas was the 2011 Sunbelt Spotlight State. The Georgia Peanut Commission cel-ebrated the commission’s 50th anniversary with a cake-cutting ceremony on the first day and other peanut desserts on the fol-lowing days.

Pictured from left, GFB President Zippy Du-vall visits with Cameron Rigdon and his dad, Darren. The Rigdons enjoyed playing the var-ious games at the My American Farm kisosk.

Pictured from left, Sunbelt Execu-tive Director Chip Blalock presents Georgia Farmer of the Year Car-los Vickers, a diversified row-crop farmer from Berrien County, a com-memorative ice bucket.

GFB 8th District Field Representative Ken Murphree, left, serves ice cream to Sunbelt attendees visiting the GFB exhibit in the Georgia Agriculture Building.

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Georgia Department of Agriculture Nutritional Director and Outreach Specialist Melanie Hollingsworth introduces the Houston County Ca-reer Academy Culinary Arts class, which prepared sweet potato crème brulee, one of many cooking demonstrations in the test kitchen.

Marlana Acosta, center, of the Colquitt County Special Olym-pics Equestrian Team, cuts the ribbon for the Priefert Horse Arena.

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Dooly County’s Beverly Reed cuts the 50th anniversary cake she made for the Georgia Peanut Commis-sion with help from left, GPC Chair-man Armond Morris, GPC Advisory Committee member David Reed and GPC Director Rodney Dawson.

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Georgia Farm Bureau members will travel to Jekyll Island for the orga-nization’s annual meeting Dec. 4-6.

For the second year, GFB’s annual meeting will be held at Jekyll’s Historic District Con-vention Campus. The convention campus is located behind the Jekyll Island Club Hotel and is accessed by turning onto Old Plantation Road from Stable Road. Construction of the new convention center is expected to be complete by next spring. “I’m pleased to announce that Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black will address our members during the general session on Monday,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “We also have a great lineup of speak-ers for our commodity conferences on Monday afternoon.” Convention activities begin at noon on Sunday, Dec. 4 with registration in the lobby of the Grand Oaks Hall. The exhibit hall also opens at noon in the Morgan Center. The final round of the Young Farmer Discussion Meet will begin at 1 p.m. in Magnolia Hall. The four finalists are Kyle

Dekle of Habersham County, Sara Ervin of Jackson County, Skye Gess of Oconee County and Troy Windham of Laurens County. They 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. in Magnolia Hall during which county Farm Bureaus will be honored for promot-ing the GFB Art and Essay Contests and annual commodity. An open session of policy development will be held in Chalets 3 & 4 at 3:15 p.m. followed by a closed session for members of the policy development committee. The last event on Sunday is the memo-rial service, vespers and state awards pro-gram, which begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Grand Oaks Hall. On Monday, Dec. 5, the day will start at 7:30 a.m. with complimentary biscuits and beverages served at Grand Oaks Hall where registration will also 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 and Commissioner Black will speak. The county presidents/secretaries lun-

cheon will be held at noon in Magnolia Hall. Commodity conferences will be held Dec. 5 at 2 and 3:30 p.m., featuring speakers who will address production and policy issues for Georgia’s major commodities. A special labor conference will be held at 2 p.m. and repeat at 3:30 p.m. featuring Paul Schlegel, an American Farm Bureau labor specialist, who will discuss federal labor issues, and Sydne Smith, with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, who will discuss the department’s labor report. Tuesday activities start at 6:45 a.m. with the membership breakfast in Magno-lia Hall. Voting delegates will convene in Grand Oaks Hall 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 races with opposition are the 1st District director seat formerly held by Louis Hunt, who passed away unexpectedly in May, and the 7th District director seat held by Gennis Folsom, who chose not to seek re-election after serving on the GFB Board 19 years. Candidates for the 1st District seat are Cecil Burk of Floyd County, Wesley Hall of Forsyth County, William Grizzle of Chero-kee County, Fred Kearce of Floyd County and J.B. Lemon of Walker County. Can-didates for the 7th District seat are Gary Bell of Evans County and Randy Branch of Appling County. GFB 8th District Director Phil Redding announced Nov. 7 that he was withdraw-ing his candidacy for re-election. Redding served on the GFB Board 26 years. Kim Brown of Macon County, who also quali-fied for the seat, will become a GFB 8th Dis-trict director at the close of the convention. The caucus for GFB North Georgia Vice President will be held at 11 a.m. Incumbent Bernard Sims is running unop-posed for his second term. The general business session will con-tinue following the caucuses with the annu-al designation of GFB 1st vice president. GFB 1st Vice President Gerald Long is seeking the re-designation. Any further action that is needed on policy will also take place at this time.G

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GFB prepares for 73rd annual conventionBy Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

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GFB offers college scholarships Georgia Farm Bureau will award a total of $14,250 in scholarships to 10 high school seniors who plan to pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural and environmental sci-ences, family and consumer sciences or a related agricultural field. The top three students will each receive a scholarship of $3,000 - $1,500 for the first year of college upon confirmation of major and college enrollment and $1,500 for the second year of college provided the student maintains at least a 3.0 average his or her freshman year and his or her college enrollment and major continue to meet the scholarship eligibility require-ments. The remaining seven students will each receive a one-time $750 scholarship. 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 College during the 2012-2013 academic year. Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more informa-tion or an application. You may also download an application at http://www.gfb.org/programs/aic/EducationLinks.htm. The application deadline is February 24, 2012. Applications must be approved and signed by the Farm Bureau president of the county in which the applicant resides or attends high school. The Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company and the GFB Women’s Committee sponsor the scholarship program. Winners will be announced in May 2012.

2012 Ag Forecast MeeetingsJan. 23 • Georgia Farm Bureau Building • Macon

Jan. 24 • UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center • TiftonJan. 25 • Nesmith Lane Conference Center, GSU Campus •

StatesboroJan. 26 • Georgia Mountains Center • GainesvilleJan. 27 • Carroll County Ag Center • Carrollton

These meetings are a UGA College of Agricultural & Envi-ronmental Sciences program made pos-sible through an endowment from Georgia Farm Bureau and support from the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia Agribusiness Council. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The seminar will be held from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. followed by a luncheon. UGA ag economists will give the 2012 economic outlook for agriculture. The key-note speaker will give an update on current farm labor issues. Registration is $30 per person or $200 for a table of eight. Call 706-583-0347 or visit http://www.georgiaagforecast.com for more information or to register.


commodities/marketing updateDon McGough

GFB Commodity Conferences offer industry updates

We hope you are making plans to at-tend the 73rd Annual Georgia Farm Bu-reau Convention Dec. 4-6, on Jekyll Island. One of the highlights will be the commod-ity conferences on Monday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. These meetings will feature speakers addressing issues relevant to a wide range of commodity interests. A spe-cial labor session will be held at 2 p.m. and repeated at 3:30 p.m. Most of the meetings will be held in the chalets located around Magnolia Hall and Grand Oaks Hall in the Jekyll Island His-toric District Convention Campus. Some meetings will be held in the Jekyll Island Club Hotel (JICH). Everyone is encouraged to attend these meetings to hear the latest updates on Georgia agriculture.

2 P.M. CONFERENCES

COTTON • Chalets 1 & 2• Legislative Options for Cotton David Ruppenicker• 2011 Cotton Production Update Dr. Guy Collins• News from the Ga. Cotton Commission Richey Seaton

DAIRY • Chalet 3• Update from the Dairy Heifer Show &

Dairy Youth Foundation Dr. Bill Graves• Dairy Policy, Everett Williams

FORESTRY • Chalet 4• Wood Framing in School Construction Scott Lockyear• Forest Health: Stress Damage Kills Trees Chip Bates

FRUIT & VEGETABLE JICH Dubignon Room

• Vegetable Research & Herbicide Issues Dr. David Langston • How to Set Up & Use Social Media Celena Williams

GOAT AND SHEEP • Chalet 5• Fencing for Goats & Sheep Grant Huffaker

• Sunbelt Goat Producers Update Charles Batten

HAY • JICH Ballroom• Georgia Forages: UGA Forage Research

& Extension Update Dr. Dennis Hancock• Presentation of Hay Contest Winner Donald Childs

HONEYBEE • Chalet 6• Creating a Standard of Honey in Ga. Oscar Garrison• Research at the UGA Honeybee Lab Jennifer Berry

LABOR SESSION • Chalet 9• Federal Immigration Issues Paul Schlegel• Ga. Dept. of Agriculture Labor Report Sydne Moody Smith

POULTRY • Chalet 7• Georgia Poultry - Past, Present & Future Dr. Michael Lacy• Solar Powered Farms, Joe Thomas

SWINE • Chalet 8• Update from Georgia Pork Producers Charles Griffin• Direct Marketing Meat, Mark Woodard

3:30 P.M. CONFERENCES

AQUACULTURE • Chalet 5• 2011 Research Update Dr. Gary Burtle• Marketing from Farm to Restaurant Patrick Gebrayel

BEEF CATTLE • JICH Ballroom• Economic Considerations for Cattle Dr. Curt Lacy• Update from the Ga. Beef Board Gerald Long

ENVIRONMENTAL HORTICULTURE Chalet 6

• GGIA Update & 2012 Legislative Issues Chris Butts• Precision Irrigation Dr. Matthew Chappell

EQUINE • Chalet 7• Ga. Dept. of Agriculture Equine Update Dr. Robert Cobb• Equine Impact Study: Why? How? Who? Ann Jones

FEEDGRAIN & SOYBEAN • Chalet 3• 2012 Commodity Outlook Dr. Nathan Smith• Strategies for Managing Herbicide Resis-

tant Pigweed in Soybeans, Dr. Eric Prostko

LABOR SESSION • Chalet 9• Federal Immigration Issues Paul Schlegel• Ga. Dept. of Agriculture Labor Report Sydne Moody Smith

PEANUT • Chalets 1&2• Washington Outlook for Peanuts Bob Redding• Role of FSIS, T. E. Moye

PECAN • Chalet 4• New Variety Options for Georgia Dr. Patrick Conner

TOBACCO • Chalet 8• Review of the 2011 Crop Dr. J. Michael Moore• Direction of Ga. Tobacco Commission Fred Wetherington

WATER • JICH Dubignon Room• Future of Ga. Water Councils & Plan-

ning, Cliff Lewis• Agricultural Water Supply Forecast Mark Masters

Ga. Cotton Commission Annual Meeting & UGA Cotton Production Workshop

Feb. 1, 2012 • UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center • Begins at 8 a.m. For more information call 478-988-4235

or visit http:// www.georgiacottoncommission.org


If you can’t be there, we can.She’s been dreaming of this day since she was a little girl. But if you can’t be there to see it, you can at least make sure that you’ve planned for her happiness. Farm Bureau Insurance* has a wide range of life insurance policies that can meet your family’s needs. Hopefully you will be there for all of her life’s greatest moments. But if you can’t, Farm Bureau Insurance* will be there to help see her through.

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*Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co., Jackson, MSwww.sfbli.com

November has been a busy month for county Farm Bureaus across the state as they’ve celebrated National Farm-City Week with a variety of events designed to increase awareness of agricul-ture. Although the week is officially Nov. 18-24, events were held throughout the month as schedules allowed. Farm-City Week, which Kiwanis International began in 1955, celebrates the cooperative relationship between farmers and their urban neighbors who help process, market and retail the food and fiber farmers grow. “Farm-City Week is a great way for farmers to reach out to our friends and neighbors who don’t farm and tell them about agri-culture,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “I’d like to thank every county Farm Bureau and volunteer who organized a Farm-City event in their local community. These efforts are crucial to telling consumers how we produce their food and clothes.” Farm Bureau volunteers used the occasion to educate con-sumers that agriculture is the state’s leading industry generating a total economic impact of $68.8 billion for Georgia’s economy and creating more than 383,000 jobs in 2009. Volunteers also used the week to explain that farmers receive only 16 cents out of every dollar spent on food at home and away from home and that the majority of the cost of food pays for the transportation, process-

GFB President Zippy Duvall (seated) signs a proclamation declar-ing Nov. 18-24 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 in recognizing the annual event.

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Farm Bureau celebrates Farm-City Week

ing and marketing costs of the food. Visit GFB’s Facebook page to view a photo album of events county Farm Bureaus held. We’ll also feature some of the events in the Jan./Feb. GFB News. Three counties in each Farm Bureau district with the most outstanding events will receive a $50 credit to purchase ag promotion items from the GFB Field Services Department.


and when he saw that the direct-sales model worked, he wanted to strike out on his own and try it with eggs. The hens, a cross between Rhode Island reds and white laying hens, produce 700 dozen eggs a week, which the Carltons package and deliver to customers in metro Atlanta. “Everything was kind of on a wing and a prayer,” Chad said. “We didn’t really know that there would be a market for what we were going to produce. We actually had to go out on a limb and do it. Then we discovered that market, and it’s been a constant juggling act trying to match supply with demand ever since then.” The Carltons built two henhouses with retractable sides, and they use portable fenc-ing to rotate the ground the birds roam and minimize their exposure to predators. Their plan is to add three more houses - Chad has already done the foundation grading - and expand the flock to more than 4,000 birds. The Carltons also raise grass-fed beef and free-range turkeys that they market along with the eggs on their website http://www.carltonfarmsnaturalfoods.com. The business is a team operation. Julie, who works full-time as a pharmacist, helps put deliveries together and with market-ing. Chad drives to Atlanta on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to make the deliveries, both to individual customers and to a handful of restaurants. The farm operation combined with Julie’s work schedule can make family time a little unorthodox, but they make it work. “I am thankful that when he is working and I’m off, Jersey and I are both here,” Julie said. “We can go down to the farm and watch what he’s doing, hang out with him, spend time with him that way. “

Passion for farming brings out best in Young Farmer finalistsPOLK COUNTY Chad and Julie Carlton’s farm life got off to a rocky start. In 2008, just days after purchasing a home with enough land to hatch their egg production venture in the Polk County countryside, the property was hit by a tornado, destroying the home they’d bought. Before they could rebuild it, they had to build chicken houses to be ready for the delivery of their first order of laying hens. “We were starting the farm, and we didn’t think we’d be building a house, too,” Chad said. “It was a big challenge.” The Carltons did what most farmers do when adversity strikes. They persevered and trusted that their plan would work out. That plan – to produce eggs sold directly to the public – is now paying off. The couple started with 2,000 free-range laying hens and now have about 3,500. Chad, who has a masters degree in busi-ness administration from Berry College, thought consumers’ growing desire for locally produced food might provide him with a good market, particularly since Polk County sits just outside the metro Atlanta area. Chad grew up on his family’s dairy farm, where he returned after college to help his father Bobby develop an agritourism busi-ness in addition to producing milk for com-mercial distribution. Chad also helped his father start selling milk direct to the public,

Articles and photos by Jay Stone_____________________________________________________________________________

“Living the dream” often conjures images of rock-star glamour and extravagance. Some dreams, though, are different. For the three finalist fami-lies in the 2011 Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achieve-ment Contest, those dreams - blossoming into reality every day - are more about dirt, trac-tors and chickens. Chad and Julie Carlton (3rd District, Polk County) took a plan to produce and market eggs from free-range chickens and pushed it to a successful business, driving their eggs into metro Atlanta three times a week. Cody and Lora Lord (6th District, Laurens County) start-ed on land owned by Cody’s grandmother and carried on the family tradition of grow-ing row crops, expanding their acreage when opportunities arose. Chris and Marilynn Hopkins (7th District, Toombs County) started from scratch. Chris got into farming with no inherited land or gifted equipment, and has added acres and irrigation every chance he could get. All three couples say they couldn’t imagine doing any-thing else. Each family receives a $200 travel allowance for the GFB Annual Convention, where the state winner will be announced Dec. 4. 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 Hawaii for the AFBF Annual Convention, Jan. 8-10. The Carltons (L-R) Chad, Jersey and Julie.

LAURENS COUNTY Cody Lord knows how good he’s got it. He does what he always wanted to do and he’s got family close by. He sees the value in those things, so, if you ask him to start talking about farm life and family, be prepared for him to get a little emotional.


TOOMBS COUNTY Chris Hopkins didn’t directly grow up in a farming family but he chose the lifestyle. His father Ronnie worked in maintenance for the Emanuel County School System and his mother, Carmen, worked for the Georgia Department of Corrections. Chris got his start scouting cotton with his mother’s brothers, Ricky and Ray Allen, and it wasn’t long before he developed an itch to farm. “It’s just kind of always been a passion of mine,” said Chris, who holds a master’s degree in plant protection and pest manage-ment from the University of Georgia, where he met his wife Marilynn, who has a degree in agribusiness. Chris has worked as a county Extension agent, and he currently manages the Lasseter Implement store in Lyons. His routine is long days - get up before sunrise, run through a few tasks on the farm, then go to the store, where he sells John Deere equipment to area farmers. After work, it’s back to the farm to do whatever the season requires as he grows cotton, water-melons, peanuts, wheat, corn and pecans. “If idle hands are the devil’s workshop then he can’t play with mine because I’m always busy,” Chris said. “I can’t overemphasize the importance of having a spouse who supports those long hours. That is probably the most critical and important part of what I do.” Marilynn grew up on the Morgan County dairy farm of her parents, Ken and Mona Howard. So, when Chris shared his dream

“My daddy was a big farmer. The ’70s and ’80s were hard. It’s important for me to be farming with them,” Cody said. “I know he’s proud of me. It means a lot to me for my daddy and my brother to be with me. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, but it’s been hard to do it. I’ve stuck it out and done it.” Cody and his wife Lora live in Dud-ley with their two children (Mac, age 5, and Maggie Shea, 2). Cody had always been involved in the family farm and launched his own farming operation in 2002 with 150 acres of family land that he has since bought from his grandmother. To help make ends meet, Cody drives a tractor-trailer rig for Tomlinson Truck-ing, leaving early in the morning to pick up a truckload of rock in Macon and haul it to northwest Florida. On the way back to Dudley, he picks up a load of lime for a local farm store, normally getting home around 2 p.m. Then, it’s hop on a tractor and work the fields, where the Lords grow cotton, wheat, corn, soybeans, hay, peanuts and canola. “It’s kind of hard sometimes when you’re cutting wheat and you’re getting up at two or three o’clock in the morning and you come in and get here when it’s about time to cut wheat and you work until eight or nine o’clock at night,” Cody said. “It gets kind of monoto-nous, but you know, to be able to get my farm like I want it and be able to pay the bills that’s what it takes. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get it to the point I want it.” During heavy harvest and plant times, Cody has the flexibility to take off work to tend to his farm. He’s thankful for the good

The Lords (clockwise from top left) Maggie Shea, Mac, Lora and Cody.

fortune of having a boss that knows what farm life is like, and for a wife who finds entertainment value in all the big machines on the family farm. Lora, a teacher with the Dublin City Schools, grew up in Dublin, but the proximity to farm country didn’t necessarily make her a farm girl. “I had never really been on a tractor or seen anything like that at all,” said Lora, whose father worked in the east Georgia kaolin mines and whose mother worked for the Dublin City Schools. She married into farming and it wasn’t long before circumstances required her to get behind the wheel of a tractor for more than kicks. It’s on-the-job training. “He says, ‘You can’t mess it up. Just get on it. Let’s go,’” Lora said.

of starting a farm, she had an inkling of what they were getting into and has embraced it. “I knew the minute I met him, he has got the deepest passion for farming and agricul-ture in general,” Marilynn said. “You know, some people think he’s crazy. He’s working a full-time job in town. He’s working crazy hours, endless hours at midnight and on the weekend to make sure he gets it done on the farm, and yes, I knew what I was getting myself into.” For the Hopkins, it’s all hands on deck. When Marilynn was pregnant with their son Banks, she jumped in when help was needed on the watermelon grading line. Banks, now two years old, is getting an experience Chris didn’t have growing up. The lifestyle affords the family the flex-ibility of being together even when work is being done. During planting and harvesting times, Chris is working 18 hours or more a day, and the schedule might not allow a stop at the house when he’s transitioning from the store to the field. “That’s when I pack Banks in the car, and we come to the field and ride in the tractor a few rounds,” Marilynn said. “We get to spend quality time with him then. That’s just how it is. There are certain times you have to do that if you want to spend time together.” The Hopkins wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love nothing more than being able to raise my family right here on the farm, and they share in the bounty we created,” Chris said. “We watch life play out in front of us here every year. “

The Hopkins (L-R) Chris, Banks and Mari-lynn.


150 Ga. counties receive drought designationby the Farm Service Agency. Qualified farmers in the counties des-ignated as primary or contiguous disaster areas are eligible for low-interest emergen-cy loans from the FSA and to sign up for other USDA programs that provide assis-tance to farmers suffering agricultural loss-es due to natural disasters. These include the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) approved under the 2008 farm bill. To qualify, a county must have a 30 percent loss in at least one crop due to a natural disaster. Farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to cover part of their actual losses. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA service centers or visit http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. for information on eligibility re-quirements and application procedures.

On Sept. 7 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack designated 150 Georgia counties as primary nat-

ural disaster areas due to ongoing drought and excessive heat conditions that dam-aged thousands of acres of crops. The other nine counties were designated as contiguous disaster areas. In June, Vilsack issued a disaster des-ignation for 22 counties and an additional 26 counties were declared contiguous di-saster areas due to drought and heat con-ditions. Gov. Nathan Deal sent Vilsack a let-ter in August requesting a disaster desig-nation for 157 of the state’s 159 counties and members of Georgia’s congressional delegation wrote letters urging Vilsack to honor Deal’s request, which came after a second round of loss assessment reports

This field of cotton in Atkinson County had to be replanted due to the drought.

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FSA important dates The following deadlines for Farm Service Agency programs are being printed as a courtesy to the Georgia FSA office. Please contact your local USDA office for more information.

Livestock Forage Disaster ProgramJan. 30, 2012 Application deadline for grazing losses due to

drought suffered before Oct. 1, 2011

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees & Farm-Raised Fish ProgramDec. 29 Deadline to file notice of livestock death losses due

to disease, adverse weather or other conditions suf-fered before Oct 1, 2011.

Jan. 30, 2012 Deadline to apply for payment for livestock death losses or livestock feed losses

Final Availability Dates for 2011 Crop Loans and LDP’sJan. 31, 2012 Peanuts, WoolMay 31, 2012 Cotton, Corn, Grain Sorghum, Soybeans, Sunflow-

er Seeds NAP Insurance Sales Closing Dates Dec. 1 HoneyJan. 31, 2012 All annually planted crops, both spring and fall Other Program DeadlinesOngoing Inquire and Sign-up CRP Continuous Practices

such as Riparian Buffers, Longleaf Pine, Habitat Buffers for Upland Birds

Ongoing Emergency Conservation approved applicants – report completed practices to FSAOngoing Emergency Forest Restoration Program applicants – report debris cleanup to FSA

Ongoing Complete 2012 form CCC-931 Average Adjusted Gross Income Certification & Consent to Disclose Tax Information

Nov. 14- Signup for the 2010 Supplemental Revenue Assis-June 1, 2012 tance Program (SURE)

Dec.1- Emergency Forest Restoration Program applicants March 31, 2012 report completed tree planting practices to FSA

Jan. 23, 2012 Signup begins for 2012 Direct and Counter Cyclical Program (DCP)

NOTE: If the crop being reported has NAP coverage, the final date to report the acreage is 15 days PRIOR to the onset of harvest or grazing. It is important for producers to remember that crops with NAP coverage will usually have a NAP crop reporting date EARLIER than the regularly established reporting dates for crops without NAP coverage. County Committee 2011 ElectionsDec. 5 Last day to return ballots to the local FSA office.Jan. 1, 2012 Elected committee members and alternates take office. Emergency Loan DeadlinesApplication deadlines for emergency loans available to produc-ers for losses sustained due to severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, straight-line winds, hail, severe drought and excessive heat range from Dec. 1, 2011 to March 29, 2012, depending on the designa-tion a county may have received. If you suffered loss due to severe weather, check with your local FSA office to see if your county has received a disaster designation.


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Santa arranged an early Christmas delivery to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in October with help from Lithonia

landscaper Tim Starks and Newton County Farm Bureau Director Chuck Berry. Starks put the Marietta base in touch with Berry, who donated a 16-foot Deodar Cedar that was planted Oct. 24 near the main entrance of the base to serve as Dob-bins’ official Christmas tree. Starks, of T.O. Starks and Associates in Lithonia, donated his landscaping services to transport the tree from the Berry Farm and plant it. “This is the first time that someone has donated a tree to the base to serve as our official Christmas tree,” said Tech. Sgt. Jeff Nix of the Dobbins Human Resource Development Council. “In previous years we’ve decorated existing trees on the base. Last year we decorated a magnolia tree, so we’re very excited to have a real Christmas tree that will continue growing on the base for years to come.” Nix, who says a Dobbins’ auxiliary group plans to decorate the tree by Nov. 28, selected the tree in late July during a visit to Berry’s Christmas Tree Farm in Coving-ton. Nix said he picked the Deodar Cedar variety because of its natural Christmas tree shape and because the base wanted a Southern tree variety that would survive Georgia’s climate. “We do sell the Deodar Cedars as Christmas trees in limited supply right now,” said Berry. “It makes a pretty tree, and we have planted more, about 500, over the last couple of years.” Berry, who runs the Christmas tree farm his family has operated for more than 30 years, also grows and sells Leyland Cy-presses, Virginia Pines, Murray Cypresses, Red Cedars and Carolina Sapphires. In past years the Berrys have donated trees used in the Georgia Capitol rotunda,

Newton County Farm Bureau Director Chuck Berry donated this Deodar Cedar to Dobbins Air Reserve Base to serve as the base’s official Christmas tree. Pictured from left, Berry’s Christmas Tree Farm workers Dane Mason, Chase Berry and Chris Tuck pose with the tree after it was dug at the farm.

By Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

governor’s office and mansion. The fam-ily has also donated trees to the Trees for Troops Program, which provides trees to military families with family members serving overseas. Berry, who serves as president of the Georgia Christmas Tree Association, esti-mates members of the GCTA have donated more than 5,000 trees to the program since it began in 2005.

“We feel that these are families that sacrifice so much every day for us and our country that we want to make sure they have the most special Christmas season possible,” Berry said. To locate a Christmas tree farm near you, visit the GFB Certified Farm Market website at http://www.gfb.org/commodi-ties/cfm or the GCTA website at http://www.gacta.com.

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Georgia Olive Farms in Lakeland, Ga., har-vested their first crop of olives on Sept. 19 and 20, the first re-corded olive harvest in

Georgia since the late 1800s. Brothers Jason and Sam Shaw,

along with cousin Kevin Shaw and busi-ness partner Berrien Sutton, planted the super high-density olive orchard in 2008. The orchard consists of 96 per-cent Arbequina olive trees as well as Ar-bosana and Koroneiki varieties.

The 2011 National Angus Conference & Tour made nine stops at cattle operations in central and northeast Georgia Sept. 6-8. The tour, staged by the American Angus Association and the Georgia Angus As-sociation, visited livestock facilities at the University of Georgia’s Double Bridges Farm, Partisover Ranch in Colbert, Truett Cathy’s Acres Away near Hampton, Kens-ington Farm in Molena, Wakefield Farm in Hartwell, Bramblett Angus in Elberton and Britt Angus in Hartwell. Tour par-ticipants also were treated to stops at Lane Packing in Fort Valley and the Mayfield

Dairy plant in Braselton. Pictured right, visitors at Bramblett Angus get an up-close look at Plaintiff, a bull that arrived at Bramblett in February. The tour, which drew visitors from around the country, revealed the approaches to breeding and marketing used by some of Georgia’s top Angus producers, as well as general information about Georgia agri-culture. Tour participants received updates from UGA Extension Livestock Econo-mist Dr. Curt Lacy, American Angus As-sociation President Joe Hampton and CEO Bryce Schumann.

National Angus Tour visits Georgia

Georgia Olive Farms makes historic harvest

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Jason, pictured below inspecting the olives before harvest, estimated the farm’s first harvest yielded about 3 tons of olives from which they’ll make about 1,900 bottles of oil. The harvest had to be completed within 24-hours so the olives could be shipped as fresh as pos-sible in a refrigerated truck to a mill in Texas to be pressed. Sam is pictured, right, driv-ing a blueberry picker through the orchard. Bennett Tractors in Waycross, Ga., provided the farm with blueberry pickers for

their harvest. One picker was retrofitted with olive heads, which the Shaws said seemed to work better for the job than a regular blueberry picker. Visit http://www.georgiaolivefarms.com to learn more about the farm and growing olives.


This fall Georgia Farm Bureau joined forces with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) to prevent accidents between farm equipment and motorists on roadways as part of a cam-paign titled “Improving Georgia’s Yield Behind the Wheel.” GFB President Zippy Duvall, Commis-sioner of Agriculture Gary Black and GOHS Director Harris Blackwood held a series of media events in Houston, Early, Tift and Bulloch counties on Nov. 4 to promote pre-cautions motorists and farmers can take to avoid collisions. Duvall and Blackwood also did a live interview with Macon’s NewsCen-tral Fox 24/ABC 16 stations at the Georgia National Fair on Oct. 14. The state agencies and GFB issued a statewide news release in October high-lighting precautions drivers should take to avoid accidents, and GFB provided county Farm Bureaus with information to submit to their local papers. “Georgia Farm Bureau appreciates the effort our state leaders made to highlight road safety in rural areas and to educate motorists about what they should do if they encounter farm equipment on the highway,” Duvall said. According to the GOHS, there were 300 crashes involving passenger vehicles and farm equipment in Georgia last year, and there were five deaths from these accidents. The GOHS recommends the following tips to avoid accidents: • For farmers: Georgia law requires you to place a slow moving vehicle reflector on equipment that travels the road slower than 25 mph. Always point the triangle reflector up, keep the emblem clean to maximize reflectivity and replace the emblem when it fades. Mark the edges of equipment with reflective tape and reflectors. Install retrofit lighting on older machinery to increase visibility. Turn on your lights but turn off spotlights when traveling on roads. Don’t drive before sunrise or after

sunset. Use warning flashers to caution approaching motorists to slow down. Use signal lights or proper hand signals to let motorists know your intention to turn in advance. Equipment drivers should not encourage or signal motorists when to pass but should pull over when it is safe to allow traffic to pass. • For motorists: Don’t pass unless you can see clearly ahead of both you and the vehicle you are passing and don’t

pass if there are any curves or hills ahead that may block your view or the view of oncoming vehicles. Don’t assume farm equipment that pulls to the right side of the road is turning right or is letting you pass. Farmers must sometimes pull to the right to execute wide left turns. Check the operator’s hand signals and check the left side of the road for gates, driveways or field entrances the farmer may be turning into.

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GFB works with state agencies to promote road safety

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Pictured from right, GFB President Zippy Duvall joins Harris Blackwood, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black at a media event in Perry on Nov. 4 to promote road safety.


By Jay Stone__________________________________________________________________________

Sharon Kane analyzed data the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) collected in an August survey from growers of blueberries, blackberries, Vidalia onions, bell peppers, squash, cu-cumbers and watermelons. These crops represented more than 46.4 percent of the acreage available for harvest this spring

and had a total farm gate value of more than $578 million in the 2009 UGA Farm Gate Survey. Combined, the survey respondents sustained losses of $74.98 million direct-ly attributed to harvest or packing labor shortages. Assuming the grower responses in the study are representative of all grow-ers, the total loss attributed to labor short-age for the seven crops studied would be about $140 million. “Georgia is the poster child for what can happen when mandatory e-verify and enforcement legislation is passed without an adequate guest worker program,” said GFVGA Executive Director Charles Hall. The data showed the growers respond-ing to the survey would need 12,930 har-vesters in a normal year. For the spring of 2011 they reported a shortage of 5,244 harvesters to meet the 12,930 target. The study also considered the impact the labor shortage and dollar losses at the farm gate had on rural communities and the state economy. Calculated on an annual basis, the spring 2011 berry and vegetable production resulted in an addi-tional $106.5 million lost in other goods and services in Georgia’s economy, put-ting the combined impact at about $181.5 million dollars. Assuming the grower re-sponses in the study are representative of all growers for the seven crops analyzed, the total yearly economic impact due to labor shortage would be about $391 mil-lion dollars and the job loss would be about 3,260 statewide. Georgia Farm Bureau joined the GFVGA and a coalition of ag organiza-tions to finance the study. “Georgia Farm Bureau supported this study to obtain objective, quantifi-able numbers that show the economic impact the labor shortage farmers expe-rienced this year had on agriculture and the economies of rural Georgia,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. “Now that we can show how the labor shortage im-pacted farmers we hope to move forward in finding a solution for the labor prob-lem we’re facing. We need a reliable guest worker program to fill the field jobs most Americans are not able or willing to do. These harvesting jobs in turn create pack-ing and processing jobs that residents of

UGA study shows labor shortage cost Ga. growers $140 million

A study released by the UGA Cen-ter of Agribusiness and Economic Development in October shows

Georgia growers of seven major produce crops lost an estimated $140 million due to the labor shortage during spring and summer harvests. Study authors Dr. John McKissick and

Growers who participated in a labor survey conducted in August reported a short-age of 5,244 workers this growing season.

Georgia Grown gets new logo The Georgia Department of Agriculture has unveiled a new Georgia Grown logo endorsed by many of the state’s top produce growers. GDA representatives expect the new logo to be prominently displayed on packages of products grown in the state. “We talked with many of our top growers and sellers to develop a Georgia Grown logo that will be consumer-attractive but also user-friend-ly,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. “Our vision is that the up-dated Georgia Grown imagery will be omnipresent wherever Georgia food products are being marketed.” The logo, which will have variations that are specific to different commodities, will also be displayed on state vehicles, signage at farmers markets, in grocery stores, during statewide expo events and in consumer advertising. The GDA will also be launching a new Georgia Grown website in 2012 that will provide producers and manufacturers with instructions on how to incorporate the logo into their marketing. Visit http://agr.georgia.gov/georgia-grown.aspx for more information.

See SHORTAGE page 21

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Georgia has a rich agricultural his-tory and thanks to the Georgia Centennial Farm Program, 401 farms that have been

in continuous operation for 100 years or more have been recognized since 1993. On Oct. 7, 22 Georgia farms that have been owned by members of the same fam-ily were recognized during a ceremony at the Georgia National Fair. Georgia Agri-culture Commissioner Gary Black gave the keynote speech. The program is administered by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources

and is supported by the Georgia Farm Bu-reau Federation, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia Forestry Commis-sion and Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter. Farms may be recognized through one of three awards. The Centennial Family Farm Award recognizes farms owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more not listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Centennial Heri-tage Farm Award honors farms owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more that are listed in the National Reg-ister of Historic Places. The Centennial Farm Award does not require continual family ownership, but farms must be at least 100 years old or more and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. To nominate a farm for recognition in 2012, visit http://www.georgiashpo.org/historic/centennial_farms or contact Ste-ven Moffson, Georgia Centennial Farm Committee chair, at 404-651-5906 or by email at [email protected]. The postmark deadline for applications is May 1 of each year.

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Ga. Centennial Farm Award winners honored

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2011 Centennial Family Farms • Peyton Farm, Banks County• Ezekiel Parrish Home Place, Berrien

County• Sam Watson Farm, Berrien County• W. E. and Carolyn Griffin Farm, Berrien County• W. H. Outlaw Farm, Berrien County• Wagon View Farms, Brooks County• Emmett G. Renfroe III Farm, Bulloch County• Waller’s Pecan Farm, Candler County• B. S. Rice and Sons, Inc. Farm, Colquitt County• Coleman-Holland Family Farm, Colquitt County• Harry Whiddon Family Farm, Cook County• Holly Hill Farm, Crawford County• Moulton Family Lands, LLC, Early County• W. Holmes Maxwell Farm, Inc., Grady County • King Farm, Newton County • White-Aiken Farm, Newton County • Rocky Ridges Farm, Randolph County• John Emmett Robinson Farm, Schley County• Carlisle Farm, Talbot County• The E. P. Groover Place, Thomas County• Fielding Farms, Thomas County• Alva Pinkney Haman-Deep Creek Farms, Turner County


Gov. Nathan Deal has made numerous appointments to state boards important to Georgia agriculture since the spring. In May, Deal appointed Carroll County Farm Bureau member Aaron McWhorter to the Board of Natural Resources. McWhort-er is owner and president of North Georgia Turf, Inc. and Sports Turf Company, Inc. He is a member of the West Georgia Regional Water Council and the Carroll County Water Authority. In July, Deal reappointed John P. Webb Jr. to the Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority (GAEA). Webb is a retired deputy director of the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricen-ter. In August, Deal reappointed Mary S. Edenfield Gibbs and appointed Raybon Anderson to the GAEA. Gibbs, of Bonaire, served on the GAEA from 1993 to 2001 and again from 2003 to present. She is a director of Robins Federal Credit Union and a trustee on the Macon State College Foundation Board. Ander-son, the president of Raybon Anderson Farms in Bulloch Coun-ty, is chairman of the AgriTrust of Georgia Board of Trustees and a former chairman of the Georgia Agribusiness Council. Early County Farm Bureau Director Hal Haddock Jr. was named to the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission in August. Haddock owns and operates Haddock Farms in Early County and is vice chairman of the Lower Flint-Ochlocknee Re-gional Water Planning Council. Ed Jordan was appointed to the Rural Development Coun-cil in August. Jordan, who worked in Georgia’s clay industry for more than 30 years, owns a horticulture nursery.

Deal makes appointments to boards with ag ties

Moon new ex officio member of commodity commissions

The Georgia House Agriculture Committee has appointed Madison County Farm Bureau President Russ Moon to serve as one of the two farmers who serve as ex officio members on all of the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commissions. Moon will represent the counties north of and including Richmond, McDuffie, Warren, Hancock, Baldwin, Jones, Bibb, Crawford, Upson, Talbot and Muscogee. Chop Evans of Peach County was previously appointed as an ex officio member by the Geor-gia Senate Agriculture Committee to represent the counties south of the aforementioned counties. GFB President Zippy Duvall and Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black also serve as ex officio members on all of the commodity commissions due to their respective of-fices. Together, the four ex officio members appoint the five farmer members who serve on each of the commodity com-mission boards. Moon and his father, Dennis, produce canola, soybeans and wheat and raise commercial beef cattle. Russ and his wife, Mandy, also operate four broiler houses and a roadside mar-ket with pick-your-own strawberries, blackberries and other produce. The Moons, who served on the GFB Young Farmer Committee from 2007 through 2008, have two daughters.

Immigration Review Board appointees named The seven members of the Immigration Enforcement Review Board were announced on Sept. 2. Established under HB 87, Geor-gia’s new law dealing with immigration, the panel will review and investigate complaints related to illegal immigration and will hold authority to sanction those found to have violated HB 87. Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Atlanta public relations execu-tive Phil Kent, former Fulton County Republican Party Chairman Shawn Hanley and Atlanta attorney Ben Vinson. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle appointed Dallas, Ga., Mayor Boyd Austin and Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager. House Speaker David Ralston appointed former state represen-tative Robert F. Mumford of Conyers and Colquitt County Com-missioner Terry R. Clark.

Deal appointed Tift County Farm Bureau Director Wes Shannon and J. Kenneth Morrow to the Agricultural Education Advisory Commission in September. Shannon serves as chair of the Georgia Farm Bureau Peanut Commodity Advisory Com-mittee. Morrow is president and general manager of Sod Atlanta in Cartersville and has served as president of the Georgia Turf-grass Association and vice chairman of the Georgia Agribusiness Council. R. Micah Story, an agricultural teacher at East Jackson Middle School, was reappointed to the commission. On Sept. 23, Sumter County Farm Bureau Director Jim Reid and Dougherty County Farm Bureau Director Richard R. Thomas were named to the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Com-mission along with Johnny R. Stevens of Richmond County. Reid supervises the Lower Chattahoochee District and is president of Reid Brothers Irrigation and Equipment LLC. He holds certifications in irrigation design, agricultural irriga-tion and nutrient plan management. Thomas, a conservation-ist and pecan farmer, supervises the Flint River District. He has been named District Conservationist of the Year in Worth and Dougherty counties. Stevens supervises the Brier Creek District. James L. Allen of Tift County was appointed to the Georgia Forestry Commission on Oct. 7. Allen is co-owner of Pike Creek Turf Inc., a turfgrass production and installation company. He is a member of the Georgia Forestry Association. In October, Deal appointed Irwin County Farm Bureau Pres-ident Gary Paulk, Crisp County Farm Bureau member Charles “Buddy” Leger, Charlton Rogers of Glennville and Putnam County Farm Bureau member Tom Thompson, Jr. to the Geor-gia Rural Development Council. Paulk is a farmer and part owner of Muscadine Products Corp., a juice and health-food production company. Leger, a co-owner and operator of Leger and Son, Inc., has served on numerous boards of watermelon and pecan organizations. Rog-ers serves on the board of directors for the Glennville Bank and Pinewood Christian Academy. Thompson is the president and CEO of Tom Thompson Co. Inc. and Eatonton Dairy Farms and is chairman of the Putnam County Commission and the Tri-County EMC.


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At the request of USDA, Georgia Farm Bureau hosted a White House Roundtable Nov. 2 at the organization’s Macon head-quarters for USDA officials to meet with the GFB Board of Directors and other agri-cultural leaders from middle Georgia. The roundtable was one in a series of ongoing meetings the Obama Administration is holding across the country to let rural resi-dents share their ideas on ways to grow the economy directly with government leaders and agricultural concerns. Georgia Farm Service Agency Director Hobby Stripling accompanied USDA FSA Administrator Bruce Nelson and USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Acting Deputy Undersecretary Karis Gut-ter to the meeting. Gutter and Nelson listened as GFB di-rectors voiced their concerns about a num-ber of issues including immigration and the

Pictured clockwise from middle, GFB Directors Paul Shirah, Ben Boyd, Randy Ruff and GFB North Georgia Vice President Bernard Sims speak with USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Acting Deputy Undersecretary Karis Gutter and USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Bruce Nelson.

By Jennifer Whittaker__________________________________________________________________________

GFB hosts White House Roundtable

need for a reliable work force, various EPA regulations and how they stifle job creation. GFB leaders also expressed fear that the Department of Labor’s proposal to change child labor rules may prevent farmers from offering high school ag students the chance to participate in work-study programs that provide valuable work ethic training. Additionally, GFB directors expressed the importance of farmers having contin-ued access to global positioning satellite airwaves so they can continue to use the technology to lower production costs and protect the environment by applying fertil-izer and pest control as precisely as possible. Another concern expressed was farmers’ need for permanent estate tax reform in-dexed for inflation that allows them to pass their farms on to their children. After meeting with the GFB directors and other middle Georgia leaders attend-

ing the White House Roundtable, Nelson said, “The biggest issue they talked about was the need for workers in the field for the vegetable and fruit crops that are perishable commodities. I’m looking forward to tak-ing the concerns that were expressed here today about the various programs they’re working with and the difficulties they’re having with some of the programs to try to make sure that they’ve got the work force they need to get those crops to a processing plant in a timely way.” In light of the dwindling budget, Gut-ter said the USDA will rely more on tech-nology to cut costs and deliver programs efficiently. “We’ve got plenty of technological op-portunities at our fingertips. Right now we’re excited about Rural Development’s ability to put broadband in more and more com-munities so that we can address the needs of rural communities in a different way. Right now we’re putting new technology in place at FSA, the MIDAS project, where we can address farmers’ needs in real time at our county offices. We’ve been able to address a lot of those needs through technology.”

many rural communities depend on.” The study also asked growers how ac-cess to labor would impact their plans for 2012. Of berry growers who responded, 65 percent said they would maintain their current acreage due to significant invest-ments they have made in their orchards and vineyards, though many blueberry growers indicated they would make more use of mechanical harvesters and 20 per-

cent said they would decrease harvested acreage. Fifty-three percent of the vegetable growers who responded said they plan to decrease their acreage in 2012 anywhere from 25 to 100 percent, while 45 per-cent of the respondents said they would maintain their current acreage for 2012. Only 2 percent said they plan to increase their acreage.

SHORTAGE from page 18

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Recent media reports heralding record high peanut prices don’t tell the whole sto-ry, Georgia peanut experts say. Although prices paid to farmers for uncontracted peanuts have run from $800 to $1,000 a ton this fall, most farmers contracted their pea-nuts last winter or spring for much less to secure financing to plant the crop. “The feeling among shellers is that 75 to 80 percent of Georgia’s farmers con-tracted their peanuts last spring with buy-ers between $550 to $600 a ton,” said Tyron Spearman, executive director of the Nation-al Peanut Buying Points Association and editor of the Peanut Farm Market News. Using this estimate, only 20 to 25 per-cent of the peanuts farmers are harvesting this fall will be sold at the higher prices. Meanwhile, farmers are facing higher pro-duction costs. “This will be one of the more costly crops that we had in terms of production costs due to higher fuel, fertilizer and seed costs,” said Nathan Smith, a peanut econo-mist with the University of Georgia Coop-erative Extension Service. Smith estimates it cost Georgia peanut growers $525 an acre last year to produce peanuts on dry land and $600 an acre to produce irrigated peanuts. Based on reports he is hearing from growers, Smith estimates cost of production could rise to $625 an

acre for dry land peanuts and up to $775 an acre for irrigated peanuts. “Thank goodness we are seeing some good prices because all of our input costs are rising,” said Tift County peanut grower Wes Shannon, who chairs the Georgia Farm Bureau Peanut Advisory Committee. “Fuel by itself is $3.50 a gallon and that’s the type of money we have spent to run our irriga-tion systems and equipment all season.” The national posted price (NPP) for peanuts, released weekly by the USDA, has further contributed to the misperception of prices growers are getting. From Oct. 12 into early November, the USDA reported that the price of runner peanuts, the type of peanuts used to make peanut butter, was right at $1,200 a ton. Meanwhile, farmers were being offered around $1,000 a ton, Spearman said. “The USDA National Posted Price is believed to be based on the international markets and shelled peanut prices. It rides higher than what’s being offered at buying points. It’s similar to the sticker price on a truck,” Spearman said. Growers have repeatedly expressed frustration that the NPP doesn’t mirror the price peanut buyers offer growers and have asked the USDA to make public the “black box” formula it uses to calculate the NPP. “The frustration is not knowing how the price is derived. A consumer sees that price and thinks that’s the price we’re re-

Reports of record peanut prices don’t tell the whole storyBy Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

ceiving for our peanuts and we’re not,” Shannon said. U.S. peanut growers are expected to produce 1.8 million tons of peanuts, down 13 percent from last year, according to the USDA October crop forecast. The smaller crop is due to growers planting fewer pea-nut acres due to higher cotton and corn prices and production lost due to drought conditions. This tight supply is what is driving up the price of peanuts, which is likely to result in higher prices for consumers. In Octo-ber, the Dow Jones reported peanut butter manufacturers plan to raise peanut butter prices between 22 to 30 percent depending on the brand.

Calling all horse owners The University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development is conducting an economic impact study of the equine industry in the state. All Geor-gia horse owners are asked to participate in the survey. The response of horse own-ers is very important to the success of the study and the future of the equine industry in Georgia. All individual survey responses will be kept confidential. To participate in the survey, visit http://www.surveymon-key.com/s/Equine2011.


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Six Georgia FFA members won na-tional awards and Cain Thurmond, a junior UGA agribusiness major, was elected National FFA Southern Region vice president during the 84th National FFA Convention, held Oct. 19-22 in In-dianapolis. Five Georgians won national pro-ficiency awards in the Supervised Ag-ricultural Experience (SAE) programs. Garrett South of the Franklin County FFA won the the agricultural mechanics design and fabrication category; James Porter of the Echols County FFA won in agricultural mechanics energy systems; Jacob Schindler of the Lowndes County FFA won in emerging agriculture tech-nology; Kaitlyn Grizzle of the Frank-lin County FFA won in floriculture and Nicholas Shealy of the Oglethorpe County FFA won in swine production placement. Tyler Claxton of the Perry FFA was named the top individual in the national nursery/landscape Career Development Experience (CDE). Nine other students from Georgia were named SAE finalists.

By Jay Stone____________________________________ Ten Georgia FFA chapters received the national 3-Star ranking, the highest ranking offered in the National Chapter Award program. They were Cross Creek (Richmond County), Early County, East Jackson, Franklin County, Hephzibah, Irwin County Middle School, Loganville, Lowndes County, Southeast Bulloch and Screven County. In addition to the 3-Star winners, 16 Georgia chapters earned a national 2-Star ranking. Seven Georgians received the Hon-orary American FFA degree for their contributions to agricultural education: John “Chip” Bridges (Franklin Coun-ty), Danny Carter (Candler County), Don Dekle (Seminole County), Jeff Fa-riss (Appling County), Dr. Mark Lati-more (Peach County), Herbert Teague (Gilmer County) and Martha White (Jackson County). A group of 55 Georgia FFA members received the prestigious American FFA Degree. The Georgia FFA Association was recognized as a membership growth state for the 13th straight year and Bill Lott of Jackson County was recognized with the National FFA Alumni Out-standing Achievement award.

Georgia’s Vidalia onion growers are seeking donations to establish an an-nual scholarship to honor the memory of Courtney Wilkes, a rising junior at Toombs County High School who was an FFA of-ficer and aspired to become a vet-erinarian. Wilkes was murdered while vacationing with her family in Seagrove Beach, Fla., in June. A close member of the Wilkes fam-ily has been a longtime employee of the Vidalia industry and a vital contributor to the industry, and so Georgia’s Vidalia producers are paying tribute to Court-ney’s life by establishing a scholarship that

will be awarded once a year to a student possessing characteristics and interests similar to those of Wilkes. Among other requirements, applicants must be a senior graduating high school within the Vidalia onion growing region and enrolled in a four-year college pursuing an agriculture or veterinary degree. Contribution checks should be made payable to the GVF Foundation, Court-ney Wilkes Scholarship and mailed to: Courtney Wilkes Scholarship, C/O Vida-lia Onion Business Council, P.O. Box 2611, Vidalia, Ga. 30475. This project is a direct initiative of the Vidalia farmers and not the Vidalia On-ion Committee, which the USDA prohib-its from conducting activities pertaining to this project. For more information con-tact Bob Stafford with the Vidalia Onion Business Council at 912-537-1881 or via email at [email protected]

Vidalia Onion farmers seek scholarship donations

Courtney Wilkes

Pictured from left, newly elected South-ern Region National FFA Vice President Cain Thurmond, of Jefferson, receives his new officer jacket from retiring officer James Flatt.

Six Georgians win National FFA Awards, Thurmond elected VP

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Georgia Farm Bureau members got a taste of fall while travel-ing through the rolling hills and mountains of the organiza-tion’s 2nd District during the GFB Farm Tour, Oct. 21-22.

The annual tour, usually held in the summer, was moved to October to allow participants to enjoy the fall foliage and apples for which the district is well known. “We identified the best time of the year to tour the district that would allow us to see not only the diversity of agriculture the dis-

The breathtaking view of the Tiger Mountain Winery vineyard.

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GFB farm tourvisits 2nd districtBy Jennifer Whittaker_________________________________________________________

Larry Hix explains that the main goal at Bar Shoe H is foaling horses that work hard, have correct conformation and good minds. The Hix-es use three stallions to breed their mares and then sell the foals.

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An employee in the graphics department at Keystone Memorials explains how she glues stencil paper onto the monument to protect the granite that will remain undecorated as the designs are carved out of the stone.

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Tour participants learn how the lab at Hart AgStrong processes canola oil to bleach the color out of the oil and uses kaolin to take the smell out of the oil.

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trict has but also the diversity of the landscape,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “The time of year we hold our tour may change according to the district we visit, but the tour will still highlight agriculture and let our members fellowship with other farmers.” The tour kicked off with a stop at Bar Shoe H Livestock in Madison County where owners Larry and Flo Hix breed Hancock and Driftwood quarter horses used for rodeo events, working cattle and trail riding. The second stop on the tour was Key-stone Memorials in Elberton, where GFB members watched slabs of granite transformed into head-stones. Elberton is the granite capital of the world with 150 granite manufacturing plants producing granite products. After lunch, GFB members toured Hart Ag-Strong in Hart County, an oilseed processing plant that crushes oil from canola. The oil is shipped by rail and truck to Iowa where it is refined and used in food products. Hart AgStrong President Robert Davis said the plant currently buys about 30 per-cent of its canola from Georgia farmers. After enjoying a reception hosted by the Banks County Chamber of Commerce and Banks County

Farm Bureau, the tour traveled to Jaemor Farms in Hall County. GFB members enjoyed shopping for apples, pumpkins and gourds at the market and then enjoyed a hayride through the farm, one of the many agritourism activities Jaemor offers. Drew Echols, who gave an overview of the family farm, said 90 percent of the produce they grow is sold through their market. On Saturday, the tour visited Tallulah Gorge in Rabun County where GFB members had the chance to hike down to see the Tallulah River that formed the two-mile gorge that’s almost 1,000 feet deep. The tour then visited Tiger Mountain Win-ery where Dr. John and Martha Ezzard have been making award-winning wine since 1999. Afternoon stops included Mark Wilkinson Lumber in Stephens County, where the Wilkinsons specialize in the pro-duction of pallets, lumber and crates. At London Farms in White County, Stanley and Matthew Lon-don discussed the family’s dairy replacement opera-tion that buys and sells heifers in 17 states. The last stop of the tour was Mountain Fresh Creamery in White County, where Scott and Jennifer Glover sell non-homogenized milk, ice cream and butter made from milk produced on their dairy.

Clay County Farm Bureau members Tommy and Betty Britt (standing, left) enjoy a patch of sunflowers during a hayride at Jae-mor Farms.

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Stephens County Farm Bureau Director Mark Wilkinson, left, de-scribes his family’s business, which specializes in the production of pallets, lumber and crates.

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GFB members enjoy a hike to the first lookout below the visitor center at Tallulah Gorge.

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White County Farm Bureau President Stanley London, right, tells the tour how his family has been raising dairy replacement heifers for more than 30 years.

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The last stop of the tour was Mountain Fresh Creamery in Clermont, Ga., owned by Scott and Jennifer Glover.

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More than 100 third through 12th graders competed in the 3rd Annual GFB 2nd District Young Farmer Steer and Heifer Show, held Oct. 29 at the White County Agricen-

ter in Cleveland. About 300 people attended the event, which has become a Halloween weekend tradition for the district with its theme of Haunts & Heifers, Spooks & Steers. The show is intended to help show competitors keep their showmanship skills sharp between the Georgia National Fair and December shows. The 2nd District uses the event to promote Farm Bureau mem-bership and the GFB Young Farmer program in hopes of encour-aging the students to join their county committees when they turn 18. Each of the students who competed in the show received a GFB membership brochure, GFB Young Farmer calendar and a souvenir t-shirt designed by Franklin County Young Farmer Heather Cabe. GFB 2nd District Young Farmer Chairs Thomas and Alicia Harrell chaired the event with assistance from Elbert County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Chair Clay Talton and GFB 2nd District Field Rep. Dennis Black. GFB 2nd District Directors Randy Ruff and Bobby Gunter provided support along with numerous county volunteer leaders. Each county donated $500 to sponsor the show. Macy Seagraves of Jackson County captured the Supreme Grand Champion Heifer Prize of $300, and Chyanne Pope of Habersham County won the Supreme Reserve Champion Heifer prize of $200. The prizes for these awards were funded by dona-tions from 2nd District county presidents. Logan Waldrop of Franklin County took home the Grand Champion Steer prize of $300 while Brett Boling of Banks County won the Reserve Champion Steer prize of $200. The prizes for these awards were funded by donations from 2nd District insur-ance agents. Faith Turk of Banks County won the showmanship award for the 12th Grade division and a $250 prize. Other showmanship winners were as follows: 11th Grade – Thomas Ross of Lumpkin County; 10th Grade – Brett Boling of Banks County; 9th Grade – Reece Ventura of Stephens County; 8th Grade – Landis Segraves of Jackson County; 7th Grade – Logan Waldrop of Franklin County; 6th Grade – Brandon Boling of Banks County; 5th Grade – Wyatt Chandler of Jackson County; 4th Grade & Under – Ashlyn Payne of Banks County. In registered heifer classes, winners were: Angus Breed Cham-pion – Kellie Panter, Lumpkin Co. and Angus Reserve Champion – Memori Eavenson, Franklin Co.; Braford Breed Champion – Regan Pursley, Banks Co. and Braford Reserve – Ethan Burton, Banks Co.; Charolais Breed Champion – Morgan Tolbert, Madi-son Co. and Charolais Reserve – Austin Thompson, Habersham Co.; Chi-Influence Breed Champion – Austin Floyd, Hart Co. and Chi-Influence Reserve – Morgan Tolbert, Madison Co.; Hereford Breed Champion – Thomas Ross, Lumpkin Co. and Hereford Reserve – Olivia Minish, Madison Co.; Red Angus Breed Cham-

pion– Brandon Boling, Banks Co. and Red Angus Reserve – Han-nah Panter, Lumpkin County; Simmental Breed Champion – Madison Westmoreland, White County and Simmental Reserve – Katie Mealor, Banks Co.; % Simmental Breed Champion – Macy Seagraves, Jackson Co. and % Simmental Reserve – Taylor Saxon, Hart Co; All Other Breeds Champion – Ellie Clark, Hall Co. and AOB Reserve – Austin Floyd, Hart Co. Breed Champion of the Commercial Heifer Classes was Chyanne Pope, Habersham Co. and Reserve was Austin Floyd, Hart Co.

GFB 2nd District holds annual cattle show

Pictured from left, Greg Upchurch, who judged the 3rd Annual GFB 2nd District Young Farmer Steer & Heifer Show, presents the Supreme Grand Champion Heifer Prize to Macy Seagraves of Jackson County. Upchurch is an extension agent in Cumberland County, Tenn.

Logan Waldrop (right) of Franklin County and his sister, Taylor Waldrop, are pictured with his Grand Champion Steer.

Faith Turk (right) of Banks County won the showmanship award for the 12th grade division and a $250 prize. Pictured at left is Charlie Turk, Faith’s sister.

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Clayton, Johnson and Lamar County Farm Bureaus are the winners of the statewide Georgia Farm Bureau

membership competition announced at the annual County Presidents’ Conference in February. These counties won the seven-month competition held Feb. 1 to August 31 amongst GFB’s large (Clayton), medium (Lamar) and small (Johnson) county mem-bership groups. As contest winners, these counties dem-onstrated the largest percentage increase in members for each membership group. Each winning county received two paid trips to the 2012 American Farm Bureau Conven-tion in Honolulu, Hawaii, in January. On Nov. 3, the presidents, office manag-ers and agency managers from these coun-ties met with GFB President Zippy Duvall and key state staff at the Georgia Farm Bu-reau headquarters in Macon to celebrate their accomplishments. Although the demographics of these counties differ greatly, all three counties relied on teamwork to win the competi-

tion in their division. With a population of more than 270,000 people, Clayton County is a bedroom community of At-lanta with a strong urban influence. Lo-cated southeast of Atlanta and northeast of Macon, Lamar County has a much smaller population of nearly 16,000 with a mixture of rural and urban influences. Johnson County, located midway be-tween Macon and Savannah, just north of I-16 has a solid agricultural base with a population around 8,500. “I’m very appreciative of the efforts these counties made to grow Farm Bureau’s membership this year by reaching out in their communities to ask their friends and neighbors to join our organization,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “They proved what grassroots action on the county level can accomplish.” As we talked to the county staff about how they worked to win the competition, we discovered that the key to their success was that each developed effective teamwork between the county volunteer leaders and

county office staff while providing great service to current members and touting the benefits of membership to prospects. If you’re promoting Farm Bureau membership in your community, consider telling your friends and neighbors about the value of a Farm Bureau membership. Georgia Farm Bureau membership dues have been $25 since 1985. Although the fee hasn’t increased, we have consistently in-creased the number of member benefits to include items such as the $500 Ford bonus cash, hotel discounts, discounts on many health services, an auto buying service and car rental discounts. Added this year, every membership now includes an identity theft consultation and restoration service. Farm Bureau members have access to a full line of quality insurance products through GFB and outstanding banking services available through the Farm Bureau Bank. For com-plete details, visit http://www.gfb.org/ben-efits/default.html. It’s also important to make sure po-tential members understand that while you must be a Farm Bureau member to take advantage of our insurance services, you don’t have to purchase our insurance products to join Farm Bureau. Be sure your family, friends and neighbors are aware of our great lineup of member benefits and services. We need their participation as we work together for a safe and abundant food supply, environmental stewardship, private property rights, sound fiscal policies and re-spect for religious faith. Growing our membership allows Farm Bureau to more effectively support these and other core beliefs while growing our portfolio of member benefits. Congratulations to the county leader-ship and office staff of the Clayton, Lamar and Johnson County Farm Bureaus for their success in growing and strengthening the “roots” of our effective grassroots orga-nization. Mike Copeland is director of the GFB Field Services Department.

Clayton, Johnson & Lamar County Farm Bureaus win membership contest

Pictured from right, GFB President Zippy Duvall congratulates Clayton County Farm Bureau President Paul Jones, Johnson County Farm Bureau President William Tanner and Lamar County Farm Bureau President Ralph Adamson on winning the statewide membership competition in their respective membership categories.

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By Mike Copeland__________________________________________________________________________

Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Bill Mur-phey of Coweta County to serve as state climatologist of Georgia on Sept. 6. Nyasha Dunkley of Henry County was appointed deputy state climatologist. Murphey, who works in the meteorol-ogy unit of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), replaces Dr. David Stooksbury with the biological and

Deal appoints new state climatologistagricultural engineering department at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricul-tural and Environmental Sciences. Stooksbury served as state climatolo-gist for 12 years. Dunkley replaces Pam Knox, who is also a UGA employee. Ac-cording to published reports, Deal want-ed to consolidate the climatology work under the EPD.


AROUND GEORGIANews from County Farm Bureaus

BAKER COUNTY Baker County Farm Bureau sponsored its second annual blood drive in August. From 7 a.m. to noon the office was buzzing with Baker County citizens and Farm Bureau members donating blood. Pic-tured from left are BCFB Office Manager Frances Deese, member Becky McDaniel and agent Ginny Sanders.

CARROLL COUNTY Carroll County Farm Bureau and Ag South Farm Credit sponsored the annual West Geor-gia Lamb Classic in July. A record 86 4-H and FFA members exhibited 201 lambs. The CCFB Women’s Committee donated directors chairs for the Reserve and Grand Reserve Champion Awards, which were both won by Haley Cook (pictured).

COOK COUNTY The Cook County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee sponsored a Farm Safety Day at Cook Middle School for 300 sixth graders. Students rotated between stations that provided information on ATV, chemical, livestock and equipment safety and CPR. Lasseter Tractor employee Jody Branch (pictured) dis-cussed the importance of turning off PTO shafts before working on equipment.

FLOYD COUNTY The Floyd County Farm Bureau joined other local ag organiza-tions in sponsoring an Ag Day last spring attended by about 750 fourth graders. The students rotated through numerous stations where they learned about a variety of farm animals, hay, plants, farm equipment and general farm safety. Lowe’s of Rome gave each student a vegetable plant and awarded two $600 grants to teachers to assist with classroom projects.

GLYNN COUNTY Glynn County Farm Bureau recently honored teachers par-

2012 Food Check-Out Week set Farm Bureau will observe Food Check-Out Week Feb. 19-25, 2012. The event is designed to help consumers eat healthi-er on a budget by educat-ing them about ways to “shop smart.” Farm Bureau has de-veloped educational mate-rials to be distributed dur-ing Food Check-Out Week on the right amounts of food people should eat based on USDA guidelines, understanding food labels and information about food costs. County Farm Bureaus are encouraged to continue to use the event to support charities such as the Ronald McDonald House and local food banks. Promotional materials such as brochures, nutrition fact cards, recipe cards, reusable shopping bags and more be ordered online from American Farm Bureau at http://fb-orders.com/afbf. For more information contact Donna Rocker at [email protected] or 478-474-0679,ext. 5365.


ticipating in the Ag in the Classroom program. GCFB gave four elementary teachers $20 Staples gift cards to buy supplies. The GCFB Women’s Committee also hosted a breakfast for kindergar-ten teachers and their assistants to thank them for allowing GCFB to have an agriculture-based reading program in their classes. Pic-tured with the kindergarten staff are GCFB Women’s Committee Chairperson Amanda Kirkland (back row, far left) and Women’s Committee members Anne Chubb and Ann Keene (seated, front).

HARRIS COUNTY Harris County Farm Bureau volunteers taught fifth grade students at Creek-side Elementary about pumpkins during one of their monthly Ag in the Classroom visits this fall. HCFB volunteer Barbara Short taught the students how pumpkins are grown and the dif-ferent uses of pumpkins. Promotion & Education Committee Co-chair Elaine Cone is pictured helping students make a pumpkin pie snack.

HENRY COUNTY The Henry County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee recently hosted a pizza dinner for area FFA and 4-H high school seniors. HCFB Young Farmer Chairs Jake and Jennifer Carter hosted the event at their family’s Southern Belle Farm. The stu-dents received information about the GFB scholarship program, GFB art contest and benefits of Farm Bureau membership.

MCDUFFIE COUNTY McDuffie County Farm Bureau held a din-ner in July to promote Farm Bureau member benefits. To promote beef, GFB’s commodity of the year, the menu featured burgers, and MCFB Office Manager Jane Young gave a beef

presentation. The event included a dairy dessert contest. Pictured from left are: 1st place winner Gladys Rodgers, 2nd place winner Jan McTier and 3rd place winner Cornelia Whitaker.

NEWTON COUNTY In an effort to recruit new members, Newton County Farm Bureau held a dinner for county residents with land in the Conservation Use Val-uation Assessment pro-gram. NCFB President Brent Galloway used the dinner to educate the landowners about Farm Bureau’s role in securing CUVA and to explain the ongo-ing work Farm Bureau does to help landown-ers. GFB staff discussed GFB’s legislative, com-modities and member benefit programs. Ga. Sen. Rick Jeffares is pictured speaking at the meeting.

POLK COUNTY About 860 Polk County first graders learned about agri-culture thanks to Polk County Farm Bureau hosting an ag day with help from the local ag teachers, Extension Service, FFA and 4-H members. The students rotated through 10 sta-tions highlighting various agriculture topics including goats, horses and water conservation. Rockmart High School ag teacher Jeff Hawkins (red shirt) talks with the students about dairy cows.

TROUP COUNTY In June, Troup County Farm Bureau supported a day camp for children at Little Creek Quarter Horses Ranch. Debbie Thompson (pic-tured) and Amanda Schroeder taught the campers how to groom, lead, mount and ride horses. TCFB gave the campers gift bags.

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Although the current Bibb County Farm Bureau was chartered in 1941 along with the majority of

Georgia’s other county Farm Bureaus, BCFB was originally formed in 1911. That’s when the Bibb County Agri-cultural Association changed its name to the Bibb County Farm Bureau to qualify for a grant funded by Sears, Roebuck & Company in conjunction with the USDA that annually provided $1,000 to employ a full-time farm demonstration agent. The requirements for a county to secure funding for a demonstration agent was that the county form a “Farm Bureau” organization of farmers that would also provide $1,000 annually to help sup-port the agent. BCFB was among the first county Farm Bureaus formed in the U.S. through this program. The first was

Bibb County Farm Bureau celebrated its 100th anniversary with a cookout, Nov. 2.

Bibb County Farm Bureau turns 100By Jennifer Whittaker___________________________________

formed in Broome County, New York. “We’re here today because a group of agriculturalists saw a need and had a vi-sion to form our organization. I’m proud this historic event happened here, and I’m glad we’ve been around this long,” BCFB President Jimmy Jordan said. “Farmers need Farm Bureau more than we ever have before, particularly with the legisla-tive issues we’re facing.” GFB 6th District Field Representa-tive Don Giles told guests, “The original Bibb County Farm Bureau disbanded by

the Great Depression, as many of the early county Farm Bureaus did, but the seeds of our current organization were planted and helped R. M. Stiles form the United Georgia Farmers in 1937, which became the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation in 1941.” Guests attending the celebration en-joyed grilled hamburgers and hotdogs along with cake and homemade ice cream made with strawberries grown on the farm of BCFB members Russ and Debra Elliott. State Reps. Robert Dickey and Nikki Randall attended the event along with representatives of U.S. Sens. Saxby Cham-bliss and Johnny Isakson and U.S. Rep. Austin Scott. Bill Stembridge, a staff rep-resentative of Sen. Chambliss, read a note of congratulations from the senator. GFB President Zippy Duvall con-gratulated BCFB for having the vision to organize in 1911 to secure a farm dem-onstration agent and for the work it con-tinues to do today to serve its members in Bibb County. “It’s interesting to think about 100 years of service and what an awesome responsibility we have today to move forward with the vision those men had,” Duvall said. BCFB Vice President Neil Skipper says he grew up attending Farm Bureau meetings with his dad, Douglas. “Farm Bureau has helped me keep up-to-date with legislative issues, and I’ve used the commodity program to sell my grain,” Skipper said. “I encourage the younger generation to get involved with Farm Bureau because it works to protect their livelihood.”

of Georgia, and so I’d like to thank Director Blackwood and Commissioner Black for their spirit of cooperation in asking GFB to work with them on projects to benefit Georgia’s farmers. November 18-24 was Farm-City Week, and I appreciate all the county Farm Bureaus who celebrated the week with events to increase ag awareness in their communi-ties. It’s important that we share the story of agriculture with our non-farming neigh-bors, and this annual event gives us the perfect opportunity. During the November board meeting, your GFB directors and I had the opportu-nity to discuss issues facing Georgia agricul-ture one-on-one with USDA Farm Service Agency Administrator Bruce Nelson and USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Ser-vices Acting Deputy Undersecretary Karis Gutter. Issues we discussed with Adminis-trator Nelson and Acting Undersecretary Gutter included farm labor, EPA regula-tions, the farm bill, GPS concerns, the Clean

Water Act, regulations on child labor, rural hospital funding, renewable energy pro-grams and the estate tax. We appreciate Nelson and Gutter coming to listen to our concerns. Being the Voice of Georgia Agri-culture is our purpose, and we continue to do this every chance we get. This has been a challenging year in many ways, but God is good. I continue to ask him for wisdom to lead this wonder-ful organization, and God continues to lead us as we make our way through these difficult economic times. Thank you for the privilege of serving you and Georgia agriculture. I look forward to seeing you at Jekyll Island next month. I leave you with this scripture from Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your marvel-ous works.” While it’s important to praise our friends and colleagues, it’s even more important that we praise God from whom all blessings flow.

WE, THE FARMERS from page 4


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

ing 2011 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 2011, the organization added the Out-standing Member Services Award, given to the county Farm Bureau in each district that had the greatest increase in member-ship, and the New Farmer Member Award, given to the county Farm Bureau that had the most new farm memberships.

FIRST DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Cherokee Coun-ty; Young Farmer Committee: Forsyth County; Legislative Committee: Cherokee County; Promotion & Education: Chero-kee County; Member Services: Chattooga County; New Farm Member: Cherokee County; Young Farmer Achievement: James Dault, Cherokee County.

SECOND DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Madison County; Young Farmer Committee: Madison County; Legislative Committee: Stephens County; Promotion & Education: Franklin County; Member Services: White County; New Farm Member: Franklin County; Young Farmer Achievement: Jesse & Feli-cia Colston, Habersham County; Secretary: Rebecca Whitfield, Elbert County.

THIRD DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Haralson County; Young Farmer Committee: Newton Coun-ty; Legislative Committee: Newton County; Promotion & Education: Polk County; Member Services: Clayton County; New Farm Member: Newton County; Young Farmer Achievement: Chad and Julie Car-

2011 GFB district award winners recognizedlton, Polk County; Secretary: Kim Hind-mon, Haralson County.

FOURTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Oconee County; Young Farmer Committee: Oglethorpe County; Legislative Committee: McDuffie County; Promotion & Education: Barrow County; Member Services: Greene Coun-ty; New Farm Member: Walton County; Young Farmer Achievement: Lanis and Mandy Adams, Greene County.

FIFTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Harris County; Young Farmer Committee: Pike County; Legislative Committee: Crawford County; Promotion & Education: Jasper County; Member Services: Crawford County; New Farm Member: Crawford County; Young Farmer Achievement: Wayne and Becky McInvale, Crawford County; Secretary: Linda Luttrell, Harris County.

SIXTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Washington Coun-ty; Young Farmer Committee: Jones Coun-ty; Legislative Committee: Laurens County; Promotion & Education: Washington County; Member Services: Bibb County; New Farm Member: Johnson County; Young Farmer Achievement: Cody and Lora Lord, Laurens County; Secretary: Pat Steed, Bib County.

SEVENTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Emanuel County; Young Farmer Committee: Wayne Coun-ty; Legislative Committee: Emanuel Coun-ty; Promotion & Education: Burke County; Member Services: Chatham County; New Farm Member: Tattnall County; Young Farmer Achievement: Chris and Mari-lynn Hopkins, Toombs County. Retiring 7th District Director Gennis Folsom of

Tattnall County was presented a plaque in honor of his service.

EIGHTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Wilcox County; Young Farmer Committee: Lee County; Legislative Committee: Macon County; Promotion & Education: Turner County; Member Services: Turner County; New Farm Member: Wilcox County.

NINTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Colquitt County; Young Farmer Committee: Decatur Coun-ty; Legislative Committee: Decatur County; Promotion & Education: Mitchell County; Member Services: Decatur County; New Farm Member: Colquitt County; Young Farmer Achievement: Sam and Emily Wat-son, Colquitt County.

TENTH DISTRICTWomen’s Committee: Bacon County; Young Farmer Committee: Cook County; Legisla-tive Committee: Berrien County; Promotion & Education: Coffee County; Member Ser-vices: Coffee County; New Farm Member: Berrien County; Young Farmer Achieve-ment: Joey and Melissa Williams; Secretary: Phyllis Boyd, Berrien County.

Laurens FB Director Dies Albert S. “Buddy” Mercer Jr., a member of the Laurens County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, died Sept. 3. He was 49. Mercer served on the Georgia Farm Bureau Cotton Advisory Commit-tee in 2006, was a former president of the Georgia Young Farmers Association and also served on the board of the Farm Service Agency. A graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, he was a member of First United Methodist Church in Cochran. Mercer is survived by his wife, Elaine English Mercer of Dublin, his parents Albert Steve Mercer Sr. and Patricia Mercer of Dexter, sisters Terry Jayne Litke of North Augusta, S.C. and Patricia Lynn Mercer of Atlanta and niece and nephew Rachel and Hunter Litke of North Augusta. Condolences may be sent to Elaine Mercer, P.O. Box 154, Dexter, Ga., 31019.

Nominations are being accepted un-til Dec. 16 for the 7th Annual Governor’s Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Award. Applicants will be judged on how they have incorporated conservation practices that protect natural resources into the daily activities of their farming operations. One winner will be selected in each of five regions based on Georgia Soil & Wa-ter Conservation Districts. A state winner

will be chosen from the regional winners. Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black will recognize the district winners and announce the state winner in March at the 9th Annual Geor-gia Agriculture Week event in Atlanta. Applications are available at http://agribusiness.georgiainnovation.org. For more information, contact Steven Meeks at 912-207-0813 or Sarah Cook at 229-391-6882 or [email protected].

Environmental Stewardship Award applicants sought

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Georgia Farm Bureau's News - November / December 2011

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