DEAL REQUESTS DROUGHT DISASTER DECLARATION FOR 157 COUNTIES

Following a second round of Farm Service Agency loss assessment reports, Gov. Nathan Deal requested a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) secretarial disaster designation for

157 of Georgia’s 159 counties due to ongoing drought and excessive heat conditions that began in April.

The governor’s request follows the completion of loss assessment reports that were conducted beginning in late July. The request is one of several steps in the process to receive a disaster designation, which makes agricultural producers in affected counties eligible for emergency loans and other assistance from the federal government.

“I would like to thank Governor Deal for his prompt action in requesting a Secretarial Disaster Designation for these counties,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, “and I hope a formal disaster designation will be forthcoming soon.”

The only counties that did not qualify as primary counties in the request are Chattahoochee and Muscogee counties on the Alabama state line. If the request is approved by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Chattahoochee and Muscogee would qualify as contiguous disaster counties and growers in those counties would be eligible to apply for emergency loans and to sign up for other USDA programs that provide assistance to farmers suffering agricultural losses due to natural disasters.

Through Aug. 23, every county in the state was experiencing some level of drought. More than half the state’s counties were experiencing extreme drought, the second-highest level of severity.

Earlier this summer, Vilsack had granted a disaster designation for 22 counties and an additional 26 counties were declared contiguous disaster areas due to drought and heat conditions. Those counties were all in the southern portion of the state and reflected crop losses early in the year as a result of drought conditions. Deal made the request for those counties on June 3 and Vilsack issued the declaration on June 28.

The limited area of the first drought disaster declaration prompted questions on why more counties were not included. The latest request from Deal confirms the statewide distribution of damage from the drought.

Damage and losses prompting disaster designation must be due to a natural disaster and result in a 30 percent production loss of at least on crop in the county.

For more information on the secretarial disaster designation process and USDA programs available to farmers suffering agricultural losses, visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/disaster09.pdf.

August 31, 2011 www.gfb.org Vol. 29 No. 35

Leadership Alert page 2 of 7 GFB ACCEPTING ENTRIES FOR HAY CONTEST Georgia Farm Bureau members who grow Bermudagrass hay are encouraged to enter the GFB 2011 Quality Hay Contest. Hay entered in the contest will be tested at the University of Georgia Testing Lab using the Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Test, which predicts fiber digestibility and likely animal intake of hay. There is a $15 entry fee for each sample to cover the costs of the lab work. Producers may enter more than one sample. Applications are available at your county Farm Bureau office. The deadline to enter is Oct. 28. Winners will be determined by RFQ analysis and visual inspection by a forage specialist. Final judging of the top five will occur at the GFB Convention on Jekyll Island in December. Winners will be announced during the Hay Commodity Conference on Dec. 5. Contest participants will receive a detailed copy of their hay analysis information and a free listing in the GFB Hay directory, if they so choose. Prizes will be presented to the top five producers. The first place winner will receive the free use for one year of a Vermeer Trailed Hay Mower, compliments of the Vermeer Manufacturing Company. The winner will have the option to purchase the mower at a reduced price at the end of the year. GFB ASKS LAWMAKERS TO SUPPORT NPDES FOREST EXEMPTION BILL Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall wrote a letter to Georgia’s Congressional delegation asking that they support a bill that would exempt forest management practices from permit requirements under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) introduced the bill, H.R. 2541, in response to a decision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that found forest roads are considered “point sources” of pollution. Point sources are water conveyances like pipes, ditches and tunnels that discharge pollutants from factories and other facilities. Duvall said that if the NPDES permitting requirements for forest roads are allowed to continue, the economic and quality of life benefits derived from the state’s 24 million acres of forests would be threatened. “All of these benefits are based on the willingness of private landowners to make a long-term commitment to plant their land in trees,” Duvall wrote. “Anything that unnecessarily detracts from forest profitability undermines this commitment by landowners.” Since 1976, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has defined four specific activities related to forestry, including forest roads, as “nonpoint sources.” The court ruled in the case NEDC v. Brown that the EPA lacked the authority to set that definition under the Clean Water Act. The ruling subjects forest landowners whose land has forest roads to NPDES permit requirements, which would also apply to loggers using the roads. H.R. 2541 would codify the EPA’s long-standing definition. Similar legislation, S. 1369, has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). In his letter, Duvall said the requirements are burdensome and unnecessary, pointing out that Georgia forest landowners are already addressing runoff issues through cooperation with the Georgia Forestry Commission and other organizations to employ best management practices, for which Congress has provided funding for cost-sharing assistance.

Leadership Alert page 3 of 7 MOON NAMED EX OFFICIO MEMBER OF GA COMMODITY COMMISSIONS

The Georgia House Agriculture Committee has appointed Madison County Farm Bureau President-elect 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 by the Georgia Senate Agriculture Committee and represents the counties south of the aforementioned counties.

Georgia Farm Bureau 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 offices. Together, the four ex

officio members appoint the five farmer members who serve on each of the commodity commission boards.

Moon and his father, Dennis, produce canola, soybeans and wheat and raise commercial beef cattle. In 2010, Russ and his wife, Mandy, started a roadside market with pick-your-own strawberries, blackberries and other produce. The market is a member of the GFB Certified Farm Market Program. Russ and Mandy also operate four broiler houses.

Russ, who graduated with a bachelor of science from the University of Georgia in 2002, is a past president of the Madison County Cattlemen's Association and serves as vice chairman of the Royston Southern States Board. The Moons, who served on the GFB Young Farmer Committee in 2007 and 2008, have two daughters, Maggie and Riley. NOMINATIONS BEING TAKEN FOR FARM-CITY AWARD

The National Farm-City Council is accepting nominations for the inaugural Charles Eastin Outstanding Service Award, designed to recognize an individual who has contributed to Farm-City activities as an advocate for accurate communications between farm and city.

Any person over the age of 25 who has actively supported national, state or local Farm-City initiatives is eligible to be nominated for the award. The completed application must be forwarded to the state contact for the National Farm-City Council by Sept. 30. The state contact for Georgia is Arty Schronce with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. He can be reached by phone at 404-656-3689 or by email at aschronce@agr.state.ga.us.

The first recipient will receive the award at the National Farm-City Week kickoff and symposium in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 17. For information visit http://www.farmcity.org. FSA STREAMLINING AGI PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) plans to change paperwork farmers are required to submit to document their adjusted gross income (AGI). The current forms that participants have to submit are CCC-926, CCC-927, and/or CCC-928.

The IRS, with consent of the participant, has been using tax return information to calculate an average AGI, which the FSA uses as part of the formula for determining eligibility for direct and countercyclical payments, average crop revenue election and other programs under the 2008 farm bill.

Georgia FSA Agricultural Program Specialist Jennifer Carter said that after Oct. 1, the three forms would be combined into one form.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 7 FORAGE GROWERS URGED TO ORDER SEED SUPPLIES EARLY Due to an anticipated short supply of forage seed, University of Georgia Extension Forage Specialist Dr. Dennis Hancock is recommending that producers order their forage seed as soon as possible. Hancock also suggests producers investigate additions to the recommended variety list, which can be found at http://bit.ly/pVjvGC. NATIONAL ANGUS CONFERENCE & TOUR Sept. 6-8 The Classic Center Athens Sponsored by Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC, this tour includes two days of visits at ranches in central and northeast Georgia as well as presentations from industry representatives, researchers and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. Registration fee is $175. For more information, visit http://www.nationalangusconference.com, call 816-383-5100 or email sstannard@angus.org. 4TH ANNUAL UGA COTTON & PEANUT RESEARCH FIELD DAY Sept. 7 Tifton The tour will begin at 9 a.m. and will conclude with lunch. The Georgia Cotton Commission and the Georgia Peanut Commission are sponsoring the field day. GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION FALL FIELD DAY Sept. 8 UGA Tifton Campus 8 a.m. Tifton This free event will feature a review of the latest insect, disease, fertilizer, and breeding research by UGA pecan researchers including Jim Dutcher, Tim Brenneman, Lenny Wells, and Patrick Conner. Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact Janice Dees at georgiapecan@gmail.com. FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY 4-H/FFA AG DAY Sept. 10 Fort Valley State University Fort Valley Teachers and youth leaders are encouraged to gather their middle school and high school students at 1 p.m. for this opportunity that includes rock wall climbing, football toss games and pedal cart racing. Event includes free football game tickets and meals for attendees.Before the FVSU versus Delta State University game, teens will participate in agricultural activities and learn about majors offered by the College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology. Attendees can observe a biofuel-making demonstration and participate in the school’s Life on the Farm exhibition, which exposes participants to live animals and careers related to agriculture. For more information, or to register, contact the event coordinators: Chris Corzine at ccorzine@gaaged.org or 864-844-4412 and Phillip Petway at petwayp@fvsu.edu or 478-825-6759. The coordinators can provide registration forms that need to be returned by Sept.1. OLD SOUTH FARM CAMP Sept. 12 – Nov. 20 Old South Farm Museum & Ag Learning Center Woodland Each of this series of three-day camps begins at 7 p.m. on the first day with supper and orientation and ends by 11 a.m. on the third day. It includes six or more classes on a variety of topics ranging from milking a cow to lye soap making and more. Fee is $200 per person, including meals, housing, transportation and class materials. Each session will have between 20 and 40 campers. Pre-registration is required. For more information call 706-975-9136 or visit http://www.oldsouthfarm.com.

Leadership Alert page 5 of 7 TEAM AG GEORGIA FALL WORKSHOP Sept. 13 Oconee Fall Line Technical College 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Dublin This free one-day workshop is for small, beginning and limited-resource farmers. Topics includforestry and wildlife management, livestock marketing, organics, financing, agritourism and much more. A box lunch is included. Registration is required and the deadline to register is Sept. 2. To register online, visit http://www.teamaggeorgia.com. For more information, contact Neal Leonard at 706-546-2207. SOUTHERN REGION WATER CONFERENCE Sept. 13 – 16 The Georgia Center, UGA Campus Athens The Southern Region Water Program's biennial water conferences offers the opportunity for Extension, research, and teaching professionals and partner organizations to share research findings and successful approaches for education and research in water quality, water conservation, and water resource management provide useful materials for in-service to learn about funding opportunities.The program includes technical sessions on water quality research, educational programming, tours, a resource fair, workshops, and a one-day symposium entitled, Nutrient Management and Water Quality - Coming to a watershed near you? Pre-conference workshops will be on Monday September 12th and Tuesday September 13th. The opening session will be 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, and the conference will conclude Friday at noon. For more information visit http://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/cch/register/southern-region-water-conference GEORGIA FARM BUREAU DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETINGS Sept. 13 3rd District The Center at Arbor Connection 7 p.m. Douglasville Sept. 15 10th District Jamestown Baptist Church 7 p.m. Waycross Sept. 20 2nd District North Georgia Technical College 7 p.m. Avalon Sept. 27 5th District Thomaston Civic Center 7 p.m. Thomaston Sept. 29 1st District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Calhoun Oct. 11 9th District Mitchell County High School 7 p.m. Camilla Oct. 13 7th District First Baptist Church 7 p.m. Statesboro Contact your county Farm Bureau office for more information. Note: These meetings are for Farm Bureau members only and not open to the general public. FORT VALLEY STATE AG FIELD DAY Sept. 15 Agricultural Technology Conference Center Fort Valley Event will cover livestock grazing systems, aquaculture systems, organic vegetable and fruit systems and include a bioenergy crops showcase, food preservation demonstrations and goat and lamb samples. Conference center is located at 46 Camp John Hope Road in Fort Valley. For more information call 478-825-6268. BROOKS COUNTY SKILLET FESTIVAL Sept. 17 Brooks County Courthouse Square Quitman This farm, food & arts festival will highlight the area’s abundant agriculture and fine southern cuisine. The one-day event will feature the “Cast-Iron Man,” a 5k road race and 1m fun run, vendors on the courthouse square, the “Cast-Iron Chef” cooking competition, a skillet throwing contest and an evening with local musicians. Visit www.skilletfestival.com for more information or contact Lauren Basford at 229-305-7822.

Leadership Alert page 6 of 7 AGRIBUSINESS WORKSHOP Sept. 21 Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro Workshop will cover new business models, social media, farm-to-table opportunities, risk management and agritourism. Interactive sessions will be led by panelists who have local, regional and national expertise including chefs, agribusiness/agritourism owners, loan and insurance experts, organic farmers and farm agency representatives. Registration is $65 per person and includes a hot lunch prepared with local food. Online registration begins July 29 at www.ogeecheetech.edu and www.georgiamicrobiz.com. For more information or to inquire about exhibitor opportunities call 912-688-6098. GEORGIA GRAZING SCHOOL Sept. 21-22 UGA Double Bridges Farm East of Athens In addition to the classroom activities at the UGA Animal & Dairy Science Department’s teaching farm, we'll be doing hands-on exercises on the farm's new pastures. Plus, we will tour the Chandler Family farm just outside of Danielsville, Ga. We toured this farm during the 2009 Georgia Grazing School and it was definitely a highlight of that event. For more information visit http://bit.ly/nGHmeX or call Dr. Dennis Hancock at 706-542-1529. BERRIEN COUNTY HARVEST FESTIVAL Sept. 24 Downtown area Nashville The Berrien County Chamber of Commerce and Nashville Better Hometown are marking plans for the 2nd Annual Berrien County Harvest Festival to be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The festival will feature craft and food venders, entertainment as well as a grape stomping. The festival will conclude that evening with an open air concert featuring the Swinging Medallions at Horse Creek Winery. For more information contact the Chamber of Commerce 229-686-5123 or Nashville Better Hometown 229- 686-9290. 15TH ANNUAL PLAINS PEANUT FESTIVAL Sept. 24 Plains The annual Plains Peanut Festival is centered around one of the Sumter County community's claims to fame, its peanut production, and features the community's most famous residents in active roles. The festival kicks off with a 1-mile fun run and a 5-K road race. People line the sidewalks of Plains each year to watch the unique entries in the parade downtown. Visitors enjoy the all-day event and educational exhibits are on display to accent the importance of agriculture in this region. WILLIAM HARRIS HOMESTEAD HERITAGE DAY... A CALL TO ARMS Sept. 24 3636 Ga. Hwy. 11 Monroe This event, which runs from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m, offers fun for the entire family. There will be re-enactments to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, tours of the 1825 log house and outbuildings, demonstrations of 1800's crafts, plowing with the Old Time Georgia Plow Club, antiques, children's 1800's games, petting zoo, agricultural displays, great food and entertainment all day. General admission is $10, $5 for children 5-12 and children under 5 are free. For more information contact Judy Hardegree at 770-867-2449 or judyhardegree@yahoo.com.

Leadership Alert page 7 of 7 WOOFSTOCK PURINA RALLY TO RESCUE Sept. 25 Jones County Fairgrounds Gray If you’re looking to adopt a dog or horse or just want to celebrate the pets you already have, come out for a day of family fun. In addition to animal adoptions, events will include dog demonstrations, live music, a kids’ zone, food, contests, and a Blessing of the Animals at 3 p.m. There will also be vendors selling both pet and non-pet related items. Event runs from 12-6 p.m. Proceeds will benefit Georgia animal rescue groups. For more information visit http://www.furever-friends.org or contact Angie Stapp at 478-955-1183 or fureverfriend@windstream.net. 2011 ANNUAL PEANUT TOUR Sept. 27-29 Various locations Southwest Ga./Bainbridge The 2011 Peanut Bus Tour of South Georgia, sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission, begins in Bainbridge on Tuesday, Sept. 27, with an early-bird hot topics session at 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Bainbridge. Presentations will include economic and food issues by University of Georgia faculty and USDA scientists on U.S. peanut program and policy, processing, quality, nutrition and uniform peanut performance tests. A reception follows at 6 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 at the Holiday Inn Express.Tour highlights include production research at the Attapulgus Research farm, on-farm demonstrations, equipment manufacturing, peanut handling, grading and shelling, and product processing facilities. Lunch will be at the Cloud Livestock Pavilion and a low country boil will be held at 7 p.m. at the Earle May Boat Basin. The agenda for Thursday, Sept. 29 includes lunch in Blakely, a 6 p.m. reception at Cotton Hall in Colquitt, with dinner and theater presentation of Swamp Gravy. Bus seats will be reserved on a first-come basis, with international visitors being given priority. For more information, contact Rebecca Whitehead at 229-386-3470 or email rebecca@gapeanuts.com SEPT. 30 is DEADLINE FOR GFB POLICY SUBMISSIONS Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual policy development process is underway. Sept. 30 is the deadline for county Farm Bureaus to submit policy recommendations to the state policy development committee. The state committee will meet this fall to consider the recommendations submitted by county Farm Bureaus and GFB’s commodity advisory committees. Contact the GFB Legislative Department for more information. 17th ANNUAL MULE ROUNDUP Sept. 30-Oct.1 Guysie Community, Highway 32 Near Alma Experience yesteryear at this showcase of heritage farming, featuring a pioneer village, farm demonstration, cane grinding, sausage smoking, a grist mill and lots moore. A gospel sing begins at 7 p.m. on Sept. 30. Admission is free for participants and vendors and $5 for spectators ages 10 and up. For more information call 912-632-1777. GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIR Oct. 6–16 Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter Perry The award-winning Georgia National Fair features livestock and horse shows, youth exhibits, home and fine arts competitions, family entertainment, midway rides and games, fair food, and major concerts that includes Blake Shelton and the JaneDear Girls. For more information, visit http://www.georgianationalfair.com.