AG LABOR BILL INTRODUCED IN HOUSE

A bill aimed at providing farmers with access to reliable sources of labor was introduced in the House on April 26, a day after a comprehensive immigration bill was submitted in the Senate.

The Agricultural Guestworker (AG) Act (HR 1773) was introduced in the House on April 26 by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) with eight cosponsors, including Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.). It was initially referred to multiple House committees, including the committee on the Judiciary, for which Goodlatte serves as chairman.

According to a release from Goodlatte, the AG Act would establish a new guest worker program, which would make American growers more competitive in the global economy by removing the exorbitant costs associated with abusive litigation, excessive regulation and artificially high, government-imposed wage rates. The bill would eliminate many administrative hurdles farmers face in acquiring migrant laborers by establishing an agricultural employer registry.

“It is vital that American farmers have access to a workable guest worker program now so that they can continue putting food on Americans’ tables. We have to get this right so that farmers aren’t burdened with another failed guest worker program for decades to come,” Goodlatte said in the release.

Georgia Farm Bureau supports addressing immigration and agricultural labor issues at the federal level, maintaining that variations between state laws create competitive imbalances between farmers in differing states.

In recent years, members of Georgia’s Congressional delegation have introduced bills aimed at providing relief to farmers struggling to acquire the workers they need. Neither Rep. Jack Kingston’s BARN Act nor Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ HARVEST Act in the 112th Congress gained enough support to warrant a floor vote.

The House bill aims to protect farmers from frivolous and abusive litigation by allowing growers to require as a condition of employment that guest workers be subject to binding arbitration and mediation of grievances over the employment relationship.

The AG Act installs a prevailing wage rate system to replace the current adverse effective wage rate (AEWR) system

Like the Senate bill, HR 1773 tabs the USDA to administer the program rather than the Department of Labor. Under the Ag Act guest workers would not be eligible for benefits under the Affordable Care Act, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, or other welfare programs.

May 8, 2013 www.gfb.org Vol. 31 No. 19

Leadership Alert page 2 of 9 GFB ANNOUNCES ART & ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS

Georgia Farm Bureau recently announced the winners of its annual art and essay contests. The GFB Women’s Leadership Committee coordinated both contests on the state level, and county Women’s Committees promoted the contests locally. Contest winners were selected from each of the organization’s 10 districts.

Glynn County student Chandler Jernigan won the GFB 19th Annual Art Contest for her detailed drawing of shelled and unshelled peanut pods. The contest, open to any ninth-12th grade student, received 59 entries. Jernigan received $100 for being the GFB 10th District winner and an additional $350 for being the state winner. Zachary Edds of Whitfield County, GFB 1st District and Melissa Pyle, Early County, GFB 9th District, were named state runners-up in the art contest. Each received $250 cash. SunTrust Bank of Middle Georgia sponsored the contest.

Habersham County student Abby Cantrell is the state winner of the GFB Essay Contest, which drew 72 entries and was open to students in grades 6-8. Cantrell received a $100 cash prize for being the GFB 2nd District essay winner and a $250 cash prize as the state winner.

Drawings were judged on artistic merit and how well the artwork represented Georgia agriculture. Essay contest participants discussed how Georgia agriculture has changed in the last 75 years. Essay entries were judged on clarity of thought and creativity.

Other district winners in the art contest were: Wendy Medrano, Habersham County, 2nd District; Justin Moseley, Carroll County, 3rd District; Kristina Karamihalis, Wilkes County, 4th District; Chase Corbin, Pike County, 5th District; Breanna Watkins, Dodge County, 6th District; Holly Coffey, Wayne County, 7th District; and Cherokee Carothers, Wilcox County, 8th District. Each district winner received $100. (The top three winners can be seen on pages 8 and 9).

Other district winners in the essay contest were: Isabelle Riddle, Cherokee County, 1st District; Sarah Katherine Baxter, North Fulton County, 3rd District; Sabrina Rehman, Columbia County, 4th District; Carolyn Gillespie, Upson County, 5th District; Ivey Rowland, Washington County, 6th District; Wilson Boyd, Screven County, 7th District; Susan Baker, Turner County, 8th District; Will Hatcher, Mitchell County, 9th District; and Nikki Leggett, Irwin County, 10th District. Each district winner received $100.

EGG LANGUAGE PULLED FROM SENATE FARM BILL MARKUP

Senate Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has indicated she will not include care standards for egg-laying hens in the committee’s markup version of the farm bill. Stabenow originally said she would include S. 820, which calls for national standards for cages for egg-laying hens, in the farm bill the committee was to consider in early May.

Georgia Farm Bureau voiced opposition to the standards, maintaining that enacting

them would set a precedent for the regulation of other livestock production practices. GFB policy is to oppose laws mandating specific farming practices in livestock or poultry production.

S. 820, which was introduced by Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on April 25 and co-sponsored by Stabenow, could still be offered as an amendment when the full Senate debates the farm bill. The bill would set standards for cage size and require other amenities in the cages. Both bills follow guidelines from an agreement reached between the HSUS and United Egg Producers in 2011.

Leadership Alert page 3 of 9 USDA AND EPA ISSUE REPORT ON HONEY BEE HEALTH

The decline in honey bee colonies can be attributed to a variety of factors, including parasites, disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure, according to a report from the USDA and EPA released on May 2.

The varroa mite was recognized as the major factor in colony loss in the U.S. and other countries, according to a USDA press release, and genetic variation improves bees’ ability to maintain steady body temperature, disease resistance and productivity of worker bees.

Bees that have access to a nutrition-poor diet can be more susceptible to harm from diseases and parasites, according to the report.

The report suggested the bees need better forage and variety of plants to support colony health. The report also indicated a need for informed and coordinated communication between growers and beekeepers to protect bees from pesticide use.

In a written statement, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman said the report “... concludes what farmers and scientists have known for some time – that there isn’t just one cause to the decline in honey bee numbers. It’s a multitude of factors, which makes it even more important that we continue work on a solution through collaborative efforts among farmers, beekeepers, researchers, the federal government and the public.”

Many farmers and ranchers require honey bees and other pollinators to produce a healthy, bountiful crop, Stallman said, emphasizing that Farm Bureau supports funding for research to find real answers to Colony Collapse Disorder, as well as practical, effective remedies.

ASR PILOT TEST APPROVED FOR BAKER COUNTY SITE

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board gave approval during its April 30 meeting for a pilot study on aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) at a site in Baker County.

The project plans call for accessing water from the Floridan Aquifer and pumping it into deeper aquifers during times when water is plentiful. When droughts occur and stream flows are affected, the stored water can be accessed to maintain stream flows and protect endangered species. According to Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) Water Supply Senior Program Manager Matt Harper, the goal is to have the findings from the study by spring of 2016.

“This is a technology that has not been previously used or tested in the state,” Harper said. “It’s something the Lower Flint River Regional Water Council has recommended to be investigated as a management tool. Right now the state doesn’t know if this works or is viable. The state is going to do this work to find out just that.”

The total budget for the pilot is $5.1 million, all of which is to be funded from the Governor’s Water Supply Program (GWSP). The ASR project, which will be overseen by the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission (SWGRC), will be located in the Elmodel Wildlife Management Area. The plan calls for a total of five wells. One will withdraw water from the Floridan Aquifer and one will be used to transport water to the Claiborne and Clayton Aquifers. The remaining three wells will be used to monitor the three aquifers used in the project.

According to information on the SWGRC website, ASR Systems LLC of Gainesville, Fla., has been chosen to construct and equip the wells and to conduct testing and groundwater modeling.

Leadership Alert page 4 of 9 BURN BAN IN EFFECT FOR 54 GEORGIA COUNTIES A ban on outdoor burning began on May 1 in 54 Georgia counties. This annual restriction is required by the state Environmental Protection Division. The burn ban will be in effect through September 30 and affects the following counties: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, Crawford, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gordon, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Richmond, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup, Twiggs, Upson, Walker and Walton. Residents in other parts of Georgia that are not included in the burn ban must continue to secure permits from the Georgia Forestry Commission before conducting any outside burning. Permits can be requested online at http://GaTrees.org or by calling the local GFC office. 2013 YOUNG HARRIS/UGA BEEKEEPING INSTITUTE May 9-11 Young Harris College 8 a.m. each day Young Harris This event, one of the most comprehensive beekeeping educational events in the Southeast, offers classes for beekeepers at all levels of experience and the annual honey show. May 9 is dedicated training and certification exams for journeymen and master beekeeper qualifications, as well as the Welsh honey judge training, the first licensing program for honey judges in North America. May 10 and 11 provide training and certification, including individual and colony biology, low-tech beekeeping, occupational safety and much more. Registration fees for 18 and older is $110 for one day and $175 for two days. For ages 11-18, fees are $50 for one day and $80 for two days. On-site registration is allowed on a space-available basis, but classes generally fill up quickly. For more information, visit http://www.ent.uga.edu/bees/young-harris/index.html or contact Tabitha Davidson at tabithakristine@gmail.com or 770-329-9449. USDA AGRICULTURAL OUTREACH EVENT May 9 CASE Farm, 149 Chieftain Circle 7 p.m. Ocilla Representatives from the USDA and the UGA Cooperative Extension Service will be on hand to provide information about their programs and services, including availability and accessibility of USDA services.. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations can be made by contacting Jerome Tucker at 229-506-0714 or jtucker8@earthlink.net or Calvin Willis at 229-375-1812 or wcal@bellsouth.net. MAY 10 IS DEADLINE FOR GFB YOUNG FARMER AWARDS GFB is accepting applications for the Young Farmer Achievement Award and the new Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture Award through May 10. GFB members between the ages of 18-35 may apply for these awards. The Achievement Award will recognize an outstanding young farmer or couple whose primary income is derived from farming. The Excellence in Agriculture Award will recognize an outstanding individual whose primary income is not derived from farming. Extension agents, FFA advisors and ag lenders are examples of individuals who may apply for this award. Applications are available at county Farm Bureau offices. Three finalists will be named for each contest at the GFB Young Farmer Leadership Conference on Jekyll Island July 12-14. The state winner of each award will be announced during the GFB convention in December. Both state winners will receive an expense-paid trip to San Antonio, Texas, to compete at the AFBF Convention next January for the chance to win a 2014 Chevrolet or GMC pickup truck.

Leadership Alert page 5 of 9 ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION SCHOOL May 20-22 Calhoun Stockyards Calhoun This comprehensive three-day course includes 14 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of lab work with cattle, offering students the opportunity to learn artificial insemination techniques and herd management under skilled supervision. Sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Curriculum includes anatomy and reproduction, fertility, heat detection, nutrition, genetics and sire selection and more. Registration is $350 for adults and $300 for college and high school students, which covers the cost of supplies and practice cows. Discounts are available for multiple members of the same family. The program is limited to 15 students. Registration and fees are due by May 10. For more information contact Allen Southard at 678-617-2945 or Chris Franklin at 706-263-2008 or chris@feonow.com. GEORGIA OLIVE PRODUCERS ANNUAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE May 10 The Threatte Center 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Lakeland This meeting will provide a wide range of informations to growers, potential new growers, researchers, developers support industries and government agencies working in the expansion of the olive oil industry in Georgia and the Southeastern U.S. Kimberly Holding of the American Olive Oil Producers Associaion will give the keynote address, and legislative updates will be provided by Paul Miller of the Australian Olive Association and Jason Shaw of Georgia Olive farms. Registration is $50 for members and $100 for non-members. For more information contact Vicki Hughes at 229-300-9931 or georgiaolivegrowers@gmail.com. To register, visit http://georgiaolivegrowers.com/?page_id=428. PESTICIDE APPLICATOR RECERTIFICATION CLASSES May 21 Dougherty County Extension 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Albany May 24 Lanier Technical College 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Gainesville Certified pesticide applicators need reecertification training and continuing education credits to maintain their licenses. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension has planned pesticide applicator recertification classes for May in Albany and Gainesville. Early registration is $45 per person. The Albany class registration fee rises to $55 after May 13 and the Gainesville class rises to $55 after May 16. Certified applicators can earn five hours of Georgia Commercial Pesticide Credit in categories 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 41 for attending each class. Private applicators can earn up to two credit hours. Experts from UGA Extension and the Georgia Department of Agriculture will teach the classes. For a complete schedule or to register online, visit the website http://www.ugagriffincontinuingedu.com. For more information, call 770-229-3477 or send an email to conteduc@uga.edu. GEORGIA MILK PRODUCERS HOLDING REFERENDUM UNTIL MAY 14 Georgia dairy producers have until May 14 to cast their ballots in the reaffirmation referendum currently underway for the Georgia Milk Producers (GMP), Inc. Ballots were mailed to producers on April 15. Every three years, GMP must hold a producer referendum as required by the Georgia Commodities Promotion Act. In order for GMP to continue, at least two-thirds majority (67%) of the Georgia dairymen voting must vote in favor of continuing the organization. GMP is funded through a one-cent per hundredweight assessment on all milk produced in Georgia. The assessment funds programs of education, promotion and communication. Producers who have not received a ballot by April 25 should contact the GMP office at 706-310-0020.

Leadership Alert page 6 of 9 WILD HOG INFORMATION MEETING May 16 McGill-Woodruff Ag Center 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Washington The Wilkes County Cattlemen's Association is holding this meeting, open to the public, to educate the public about wild hogs. I. B. Parnell, a senior wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, will discuss trapping and other means of controlling feral hogs. Conservation Ranger Mark Patterson will cover the legal aspects to ensure landowners control feral hogs through allowed practices. The meeting will include a complimentary meal. Preregister by calling the Wilkes County Extension Office at 706-678-2332 by noon on May 15. Those attending the meeting are asked to make a $5 contribution to the Wilkes County Cattlemen's Association. GEORGIA GROWN FARMER SHOWCASE May 18 Macon Farmers Market 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Macon June 1 Atlanta State Farmers Market 9 a.m. - noon Forest Park June 8 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta June 22 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta June 29 Savannah State Farmers Market 9 a.m. - noon Savannah July 13 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta July 27 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta Aug. 10 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta Aug. 24 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta Sept. 14 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta Sept. 28 Park Market, Centennial Olympic Park 9 a.m. - noon Atlanta This family-friendly series features dozens of vendors from around the state, offering locally grown fresh Georgia produce and plant sales, meet and greets with local farmers and much more. For more information, visit http://www.georgiagrown.com or call 404-656-3689. SMALL RUMINANT PARASITE CONTROL CONFERENCE May 20-22 Pettigrew Center, Fort Valley State University Fort Valley This “train the trainer” symposium for parasite management will educate stakeholders in the small ruminant industry on the most up-to-date methods and recommendations for parasite control. Training and certification will also be provided in integrated parasite management in small ruminants, including sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas and others. Full registration is $300 per person. Registration for one day of the conference $150. For more information or to register, visit http://www.fvsu.edu/acsrpc_registration. USDA GEORGIA STRIKEFORCE INITIATIVE MEETING May 23 Fort Valley State University 9 a.m. - noon Fort Valley The USDA Strikeforce Initiative aims to increase investment in rural communities by providing technical assistance and ensuring that every community has equal access to USDA programs. Georgia has been part of this program since it was launched in 2010 and 60 Georgia counties with poverty-stricken communities have been identified to participate in the program. For a list of eligible counties and more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/cyemkus. This meeting is open to the public. Meeting will be held in the Agricultural Technology Center at Fort Valley State University. Pre-registration is requested by May 20 by emailing Chris.Groskreutz@ga.usda.gov or by calling 706-546-2069. Leadership Alert page 7 of 9

USDA TO ACCEPT CRP APPLICATIONS MAY 20 – JUNE 14 The USDA will conduct a four-week general sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), beginning May 20 and ending on June 14. CRP is a voluntary program available to agricultural producers to help them safeguard environmentally sensitive land. Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion and enhance wildlife habitat. Contracts on 3.3 million acres of CRP are set to expire on Sept. 30. Producers with expiring contracts or producers with environmentally sensitive land are encouraged to evaluate their options under CRP. Producers that are accepted in the sign-up can receive cost-share assistance to plant long-term, resource-conserving covers and receive an annual rental payment for the length of the contract (10-15 years). Producers also are encouraged to look into CRP's other enrollment opportunities offered on a continuous, non-competitive, sign-up basis and that often provide additional financial assistance. Continuous sign-up dates will be announced at a later date. For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit a local FSA service center or http://www.fsa.usda.gov. CALHOUN BEEF CATTLE REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP May 28 UGA NW GA Research & Education Center Calhoun Workshop begins at 6 p.m. in the livestock pavilion of the Northwest Georgia Research and Education Center. For more information contact Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or by emailing pworley@uga.edu. GA HEIFER EVALUATION & REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT (HERD) SALE May 29 UGA NW GA Research & Education Center Calhoun Sale begins at 12:30 p.m. in the livestock pavilion of the Northwest Georgia Research and Education Center. For more information contact Phil Worley at 706-624-1398 or by emailing pworley@uga.edu. OPEN HOUSE AT WILLIAMS DAIRY May 30 Williams Dairy, 4700 Highway 83 9 a.m. – noon Madison This tour of the Williams Dairy and its new rotary milking parlor will provide two hours of continuing education credit hours for waste operators. For more information, contact Farrah Newberry with Georgia Milk Producers Inc. at 706-310-0020. PROPERTY TAX & TAX APPEAL WORKSHOPS May 30 Gainesville First Baptist Church 8:15 a.m. - 1:45 a.m. Gainesville June 4 UGA Campus Conference Center 8:15 a.m. - 1:45 p.m. Tifton These workshops will provide Georgia’s forestry community with knowledge about the property tax process and tax appeal process. These seminars will address a summary of issues associated with property taxation of timberland in Georgia, potential solutions, and real life case studies on how to approach appeals. Workshop presenters will teach landowners what to expect when challenging tax appraisals and how to deal with the assessors when they feel they have been wronged. Cost for attendance is $65 per attendee and $35 for the second person in the same family. A $10 late fee will be assessed on all registrations received after May 15. Each workshop is limited to the first 150 registrants. For more information on the workshop location, speakers and agenda, call the Georgia Forestry Association at 478-992-8110, email info@gfagrow.org or visit www.gfagrow.org/ taxworkshops Leadership Alert page 8 of 9

MAY 31 IS DEADLINE TO ENTER YF DISCUSSION MEET May 31 is the deadline to enter the 2013 GFB Young Farmer Discussion Meet. The state discussion meet winner will receive an Arctic Cat 500 ATV, $500 and an expense-paid trip to the 2014 AFBF Convention in San Antonio, Texas, to compete for national honors. The three finalists will each receive $350. The AFBF winner will receive a 2014 Chevrolet or GMC pickup truck. Visit your local Farm Bureau office for more details about the contest. The preliminary rounds of the 2013 GFB YF Discussion Meet will be held during the GFB Young Farmer Leadership Conference on Jekyll Island July 12-14. The four finalists will compete for the state title at the GFB Convention Dec. 8.  2013 GFB YOUNG FARMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE July 11-14 Jekyll Island Convention Center Jekyll Island This family-friendly event will provide educational, networking and social opportunities for young farmers. The preliminary rounds of the 2013 Young Farmer Discussion Meet, in which contestants compete for a variety of great prizes, will be held during the conference, which also features breakout sessions on a variety of topics. Registration deadline is May 31. For more information, contact GFB Young Farmer Coordinator Jed Evans at 478-474-0679, ext. 5230 or jcevans@gfb.org. CAES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ACCEPTING SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS June 1 Deadline to apply for Transfer Scholarship The UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Alumni Association is accepting applications for its Transfer Scholarship for students considering transferring into a CAES program in fall 2013. For more information or to download the application form, visit http://www.caes.uga.edu/alumni/CAA/scholarships.html.

2013 GFB ART CONTEST WINNERS

Winning entry from

Chandler Jernigan, Glynn

County

Leadership Alert page 9 of 9

Runner-up winning entry from Melissa Pye, Early

County

Runner-up winning entry

from Zachary Edds,

Whitfield County