SIGNUP FOR AG SALES TAX EXEMPTION CARDS UNDERWAY

Beginning Nov. 15, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is accepting applications for the Georgia Agriculture Tax Exemption (GATE) certificate, which Georgia farmers must have to receive sales tax exemptions on farm input materials effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Applications may be completed online at http://www.agr.georgia.gov or downloaded and mailed to the GDA. Call 1-855-327-6829 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or visit the website for information on applying for GATE. There is a $20 fee to process applications online that may be paid with Visa or MasterCard and a $25 fee for mailed applications that may be paid with a personal check made payable to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Printed applications for mailing will be available at most county Farm Bureau offices.

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom McCall and Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) President Zippy Duvall launched the signup for the GATE certificate during a press conference held Nov. 14 at the GFB home office in Macon.

“I encourage farmers to apply for the GATE certificate immediately so they can receive the tax exemptions when they go into effect the first of the year,” Duvall said. “Georgia Farm Bureau worked hard to educate our state officials about the importance of having these sales tax exemptions as the GATE program will help Georgia farmers remain competitive.”

GATE, established by HB 386, offers qualified ag producers a sales tax exemption on ag equipment and most materials used to produce ag products. The GATE certificate replaces the Agricultural Certificate of Exemption (ST-A1) form producers currently use to receive existing sales tax exemptions.

“The legislators for a long time wanted to have a more consolidated tax policy for the state,” Black said. “HB 386 updates and modernizes our tax codes allowing the agribusiness community to become more competitive with our surrounding states.”

To qualify for a GATE certificate an applicant must meet one of the following qualifications: 1) produce a minimum of $2,500 of ag products annually 2) provide a minimum of $2,500 worth of agricultural services annually 3) maintain orchards, pasture or timber with the long-term potential to produce $2,500 annually or 4) own property that qualifies for the Conservation Use Value Assessment or Forestland Protection Act.

GFB began work on the sales tax exemption issue in 2010 after the Georgia General Assembly created the Special Council for Tax Reform and Fairness to study Georgia’s tax structure and suggest changes. In 2011, the council recommended that farmers keep their existing sales tax exemptions and that the exemptions be expanded to include energy, equipment parts, fence products and more.

November 14, 2012 www.gfb.org Vol. 30 No. 46

Leadership Alert page 2 of 6 FARM BUREAUS CELEBRATING FARM-CITY WEEK

Nearly 1 in 20 workers in our national economy plays a role in getting food and fiber from the farm to consumers. If you appreciate the variety and quality of the food and clothes available

when you shop, then Georgia Farm Bureau invites you to join the organization in celebrating National Farm-City Week, Nov. 16-22.

Farm-City Week celebrates the partnership between farmers and their urban colleagues who help prepare, transport, market and retail the food and fiber farmers grow for America’s consumers. County Farm Bureaus across Georgia are celebrating Farm-City Week with events designed to increase awareness of agriculture in their communities. Counties have been holding events throughout November as schedules allowed. 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.

“Farm-City Week is a great chance for farmers to tell consumers how we grow the food, fiber and lumber that feeds, clothes and houses America. Our country has an incredible food and fiber supply system that gets the commodities we grow from the farm to consumers,” GFB President Zippy Duvall said. “It takes the work of commodity brokers, food processors, food inspectors, cotton ginners, clothing manufacturers, truck drivers, retail clerks and many more to get our food and clothes to consumers. This partnership is what we’re celebrating this week.”

According to the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development (CAED), Georgia’s food and fiber system consists of industries involved in agricultural and forestry production, production support services, food and fiber processing, production inputs, food retail and wholesale and food services. Georgia’s food and fiber sector had sales of $107 billion in 2010, ranking it first among the state’s economic sectors. The 688,586 workers employed in Georgia’s food and fiber sector are more than those employed in any other sector in the state economy. More than one in seven Georgians were employed within the food and fiber system in 2010. PRODUCTION UP IN PEANUTS, COTTON, CORN

Georgia’s production of peanuts, cotton and corn for grain are projected for increases over 2011, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) November crop report.

With significant increases in both harvested acres and yields, the state’s peanut production is expected to nearly double, from 1.65 billion pounds in 2011 to 3.2 billion pounds in 2012. Georgia’s peanut growers are anticipated to yield an average of 4,450 pounds per acre.

Even with a 14 percent decrease in acreage, the state’s cotton production is projected to increase by about 10 percent, from 2.47 million bales in 2011 to 2.7 million bales in 2012.

Georgia production of corn for grain is also expected to show a sharp increase resulting from a 9 percent increase in acreage and 20 percent increase in yields. Georgia corn growers are expected to produce 56 million bushels in 2012, up from 42.7 million bushels in 2011.

The state’s soybean crop is expected to more than double, from just under 3 million bushels in 2011 to more than 7 million bushels in 2012.

Leadership Alert page 3 of 6 SYMPOSIUM PROVIDES INSURANCE, MARKETING TIPS

Attendees at the first Georgia Grown Symposium received information about insuring their business, ways to market their products to grocery store chains and complying with government food safety regulations.

Approximately 150 people registered for the event, which was held Nov. 8 and 9 in Macon and offered seminars on more than 20 topics related to agriculture and agribusinesses, ranging from insurance considerations to marketing techniques, farm-to-school efforts and regulatory issues.

“We’ve been looking for any number of ways that we can add value to the Georgia Grown program for our members,” said Georgia Department of Agriculture Chief Operating Officer Billy Skaggs. “We’re trying to develop that brand, and the idea behind the symposium was to offer some continuing education, offer some training for our members, those folks who are farmers, food processors and agribusiness.”

Georgia Farm Bureau District 4 Field Underwriter Chris Caldwell provided key insurance considerations for farmers, including property, premise liability and farm liability.

Caldwell urged farmers to become familiar with what coverage they need and what is covered by their current policy. He also encouraged regular reviews with their agents, noting that as farm operations evolve over time, insurance needs also evolve.

“We want to make sure that we insure them properly,” Caldwell said. “And if we don’t have the ability to insure them properly, we want to make sure we point them in the right direction.”

Harveys Supermarkets Center Store Manager Michael Purvis shared ways growers can enhance their chances of getting their products onto the shelves in the supermarket. Purvis recommended that they make sure they have adequate supply capabilities, that their product has relevance to the supermarket chain, that they have a marketing/promotional plan and that they seek partnerships to help promote and sell their products.

Oscar Garrison, director of the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Division said the division is moving to a risk-based inspection approach. In determining which operations to inspect, inspectors will assess what is produced, how much is produced, what preventive controls are in place and the compliance history. Garrison noted that once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rolls out its food safety rules for farms, his division and farmers alike will have to be educated on what will be required for compliance. For more information about the Food Safety Division and guidelines on food safety requirements for businesses, visit http://agr.georgia.gov/food-safety-division.aspx. DIANE DAVIES INDUCTED INTO 4-H HALL OF FAME

Diane Davies, known as the founder of environmental education in Georgia, was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on Oct. 12. Davies served as a state 4-H specialist for environmental education for 24 years. She was hired in 1979 to develop the environmental education program at the University of Georgia Rock Eagle 4-H Center. In that role, she created the classes, secured the resources, and served as the only instructor, administrator and promoter for nine years. She collaborated with 2011 Hall of Fame inductee Tom Rodgers to build Rock Eagle's Museum of Natural History.

Caldwell

Leadership Alert page 4 of 6 GFB TAKING ENTRIES FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AG AWARD The Georgia Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award is an opportunity to recognize teachers who actively engage students in learning about agriculture. County Farm Bureaus may nominate one teacher in their county for the state award, which includes $500 cash and up to $1,500 in expenses to attend the 2013 National Ag in the Classroom Conference, to be held June 25-28 in Minneapolis. The state winner will also be invited to present his or her program at the GFB Educational Leadership Conference on March 16, 2013. The deadline to enter is Nov. 16, 2012. For more information, contact GFB Ag in the Classroom Coordinator Donna Rocker at 478-474-0679, ext. 5365 or dhrocker@gfb.org. UPCOMING SURVEYS TO BE CONTUCTED BY NASS Below are upcoming surveys to be taken by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Georgia office, and the dates they are to begin. Call the Georgia NASS office at 800-253-4419 with any questions or comments. Thru Nov. 23 Grapes Production and Disposition, Blueberries, and Peach Surveys Questionnaires were mailed to producers in early October. Producers will be called for survey responses through Nov. 23. Results from this survey will be released in the Noncitrus Fruits report on January 22, 2013. Nov. 21-Dec. 14 December Agricultural Survey Data collection for the December Survey will begin with a mail-out on Nov. 21 and be followed with a call between Nov. 29 and Dec.14. Results will be published in the Annual Crop Production report on Jan. 11, 2013. Nov. 21-Dec. 12 Off Farm Grain Stocks Questionnaires will be mailed on Nov. 21 and producers will be called from the Georgia Field Office, Dec. 10-12. Results will be published in the Grain Stocks report on Jan. 11, 2013. GA MILK PRODUCERS GRAZING & FORAGE MANAGEMENTWORKSHOPS Nov. 27 Macon Co. Extension Office , 100 Sumter St. Oglethorpe Nov. 30 UGA Tifton Conference Center Tifton The Georgia Milk Producers Inc. and Dr. Dennis Hancock, University of Georgia Forage Extension Specialist, are offering a series of workshops to discuss how dairy producers can manage their grazing and forages to offset feed costs and manage nutrients. These workshops qualify for two continuing education credit hours for waste operators and nutrient management planners. Meetings are free and open to dairymen, managers and employees. All workshops begin at 10 a.m. and are scheduled to end at noon with lunch. For meal purposes, please preregister by calling Farrah Newberry at 706-310-0020 at least three days before the meeting you will attend. NOV. 30 IS DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR MONSANTO CHARITY PROGRAM Farmers in 33 south Georgia counties have until Nov. 30 to register to win $2,500 for a charity of their choice in the 2nd Annual America’s Farmers Grow Communities Program sponsored by Monsanto. Eligible counties are: Appling, Baker, Berrien, Bleckley, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Calhoun, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Early, Grady, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Lee, Macon, Miller, Mitchell, Screven, Seminole, Sumter, Tattnall, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth. The winning farmers and charities will be announced in January 2013. Visit http://www.growcommunities.com or call 1-877-267-3332 for eligibility rules and to apply.

Leadership Alert page 5 of 6 USDA TO CONDUCT DECEMBER HOGS AND PIGS SURVEY In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct its final quarterly survey of pork producers this year. The agency will survey producers to measure this year’s U.S. hog and pig inventory.During the first two weeks of December, NASS will ask producers to report their market hog and breeding stock inventories as well as their farrowing intentions as of Dec. 1. Only state and national-level data will be published, and information provided by NASS survey respondents is confidential by law. NASS will publish survey results in the quarterly Hogs and Pigs report on Dec. 28. These and all NASS reports are available online at http://www.nass.usda.gov. These and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov. For more information, call the NASS Georgia Field Office at 1-800-253-4419. 2012 GEORGIA FARM BUREAU ANNUAL MEETING Dec. 2-4 Jekyll Island Convention Center Jekyll Island Georgia Farm Bureau will celebrate its 75th anniversary during its annual convention. Gov. Nathan Deal is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. Convention events will include commodity conferences for Georgia’s 20 major commodities, the final round of the Young Farmer Discussion Meet, announcements of 2012 state award winners and the annual trade show. GFB members will adopt the organization’s official policy for the next year and elect the state president, Middle Georgia vice president and district directors. For more information contact your county Farm Bureau office. AG WATER PERMIT SUSPENSION MEETINGS Dec. 4 Mitchell County Ag Building Camilla Dec. 12 Terrell Co. Govt. Building Dawson The Georgia Environmental Protection Division announced July 30 it has suspended issuing new applications for ag water withdrawal permits for a 24-county area in the lower Flint and Chattahoochee River basins, which includes all or part of Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Crisp, Decatur, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Sumter, Terrell, Turner and Worth counties. EPD is also suspending issuance of new ag surface water withdrawal permits for parts of Calhoun, Chattahoochee, Clay, Early, Marion, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell and Webster counties. Permit applications received by July 30 will be considered. The suspension will be re-evaluated annually beginning in November 2013. The UGA Cooperative Extension is hosting these meetings to discuss why EPD suspended issuing permits, how farmers can conserve water and the future of ag water permits. Registration for both meetings begins at 8:30 a.m. with the meeting starting at 9 a.m. and running until noon. There is no registration fee, but attendees are asked to RSVP by calling 229-386-3377 to ensure there is adequate meeting space. TECHNICAL LARGE ANIMAL EMERGENCY RESCUE TRAINING Dec. 7-9 TLAER Facility Gray This course will provide certification training on the practical considerations behind safe extraction of live large animals fro entrapments like trailer wrecks, ditches, barn fires and more. Cost before Dec. 1 is $400 for operations hands-on training, including textbook, and $120 for awareness level training, not including textbook. Walk-in cost is $475 for operations level and $170 for awareness level on the day of the course. For more information visit http://www.tlaer.org/.

Leadership Alert page 6 of 6 SOUTHEAST REGIONAL FRUIT & VEGETABLE CONFERENCE Jan. 10-13, 2013 International Trade and Convention Center Savannah This annual conference features 12 different crop-specific workshops plus workshops on business operations and food safety. Attendees will also have the chance to receive legislative updates from Washington and Atlanta. For more information or to register, visit http://www.seregionalconference.com. GEORGIA GROWN EXECUTIVE CHEF PROGRAM SEEKS APPLICANTS Georgia Grown and the Georgia Restaurant Association are seeking applicants for the Georgia Grown Executive Chef Program, which promotes the Department’s Georgia Grown campaign statewide. The program offers participating chefs a mark of honor and distinction, while increasing awareness for both restaurateurs and consumers about which local Georgia products are available for the cooking season. The application process runs through Jan. 11, 2013. Visit http://www.garestaurants.org/GeorgiaGrown to apply. The selected chefs will be announced at the Taste of Georgia Legislative Reception on Feb. 19, 2013.

2013 AG FORECAST MEETINGS Jan. 25 Ga. Center for Continuing Education Athens Jan. 28 ECO Center Rome Jan. 29 Georgia Farm Bureau Macon Jan. 30 UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center Tifton Jan. 31 Decatur Co. Livestock Complex Bainbridge Feb. 1 Toombs Co. Agri-Center Lyons UGA economists will give the 2013 ag economic outlook and guest speakers will discuss international trade and how the global economy impacts local businesses. Check-in for all sessions, except Tifton, begins at 9:30 a.m. Seminars run from 10 a.m. to noon followed by lunch. The Tifton event is a breakfast that runs from 7:30 a.m to 10 a.m. Cost is $30 per person or $200 for a table sponsorship, which includes eight seats. Advance registration is required by January 23. For more information or to register, visit http://www.georgiaagforecast.com call 706-583-0347 or email carlam@uga.edu. These meetings are a UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences program endowed by Georgia Farm Bureau and supported by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture and Georgia Agribusiness Council. FLAVOR OF GEORGIA FOOD PRODUCT CONTEST The UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development sponsors this annual contest, designed to help Georgia-based food entrepreneurs showcase their products. Contestants may submit as many products as they like. The categories are: barbecue and hot sauces; jams, jellies and sauces; confections; meat products; dairy products and snack foods. Registration is open and runs through Feb. 8, 2013. Finalists will be invited to take part in a final judging on March 11, 2013 and a public tasting on March 12 at Ag Awareness Day in Georgia event, when the winners will also be announced. For more information about the contest, including registration information, visit http://www.flavorofgeorgia.caes.uga.ed or call 706-583-0347.