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2016 AG ISSUES SUMMIT & INDUSTRY SURVEY
The
Ag Issues Summit, held August 9, generated statewide discussion on a variety of topics impacting Georgia’s agriculture and forestry industries.
To continue the conversation, the Georgia Agribusiness Council partnered with organizations from a variety of ag sectors to craft a brief survey that will collect your valuable input. Responses are confidential, and you may skip any question that does not apply to your operation or organization.
We hope you will invest a few minutes of your time to this initiative. Your responses will contribute to a greater understanding as we continue to collaborate on solutions for water planning, GATE, insurance, labor/workforce, and more.
After completing the survey, please feel free to share it with other leaders in our industry so we may capture the most representative data to chart the best paths forward for our industry and our state. Surveys must be completed by Friday, September 9.
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The 2016 Ag Issues Summit was a great success. We appreciate Georgia Agriculture Committee Chairmen, Senator John Wilkinson and Representative Tom McCall, along with their staff, for coordinating this event. It provided excellent engagement from the agriculture and forestry communities as over 200 hundred attendees gathered to interact with elected officials and other state leaders. We thank
Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black, Commissioner of Revenue Lynne Riley,
Congressman Austin Scott
and
Georgia EPD Director Rick Dunn for being on the program
.
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GATE COMPLIANCE OFFICERS SET TO ENGAGE WITH FARMERS AND RETAILERS
Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black recently discussed the role his staff is taking to deploy a team of compliance officers to advocate statewide for the fair and proper use of the Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption (GATE). The five compliance officers are tasked with educating retailers and farmers about allowable applications of the sales tax exemption to purchases made for farm-related use. They are working under the direction of the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General. Their goal is to ensure that GATE is only applied to purchases that are defined by law. There are currently 37,000 authorized GATE cards in use in Georgia.
GAC developed a guidance document that is regularly updated for the GATE program and has been reviewed by the Department of Agriculture and Department of Revenue. The purpose is to help take away the grey area of what items are exempt and are not. It is a great tool for retailers and also farmers alike to help ensure they are in compliance with the program. The document is available on our website and if you CLICK HERE.
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SCRAP TIRE USE REQUIRES GEORGIA EPD WAIVER
Over the past year, GAC and the Georgia Milk Producers have been working with the GA Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to provide a waiver for any Georgia farm that has more than 100 scrap tires and/or needs scrap tires for storage and use on the farm. They are often used to hold down tarps for silage at dairies and other livestock facilities. Georgia law prohibits the storage or use of such tires without a waiver as they can present several potential threats to human health and the environment. These include accelerating the breeding of mosquitoes and air and water contamination in the event of a fire. Proper storage of scrap tires can substantially reduce these threats. Along with the waiver, EPD provides a guidance document for tire storage and best management practices. Tire sidewalls are not considered scrap tires and therefore do not require a waiver.
If you use scrap tires on your farm, you need to complete the waiver and submit it to EPD as soon as possible. EPD has expressed their support for such scrap tire uses for Georgia agriculture. There is no fee for the waiver. but you need to submit the completed document in order to be in compliance. Click here to access the waiver. The EPD Land Protection Branch can be contacted at 404-362-2566 or 404-463-8509 if you have any specific questions on scrap tire use.
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HARVEST CELEBRATION SHAPING UP FOR A RECORD ATTENDANCE
GAC staff and board members are thrilled to announce that over 750 tickets have been sold to Harvest Celebration, slated for Nov. 18 at the Cobb Galleria Centre. I
f you have not yet secured your ticket to this special anniversary event, you may use the online order form, contact Anna Strickland at [email protected] or 706-336-6830. Never attended Harvest Celebration? Click on the image below to view a brief rewind of 2015's event- it will give you an idea of what to expect at this first-class, engaging experience.
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GEORGIA POULTRY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION CELEBRATES 80 YEARS
T
he annual meeting of the
Georgia Poultry Improvement Association
was held at the Georgia Poultry Lab Network in Gainesville, GA. We were pleased to attend as they celebrated 80 years of service to the poultry industry.
Dr. Louise Dufour-Zavala
is the Executive Director of the Georgia Poultry Lab Network and does an amazing job leading the services provided by these facilities. Attendees were given a tour of the facilities to show the advancements and capabilities of the lab. Pictured below are GAC's Jonathan Harding, Abit Massey of the GA Poultry Federation, Rep. Tom McCall, Commissioner Gary Black and Director Louise Zavala.
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AG LABOR MEETING SET FOR NOVEMBER
The
Agricultural Labor Relations Forum hosted by Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
will be held November 1-2, 2016 at the
UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. GAC is proud to be a sponsor of this event.
The latest updates for growers, shippers, processors and other agricultural professionals regarding labor relations matters will be discussed. Hear advice from industry experts to help you engage and comply with all labor regulations. With labor becoming an increasingly difficult issue this will be a great opportunity to learn more about opportunities and programs to ensure that you have the latest knowledge regarding labor and also compliance with the current labor laws.
Click here to register.
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GAC NETWORKS WITH CAES STUDENTS
The CAES Alumni Association hosted over 300 students at the annual Welcome Back Party on August 24. This is an important event where alumni are actively involved in welcoming students to the college. Dean Pardue offered his first official greetings to the student body, and GAC's Anna Strickland was on hand to meet with students and assist with the event. GAC looks forward to being on campus a few more times this year in an effort to promote various opportunities with GAC's Foundation, such as scholarships and internships.
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SOUTHEASTERN AG RETAIL FORUM
Our friends at the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) in Washington DC are hosting a Southeastern Ag Retail Forum in Valdosta, GA at the Rainwater Conference Center October 19, 2016. This conference will be a convenient and inexpensive way to learn more about national and regional agricultural issues. You will be able to meet and talk with those that are representing agriculture at a national, regional and state level. Representatives from ARA, GAC, Alabama Agribusiness Council, and Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association will be on hand to answer any questions and discuss current ag retailer issues. Transportation will be provided for Sunbelt Ag Expo attendees. Click here to register.
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AGAWARE PROGRAM GREAT FOR NEW FARMERS
GAC’s Jonathan Harding was fortunate to attend the AgAware Small Farm Business Training Program in Carrollton, GA put on by AgSouth Farm Credit, UGA Extension and the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. This program provides great knowledge and education on loan programs and helping new farmers set themselves up for success. Van McCcall presented the information along with guest speakers and as always was entertaining and educational to all who attended. GAC’s past Chairman Merrill Folsom of AgSouth Farm Credit also spoke at the event. If any new farmers have questions about farm loans or federal programs, please don’t hesitate to contact your local Farm Credit branch. GAC is proud to have both AgSouth Farm Credit and AgGeorgia Farm Credit as members.
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JOINT WATER COUNCIL MEETING
The joint meeting of the Western Water Council districts met August 23, 2016 at Callaway Gardens. The purpose was to give the Agricultural Water Demand Forecast, presented by Mark Masters of Albany State, and discuss the State Water plan moving forward. These included Coosa-North Georgia, Middle Chattahoochee, Upper Flint and Lower Flint- Ochlockonee Water Councils. This gave the opportunity for all western councils to meet in one place and engage with Georgia EPD officials and their plans especially with the Georgia, Florida, and Alabama water war still in play. Some of the topics discussed were the conservation of water in the Metro Atlanta where water use has dropped by 10% since 2000 even with a growing population. Also, the projections show that in 2050 the metro daily water use will be 862-898 million gallons of water, this is down from the previous projection of 1,200 million gallons per day.
Water conservation is an important component of our water planning future. Agriculture continues to do a great job advancing water efficiency initiatives and we are pleased to see the Atlanta area initiatives are also paying off. Such advancements are key to our battle with Florida over water rights. Georgia has proven time after time that we strive to be good stewards of our water resources. Florida has failed to make any such adjustments.
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AGRITRUST SERVES AGRIBUSINESS
Over 600 Georgia Agribusiness Council members utilize our AgriTrust of Georgia worker’s compensation insurance program. The Council created AgriTrust of Georgia in 1992 and it serves agribusinesses from a wide range of sectors.
Workplace inspections, safety seminars and member resource materials are all readily available to those in the program. A great safety record has helped return over $5.1 million in dividends to qualified members. We encourage you to consider this proven program for your workers’ compensation insurance needs. For more information about AgriTrust of Georgia, please visit www.agritrust.biz or call Eddie Kinnard at 678-753-0016.
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Agri-Business Supply Inc.
Brooksco Diary,LLC
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Boston Gin Co.
Clay Co. and Associates
Coley Gin & Fertilizer Co. Inc.
C.M Tanner Grocery Co. Inc
Doug Hopkins
Georgia 4-H Foundation
GA Agricultural Commodity for Tabacco
Georgia/Florida Soybean Assoc.
H.T. McClendon Co.
Hardy Farms
Mobley Greenhouse Inc.
Quality Feedstuff, Inc.
Russell Landscape Contractors, LLC
Sylvania Peanut Co. Inc.
Swainsboro Stockyard
The J.L. Morgan Co, Inc.
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Special thanks to all of our Star Sponsors. Please call our office at 706-336-6830 or
click here for details
. Thank you!
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GAC BOARD MEMBER HOSTS AGRIHEALTH MEETING
GAC Board Member Sonny Perdue hosted a meeting for a group of GAC members to learn more about GAC's health insurance program called AgriHealth of Georgia. This is a program GAC has been working on with Snellings Walters Insurance Agency for over a year to provide healthcare options for employers and is ACA (Affordable Care Act) compliant. This program is a “group medical captive,” which is a partially self-funded healthcare plan. Group medical captives are structured to serve as long-term, high-quality programs for some industry sectors – and the actuarial data shows GAC membership meets key targets to build a successful program. AgriHealth of Georgia is an economic service available for GAC members and is structured to help those enrolled in the program guide their own success. We have continued our relationship with Snellings Walters Insurance Agency for enrollment and Milliman for actuary services.
Our AgriHealth of Georgia program utilizes the national Blue Cross Blue Shield network and is now available to employers with 10 - 40 employees as well as those with more than 40 employees. We are very pleased with the interest in these programs.
Most businesses experience an increase on the cost of their health insurance each year at renewal, an average increase of 7% each year over the past 6 years. The following graph shows the average healthcare costs for every 100 employees. We are demonstrating the performance of the AgriHealth of Georgia program against the average increase for a fully insured medical program. The AgriHealth of Georgia program uncovers possibilities to lower your fixed costs and control your claims. Conservatively speaking, we have found that our actively managed program will cut the rising costs of healthcare in half. The illustration below shows that those dollars add up substantially after just 6 years, saving nearly $800,000 per 100 employees. Please contact the GAC office at 706-336-6830 or email Bryan Tolar for additional information on this program.
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GAC SCHOLARSHIP & GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW AVAILABLE
Dr. Joe B. Crane Memorial Classroom Grant Program
is a wonderful reminder of the legacy “Dr. Joe” leaves behind. GAC has had the opportunity to award $500 classroom grants to more than 38 teachers since its inception in 2000. Dr. Joe B. Crane served on the Georgia Agribusiness Council Board of Directors for many years. A well-known veterinarian in the Valdosta area, Dr. Crane served crucial roles on the Board of Education in Lowndes County and carried his passion for young people in Georgia with him wherever he went. We are proud to support this program that gives Georgia teachers the chance to creatively teach agriculture in their classroom.
The applications are available August 1 and are due postmarked to the GAC office by October 14, 2016.
Any public or private school teacher in Georgia, no matter the grade level, wanting to incorporate the importance of agriculture in their lesson plans can take advantage of this opportunity for assistance in the classroom to help educate the future generation of Georgians.
GAC is also proud to announce the release of the
William C. "Bill" Baisley "Sumpin' Big" Scholarship
applications for 2016. This scholarship has assisted many students in Georgia studying agriculture and we are proud to continue the tradition. Mr. Baisley, longtime friend of GAC and Director Emeritus on our board of directors, is a legend in the poultry industry, holding numerous leadership roles over the years. His attitude about life and passion for the future generation of agriculture speaks volumes about his character. This scholarship seeks to honor Mr. Baisley by supporting two students with similar goals. Please share this scholarship application with a college student or high school senior in Georgia needing financial assistance and studying in the areas of agriculture or natural resources.
The scholarship application is due postmarked to the GAC office on or before October 14, 2016.
The winners will be recognized at Harvest Celebration on November 18th, this year.
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GAC ON THE ROAD VISITING WITH OUR MEMBERS
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Jeff Deal of Deal Farms in Statesboro, GA.
Member since 2011
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G.W. Johnson of Durden Bank in Twin City, GA.
Member since 1986
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John Roach of Renasant Bank in Statesboro, GA.
Member since 2011
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Ethan DeMore and John Ware of Smith Farm Supply in Warrenton, GA.
Member since 2011
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*GAC would like to congratulate Joe Campbell of Golden Peanut on being inducted into the Georgia Seed Association Hall of Fame. This award was presented by GAC Board Member Terry Hollifield at the Georgia Seed Association summer meeting.
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*Applications are now being accepted for the
Georgia Plant Food Educational Society J. Fielding Reed Scholarship ($2,000) and the Jimmy and Bunny Champion Academic Achievement Award ($3,000)
. For more information please
Click Here
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*The
16th Annual Ag Classic Golf Tournament at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
will be held on September 26, 2016
at ABAC’s Forest Lakes Golf Course.
There will be an 8 a.m. flight and a 1 p.m. flight. A complimentary lunch will be served between flights.
For more information click here.
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*The
Georgia Peanut Tour
will be held
September 13-15 2016,
and located out of South Georgia at the Country Inn and Suites in Tifton, GA. The tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization.
Click here for more information.
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* The
39th Annual Sunbelt Expo set for October 18th – 20th held at Spence Field in Moultrie, GA. The show will include the presentation of the Swisher Sweet Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award, Field Demonstration trials for new cropping systems and enhanced plant varieties, the latest technology and equipment from agribusinesses, and much more. GAC is pleased to attend and engage members during this outstanding event. Tickets are just $10 at the gate. To learn more about the show, visit sunbeltexpo.com.
Check out this
video
for a sneak peek at what you will see at this year's Sunbelt Expo.
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This information is intended for members of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc. No part of this document shall be copied, edited, or redistributed in any form without express written consent from the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc. Georgia Agribusiness Council | 706-336-6830 |
WWW.GA-AGRIBUSINESS.ORG
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP TO GEORGIA'S STRONGEST INDUSTRY
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