In this Issue:

• Headlines
• Georgia General Assembly Updates
• USDA Reminder for LFP Sign-Ups
• FMO Recap
• DMC Update
• SDBII Opens On-Farm Grants for Infrastructure and Technology
• Take Our GDC Attendee Survey: Tell Us How We Did
• 2024 Georgia General Assembly Legislation Tracker
• Coble and Weltzbarker Named Bobby Walker Award Winners
• Upcoming Events

Headlines

articles and press releases of interest this week

• What Market Concerns Loom for 2024
• Iowa Ag-Gag Law Upheld
• 7 Key Insights: Walmart Milk Processing Plant’s Impacts in Valdosta
• FB Market Intel: Federal Order Pool Losses Continue from 2018 Farm Bill Formula Change
• Whole and Lactose Free Milk Shine Bright
• Producers Get Antsy Waiting 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage Signups
• Wisconsin Introduces Dairy Labeling Bill for Non-Milk Substitutes
• Dairy Cattle Genomics Quietly Improving Sustainability

Georgia General Assembly Updates

Last week at the Georgia State Capitol, lawmakers spent most of their time reviewing proposed budgets for the amended FY 2024 budget and the FY 2025 state budget. By law, the Governor gets to submit a budget to the legislature based on his revenue projections for the coming year. This serves as the baseline for negotiations moving forward. The Governor’s budget included:

• $50,000 for renovations to the Atlanta-Forest Park State Farmers Market (GA Dept. of Ag)
• $4.3 million for a new electric vehicle charging program (GA Dept. of Ag)
• $4.4 million to support planning for renovations to the Dept. of Ag building in Atlanta 
• $4 million for renovations and equipment at the state agriculture laboratory in Tifton (GA Dept. of Ag)
• $1.2 million to provide targeted salary increases for consumer protection programs (GA Dept. of Ag)
• $150,000 to fund the Feral Hog Task Force (a partnership between GA Dept. of Ag, GA DNR, and USDA).
• $350,000 for additional positions to address permitting backlog for ag water withdrawal permits (GA DNR)

The House of Representatives then gets to introduce its own version of the budget using the Governor's revenue projections. Traditionally during the second week of the legislative session, the House and Senate Appropriations committees hold joint budget hearings to hear from the various state agencies. Commissioner Tyler Harper presented on behalf of the Georgia Department of Agriculture and presented a few additional appropriations requests on top of the Governor's recommendations.

• Funds for additional vehicle purchases
• Funding for the Farmland Conservation Program
• Additional funds to support activities of the Strategic Agricultural Response Team
• Funding to support increased enforcement of the industrial hemp program





USDA Reminds Producers LFP Signup Closes January 30

USDA Farm Service Agency reminds producers who suffered grazing losses in 2023 that enrollment in the LIvestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) ends on January 30, 2024. 25 counties in Georgia met the drought monitor levels necessary to trigger LFP eligibility: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Dawson, Decatur, Early, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Lumpkin, Miller, Murray, Pickens, Rabun, Seminole, Towns, Union, Walker, White, and Whitfield.



FMMO Recap

The national Federal Milk Marketing Order hearing in Carmel, IN resumed last week to hear testimony from the Milk Innovation Group (a group of specialty fluid milk processors including Fairlife, Organic Valley, Shamrock Foods, and more) on it’s proposal to reduce the Class I differentials. As National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) noted in it’s weekly FMMO Alert newsletter, MIG’s witnesses recited several talking points that centered on lowering raw milk prices. Friend of the E-News, Sherry Bunting, has an in-depth writeup on the hearing’s developments last week at her blog, AgMoos.

Ag Moos: USDA FMMO Hearing Resumes, Stephenson Testifies on MIG Proposal to End $1.60 Class I Base Differential

USDA FSA Updates County Offices on DMC Sign Up

Earlier this week USDA FSA issued a bulletin to state and county offices on the pending 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage. According to the notice, the continuing resolution Congress passed in November 2023 also extended the 2018 Farm Bill through the end of Fiscal Year 2024. According to FSA, the continuing resolution required administrative changes to the program (primarily the updated production histories that were a part of “Supplemental DMC” passed in 2021 are now incorporated into the full DMC). In the bulletin, FSA stated it’s goal to publish its program rule changes to the Federal Register in February or March of 2024. Once the rule is published in the register, county offices will be able to begin accepting DMC signups and updating producer production histories. USDA has previously stated that dairy farmers will be retroactively eligible for any payments that may be triggered for the early months of 2024.



SDBII Accepting Applications for 2 On-Farm Grants

The Southern Dairy Business Innovation Initiative through the University of Tennessee has two grant funding opportunities for eligible dairy farmers. The Farm Infrastructure Improvement Grant and the Precision Technology and Management Grant are open for applications until March 1.

Our E-News readers will remember similar grant opportunities were available last summer through SDBII. The Farm Infrastructure Grant provides reimbursement funds to permitted dairy farms in the Southeast that are seeking to make farm facility updates. The grant has a $100,000 maximum award and a 25% matching funds requirement. Improvements to existing facilities to reduce the impact of heat stress and seasonal milk production swings, raw milk storage, cooling capacity, and/or transportation efficiency, Modernization and improvements to milk harvest, improvements to feed and forage management and storage opportunities, improvements to animal housing and environments, and water and water management improvements are some of the suggested priority funding areas.

The Precision Technology and Management Grant is also open until March 1. This grant has a $150,000 maximum award with a 25% matching requirement from applications. Requests for funds to improve animal health, wellbeing, and/or performance, enhance labor efficiency, reduce energy costs or environmental impact by making production more efficient, or increase utilization of the farm’s land base will be considered.

You can read more about the SDBII grants at sdbii.tennessee.edu 

If our Georgia Milk Producers members need any technical assistance with applying for these two grants or need additional support, please email Bryce at bryce@gamilk.org.

Further Reading:

• Farm Infrastructure Improvement Grant RFP
• Precision Technology and Management Grant RFP
• Information Webinar (recording) by University of Tennessee



GMP Classifieds

Tell Us How We Did! Take 3 Minutes to Fill Out Our GDC Attendee Survey

The 2024 Georgia Dairy Conference took place last Monday-Wednesday at the Marriott Savannah Riverfront. This year’s conference was a huge success with over 600 registered attendees from across the country! Thank you to our Georgia and out-of-state dairy farmers who made the trip to Savannah this year. We also want to thank our wonderful sponsors and exhibitors at the GDC Tradeshow for their financial and logistical support of the Georgia Dairy Conference. We could not host the Southeast’s premier dairy management conference without the support of our dairy farmers and allied industry.

We ask that this year’s attendees complete our GDC Attendee Survey so that our team can plan for an even bigger and better 2025 Georgia Dairy Conference. Click the link below to take our survey and help us plan for next year.

2024 GDC Attendee Survey

Our 2024 GDC attendees should also keep an eye on their inbox for a follow up email with copies of our General Session Seminars.

2024 Legislative Tracker

The following are pieces of legislation of potential interest to GMP members and E-News readers:

• HB 848 – Reps. Taylor, Lumsden, Collins, Hitchens, and Dunahoo
• A bill to authorize the enforcement of excess vehicle weight violations through an automated vehicle weight detection system.
• Status - Referred to the committee on Motor Vehicles on 1/8/24.
• HB 908 – Reps. Ridley, J., Ridley, J., Jasperse, Fleming, and Persinger
• A bill to require food service establishments to disclose if food products contain cell-cultured meat and/or plant-based meat alternatives.
• Status – Referred to the committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs on 1/11/24.
• HB 922 – Reps. Vances, Tarvin, Lunsden, Collins, and Hitchens
• A bill to constitute the entrance upon another’s property without consent of the owner as an offense of criminal trespass.
• Status – referred to the committee on Judiciary Non-Civil on 1/12/24.
• HB 981 - Reps. Burchett, C. Cannon, Dickey, Meeks, Rhodes
• A bill to exempt agricultural structures from permitting fees by local or municipal governments.
• Status - Read and referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs on 1/23/24

Coble and Weltzbarker Named 2024 Bobby Walker Award Winners

Edward Coble and Doyle Weltzbarker, Georgia dairy farmers and active leaders in the Georgia dairy industry, have been named the 2024 Bobby Walker Award recipients by Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. The Bobby Walker Award (formerly named “The Friend of the Dairy Industry Award”) recognizes individuals who have advanced the dairy industry in Georgia and is the highest honor awarded by the trade association for Georgia dairy farmers. Colbe and Weltzbarker received the award at the Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. annual awards luncheon on Tuesday, January 17^th during the Georgia Dairy Conference in Savannah, Georgia.

Both Edward Coble and Doyle Weltzbarker have spent the better part of 50 years in the dairy business while advocating for the interests of Georgia dairy farmers and the agriculture industry. “Ed Coble and Doyle Weltzbarker are not only excellent dairy farmers, but they have been exceptional leaders in our industry and important advocates for Georgia dairy farmers for many years,” said Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. President Matt Johnson. “I am honored to say that I have known Ed and Doyle for many years, and I—like many farmers across our state—have learned a great deal about farming, agribusiness, and agricultural policy from them. They have both played a major role in advancing our industry, and we are immensely grateful for their contributions to the Georgia dairy industry.”

“Georgia Milk Producers created the Bobby Walker Award to honor the individuals who have had an outstanding impact on Georgia dairy farmers and their families. Both Edward Coble and Doyle Weltzbarker are exceptional examples of men who have been actively involved in advocating for our industry, supporting fellow dairy farmers, and leading by example in the management and operation of their own farms and businesses” said Bryce Trotter, Executive Director of Georgia Milk Producers, Inc.

Read our Full Press Release on Ed Coble and Doyle Weltzbarker here

Until Next Time,

Bryce Trotter