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MAR 21-25: GEORGIA AG WEEK - Georgia Grown has posted a guideline for a number of activities throughout the week to highlight Georgia's largest industry.
Be sure to make Georgia Milk a part of the awareness campaign by making social posts; use the HashTag #GMPAgWeek2022 so your posts can be easily found!
And be sure to enter the Photo Contest - deadline for submissions is this Friday, March 25th!
Focus activities have been suggested for each day. They include:
- Mon, Mar 21: Hands-On Garden Day
- Tues, Mar 22: Buy Georgia Grown Day
- Wed, Mar 23: Ag Hero Day (hashtag social posts #AgHero)
- Thurs, Mar 24: Ag Literacy Day (read to a classroom!)
- Fri, Mar 25: Make My Plate GA Grown Day
Suggested Hash Tags for all posts: #GaAgWeek2022; #GeorgiaGrown
Check THIS GEORGIA GROWN PAGE for info & resources!
MAR 22: NATIONAL AG DAY - check the website and their social media outlets to follow along for event updates!
MAR 24: Georgia Ag Literacy Day! Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black will be reading on Facebook live.
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GA Legislature: Freedom to Farm, Raw Milk
(from the GA Farm Bureau Legislative Report, Fri, March 18)
FREEDOM TO FARM: "On Monday, [Mar 14]. the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, chaired by Senator Larry Walker (R-Perry), held a hearing on HB 1150, the Freedom to Farm Act. This GFB spotlight issue passed the House on March 3rd and is now continuing to make its way through the legislative process. While the majority of the committee spoke in favor of the bill, there were a few senators who brought up concerns related to misconceptions still being pushed by groups in opposition to HB 1150. These misconceptions deal mostly with the false notion that this bill is to benefit large corporate animal farming operations while in reality it simply seeks to protect those farmers in Georgia who are doing everything the right way. With 98% of Georgia’s farms being family owned and operated, HB 1150 was introduced to protect the families all across our state that grow the food and fiber we rely on daily.
To view the hearing from Monday, click here, with Chairman Robert Dickey’s presentation of the bill starting at 17:40. The Senate Agriculture Committee is expected to have another hearing on today, Monday, March 21st where they were to take public testimony.
RAW MILK: On Thursday, March 17, Larry Walker, Chairman of the GA Senate Ag Committee, established a committee to look at HB 1175, the Raw Dairy Act. This subcommittee is to meet on Tuesday, March 22, and then report back to the full committee.
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March 20, 2022 - a TV Report on the Raw Milk Issue: "You Would Be Able to Buy Raw Milk Off the Farm if this Georgia Bill Passes," by Suzanne Lawler, for WMAZ-TV, Macon. This report features an interview with Marvin Yoder, a member of Georgia Milk Producers, and whose family farm produces organic milk.
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MAR 24: COMMENT DEADLINE: WHOLE MILK CHOICE in SCHOOLS
HR 1861: The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act 2021
Many of you are aware that there have been ongoing efforts to allow school systems to once again bring whole milk back to their menus as a high-nutrition beverage choice. The Food and Nutrition Service is accepting comments is currently accepting comments
BACKGROUND: Why Whole Milk Should be Returned as a Choice in Schools; information compiled by folks at 97milk.com, an easy to read 3 pg. assessment with additional links.
THE BILL's TEXT: Read the Bill itself, view the 88 bi-partisan co-sponsors, and track the bill's activities through the legislative process at Congress.gov. A number of representatives from several southeastern states, including Georgia Representatives Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12), Rep. David Scott (GA-13) and Austin Scott (GA-8) have signed on as co-sponsors. If your representative has not signed on, please contact their individual offices.
COMMENT: Comment Portal at Regulations.gov: You may directly post your comments about choice of whole milk in schools in the portal. It may be helpful if you draft or write your comments ahead of time, and then you can copy or paste directly into the portal.
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FMMO REFORM
APR 5th: ADC Webinars on FMMO Reform- Session 2
American Dairy Coalition (ADC) has announced a second segment of their webinar series: “Future of Federal Dairy Milk Pricing Forum”.
Again moderated by Dave Natzke of Progressive Dairyman, this seminar's' panelists are Danny Munch, American Farm Bureau Economist, Brian Henrichs, an Illinois dairy and Crop Farmer.
A portion of this second webinar will include updates on Farm Bill discussions, now in the development stages in Congress. Speakers will be from the Senate Ag Committee - Kyle Varner from the office of Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, and Jeremy Witte from the office of Ranking Member John Boozman of Arkansas.
Click here for MORE INFO.
Click here TO REGISTER.
For Review: REPORT on SESSION 1 of the ADC Webinar Series:
"Future of Federal Milk Pricing Forum Got 'Wheels Turning,'" by Sherry Bunting, published in Farmshine on February 18 and 25, then posted on AgMoos Blog.
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Georgia Milk Producers Announces Changes in Board Leadership
The Georgia Milk Producers Board of Directors met on March 17, 2022. At that meeting, a new slate of officers was elected as follows:
- President, Matt Johnson, Climax
- Vice President: Adam Graft, Americus
- Secretary: Scott Glover, Clermont
- Treasurer: Megan Bell, Godfrey
Georgia Milk wishes to thank Jason Martin for his service as President for the past 3 years. Jason has been at the helm as Georgia's dairy industry has navigated through the many difficult challenges associated with a myriad of issues precipitated by Covid-19, as well as changes at his own family dairy operation, and we are very grateful for the time he gave to serve his fellow dairymen and agriculture industry. We wish him the best as he can no focus on the home farm.
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