2020 | Jan 24 GMP E Newsletter
Georgia Milk Producers Weekly Enews
Thank You For Attending the 2020 GA DAIRY Conference!!
Strategic decision making, milk quality, maternity care, robotic milking systems and new opportunities for the dairy case, were among the many topics discussed at the 2020 Georgia Dairy Conference this week in Savannah.

Over 500 Southeastern dairy farmers and agribusiness representatives attended the 2020 Georgia Dairy Conference (GDC) and left the three-day event with new insight on a variety of dairy issues and management topics. Proceedings from our speakers are being uploaded to our website as soon as possible - click here .

Georgia Milk Producers would like to thank the many sponsors that participated in the conference. Your support made this year's conference a huge success.   Click here to view our list of sponsors  . Special thanks to our Platinum sponsors for this year:
In addition to our quality line-up of educational speakers, GDC hosted the 6th Annual Southeast Dairy Student Symposium on Monday, Jan. 20. Students from North Carolina State, University of Florida, University of Georgia, Mississippi State and Virginia Tech attended the event that's designed to provide students interested in the dairy industry with a platform to explore careers and internship opportunities in the Southeast. Students also connected with dairymen and  industry affiliates to build networking opportunities and future business relationships. 

Photos will soon be added to our GDC Facebook page and website from the conference. Mo re coverage on the Georgia Dairy Conference will be included in next's week Enews! 
Georgia Farm Bureau mourns the loss of Bonnie Duvall
From GA Farm Bureau
Bonnie Louise McWhorter Duvall, wife of former Georgia Farm Bureau President and current American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, died Jan. 18. She was 61.
Mrs. Duvall was a lifelong resident of Greene County. She was born Nov. 4, 1958, to the late Charlotte Culberson McWhorter and James Hamilton "Hamp" McWhorter. She was also preceded in death by her stepmother, Betty Dickens McWhorter.

Bonnie graduated from Nathanael Greene Academy in 1976 and was a graduate of the University of Georgia. She worked with her husband on the family farm where they raised their four children. She was a faithful member of New Hope Baptist Church in Greshamville. She was a member of the Greene County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and enjoyed accompanying Zippy on trips representing Farm Bureau across the country. 

“We are deeply saddened to learn of Bonnie’s passing. She was a strong Farm Bureau supporter and a true ambassador for the organization at all levels. Whether she was serving her local Greene County Farm Bureau or supporting Zippy while he served as Georgia Farm Bureau president and after he became the American Farm Bureau president, Bonnie was always at Zippy’s side providing a welcoming presence wherever they went," Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long said. "She was a lady in the finest sense of the word. The Farm Bureau family is praying for peace and comfort for the entire Duvall family in this time of loss.” Read more here>>>
Morgan Co. to Host Annual Dairy Enterprise Meeting on Jan. 27th
The Morgan County Dairy Association invites you to their Annual Dairy Enterprise Outlook Meeting that is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 27, 2020 at Bonner’s Triple B Restaurant, Buckhead, GA. Dr. Tommie Shepherd, UGA Extension Economist will present the annual
dairy outlook for the year and policy changes. Our meal sponsors are Eatonton Cooperative Feed Company and Godfrey’s Warehouse. Thank you for your generous and loyal support to the local dairy industry!

Please make every effort to attend this important meeting as we begin a New Year and plot the course for our organization. Please call the Morgan County Extension Office at 706-342-2214 for meal reservations no later than NOON on Monday, January 27th. Download invite here>>>
Here’s what’s in the U.S.-China trade deal
By  DOUG PALMER , Politico
The U.S.-China trade deal that  President Donald Trump and China's Vice Premier Liu He signed on Wednesday  provides an escape clause for either country to withdraw if a dispute cannot be resolved through high-level talks. That’s one of the many details tucked in  the 86-page agreement . Here are some other highlights of the pact:

Consumers and businesses will still pay costly tariffs
The United States will maintain 25 percent duties on roughly $250 billion worth of Chinese goods used mainly by manufacturers to make finished products in the United States. It will also keep a 7.5 percent tariff on another $120 billion worth of mostly consumer goods like jackets, gloves, footwear and flat panel electronic displays — although those were rolled back from 15 percent. Read more here>>>
Dear Starbucks, I Think You’re Confused
By Anna-Lisa Laca, Dairy Herd Management
I’m exhausted. Not only am I tired of large chains and celebrities pointing fingers at agriculture to reduce Green House Gasses (GHGs). I’m tired because there’s a spunky, independent and wildly determined two-year-old at my house. What’s worse, I can’t run to town to get a Starbucks. That’s because the coffee giant recently announced they’ll be encouraging customers to turn away from dairy and toward plant-based beverages in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. 

Really, I wouldn’t run to Starbucks anyway because I prefer a local coffee shop in our town, but I do love a half sweet vanilla latte from Starbucks when I’m on the road. The consistency between locations is hard to beat. 

According to Bloomberg , the milk used by Starbucks accounts for just 0.3% of U.S. milk production. However, the decision to formally denounce dairy and declare an emphasis on non-dairy options may encourage other food-service outlets to follow suit.  Read more here>>>
Running out of excuses
From Caitlin Rodgers, Ga dairy farmer, Hoard's Blog
Maybe I look younger than I actually am. Maybe I don’t look like the “Rodgers.” Maybe I have a sign stuck to my back saying I can’t help you. Or maybe, just maybe, there is still a problem.

I have decided that I am just going to continue writing about the “Chronicles of Caitlin” and my experiences dealing with people in this field of work. It can be rather comical as well as aggravating.

There are some humorous moments. For example, the older papas (yes, that’s what we call all elderly men around here, or at least I do) ask me on a regular basis what do I do for a living. That’s probably because I am often in the local convenience store picking up some goods with my overalls and milking boots on, and they just can’t figure out why in the world I am dressed like that.
GAC APPLAUDS NEW WOTUS REPLACEMENT PLAN
From GA Agribusiness Council
The Trump administration Thursday released its long-promised plan to remove millions of miles of private streams and other minor water bodies from federal over-regulation, the largest rollback of the Clean Water Act since the modern law was passed in 1972.The move delivers a major win for the agriculture industry which has for decades sought to shrink the scope of the water law that requires us to obtain burdensome permits for normal everyday farming practices.

Our industry has fiercely fought an Obama-era overreach that has cost producers millions of dollars in permits and lost profits. President Trump lambasted that rule on the campaign trail in 2016 and  his administration repealed it last year .

The new regulation, called  The Navigable Waters Protection Rule , replaces the previous definition of federal waterways with a vastly narrower one that rightfully gives authority back to local control. Agribusiness groups and conservative lawmakers quickly praised the new version from the EPA.
During Impeachment Trial, Some Senators Enjoy A Glass Of Milk
From NPR
During the impeachment trial yesterday, some senators were seen drinking milk. This is a tradition on long days in the Senate that goes back to 1966. During a debate on labor law, Everett Dirksen said he needed something more nourishing than water. The senator said, my lunch today will be a tall glass of milk. It's been allowed by rule ever since. The rule's called milk while speaking. Milk, it does a legislative body good. Listen here>>>
Other Stories to Check Out This Week >>>
Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium in February
The 31st Annual Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium will be held at the  Best Western Gateway Grand , Gainesville, Florida on February 3 to February 5, 2020. 

Georgia Agencies Partner to Host Feral Swine Workshops
From Southeast AgNet
Feral swine have become increasingly detrimental in Georgia, causing significant damage to agricultural crops and natural resources around the state. The economic impact of damage caused by feral swine in Georgia last year is estimated at $150 million.
So a group of agricultural and natural resource organizations, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s  Natural Resources Conservation Service  and the  Georgia Association of Conservation Districts , have partnered to host some of Georgia’s top experts on feral swine in a series of educational workshops for farmers and landowners. There will be eight workshops and trapping demonstrations throughout the state, four in Southeast Georgia and four in Northeast Georgia.

The first workshop will be held Jan. 30 at University of Georgia Extension in Lakeland, Georgia.

Topics will include disease issues, swine biology, water quality issues, effective control techniques, transport issues, public health and regulations to be followed by a question-and-answer panel of experts. There is no cost to attend the workshops, but space is limited and preregistration is required. More details and registration information is available at  GACD.us/events .
Upcoming Events >>>
GA Dairy Classifieds
TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL AD AND CONTACT INFORMATION TO FARRAH NEWBERRY at [email protected]

UPDATED 1/17/20

The following are FOR SALE from Archie Felder. For more information call 1-803-682-3426 :
40 ready to breed heifers - 14 to 15 months old

40 yearlings - 12 to 13 months old
(24000 2x, AI Sired)

Bull Calves WANTED:  Competitive pricing with 6 day a week pickup. Brandon Mason Cattle Company 912-632-4490

For Sale: Custom manure application and Dryhill manure equipment sales.  Contact Edwin @ 478-299-0717 with Agboys Custom Services LLC -  New 8"x52' lagoon pump with outriggers $24,000 (Pictured right)

FOR HIRE : Custom Silage Harvesting. Late model JD chopper. Will travel. Let me put your quality forage up! Nic Haynes, Muddy H Farms, 678-617-3379.

FOR SALE :  We have a continuous selection of fresh and springing heifers.   Call William at   (706) 768-2857  or visit our website at   crumpdairyreplacements.org