Weekly Newsletter for Georgia Agribusiness Council Members
Volume 29, No. 21 Published by the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc. June 29, 2020
Sine Die! After a long and strange trip the Georgia General Assembly finally wrapped up the 2020 session on Friday evening. GAC tracked and actively engaged on hundreds of bills over the 2019-2020 legislative biennium, working to ensure the voice of agribusiness was heard Under the Gold Dome. The final two weeks of the reconvened session proved to be as contentious as can be expected with an election year looming, a global pandemic continuing, and social protests breaking out in many cities across the country. 

As always, GAC appreciates the support from our membership and we are honored to have the opportunity to work on behalf of Georgia's largest and most important industry.

Read below for a full recap of many of the most significant issues to our industry.
HOUSE AND SENATE AG LEADERS RETIRE
The Georgia Agribusiness Council would like to congratulate House Agriculture Chairman Tom McCall , Senate Agriculture Chairman John Wilkinson , and Senate Agriculture Committee Secretary Ellis Black on their retirements from the General Assembly. They have been long time friends of the Georgia Agribusiness Council and we are grateful for their service to the State and to our industry. Chairman McCall is retiring to pursue the office of president of the Georgia Farm Bureau, Chairman Wilkinson will retire after a bid for Georgia's 9th Congressional seat, and Senator Black will retire after a political career where he served in both the Georgia House of Representatives and the Senate.

Change is constant in the General Assembly but these three men have provided steady leadership for the agriculture committees and they will be greatly missed. We wish them all good luck as they move on to the next chapter in their lives.
RIGHT TO FARM LEGISLATION STALLS
Georgia's Right to Farm bill, which would have provided much needed protection against frivolous nuisance lawsuits by updating the code section's "changed condition" clause, failed to take the final steps to passage in the last days of the session. The political will for another contentious battle for an agree/disagree vote on the House floor never materialized after the Senate version included an amendment offered by Senator Jesse Stone of Waynesboro that stripped some of the main protections already offered in current law. Trial lawyers and enviro activists were successful in their scare tactic campaigns they used over the past year after the bill was held up in the Senate in 2019. The result is disappointing and the future road to an updated Right to Farm bill is unclear as several pro-agriculture and pro-business legislative leaders will be leaving after this year. We appreciate the strong efforts of Chairman McCall and Chairman Wilkinson for pushing hard for this much needed legislation over the past two years.
STATE BUDGET PASSES
House Bill 793 , the state budget, passed late Friday evening and includes an 11% reduction from the FY 2020 base budget. The conference committee report on HB 793 was adopted by a vote of ( 40-13 ) in the Senate and ( 104-62 ) in the House. House Appropriations Chairman Terry England noted that "We have managed to do some truly remarkable work for our state. You have a conservative budget… while confronting the challenges in front of us."

The $25.9 billion spending plan was crafted with more than $2 billion in spending cuts that will be felt across all agencies and departments within the state government.

To see the passed budget document click here . Here are a few "highlights" of importance to ag.
  • Georgia Department of Agriculture
  • Saw extensive cuts across the board. Most were targeted at already vacated positions and general operations but several programs saw reductions
  • Hemp Program given $200,000 from the Senate to help get Georgia’s program off of the ground. While less than what was originally designated in the House version, this is a positive note that the funding was not fully removed.
  • EPD was restored funding to enable their relationship with the Dept. Of Ag for CAFO and other inspectors, but saw decreases in funding for Regional Water Planning Council operations
  • UGA Extension Service was forced to cut funding for many vacant positions, several that are vitally important to production agriculture. Also included cuts to general operations budgets including travel expenses.
HEMP BILL HEADED TO GOVERNOR’S DESK
HB 847 , otherwise known as the  Hemp Bill , aims to primarily focus on five key changes to last years legislation that was signed into law. These changes include:

  1. Cleaning up the language within the bill to include and align with the rules and regulations that were released by USDA last year.
  2. To allow for Colleges and Universities within the state to do on-farm research and to have a contractual agreement with third parties for this research.
  3. Adds language to allow for greenhouse growers to sell plants to other growers and to also allow for growers to sell to processors in other states that have a USDA approved plan.
  4. Increases processor permit fees to $25,000 for the first calendar year and a $50,000 permit fee for renewal every year thereafter. This aims to make the regulatory program self-sustainable.
  5. Codifies transportation requirements to call for documentation of the load.
GAC sat down with Kelley Manufacturing Company (KMC) CEO, Lanier Carson, and President, Bennie Branch, this week. KMC was founded in 1966 by C.D. Kelley, originally in Columbus. In 1972, production was moved to Tifton where it currently resides today. At that point, KMC made four products which were all tillage and peanut harvesting equipment. Since that time, KMC’s main focus has been innovation and making sure the customer always comes first. They were the first to produce the four-row peanut combine, and now have over 50 product lines including a six-row combine, poultry house cleanup equipment, and stalk shredder. KMC designs and manufactures equipment all over the world. While the majority of their dealers are located in the Southeast, they also have a presence in the Midwest and Western U.S. You might also spot one of the unmistakable green KMC hats on their customers in Canada, Venezuela, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, and other countries around the world.

Mr. Carson credits KMC’s ability to keep their customers happy with the low turnover with the over 185 employees. KMC takes pride in taking care of their employees, making sure that they’re trained and given opportunities to continue their education. KMC believes in their employees so much that in 1990, the company developed an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Today, the entire company is owned by its employees.

Mr. Carson owns a farm in Tift County that he leases to KMC. They grow cotton, peanuts, soybeans and corn to evaluate their products to ensure that management and the engineering staff are abreast of the technological developments and the USDA programs that impact agriculture. This is also where Mr. Carson learned to grow peanuts, and where he saw the need for a more efficient way to harvest peanuts. He credits the longevity of KMC to the values that they apply to their employees, dealers and customers. We’re glad to have Kelley Manufacturing Company as a longtime GAC member!
COVID-19 LIABILITY PROTECTION LEGISLATION AWAITS GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE

A diverse coalition comprised of associations representing business and industry came together in the final weeks of the Legislative session to fight for liability coverage pertaining to COVD-19. The piece of legislation aims to provide businesses and employers with liability immunity if an employee were to contract the virus. After debate and discussion, this language finally established residency within SB 359 with a House Substitute. The Bill was assigned to the House Special Committee on Access to Civil Justice System, where after much deliberation was sent to the House floor to be voted on. 

On the final day, the House passed the piece of legislation and then the Senate agreed to the House Substitute. With the legal uncertainty that businesses are plagued with in todays society, this serves as a step in the right direction for Agribusinesses and Employers across the State. We consider this a victory in efforts to get Georgia back open for business. 
FAKE MEAT, TRUTH IN LABELING PASSES RESOUNDINGLY
After parties on both sides of the issue worked out an agreement on truth in labeling, SB 211 passed the House unanimously on Thursday. The bill, authored by Senator Tyler Harper and carried in the House by Rep. Tom McCall , clears up labeling requirements for non-meat products, requiring them to plainly display what the products are made of. This comes after recent developments have been made in lab grown meat products. This piece of legislation is beneficial for animal agriculture producers across the State and is considered a win for Agriculture. The issue was complicated and nuanced as we worked with ag groups and retailers to ensure that the right balance was struck to protect the longstanding brands built by farmers without overly burdening retailers with complex labeling laws. We believe a fair balance was struck and hope that Georgia's leadership on the issue will provide more incentive for Washington to enforce similar laws that are in place on the federal level.
BIG WIN FOR MASS TIMBER
HB 777 , by Rep. John Corbett , directs the Department of Community Affairs to do a full review of the 2021 edition of the International Building Code to consider amending the states' minimum standard codes allowing the use of mass timber in the construction of tall buildings. The bill was passed by the House earlier in the session and by the Senate upon reconvening. HB 777 is now headed to the Governor's office where we fully expect it to be signed.
HARMFUL TAX INCREASE LEGISLATION DIES IN COMMITTEE
HB 1035, which has been used as a vehicle to strip tax breaks for many industries including turfgrass production, was tabled after being referred to as the "worst bill I've ever seen" by Rules Chairman Jeff Mullis. The original intent of the bill was to make up for revenue loss by taking away certain tax incentives from specific industries. Before being scheduled for debate, the legislation was altered to include a ten percent cut across all tax exemptions within the State. These types of cuts could have been applied to tax exemptions such as the GATE program. This legislation would essentially raise taxes for businesses that are already trying to recover from shock of the pandemic. GAC joined a large coalition of business groups to fight against HB 1035 and we were pleased to see it die as quickly as it appeared.
VETERINARY BOARD BILL MOVES FORWARD
SB 346 by Senator Ellis Black passed out of the House and now awaits the Governor's signature. This bill will allow for the addition of a veterinary technician to the State Board of Veterinary Medicine as well as provide a professional health program for impaired veterinarians. GAC fully supported this effort.
HATE CRIME BILL SIGNED BY GOV KEMP
HB 426  would create a hate crimes law in Georgia which would provide for enhanced penalties for anyone who is proven beyond a reasonable doubt to have intentionally selected a victim or group of victims based on perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, mental disability or physical disability. HB 426 was voted out of the Senate ( 47-6 ) and passed out of the House ( 127-38 ). The Governor signed the bill on Friday, June 26, and the law will go into effect on July 1.
NON-PROFIT STANDARD OF CARE BILL PASSED
SB 373 establishes gross negligence as the standard of care for officers and directors of Georgia non-profits, foundations, and cooperatives. In 2017, the General Assembly set this standard for for-profit corporations, and this bill now provides consistency for the organizing statutes not included in the initial legislation. This cleanup legislation will correct a discrepancy between for-profit and non-profits. SB 373 passed the Senate ( 53-0 ) and the House of Representatives ( 145-11 ) and is available to be signed by the Governor.
SOIL AMENDMENT LEGISLATION PASSES SENATE
HB 1057 by Rep. Trey Rhodes deals with the hotly debated, but important issue of soil amendments in Georgia. Rep. Rhodes has had many complaints from constituents regarding the smell associated with the use of certain types of soil amendments in his district. GAC worked with legislators to attempt to write this legislation as specifically as possible regarding "domestic septage" so as to not hinder the safe and legal application of other soil amendments in agriculture. The bill also sets up a fee structure to be paid to the GA Department of Agriculture for inspection of distributors of soil amendments. HB 1057 passed both chambers and is headed to the Governor for review.
BILLS OF INTEREST
Here is a quick snapshot of many of the bills tracked by GAC staff during the legislative session. Please contact GAC staff for additional info on bills of interest to your agribusiness. 

HOUSE BILLS

Rep. Sam Watson  has presented  HB 105  in an effort to provide additional relief for farmers affected by Hurricane Michael. The bill exempts payments from USDA as part of a disaster relief payment in connection to Hurricane Michael from state income tax.  HB 105 passed both Chambers and has been sent to the Governor .

HB 286: Electronic Repair/Modification
by  Rep. Scot Turner , is a bill dealing with "right to repair" in the House was assigned to the House Ag Committee and the sub-committee on consumer affairs. 

HB 450: Commercial Shellfish Farming
Rep. Jeff Jones  creates rules and regulations for commercial shellfish farming in the state of Georgia through work between the Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources.

HB 455: Georgia Agriculture Marketing Authority
Representative Houston  creates the Georgia Agriculture Marketing Authority, the purpose of the authority is to provide unified and consolidated management of facilities and activities of the state's farmers markets. The Authority will market and promote agricultural products to agribusinesses and the public in an effort to boost the state's economy.   HB 455   was passed through the House and was eventually sent to State Properties Committee.

HB 545: Right to Farm
Is a major legislative priority for GAC and looks to address the increase in frivolous nuisance lawsuits against Georgia's farm families.  HB 545  passed through House and passed out of the Senate Ag committee in 2019.  Senate Ag Chairman John Wilkinson  is carrying the bill in the Senate. The bill passed out of the Senate Ag committee in Week 4 of the 2020 session. Amendments are still being discussed as the bill moves forward.  HB 545 Passed through the House and Senate but not agreed to.

HB 592: Short-term Mineral Surface Mining
Rep. Steven Meeks  is trying to address a potential flaw in the breaching of Georgia forest land use covenants.   HB 592  provides that short-term mineral surface mining would not constitute a breach in a covenant for a forest land conservation use property. This would enable timberland owners to harvest surface minerals for a brief amount of time without losing the forest land covenant, so long as the portion of land used for mining is returned to its previous conditioning within three years of mining completion.  HB 592  was held in the House.

HB 709: Daylight Savings Referendum
State Rep. Wes Cantrell, R-Woodstock ,  has proposed that the state hold a nonbinding referendum asking residents whether they’d like to do away with daylight saving time. A nonbinding referendum is a ballot question used to inform the state government about potential future action. Under  HB 709  , voters’ options in the referendum would be to keep the annual time change, switch to year-round standard time (marked by winding clocks back an hour in late fall) or to switch to year-round daylight saving time (marked by moving clocks ahead an hour in early spring). 

Reps. Corbett, Burns, McCall, England, Smith, LaRiccia
This bill would allow for the Department of Community Affairs to review the 2021 International Building Code to consider amending the state minimum standard codes to allow tall mass timber construction types. Passed House. Passed Senate and was sent to Governor.

HB 792: Supplemental appropriations; State Fiscal Year  July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020
Reps. Ralston, Jones, Burns and England
A bill to amend an Act making and providing appropriations for the State Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2019, and  ending June 30, 2020 , known as the "General Appropriations Act," to make, provide, and change certain appropriations for the operation of the State government and its departments, for all other governmental activities and provides for the control and administration of funds.
 
HB 793: General Appropriations bill for FY2021
A Bill to be entitled an act to make and provide appropriations for the State Fiscal Year beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2021. Senate Passed. House Passed. Sent to Governo r

HB 829: Authorize reduction of residual homestead property assessment
HB 829 would allow for local governments to hold a referendum to reduce the 40% assessment of residential homestead property owned by those aged 65 or older to only 20%. This would only apply to local school district taxes for educational purposes. Passed House. Senate referred to Finance Committee.

Reps. Corbett, McCall, Dickey, Pruett, and Gilliard
This update to the hemp legislation that was passed last legislative session makes technical adjustments to comply with federal rules, creates a new license for a hemp nursery grower allowing sale to another permittee, increases the processor permit fee from $25,000 to $100,000, and establishes a sampling test requirement prior to harvest.  HB 847 passed both chambers and was sent to governor.

Reps. Houston, Rich, Corbett, Greene, Cheokas
This bill would eliminate the sunset period for the exemption from state and certain local sales and use taxes for the sale of food and food ingredients to qualified food banks and for the use of food and food ingredients donated to qualified nonprofit agencies. It would also expand the exemption for the use of food and food ingredients donated to qualified nonprofit agencies to include disaster relief.  HB 882 has passed the House and been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
 
Reps. Welch, McCall, Knight
This bill would require veterinarians or veterinary technicians that provide treatment to animals to scan such animals' microchips and to report ownership information under certain circumstances.  HB 886 passed out of the House Ag Committee on March 10th, 2020.

HB 897: State Forestry Commission 
Reps. Burchett, Burns, McCall, Corbett, Rhodes and Watson
The Bill provides for a uniform timber harvest ordinance statewide and establishes a statewide notification process through the Georgia Forestry commission.  HB 897 has passed both chambers and is headed to the Governors desk

HB 894: GA Seed Dev. Board
Rep. Steven Meeks  seeks to make changes to how the Georgia Seed Development board seats transition. Under current rules, board member’s terms all expire at the same time and from time to time cause a large amount of institutional knowledge to roll off at once. The bill would change the current rules to be staggered, similar as most boards across non-profits and government agencies. The 11-member board has been very successful and this language will help strengthen it even further. Passed and sent to Governor

HB 901:   Georgia Environmental Finance Authority
Reps. Cheokas, Greene, Lumsden, Wiedower and Smith
A bill to amend code that relates to general provisions regarding the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, to provide for the power to make loan commitments and loans to local governments and non-government agencies for projects that permanently protect land and water. House agreed to Senate Substitute.

HB 909: Crimes and offenses; sale or distribution of cigarettes, tobacco, tobacco related objects, vapor products, and marijuana flavored products; increase age 
Reps. Cooper and Harrell
A bill to amend code which will increase the age of individuals to which the sale or distribution of cigarettes, tobacco, tobacco related objects, vapor products, and marijuana flavored products are prohibited. It also changes some of the definitions of these products for further clarification.
Brooksco Dairy, LLC
Carroll EMC
Crosby Equipment Company
DeWitt Produce Co. Inc.
Doerun Gin Co. Inc.
Ft. Valley State University
Georgia Development Authority
J & B Irrigation Inc.
Jaemor Farms
L H R Farms, Inc.
Superior Pine Products Company
The Turfgrass Group, Inc.
WDairy LLC
Agri-Business Supply Inc.
Barrington Dairy, LLC
Bay Branch Farms, Inc.
Bill Hembree & Associates / Nationwide
Boddiford Farm Services Inc.
Chester Timber LLC
Clay Co. & Associates
Coley Gin & Fertilizer
CSA Farms, Inc.
Curry Farm Supply Inc.
Docia Farms
Drexel Chemical Company
Durden Banking Company, Inc.
Easterlin Pecan Company
Edison Gin Co-Op Inc.
Emanuel Peanut & Grain
Embry Farm Service/ Embry Transport
GA Agricultural Commodity for Tobacco
Georgia Christmas Tree Association
Georgia Seed Association Inc.
H. T. McLendon Co.
Hattaway Farms Partnership
Hazel Creek Cider, Inc. / Yearwood Farms, Inc.
Holder Ag Consulting
Israel Farm Supply, Inc.
KAKEGA LLC
McCorkle Nurseries, Inc.
Moultrie Colquitt County Development Authority
Northeast Georgia Livestock
Patrick Farms
Peebles Timber, Inc.
Quality Gin, Inc.
Sconyers Gin & Warehouse Co.  
South Georgia Produce Inc.
Southeastern AGRI Services, LLC
Southern AGCOM Inc.
Southern Seed Co., Inc.
Swainsboro Stockyard
The Dairy Alliance, Inc.
Wells Fargo Commercial Banking
West Georgia Processing, Inc.





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HB 919: Revenue and taxation; deduction from Georgia taxable income for casualty losses of timber in an amount based on the diminution of value; provide
Reps. Hatchett, Jasperse, Burns, England, McCall and Watson
A bill that amends the Official Code of Georgia and provides for a deduction from Georgia taxable income for casualty losses of timber in an amount based on the diminution of value. It will describe the limitations, and establish an effective date of implementation. 

HB 929: Solid waste management
Reps. Vance Smith, Barr, L. Smith, Dickey and Holmes 
A bill to amend Georgia Code that deals with general provisions relative to solid waste management, so as to provide for post-closure ground-water monitoring at closed coal combustion residual impoundment. This bill also relates to criminal trespass and damage to property relative to waste control by providing for a conforming cross-reference. It also amends the components of a county special purpose local option sales tax. Was passed by the House and stalled in the Senate.

HB 930: Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act
Reps. Corbett, Taylor, Watson, Meeks and England
A bill to amend Code which relates to the "Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act," in order to provide for a rural fund that accepts additional capital investments and changes the definition of what it means to live in a rural area of Georgia.

HB 1035: Georgia Taxation Bill
A BILL relating to sales and use taxes, so as to repeal sunset provisions regarding certain tax exemptions. The Bill passed the House. The Senate provided a substitute and was put onto the Rules calendar.

H B 1039: Service Contract Renewals
Rep. Watson
Would require service contracts for consumers to be renewed with consent on contracts that are for longer than 12 months. 12 month or shorter contracts would still be allowed to be automatically renewed. Passed Both Chambers

HB 1093: Commodity Commission for Wine and Grapes
Rep. Meeks
HB 1093 would provide for an Agricultural Commodity Commission for Wine and Grapes. This Bill passed out of both the Senate and the House.

HR 1164: Georgia Department of Public Safety
Reps. Chairman McCall, Watson, Dickey, Pirkle and Corbelt
A resolution that encourages the Georgia Department of Public Safety to be attentive to the needs of livestock in transport while enforcing transportation laws and providing for the existing exemptions afforded to livestock haulers. 

SENATE BILLS  

SB 45  would provide for pari-mutuel horse racing in the state at a limited number of licensed equestrian centers, create the Georgia Horse Racing Commission, and provide for the comprehensive regulation of pari-mutuel horse racing and related activities. Assigned to State Institutions and Property. 

SB 84:    No Renewal fees for Carry Licenses
SB 84  will be well liked by gun carry proponents. In the State of Georgia gun carry licenses are valid for 5 years and required renewal for continued carrying privileges.   SB 84   would remove the mandatory $30 renewal fee.   SB 84  was referred to the Public Safety.

SB 182: Commercial Shellfish Farming
Senate Natural Resources and Environment committee noticed significant economic potential in farming Georgia's marine areas.   SB 182   encourages the development of the commercial shellfish industry and will allow the harvesting of marine shellfish areas.  SB 182  was passed through the Senate but was held up in the Game, Fish, and Parks committee. 

SB 211: Fake Meat Labeling
Sen. Tyler Harper   
The bill addresses the emerging field of lab grown protein products as well as plant-based products that have been mislabeling their packages for years. The companies that have developed this new technology have been insistent that their products should be able to use the term meat, even though their products do not meet the definition provided by the federal government and their products do not come from real, harvested food animals.  SB 211   is a huge priority for GAC as well as our partners across all of agriculture;  Passed and sent to the Governor

Sens. Kirkpatrick, Black, Walker, Cowsert, Anderson, Sims
This bill would require licenses for pet dealers, kennels, stables, etc., and would also allow the Commissioner to promulgate rules and regulations for animal protection.  
 
Sens. Kirkpatrick, Tippins, Rhett, Jordan
This bill would allow nonprofits to be exempt from rules pertaining to other food service establishments, providing they have a local government permit that ensures food is safely and hygienically prepared and delivered.  SB 345 passed out of both the Senate and the House.

Sens. Black, Burke, Anderson, Harrell, Payne
This bill would allow for the addition of a veterinary technician to the State Board of Veterinary Medicine as well as provide a professional health program for impaired veterinarians.  SB 346 passed and sent to Governor
 
Sens. Harper, Sims, Burke, Walker, Black, Karinshak
This bill would designate the muscadine grape as the official state grape.  SB 358 was passed in the Senate and the House.
 
Sens. Wilkinson, Anderson, Harper, Burke, Rahman
This bill would change the fees for impounding animals and disposing of impounding animals that are running at large or straying.  SB 362 passed out of the Senate and the House. It has been sent to the Governor.

SB 381: "Georgia Food Act"
Sens. Kirkpatrick, Black, Walker, Wilkinson and Rahman
A bill relating to the "Georgia Food Act," to provide that certain information obtained by the Department of Agriculture from the federal Food and Drug Administration is deemed confidential and not subject to disclosure. This includes information such as information compiled for law enforcement purposes and information required to be kept confidential by other laws.  The Bill passed through both chambers and is waiting on the Governors signature.

SB 384: Solid Waste Management
Sens. Ligon Jr., Miller, Dugan, Stone and Tillery
A bill relating to general provisions relative to solid waste management, in order to prohibit the location of any municipal solid waste disposal facility or any coal combustion residual landfill within a certain distance of a blackwater river wholly contained within the borders of this state and originating on the coastal plain, and which flows directly into the ocean. It also aims to minimize criminal trespass and damage to property relative to waste control. It also pertains to a special purpose local option sales tax. This Bill passed the Senate.

SB 387: State-wide School Lunch Program
Sen. Jennifer Jordan
A bill to amend Code relating to state-wide school lunch program, instruction in social graces, and school food and nutrition personnel, so as to authorize the State Board of Education to promulgate rules and regulations for a course of instruction in nutrition, hygiene, etiquette, and social graces relating to the preparation of food; to provide for rules and regulations for the distribution of surplus prepared food to students, including, but not limited to, students dealing with hunger or food insecurity issues.

SB 390: Civil Practice and Litigation
Sens. Gooch, Kennedy, Cowsert, Wilkinson, Jones and Watson
A bill to amend code to streamline the process of litigation and reduce costs for Georgia's industries, small businesses, and citizens relating to civil practice. This will address issues relating to appeal and error, health, local government, motor vehicles and traffic, property, and torts in order to change certain provisions of product liability.
 
SB 396:   State Symbols; pecan as the official state nut
Sens. Walker III, Wilkinson, Black, Anderson, Hill and Burke
A bill to amend Georgia code in order to designate the pecan as the official state nut.  SB 396 has passed out of the Senate and was held up in the House.

SB 407  would regulate the harvest, sale, and personal home use of palmetto berries. 
Passed Senate and is currently in the House.
 GET STARTED EARLY - GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE


GRANT
GAC started  the Dr. Joe B. Crane Memorial Classroom Grant Program  to deliver grant funds directly to teachers for ag education projects. It is named for longtime GAC Director and education program advocate Dr. Joe B. Crane of Valdosta. Dr. Joe was an integral part of the Lowndes County Board of Education and carried his passion for education wherever he went. We are proud to support this program that gives Georgia teachers the chance to creatively teach agriculture in their classroom. 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.  The applications are due postmarked to the GAC office by October 10, 2020.
 


SCHOLARSHIP
GAC is also proud to announce the release of the  William C. "Bill" Baisley "Sumpin' Big" Scholarship  applications for 2020. This $1000 scholarship is offered up to three students in need of financial assistance studying for an agricultural career at a college in Georgia. Mr. Baisley, longtime friend of GAC and Director Emeritus on our board of directors, has a passion for the future of agriculture and those looking to advance it. Bill used the phrase “sumpin big” as a way to move ideas forward. We honor him with this scholarship and look forward to helping a student that is moving our industry forward. 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, 2020.  

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We look forward to helping you discover how we can help you gain knowledge in the industry through events, workshops, and webinars. Visit our website at ugaurbanag.com to begin your journey through all that we have to offer you! It's all just a click or two away! Subscribe and update your preferences today!

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QUICK NOTES S
* Registration is now open for the Southern Peanut Growers Conference. The conference will be held on July 16-18, 2020 at the Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida.
 
 
Resort reservations can be made by calling 1-800-874-8686 and ask for the “Southern Peanut Growers Conference Rate” or use the Booking ID:: 11578. Visit www.edgewaterbeachresort.com to book rooms online.
*Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day
Field Day is once a year and it’s on  Thursday July 23, 2020 - Everyone is invited!
It’s a half-day packed full of ag technology, and the latest equipment and techniques for successful farming in the southeast! The Field Day will look a little different this year so to get more information on this click here .
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.
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