GFB News Magazine

Meet the winners & finalists of GFB YF&R Contests
Winners of all four contests announced during GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference
Posted in GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers

GFB Photo Contest puts farm life in focus
Greene County's Nicole Duvall wins top prize.
Posted in GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers

GFB Commodity Conference covers gamut of ag issues
Disaster aid, livestock issues, feral swine control & EPA regulations are on farmers' minds these days. Learn what experts said about these topics & more.
Posted in Georgia Farm Bureau, GFB Public Policy

GFB YF&R Conference cultivates mental health growth
Annual conference offered communication workshops & tips on how to help farmers in crisis.
Posted in GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers

Use of Vermeer mower top prize in GFB Hay Contest
GFB members who grow Bermudagrass hay should submit entries by Oct. 31 to have a shot at winning this annual contest.
Posted in GFB Hay Contest

UGA teaching farmers to save water by scheduling irrigation
The UGA Agricultural Water Efficiency Team is helping farmers use irrigation scheduling tools to conserve water by planning irrigation based on crop water needs.
Posted in cotton, crop management, Irrigation, peanuts

GFB Award presented to Patsie Cannon
Patsie Cannon has supported Georgia's beef industry for more than 35 years through UGA beef programs & her family's cattle marketing company.
Posted in beef, Georgia Farm Bureau

Depression Common for Farmers
Dr. Mike Rosmann, a psychologist & part-time farmer in Iowa, has been writing a syndicated column about emotional health issues since 2012. He explores why depression is prevalent amongst farmers.
Posted in farm families, farm/rural stress

Land & Leadership Advocates learn to promote agriculture
New GFB program for farmers ages 36-50 equips members to connect with consumers.
Posted in Georgia Farm Bureau, Land & Leadership Advocates Program

Ag program sprouts at Emmanuel College
Emmanuel Colleges ag program offers a bachelor’s degree in diversified agriculture with one of four concentrations – ag business, ag science, ag communications and ag missions. The school is considering adding an ag education degree.
Posted in Uncategorized

Experts offer tips for managing forage land in wet conditions
The Georgia Forages Conference, held during the 2019 Georgia Cattlemen's Association Annual Meeting, offered information for forage producers to take into consideration following the extremely wet winter of 2018-2019.
Posted in Uncategorized

Pecan growers: Pick new varieties when replanting
If there is a silver lining to the devastating impact Hurricane Michael had on Georgia’s pecan producers – an estimated 27,455 pecan acres destroyed – it’s that producers can replant their orchards with new varieties that cost less to grow.
Posted in pecans

Georgia Agriculture: Farming by the numbers
Results of the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture are in. The biggest change in Georgia agriculture since 2012 has been a shift in the size of farms.
Posted in USDA Agriculture Census

Bruce wins AFBF Collegiate Discussion Meet
Bruce qualified for the national competition by being the top collegiate finisher in the 2018 GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet at the GFB YF&R Leadership Conference.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB honors Ga. Jr. National Grand Champions
GFB hosted an Evening of Champions for the 4-H & FFA members who won grand championship prizes with their animals at the Georgia Junior National Livestock Show.
Posted in Georgia Farm Bureau

Georgia legalizes hemp farming
The hemp farming act authorizes the research, production, processing and regulation of industrial hemp in Georgia.
Posted in GFB Public Policy

N.C. lawsuits show Ga. needs stronger Right to Farm law
Nuisance lawsuits brought against North Carolina hog farmers and their integrator in 2018 and 2019 have highlighted the need for Georgia’s Right to Farm law to be strengthened to prevent similar lawsuits against Georgia farmers.
Posted in GFB Public Policy

Flint River Fresh seeks farmers to feed Albany area
Flint River Fresh is working to help small farmers in the Albany area sell the food they grow directly to consumers and Dougherty County schools.
Posted in Farmers Markets

Disaster aid & farm bill main topics GFB leaders take to D.C.
County Presidents' trip to D.C. includes remarks from Sen. David Perdue & Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue
Posted in GFB Public Policy

Georgia Farm Bureau Needs You
Column from Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long; Farm Bureau is doing meaningful work to keep Georgia’s farms thriving. These farms create jobs and support businesses that keep rural economies alive.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB Art Contest brings Georgia agriculture to life
Annual contest draws 671 entries from 69 counties. The winning entry, shown here, was by Manuel Rodriguez of Elbert County.
Posted in Ag in the Classroom

Long County's Carlee Lynn wins GFB Essay Contest
For the 2019 Georgia Farm Bureau Middle School Essay Contest, students statewide pondered the question, “What would happen if there were no farmers or ranchers?”
Posted in Ag in the Classroom

GFB Foundation awards $57,000 to ag scholars
The selected students must intend to pursue or be pursuing degrees in agriculture, forestry or family and consumer sciences.
Posted in Uncategorized

UGA ag school among nations's best
Dean Pardue briefs Ag Forecast attendees on enrollment and research innovations at CAES.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB YF&R members shine in AFBF contests
Georgia contestants finished in the top 10 in all three competitive events
Posted in AFBF Convention, GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers

Trump: 'Farmers are the backbone of our country'
President speaks at AFBF Convention, discussing border wall, trade, rural broadband and regulations
Posted in Uncategorized

AFBF celebrates 100 years
Duvall: 'Farm Bureau members throughout our history, and still to- day, have always answered the call to feed, fuel and defend our nation'
Posted in AFBF Convention, Trump
GFB Women's Leadership Committee promotes ag literacy
The GFB Women's Leadership Committee is helping county Farm Bureaus increase the awareness and understanding consumers have of agriculture. Get details of the upcoming GFB Educational Leadership Conference in April & the National AITC conference in June.
Posted in Ag in the Classroom, GFB Women's Leadership Committee

Young Farmers & Ranchers Gaining Ground
The GFB YF&R Committee is making its mark within Farm Bureau, each county, and Georgia's ag community. Raising money for the Ga. Food Banks was one way it had a positive influence. Learn about the exciting activities the program offers.
Posted in GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers

Dickey family moving farm forward together
Dickey Farms, one of GFB's Certified Farm Markets, has been growing peaches since 1897. The 4th & 5th generations of the family are collaborating to grow the farm for the next generation.
Posted in Certified Farm Market, farm families, peaches

Peanut growers encouraged not to increase acreage
UGA peanut experts caution farmers that increasing acreage could cause an oversupply of peanuts and lower prices.
Posted in crop management, peanuts

Whiteflies bugging vegetable & cotton producers
An estimated $200 million in crop losses were attributed to whiteflies in 2017. UGA entomologists are researching techniques to control whitefly populations.
Posted in cotton, crop management, vegetables

Farmers, don't let stress steal your joy
Studies show farming ranks in the top ten most stressful occupations. Take a look at rural stress & resources for help.
Posted in farm/rural stress

New farm bill gives agriculture five years of certainty
Get the highlights of the 2018 farm bill Congress passed in December.
Posted in Farm Bill, GFB Public Policy

GFB launches Land & Leadership Advocates Program
Georgia farmers & ranchers ages 36 to 50 have an opportunity to continue their Farm Bureau involvement through a new program.
Posted in GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers, Land & Leadership Advocates Program

View from the Field: Working to make Harvest 20 a reality
GFB's Harvest 20 Vision consists of three elements: Inspire. Educate. Preserve. GFB is working to inspire our members, educate consumers about agriculture and preserve the future of Georgia agriculture.
Posted in GFB Harvest 20 Vision

EPA's Wheeler outlines new WOTUS rule
In a Feb. 6 visit in McDuffie County, the acting EPA administrator shares guiding principles and summarizes what is a Water of the United States and what is not a water of the United States.
Posted in Uncategorized

Rain pushes '18 cotton harvest into '19
Georgia cotton producers in some cases were still harvesting the 2018 crop in February and a variety of weather-related problems cost them a big portion of their crop.
Posted in Uncategorized

Rural Pain: Opioid Crisis hits hard in the country
Addiction and overdoses are a rampant problem in rural areas, where a seemingly insignificant injury can have wide-ranging adverse affects.
Posted in Uncategorized
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Kemp praises Georgia farmers, vows to help South Ga. rebuild
Then-Gov.-elect shared plans to strengthen rural Georgia communities in speech at GFB Convention.
Posted in GFB Convention

Spontaneous hay combustion a hot topic at GFB Convention
The presence of moisture, carbohydrates, oxygen and microorganism can combine in the right conditions to ignite stored hay. Monitoring is a key practice to preventing these fires.
Posted in GFB Convention

GFB 2nd District holds 10th annual cattle show
Eighty-three students competed in this annual event designed to prepare them for the Ga. Junior National Livestock Show & introduce them to Georgia Farm Bureau's YF&R program.
Posted in beef, GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers

Miracle of birth displayed at Georgia National Fair
The Georgia Grown Baby Barn at the 2018 Georgia National Fair in October drew crowds to witness the miracle of birth.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB Commodity Award presented to Chambliss
Former U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss received the 2018 Georgia Farm Bureau Commodity Award during the organization’s annual commodity conference.
Posted in Uncategorized

Meter data shows farmers using water responsibly
Data collected from the meters on thousands of irrigation pivots in Georgia show farmers are using water wisely to irrigate their crops.
Posted in Uncategorized

Bringing processing & markets closer to farms key to ag economic development
In the final installment of our Rural Prosperity Series, we look at how a reopened livestock barn provides farmers with a local market and helps the regional economy.
Posted in Uncategorized

Country goes to town
Travel to Newnan to see a collection of farm animal sculptures displayed on the city’s downtown square.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB tailors insurance coverage for each poultry farm’s needs
Learn how GFB agents work to make certain the insurance coverage it offers poultry growers covers the specific needs of each farm.
Posted in Uncategorized

The farmers’ disconnect: Slow or no internet a constant headache
In the fourth installment of our Rural Prosperity Series, we look at the problems farmers are having due to the lack of broadband in rural Georgia.
Posted in Uncategorized

Cabes, Creasy, Lewallen win YF&R competitive events
One of the highlights of the annual YF&R summer conference is the discussion meet contest and announcement of the winners of the YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award and YF&R Achievement Award.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Gain Ground at summer conference
Speakers at the annual conference told young farmers how to gain ground in the areas of business, advocacy, education and policy. The winners of the three YF&R competitive events were announced.
Posted in Uncategorized

Young Farmer & Rancher Achievement Award Profile: Mitchell and Becky Pittman
The Pittmans grow vegetables and fruit and have a roadside farm market in Toombs County
Posted in Uncategorized

Young Farmer & Rancher Achievement Award profile: Will and Heather Cabe
The Cabes raise poultry cattle and hay on their farm in Franklin County.
Posted in Uncategorized

Young Farmer & Rancher Achievement Award profile: Elton Baldy
Baldy grows vegetables and row crops on his farms in and around Colquitt County.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB plants seeds for Harvest 20
Get tips from the GFB Educational Leadership Conference for county ag literacy programs.
Posted in Uncategorized

The Original Supernut
Georgians are familiar with pecans & eat them year-round. Most consumers, however, only think of pecans in terms of pies at Thanksgiving or Christmas. The American Pecan Council has launched a national campaign highlighting the virtues of pecans.
Posted in Uncategorized

Georgia National Fair to feature live cow & sow births
Everyone who attends the Ga. National Fair, Oct. 4-14 can see calves & piglets being born at the Georgia Grown Baby Barn.
Posted in Uncategorized

Ag Educator Workshops show teachers how to meet STEM requirements using ag
Another crop of teachers were introduced to the Ag in the Classroom (AITC) Program during two Ag Educator Workshops held in Laurens and Paulding counties this spring.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB brings host of Doc Talk to Ga. Food Animal Conference
Veterinary associations and ag organizations hosted the 4th Annual Georgia Food Animal Conference
Posted in Uncategorized

Promoting Rural Prosperity: What do farmers need from their workers?
Farmers need help to plant and harvest, but they also need people who can do a lot of other things year-round.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB poultry house inspections benefit growers
Inspecting poultry houses while they are being built allows GFB to monitor the construction process to ensure the contractors adhere to the modern building standards.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB insurance policies follow UGA recommendations to protect poultry farmers’ investment
The Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company has adopted construction recommendations made by the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences that promote the structural integrity of poultry houses.
Posted in Uncategorized

GFB poultry house guidelines based on UGA recommendations
Georgia Farm Bureau’s Mutual Insurance Company (GFB MIC) is a longtime supporter of Georgia’s poultry farmers and was one of the first Georgia insurance companies to offer coverage for poultry operations.
Posted in Uncategorized