August 17, 2022
www.gfb.org
Vol. 4 No. 17
GFB OPENS POLICY DEVELOPMENT WITH 2022 COMMODITY CONFERENCE Georgia Farm Bureau’s Commodity Advisory Committees officially started the organization’s policy development process on Aug. 11, during the GFB Commodity Conference at the Stone Mountain Evergreen Resort. The committee members heard updates on GFB-funded research, the a general economic outlook, the Freedom to Farm Act, Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, funds for in-state meat processing facilities, and water stewardship. The committees then met to consider changes to GFB’s policy stances relating to their respective commodities. GFB funds agricultural research The 2022 Georgia Farm Bureau Agricultural Research Initiatives grant recipients were announced during the GFB Commodity Conference. GFB has awarded $129,567 in grants to eight researchers at the UGA College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences for studies addressing on-farm production issues Georgia beef, blackberry, blueberry, peach, pecan, vegetable, and row crop farmers are experiencing. “Georgia Farm Bureau is committed to joining other ag organizations in supporting research that benefits Georgia farmers by addressing production, economic and marketing issues they are dealing with on their farms,” GFB President Tom McCall said. Recipients and their projects are as follows: Dr. Zilfina Ames: Develop a Sampling Method for Sap Nutrient Analysis for Blueberries & Blackberries to Increase Fertilizer Use Efficiency; Dr. Brent Credille: Evaluation of the Impact Mass Medication Has on the Health of and Antibiotic Resistance in High-Risk Beef Stocker Calves; Dr. Mark Czarnota: Propagation of Pecan Trees using Nodal Propagation; Dr. Darren Henry: Do Growth Promoting Implants Improve the Sustainability of Beef production? Dr. Rachel Itle: Exploring Novel Frost Protection Strategies for Blueberry & Peach Production; Dr. Kevin Mis Solval: Improving the Post-Harvest Practices of Fruit & Vegetable Packing Operations with Virtual Tours; Dr. Lawton Stewart: Grazing Cotton Residue to Decrease Hay Feeding (extension of ’21 project); Dr. Simerjeet Virk: Identifying Cost-Effective Soil Sampling Strategies for Variable-Rate -continued on next page