Georgia Ag December Edition

Free

North Georgia’s Agricultural Newspaper December 2011

See Christmas, Page 8

Johnny N. Dell, Bugwood.org

State bird: The Brown Thrasher is a common bird all along the eastern U.S., but is the official state bird of Georgia. They are known for their bird songs, their appearance, as well as the way they “thrash” about through the leaves for food.

Brown Thrashers,state bird — and moreBy David B. StricklandGeorgia Ag News [email protected]

GAINESVILLE — The weather may be cool and crisp, but if bird watching is your hobby, a species you need to place on your “must see” list is none other than the state bird of Georgia — the Brown Thrasher.

The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) is in the same bird family — Mimidae — as the mockingbird, and just like its avian relative; they are very good songbirds. The Brown Thrasher has been known to sing approximately 3,000 differ-ent bird songs.

The birds can be found in Georgia all year, but can migrate See Thrasher, Page 9

‘Tis the season of Christmas trees

Bill Cook, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org

Live Christmas trees: Ever-popular Fraser Firs will be enjoyed and adorned by many this holiday season. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, Fraser Firs top the list of the most popular live Christmas trees.

By Barbara OlejnikGeorgia Ag News [email protected]

GAINESVILLE — The Christmas season has arrived. Stores are decorated and full of gifts. Holi-day songs are playing on the radio; and Santa waits at the mall.

It’s time to think about finding that perfect Christmas tree — one that’s not too tall, not too short and one without a bare spot that has to be hid-den against a wall.

The closer it gets to Dec. 25, the more trees will appear in empty lots in each and every town — often being sold as a fundraising project for a charitable organization.

The trees are already cut and the operators of the tree lot will often bag them in netting and help load them into the truck or on top of a car.

While this is a fairly easy way to select a tree to grace the living room, family room or entryway, many families enjoy choosing a tree from a Christ-mas tree farm.

Tree farmsAn outing to a Christmas tree farm can be a

first-time experience for younger members of the family or a trip down memory lane for older members.

The types of trees found at a tree farm vary and can be specialized per farm. If seeking a particu-lar type of tree, maybe a spruce or a fir, it’s best to check ahead to make sure the farm grows that particular species.

The Georgia Christmas Tree Association lists choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms throughout the state. The list can be accessed at http://www.gacta.com.

The Georgia Forestry Commission also com-piles Christmas tree grower names in the state, and pertinent information about their operations. The listing can be found at http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/Resources/ChristmasTrees.cfm.

Another listing of Christmas tree farms in Georgia can be found at http://www.gardens.com/local/christmas-trees/georgia/all.

Top typesAccording to a poll by the National Christmas

Tree Association, the top 10 most popular types of live Christmas trees are: (1) Fraser

Inside:Georgia Grown. Page 2

Keeping food safe. Page 5Fried turkey. Page 7

Chocolate flavors. 1AG NewsGeorgia

2 GEORGIA AG NEWS, December 2011

Visit www.fullbloomnursery.com for pictures and lists of our plants.

770-842-2345Hours: Mon. - Fri.: 8-5 • Sat: 8-4Located at 6662 Holly Springs Rd. (Hwy 283) in Clermont, GA

Thanks to everyone who has helped us become one of the largest retail nurseries in northeast Georgia. We believe nature and the outdoors provide mental benefits, relief from

the stress of a busy & hectic lifestyle, and just plain fun! We are honored to provide a

service to our community, and to be a source of relaxation for our customers.

Full Bloom Nursery

“We’re not just growing plants, we’re growing

a lifestyle.”

Fall & early winter is THE best time to plant

in North Georgia and we’re fully stocked for the season.

ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s new “Georgia Grown” mar-keting campaign was unveiled at the recent Produce Market-ing Association annual con-vention, which took place in Atlanta, Ga., for the first time in more than a decade.

Central to the new cam-paign is a revamped Georgia Grown logo, which has al-ready been endorsed by many of the state’s top produce manufacturers and potential users. Billboards in the city of Atlanta during the PMA con-vention were the first market-ing elements to feature the new Georgia Grown look.

“We talked with many of our top growers and sellers to develop a Georgia Grown logo that will be consumer-at-tractive but also user friend-

ly,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black. “Our vision is that the updat-ed Georgia Grown imagery will be omnipresent wherever Georgia food products are be-ing marketed.”

In addition to being seen on billboards around the state, GDA representatives expect the new Georgia Grown logo

to be prominently displayed on packages of products grown in the state.

“We were very excited the Georgia Department of Agri-culture asked us to be a part of this rebranding process for an already great program,” said Wendy Brannen, executive director of the Vidalia Onion Committee. “The new logo and overall look of Georgia Grown will better lend itself to Vida-lia® onion packaging and mar-keting collateral developed by us and the other quality Georgia

products.”Among the places that people

should expect to see the new Georgia Grown look are on state vehicles, signage at farm-ers markets, in grocery stores, during statewide expo events and in consumer advertising.

The department will also be launching a new Georgia Grown web site in 2012 that will pro-vide producers and manufac-turers with instructions on how to best incorporate the Georgia Grown look into their market-ing elements.

This new branding campaign introduces the first new Geor-gia Grown look in more than 12 years. There will also be varia-tions of the logo that are spe-cific to different industries.

“We have so many great prod-ucts here in our state that are all Georgia Grown — apples, blueberries, peaches, peanuts, pecans, Vidalia onions, toma-toes, watermelons and many more — and we are proud to tout their Georgia ‘roots’,” Black said.

New “Georgia Grown” campaign launched

ATLANTA — Thousands of economically challenged Atlanta residents will be eating better thanks to donations from the recent Produce Mar-keting Association Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, held here in Atlanta.

More than 316,000 pounds of surplus produce from the exposition went to the Atlanta Commu-nity Food Bank, which is one of 200 in the Feed-ing America food bank network.

“A donation of this size and quality is very im-portant to us,” said Bill Bolling, founder and ex-ecutive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. “One of our goals is to increase the amount of fresh produce we’re able to provide to our part-ner agencies and those who have a hard time ac-cessing it, so we are truly grateful to PMA and the vendors for offering this excess to us.”

The Food Bank spent months planning the lo-gistics for gathering and distributing the produce to 140 of their partner agencies and sharing it with three other Georgia food banks, the group noted, adding that, it took an entire fleet of trucks and more than 200 volunteers to pick up the produce and get it distributed to the agencies that provided the food to people in need.

As the economy has struggled, the Food Bank’s partner agencies have reported an unprecedented increase in the number of families coming to them for help. Distribution numbers at the Food Bank certainly confirm that. This past fiscal year, which ended in June 2011, the Food Bank distributed 34 percent more food and grocery products to its part-ner agencies than in the prior fiscal year — nearly 30 million pounds.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are especially prized as the entire Feeding America food bank network is focusing more on acquiring more fresh-food donations. Bolling said this donation is a perfect example of the role the food industry can play to ensure people in need are receiving healthy food.

“This gives our agencies an opportunity to handle the best of the best in fruits and vegeta-bles,” Bolling said. “The key for us is that it isn’t just about how many pounds of food we can get out, but the type of food and whether or not it is healthy. With this donation, we know a lot of people will be enjoying foods they don’t often get a chance to try.”

Each year PMA’s exhibitors donate produce from the trade show to local food banks. PMA has donated to The Atlanta Community Food Bank, each time Fresh Summit has been held in Atlanta.

“Our members are very much aware of the important role they play in feeding the hungry in Fresh Summit host cities,” said Bryan Silber-mann, PMA president and CEO. “They bring the highest quality produce they have to display at the show and are careful not to give it all out to attendees at the end, knowing that there are trucks waiting to distribute it in the area. This is part of our collective corporate responsibility and our mission to do our part in sharing our healthy, flavorful product with those in need.”

More information about the Produce Marketing Association can be obtained at http://www.pma.com.

Fresh Summit donates produceto food bank for those in need

GEORGIA AG NEWS, December 2011 3

By Michael WheelerSpecial to Georgia Ag News

GAINESVILLE — One of the worst feelings felt in the kitchen is the discovery of bugs in a container of flour, rice or beans. Not only is there a feeling of disgust when you see something crawling or squirm-ing in your food, but all of a sudden you feel as if your house is not as clean as you thought.

Many times bugs in the cupboard are not due to not keeping a clean kitchen. Often we bring these pests in from a product that is already infested, like bird seed.

Regardless of why you have bugs in your pan-try, in order to get rid of the infestation you have to find the source. Once you find the food source, you have to get rid of the food in order to stop the infestation.

To find the infestation, find all the food that can attract bugs like flour, rice, dried beans, pastas, etc. Give each item a light shake. This will either allow the bugs to fall out, or it will make them more active

and force them to crawl to the surface of the food and be more visible.If you cannot find the pests in the human food, then look in the dry dog

or cat food, birdseed, or dog treats. Bugs can possibly infest other items that have been made of plant or animal origin like decorations, ornaments, potpourri or jewelry.

Insecticides can have some effect on knocking down an adult popula-tion, but it will not do much for you in getting rid of the full infestation. You have to find the food source that is allowing the bugs to survive in your home. Insecticide use for situations like this is very limited in how they can be used because of the proximity of food in the treatment area. Insecticides should never be applied directly or around food items.

If you have bugs that have gotten into something like household deco-rations or your children’s Christmas ornaments, and you do not want to get rid of them because of sentimental reasons, then place the item in the freezer for six days at zero to minus 2 degrees F. This should get rid of most of the infestation.

Cleaning the pantry after the discovery of an infestation is important. Wipe up or vacuum all crumbs and food pieces. All food products should be stored in a tightly sealed container or in the freezer. The date of pur-chase should be written on the container so you can use the oldest product first. If there is a spill in the pantry, clean it up before it attracts bugs and the problem starts all over again.

If you have any questions about insects in the home, give your lo-cal county Extension agent a call by calling 800-ASK UGA1 (800-275-8421). You will be directly sent to your local UGA Cooperative Extension office.

Michael Wheeler is the Hall County Extension Coordinator and agri-cultural Extension agent. He can be reached at 770-535-8293; e-mail at [email protected]; or http://www.hallcounty.org/extension.

How to deal with insect pests in the cupboard

Wheeler

By Caleb CopelandSpecial to Georgia Ag News

MURRAYVILLE — For this month’s article I thought I would share a good hunting story with my loyal readers. I have been writing in the column for a while now, and I always try to give the best insight I can on hunting and the season, as well as the phase of the hunting season.

This month I want to change it up and give you a behind the scenes story of a duck hunt from last season with me and some guys — since ducks are my next species of interest.

By the time you are reading this article, it will be or it almost will be duck season. This time of year has grown closer and closer to my heart with each passing year. There is just nothing like it.

I grew up a diehard whitetail hunter, which is all I knew. I was introduced to duck hunting by my cousin and some friends of his; and I was instantly hooked. It is totally different than whitetail hunting. There’s never a dull mo-ment. When the ducks are flying you start working on a strategy on how to bring down the next group. With all that being said, this is the story of my best/worst day in the duck blind.

The day before opening day last season, we had planned to go up to Lake Hartwell on a new spot one of the guys had found to try and hunt instead of our usual spots on Lake Lanier. We knew in the duck hunting world we were going to have to get there early so no one would hunt our spot — since it is public water.

A few of us get the bright idea we should just go get all our gear together and sleep by the lake in the blind all night. Bare in mind, it is the end of November and it’s cold. It got down to 25 degrees F that night and the next morning, if

I remember correctly. So we are on the bank of the lake with a fire going and telling tales. When it gets around mid-night, we de-cide we need to get in our

waders and get to the spot.Well, as you all know I film

every hunt I go on. I can’t afford not to with some of the characters I hunt with; so I have my $2,500 camera in a waterproof case and I am carrying it across waist deep water. Now this case advertises to be “waterproof” but I have never tested it. As we were walking across the lake in the flats where it’s waist deep; I find a channel in the lake.

It drops down about 2 feet. I am now over my waders in water and my camera case is now a flotation device. I also have a very expen-sive shotgun across my back that is now completely underwater. Need-less to say it was a long walk and

a long night in wet clothes in 25 degree F weather and chest deep water.

At about 3:30 a.m., we start see-ing lights of on-coming trucks and boats on the shore of the lake try-ing to get in on our spot. We all fan out to different parts of the cove to shine or flash them off. If you are not a duck hunter, this is when you take your flashlight and shine it in the direction of other people telling them you are already in that spot, they need to find another one. Well we had five people spread out so it looked like we had occupied half of the lake. We shined boats off all the way up until ducks started flying after daylight. We were in a good spot.

Several of the readers out there that know me are aware that I am not a night owl. I am someone that likes my sleep. Being up all night, wet, cold, almost ruining an expen-sive camera and gun, and now hav-ing to run people out of our spot; and I start to think, “Is this really worth it for a duck?”

By this time it’s shooting light,

Copeland

A tale from duck season past

Avid hunter Caleb Copeland produces the hunting web site D.R.T. Hunting, which can be reached at http://www.drthunt-ing.net.

See Copeland, Page 9

VACATION RENTALSWHITEWATER

RIVER & TROUT STREAMLAKE & MOUNTAIN VIEWS

HOT TUBS

Visit the Website:www.stressbuster-vacationrentals.com

CALL JOY706-635-3952/404-791-4388

Email: [email protected]

Protect your home

ESTIMATES ArE AlwAyS FrEECall Steve Strickland

STATE LICENSED AND INSURED

WIND

RAINRepair Hotline 770-540-1731

Repaired Same Day


Viewpoint

Corporate HeadquartersPoultry TimesP.O. Box 1338

Gainesville, Georgia 30503Telephone: 770-536-2476;

770-718-3444 (after 5:30 p.m.)Fax: 770-532-4894

General ManagerCindy Wellborn770-718-3443

[email protected]

Editorial/Advertising StaffEditor

David B. Strickland770-718-3442

[email protected]

Associate EditorBarbara L. Olejnik

[email protected]

Graphic ArtistCourtney Canaday

[email protected]

Account ExecutiveStacy Louis

[email protected]

Account ExecutiveDinah Winfree770-718-3438

[email protected]

Companion Publications:Poultry Times; A Guide to Poultry Associations; Poultry Resource Guide.

The opinions expressed in this publication by authors other than Georgia Ag News staff are those of the respective author and do not nec-essarily reflect the opinions of Geor-gia Ag News.

Georgia Ag News assumes respon-sibliity for error in first run of an in-house designed ad only. Advertisers have ten (10) days from publication date to dispute such an advertise-ment. After ten (10) days, ad will be deemed correct and advertiser will be charged accordingly. Proofs approved by advertiser will always be regarded as correct.

By Gary W. BlackSpecial to Georgia Ag News

ATLANTA — Since January, the Georgia Department of Ag-riculture (GDA) has been in a whirlwind of activities. In spite of the office I have in our Atlan-ta headquarters building, I have spent most of the year traveling across this great state — meet-ing with farmers, producers and consumers to hear from people and share news about Georgia agriculture.

Looking back, there have been challenges we have overcome and successes we have achieved; all are helping bring this depart-ment, your Department of Agri-culture, into the 21st Century.

In the first quarter, the GDA created a Strategic Planning Committee that helped us out-line and develop a new Stra-tegic Plan for the department. This team consisted of farmers, producers, business owners and other residents of Georgia who worked together to review and evaluate every aspect of what we do. They relayed back to us their questions, concerns and suggestions for improvement. The Strategic Plan touches each division, including many regu-latory and administrative activi-ties, and we continue to imple-ment those ideas and proposals back into the department.

The year 2011 brought a brand new GDA web site, thanks to our IT staff who worked with

d i v i s i o n leaders and the strate-gic planning committee to completely r e v i t a l i z e the site. It is our goal to keep making i m p r o v e -ments and

updates so the site is constantly offering new information. A few highlights for the site include faster navigation, easier access to licensing applications (with future capabilities to submit ap-plications directly online) and scrolling links to the day’s top agriculture news stories from around the world.

The GDA is thrilled to share the new look for our “Georgia Grown” campaign, including an innovative logo design that is more user-friendly and easier to identify. The revamped cam-paign will offer much more to Georgia farmers, processors, retailers and consumers. A new corresponding web site will be launching in the beginning of January, and we’ll have a lot more information available in the coming weeks.

The newly expanded and renovated Tifton Agriculture Laboratory had a ribbon cut-ting and dedication ceremony with Gov. Nathan Deal, state legislators and local officials in October. Originally comprising 25,000 square feet, the lab has been expanded to 72,000 square feet including renovation of the original building. It has become our “one-stop shop” for South Georgia — home to a new seed lab, pesticide residue lab,

weights and measures lab, fuel lab and IT data center, as well as the center for our southern field forces.

Earlier this year, the first Georgia Food Manufacturer Symposium was held at the Georgia Tech Research Insti-tute Conference Center, hosted by the university and the GDA. The symposium illustrated tech-nological advances in relation to the importance of food safety and touched upon ways the state of Georgia is working to ensure food safety for all consumers.

The spring also brought a Nutrition Specialist and Out-reach Coordinator to the GDA, Melanie Hollingsworth (some may remember this position as “Home Economist”). This new position has led to a renovated and expanded test kitchen at our headquarters, which will be used as an educational tool to pro-mote the use of Georgia Grown products, a media outlet to test and promote consumer recipes, aid in food preparation training for farm-to-school efforts and serve as a collaborative educa-tion tool to promote a healthier Georgia. The GDA is in the pro-cess of establishing partnerships through the use of this kitchen, which will benefit all Georgians in the months to come.

Social media has become an increasingly important method to reach Georgians and agricul-ture fans across the country. We have our Facebook account, with hundreds of crop and commod-ity photos, pictures from GDA activities and special events, links to food recalls and updates on important agriculture news. Twitter users can follow us on three accounts, @GDAFood-

Safety, primarily for food recall updates, @GrownInGeorgia, primarily for information about Georgia crops, products and the Georgia Grown campaign, and @GaAg_Bulletin, where Mar-ket Bulletin supporters can get deadline alerts, links to articles of interest or find featured ads.

With video being a critical part of social media, the Georgia Ag-riculture YouTube account was created this year. Viewers can

see clips from a recent ribbon cutting or an overview from the Sunbelt Ag Expo, meet farmers from the Atlanta State Farmers Market or watch one of our new “What Do You Do?” videos. This series answers that very question, introducing Georgia producers and illustrating how the GDA interacts with these businesses and works for Geor-gia consumers across the state in a variety of settings, be it at a local retail gas station or inside a large-scale food processing facility.

The Farmers and Consum-ers Market Bulletin continues to bring in more subscriptions and remains in print form, but more subscriptions are needed to cre-ate a supportable publication. If you’re looking for a special holi-

A summary of agriculture activities in 2011

Black

Gary W. Black is commissioner of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. He can be reached at 404-656-3645, 800-282-5852; or at http://www.agr.geor-gia.gov.

See Black, Page 12


Amazing GraceThe

Story

Here, at last, is the amazing story of how the song “Amazing Grace” came to be.

Call 828-787-1165 or visit www.amazinggracestory.com

Now available on CD

WhIte County

Farmers exChange“Georgia’s largest Southern States

independent dealer!”

951 South Main Street, Cleveland • 706-865-2831

Serving Northeast Georgia since 1928

• Naked Bee Skin Care Products • Gift Cards

• Bird Seed & Feeders • Pennsylvania Dutch Candies

• John Deere Farm Toys, Raw Peanutsand other home and farm gift items

Currently in stock:• McCutcheon’s Jams, Jellies,

Butters & Relishes • Mascot Georgia Pecans

• Leanin’ Tree Cards

Let us help you with your holiday gifts!Now offering Gift Wrapping

and Custom Gift Baskets and Boxes for all your

Holiday Needs!

By Debbie WilburnSpecial to Georgia Ag News

ROSWELL — Preparing food to share with family and friends is a highlight of the holiday sea-son. But giving the gift of an up-set stomach can ruin a holiday. If you’re preparing food, keep bacte-ria and foodborne illness at bay by following some simple food safety steps.

If you volunteered to take turkey and dressing, a casserole or other cooked food typically served hot to a potluck, there are some food safety steps to observe:l Take a cooked, unstuffed tur-

key and a separate pan of baked dressing to your potluck. Wrap the freshly cooked turkey in foil and immediately put it into an insulated cooler. Do the same with the dress-ing or casserole.l Put the cooler in a warm

place inside your car rather than the trunk. Remember that food is safe to eat when left at room tem-perature up to two hours, and the clock starts ticking as soon as the food is out of the oven. If you ar-rive at your destination in less than an hour, you’ll have ample time for safe serving.

A safer option would be to cook the turkey and dressing or casse-role ahead of time and keep them chilled in the refrigerator. Cut the turkey into smaller pieces to allow it to chill faster.l When it’s time to leave for

the party, pack the meat and any cooked casserole dishes with ice or gel packs in the cooler to keep the

temperature at or below 40 degrees F.l After ar-

riving at your destination reheat them to an internal temperature of 165 de-grees F (use a thermometer to check the

temperature).l Do not travel with partially

cooked poultry or meats with the intent to finish the cooking on the other end.l Traveling with a cooked

stuffed turkey is inviting food-borne bacteria. Bacteria can grow quickly in stuffing mix because of the moist environment. And when stuffing isn’t cooked to 165 de-grees F initially, raw meat juices will contaminate your delicious

dressing. This has disaster written all over it.

For more information call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854). Staff will personally answer your food safety questions on week-days year-round. This toll-free telephone service helps prevent foodborne illness by answering questions about the safe storage, handling, and preparation of meat, poultry and egg products.

The majority of calls come from consumers regarding how to prop-erly handle their food, including food safety during power outages; food manufacturer recalls; food-borne illnesses; and the inspection of meat, poultry and egg products. The hotline is open year-round Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET (English or Span-ish). Recorded food safety mes-sages are available 24 hours. The USDA Food Safety & Inspection

Service web site is http://www.fsis.usda.gov.

Food gifts are fun to make and receive. If you are the recipient you need to use your best judgment about how safe the item is.l Refrigerated food like cheese

balls should arrive chilled and be refrigerated promptly.l If you think a gift you’ve

received hasn’t been properly re-frigerated during the trip, don’t risk making yourself and your family ill. Food gifts that arrive in the mail labeled “keep refriger-ated” should arrive cold.l If a perishable food arrives

warm, above a temperature of 40 degrees, call the company and re-quest a replacement.l Smoked poultry and hams

have a unique flavor but are not protected from growing bacteria — smoked food should arrive

Tips on keeping foods safe for the holidays

Wilburn

Debbie Wilburn is a volunteer and former Family and Con-sumer Sciences agent with the University of Georgia Coopera-tive Extension Service in Hall County. See Wilburn, Page 13

By Lynne FinnertySpecial to Georgia Ag News

WASHINGTON — One size fits all — when most shoppers see that label on clothing, it doesn’t inspire much confidence that the garment will suit them. People come in all shapes and sizes.

The same can be said of farm programs. One program can-not and does not fit all farmers. What works well for southern cotton growers or farmers in New England is probably not the best way to help Midwest-ern soybean farmers or western wheat growers get through a

difficult year so they can keep putting food on market shelves. Even from one year to the next, different programs can make up stronger or weaker threads in the fabric of the food and farm safety net, depending on volatile markets and weather.

That’s why the American Farm Bureau recently sent Congress farm bill recommendations that

call for a “big picture” approach — one that maintains most cur-rent farm programs rather than depending on just one or two — to provide a safety net for different types of farmers in all regions.

The ax has to fall somewhere, however. A congressional “su-

Farm productivity dependson the ‘big picture’ approach

See Finnerty, Page 13

Lynne Finnerty is the editor of FBNews, the newspaper of the American Farm Bureau Federa-tion.


Proud to be a part of the Hall County Communityfor over 60 years.

Our company has been active

in the poultry and feed industry

since 1947. Sin

ce 1

947

Make it at Home RecipeWinter Squash CustardAmerican Egg BoardServings: 6Prep time: 10 minutesCook time: 30 to 35 minutes

Ingredients: 3 eggs1/3 cup packed brown sugar1/2 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin1 pkg. (12 oz.) frozen winter squash,

defrosted1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans (1

oz.)

Directions:Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs,

sugar, salt and spice in large bowl until blended. Add pumpkin, squash and pecans; mix well. Pour into greased 2-quart baking dish; smooth top.

Bake in center of 350 degree F oven until knife inserted near center comes out clean,

30 to 35 minutes.Serving — serve this fall vegetable dish

with Christmas ham, turkey or other holiday meals. Garnish with toasted pecan halves.

Toasting pecans — spread pecans in small baking pan. Bake in 350 degree F oven, stir-ring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

More egg recipes may be obtained from the American Egg Board at http://www.in-credibleegg.org.

By Sharon DowdySpecial to Georgia Ag News

ATHENS — If a BB gun is at the top of your child’s Christ-mas list, a Georgia 4-H gun safety expert urges you to put “tar-get sport safety equipment” on that list, too.

“As parents, we would never send our kids out to play in a little league football game without the proper protective equip-ment,” said Mark Zeigler, who coordinates the Georgia 4-H Shooting Awareness, Fun and Education program, or SAFE. “Target sports also require the proper protective gear, and the most important part of that gear is sound safety education.”

Zeigler leads the program’s certified coaches who are trained in youth development as well as shooting education and safety. SAFE coaches teach target sport safety to more than 3,500 stu-dents across Georgia.

Although he didn’t have a BB gun as a child, Zeigler doesn’t discourage parents from buying one for their child.

“It can be an appropriate gift when used under the supervision of an adult and if the child is taught basic firearm safety,” he said. “It’s paramount that children are properly educated first. I

4-H: Sport training should adjoin the BB gun gift

Sharon Dowdy/UGA

BB gun safety: If your child gets a BB gun this holiday season, make sure he or she gets safety lessons, too. Georgia 4-H offers a target sports program.

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia Col-lege of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

See 4-H, Page 13


Landscape design & restructure

Installation

Lawn maIntenance

● Seasonal Clean-up & Removal● Mulch ● Pine Straw ● Pruning

● Flowers ● Detailing of area

Make your lawn new again

caLLFoR a FRee

quote

C&S770-654-9089 [email protected]

Special

Cajun fried turkey: Bill Goudey, right, CEO of Copeland’s of New Orleans restaurant franchise in Atlanta, Ga., is joined by Copeland’s Chef Macario Bustos, in displaying the restaurant’s popular Cajun Deep Fried Turkey.

ATLANTA — Frying whole turkeys is sort of the Southern version of tailgating before a football game. It is a very social event, like boiling crawfish or grilling out with friends and family. The difference is that you are dealing with 350 degree F oil and a large water-based bird that can cause the oil to overflow or bubble up if the bird is not thawed and drained properly.

Bill Goudey, CEO of Copeland’s of New Orleans restaurant franchise in Atlanta, Ga., grew up in New Orleans and came to Atlanta in 1997, when he opened his restaurants.

In his hometown, Cajun fried turkey, rather than baked turkey, is served at Thanksgiving and Christ-mas. He says that this juicy turkey with outside crispi-ness originated in the bayous of Louisiana and Texas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that fried turkeys became exceedingly popular when Martha Stewart put a recipe in her mag-azine and cooked one on her TV show in 1996.

Copeland’s, whose two Atlanta restaurants are lo-cated in Cobb County (Cumberland and Kennesaw areas), has sold more than 20,000 of these Cajun birds in the last 13 years.

Goudey gives a few tips for people who want to

cook the turkeys at home:l Thaw the bird for two days and drain it com-

pletely.l Inject with poultry seasonings and marinade for

24 hours, then cook in 350 degree F peanut oil.l Make sure the turkey is dry before placing it into

the oil, so that the oil will keep from sparking.l Turn off the flame when you put the turkey in or

you could get burned.l Watch to make sure the pot doesn’t boil over and

is protected at all times.l It only takes 45 minutes to cook a 12 to 14 pound

turkey, but the instructions are the most important tool.l When using a recipe, study the ingredients. If you

see something in the ingredients that you and your family don’t like or can’t use, then try to think of an-other ingredient.

Cajun fried turkeys are available from the catering and Holiday Specialties menu at both Copeland’s of New Orleans in Atlanta — as well as all over the U.S. for the holidays and year-round, he said.

More information may be obtained at http://www.copelandsatlanta.com.

For spicy twist,Copeland’s promotesits Cajun fried turkey

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — On Nov. 2, U.S. Agriculture Sec-retary Tom Vilsack visited the Old Illinois State Capitol to an-nounce the year-long celebration of USDA’s 150th anniversary in 2012.

Vilsack was in the hometown of USDA’s founder — Presi-dent Abraham Lincoln — who signed into law an act of Con-gress establishing the United States Department of Agricul-ture in 1862.

“Through our work on food, agriculture, economic develop-ment, science, natural resource conservation and a host of is-sues, USDA still fulfills Presi-dent Lincoln’s vision as “The

People’s Department” — touch-ing the lives of every American, every day,” Vilsack said. “As we commemorate 150 years, we will look for lessons from the past that can help us strengthen USDA in the future to address the changing needs of agricul-ture and rural America.”

President Lincoln established USDA because he recognized the potential of America’s farm-ers to find new ways to cultivate

the land and that with advances in research and technology, America’s farmers and ranchers could provide a safe, ample food supply for our nation and the world, the department noted.

In one of President Lincoln’s only speeches on agriculture at the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society on Sept. 30, 1859, he said, “. . . no other human oc-cupation opens so wide a field for the profitable and agreeable combination of labor with culti-vated thought, as agriculture.”

USDA noted that it is getting ready for a historic year for the department next year. In Febru-

USDA announces highlightsfor 150th anniversary in 2012

See USDA, Page 10


That’s because grandmothers, delis, fast food stores, and restaurants everywhere choose fresh, plump, juicy Mar-Jac chicken. From our fully integrated operation in Gainesville, we produce, process and deliver over 2 million chickens weekly...coast to coast and overseas. Our 350 contract growers and 1200 employees are committed to producing the highest qual-ity poultry in the world. We offer WOG’S, cut-up and further processed poultry products and ship ice pack, vacuum pack or frozen.

CHANCES ARE SOME OF THE BEST CHICKEN

YOU’VE EATEN WAS OURS!

Greg Tench, Director of Marketing

Tommy Francis, Sales Manager

Faye Hayes, Sales Rep

Elva Lopez, Sales Rep

Kevin Grindle, Food Service Sales Rep

Nathan Vaughan, Sales Rep

Merry ChristmasFir, (2) Douglas Fir, (3) Balsam Fir, (4) Colorado Blue Spruce, (5) Scotch Pine, (6) Eastern Red Cedar, (7) White Spruce, (8) East-ern White Pine, (9) White Fir and (10) Virginia Pine, with notable mentions to Leyland Cypress and Noble Fir.

Ninety percent of Georgia’s Christmas tree production is Vir-ginia pine. The other 10 percent is Leyland cypress, eastern red cedar, white pine and others. Sev-enty percent of all Christmas tree sales from Georgia Christmas tree growers come from choose and cut operations. Approximately 889 trees can be grown per acre.

If the personal selection method is not to a person’s liking, still an-other way to find the perfect tree is to order it from a specialty Christ-mas tree farm and have it shipped direct to the house.

Numerous growers who ship Christmas trees can be found by simply typing “shipped Christmas trees” into an Internet search en-gine.

The idea of having a Christmas tree may seem like a fairly modern thought. However, according to the National Christmas Tree Asso-ciation, the first written record of a decorated Christmas tree comes from Riga, Latvia, when in 1510 a local merchant’s guild decorated a tree in the marketplace.

By the 17th century it was common in Germany to decorate Christmas trees with apples. The first account of using lighted can-dles as decorations on Christmas trees comes from France in the 18th century.

The Christmas tree was intro-duced to the U.S. in the 1800s by German settlers and by 1851 Christmas trees began to be sold commercially in the U.S. Frank-lin Pierce is credited with bring-ing the first Christmas tree into the White House in 1853.

The first Christmas tree farm was started in 1901 when W.V. McGalliard planted 25,000 Nor-way spruce on his farm in New Jersey.

Today there are approximately 25-30 million real Christmas trees sold each year in the U.S. Almost all of these come from Christmas tree farms.

Whether the tree comes from a tree farm, is ordered for shipping or is selected from a local lot, once it is in the home and decorated to reflect an artistic theme or hung with ornaments that have a special meaning for each family member, it will be the perfect tree.

•Christmas(Continued from page 1)

WASHINGTON — Deep fried turkey, a concept that started in the South, has risen in popularity nationwide. The National Tur-key Federation notes that it’s a perfect twist for parties, as well as holiday feasts.

To get started, here are some turkey frying tips for both out-door and indoor turkey fryers. For a deep frying turkey expe-rience that is fun and produces delicious results follow these guidelines:

Turkey size mattersSmaller turkeys, 8 pounds to

10 pounds and turkey parts, such as breast, wings, drumsticks and thighs, are best for frying. Size does matter as a 12-pound to 14-pound turkey is the maximum size bird that should be success-fully deep fried. In addition to

the obvious safety concern of lowering and lifting a big turkey into a vessel of boiling oil, larger birds simply cook longer. The extra cooking time may result in over exposure to the skin, which could be over cooked.

If a larger bird (more than 15 pounds) has been purchased, follow these steps for the best results. Detach the dark meat (leg and thigh portions) from the breast and fry the two turkey parts separately. Fry the leg/thigh sections first in oil that has been preheated to the desired temper-ature (375 degrees F for outdoor propane turkey fryer and 400 de-grees F for indoor electric tur-key fryer). Cook to an internal temperature of 175 degrees F to 180 degrees F. Remove the dark sections and reheat the oil. Then fry the turkey breast to an inter-

nal temperature of 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F.

Amount of oilMany turkey fryers feature a

“fill line” indicating the suitable level of oil to add to the pot, but if that feature is absent from your fryer, follow these guidelines before marinating the turkey:

Place the thawed turkey in the fryer basket and place in the empty pot. The minimum oil lev-el should be 3 inches to 5 inches from the top of the fryer. Add water until the top of the turkey is covered. Remove the turkey, allowing the water to drain from the turkey. Note the water level,

using a ruler to measure the dis-tance from the top of the pot to the surface of the water.

Drain or pour out the water and dry the pot thoroughly. If the fryer has a drain valve, be sure there isn’t any excess water in the spigot. Open the valve to drain the water and remember to close the valve before adding oil.

There are turkey fryers that don’t require oil. New outdoor, oil-less turkey fryers use infra-red heat — a technology popular in gas grills — to cook and the result is a juicy, tender bird with crispy skin.

Cooking preparationRemove the turkey from the

wrapper. Be sure to save the label that indicates the weight of the turkey. Use the turkey’s weight to compute the total fry-ing time.

Thaw the turkey completely. Remove the neck and giblets from the two body cavities.

Heat the oil to the desired temperature (as stated above).

While the oil is heating, pre-pare the turkey as desired. If in-jecting a marinade into the tur-key, puree ingredients so they will pass through the needle.

Tips for preparing popular deep fried turkey

See Tips, Page 14

Wishing you Happy Holidaysand Best Wishes for this Season!

770-287-8006


in the warmer months as far North as Canada, as far East as the Rocky Mountains and as far South as southern Florida during the cooler months.

Their physical appearance is, naturally, a rich rust-brown color on the top, two white wing bars, yellow eyes and a cream color breast with brown streaks. The birds can be just shy of a foot in length, with long tail feathers and a wingspan of 13 inches. The Brown Thrasher has a long and downward curved bill, which helps it with its food search.

The bird’s search for food is also how it got its name. It can be seen “thrashing” around on the ground through leaves, brush, branches and shrubs for food. They are also omnivores, eating nuts, seeds, berries, earth-worms, insects and even small lizards.

The University of Georgia Museum of Natural History notes that the Brown Thrasher can build its cup-shaped nest either directly on the ground, or up to about 5 feet high in bushes and shrubs. The nests are built by both the males and females. The breeding season for these birds begins in late March, peaking in May, sometimes extending to July. The female can lay two to six eggs that are incubated by both the males and females for 11 to 14 days. Both parent birds also care and brood the young until they fledge.

The young birds leave the nest early, at around nine to 13 days.

The Brown Thrasher is also an aggressive defender of its nest, being known to strike at animals and people if they feel threatened.

AttractingIf you are trying to attract

Brown Thashers to your yard, bird watching experts recom-mend that you maintain some dense shrubbery.

With food, bird watchers note that you can attract the breed with suet and seed feeders. They are attracted to fruit, corn and even bakery items, as well as mixed seeds and suet. In keeping with their nature, they enjoy finding pieces of crumbled suet on the ground. They also like a source of water, such as bird baths.

State birdThe Brown Thrasher’s bird

cousin, the mockingbird, is the state bird of Arkansas and Flori-da. And you could make a pretty convincing argument, especially in the last 50 to 60 years, that the state bird of Georgia should be the chicken. (As a note, the Blue Hen Chicken is the state bird of Delaware, which is another significant poultry-producing state).

But for more than 75 years,

the state bird of Georgia has been the Brown Thrasher.

According to the Georgia secretary of state’s office, the Brown Thrasher was chosen, by a proclamation from the gov-ernor, as the state bird for the first time on April 6, 1935.

After a request from the Gar-den Clubs of Georgia, in 1970, the state legislature officially designated the Brown Thrasher as the state bird.

For a bit of trivia, the Brown Thrasher is a common inhabit-ant of hedgerows all along the eastern U.S., and is considered as a migrating bird of relatively short distances. However, one individual bird of the species was once found in England. And for another note, the oldest age recorded for a Brown Thrasher is 12 years.

•Thrasher(Continued from page 1)

and it’s now legal to start shooting at flying ducks, and there are plenty. We are shooting at ducks left and right. Calling them in when we can over the awful calling of some people hunting behind us. After the morning flight was over we had killed quite a few ducks. We stayed the rest of the day and finally killed our limit. It was the longest day of my life.

Duck hunters are a different breed. We are some rough guys that chase a very smart bird that is very resilient. They are magical creatures that can keep you guessing every time you go hunting. The best part about duck hunting is that you do not even have to kill any ducks to have a good time. The camaraderie with the guys or girls you are hunt-ing with is what it’s all about. It’s about getting out in God’s creation and enjoying it for what it is and what he gave us.

If you have never duck hunted, it is something that everyone should try. For more info on duck hunting or filming hunts, send me an e-mail at [email protected].

And remember to take a kid hunting or fishing, they are the future of the sport.l (Firearms deer season (northern zone) goes through Jan. 1.

Check with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at http://www.gohuntgeorgia.com for restrictions.)

•Copeland(Continued from page 3)

All Your Landscaping

Needs...

Colored Mulch • River & M10 Sand All Types of Gravel • Screen Top Soil

Screen Fill Dirt • Boulders • Deco. Rock Hay Bales • Masonry Sand

Cross Ties • Yard ArtWe Deliver

Monday-Friday9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Closed Sunday

Hours:

Office 706-867-6209

7490 South Chestatee • Dahlonega, GA 305331.5 Miles South of the End of 400 On Hwy. 60 South

Located on the Right

If no answer: 770-540-2129 770-889-4873

WASHINGTON — The modern domesticated turkey is a result of the industry’s work in genetics, production and processing to produce the bird that graces the holiday table.

Following are some facts about turkeys and the turkey industry provided by the Na-tional Turkey Federation:l Toms are male turkeys.

Hens are female.l During a 25-week laying

cycle, a hen normally lays 80-100 eggs.l The incubation period to

hatch a turkey egg is 28 days.l On average, it takes 75-80

pounds of feed to raise a 30-pound tom turkey.l The hen usually takes 14

weeks and weighs 15.3 pounds

at maturity. This compares to the tom, which takes 18 weeks to reach a market weight of 33 pounds.l Hens are processed and

usually sold as whole birds, while toms are further pro-cessed into products such as cutlets, tenderloins, turkey sausage, turkey franks and turkey deli meats.l Domesticated turkeys

are bred to have more breast meat, meatier thighs and white feathers.l Turkeys are raised in sci-

entifically designed, environ-mentally controlled barns that provide maximum protection from predators, disease and bad weather.l Litter from the turkey

production house is rich in

nutrients such as nitrogen and is recycled as an organic fer-tilizer on farm fields.l All turkeys are both hor-

mone and steroid free. No hor-mones have been approved for use in turkeys.l Antibiotics have been

safely used in animal agricul-ture for half a century to treat and control disease in animals and to improve the animal’s overall health. Specific regu-lations govern the safe use and proper withdrawal period for antibiotics.l More than 244 million

turkeys are expected to be raised in the U.S. in 2011.l According to the 2007

Census of Agriculture, 8,284 U.S. farms reported turkey sales.l The top 10 turkey pro-

ducing states in 2010 were

Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Virginia, California, Indiana, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Ohio.l Turkey consumption has

increased 102 percent since 1970.l In 2010, the U.S. con-

sumption of turkey was 16.4 pounds per person.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ary 2012, at USDA’s Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, the de-partment will formally launch the 150th anniversary commemora-tion. Throughout 2012, USDA will recognize important events, such as President Lincoln’s signing of an Act to establish the Department of Agriculture on May, 15, 1862, and the July signing of the Morrill Act to establish public land grant universities. Employees in USDA field offices across the country will also celebrate this landmark throughout 2012.

USDA has also created a web page, http://www.usda.gov/usda150. The site will give the American people a sense of where USDA has been — and where USDA is headed in the 21st century, the depart-ment said. This web page will provide information about events, facts and goings-on related to the anniversary.

•USDA(Continued from page 7)

Turkey industry trivia, statistics and facts


USDA Agricultural Research Service

Chocolate flavors: ARS scien-tists have identified new cacao types with unique flavors on collection trips to Peru, such as this Fortunato No. 4 chocolate, a fine-flavor product made from the Pure Nacional type of cacao identified in northern Peru.

By Sharon DurhamSpecial to Georgia Ag News

BELTSVILLE, Md. — New cacao types with unique flavors that are distinctly Peruvian have been identified by USDA scien-tists. These new flavors could one day be marketed like wine, by geographical provenance.

USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists at the agency’s Sustainable Perennial Crops Laboratory and Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, both in Beltsville, Md., and Peruvian collaboratorsfound these new cacao plants during collection expeditions in 2008 and 2009 in the Amazon Basin of Peru.

The researchers found hun-dreds of new cacao tree samples during the trips. One of these, discovered by collaborators from Maranon Chocolate, was

Pure Nacional, an old, very rare, and highly coveted variety that has garnered a great deal of interest from makers of fine-fla-vored chocolates. Chocolate is produced from cacao.

This industry covets new and unique flavor sources. Usually, cacao trees are found along riv-ers, but these gems were found at a higher altitude than normal, and in Peru instead of Ecuador or Venezuela.

SPCL research leader Lyndel Meinhardt and geneticist Dap-eng Zhang collaborated with the Instituto de Cultivos Tropicales, a research center in San Martin, Peru, to identify the new variet-ies of cacao. The researchers are studying 342 cacao specimens collected from 12 watersheds and categorizing the DNA of the specimens.

ARS and ICT are helping Peru create its own niche in the choc-olate industry by working with

San Martin’s Oro Verde cooper-ative and Maranon Chocolate.

Peru’s tropical conditions — 60 percent of the country is cov-ered in tropical forest — make it ideal for producing cacao, and specialty chocolates.

ARS is USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agency, and this research sup-ports the USDA priority of pro-moting international food secu-rity.

Sharon Durham is a public af-fairs specialist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Md.

New chocolate flavors

TUCSON, Ariz. — David Lathem, president and CEO of Lathem Farms in Pendergrass, Ga., has been elected to serve as board chairman of the Al-pharetta, Ga.-based United Egg Pro-ducers.

Election of officers and the board of directors was held during UEP’s recent annual membership meeting here.

Lathem, a University of Georgia graduate, is the second generation op-erating the family farm started in 1960. He continues to modernize the farm and recently began construction of a new organic pullet and layer farms, which will be added to the approximate 1.2 million layers in convention cages.

He has served on the UEP board and committees for several years and was most recently the group’s first vice chairman. He and his wife Lisa have three children.

Other officers are Jim Dean, Center

Fresh Group, first vice chairman; Ron Truex, Creighton Brothers, second vice chairman; Kurt Kreher, Kreher’s Farm Fresh Egg, treasurer; Cliff Lil-lywhite, Oakdell Egg Farms, sec-retary; and Bob Krouse, Midwest

Poultry Services, past chairman.Board of directors members are Steve

Gemperle, Gemperle Enterprises; Gary West, J.S. West Cos.; Glenn Hickman, Hickman Family Farms; Gordon Sa-trum, Willamette Egg Farms; Mark Oldenkamp, Valley Fresh Foods; Roger Deffner, National Foods; Amon Baer, J&A Farms; Terry Baker, Mi-chael Foods; Tad Gross, Hemmelgarn & Sons; Steve Herbruck, Herbruck’s

Poultry Ranch; Tom Hertzfeld Jr., Hertzfeld Poultry Farm; Bill Rehm, Daybreak Foods; Marcus Rust, Rose Acre Farms; Al Schimpf, S&R Egg Farm; Ron Gayman, Hillside Poultry Farm; Mike Puglisi, Puglisi Egg Farm; Brian Barrett, Feather Crest Farms; Dolph Baker, Cal-Maine Foods; Brent Booker, Country Charm Eggs; Scott Braswell, Braswell Foods; Gregg Clanton, ISE America; Terry George, Pilgrim’s Pride; Richard Simpson, Simpson’s Eggs; Roger Seger, Layers Inc.; David Thompson, Pearl Valley Eggs; and Steve Boomsma, Centrum Valley Farms.

The United Egg Producers also pre-sented the Egg Producer of the Year award to Bob Krouse of Midwest Poul-try Services and the President’s Award to Mitch Head of Golin Harris public relations company.

This was the second time Krouse was

named the top egg producer and only the second time that UEP had honored a past recipient. UEP said Krouse was again being honored in 2011 because of the leadership he had shown as UEP’s chairman as well as being the lead ne-gotiator for UEP in working with the Humane Society of the United States to seek federal legislation for national housing standards for layer hens.

The President’s Award recognizes and honors people other than egg farm-ers who have made major contributions to UEP and the egg industry. UEP noted that Head and his team at Golin Harris have managed the UEP Certified ani-mal welfare public relations program for eight years “though some very dif-ficult times while at the same time cre-ating innovative ways in which to put a positive image on the modern egg industry.”

David Lathem takes reins as UEP chairman

Lathem


day gift, a subscription to the Bulletin makes for a unique gift and we now accept new subscribers via our online form. Additionally, to aid in increased sustainability, a Smartphone app is in the works.

During the fall harvest season, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety partnered with the GDA and Georgia Farm Bureau for an “Improving Geor-gia’s Yield Behind the Wheel” campaign, traveling the state to promote farm equipment and highway safety on Georgia roads.

Fair season was a very busy time, with GDA livestock inspectors on-site at every town, city and county fair to help check in animals. We were es-pecially excited to have our new GDA booth set up at the Georgia National Fairgrounds, where fair at-tendees learned more about what we do, signed up for a subscription to the Market Bulletin or purchased a Georgia Grown T-shirt displaying the new logo. During the National Fair, the GDA co-hosted the first ever Legislative Livestock Showdown event, featur-ing state legislators paired up with Georgia FFA and 4-H members.

In October, the GDA had its first ever official pres-ence at the 2011 Sunbelt Ag Expo. In collaboration with the Georgia Farm Bureau, the new Georgia Ag-riculture Building is located at the entrance of the Expo, offering the 90,000-plus attendees a look

into our state’s number one industry. Visitors met GDA directors and staff from each of our divi-sions and listened to presentations from agriculture leaders about various areas of oversight, including ev-erything from termite prevention to roadside markets, food safety to cooking demonstrations.

A new partnership with the Georgia Department of Corrections and the Lee Arrendale State Prison has led to a new impound facility in Alto, where the GDA will bring any new horses our inspectors are required to impound. This collaborative effort is a win-win, al-lowing horses to get needed care and attention while the inmates learn responsibility and skills that will help them find work when their incarceration is over.

Most recently, the GDA announced our collabo-ration with the Georgia Department of Education in our “Feed My School for a Week” campaign. This farm-to-school program will increase awareness about the importance of proper nutrition and healthy eating, while teaching Georgia students more about where their food comes from. For this pilot program, Bleck-ley, Colquitt and Hall counties will each be represent-ed by an elementary school in their district with the program happening in the spring semester.

In the coming year, 2012 will continue to bring fresh, exciting things to Georgia, and I look for-ward to sharing our news with producers, retails and consumers across the state.

•Black(Continued from page 4)

By Steven ThomasSpecial to Georgia Ag News

GAINESVILLE — Well, the farmer’s market season has sad-ly come to an end. For 25 weeks, Georgia farmers gave us the op-portunity to purchase the fruits of their labor. For this I would like to say thanks, and I hope you will join me.

The three Hall County farm-ers markets did well this year. The number of farmers changes each year as some retire and new

farmers be-gin produc-tion. We did say farewell to a few and some disap-peared or moved on to more profit-able markets, now that there are so

many more to choose from.Although more markets mean

greater opportunities for farm-ers, I believe that we would rather keep Hall County farmers in Hall County. And this means that we have to support them by showing that they can make money staying here. To do this, I ask that next year we all make an effort to shop regularly at our markets.

There are many benefits to

keeping our local markets pro-ductive and our local farmers financially motivated to stay-ing here. For us, the consumers, we get access to a vast amount of produce that was picked the day of the market, and it doesn’t get fresher than that. Price-wise, you can’t compare the taste of freshly picked, locally grown produce. It may be a few pennies more than what can be found at the supermarket. However, I have not been able to find a to-mato at the supermarket that ac-tually tastes like a tomato — not in a long time.

For the farmers, selling at markets close to home means more profits and more time spent farming, rather than trav-eling to and from markets where they may sell more, and there-fore make more money, but then lose a part of that to the price of

filling the tank with gas. And if you ask the farmers, they would rather sell their produce to folks who live where they live.

The benefit to the community is also pretty big. It is said that every dollar that stays within the community gets spent four or five times within the commu-nity. You give it to the farmer in exchange for fresh produce; the farmer uses it to purchase items from a local retail shop; the retail shop owner uses that dollar to pay a workers salary; that worker then spends the dol-lar, hopefully at the local farm-ers market. On and on it goes around.

As new markets open, there is an initial outpouring of custom-ers because that market is new to them. As the years go by, the market sees a drop in numbers of customers as the novelty wears

off. But what really changed? The farmers are still growing fruits and vegetables for us. We still buy fruit and vegetables for our meals. Perhaps it’s just more convenient to buy at the supermarket, since we’re there already. But, it’s neither fresh nor local.

Consider a tomato. Picked while still green in Mexico, it is put on a truck and taken to a distribution center where it is cleaned and packed into boxes. From there it is placed on anoth-er truck and travels to another distribution center in the states. Here, it is transferred to yet an-other truck and delivered to your local supermarket. During those few weeks of travel time, the to-mato has turned red. However, it still tastes like a green tomato.

Giving thanks for all our local farmers

Thomas

Steven Thomas is market man-ager of the Historic Down-town Gainesville Market on the Square. He can be reached at 678-943-4442; by e-mail at [email protected]; or the web site http://www.hallfarm-ers.org. See Thomas, Page 14


Serving the Poultry and Food Processing Industry Since 1976

Featuring products by Apollo, Campbell, Diamond, Hersey, Jet, Powers, Stockham and Wilkerson to name a few.

Contact us at [email protected]

We offer a variety of products which include: Hangers, Heaters, Hose Fittings, Insulation, Labels, Pumps, Saws, Stainless Steel, Thermometers, Tools, Tubing,

Valves and Poultry Specialty items.

With over 8,000 items in stock, Our #1 Product

is Service!Merry

Christmas

We wish you a

per-committee” is meeting this fall to come up with at least $1.2 trillion in budget cuts. Every part of the federal budget is likely to be trimmed. The cuts to the farm bill, including farm, conservation and nutrition programs, could be anywhere in the range of $10 billion to $40 billion.

Farm Bureau represents all types of farmers and ranchers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Unlike some groups that have called for absolutely no re-ductions in favored programs, Farm Bureau is tak-ing a more practical stance. It recommends that an equal proportion, 30 percent, of the needed funding cuts be made in commodity, conservation and nutri-tion programs, with another 10 percent made in the increasingly important crop insurance program.

The cuts in nutrition programs could come from administrative changes rather than program ben-efit cuts. The cost of administering conservation programs also could be reduced by consolidating them.

When your clothing budget gets smaller, you don’t stop buying shirts or pants altogether. You look for ways to save here and there. That’s what

Farm Bureau is asking Congress to do with cuts to farm bill programs — spread them around, but still keep everyone “covered.”

‘Safety net’Some say farmers don’t need a safety net, be-

cause this year’s market prices are high for most commodities. But, so are production costs. Also, cotton and wheat yields are low, in some places nonexistent, because of drought in the Southern Plains.

If a farmer doesn’t have a crop or livestock to sell, good prices don’t benefit him much. Through the current dual structure of risk management and income support programs, the farmer can make it through to another year, ensuring that all of us have a top-quality, stable and economical food supply.

The farm safety net has evolved over the last seven decades. And it will continue to change, as it should — to make farm programs work their best in today’s budget environment. However, Congress should maintain the complete suit of current farm programs. Even a thinner coat keeps you warmer than none at all.

•Finnerty(Continued from page 5)

cold. The exceptions are country hams and dry sausages, which are dry and have a high salt content — both of which are protective.

Cookie exchanges are popular — and another possibly an opportunity for foodborne illness.l When you are the cookie baker remind yourself not to eat

cookie dough made with raw eggs: don’t even lick the spoon or the mixing bowl.l Ask cookie swap participants to prepackage their cookies

in a specific number to minimize how many hands touch the cookies and to protect them from sneezes and sniffles.l In general, cookies are not a food safety concern, but you

may want to avoid cookies with a cream cheese filling.Egg recipes such as eggnogs, cream pies and those special

cakes made with whipped cream or cream cheese frostings should be refrigerated (40 degrees F or below). If you like to make a traditional eggnog using eggs but don’t want to spring for pasteurized eggs, here is a food safety tip. First, the egg-milk mixture should cook to 160 degrees F followed by quick cooling and refrigerating. Adding alcohol to kill any bacteria is an old wives tale.

The holidays are a favorite time of the year. We all love to treat our tummies. By following a few simple precautions, your holiday food traditions won’t be marred by bacteria that could be lurking out of sight.

Adapted from: Colorado State University Extension.

•Wilburn(Continued from page 5)

just can’t stress that enough.”In the 1983 movie “A Christ-

mas Story,” Ralphie longed for “an official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, Range Model air rifle with a compass on the stock and this thing which tells time.”

Unlike Ralphie, Georgia 4-H’ers use the Daisy 499 model, which is specifically designed for target sports, Zeigler said.

“The 499 is so specific, it can’t be bought in stores,” he said. “It was designed spe-cifically to support shooters competing in international BB championship matches.”

Though the SAFE program teaches the safety aspects of shooting sports, he says the most important thing students learn has nothing to do with sports.

“Studies have shown that participating in shooting sports helps kids improve their concentration levels and their grades,” he said. “And it’s the lowest injury rate sport. In 4-H, we teach firearms safety mirrored with youth devel-opment standards and prin-ciples.”

Like most 4-H activities, students can compete in target sports on the regional, state and national levels. “Although competition isn’t the goal of the program, when used cor-rectly, competition can help young people develop life skills and positive habits they can carry through life,” Zei-gler said.

The Georgia 4-H target sports program is open to

fifth- through eighth-grade students for BB and through high school for other shooting sports like archery, rifle, pis-tol and shotgun.

In addition to Georgia 4-H, target sport safety training is available through Boy Scouts, the National Rifle Association and the Department of Natural Resources Hunter Education Program. Conservation pro-grams like Ducks Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey Federation also offer programs for youths to develop interest in shooting sports.

For more information on the Georgia 4-H SAFE Program, contact your local University of Georgia Cooperative Exten-sion office at 800-275-8421.

•4-H(Continued from page 6)


Even so, you may have to strain the mix-ture to remove larger portions.

For whole turkeys, inject 60 percent marinade deep into the breast muscles, 30 percent into the leg and thigh muscles and 10 percent into the meaty wing sec-tion. Do not inject the marinade just un-der the skin as a water-based marinade will result in the hot oil popping and splattering.

Remove any excess fat around the neck to allow the oil to flow through the turkey.

Remove the wire or plastic truss that holds the legs in place (if applicable). Cut off the wing tips up to the first joint and cut off the tail.

Remove the pop-up timer from the breast (if applicable).

Do not stuff turkeys for deep fry-ing.

To reduce spattering, thoroughly dry the interior and exterior of the bird.

After adding marinades and/or sea-sonings, place the turkey in a clean roasting pan on the countertop for no

more than 30 minutes to 45 minutes. This allows the marinades and season-ings to permeate the turkey and raises the turkey’s internal temperature so as to create less splatter during the frying process.

Test for donenessRemove the turkey and check the

internal temperature with a food ther-mometer. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F to 170 de-grees F in the breast and 175 degrees F to 180 degrees F in the thigh.

Additional safety tipsNever leave the turkey fryer unat-

tended during the heating, cooking and cooling process.

Keep children and pets away from the cooking area at all times.

Allow the oil to cool completely be-fore disposing or storing.

Immediately wash hands, utensils, equipment and surfaces that have come in contact with raw turkey.

Turkey should be consumed immedi-ately and leftovers stored in the refrig-

erator within two hours of cooking.

Oil selectionOnly oils that have high smoke

points should be used. Such oils in-clude peanut, refined canola, corn oil and sunflower. Canola oil is low in saturated fats and would be appropri-ate to combine with peanut oil if fat and cholesterol are a concern.

Oil filteringThese high smoke-point oils allow

reusing the oil with proper filtration. Depending on the recipe used, remem-ber to filter the oil . . . not just strain it. Allow the oil to cool overnight in the covered pot. The first step is to strain the cooled oil through a fine strainer. If a breading, spice or herb rub are used in the preparation of the turkey, it will be necessary to further filter the oil through fine cheesecloth.

Oil storageOil should be covered and refrig-

erated to prevent it from becoming rancid. Peanut oil is more perishable than other oils and must be stored in the refrigerator if kept longer than one month. Peanut oil may even be frozen. The oil will thicken when it is chilled, but will return to its original consis-tency when reheated. The oil will also develop a cloudy appearance that may remain when brought back to room tem-perature and will only clear up tempo-rarily while heated. The oil may remain in the refrigerator for several months or until signs of deterioration begin.

Oil shelf lifeAccording to the Texas Peanut Pro-

ducers Board, peanut oil may be used three or four times to fry turkeys before signs of deterioration begin. Such indi-cations include foaming, darkening or smoking excessively, indicating the oil must be discarded. Other signs of dete-riorated oil include a rancid smell and/or failure to bubble when food is added.

More information on deep frying tur-key with peanut oil can be found at http://www.louana.com and www.crisco.com.

•Tips(Continued from page 8)

At the farmers market, the tomato is picked ripe on the day that is sold to you.

I’ve noticed that there are a good number of regulars at the market. These folks come by week after week. Some are anxiously awaiting the first tomato, the first corn and the first picking of okra. Some are buying just enough for a dinner or two, and some are buying boxes and bushels for canning. To all of you (and you know who you are) I want to give my biggest thanks and ask that you keep on support-ing our local farmers.

For those of you who come by occasionally, I would like to ask that you commit to making a weekly visit to our local farmers mar-kets part of your routine. It is more than just a shopping trip; it’s a social event. You get to talk to the people who grow your food, and while you’re there you run into friends and neighbors. Share some time walking around in the fresh air and sunshine and catch up with what’s going on around town. By immersing yourself in a commu-nity activity you become more a part of your community.

In the three years that I’ve been managing the Downtown Market, I believe that I have met just about everybody in Gainesville and made many friendships that will last for years to come.

So, next year please make a local farmers market a part of your weekly social life. You will benefit, our farmers will benefit and our community will benefit, too.

And thank you all for another wonderful year.

•Thomas(Continued from page 12)

INDIANAPOLIS — Cain Thurmond of Jefferson, Ga., has been elected to serve as National FFA Southern Region vice president.

The election was held during the recent 84th National FFA Convention.

Thurmond, the son of Phil and Susie Thurmond, is a freshman at the Univer-sity of Georgia majoring in agricultural and applied economics. He is a member of the Jefferson High School FFA chapter in Jefferson, Ga., led by Ken Bray, David Calloway and Cliff Tippens.

As part of the national officer team, Thurmond and his fellow officers for the next year will collectively travel more than 100,000 miles throughout the country as they engage leaders in business, gov-ernment and education; and lead personal

growth and leadership training seminars for FFA members. The team will also help set policies that will shape the future of the National FFA Organization and pro-mote agricultural literacy in general.

Nominees for national office must first qualify at the state level to represent their state FFA association. At the national FFA convention, candidates participate in five rounds of interviews, take an in-depth written test and complete two writing exercises. A panel of nine state FFA of-ficers comprises a nominating committee that recommends the six national FFA of-ficers to a group of 450 FFA convention delegates.

Other national FFA officers are from New Mexico, Minnesota, New York, Wis-consin and Idaho.

Georgian elected as FFA National officer


IMPEXGainesville, Inc.

Systems for Livestock2170 Hilton Drive • Gainesville, GA 30501

770-534-1590 www.impex.nl

Happy Holidays!

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently spoke to the 84th National FFA Con-vention here about the critical need to recruit and support the nation’s next generation of farmers and ranchers.

“America’s producers are the most productive and suc-cessful in the world — with a willingness to embrace change, new science and in-novative technologies to ful-fill the noble task of feeding a nation,” Vilsack said. “To con-tinue that success, we need or-ganizations like FFA working creatively to build policies, structures and institutions that will ensure the next generation can continue to feed and fuel the world.”

USDA’s focus on develop-ing new generations of begin-ning farmers and ranchers is a result of America’s aging farming community. In the last five years there has been a 20 percent decrease in the number of farmers under 45. Today the average American farmer is 57, whereas five years ago it was 55. Today, nearly 30 percent of American farmers are over the age of 65 — almost double what it is in the general workforce.

Vilsack highlighted USDA programs that are committed to investing more resources and energy to recruit the next generation of farmers and to finding strategies to make these beginning farmers suc-cessful. The USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach as-sists people who want to learn

about USDA’s efforts to sup-port new producers. In the past two years, more than 40 percent of all USDA’s farm loans have gone to beginning farmers and ranchers.

The Farm Service Agency provides Beginning Farmer and Rancher loans. These are direct and guaranteed loans to beginning farmers and ranch-ers who are unable to obtain financing from commercial credit sources. Each fiscal year, the agency targets a por-tion of its direct and guaran-teed farm ownership and oper-ating loan funds to beginning farmers and ranchers. In addi-tion, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Begin-ning Farmer and Rancher De-velopment Program provides funding to develop and offer education, training, outreach and mentoring programs to enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farm-ers, the department said.

USDA’s Risk Management Agency is working with part-ners to support young, moti-vated entrepreneurs who are looking past traditional ways of bringing products to mar-ket, officials noted. Through

RMA funding for the Farm Credit Council, the “Field Guide to the New American Foodshed” was developed to assist the growing numbers of direct-market farms and ranches and also the lenders, accountants and other busi-nesses who work with them.

Additionally, the USDA Nation Agricultural Library is working in partnership with the American Farm Bureau Federation to develop a ‘Cur-riculum and Training Clear-inghouse’ at Start2Farm.gov, which will serve as a national one-stop source of all begin-ning farmer and rancher edu-cation and training materials online.

“The future of agriculture is bright and will present the next generation with incred-ible opportunities to pursue,” Vilsack said. “Young people should continue to engage in policy that affects them — but they shouldn’t be limited by it. We need them to think big, innovate and tackle the impor-tant challenges facing Ameri-can agriculture and the nation as a whole.”

FFA members encouragedto pursue agriculture careers

WASHINGTON — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced payments for 156 advanced biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced bio-fuels.

“This funding will help local producers increase the production and availability of renewable energy and thus help our nation begin to reduce its reliance on foreign oil,” Vilsack said. “Just as importantly, USDA’s support will help to further develop the nation’s growing biofuels industry and generate green jobs and economic growth.”

The funding is being provided through USDA’s Bioenergy Pro-gram for Advanced Biofuels program. Under this program, payments are made to eligible producers to support and ensure an expanding production of advanced biofuels. Payments are based on the amount of biofuels a recipient produces from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch. Eligible examples include biofuels derived from cellulose; crop residue; animal, food and yard waste material; biogas (landfill and sewage waste treatment gas); vegetable oil; and animal fat.

Through this and other programs, USDA is working to support the research, investment and infrastructure necessary to build a biofu-els industry that creates jobs and conserves natural resources across America, the department said.

In Dubuque, Iowa, Western Dubuque Biodiesel LLC received a $487,871 payment. This biodiesel production facility produces 30 million gallons per year using soybean oil, canola oil and tallow es-ters as feedstock. The operation is expected to save 18 jobs, USDA said.

In Kinsale, Va., the Potomac Supply Corp. received a $36,530 pay-ment for producing two types of advanced biofuels: fuel pellets and dry kiln. Both are made from clean pine chips, sawdust and shavings feedstock. The payment will help save 10 jobs, USDA said.

The department announced $44.6 million in payments to 156 local producers and business-owners.

The recipients in Georgia include:l Appling County Pellets LLC: $170,092.52 for pellets.l Down To Earth Energy LLC: $6,507.46 for biodiesel trans es-

terification.l Nittany Biodiesel: $22,641.50 for biodiesel trans esterification.

USDA fundingwill supportadvanced biofuels

Sunny FarmS north

• Self-Guided Horseback Riding• Pasture and Mountain Trails• Trail Guides Available upon Request• Lessons, Boarding & Horses For Sale

Located amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains in Dahlonega, Georgia

Long Branch Road • Dahlonega, Ga706-867-9167 www.sunnyfarmsnorth.com

Reservations Recommended

Sunny FarmS north


Come in for a great cut & great stories Go back to the past

Harold Whelchel started trend by owning 1st Barber College in Gaines-ville. (photo left) Son Buddy Whelchel continues the trend by opening the Thompson Bridge shop in 1970.

770-536-4939

Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA 30506Hours: Mon. Wed. Thurs. Fri. 8AM-5PM; Saturday 8AM-12PM Closed on Tuesday

Wilard Burke, Clyde Dacus

Robert Columbo & Kathy Stone are

among the other barbers in the shop.

The best little barber shop in GeorgiaWhelchel’s Barber Shop

Walk-ins welcome

Merry Christmasfrom our family

to yours!

Georgia Ag December Edition

Documents

Transcript of Georgia Ag December Edition