"The Checks Will Soon Be in the Mail," may be a better headline.

An historic and record-setting food industry  class action that began in July of 2007 is now approaching completion nine and one-half years later. Final Settlement payments to farmer/class members in the Southeast Milk Litigation have been authorized by Judge Ronnie Greer, US District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee, Greeneville Division. Judge Greer issued his Orders on December 6, 2016.

A total settlement fund of over $280 Million was reached in three different settlements: one with Dean Foods, the second with Southern Marketing Agency and related entities, and the third with Dairy Farmers of America and Related Entities.  Payments began in January of 2013, and completed via annual payments.

In short, the final payments to farmer/class members in the Southeast Milk Litigation will shortly be in mailboxes, and should be received before or shortly after Christmas, 2016. Read More
Georgia Farm Bureau Holds 70th Annual Meeting; Elects Long

G
eorgia Milk Producers attended Georgia Farm Bureau's 79th Annual Convention at the Jekyll Island Convention Center this week.   Highlights of the convention were the trade show,   featuring booths from many of Georgia's agricultural organizations and agencies , and speeches from Governor Nathan Deal, Senator David Perdue, GFB President Gerald Long and Ag Commissioner Gary Black. The commodity conferences were also a great opportunity to discuss issues impacting Georgia's major commodities.

Georgia Farm Bureau voting delegates elected the organization's 2017 board of directors during the convention. GFB voting delegates elected Gerald Long to a two-year term as president of the organization. He began serving as GFB president on Jan. 12, 2016, when former GFB President Zippy Duvall resigned after being elected president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.


Long, of Bainbridge, is a diversified farmer who raises cattle and grows peanuts, vegetables, corn, cotton, hay, small grains and timber with his family on their farm near Bainbridge. He was first elected to the GFB Board of Directors in December 1999 as a GFB 9th District director representing 14 counties in Southwest Georgia. In 2006, GFB voting delegates in the 53 counties in GFB's Southern Region elected Long as GFB South Georgia vice president, a position he held until  Jan. 12. Additionally, GFB voting delegates statewide designated Long to serve as GFB 1st vice president each year from 2008 - 2015.      For more pictures and information on the event visit GFB's Facebook Page.
HELP SAVE GEORGIA'S RURAL HOSPITALS THROUGH STATE TAX CREDIT
From GA Agribusiness Council

Rural Georgia knows all too well about the struggles of local hospitals. Five have shut their doors in the past three years and nearly 50 others are in financial crisis. Rural hospitals can't compete for doctors who are drawn to the larger metro hospital salaries. They likewise often rely on older equipment and lack the funds to upgrade. The problem is real, it is severe, and it affects many rural communities. As a part of the 2016 legislative session, Georgia is offering a new tax credit for corporations and  individuals who want to donate to in-need hospitals. With the tax credit, a single head of household can receive 70% of the amount donated or $2,500 off their state taxes, whichever is less. A married couple filing jointly can receive 70% of the donated amount or $5,000 off their state taxes, whichever is less. For information about donating, please visit www.RuralHealthcare180.org . Donations can also be made to a specific hospital on the eligible hospital list
State of the Industry 2016: Fluid milk processors find value in added value

In searching for signs of life in the fluid milk category, one can find a pulse. Sales of whole milk rose 4.1% from 2014 to 2015. Sales also increased for 1% milk (4.6%), whole flavored milk (6.4%), other flavored milk (1.3%) and buttermilk (5.2%). These segments represent opportunities for fluid milk processors.

But at the end of the day, sales of all fluid milk products in 2015 were down 1.4% from 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Still, the good news here is that the rate of change had slowed. By way of comparison, milk sales dropped nearly 3% from 2013 to 2014.

What is helping the fluid milk industry succeed are specialty milks, limited-time offers, new coffee-milk hybrids and industry marketing. Drinkable yogurts, though not included in the USDA figures, represent another way to process milk. Sales of drinkable yogurt are expected to grow 11% in 2016, making this the second straight year of double-digit gains, according to Mintel, a Chicago-based research firm. 
Read more
TN Dairy devastated  by tornado; herd dispersal next week


62nd Georgia Southern Invitational Tomorrow, Sat. Dec. 10th
Lizella, GA
 
The Georgia Southern Invitational Sale will take place tomorrow at 11 a.m. in Lizella, Georgia.  Donacin Dairy will host the event.  Their dairy is located at  5170 Rogers Rd, Lizella, GA 31052.  A online catalog can be viewed here.  

For more information, visit their Facebook page HERE
FDA Veterinary Feed Directive, Are You Ready?

The biggest change is all about feed. Feed-grade antibiotics that have an over-the-counter label will transition to a veterinary feed directive form. So unless you have a VFD from your veterinarian, you will not be able to buy or use medicated feed or premixes. Over-the-counter sales of these products will end.  Read more
Five Wild Cards to Watch in 2017

There are five wild cards dairy farmers need to watch as they enter 2017 and contemplate risk management options for the year, says Mary Keough Ledman, editor of the Daily Dairy Report.   Read more

Ledman spoke this week at the Minnesota Milk Producers Dairy Conference and Expo in St. Cloud.  She will also speak at our 2017 GA Dairy Conference!! Hope you can join us!!!  
By   
Senior National Affairs Reporter, 


Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Labor strongly defended immigration reform in remarks several years ago and also criticized border security as a waste of money and overly intrusive - positions that put him at odds with the president-elect's campaign promises to crack down on immigration.

Andrew Puzder, CEO of the fast-food chain conglomerate CKE Restaurants, said that passing immigration reform that offered a path to legalization for many of the millions of undocumented immigrants in the country was "the right thing to do" and would boost the economy, in  a question-and-answer session organized by conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute in 2013
Trump taps Oklahoma attorney general to lead EPA  
By: JESSE NEWMAN, The Wall Street Journal

President-elect  Donald Trump plans to nominate Scott Pruitt, the Republican attorney general of Oklahoma and a frequent legal adversary to President Obama, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a transition official told The Hill.

If confirmed by the Senate to oversee the 15,000-employee agency, Pruitt would take the lead on dismantling the EPA regulations that Trump targeted throughout his campaign as job killers that restrict economic growth. 

Reuters first reported the news Tuesday.

Pruitt has been a legal opponent of President Obama over nearly every major regulation and executive action, not only on environmental issues but also ObamaCare, immigration and bathroom use by transgender people. Read more
2017 AG FORECAST DATES SET FOR JANUARY
                                            
Predicting markets and preparing for the next growing season can be a tough job, and that's where we can help.

Georgia Ag Forecast is an annual seminar series presented by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in partnership with Georgia Farm Bureau and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

UGA, the state's land-grant and flagship institution, is committed to sharing the latest research and information to help Georgia farmers and agribusinesses. Join our economists as they give an outlook of agricultural markets for the coming year. Participants will get to network with UGA faculty and UGA Cooperative Extension agents, local producers and other stakeholders, and will leave the meeting with a copy of the 2017 Georgia Ag Forecast book, which is designed to provide a detailed analysis of major commodities produced in the state.  The 2017 seminar dates include:
  • Wednesday, January 18: Macon (GA Farm Bureau Building)
  • Thursday, January 19: Marietta (Cobb County Civic Center)
  • Friday, January 20: Carrollton (Carroll County Ag Center)
  • Monday, January 23: Tifton (UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center)
  • Tuesday, January 24: Bainbridge (Decatur County Ag Center)
  • Wednesday, January 25: Lyons (Toombs County Ag Center)
  • Thursday, January 26: Waynesboro (Burke County Office Park)
  • Friday, January 27: Athens (Georgia Center for Continuing Education)
 
Registration fees and conference meals are free to Georgia dairy producers and their families. Please let us know if you will be attending the Conference!  All information regarding the conference can be found online at  www.gadairyconference.com .

Georgia Milk Producers will ALSO deduct $100/night for two nights from each Georgia dairy farm's hotel bill at checkout. It's our way to show our appreciation for your support and to encourage you to attend your annual dairy conference!
 
 

Mark Your Calendars:
 
Jan. 16-18 - SE Student Symposium & GA Dairy Conference, Savannah
Jan. 18: GA Ag Forecast Mtg: Macon (GA Farm Bureau Building)
Jan. 19: 
GA Ag Forecast Mtg: 
Marietta (Cobb County Civic Center)
Jan. 20: 
GA Ag Forecast Mtg: 
Carrollton (Carroll County Ag Center)
Jan. 23: 
GA Ag Forecast Mtg: 
Tifton (UGA Tifton Campus)
Jan. 24: 
GA Ag Forecast Mtg: 
Bainbridge (Decatur County Ag Center)
Jan. 25: 
GA Ag Forecast Mtg: 
 Lyons (Toombs County Ag Center)
Jan. 26: 
GA Ag Forecast Mtg: 
Waynesboro (Burke County Office Park)
Jan. 27: 
GA Ag Forecast Mtg: 
Athens (Georgia Center for Continuing Ed.)
GA Dairy Classifieds

Bullcalves Wanted : Looking for Bullcalves to purchase - Barron Tench 864-844-2295 or  barron.tench@gmail.com     
GA Milk Producers|706.310.0020 gamilkproducers@gmail.com
www.gamilk.org


For 2016, Georgia Milk Producers, Inc. has once AGAIN been named an All Star Award winner by 
Constant Contact, Inc.
, the trusted marketing adviser to hundreds of thousands of small organizations worldwide. The annual award recognizes the most successful 10% of Constant Contact's customer base, based on their significant achievements leveraging online marketing tools to engage their customer base and drive results for their organization.