Seminole County Extension
207 E. Crawford St. • Donalsonville, Georgia 39845
Web Address:caes.uga.edu/extension/seminole
e-mail address: ethredge@uga.edu • 229-524-2326 Phone • 229-524-2856 Fax
Seminole Crop News
Eating Peanuts Daily Significantly Reduces All-Cause Mortality
February 3, 2014
More Peanut info can be found at the Peanut Institute.
Cotton Farm Bill Implications
February 5, 2014
Here are some Cotton Farm Bill Implications by Dr. Don Shurley, UGA Extension Ag Economist.
2014 Farm Bill
February 5, 2014
Here’s some preliminary information concerning the 2014 Farm Bill, put together by UGA Extension Ag
Economists, Nathan Smith and Don Shurley.
Cold Last Week
February 5, 2014
It was cold last week and we had slippery roads and some wintery mix of precipitation here on the Florida
border. In our yard it was mainly sleet, I believe. My son, who is a senior in high school enjoyed his first “Snow
Day” something the kids always envied about northern school children. On our Georgia Weather network, I see
that we have 130 more hours below freezing this year as compared to last year.
Seminole Co. Farmer Appreciation Breakfast
February 5, 2014
The 15th Annual Farmer Appreciation Breakfast, held on Friday, January 31st, was a great success with more
than 75 people in attendance. Chamber of Commerce Vice-Chairman Mark Hanna welcomed everyone to the
breakfast, and following the invocation by Wade Spooner a delicious buffet meal was enjoyed by all.
We had a good illustrated talk by Jenni Harris of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Ga.
Gene Cook presented the 2013 Agriculture Person of the Year award to Mark Hanna. In making the
presentation, Cook made the following remarks, “This year’s recipient of the Chamber of Commerce Ag Person
of the Year Award did not grow up on a working farm; not to say his family was not involved in agriculture,
needless to say his father was a well respected agri-businessman and a local banker; his grandfather on his
mother’s side was one of the best old-time farm bankers from whom I learned much. His grandfather on his
father’s side was the local pioneer for farmer agri-business, and farmer owned coop. With this info, most of you
will have guessed our winner as none other than Mark Hanna.
Mark graduated in 1980 from Troy State University with a degree in marketing, and went to work as a grain
merchandiser for Gold Kist in Valdosta. But from his agri-business background, our recipient seemed
determined to actually farm, till the dirt. So in 1983 he came home and began to get his hands dirty, Mark farms
one of the most difficult farms in Seminole County, having endured the 1994 and 1998 floods, both of which
proved to be disasters on part of his farm land located on the Chattahoochee River. But Mark persevered and
now owns approximately 1,300 acres and farms over 3,500 acres, with a mixture of corn, cotton, peanuts, wheat
and soybeans, plus a small cattle herd.
Mark, representing growers of the Miller County Gin, contacted a previous winner of this award, Willard Mims,
who represented the growers of Clover Leaf Gin. Together they solicited a ten member steering committee
which ultimately resulted in the forming of American Peanut Growers Group LLC.
Mark was named the Soil & Water Conservation Man of the Year for Seminole County. He currently is on the
board of the American Peanut Growers Group, the Miller County Gin, and serves as chairman of the board of
the newest farm related entity in Donalsonville, AFG Feed.
He is currently president of the Donalsonville Lions Club and is vice chairman of Donalsonville / Seminole
County Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Seminole County Young Farmers, and an Elder of the
First Presbyterian Church, where he also teaches Sunday School.
Mark is married to the former Deanne Willis of Bainbridge and they have two sons, John and Hudson, both
students at Valdosta State University.
In presenting the award, Cook said, “As landlord of one of the farms he leases, I have found Mark to be an
honest, hardworking individual with excellent farming skills and worthy of our recognition.”
Most of the above post are David Maxwell’s words from the Donalsonville News.
http://www.donalsonvillenews.com/
Question of the Week – Wild Radish in Canola Dyeing
February 6, 2014
Yes, last week I asked about what was happening in the photo of 2 plants. There was a wild mustard plant and
a canola plant and they are related. The canola is the larger plants below and the wild mustard is paler with the
more serrated leaves.
Marvin Stewart of Dow Agrosciences answered it correctly. He said , “Canola ( Brassica)with Clearfield
technology with no herbicide effect. Wild mustard also a brassica (weed) exhibiting herbicide symptoms.”
He’s right, the canola can have a certain herbicide sprayed on it to kill the related wild mustard due to herbicide
technology that allows the wild mustard to be taken out. These plants were sprayed about a week or so ago.
Here’s this week’s question.
Where am I?
Later,
Rome