GACD is pleased to announce that our Annual Meeting originally scheduled for April 5-7, 2020 has been rescheduled to January 15-17, 2021 at Callaway Resort and Gardens.
We are confident that our outstanding group of speakers, presenters and special guests originally scheduled will join us in January.
If you have made a room reservation with the hotel, it will be automatically moved to the January dates, unless you feel the need to cancel, which you can do directly with the hotel.
Registration payments will be automatically moved to the new date in January unless otherwise noted.
POSTPONEMENT OF GACD ANNUAL MEETING
We regret to inform you, but in light of the current situation and concerns regarding the COVID-19 (Coronavirus), we feel that it is best to act with an abundance of caution and postpone our Annual Meeting. The GACD Board of Directors has made the unanimous decision to reschedule as the health and well-being of our District Supervisors, partners and friends is of paramount importance We must consider everyone’s health a top priority and eliminate as many risks as possible.
Information regarding the new date of our re-scheduled Annual Meeting and details regarding registration fees, etc. will be communicated as soon as possible. The current
reservations made in our GACD room block at Callaway Gardens will be rolled over to the re-scheduled meeting dates.
Your board will evaluate other planned GACD events, and we will advise of any changes as promptly as possible.
We greatly appreciate everyone’s understanding in this matter.
Woody Snell, President, GACD
Mark Masters, Vice- Chair of the Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District, Accepted into Inaugural Cohort of the Next Generation Leadership Institute
GACD is excited to announce the selection of Mark Masters, Vice- Chair of the Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District, to the National Conservation Foundation's "Next Generation Leadership Institute" cohort.
Of all the applicants, only seven were selected in the nation and two in the Southeast.
"Mark is an excellent representative for Georgia, and the Southeast, as he continues to showcase his passion for locally led conservation and remains committed to growing his natural resource expertise and leadership skills," Woody Snell, GACD President says. "We are proud to have him representing us and congratulate him on this opportunity."
The goals of the Next Generation Leadership Institute are to equip Conservation District leaders with personal, civic and organizational development so they can ensure future needs of resource management are met and represent Districts and challenges they face on the national level. For more information on the program go to https://www.nacdnet.org/…/national-conservati…/ncf-next-gen/.
Mark has been a District Supervisor serving the Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District since 2013 and also serves as the Director of the Georgia Water Policy and Planning Center in Albany. He resides in Dawson, GA with his wife Amy and daughters Lilly, Sally and Molly.
District Program Assistant Wesley Doyle Honored for Work
GACD is pleased to announce the new Star DPA Award recipient, Wesley Doyle, our DPA in the Lamar and Towaliga Conservation Districts. This award is dedicated to a DPA that stood out in exemplary support of their districts, agency partners, and community.
Wesley has served as a DPA since April of 2018 out of the Barnesville NRCS office. His District Conservationist, Carmen Westerfield is very proud of his hard work. She says, “Wesley has been instrumental in significantly increasing the visibility of the 2 districts, Lamar and Towaliga, which impacts 2 field offices and 7 counties. His public relations and marketing skills are an invaluable asset to the Barnesville field office conservation partnership which includes the two districts, our service center partners, FSA and RD, UGA Extension and the Georgia Forestry Commission.”
With both of his conservation districts, Wesley has been immensely helpful in putting together events and working to promote the work of the districts within their community. For the Towaliga District, Wesley has been working on the newly created “Conservation Education Initiative” that provides garden raised beds for educational purposes. In the Lamar District, Wesley has been instrumental in the promotion and creation of the district’s “Beef Cattle 101 Educational Series.” This series of workshops provides landowners and farmers opportunities to learn about grazing systems and cattle farm operations. The Lamar County Conservation District Chairman Chad Thompson says, “He is organized, dedicated, timely with responses and actions, and always willing to jump in and help.”
Katie Sanders, GACD North Georgia Program Manager says, “Wesley is a major asset to our team. He is always ready to lend a hand or offer suggestions that have benefitted DPAs across the state.”
Upper Chattahoochee River SWCD Annual Farmer of the Year Banquet
The Upper Chattahoochee River Soil and Water Conservation District held its annual Farmer of the Year Banquet on November 14, 2019 at the Lumpkin County Parks and Recreation Department Community Center in Dahlonega, GA. The board consists of district supervisors representing five counties: Habersham, White, Lumpkin, Dawson and Forsyth. A farm family was selected from each of the counties as farm family of the year. Supervisor Gilbert Barrett was also honored for his 15 years of service to the Upper Chattahoochee River SWCD board.
Gilbert Barrett grew up on a farm outside of Cornelia, Georgia. It was there he learned the value of hard work, conservation, and the value of a dollar. His agricultural roots and the AG industry taught Barrett that when you take care of the land, it will take care of you. Barrett says the best environmental stewards that he knows are indeed farmers. Barrett runs a grandparent-seed stock poultry operation and maintains a commercial cow/calf operation along with a small purebred Simmental herd. He also grows hay and other feeds to sustain the livestock. Aside from his duties as President/CEO of Farmers Exchange, an agricultural cooperative, Gilbert is active in civic, church and professional organizations. Gilbert serves on the boards of Habersham County Farm Bureau, North GA Technical College, State Department of Community Affairs, and the State Veterinary Education Board. Gilbert and his wife, Donna, have three grown children. They are members of Chattahoochee Baptist where Gilbert teaches Sunday School and serves as a deacon.
The Upper Chattahoochee River Soil and Water Conservation District thanks Mr. Barrett for his dedication to the board and wishes him well on his future farming endeavors. The board also congratulates the farm families for their continuous implementation of conservation practices on their lands. The board supports soil and water conservation efforts by providing technical assistance through a partnership with USDA-NRCS and providing educational outreach to all in their communities.
Gilbert Barrett posing with his plaque from the banquet.
GEORGIA AGENCIES PARTNER TO HOST STATEWIDE FERAL SWINE EDUCATION EVENTS
Feral swine have become increasingly detrimental in Georgia, causing significant damage to agricultural crops and natural resources throughout the state. The economic impact of damage caused by feral swine in Georgia last year is estimated at $150 million. A group of agricultural and natural resource organizations are partnering together to bring Georgia’s top experts on feral swine together in a series of educational workshops for farmers and landowners. The partnering agencies will host eight workshops and trapping demonstrations throughout the state. Four of these workshops will be held in Southeast Georgia and four in Northeast Georgia.
We are pleased to announce our first workshop of the series to be held January 30,2020 from 9am to 1pm at University of Georgia Extension, 162 W. Thigpen Avenue, Lakeland, GA 31635.
Topics will include disease issues, swine biology, water quality issues, effective control techniques, transport issues, public health and regulations to be followed by a question and answer panel of experts. Each workshop will also include a feral swine trapping demonstration.
Partnering agencies for this effort include the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Wildlife Services, Georgia Association of Conservation Districts, Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Agriculture, University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, Alapaha Conservation District and Southern Georgia Regional Commission.
There is no cost to attend the workshops, but space is limited. Pre-registration is required. More details and registration information is available at www.GACD.us/events.
Gwinnett County Conservation District Opens Funding Opportunity for Educators
Educators across metro Atlanta have shown a rapidly growing interest in connecting agriculture and academics, reflecting the fact that school gardens are a well-documented teaching tool and introduce students to critical environmental science concepts. The Gwinnett Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is empowering development of agriculture-based programs through the “Urban Conservation Tool Box.” Funded through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), The Tool Box offers opportunities to integrate raised beds, micro-irrigation, high tunnels and aquaponics systems into agriculture-based education. These materials are supplemented with educational resources that support Kindergarten-12th grade learning and enhance the sustainability of these programs in metro settings. This financial assistance is available to schools, churches and senior centers within Gwinnett, DeKalb and Rockdale counties. Applications are reviewed monthly by an Awards Committee that includes members of Gwinnett’s SWCD, the Upper Ocmulgee River Resource Conservation & Development council (UORRC&D) and NRCS.
For more program information and to secure an application packet, please contact District Program Assistant Tixie Fowler at tixie.fowler@gacd.us.
Applications will be reviewed monthly beginning December 1, 2019 and funding will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis through December 31, 2020.
GACD Now Accepting Applications for 2020 Scholarship
More information available at www.gacd.us/scholarships
Lamar County Beef Cattle Series Update
The Lamar County Soil & Water Conservation District continued its Beef Cattle 101 Educational Series in September and October 2019, presenting topics related to grazing system options and optimal soil health solutions for beginning farmers in the Piedmont soils area. The USDA—Natural Resources Conservation Service has partnered with the Conservation District in order to provide technical and financial assistance for the series. The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service in Lamar/Upson Counties has also served as a project partner and technical guide throughout the 10 programs.
The September 19, 2019, program was presented in Thomaston, Georgia, with topics related to grazing systems for cattle (Carmen Westerfield, USDA-NRCS District Conservationist), basic forages (Steve Morgan, UGA Extension Coordinator for Harris and Talbot Counties), and successfully interpreting your own soils report for your farm (Hailey Robinson, UGA Extension Coordinator for Lamar and Upson Counties).
The October 17, 2019, program was presented at the Barnesville-Lamar County Library, with topics presented related to the impacts of management on grazing systems and soil health (Philip Brown, USDA-NRCS Grazing Specialist) and components of a successful grazing system (Carmen Westerfield, USDA-NRCS District Conservationist). The program ended with a presentation of NRCS’ rainfall simulator, which Mr. Brown used to show the effects of a proper grazing and foraging system for farmers in the long-range planning of a farm’s grazing system. Attached are pictures from each of the programs that highlight the effectiveness of hands-on demonstrations and engaging the guests in a more impactful way.
The District recently received the Conservation Innovation Grant from NRCS with the goal of effectively educating citizens in topics related to soil health principles, herd health—which is important in developing an overall grazing system—as well as conservation and technical assistance available to farmers and producers. Please contact District Program Coordinator Wesley Doyle for more information related to (or to register for) the Beef Cattle 101 Educational Series, which continues monthly—excluding December 2019—until June 2020.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. If you need any accommodations for this event, please contact Wesley Doyle at wesley.doyle@ga.usda.gov or (770) 358-0787 ex. 3 at least 14 days prior to the event.
*This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Conservation Innovation Grant number NR194310XXXXC018. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Towaliga Conservation District Announces 'Conservation Education Initiative'
The Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District has announced their new Conservation Education Initiative. This initiative was created to address the growing agricultural and environmental education funding issues that face citizens today. With the funding provided through this opportunity, educators, individuals and students alike will be able to learn more about soil health, irrigation and fresh food options, all while being involved in their own communities. The Towaliga SWCD, in partnership with local community organizations and school systems, hopes to inspire agricultural and environmental education through interactive approaches. Funding for this initiative is only available to organizations within the Towaliga SWCD geographical area (Butts, Fayette, Monroe, Pike, Spalding and Upson Counties).
All applications for 2020 project funding must be completed and submitted by 5 p.m. on January 14, 2020 . Partially completed applications will not be accepted. For more information on this initiative, please contact Towaliga SWCD Program Coordinator Wesley Doyle at (770) 358-0787 ex. 3 or wesley.doyle@gacd.us.
A fillable pdf application can be found here.
For more information on the Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District please visit their Facebook page or website.