SEN. CHAMBLISS' OFFICE AND USDA TO HOST LISTENING SESSION ON FSA PROGRAM DELIVERY SYSTEM

(TIFTON) The office of U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Ranking

Republican Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Department

of Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Administration Pearlie Reed will

host a listening session for area agriculture producers on Friday, October

9, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., at the University of Georgia Conference Center,

located at 15 RDC Road in Tifton. Hobby Stripling, Georgia State Director

for USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA), will also be in attendance.



The listening session will offer area producers the opportunity to provide

comments and ask questions regarding FSA's program delivery system,

specifically its information technology (IT) system. The dated IT system

has contributed to challenges with program delivery, including software

development for farm bill programs and timely processing of program

benefits.



Area producers and members of the media are invited to attend the

listening session.



WHO: Office of U.S. Sen. Chambliss and USDA Assistant

Secretary for Administration Pearlie Reed

WHAT: Producer Listening Session

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: University of Georgia Conference Center,

15 RDC Road, Tifton

Update on Farm Bill Meetings

Looking for the latest info on the Farm Bill?

Then you need to attend one of the information sessions below. For more information please contact R.J. at the extension office - 229.225.4130 or rjbyrne@uga.edu. You will need to register for the location you will be attending.

DATES AND LOCATIONS
-March 23, Camilla (Mitchell Co. Extension Office), 5-9pm
-March 24, Midville (Station), 12-4pm
-March 26, Hawkinsville (Steakhouse Resturant), 10am-2pm
-March 27, Alma (Bacon Co. Extension Office), 10am-2pm

PROPOSED AGENDA
* Crops Outlook- Nathan Smith and Don Shurley (45 min)
* Budgets and Crop Comparisons- Amanda Smith (15 min)
* Farm Bill Overview- Don Shurley (10 min)
* DCP and Loan- Nathan Smith (15 min)
* Conservation Programs- Amanda Smith (20 min)
* Attribution, Limits, Eligibility- Keith Kightlinger (20 min)
* SURE- Wes Harris (20 min)
* ACRE- Don Shurley and Wes Harris (15 min)
* FSA Open Q and A (20 min)

Price Risk Management for Purchased Feed Users

If you are interested in manageing price risk of feed, then sign up for this informative workshop sponsored by University of Georgia, University of Tennessee, and CSREES.
You can call our office -Thomas County Extension at 229.225.4130 or Brooks County Extension office to sign up for the workshop.

Monday, April 7 • Quitman, GA
Brooks County Agriculture Building
400 East Courtland Avenue
Quitman, GA 31643
229-263-4103

9:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M.
Pre-Registration Required
Includes a sponsored meal
No Registration Fee

Topics to be covered

Introduction to Risk Management
Participants will learn about sources of price risk
for purchased feed and have an overview of tools
available to help manage that price risk.


Using the Futures Market to Hedge or Lock-in a
Price for Feed
Participants will be introduced to the concept of
hedging and how they can use the futures market
to lock in a price or set a ceiling price for their
feed to be purchased at a future date.


Using Options (Puts) to Manage Price Risk for
Feed
Participants will learn how puts can be used to
set a ceiling price at a known cost.


Seasonal Tendencies of Feed Grains and Byproduct
Feeds
Participants will learn about the price history of
feed grains and by-products and how this can be
helpful in timing purchases or pricing of feed.


Use of Charts to Improve Timing of Pricing
/Marketing Decisions
Participants will learn how technical analysis or
charting can be used to improve the timing of
pricing decisions in both the cash and futures
market.


Price Outlook for Feed
Participants will learn about the current situation
and outlook for feed prices.

Follow Up Opportunities to Practice Price Risk
Management

Figuring out Cropland Cash Rental Rates

This time of year I get the most phone calls about land rental rates. I get them both from growers and landowners. With the news of higher commodity prices, landowners may want to capitalize on there investment. Growers may be thinking that the higher commodity prices might be offset by increased production costs and a reduction in government support payments.

There are several ways to figure out reasonable rental rates, according to Iowa State Ag Specialist Don Hofstrand found here. He suggests many methods are available to calculate reasonable cash rents, including

1.)what others are charging/paying,

2.)average yields,

3.)share of gross crop value,

4.)return on investment,

5.)crop share equivalent,

6.) and the tenant’s residual.

A fair rent is limited only by the creativity of the operator and landowner.

University of Georgia Extension Economist Dr. Cesar Escalante has done some work on surveying growers and landowners on cash rental rates. You can find his latest survey here on the extension economics website.