Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Grower's Association

News & Issues

 

Action Alert

March 3, 2010 – 1:25 pm |  Filed Under: 
Action Alert!   UGA - College of Agriculture   Faced with 'Mission Devastating' Budget CUTS   Proposal Closes Four (4) Ag Research Stations Cuts ½ of All County Extension Offices and Personnel Eliminates the Georgia 4-H Club Program Closes All 4-H Club Camps, including Rock Eagle Plus more cuts . . .     During a joint session of the Georgia House and Senate Higher Education Appropriation subcommittees on February 24, the Chancellor of the Board of Regents was instructed to develop a plan to reduce the Regent's budget by an additional $300 million for fiscal year 2011.  This cut would be in
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Talking Points for Proposed Budget Cuts to CAES

March 3, 2010 – 8:36 am |  Filed Under: 
Talking Points for Proposed Budget Cuts to College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES) March 1, 2010 Background – the university system has been ordered to find $300M in additional cuts beyond those already enacted.  The UGA portion of this is $60M. UGA Administration had less than 48 hrs to develop this plan. This is NOT a budget plan but rather a reaction to the request by the legislature. Below are some talking point to use in talking with legislators concerning the cuts to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) budget.     Guidelines: 1.     Begin with how you
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GFVGA Statement on New H2A Regulations:

February 24, 2010 – 12:04 pm |  Filed Under: 
Revisions to H-2A (Temporary Agricultural Worker Visa Program) Rule Places Heavy Burden on Georgia Growers The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association is opposed to the US Department of Labor’s recent revisions to the H2A program which could drastically reduce Georgia’s production of fruits and vegetables.  The new regulations will significantly increase Georgia’s fruit and vegetable producer’s labor costs by more than 25%.  This includes at least a $1.86/hour wage rate increase, decreased flexibility in managing or assigning workers’ duties, creating additional burdensome paperwork and will add substantially to users’ risk of fines, enforcement actions and litigation.  Although the Department
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Watch the USDA COOL Regulations Video

February 5, 2010 – 8:53 am |  Filed Under: 
Country of Origin Labeling is a labeling law that requires retailers, such as full-line grocery stores, supermarkets, and club warehouse stores, notify their customers with information regarding the source of certain foods. Food products, (covered commodities) contained in the law include muscle cut and ground meats: beef, veal, pork, lamb, goat, and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts; and ginseng. Regulations for fish and shellfish covered commodities (7 CFR Part 60) became effective in 2005. The final rule for all covered commodities (7 CFR Part 60 and
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GFVGA Comments On H2A Proposed Regulations

October 15, 2009 – 11:45 am |  Filed Under: 
Thomas Dowd, Administrator Office of Policy Development and Research Employment and Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20210 Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed revision of the 2008 H2A regulations. Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association commented extensively when the present regulations were proposed and were pleased with the final rule approved in January, 2009. We hope our comments concerning the effects of these proposed revisions on Georgia growers will be given equal consideration. The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association represents more than 400 members
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Bill Brim Testimony

September 30, 2009 – 11:52 pm |  Filed Under: 
Testimony by Bill Brim National Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement Hearings September 30 – October 1, 2009 Jacksonville, FL My name is Bill Brim.  I am the co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms and Quality Produce, Inc., a farm and shipping operation in Tifton, Georgia.  The farm was originally established as a vegetable seedling operation by my father-in-law in the 1940’s.  Today we still grow vegetable seedlings, approximately 115 million vegetable transplants and 18 million pine seedlings however, our operations have expanded to also include 4500 acres of mixed vegetables.  Included in the 4500 vegetable acres are 120 acres of cabbage and
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