This link was shared with us by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. In this episode, journey to Vienna, Ga., where you’ll spend some time at Coley Gin & Fertilizer. Meet two of the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s heavy scale inspectors to learn about what they do and why it’s important to businesses, farmers and consumers across Georgia. Also see firsthand what happens inside a cotton gin as cotton is processed, courtesy of Matt Coley and Chuck Coley.
http://youtu.be/LwpCg_KPxtU
2011 Georgia Quality Cotton Award winners named
L-R front row: Jerry Rhodes and Dennis Rhodes from Wilcox County, Gary Oliver and Ben Shivers of SOS Farms in Turner County, and Jeff Wilson from Turner County. L-R back row: Heath Wilson from Jefferson County, Travis Braswell and Raymond Thompson from Seminole County, Joe Sapp from Mitchell County, and Brandon Mitchell and Charles Dodd with his son, Allen, from Brooks County. Not pictured are Stephen Nikkel of Jefferson County and Randy Dewitt of Dewitt Farms in Brooks County.
February 1, 2012, marked the seventh year of the Georgia Quality Cotton Awards presentations which took place at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. The awards program is co-sponsored by the Georgia Cotton Commission and Bayer CropScience, and administered by the University of Georgia Cotton Team.
The purposes of the awards are to recognize producers and ginners of high-quality cotton fiber and to identify their general management practices for the benefit of other cotton growers.
The producers and their gins received a plaque and the winning growers received a $500 cash award. The winners’ Extension agents were also recognized, as they work closely with the farmers during the growing season.
The Best Cotton Award, initiated in last year’s awards program, continued this year. This year’s Best Cotton Award winners are Dennis and Jerry Rhodes from Wilcox County for producing cotton with the highest loan value and premium out of all of the awards given in the program.
The awards are given in each of these three cotton acreage categories: 1) less than 500 acres, 2) 500 to 1,000 acres, and 3) more than 1,000 acres within the four regions of the state. Winners in these categories are determined by the loan value (LV) and premiums (P). Considering the challenging weather growers faced for the 2011 crop, the resulting excellent quality achieved is due largely to these growers’ management practices and expertise. The sponsors of this program congratulate all of the following winners:
Region 1: 1) Dennis and Jerry Rhodes – Wilcox County Agent Tim Smith – Pitts Gin Company – 56.489/LV – 4.489/P, 2) Jeff Wilson – Turner County Agent Scott Utley – Worth Gin – 55.514/LV – 3.514/P, 3) Gary Oliver & Ben Shivers of SOS Farms – Turner County Agent Scott Utley – Arabi Gin – 54.593/LV – 2.593/P
Region 2: Both winners, in categories 1 and 3 are from Jefferson County, whose agent is Jim Crawford, and both gin with Midville Warehouse, Inc. 1) Stephen Nikkel – 56.093/LV – 4.093/P, 3) Heath Wilson – 53.825/LV – 1.825/P
Region 3: All three winners farm in Brooks County, where Johnny Whiddon is the Extension agent and they Gin with BCT Gin Company. 1) Brandon Mitchell – 56.404/LV – 4.404/P
2) Charles Dodd – 55.515/LV – 3.515/P, 3) Randy Dewitt of Dewitt Farms – 55.607/LV – 3.607/P
Region 4: 1) Travis Braswell – Seminole County Agent Rome Ethredge – Clover Leaf Gin – 56.036/LV – 4.036/P, 2) Joe Sapp – Mitchell County – BCT Gin Company, Berlin Division – 56.095/LV – 4.095/P, 3) Raymond Thompson of 3RT Farms – Seminole County Agent Rome Ethredge – Clover Leaf Gin – 55.375/LV – 3.375/P
| Grower | County | Acreage Category | Nominating Gin | County Extension Agent | Loan Value | Premium |
| REGION 1 | ||||||
| Dennis and Jerry Rhodes | Wilcox | Less than 500 Acres | Pitts Gin Company | Tim Smith | 56.489 | 4.489 ** |
| Jeff Wilson | Turner | 500 to 1,000 Acres | Worth Gin Company | Scott Utley | 55.514 | 3.514 |
| SOS Farms | Turner | More than 1,000 Acres | Arabi Gin | Scott Utley | 54.593 | 2.593 |
| REGION 2 | ||||||
| Stephen Nikkel | Jefferson | Less than 500 Acres | Midville Warehouse, Inc. | Jim Crawford | 56.093 | 4.093 |
| Heath Wilson | Jefferson | More than 1,000 Acres | Midville Warehouse, Inc. | Jim Crawford | 53.825 | 1.825 |
| REGION 3 | ||||||
| Brandon Mitchell | Brooks | Less than 500 Acres | BCT Gin Company | Johnny Whiddon | 56.404 | 4.404 |
| Charles Dodd | Brooks | 500 to 1,000 Acres | BCT Gin Company | Johnny Whiddon | 55.515 | 3.515 |
| Dewitt Farms | Brooks | More than 1,000 Acres | BCT Gin Company | Johnny Whiddon | 55.607 | 3.607 |
| REGION 4 | ||||||
| Travis Braswell | Seminole | Less than 500 Acres | Clover Leaf Gin | Rome Ethredge | 56.036 | 4.036 |
| Joe Sapp | Mitchell | 500 to 1,000 Acres | BCT Gin- Berlin Division | 56.095 | 4.095 | |
| 3RT Farms | Seminole | More than 1,000 Acres | Clover Leaf Gin | Rome Ethredge | 55.375 | 3.375 |
| ** Best Cotton Award | ||||||
2012 Georgia Feral Hog Survey
It would be helpful if Georgia landowners would take about 15 minutes to complete the survey you received in the mail awhile back and return it to:
Dr. Michael T. Mengak
Professor – Wildlife Specialist
Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
Contact Dr. Mengak with any questions or if you didn’t receive the mailed survey :
Phone: 706.583.8096
Click the link for more information: Feral Hog Survey Reminder
