April Flood Puts Metro Farmers out of Business
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EstablishEd 1917 a CEntury of sErviCE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE • GARY W. BLACK, COMMISSIONER • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 • VOL. 102, NO. 23 • © COPYRIGHT 2019 April flood puts metro farmers out of business Global Growers seeks new farm site to serve refugees, immigrants By Amy Carter ary [email protected] e0r1s7 Learn more about Global i v2 Growers’ flood recovery efforts n– at https://www.globalgrowers. STONE MOUNTAIN – There was noth- A17n ing perfect about the storm that befell Bam- 10 0 t 1h9 org/flood-recovery boo Creek Farm on April 19. It started with heavy rain that turned the trickling waters Although more labor intensive than tradi- of Snapfinger Creek into a flood, which -in tional row-cropping, this style of production undated 10 acres cultivated by refugee and was fruitful enough to be the sole financial immigrant farmers making a fresh start in support for three of the five farmers displaced the suburbs of Atlanta. by the flood. Altogether, the Global Growers Spring crops were in full production, and network realized more than $200,000 a year about 80 percent of the farm’s summer plant- in retail and wholesale income. ings were in the ground. Two seasons were Bamboo Creek Farm was the hub of this lost in one fell swoop. Adding woe to hard- operation. A former horse farm situated at ship was a new set of food safety regulations the back of a residential neighborhood, the that prohibit the sale of any crop touched by farm was a model of ingenuity. The barn flood waters. And because the storm wasn’t was retrofitted to serve as a packing house an organized system, no federal disaster aid with two wash stations. Two shipping con- is available. Just like that, five farmers were tainers insulated and fitted with window air out of business. conditioning units provided continuous cold “It’s a bit painful even for me to be out storage for different crops, proving more here, because this was a farm that we poured reliable than a traditional refrigerated unit, our blood, sweat and tears into for years to Noela Siang Men transplants a spring crop at Bamboo Creek Farm in March 2017. Noela Siang Men and according to farm operations manager Todd get set up as kind of this unique model of her husband, Ignatius Thang, immigrated from Burma (Myanmar). They were among five farm families Eittreim. co-farming,” said Robin Chanin, executive displaced by flooding at the DeKalb County farm in April. (Amy Carter/GDA) Making use of skills that might otherwise director of Global Growers. have been left at the border, the growers at Global Growers is a non-profit work- America. Global Growers creates a shared Farmers lease their plots on land owned or Bamboo Creek Farm utilized resources at ing with immigrants who brought exten- infrastructure that includes irrigation, cold leased by Global Growers and work their hand, rarely tapping into the mass-produced sive farming knowledge with them but lack storage, an aggregation and distribution net- beds themselves, turning over each bed as convenience of modern agriculture – drip the capital to establish their own farms in work, a community tractor and hand tools. often as six times a season. See APRIL FLOOD, page 16 Stock dog herding tests handler and dog for precision and skill By Jay Jones that makes the competition so intriguing. [email protected] “There is a lot going on, and there is a lot that can go wrong,” said Donna Brisbin of MOULTRIE – Stock dog herding is all Aiken, SC. “It can be a humbling sport.” about moving livestock from point A to Brisbin discussed the sport during the point B. It’s the part in between those points stock dog trials at the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo last month. Her Border Collie, Turk, still has a lot of puppy in him and misbe- haved as she talked. A scratch under his chin calmed Turk down. Dogs herd sheep from field to pen with basic voice commands or a whistle from their handlers. Brisbin said the whistles are simple high-low, low-high to move the dog left-to-right. A loud “Down!” or “Up!” will start or stop the dog. “You can whistle Dixie if you want to, but that would take too long,” she said. Stock dog trials are held all over the world. The International Sheep Dog Society sanctions international trials with partici- Mary Louise Cabot watches her Border Collie, Gracie, herd sheep during an open trial for stock dogs at the pants mostly from Great Britain, Ireland, Sunbelt Agriculture Expo in October. The dogs and their handlers must complete a course within seven Australia and New Zealand. In the United minutes and are judged on response to commands and precision to stay on course. (Jay Jones/GDA) States, state associations and associations based on breeds organize many of the trials. places to look since many of the handlers are Border Collies. They’re not pretty. They are The Georgia Stock Dog Association orga- also breeders. working stock dogs. Their moms and dads nizes the Sunbelt Expo trials and holds sev- Border Collies are popular and are the did that for a living, and the pups come that eral competitions across the state throughout dominant breed at the trials in Moultrie, but way,” Shepherd said. the year. Jim Shepherd, a show coordinator there are many other stock dog breeds, such Each trial at the Sunbelt Expo is sev- at the Sunbelt Expo, said the best way to get as Australian Shepherds and Belgian Mali- en minutes long. During that time, the dog into stock dog herding is to go to a competi- nois. and handler maneuver three sheep across tion and ask questions. If the next step is to “The one thing I tell people thinking a course laid out in an open field. The dog Please deliver this paid subscription to: Agriculture Published by the Ga. Department of Black, Commissioner W. Gary purchase a dog, he said the trials are the best about getting into it is that these are not AKC See STOCK DOG, page 14 PAGE 2 FARMERS AND CONSUMERS MARKET BULLETIN – 404-656-3722 – agr.georgia.gov WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019 2014 John Deere 5055 one John Deere 6110M, 4x4, CA, FARM rear remote, 2300hrs, Excel- 1060 hrs. 2016 model. 3 re- lent condition needs nothing. motes: $64,000. John Deere MACHINERY 55HP great for hay fields or 4020, 1971 model. Syncro, Advertise in the Market Bulletin food plots. Kenny Bryant one remote: $10,000. Wiley Classified advertisements in the Market Bulletin are free to subscribers and limited Please specify if machinery is Leesburg 229-869-6051 Farm Covington 770-464- 3276 to one ad per issue per subscriber number. Ads run a maximum of two consecutive in running condition. 2015 John Deere 6115D, plat- issues unless requested otherwise. Advertisements from businesses, corporations, form very good condition, John Deere 820, 3 cyl. diesel. dealerships, real estate agents or other commercial entities are not permitted. All TRACTORS 4100hrs: $25,000. Call John New injector pump, fuel pump, Flournoy Fort Valley 478-954- starter, battery, & tires. Runs items advertised must be farm-related. 1010 JD Gas good rubber, great! $6000. Curtis Hardie older repaint, lights and 2695 or 478-825-2095 (office) McIntyre 478-233-1215 Advertisers and buyers are advised to be aware of state and federal laws governing gauges, runs and operates: 2755 John Deere Tractor, the sale and transfer of live animals. GDA rules also require the submission of $1600. 1949 M JD restored: 4000hrs $8500 obo Jeff John Deere M 1949, com- $5400. Dan Dixon Gordon Williams Milan 229-315-1261 plete restoration w/ belly culti- certain documents attesting to the health and/or viability of livestock, plants and 478-628-2551 3610 Ford 48HP diesel vator. Runs excellent: $2500. seed submitted for sale before ads for those items can be published. Those rules are 1010 JD, gas, older repaint, tractor, 8-speed transmission Richard O. Ward Winston 770- posted online at http://agr.georgia.gov/advertising-information.aspx. They are also tires good, lights and instru- in good condition: $7500. Call 756-7297 summarized beneath the headers of all affected Classified categories in every issue of ment panel work, good metal, Johnny Godwin Thomasville John Deere narrow front-end, the Market Bulletin. runs and operates: $1600. Ted 229-225-6983 came off 3020. Call 706-436- Dixon Gordon 478-628-5445 4020 John Deere, serviced, 3114 before 9 pm. Text 706- The Georgia Department of Agriculture does not assume responsibility for transactions 1086 International cab, cold new metal top, new batt. box- 680-4354 any time. Ronny Whitmire Elberton initiated through the Market Bulletin but will use every effort to prevent fraud. AC, good tires, approx es, new batteries, new starter, 6000hrs: $7500. Gerald Arnold new alternator, new rubber, Advertisers are expected to fulfill the terms of their offers. Failure to do so through Komatsu D21P Dozer, excel- Valdosta 229-292-2870 new paint. Dennis Hinton lent condition, swamp-type either negligence or intention may require the Market Bulletin to refuse future ads. 770-786-2014 135 Massey Ferguson gas, Covington tracks, three way blade, manu- good rubber: $1800. Bob 8N Ford 1950, TO-30 Fergu- als w/Dozer: $1200. Joseph Market Bulletin staff reserves the right to designate ad length and to edit for spelling, Nealey Canton 678-393-9744 son 1952. Both have rebuilt Hood Lafayette 706-638-8644 grammar and word count. Classified ads are limited to a maximum of 25 words, engines and painted original Kubota 9540 ultra grand cab, including name and contact information.