A View From the Field

Apr 19, 2024

By Tom McCall

We’ve had a cold winter across a lot of our state, and I am enjoying spring and all the opportunities the new season brings for family fun and good food. There’s nothing like spending more time outdoors. Especially after we all had to “spring forward” with the time adjustment.

The longer days of spring and planting seed for summer always give me hope and an optimistic spirit that we as farmers need to keep going forward.

Some of my favorite memories from this time of year include our grandkids, Winn, Wilkes and McCall, fishing from the pond on our family’s farm.

Anyone who has heard me speak at a Farm Bureau event most likely has heard me say, “I don’t own that property in the small community of Fortsonia, I’m just borrowing it from my grandkids.”

Like most farmers, I’ve done what I can to protect that farmland for my family and future generations.

As our state’s Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper has said repeatedly, “You may not think about it every day, but agricultural products and the security of our food supply are the most important elements when it comes to our national security.”

Agriculture is Georgia’s number one economic sector and employs over 323,300 Georgians. Across the nation, the direct impact of the food supply chain from farm to retail is about 24 million jobs, according the most recent Feeding the Economy Report. Clearly, what we do as food producers is very important, and everyone depends on us whether they realize it or not.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.