FARMERS & CONSUMERS Tommy Irvin, Commissioner Georgia Deparfmenf of Agriculture Market Bulletin Vol. 70, No. 21 Wednesday, May 23, 1984 Equine Groups Work Together In March a new organization was formed called the "Georgia Equine Industry." The purpose of forming this non-profit organization was to promote, educate and unify the equine interested people in the state of Georgia. In recent years the horse industry in Georgia has been growing by leaps and bounds. With this growth, the peripheral businesses related to horses also have enjoyed a strong growth. Until this time the horse industry has not been recognized for its contributions to the economy of Georgia. This was one of the reasons the Georgia Equine Industry was formed. By uniting all breeds of horses under one organization, we hope to show how strong a group we are. There has long been a need for the different horse groups, whether registered or not, to work together instead of against each other. Many people do not even know we are out there and it is mainly because we have not presented ourselves as a united group. (Our guest columnist this week is Jim Reider, President of the Georgia Equine Industry, 4380 Stacks Road, College Park 30349). At our first meeting 19 different horse related organizations were represented. A board of directors was formed from the presidents (or their delegates) of the organizations represented at the meeting. Additionally, any legitimate horse-related organization not present also may be represented on the board. The elected officers forming the executive committee are: Jim Reider, President; Dewey Henderson, First Vice President; H. L. Meyer, Jr., Second Vice President; Robert McDonald, Fourth Vice President and General Counsel; Harry A. Beecham, Treasurer. There were many positive aspects of our first meeting, among them a list of goals to be accomplished as an organization. For a long time, there has been a need for a central office, or a hot line, where people could call (Continued on Page 12) Beekeeping is a productive pastime that is growing in popularity. If you are interested in learning more about the subject, plan to attend the annual Beekeepers Shortcourse, June 16, at the University of Georgia in Athens. The meeting, sponsored by the Department of Entomology and the Georgia Beekeepers Association, is designed for beginners, as well as, more experienced beekeepers. Topics and demonstrations included in the course are honey bee biology and behavior, diseases, management for honey production, colony division, two-queen colony system, package bee installation and more. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Chemistry Building Auditorium. The course should last from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The course fee is $20 per person. Advanced registration is requested by June 14. Requests for additional information, program and registration forms should be addressed to Or. Alfred Dietz, Department of Entomology, UGA, Athens 30602, phone 404-542-2816 or 542-8711. INDEX Letter To Editor ......... Page 2 Livestock Quotations........ Page 5 Ga. Cooking ......... Page 5 Bulletin Calendar.........Page 10 NOTICE To Dealers In Agricultural Products Under Georgia Law You Must De Bonded If You Do Not Pay Cosh Bond Applications Are Available At Any Georgia State Formers Market Office or Markets Division Georgia Department of Agriculture Room 324 Capitol Square Atlanta, Georgia 30334 (404) 656-3660 Tommy bvin. Commissioner Herding Dogs Play Vital Role In Many Livestock Operations Never before have herding dogs been used so extensively. Within the last five years interest in the working breeds has skyrocketed, particularly in the Southeast where several organizations devoted to promoting stockdogs have been formed and events such as training clinics and field trials have become extremely popular. Alabama and Georgia boast eight major field trials. These include the Southern Regional Championships and the prestigious American Grand National Finals and the United States Handlers Championship Trials. These trials attract enthusiasts from throughout the nation and are considered largely responsi- cattle, flock of sheep or any other livestock that needs moving. Handlers train their dogs to respond to whistles, voice commands, hand signals or all three. Using (Continued on Page 12) ble for the growing interest among farmers and ranchers. But just what is a stockdog? They can be anything from a hard- working mutt to a pedigreed champion. Most likely, however, they will be from a long line of working dogs such as Australian shepherds, blue heelers, kelties, catahulas, English shepherds and border collies. Experienced handlers credit the border collie's skills to what they call "The eye." All good herding dogs have it, they say. It's the ability to creep up and stare livestock into submission, making them move without stampeding. It's the eye that allows a 35 pound dog to control a herd of Dawson County farmer Hubert Bailey considers his border collies the most versatile of all working dogs. "They can do it all. I don't ever want to be without them." Page 2 THE MARKET BULLETIN Wednesday, May 23, 1984 we