ALBANY, GA -
Planting season is almost here; and farmers are trying to figure out what and how much to plant.
This weekend in Albany, small farmers are getting a look at the latest technology and techniques available to them.
Ralph Paige, the Executive Director of the Federation of Southern Co-Operatives said, "we have farmers from Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida. I saw some from North Carolina and South Carolina."
They're learning about the latest issues that farmers face as they raise their crops.
"Dealing with risks that farmers have in terms of managing their crop," said Paige.
Small farmers have different issues than their larger counterparts.
Doug Kleweno of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, "small operators deal with issues such as financing, certainly marketing your products is more of a challenge."
The USDA is here to remind farmers about the programs available to them to meet those challenges.
"There is efforts to try to encourage new producers into agriculture, as well as those that are small that maybe need some additional assistance," said Kleweno.
But there's one issue that was covered today that the USDA can't do much about and that's the weather. After all, there aren't many businesses that are more dependent on the weather than farming.
"This past Winter, we've been experiencing what we consider to be a pretty typical La Nina Winter in South Georgia. And we've already started with a deficit especially in South Georgia. So there's not a lot of water there for plants to grow," said Pam Knox of the University of Georgia.
And if you think the weather is strange now, in the coming decades, climate change could make it much wilder than it is today.
Pam Knox from the University of Georgia said, "we expect to see rain, more dry spells with thunderstorms in between. So effectively you get more run off from that than you would in the current climate."
The weather - whether it's now or 20 years from now - can affect the bottom line, but getting information about it can be another challenge, which is why the experts from the University of Georgia are here.
Carrie Furman of the University of Georgia said, "the most important thing that we can do is to make sure everyone has the knowledge and access to information."
And farmers here are hoping that these new methods of production - and the weather that they're so dependent upon - will help to keep their crops green, so that they can earn more green this season.
Copyright 2012 WALB. All rights reserved.
Brochures show some of the programs available to farmers from the USDA.
Two of the hundreds of attendees at the Small Farmer's Conference taking place this weekend in Albany.
Georgia Forestry Commission officials were among those helping to inform the farmers in attendance about the many options available for use of their land.
Pound cakes and cupcakes were on sale at the Farmer's Conference, products of the East Baker Community Kitchen.
Carrie Furman of the University of Georgia gives a presentation on the possible impacts of climate change on the farms of the future.
