U.S. Farm Bill education will be the focus of an upcoming series of meetings coordinated by University of Georgia agricultural economists.

Don Shurley and Nathan Smith will lead a series of six regional meetings designed to educate Georgia row crop producers and landowners about the new farm bill. Shurley and Smith are faculty with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“We will share what we know and our interpretation of the bill. And, we’ll give examples of how we believe the provisions will work,” Shurley said. “The final rules and regulations and signup for programs is not expected until fall 2014 or winter 2015, but farmers need to begin getting a handle on what’s in the bill now.”

Topics to be discussed include price loss coverage, agricultural risk coverage, base update decisions, payment yield update decisions, generic base, cotton transition assistance, marketing loans, stacked income protection for cotton and supplemental coverage options.

The meetings are co-sponsored by UGA Extension, Georgia Farm Bureau and Farm Credit Associations of Georgia. The sessions will begin in Alma on Friday, April 4 at 9:30 a.m. Subsequent meetings will take place in Bainbridge on April 7 at 9:30 a.m., Tifton on April 8 at 9:30 a.m., Waynesboro on April 10 at noon, Vidalia on April 11 at noon and Americus on April 14 at 9:30 a.m.

To register for a free session, contact your local UGA Extension office. This information will be forwarded to the host county of the session you plan to attend and will be useful in planning refreshments and meals.