Senator Reverend Warnock visited UGA’s Iron Horse Research Farm and DeKalb-Peachtree Airport to discuss his legislative priorities as Congress works on 2023 Farm Bill, FAA reauthorization

Senator Warnock to WSB-TV: “We have a workforce crisis in many of our industries including aviation, and it is a problem, but it is also an opportunity”

Senator Warnock to The Red&Black: “I’m focused on precision agriculture technologies, which can go a long way towards helping farmers only use the seed, fertilizer and water they actually need”

Senator Warnock to Georgia Recorder: “The profitability margin for farmers is so narrow that every little bit helps, and we saw today the huge difference that this technology is already bringing, but it could be much better”

Senator Warnock to Fox 5: “It’s these hardworking farmers as well as the families that they serve across our state who I have in mind as I continue to draft this year’s Farm Bill”

Washington, D.C. — Last week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) visited UGA’s Iron Horse research farm in the Athens area and DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee to discuss his agriculture and aviation workforce priorities as Congress drafts the 2023 Farm Bill, which is considered every five years, and the FAA Reauthorization Bill, which is the federal government’s main policy tool for aviation priorities. The Senator’s visits highlighted his strong commitment to advocating for two of the state’s largest economic sectors as Congress considers impactful legislation that will authorize key federal agriculture and aviation programs.  

The visit to UGA’s Iron Horse research farm in Watkinsville comes off the heels of his introduction of the bipartisan Promoting Precision Agriculture Act, which aims to establish interconnectivity standards to allow precision agriculture technology to better communicate and share data. Additionally, during a roundtable discussion with aviation workers and local airport leaders at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, Senator Warnock previewed legislation he intends to introduce in the coming weeks to strengthen aviation workforce development. 

See more coverage of Senator Reverend Warnock’s agriculture and aviation workforce events below:

WSB-TV: Pilots are in-demand and $100K+ a year. A new bill aims to help train more pilots in GA

Thursday, April 13, 2023

• “U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock wants to include workforce development in the Federal Aviation Administration’s reauthorization bill to help curb shortages of pilots and mechanics.”
• “Aviation is Georgia’s lifeblood. We have the world’s busiest airport, but Peachtree-DeKalb Airport is also in the Top 10 busiest smaller airports in the United States.”
• “Warnock took a behind-the-scenes tour of PDK airport Thursday, meeting its people and its employees. He learned a lot about the problems Georgia’s aviation industry is facing, including pilot and mechanic shortages. He’s hoping to steer that industry to smooth air.”
• “‘We have a workforce crisis in many of our industries including aviation, and it is a problem, but it is also an opportunity,’ Warnock said. Warnock [will introduce] a bill that he wants to be tacked on to the FAA Reauthorization Bill that would give money to schools and other institutions to promote aviation to more diverse communities.”
• “Pilots can earn more than $100,000 a year, mechanics $70 an hour. But it’s not easy to get there. Warnock thinks the bill can help.”

WGAU: Ga Senator visits UGA

Thursday, April 13, 2023

• “Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock is in Athens today. His office says Democrat Warnock will visit the University of Georgia’s Ag College to meet with local farmers and to discuss his priorities for Georgia in the 2023 Farm Bill being drafted in the Senate. Warnock is a member of the US Senate Agriculture Committee.”

Athens Banner-Herald: Sen. Warnock visits UGA’s Iron Horse research farm, hears from farmers on new tech

Friday, April 14, 2023

• “U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock found himself in the cab of a John Deere tractor Thursday morning riding a straight path across a field. The tractor drove itself and didn’t need help from Warnock or his passenger.”
• “Warnock visited the farm as part of his promotion of a national farm bill as he gathered input on the Precision Agriculture Act, a piece of legislation he is promoting to include in the 2023 Farm Bill that Congress will discuss in the near future.”
• “Warnock, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, heard from several area farmers about their experience with precision agriculture technology…”
• “The new technology is GPS based and is used on tractors, and more recently on drones, in farm work that can cut the cost for such practices as fertilizing, watering and pesticide use.”
• “The senator also asked the group about broadband internet access and they all agreed of the importance of having a good broadband service to use the new technology. Crowe said his broadband has improved but ‘it’s no where it needs to be.’”
• “Scientists from UGA’s agriculture and engineering departments were on hand at the event to explain to Warnock the research underway at the farm.”

The Red&Black: Warnock meets with Georgia farmers to discuss 2023 Farm Bill

Friday, April 14, 2023

• “As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Warnock will play a key role in crafting this bill, which sets federal agricultural, forestry, conservation and nutrition policy.”
• “Cole Byers, a master’s student in agricultural engineering at UGA’s Tifton Campus, is part of the digital agriculture team that showcased the use of drones and other precision agriculture technology to Warnock. As a drone technology specialist, Byers demonstrated a drone that flew away from and back to the audience, providing a glimpse of its field operations.”
• “‘Understanding what [the drones are] really used for can kind of be another step other than just being a cool toy that you can buy and fly around wherever, especially in agriculture. It’s kind of a step that a lot of people fail to make,’ Byers said. ‘So hopefully, Senator Warnock being here can see that technology and see how it might be used.’”
• “Warnock has already started taking action by teaming up with South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune to introduce the Promoting Precision Agriculture Act. This bipartisan bill was developed as part of their work on the Senate Agriculture and Commerce Committees together.”
• “The proposed legislation aims to boost the use of precision agriculture technology by establishing a government-private sector partnership. The legislation proposes the creation of voluntary interconnectivity standards and prioritizes the cybersecurity requirements for precision agriculture technologies which will bolster the industry and make such tools easier and more accessible to farmers…”
• “‘I’m focused on precision agriculture technologies, which can go a long way towards helping farmers only use the seed, fertilizer and water they actually need,’ Warnock said.”

Fox 5: Sen. Warnock visits farm, farmers as work begins on Farm Bill

Thursday, April 13, 2023

• “Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, met with north Georgia farmers Thursday to discuss their priorities as lawmakers begin their work on the 2023 Farm Bill. Congress passes a Farm Bill every five years, which sets federal agricultural and food policy. The current bill is set to expire Sept. 30.”
• “‘It’s these hardworking farmers as well as the families that they serve across our state who I have in mind as I continue to draft this year’s Farm Bill,’ said Sen. Warnock, who serves on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.”
• “Last month, Sen. Warnock introduced the ‘Promoting Precision Agriculture Act,’ which is designed to help that kind of farming tech become more accessible.”
• “Farmers said while the technology helps them improve efficiency, it can be expensive, especially when product made by different companies do not communicate with one another.”
• “’We saw today the huge difference that this technology is already making, but it could be much better. So, my bill directs the formation of a task force that will be focused on connectivity standards,’ Sen. Warnock explained.”

Georgia Recorder: Warnock takes high-tech tractor ride on UGA farm as Congress debates farm bill

Monday, April 17, 2023

• “Farmers today can increase their profits with a wide array of high-tech equipment. Satellite-connected smart devices can allow them to track data on soil conditions and intelligently place seeds, water, fertilizer and pesticides exactly where they need to be, saving resources and money.”
• “But new technology often requires troubleshooting, and Warnock says he’s aiming to fix a connectivity bug within the latest agriculture hardware.”
• “There is no standard way for these devices to share data with one another, so farmers could find themselves with a soil monitor in the ground that is unable to communicate with the tractor they need to spread fertilizer, making it less convenient and costlier to adopt the new technology.”
• “‘When I have system A inside my tractor, trying to control valves outside my tractor that are made by system B, sometimes there’s a challenge there,’ said Eric Elsner, farm manager at UGA’s J. Phillip Campbell Jr. Research and Education Center. ‘If I get data from System A, try to use that data with system B, it’s like, if I had an Apple phone and you had an Android phone, we should be able to communicate.’”
• “Last month, Warnock and South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune introduced legislation to create a working group to study creating standards to ensure different devices can connect. Warnock is working to get the measure included in the 2023 Farm bill, which Congress passes every five years to set the nation’s food and agriculture policy. The current bill is set to expire in September.”
• “‘The profitability margin for farmers is so narrow that every little bit helps,’ Warnock said. ‘And we saw today the huge difference that this technology is already bringing, but it could be much better.’”
• “After the tech demos, Warnock sat around a table with a group of north Georgia farmers who said they’ve seen success incorporating new technology, but precision agriculture has its hurdles. In addition to connectivity issues, the equipment is a major financial investment, and some said the rural broadband required still needs work.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia lawmakers outline priorities ahead of debate on federal farm bill

Friday, April 14, 2023

• “Five years ago, when the farm bill was also up for debate, Warnock was an activist and pastor speaking against Republicans’ efforts then to reduce SNAP benefits. He even got detained after one protest, he said.”
• “Warnock lobbied to join the Agriculture Committee after being elected in January 2021 because he understands the importance of what is considered the state’s oldest and largest industry. But Warnock said the farm bill is also important to Georgia residents who rely on nutrition benefits to feed their families.”
• “‘Food security is something I’m very concerned about coming out of this pandemic,’ the Atlanta Democrat said. ‘And I’ll be doing everything I can to defend it and push against the kind of work requirements that really in my mind represent a hoax and a distraction.’”
• “Warnock and the other Democrats list priorities of their own, such as boosting funding for agriculture and agribusiness research at historically Black colleges and universities, and boosting grant funding for farmers and ranchers belonging to groups that have historically faced racial or ethnic prejudice.”

###