GAP Connections

06/03/2026

Take the guesswork out of training your farmworkers—let GAPC handle it.

In 2025, 627 farmworkers across five states were trained through the GAPC Customized Farmworker Training Program. With a comprehensive course catalog covering safety, produce handling, labor practices, and crop integrity, GAPC delivers training tailored to your operation—no matter what agriculture sector.

Open to all industries, with an added benefit for to***co growers: GAPC Grower Members receive 50% off training costs through an industry-sponsored cost-share program.

GAPC is scheduling farm worker training now for this summer! For more information on the GAPC Farmworker Training, contact Amy Rochkes, [email protected] or (865) 622-4606, ext. 107.

Learn More: https://www.gapconnections.com/what-we-do/customized-farmworker-training

05/30/2026

A Celebration of Life for Bob Pearce will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Georgetown First United Methodist Church, 1280 Lexington Road, Georgetown, KY 40324. Friends and family are invited to gather from 11-2 pm preceding the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Scott County Humane Society: 751 Slone Drive #13, Georgetown, KY 40324.

https://www.woodheadfuneralhome.com/obituaries/robert-pearce-12/ #!/Obituary

05/28/2026

Heading into summer, three numbers worth knowing if you employ ag labor:

→ 20x — how much higher heat-related mortality is for crop workers vs. workers in other industries → 21 days — the average number of dangerously hot working days a farmworker faces in a growing season → 0 — the cost of running a 10-minute heat safety stand-down with your crew this week

A documented heat illness prevention plan, water-rest-shade protocols, and bilingual training aren't just compliance — they're how you keep your workforce on the job through August.

👉 Grab the GAPC Heat Illness Tailgate Kit: https://shop.gapconnections.com/
👉 Or set up customized on-farm training for your crew: https://www.gapconnections.com/what-we-do/customized-farmworker-training

GAPC is excited to offer this new farmworker training opportunity for individual farms and their workforce or for a group of farms and their collective workforce.  Training is customized to the operation and is offered in both English and Spanish. Training topics are numerous and varied to offer a...

05/21/2026

Tick bites are surging. ER visits for tick bites are at their highest point in nearly a decade, and Lyme disease cases are climbing as we head into summer.

The news coverage focuses on hikers and campers, but if you work in fields, pastures, orchards, or along fence rows, your exposure is daily.

✅ Wear long, light-colored pants tucked into socks
✅ Treat clothes & boots with 0.5% permethrin (lasts ~6 weeks / 6 washes)
✅ Use EPA-registered repellent with at least 20% DEET on skin
✅ Do a full-body tick check at the end of every workday
✅ Shower as soon as you get home
✅ Keep tweezers and a sealable bag in the truck or shop

Watch for fever, body aches, headache, or a rash within 30 days of a bite and tell your provider you work outdoors.

📰 Full story: https://abc11.com/post/tick-bites-surge-nationally-experts-warn-lyme-disease-risk-heading-summer/19126323/

Emergency room visits in the US for tick bites are at their highest level in nearly a decade.

05/20/2026

Could your rotation be your next revenue stream?

Yellow peas in the Northeast went from cover crop to cash crop. The question for your farm: could a similar playbook work for what you're already planting between crops?

Join Mike Lewis & Lee Rinehart (National Center for Appropriate Technology - NCAT) for a free webinar:
📅 Wed, May 20 | 🕛 Noon CT/1:00 PM EST (TODAY)
When a Cover Crop Finds a Market: Lessons from the Yellow Pea Value Chain

We'll cover:
✅ What made yellow peas economically viable
✅ How farmers, manufacturers, and institutions aligned
✅ Moving from trial acres to real demand

This is brought to you through GAP Connections' new Farmer Innovation Network (FIN) Channel Partnership — free, optional learning opportunities for GAPC growers.

👉 Register: rebrand.ly/obtnucc

05/16/2026

News from Andy Bailey and Bob Pearce: Section 18 Emergency Exemption Approved for Excalia® Fungicide for Burley and Dark To***co in Kentucky

Effective May 15, 2026, Excalia® fungicide (inpyrfluxam) has been approved for use in burley and dark to***co in Kentucky under a Section 18 Emergency Exemption. Excalia is labeled specifically for target spot control, and this approval allows growers to incorporate Excalia into a fungicide rotation to help manage target spot. This label expires on October 1, 2026.

Growers using Excalia must follow all use instructions associated with this exemption. A copy of the Section 18 label must be in their possession during mixing and application, and pesticide application records must document any use of Excalia during the exemption period. Section 18 label and Best Use Guide can be found in the Additional Resource Section.

Additional Resources:

Excalia Section 18 Emergency Exemption Label -https://darkto***co.mgcafe.uky.edu/sites/darkto***co.ca.uky.edu/files/KY-Excalia_To***co_Target%20Spot_Sec-18.pdf

Excalia Fact Sheet/Best Use Guide -https://darkto***co.mgcafe.uky.edu/sites/darkto***co.ca.uky.edu/files/Excalia%20Fact%20Sheet-5-12-26-final.pdf

05/16/2026

04/27/2026

04/23/2026

Virginia Minimum Wage Update

Virginia’s Governor has signed legislation (SB 121/HB 20) removing the exemption for farm laborers and farm employees from the state’s minimum wage requirements. This change will take effect January 1, 2027.

Beginning January 1, 2027, farm employees must be paid at least the state minimum wage, which is currently $12.77/hour, but will be increased to $13.75/hour effective January 1, 2027, $15.00/hour effective January 1, 2028 (HB1/SB1).

04/23/2026

Interesting reads...

H-2A use hits record levels: Farm Bureau data highlights ongoing challenges in finding domestic workers. By: Heather Morse

https://gams.omeclk.com/portal/wts/uc%5Ecns-cBs2baFz-by0F%5EkAvfCh

H-2A Program Use Continues to Soar. By: Samantha Ayoub
https://www.fb.org/market-intel/h-2a-program-use-continues-to-soar