By Clint Thompson Warmer temperatures for Southeast Georgia are just what the doctor ordered for Vidalia onion plants still recovering from the recent freeze event. Cliff Riner, crop production manager for G&R Farms in Glennville, Georgia, said the crop’s progress was delayed by the sub-freezing temperatures on March 13. “One or two bad days of cold weather like that takes …
Best North Carolina Peaches in Recent Memory
By Clint Thompson North Carolina peach farmers are experiencing a bumper crop this year; the best crop in recent memory, according to one producer. “It’s the best crop I’ve seen, and I’m 44-years-old. It’s an outstanding crop for North Carolina,” said Brad Thompson, president of the North Carolina Peach Growers’ Society. The reason for such optimism is simple; there was …
Freeze Does Not Have the Same Effect on All Pests
The Christmas freeze event in 2022 affected some insect pests in the cold-hardy citrus region more so than others, according to Xavier Martini. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor spoke about his findings during the recent Citrus Health Forum held at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy. Martini addressed …
Seventy-Five Reps Plead for Freeze to Current AEWR
A total of 75 congressmen recently issued a bipartisan letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders asking that the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) be frozen in an upcoming spending package. AEWR has more than doubled since 2005, with the nation’s average AEWR reaching $17.55 per hr in 2024. A temporary wage freeze would alleviate the increaased financial burden and …
AFVGA Executive Director: Crop Insurance Essential Following March Freeze Events
By Clint Thompson Crop insurance is a necessity that all growers need to utilize. Alabama’s specialty crop producers need only to look back at March to see how one weather event changed the outlook for an entire crop. Blake Thaxton, executive director of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA), said the sub-freezing temperatures over multiple days especially impacted …
Freeze Had Greatest Impact on Young Trees
Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association, and other industry leaders continue to preach to growers the need to diversify their crop portfolios. The Christmas freeze event that ravaged production in the Southeast last December should not be a deterrent for farmers hoping to produce citrus other than satsuma mandarins. Yes, non-satsuma citrus trees were impacted more by the multiple …
Blueberry Producers Hoping to Dodge Late-Season Freeze Event
By Clint Thompson Late spring freeze events have become predictable across the Southeast. Unfortunately, that has not been good news for the region’s blueberry producers. Blueberries are susceptible to sub-freezing temperatures this time of year. They are starting to bear fruit and are on the cusp of another harvest season. The danger has intensified in recent years as bushes bloom …
Florida Blueberries Escape Significant Damage from Christmas Freeze
By Clint Thompson Timing can make the difference in the success of a specialty crop. In the case of Florida blueberries, it likely has helped the crop survive one of the coldest freeze events in recent memory. Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry Extension coordinator, explains how the lack of blooms in Florida’s …
Christmas Freeze ‘Not Much of an Impact’ on Florida Blueberries
By Clint Thompson Timing can make the difference in the success of a specialty crop. In the case of Florida blueberries, it likely has helped the crop survive one of the coldest freeze events in recent memory. Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry Extension coordinator, explains how the lack of blooms in Florida’s …
Not So Sweet Prices: January Freeze Event Impacting Watermelon Market
By Clint Thompson The freeze event in late January is having an impact on the watermelon market more than three months later. What were ‘outrageously’ high prices just a few weeks ago have dropped substantially since. It is mostly due to an abundance of supply overwhelming demand. Carr Hussey, a watermelon farmer in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, calls it a …