Proper record keeping is a management practice that all farmers need to be utilizing. It can save producers time and money when deciding what to grow for the upcoming season. Jessie Boswell, Alabama Regional Extension agent, believes producers will benefit financially if they keep annual records of how productive their crops are. This is especially true for growers who produce …
What to Grow? Tomato Variety Selection Important Decision for Producers
The most important decision farmers can make when growing tomatoes in Alabama is variety selection. Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, insists that growers understand what varieties grow well in Alabama before they plant this spring. “Easily the most important decision you can make is picking which varieties to grow. You can buy local transplants. It’s always great when you …
Chilling Out: Early Alabama Peach Varieties Look Good Following Freeze Event
Chilling hours is not a concern for Alabama peach producers for the upcoming season. Potential damage from freezing temperatures is, however, something that may impact this year’s crop, according to Elina Coneva, Extension specialist in the Horticulture Department at Auburn University. “Feb. 15 was an important day for all fruit growers in the state. There were two things that were …
Flash Drought: Potentially Devastating to Crops
Parts of the Southeast have experienced excessive rainfall this year. But periods of prolonged dry spells could be just around the corner and be detrimental to the growth of vegetables and specialty crops. What is really concerning to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist, are those flash droughts. She spoke about the impact flash droughts can have on …
Plastic Makes Perfect: Vegetable System Producers More, Cleaner Fruit
Planting season is nearing for Alabama vegetable producers. One system that all farmers need to consider is plasticulture. Plastic mulches can lead to cleaner fruit with much more yields. Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, discussed the benefits of producing tomatoes in a plasticulture system during a webinar on Tuesday. It starts with yields. “Using these plastic mulches just by …
Wacky Weather: Alabama Planting Season Nears Amid Excessive Rainfall, Drought
Planting season nears for Alabama vegetable producers. Once again, weather will play a key role as farmers prepare to plant this spring’s crops. Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, implores producers to wait until soil temperatures increase above a certain level and stay that way for several days straight. That will be a better environment for seed to germinate and …
$15 Minimum Wage? Potential Increase Would Impact Southeast Producers
The Biden Administration’s push for a $15 minimum wage would have significant ramifications for farmers who utilize the H-2A program. Veronica Nigh, economist with American Farm Bureau, discusses the financial impact a higher minimum wage would have on Southeast vegetable and specialty crop producers. “The H-2A program stipulates you have to pay the highest wage of (either) the state minimum …
Pecan Promotions: USDA Seeks Nominees for Board
Southeast pecan producers interested in serving on the American Pecan Promotion Board can submit a nomination no later than March 26. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominations for the board under the Pecan Promotion, Research, and Information Order. The board will be comprised of 17 members; 10 producers and seven importers. The producers …
Wage Increase: H-2A Workers Receiving Bump in Hourly Rate
Southeast producers who utilize the H-2A program finally know what the minimum wage is they must pay in 2021. The USDA Farm Labor Survey revealed that wage rates for H-2A labor are increasing at an average rate of 4.5% or $0.63 per hour across the country. For the Southeast, though, those levels are much lower. Florida’s wages will increase by …
Gray Mold Alert: Hemp Disease Discovered in Alabama Seedlings
According to the Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Facebook page, recent samples of hemp seedlings sent to the Auburn University Plant Diagnostic Lab yielded discouraging results. The seedlings and clones were infected with gray mold or Botrytis cinerea. The fungus favors a cloudy and cool environment. Hemp that is produced in greenhouses in conditions that are high in humidity are at …