Gene McAvoy, associate director for stakeholder relations at the University of Florida/IFAS, is speaking up about unfair trade practices. He’s one of numerous farmers and industry leaders in Florida who will testify in a virtual hearing today with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. The hearings, scheduled for today and next Thursday, Aug. 20, will provide the U.S. Department of Commerce …
Florida Farm Bureau President to Participate in Virtual Hearing on Seasonal and Perishable Produce
Gainesville, Fla. –  Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick will provide public comment to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Agriculture on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 9 a.m. EST to address concerns of unfair trade practices with Mexico. In this virtual hearing, federal officials will hear firsthand from Florida …
Update: How to Report Unsolicited Seeds
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services (FDACS) has an updated website to help the state’s residents know how to proceed if they receive unsolicited seeds in the mail. Those who do receive seeds, please click here. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services(FDACS) is warning Floridians about unsolicited packages of seeds received through the mail. The seed packets may …
USDA Announces More Eligible Commodities for CFAP
Application Deadline Extended to Sept. 11 (Washington, D.C., Aug. 11, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that additional commodities are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) in response to public comments and data. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to apply for the program to Sept. 11, and producers …
Hemp growers: Be on the Lookout for Nematodes
By Johan Desaeger Florida’s subtropical climate offers unique opportunities to grow crops outside of the typical growing season of other states. Such is the case for strawberries and many vegetables. There are high expectations that hemp could be another such crop, although nematodes may have something to say about that. Plant-parasitic nematodes, such as root-knot and sting nematodes, can cause …
Florida Farmer: Administration Needs to be Real Careful with Upcoming Hearings
Paul Allen, president of R.C. Hatton Farms in Belle Glade, Florida and chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, believes the outcome of the upcoming virtual hearings about unfair trade practices with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office could have significant ramifications come November. “This administration better realize that the American people are very well aware of this Florida deal. …
Bringing Technology to Specialty Crops
United States Department of Agriculture Posted by Greg Astill, Markets and Trade Economics Division, Economic Research Service and Suzanne Thornsbury, Senior Advisor for Agricultural Economics and Rural Communities, Office of the Chief Scientist in Research and Science Advances in technology, automation, and remote sensing is a cross-cutting, macro movement in science impacting agriculture outlined in the USDA Science Blueprint (PDF, …
Georgia Farmer: What’s Right is to Help Support Us
Tifton, Georgia farmer Bill Brim is ready to voice his concerns about unfair trade practices during one of the two virtual hearings scheduled for Aug. 13 and Aug. 20 with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. The hearings will provide the U.S. Department of Commerce and Trump Administration an opportunity to hear from seasonal produce growers in Georgia and Florida on …
Howler Fungicide Provides Vegetable Growers with Multiple Modes of Action
Howler fungicide from AgBiome Innovations is a product that harnesses the power of the plant microbiome to create a fungicide with multiple modes of action. It provides preventive, long-lasting activity on a broad spectrum of soilborne and foliar diseases and does the job for a number of specialty crops. For Florida and South Georgia growers specifically, it’s great for strawberries, …
UF Researchers Expand Vanilla Project
By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224 (office); 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu You can taste it now. A refreshing scoop of vanilla ice cream or milkshake can be tasty and help cool you down in the sweltering Florida heat. To meet growing consumer demand for vanilla, Alan Chambers, a UF/IFAS tropical plant geneticist, is studying which beans to grow in Florida, and when and …