Fresh produce coming into the United States is receiving increased scrutiny from the Trump Administration. Imported strawberries are now on the list of imported items that the administration wants investigated for possibly harming U.S. fruit and vegetable growers. Strawberry imports, mainly from Mexico, represent about 16% of the U.S. market, valued at approximately $2.5 billion every year. Gro-Intelligence Dot Com …
NIHC Receives USDA Market Access Program Funding for International Research and Promotion of Hemp
NIHC Becomes First Hemp Organization Officially Recognized by USDA Foreign Agricultural Service as Market Access Program (MAP) Partner WASHINGTON – The National Industrial Hemp Council announced it received $200,000 in U.S. Department of Agricultural (USDA) Market Access Program (MAP) funding to support export market development of industrial hemp.  “We are grateful for USDA confidence and the recognition of NIHC as the …
USDA Restricts PACA Violators in California, Florida and Texas
November 13, 2020 – General News PRESS RELEASE: WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). These sanctions include suspending the businesses’ PACA …
UGA Researcher Part of Grant Studying Efficacy of Essential Oils in Organic Fruit Production
Organic agricultural production is increasing in Georgia. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, wants to help producers be more efficient by researching ways to protect organic blueberries from diseases. According to UGA Extension, the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $2 million grant to the team of 15 …
Hurricane Eta Soaks Already Saturated South Florida
An already saturated South Florida was inundated with rainfall from Hurricane Eta this week. The result were fruit that were either lost or will suffer from expected disease pressure, according to Gene McAvoy, University of Florida Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus. “We did have quite a lot of rain. We didn’t really need it. I’m sure we’ll see more …
Florida Urban Tree Canopy Gives Oxygen, Shade – Saves $4 Billion a Year
November 12, 2020 By: Brad Buck, 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu Trees give us shade to cool off and oxygen to breathe – and they provide Florida cities with $4 billion in benefits a year, collectively, UF/IFAS researchers say. These include savings in air pollution removal, stormwater runoff and carbon sequestration and storage, said Andrew Koeser, UF/IFAS associate professor of environmental horticulture. …
Following Eta, Florida Farmer: Squash is Melting on the Plant
An already challenging year for Florida vegetable farmer Sam Accursio was made worse this week following the impact of Hurricane Eta on his squash crop; hundreds of acres but no production following heavy rainfall and strong winds. “The heaviest impact is going to be to our squash crop. The beans, they were hanging on the plant and they’re up off …
Popular UF/IFAS Vegetable Gardening Guide Available in Spanish and as an App
November 10, 2020 By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224, bradbuck@ufl.edu With COVID-19 lingering, it might be a good time to use your green thumb to grow some vegetables in your garden. While you’re at it, you can get help from the UF/IFAS Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide — now also in Spanish — and as a downloadable web app. Because we’re nearing the …
New Findings on Growing Hemp in Florida
By Tory Moore As the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Industrial Hemp Pilot Project research continues, growers around the state have begun growing hemp on their own farms. Researchers from the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center (MREC) in Apopka have important considerations for Florida growers contemplating or currently growing hemp. Research lessons learned and …
Farm Share Wants to Buy Your Produce
Farm Share, a nonprofit organization that distributes food to those in need, is looking for Florida farms with bulk produce available for purchase immediately. The organization received funding from the CARES Act to use for food purchases for distribution to families affected by the pandemic. If you have bulk produce available for purchase, contact John Delgado, Farm Share’s inventory operations …