UMATILLA, Fla. (October 5, 2020) – Treadwell Farms, a Florida family hemp company, has announced its hemp CBD extract product line can now be purchased in Bay and Lake Pharmacy, a 58-year family-owned independent pharmacy in Eustis, Fla. This marks the company’s first pharmacy partnership, which is offering the 1200mg bottles of the Treadwell Farms Essential Blend Hemp CBD Extract …
Establishing an Olive Industry in Florida
By Michael O’Hara Garcia With weather and soils similar to the Mediterranean Basin, olives grow in Florida and throughout much of the southeastern United States. Currently, Florida has approximately 800 acres of olives under active cultivation by 60 to 80 individual farmers in 20 counties. The groves range from backyard hobby plots with several trees to high-density commercial operations of …
Water War Arguments to be Held ‘In Due Course’
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday indicated it will hear oral arguments in the long-running water battle between Florida and Georgia but did not specify when. The court issued an order that said the dispute is “set for oral argument in due course.” The case involves divvying up water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system, which stretches from northern Georgia to …
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association Names New Board Chair, Vice Chair
MAITLAND, Fla. (Oct. 2, 2020) – The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association has named Aaron Troyer, president of Troyer Brothers in Fort Myers, as its chair for 2020-22. David Hill, president of Southern Hill Farms in Clermont, was named vice chair. In addition, FFVA members voted to appoint three new directors to the board: Jon Esformes of Pacific Tomato Growers, Chris …
COVID-19 risk factors vary by farm workers’ legal status; shows need for tailored measures
University of Florida/IFAS As laborers return to the fields this fall in Florida, both unauthorized workers and those authorized to plant and pick crops through a guest worker visa are vulnerable to the coronavirus. In fact, an estimated 75% of Florida crop workers have at least one underlying health issue that puts them at risk of developing COVID-19 complications, new …
Breeding Better Cucurbits
By Cecilia McGregor and George Boyhan Cucurbit crops are some of the most widely grown vegetable crops in the Southeast. However, the hot and humid climate is conducive to pest and disease development, which presents a challenge to growers. Cucurbit breeding at the University of Georgia (UGA) is focused on breeding pumpkin, watermelon and squash with excellent fruit quality and …
Improved Weather Data at Growers’ Fingertips
Weather is one of the most important factors affecting crop growth and production. The Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN), a University of Florida-operated service, was created to assist growers in making decisions related primarily to irrigation scheduling and cold protection. Currently, the FAWN network operates 42 stations located from Jay to Homestead that record and report every 15 minutes on …
Whiteflies Flaring Up in Florida Vegetables
According to the South Florida Vegetable Pest and Disease Hotline, whiteflies are flaring up in tomatoes and watermelons in Southwest Florida. In the Central Florida area, growers indicate that whiteflies are present in tomatoes low numbers, although some of the early plantings were hit hard by whiteflies. Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus pressure remains less than 1% but it is …
Fungicide Resistance a Growing Problem in Strawberries
Fungicide resistance in strawberries is a major problem, says University of Georgia Cooperative Extension plant pathologist Phil Brannen. He encourages producers to help researchers understand which fungicides are still active and provide protection against diseases like anthracnose and botrytis. “(Fungicide resistance) has really come to the forefront in the last few years. In the last two or three years, we …
New AI Technology ‘Agroview’ Named UF Invention of the Year
September 23, 2020 By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224, bradbuck@ufl.edu Yiannis Ampatzidis and his research team combined their collective minds to find the artificial intelligence technology to best help farmers save money and better care for their crops. Out of that process, they invented a system known as Agroview. The system utilizes images from drones and satellites and from the ground – …