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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Florida”
Registration is underway for this year’s Florida Agricultural Labor Relations Forum, scheduled for Aug. 12-14 at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Florida. This year’s 52nd annual forum is presented by the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation and educates farmers, ag employers, shippers, farm labor contractors and other employers on compliance with labor laws. It will feature multiple …
By Clint Thompson The April 30 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor paints a grim view of the drought conditions being experienced across the Southeast. Almost all of Georgia is observing either extreme drought or exceptional drought. Nearly all of South Alabama is seeing extreme drought conditions, while the northern and southwestern parts of Florida are observing either extreme drought …
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelons are progressing like they should, even amid a rare spring drought and following a dangerous freeze event that impacted the region in mid-March. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, discussed the crop’s progression during an interview with AgNet Media. “I …
By Clint Thompson Amid current delays in the H-2A system, one agricultural leader expressed his feelings about the program and its impact on his specific sector. George Szczepanski, executive director of the National Watermelon Association (NWA), discussed the program in an interview with AgNet Media. He described it as a “necessary evil.” “I will say the program itself has a …
WASHINGTON — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement on the approval by the House of Representatives of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. “The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends House Agriculture Committee Chairman (GT) Thompson for his leadership and perseverance, and we thank the House for advancing H.R. 7567, marking …
By Clint Thompson The emergence of fusarium wilt disease in North Florida watermelons this year is a reminder about how effective grafted plants are in overcoming the disease. Unfortunately, their growth in the Suwanee Valley region may be limited by simple economics, explains Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in …
By Clint Thompson Production costs are up for Southeast watermelon growers. That’s created concern for producers with harvest season just around the corner for much of the region. “I think what’s on the forefront of everybody’s minds is the challenges with costs we’re seeing already,” said George Szczepanski, executive director of the National Watermelon Association. “As a result from the …
By Clint Thompson One of the worst droughts in recent memory in the Southeast continues to worsen, according to the most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Exceptional Drought Exceptional drought conditions range from counties in the Florida Panhandle, like Gulf, Calhoun and Jackson counties; eastward to Nassau, Baker and Bradford in North Florida; and southward to Levy and …
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon producers have dodged disease buildup with this year’s crop due to the lingering drought conditions present in the region. But that doesn’t mean growers should not be on high alert. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, highlighted what producers should …
By Frank Giles When the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) went into effect in July 2020, specialty crop growers in the Southeast were disappointed the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement did little to protect their domestic interests and markets. When the agreement was crafted, it included a provision that the USMCA would undergo a joint review to assess …
