Hot and dry temperatures are not necessarily a bad thing for Georgia’s hemp producers, according to Tim Coolong, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist. What the crop will not do well in is when the soil is wet. “Every single grower that I’ve met with is irrigating their hemp anyway. Actually, a little bit drier is probably fine, because if …
UGA Pecan Specialist: Fruit Thinning a Hard Sale
Fruit thinning will likely be a hard practice for pecan producers to follow through on in the next couple of weeks. But University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells believes it is the right course of action to take, especially considering the quantity of this year’s pecan supply. “This is going to be a hard sale because a …
Sneak Peek: August 2020 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson The August issue of VSCNews magazine equips growers with the latest information and strategies to develop a sound fumigation system. With the loss of methyl bromide, many growers have struggled to maintain consistent soilborne pathogen and pest control with fumigants that are currently available. Gary Vallad, Johan Desaeger, Joe Noling and Nathan Boyd of the University of …
USDA Announces Third Round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program Purchases
(Washington, D.C., July 24, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on Friday the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will launch a third round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program purchases with distributions to occur beginning by September 1 with completion by October 31, 2020. The purchases will spend the balance of $3 billion authorized for the …
Farmer Feedback Essential for Adequate Analysis
Feedback during the Notice of Funding Availability comment period for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program yielded positive results for certain commodities added in coverage by the United States Department of Agriculture. It also pointed to the importance of farmers and industry leaders responding to surveys and requests for information. In this case, it allowed the USDA to make appropriate decisions …
Sunbelt Ag Expo Cancelled
Contact: Becca Turner; (229) 985-1968 x2228; Email: becca@sunbeltexpo.com The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition Board of Directors voted to cancel the 43rd Annual show scheduled for October 20-22, 2020. North America’s Premier Farm Show, the Sunbelt Ag Expo, has provided a venue for the agricultural industry to conduct business for 42 years. For the first time, since it began in 1978, the …
Not Enough Funds for CFAP?
The recent revisions to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) was a step in the right direction in the United States Department of Agriculture expanding the scope of what commodities are covered. But it also may lead to a shortage in funds being in place for producers, according to Adam Rabinowitz, “I think it’s going to be challenging for there …
Grape Root Borers Detected in North Georgia
According to the UGA Extension Viticulture Blog, the grape root borer adults have been detected in north Georgia. Brett Blaauw, University of Georgia assistant professor in the Department of Entomology, confirmed that on Monday, they collected some adults in their pheromone traps in Lumpkin County, Georgia. Adults have started to emerge from the soil, and for the next few weeks, …
Vidalia Onion Farmers Ready to Plant 2021 Crop
Vidalia onion farmers will soon be planting next year’s crop. Chris Tyson, University of Georgia Extension Area Onion Agent at the Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia, said producers have already ordered seed and will prepare land with fumigation and treatments in August. Seedbeds will be planted in September through the first of October. Low Supply in …
Federal Agencies to Hold Virtual Hearings on Seasonal and Perishable Produce
Washington, DC — The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the United States Department of Commerce will convene virtual hearings next month to discuss foreign trade policies that may be harming American growers of seasonal and perishable produce. At the hearings, officials from the federal agencies will hear from interested …