By Clint Thompson Vegetable and specialty crop producers who utilize cover crops have until Tuesday, June 15 to sign up for the Pandemic Cover Crop Program. The implementation of cover crops requires a long-term investment from the producer. The COVID-19 pandemic provided economic challenges for growers to maintain those cover crop systems. The Pandemic Cover Crop Program, which is offered …
Mini Melons: Costs, Lack of Demand Limiting Market Share
By Clint Thompson High production costs and lack of demand have kept mini melons from taking a big bite out of the watermelon industry, believes Josh Freeman, University of Florida/IFAS Associate Professor in Horticultural Science. “They may have been making small incremental gains, but I don’t think they did what many people thought they were going to do 15, 17, …
Low Prices Linger for Vegetable Producers
By Clint Thompson Low market prices and higher input costs equal a challenging season for the region’s vegetable and specialty crop producers. In a time when farmers need commodities to sell high, prices are among the lowest in recent memory. “I would say right now that prices are as low as I’ve seen them for this time of year. Pick …
Ideal Weather Conditions Helpful for Georgia Blueberries
By Clint Thompson There’s a fine line for how much rainfall blueberries can receive during the growing season and still maximize yields come harvest season. Too much rain can lead to disease, or the berries will split. Not enough rain and the berries start to shrivel, becoming unmarketable. Georgia blueberries received rainfall at just the right time this season, which …
Watermelon Prices Just Average Amid Rising Input Costs
By Clint Thompson The watermelon prices that were good, maybe, 10 years ago are not so much in the current economic climate. Branford Florida watermelon producer Laura Land estimated that current prices are approximately 18 to 20 cents per pound for 45-count seedless; roughly $126 per bin. However, the same input expenses that cost Southeast vegetable producers all spring are …
Rainy February Key During May Dry Period
By Clint Thompson A rainy February provided excessive moisture that’s been a saving grace for vegetable and specialty crop producers during the dry period in May. “The winter was very unusual because we had a La Nina. Normally when we have a La Nina, we don’t get a lot of soil moisture recharge in the winter. But February, because it …
Sun Protection: Keep Watermelon Crop Safe During Hot, Dry Conditions
By Clint Thompson South Georgia is on the brink of starting its watermelon harvest season. If farmers hope to capitalize with multiple harvests, they may need to apply chemical applications to protect against sunburn, which has been one of the few concerns during the production season. “The last couple of folks I spoke with, watermelons were volleyball size, if not …
Collision Course: North Florida, South Georgia Watermelons Likely Hitting Market at Same Time
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelons and South Georgia watermelons are likely on a collision course for the Southeast market this summer. Weather is the main reason why. Florida Frost Producers in the Suwanee Valley Region in North Florida have started harvesting this year’s crop. But many of their fields were impacted by a scattered frost late in the season. …
UGA Specialist: Vegetable Producers Probably Prefer it to be Dry
By Clint Thompson A prolonged dry period is not all bad for South Georgia vegetable producers. The current conditions are almost ideal for growers amid the current harvest season, according to Tim Coolong, associate professor in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “Most vegetable growers, in general, they would probably prefer it to be dry, because …
Good Start for Georgia Peaches
By Clint Thompson So far, so good for Georgia’s peach producers. Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties, said farmers have been harvesting peaches in middle Georgia for more than three weeks. Though the harvest season is still early, there have been no complaints. “Price is good. Quality looks pretty …