By Clint Thompson Excessive rainfall in South Carolina has cut short strawberry season for parts of the state, says Bruce McLean, Clemson (S.C.) Extension area commercial horticulture agent for Dillon County, Horry County, Marion County and Malboro County in the Pee Dee Region. “Last week, in certain spots was just torrential rains,” McLean said. “A lot of the fruit that …
Diversification Key for Nutsedge Control in Vegetable Fields
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia Cooperative Extension weed specialist Stanley Culpepper encourages vegetable growers to diversify their management programs against nutsedge. This protects against potential resistance and provides adequate control. “In general, I would say with our guys, I’m not overly concerned because our fields with our most nutsedge, they get fumigation, they get tillage and they get herbicides,” …
Sneak Peek: June 2020 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson Policies and regulations can impact a farmer’s ability to make a living. The 2020 Florida, Georgia and Alabama legislative sessions have officially wrapped up, and the June issue of VSCNews magazine will tell readers how agriculture fared in each state. Adam Basford, director of state legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau, discusses the successes and progress that …
Connecting the Watermelon Industry with Retail and Foodservice Buyers
Winter Springs, FL — May 20, 2020 – The new National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) Watermelon Supplier Database is the perfect platform to connect retail and foodservice buyers with suppliers as the summer season takes off for America’s favorite melon. Each year the NWPB staff promotes watermelon to retail and foodservice audiences, both in person and digitally. When a contact …
CFAP Includes Specialty Crops
Details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) were announced this week. It’s a program that will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to this direct support, USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program is partnering with regional and local distributors to purchase …
USDA Announces Details of Direct Assistance to Farmers Through CFAP
Farmers and Ranchers to Receive Direct Support for Losses Related to COVID-19 Contact: USDA PressEmail: press@oc.usda.gov (Washington, D.C., May 19, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus …
Clemson Vegetable Pathologist Cautions Growers About Potential Diseases
By Clint Thompson One Clemson Extension vegetable pathologist has observed downy mildew disease and fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveneum disease on his research plots and cautions vegetable growers in South Carolina to be on the lookout for both. “This is strictly based on observations from my research plots here in Charleston. I have not been out to any commercial fields,” …
More Questions Than Answers With Respect to CFAP
By Clint Thompson The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) has brought more questions than answers with respect to financial aid for growers in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The $19 billion program includes $16 billion in direct payments for farmers and ranchers. CFAP has payment restrictions of $125,000 per commodity and a total of $250,000 per applicant for all …
Watermelon Farmer Hopes to Capitalize on High Prices
By Clint Thompson Watermelons are in short supply and high demand right now. Alabama produce farmer Art Sessions hopes to capitalize when his crop becomes ready the first week in June. “We’ve been getting watermelons out of Florida and they are scarce. Everything coming out of Florida is really tight on account of this virus deal,” said Sessions, who also …
Researchers Identify Romaine Lettuces That Last Longer
ARS News Service SALINAS, CALIFORNIA, May 13, 2020—Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have identified five Romaine lettuce varieties that both brown less quickly after fresh-cut processing and are slower to deteriorate postharvest. They also are determining the genetic basis for deterioration. The researchers have identified the location of genes associated with postharvest deterioration of fresh-cut lettuce, and are in the …