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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Specialty Crop Grower Magazine”
By Frank Giles Inflation has hit everyone’s pocketbook in recent years, but the agriculture sector has felt the squeeze more acutely than most. Increasing costs have impacted the H-2A visa program, which many specialty crop growers now rely on to source labor. For the past few years, significant increases in the adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) have been imposed on …
The changing of administrations could have significant ramifications on workforce availability for specialty crop producers. President Donald Trump emphasized deportation of undocumented immigrants as part of his election strategy. If this happens, fruit and vegetable farmers could feel the sting of a shrinking labor pool since the specialty crop sector is reliant on an international workforce. Fewer workers for ag …
By Frank Giles It has become standard practice when new presidential administrations of opposing political parties come to office that a raft of executive orders are signed to undo actions of the previous administration. People in various sectors often look to these executive orders to roll back regulations that might be burdensome to their businesses. That’s true in agriculture, and …
In November, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) announced confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of the first detection in the state of spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). The pest is an invasive planthopper that poses a serious risk to Georgia agriculture. Where is it? The spotted lanternfly was found in Fulton County, Georgia, in October and sent to …
By Mike Joyner Shortly after President Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, he met with the Republican leadership. When Republicans began to aggressively push back on his policies, he simply stated, “Elections have consequences … and I won.” President-elect Donald Trump won the election, and we expect there will be swift and aggressive change. The newly appointed members of Trump’s …
By Frank Giles This past summer, the Biden administration released a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to protect indoor and outdoor workers from excessive heat. The proposed rule would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive heat. Among other things, the plan would require …
By Clint Thompson Strawberry plantings had not even begun this fall when alarm bells were ringing about the potential impact of Neopestalotiopsis disease in this year’s crop. While the disease has a history in Southeast strawberry fields dating back to 2018, the concern this year stemmed from its presence in plug plants at nursery sources in Canada. It prompted Phil …
By Clint Thompson The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) remains committed to “fighting for fresh.” IFPA serves as a strong advocate for farmers and strives to increase consumption of specialty crops around the world. Cathy Burns, chief executive officer of IFPA, shared her organization’s message during the Global Produce and Floral Show in Atlanta in mid-October. “We’re going to fight …
By Zippy Duvall In my family, as I’m sure for many of you, fall means harvest season and football season. Where I’m from, you can’t help but be a Georgia Bulldog fan. No matter who you root for, though, you want a fair game where each team has the opportunity to win. But imagine for a moment what would happen …
By Clint Thompson and Frank Giles The fall of 2024 will not soon be forgotten by specialty crop growers in the Southeast after Hurricanes Helene and Milton roared ashore bringing far-reaching impacts to crops and infrastructure. While the true fallout of the storms will take months to realize, early reports show the level of damage growers are dealing with in …
