By Clint Thompson Thinking inside the box helped Brill Brim sell fruit and vegetables while providing an outlet for consumers to buy local produce. Brim, a Tifton, Georgia farmer, was overwhelmed with the positive response his produce boxes generated in the South Georgia area this week. The co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms said they sold between 1,300 and 1,400 produce …
Timing is Everything for Florida Farmer
By Clint Thompson Timing is everything, and for Florida produce farmer Will Hyatt, it might be the key to a successful season. Hyatt, who farms bell peppers and cantaloupes in Lake Wales, Florida, has been picking melons for more than a week. He was fortunate not to have to deal with the challenge of marketing produce during the onset of …
Freezing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Extends Shelf Life
By Clint Thompson Not all freshly picked fruits and vegetables are meant to be eaten right away. Freezing them will extend their shelf life. If fresh produce is properly frozen, much of the flavor that consumers savor and nutritional value that is constantly promoted will be retained. Elizabeth Andress, a faculty member in the University of Georgia College of Family …
Statement by Commissioner Nikki Fried on USDA’s Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement
Tallahassee, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced it would temporarily suspend enforcement of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for fresh fruit and vegetables in response to COVID-19, allowing products sold to foodservice businesses to be redistributed to grocery stores, markets, and other retail businesses. COOL food package labeling clearly identifies in what country …
Georgia Peanut Commission Adding Own Flavor to Farmer’s Produce Boxes
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) is adding its own flavor to produce boxes being sold this week by Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, Georgia. For the second straight week, Lewis Taylor Farms is selling boxed produce to consumers in South Georgia. The orders of self-quarantine amid the current coronavirus pandemic means there’s a lack of a foodservice …
Alabama Farmer: I Think Everybody’s Eyes Have Been Opened
By Clint Thompson Alabama fruit and vegetable farmer John Aplin has experienced a 500% increase in his strawberry customers this year. He believes it’s due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its effect on people’s buying habits. “I know that we all didn’t get a 300, 400 or 500% increase in people who buy fresh fruits and vegetables this year,” …
Florida Department of Agriculture Awarded $850,000 in USDA Research Funding
Tallahassee, Fla. – On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $9.5 million in funding to 11 collaborative, multi-state projects that seek to boost the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) was awarded $850,816 to support research related to improvements in lettuce resistance to Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), funded through the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP). “As the …
Specialty-Type Melons Under the Microscope in Alabama
By Clint Thompson Alabama produce farmers may soon have more options to choose from. This is due to ongoing research from Alabama Extension vegetable specialist Joe Kemble. Kemble is researching a melon trial this year that encompasses everything but watermelons and cantaloupes. It’s an expansion upon last year’s trial. He hopes to present relevant date at the annual Fruit and …
UGA Extension, Georgia Department of Agriculture seek to help farmers get produce to public
By Maria M. Lameiras for CAES News Georgia farmers and agricultural producers eager to sell fresh produce and other products are being connected with consumers and other buyers who need their products through a new partnership between University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program. Because of disruptions to the industry triggered by the …
North Carolina Extension Seeks Help With Survey
North Carolina Cooperative Extension seeks help from farmers with a short survey. As producers fill out the survey, it will help Extension assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the specialty crop (fruit and vegetable) and agritourism industry in North Carolina. The survey will help shape Extension’s response. N.C. State IRB approved the survey. Also, Extension specialists in the …