Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis is being urged to use his close ties with President Donald Trump to bolster efforts to help Florida farmers fend off low-priced crop imports that weren’t addressed in the rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. During a conference call last week, several members of DeSantis’ Transition Advisory Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources & …
More Produce Recalled from E. coli Outbreak
By Taylor Hillman More produce is coming off the shelf after the farm linked to the romaine E. coli outbreak was identified last week. The Federal Drug Administration pinpointed a Santa Maria, California, farming operation, Adam Bros. Farming, as one of the sources of romaine lettuce that contained a strain of E. coli bacteria that sickened people in October. The company is now …
Cole Crop Field Day Includes Some New Options
Every year the University of Florida (UF) Hastings Agricultural Extension Center holds its cole crop field day due to the high number of cabbage acreage in the tri-county area, which includes Putnam, St. Johns and Flagler counties. However, growers in the tri-county area have been expressing an interest in various alternative crops. So, Gary England, director of the center, made …
UPDATED: E. coli Source Released
Update on E. coli outbreak (Dec. 14): According to a release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the E. coli outbreak has been traced back to a single farm’s irrigation reservoir. The farm is located in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the FDA release, the farm has not shipped lettuce since Nov. 20 and is being cooperative with …
Idea Exchange Benefits Growers
Several growers traveled to LaBelle, Florida, on Tuesday to view research plots by Seminis, a Bayer company. The Seminis plots test new and existing varieties of produce, such as cucumber, squash, tomato, watermelon, pepper, lettuce and green bean. Emily Standley, brand communications manager for Bayer CropScience, says events like this are great for growers to exchange ideas and hear what …
Expanding Conference Aims to Engage Seed Industry
Seed industry members should mark their calendars for the American Seed Trade Association’s (ASTA) Vegetable and Flower Seed Conference. This event will take place Feb. 1–5, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida. Andy LaVigne, president and CEO of ASTA, says the Vegetable and Flower Seed Conference has rapidly grown over the years. “It’s becoming quite the …
Get a Hold on Root-Knot Nematodes
Root-knot nematode infestation is one of the biggest soilborne problems for Florida vegetable growers. According to Johan Desaeger, assistant professor of nematology at the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, root-knot nematodes are very widespread in Florida and can cause some major issues. Once these nematodes enter the plant’s root system, they cause root-knot galls, which can …
Registration Is Open for the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference
VSCNews is excited to return to the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (SERFVC) on Jan. 10–13 at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia. Each year, SERFVC provides a great opportunity to mingle with fellow industry members and kick off the new year. According to Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers …
Lettuce Lessons – An AgNet Media Commentary
Florida growers of romaine lettuce are losing millions of dollars at the start of their season, even though harvest dates should clear the Florida crop in the present recall. By Gary Cooper The E. coli romaine lettuce scare coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last Tuesday effectively shut down the movement of this lettuce variety throughout …
Florida Growers Angered with CDC, FDA E. coli Announcement
Most have probably seen in the news that there has been another E. coli outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are advising consumers to refrain from eating any romaine lettuce from any source until the origin of this outbreak is discovered. Florida growers are now going to suffer from a dried-up market, even though the tainted lettuce …