lettuce

Lettuce Lessons – An AgNet Media Commentary

Web AdminFood Safety, Leafy Vegetables, Vegetables

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

Web AdminLeafy Vegetables, Top Posts, Vegetables

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 …

FFVA Urges FDA to Find Source of Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Swiftly

Web AdminTop Posts, Vegetables

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are advising consumers to avoid eating romaine lettuce because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and could make people sick. No grower, supplier, distributor or brand has been identified. The FDA is conducting a traceback investigation, and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association strongly …

Don’t Get Spooked by Ugly Fruit

Web AdminFood Safety, Fruit, Top Posts, Vegetables

By Breanna Kendrick Each year, up to 20 percent of the fruits and vegetables harvested in the United States go to waste because they’re not visually pleasing to consumers. Jeffrey Brecht, professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida, works in the area of post-harvest horticulture. He focuses on measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables in …

Southeastern Agriculture Well Represented at PMA Fresh Summit

Web Admininnovation, Produce, Top Posts, Vegetables

The Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) annual Fresh Summit took place Oct. 17-19 in Orlando, Florida. Every year, this huge summit brings members of the global produce and floral industries together to make connections and mingle with fellow industry professionals. Every year, southeastern agriculture has a huge presence at the summit, most notably in the Fresh from Florida and Georgia Grown …

Georgia Vegetable Grower Discusses Hurricane Damage

Web AdminProduce, Top Posts, Vegetables, Weather

Hurricane Michael decimated multiple sectors of Georgia agriculture, ranging from cotton to pecans. One industry that was heavily impacted was vegetables. What was supposed to be a banner fall season for Georgia growers has turned into devastation. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black says that while the economic damages of vegetables are smaller than other commodities like peanuts or cotton, …

Hydrogels as Herbicide Carriers in Vegetable Plasticulture

Web AdminResearch, Top Posts, Vegetables

By Ramdas Kanissery and Camille McAvoy Weed management is a fundamental step in the successful production of vegetable crops in Florida under commercial plasticulture production systems. Soil fumigation was one of the most successful means of reducing weed populations. None of the alternatives to methyl bromide have a broad spectrum of activity against weeds. This necessitates the need for a …

Putnam and the USDA Declare the Oriental Fruit Fly Eradicated in Miami-Dade County

Web AdminFruit, Industry News Release, Leafy Vegetables, Stone Fruit, Tropical Fruit, Vegetables

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have declared eradication in the Oriental fruit fly outbreak in the predominantly agricultural Redland area of Miami-Dade County. Due to early detection and rapid response, no quarantine was required during this program. This successful Oriental fruit fly eradication is the second one during this …

Exploring Alternative Crops for Hastings, Florida

Web AdminCole Crop, Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Top Posts, Vegetables

By Breanna Kendrick Hastings is the potato capital of Florida, but local potato growers  recently have been facing marketing challenges and contract reductions. Therefore, interest in alternative crops for the region is growing. Gary England, director of the University of Florida’s Hastings Agricultural Extension Center, and his team have been researching alternative crops for the Hastings area. They are conducting …

Senators Take Aim at Unfair Trade Practices Hurting Florida Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Web AdminFruit, Industry News Release, Trade, Vegetables

U.S. Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation to help Florida fruit and vegetable growers combat unfair trade practices. The bill comes amid long-standing and increasing complaints from Florida farmers that Mexican growers illegally flood the U.S. market with subsidized produce during the winter season. Florida is one of the few places in the country that can …