By Clint Thompson The Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) was designed to avoid having an adverse effect on American farmers. That has not been the case, however. It’s a message that those in the agricultural industry voiced to legislative leaders amid spiraling AEWR wages used to pay workers in the H-2A program. It ultimately led the Department of Labor to …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Anna Sara Hill Zack Snipes Midlands Rob Last Upstate Samantha Brown
Florida Strawberry Update After Weekend Freeze
By Clint Thompson Florida strawberry producers are in the early stages of assessing freeze damage from last weekend’s winter storm. They are confident the crop will rebound after this temporary setback, according to Nick Wishnatzki, public relations director at Wish Farms in Plant City, Florida. “We are still assessing the damage and there has been some damage, not extensive at …
Georgia Citrus Grower Optimistic After Freeze
A South Georgia citrus producer is upbeat after last weekend’s winter storm, which brought plunging temperatures and blistery wind conditions, threatened his grove. Jaime Patrick of Patrick Farms in Omega admitted it would still be a few days before he had a clearer view of the overall impact from the freeze. But he is optimistic. “It’s going to take us …
Expected Freeze Effect on Flowering
Tripti Vashisth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor of horticultural sciences and citrus Extension specialist, was part of a question-and-answer session that the UF/IFAS Statewide Citrus Team held for growers last week prior to the weekend’s winter storm. She talked about how low temperatures and high winds could impact citrus flowering. She expressed hope …
Freeze Impact: Florida Blueberry Growers Assessing Damage
By Clint Thompson Florida’s blueberry farmers are busy assessing damage sustained from last weekend’s winter storm. While it may not be for some time that growers get a clear picture of how much damage occurred from low temperatures and high winds, it is certain that there was impact. That is according to Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food …
UGA Extension Hosting Pecan Meetings
By Clint Thompson University of Georgia (UGA) Extension is currently hosting its annual pecan meetings, which follow last season’s harvests. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist, discussed what UGA experts are highlighting during the meetings held at various pecan-producing counties across South Georgia. “We’ll be talking about what happened last year. We’ll be talking some about the normal …
Drought Update: Extreme Conditions Observed in Florida, Georgia and Alabama
By Clint Thompson According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, dry areas still encompass much of the Southeast region, especially in North Florida, South and Central Georgia and Southeast Alabama. Florida Extreme conditions are seen in a couple of areas in northern Florida. One area includes all or part of Jackson, Calhoun, Liberty, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla and Jefferson counties. The area …
Draining Water From Groves Critical After Freeze
Cold-hardy citrus producers are now coping with the aftermath of last weekend’s winter storm. Water was a key tool that growers used in efforts to protect their crop from sub-freezing temperatures and blistering wind chills. Now, they need that water to drain as quickly as possible, says Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association. “You don’t want to …
FDT Issues Weight Waiver for Ag Commodities
Executive Orders 24-214 and 26-16 have given authority to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDT) to relieve the size and weight restrictions for divisible loads on any vehicles transporting emergency equipment, services, supplies and agricultural food commodities and citrus in excess of the normal restrictions on weight, height, length and width restrictions for such vehicles. The following commodities and citrus …



















