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By Clint Thompson It is never an ideal time for a drought but the current prolonged dry period came at an especially bad time of the season for pecan orchards in Georgia and Alabama. The pecan development is at a time when water consumption is vital to harvests which are a couple of months away. Lenny Wells, University of Georgia …
Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in 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 Sarah Scott Upstate Briana Naumuk Andy Rollins
By Clint Thompson Unionization among farmworkers goes against the Supreme Court ruling and is a basis for the lawsuit against the Department of Labor (DOL) by the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. It also serves as added rationale that the H-2A program needs congressional reform, says Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA). …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing revisions to the regulations governing the inspection and certification of fresh fruits, vegetables and other products. These proposed changes include a per-pound fee structure for certain Section 8e import inspections; a minimum fee equivalent to a 2-hour charge computed at the current established hourly rate, whichever is greater; …
Maitland, FL – The trade associations that support Florida’s tomato growers, packers, and shippers are seeking a new leader. These associations include the Florida Tomato Exchange, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange and the Florida Tomato Committee. Michael Schadler, who has served as the executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange (FTE) since 2017, has accepted a job with the …
Successfully operating any agribusiness such as a farm, ranch or nursery requires strong financial skills to ensure profitability and sustainability. Too often, agribusiness owners don’t survive due to key knowledge gaps in business planning and tax management. “A business plan is critical to the financial sustainability of any agriculture business,” said Fredy Ballen, a University of Florida Institute of Food …
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s delayed start to the watermelon season was North Florida’s gain for a second year in a row. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, confirmed last week that some of his growers were still picking over fields, mostly because Georgia volume had not …
By Clint Thompson Like other specialty crop organizations, the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) is pleased to see movement being made on the farm bill. With the House Agriculture Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee passing frameworks of a bill, the AFVGA is eyeing both leadership members to see what is next, says Blake Thaxton, executive director of the …
By Clint Thompson The ongoing drought is slowing disease pressure among Alabama vegetables, says Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University. But that doesn’t mean disease pressure is quiet across all vegetables, especially tomatoes. Sikora outlined what tomato diseases are present across the state and what can be done …
By Clint Thompson The first tropical storm of the season was named last week, a little later than normal. But that should not fool producers into thinking that’s a foreshadow of what’s to come this storm season, believes Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist. “We hadn’t gone this late in the year without an ‘A’ storm since …
