By Clint Thompson Plant bugs are making their way into some watermelon fields in the North Florida region. Producers need to take action to avoid having a small population explode into a much larger one, according to Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “There’s spots where we’re …
North Florida Watermelon Producers: Manage Plant Bugs Now
By Clint Thompson Plant bugs are making their way into some watermelon fields in the North Florida region. Producers need to take action to avoid having a small population explode into a much larger one, according to Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “There’s spots where …
New AEWR Harmful to Farmers’ Future
The newly implemented Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) will negatively impact specialty crop producers across the U.S. That’s the belief shared by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). “We are disappointed in DOL’s (Department of Labor) final rule on the AEWR methodology,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “This administration says it wants to help family farms, but its agency largely …
Upon Further Review: Warm February Detrimental to Peach Crop This Year
By Clint Thompson Abnormal weather conditions brought warm temperatures to Georgia in February. Unfortunately, it also led to peach trees blooming earlier than they were used to. The result was extreme vulnerability to a pair of freeze events in March that has impacted the crop statewide. “People talk about late freezes, but it really wasn’t that late. March is wintertime. …
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 Rob Last reports, “The area has had another warm week with excellent crop development. Strawberry crops are loading up with good volumes coming to harvest. Remember to scout fields and pay close …
Less Bang for Their Buck: Pecan Producers Receiving Less for Crop
Pecan producers continue to feel the sting of suppressed market prices, according to recent data generated from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service. It noted in its Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook: March 2023, the average grower price for pecans fell from an already low price of $2.16 per pound in 2021 to $1.79 per pound in …
Providing Easier Access to Big Data
By Denise Attaway The humble huckleberry may never rival the soybean in the number of acres planted, but there’s no reason it and other specialty crops can’t have the same technological benefits as row crops do — such as big data. The competitiveness and sustainability of the $36 billion specialty crop industry in the United States is threatened by declining …
Warm February Accelerated Florida Strawberry Growth
By Clint Thompson The unseasonably warm February sparked growth in Florida’s strawberry crop that overwhelmed the market. It was not the ideal scenario for producers like Dustin Grooms with Fancy Farms in Plant City, Florida. “I definitely think (the warm February) hurt us. We needed a cold front to move through about once a week and we just didn’t see …
GA Senators Pass Resolution for Farmworker Awareness Week
Georgia Senators Sam Watson (District 11), Shelly Echols (District 49), Larry Walker III (District 20), Lee Anderson (District 24) and Russ Goodman (8th District) filed a resolution last week that recognized March 25-31, 2023, as Farmworker Awareness Week. Watson, managing partner of Chill C Farms in Moultrie, Georgia, who produces squash, zucchini, bell pepper, cabbage, eggplant and cucumbers, highlighted the …
Freeze Had Greatest Impact on Young Trees
Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association, and other industry leaders continue to preach to growers the need to diversify their crop portfolios. The Christmas freeze event that ravaged production in the Southeast last December should not be a deterrent for farmers hoping to produce citrus other than satsuma mandarins. Yes, non-satsuma citrus trees were impacted more by the multiple …