By Clint Thompson A couple of months have gone by since peach season concluded in Georgia. It is still difficult for farmer Drew Echols not to think about what might have been with his crop. “Hardly a day goes by that me and my dad or me and Lee Dickey or somebody doesn’t talk about, ‘What if?’ Yesterday me and …
Seminar Sessions Scheduled for Upcoming Florida Ag Expo
By Clint Thompson Seminar sessions are scheduled for the upcoming Florida Ag Expo, slated for Thursday, Nov. 9, at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida. Josh McGill, show director for AgNet Media, highlights what attendees can expect with the general session in the morning and breakout …
Registration Open for Florida Lettuce Advisory Committee Meeting
Registration remains open for the in-person Lettuce Advisory Committee meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade, Florida. The scheduled topics include discussions on the lettuce mosaic virus, a coordinated disaster damage assessment and FSMA (Food …
IFPA’s Burns Joins Specialty Crop Coalition
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 23, 2023) – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) announced on Monday that Cathy Burns, chief executive officer of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), has joined the coalition as a co-chair. The SCFBA was established to advocate for the unique needs of specialty crop growers in the Farm Bill and enhance their overall competitiveness in …
USDA FSA Hurricane Idalia Loan Informational Session
Would you like to meet with USDA Farm Service Agency staff regarding loan assistance for Hurricane Idalia Recovery? The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), in cooperation with UF/IFAS Extension will host an informational and Q&A session, please see details below. FSA offers a variety of financial assistance programs; this session will focus on FSA loan options. There will be bilingual staff available …
U.S. Specialty Crop Coalition Endorses Legislation Addressing Nutrition, Organics
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, endorsed nutrition and organic bills last week that cover key policy priorities outlined in the group’s 2023 Farm Bill recommendations: “The U.S. specialty crop industry is …
South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline: Whitefly Pressure Low but Increasing in Some Areas
Whitefly pressure is normal for this time of year in Southwest Florida and low in other areas but increasing, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline. Populations are low but increasing in central Florida and along the East coast. Whitefly pressure varies in the Southwest Florida region, though it is considered normal for this time of the year. …
Pawnee Pecan Productive for Producers
By Clint Thompson One of the top emerging pecan varieties provides producers with an early-season option that has desirable size and percent kernel. Pawnees are one of the first varieties to be harvested every year and possess traits that make them highly desirable, according to Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist. “The quality is usually pretty good,” Wells …
Anthracnose Disease a Growing Concern for Peach Producers
By Clint Thompson Anthracnose disease is on the rise in peaches in the Southeast. University of Georgia researchers are determined to find out why. Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension fruit disease specialist, is wary that fungicide resistance is a culprit as to why disease instances have increased in recent years. “I fear, and it’s something we need to …
Sprouts Farmers Market named FFVA Customer of the Year
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association honored Sprouts Farmers Market with its 2023 Customer of the Year Award during FFVA’s 79th annual convention at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples last month. The annual award recognizes the important role that food service and retail merchandising play in the promotion and sale of fresh Florida produce. It is given to a valued partner …



















