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ATLANTA – Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper announced this week that Georgia farmers, ranchers and foresters in eligible counties that have suffered losses in timber, infrastructure, poultry, beef cattle, dairy cattle, milk loss, dairy feed loss, pecans, blueberries, citrus, nursery, plasticulture and bare ground practices due to Hurricane Helene may apply for assistance through Georgia’s Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program. …
Florida citrus growers should be on the lookout for an uncommon citrus pest following the recent freeze events that devastated crops throughout the state. During a recent postfreeze webinar hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Team, Lauren Diepenbrock, associate professor and entomologist, warned growers about the ambrosia beetle. This pest can prey on …
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) helped host a roundtable discussion with legislators in Washington D.C. on Feb. 24. The issue, which was discussed among members with the Ag Wage Reform Coalition, centered on the H-2A program, specifically the adverse effect wage rate (AEWR). Sam Watson, president of the GFVGA, recapped the meeting and the …
By Clint Thompson The Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 is hopefully the first step in a new farm bill being in place for the country’s farmers sooner rather than later. The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) applauded its release and how it addresses multiple needs pertinent to the fruit and vegetable industries. Kam Quarles, CEO of …
By Clint Thompson Peach producers need to be proactive in guarding against San Jose scale, an annual pest that becomes a problem once temperatures start to warm up. “Once the insect gets out of control, it’s really hard to bring the populations back down. We just have a great environment for San Jose scale,” said Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at …
By Clint Thompson One of the pivotal points in the Georgia legislative calendar happens this week with Crossover Day scheduled for Friday, March 6. It’s an important date for every legislative session where proposed bills must be passed out of their respective chambers, explains Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) President Will Bentley. “Crossover day is a date set by the legislature …
In this month’s sneak peek, the March issue of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine highlights the recent deep freeze event in January and February that devastated various fruits and vegetables in Florida. Freezing temperatures caused significant damage to specialty crops across the state. Those crops included citrus, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, green beans and watermelons. Florida Ag Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced preliminary …
By Frank Giles I’ve been attending the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Savannah for nearly 20 years. This year, like always, it was a great event where I learned a lot. But in all those years, I can’t recall sitting in on a presentation that was as emotionally challenging and as important as one I attended this year. …
By Clint Thompson Georgia blueberry producers have viable insecticide options to protect their crop against chilli thrips. They just has to be applied more than once, says Ash Sial, University of Georgia (UGA) entomologist. “We do have some (options) but they need to be repeated because of the way these chilli thrips, their life cycles work. It’s really hard to …
By Frank Giles Editor’s Note: This is the fourth article in a series featuring land-grant universities and plans to prepare for technological advancements. Clemson University has been a center for agricultural research since its founding in 1889. The school’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences and its Cooperative Extension Service actively conduct research and outreach to support farmers, agribusinesses …
