AFB President Urges Congress to Help Industry Get Younger

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson American Farm Bureau (AFB) President Zippy Duvall testified last week at the Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing to discuss the need for Congress to support younger farmers as they enter the industry. It’s a concerning issue for the future of the country’s food supply, considering one-third of America’s farmers are over the age of 65 with …

Saturated Alabama Impacting Fruit, Vegetable Production

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Alabama has sufficient moisture. According to the June 5 edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor, there are no dry conditions being observed throughout the state. Conditions are especially saturated in central Alabama, says David Lawrence, regional Extension agent in central Alabama. “All the ponds are full right now. It is wet. About every three or four days …

Florida Farmer of Year Testifies at Senate Special Committee on Aging Hearing

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Florida Farmer of the Year Jim Alderman used his testimony during last week’s appearance at the Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing to remind congressional leaders about the need for the agriculture industry to get younger. “At the age of 78 years old, I’ve spent four and a half decades working the land,” Alderman said. “I still …

Vidalia Onion Crop: Weather Challenges Lead to Decreased Yields

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Georgia’s Vidalia onion crop was high in quality but low in quantity this year, according to one industry expert. With the weather challenges that growers experienced across the region, it’s not a surprise that production dropped this year. “The crop’s not as big this year. What we have is good quality,” said Chris Tyson, University of Georgia …

citrus

Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo Power Panel to Address the Big Ag Issues

Dan CooperCitrus, Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo, Event

There is a lot happening in the world of specialty crops that impact growers’ business operations. The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo will host a panel discussion with the leaders of three associations to tackle those topics. The panel will include Mike Joyner, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Chris Butts, Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association and Matt Joyner, Florida Citrus …

Vegetable Crop Handbook Available

Clint ThompsonAlabama

Alabama Extension reminds its specialty crop producers that the 2025 Southeast U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook is now available. This important resource is a joint effort among Extension specialists and researchers from land-grant universities and other institutions across the Southeast who specialize in vegetable production. The specialists and researchers represent various disciplines. These include agricultural engineering, entomology, vegetable production, plant pathology, …

Irrigation’s Importance for North Florida Watermelon Crop

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon growers must remain diligent with their irrigation applications as harvests continue across the Suwanee Valley. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, highlighted in his weekly email the importance of irrigation, especially with some fields picked just once or not at …

UGA Studying Anthracnose’s Impact in Cucurbits

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson University of Georgia (UGA) research into anthracnose’s impact in cucurbits has one scientist studying disease resistance from multiple angles. “My part of the research is screening cucumber and watermelon varieties for resistance against anthracnose. There’s already resistant varieties for anthracnose race 1,” said Ted McAvoy, UGA Extension vegetable specialist. “If that’s the race we have, they should …

Research Options for Fusarium Wilt

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Fusarium wilt’s complexity as a disease threat to watermelons in the Southeast makes it a challenge for research scientists to develop an effective management strategy. University of Georgia Extension Vegetable Plant Pathologist Bhabesh Dutta is researching options so growers can attack the disease from multiple angles. “The first thing I’m evaluating is the assessment of different novel …