By Clint Thompson Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) Chairman David Hill is expressing support of the Farmers First Act of 2023. He penned a letter to U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) in support of the proposed bipartisan legislation that addresses the mental health crisis in rural America and expands access to mental health support and …
Florida Tomato Conference Scheduled For Sept. 13
Florida tomato growers should mark their calendars for the upcoming Tomato Conference, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the Labelle Civic Center in LaBelle, Florida. The conference is presented by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Tomato Committee. Attendees will hear from industry leaders and university scientists about the latest trends and …
Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Scott Announce Bipartisan Working Group Tackling Agriculture Workforce Challenges
House Committee on Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson (PA-15) and Ranking Member David Scott (GA-13) released a joint statement last week after announcing the formation of the bipartisan Agricultural Labor Working Group, which is focusing on the workforce issues faced by the nation’s Ag producers: “The Committee on Agriculture has heard loud and clear from producers across the nation that one …
S.C. Department of Agriculture to Hold Listening Call About Infrastructure Needs
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina (S.C.) Department of Agriculture will host a listening call regarding the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) cooperative agreement on Wednesday, June 28. The purpose of the program is to build resilience in the middle of the food supply chain; to provide more and better markets to small farms and food businesses; and to support the …
Mark Your Calendar: Florida Tomato Conference Scheduled For Sept. 13
Florida tomato growers should mark their calendars for the upcoming Tomato Conference, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the Labelle Civic Center in LaBelle, Florida. The conference is presented by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Tomato Committee. Attendees will hear from industry leaders and university scientists about the latest trends and …
Protect Your Production
By Clint Thompson Florida’s climate allows growers to produce more than 300 different specialty crops. Unfortunately, that same environment can lead to various factors which can negatively impact production every year. Producers should prepare for the possibility every season that their crop could be impacted by weather events like hurricanes or tornadoes, as well as invasive species, plant diseases and …
Action Taken Against Adverse Effect Wage Rates Rule
In late February, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) pushed through a new methodology used to determine the hourly adverse effect wage rates (AEWR) for agricultural employers. The rule became effective March 30. Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) Director of Labor Relations Jamie Fussell discussed the action’s impact on growers: IMPACT ON EMPLOYERSSimply, the new rule may mean that multiple …
Persistent Rains Hurting Georgia Watermelons
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s watermelon harvests started later than normal this year. Amid the current persistent wet weather, they also could be shorter this year. Ty Torrance, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable agent for Colquitt, Tift and Worth counties, discussed the current outlook facing the state’s watermelon producers. “It’s falling apart is what it feels like,” Torrance said. “Everybody …
Abnormally Dry Conditions Still Prevalent in Areas Across Southeast Region
The most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry conditions in North Alabama and North Georgia and along the west coast of Florida. Florida’s driest conditions start as far north as Dixie, Gilchrist and Alachua counties and stretch southward to Lee and Collier counties. Georgia’s dry conditions are concentrated mostly to the northwest part of the state. …
UGA Extension Provides Update on San Jose Scale Management
University of Georgia (UGA) Extension cautions peach producers that San Jose scale crawlers are beginning to pick back up. Brett Blaauw, assistant professor at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, said in the UGA Extension Peach Blog that he anticipates the second main peak of crawler activity to occur at approximately 2,400 DD (degree days) since Feb. 1, …