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By Clint Thompson The number of hemp growers continues to decline across Alabama and the country. It coincides with market prices not being what they once were, according to Zachary Barnes, with the Alabama Department of Ag and Industries hemp program. “From 2020 until now, what they were fetching for a kilogram of crude CBD oil, I’ve heard numbers were …
By Clint Thompson Watermelons encounter their share of diseases in the Southeast. BASF/Nunhems is hoping to help producers overcome some of those diseases, especially fusarium wilt. In conjunction with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, BASF/Nunhems hosted its North Florida Watermelon Variety Showcase in Lake Butler, Florida, last week. Ruhiyyih Dyrdahl-Young, Nunhems area sales manager for …
While strawberry production lasts from November through April in Florida, digital twin technology lets scientists simulate the growth of the fruit year-round, allowing research to proceed year-round. Digital twins are virtual replicas of objects, systems or processes that can predict system behavior as they interact in a simulated environment. Dana Choi and her team of University of Florida Institute of …
By Clint Thompson Citrus producers in the Cold-Hardy Citrus Region must be mindful of citrus rust mites (CRM) amid the warm, humid climate in the region. Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, implores growers in North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama to be proactive in managing the populations which are currently high. “They …
By Clint Thompson President Trump’s immigration policy has been a point of contention across the country. It has also created concern among the agricultural industry about what deportations might mean to an already slim labor force. He addressed the issue in a Truth Social post last week. “Our great farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been …
By Frank Giles There’s a fine line between thinning peaches to produce good marketable-sized fruit and thinning too aggressively which results in reduced yield. Growers and researchers have been working to perfect the practice for many years. Among those researchers are Juan Carlos Melgar, Clemson associate professor of pomology, and Greg Reighard, Clemson professor emeritus of horticulture. Their research has …
By Clint Thompson Like most years, weather played a significant impact on Alabama’s strawberry production – for better and for worse – especially in the central part of the state where David Lawrence serves as regional Extension agent. He said a cold snap slowed production around the middle to the end of April. Saturated conditions in May led to berries …
 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement last week reacting to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s release of legislative text for the budget reconciliation package. “We are grateful to Chairman (John) Boozman and his staff for advancing these vital investments in specialty crops that the Specialty Crop Farm Bill …
WASHINGTOWASHINGTON – The National Potato Council thanked Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman John Boozman and his staff for including vital specialty crop investments in the committee’s reconciliation draft released last week. “The provisions supporting specialty crop growers are not merely beneficial – they are essential for the survival and international competitiveness of our family farms and the entire …
By Clint Thompson Sweet Grown Alabama hosted its annual farm to table dinner on Thursday, June 5 at Dalrymple Farms in Coffee County. The event provided attendees with another opportunity to sample locally grown goods, consisting of locally raised beef, fresh vegetables and honey. “Sweet Grown Alabama was honored to host our fifth annual farm to table dinner down in …
