By Clint Thompson Early season insecticide applications to manage whiteflies are key for Florida cucurbit growers hoping to manage this annual pest. Jawwad Qureshi, an entomologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, discussed the importance of not delaying treatments at the Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo. It could have disastrous results. “These are an important …
USDA Announces Details for Census of Agriculture
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2022 – Southeast specialty crop farmers will soon have the opportunity to be represented in the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county and territory. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will mail the 2022 Census of Agriculture to agriculture producers across the region this fall. The 2022 Census of Agriculture will be mailed …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Zack Snipes reports, “Wet, wet, wet, with a side of rain for us on the coast. The fields are saturated, and it’s almost impossible to spray or get into the fields to work them right …
USDA Announces Disaster Area From January Freeze
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts. …
USDA Announces Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Funding Awarded to South Carolina
WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) awarded more than $591,000 in Fiscal Year 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funding to South Carolina. This USDA grant will help the South Carolina Department of Agriculture fund projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the state and support growers through marketing, education, and research. …
Quiet Tropical Season: Calm Before the Storm?
By Clint Thompson A quiet tropical storm season so far is abnormal for this time of year. But it also could serve as the calm before the proverbial storm. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist, discusses the rarity this calm tropical season has been so far. “It’s definitely unusual. It has happened once or twice before. It’s rare …
Solid Crop Needs to Survive Rust Mites
By Clint Thompson Citrus growers in North Florida and South Georgia are expected to start harvesting in early November. While the crop still looks promising, producers need to keep an eye on rust mites, says grower Kim Jones. “Rust mites can still be a real danger at this point. With fresh fruit, we’ve got to have a pretty piece of …
Georgia Department of Agriculture Announces 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Recipients
The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds projects that “enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.” Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture, turfgrass/sod, nursery, and greenhouse crops. “USDA …
The Road to Ramping Up More Truck Drivers
By Frank Giles Alix Miller, president and CEO of the Florida Trucking Association, told attendees of the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo held in August in North Fort Myers, Florida, that the trucking industry in Florida and nationally has a problem. Supply chain disruptions and clogged ports spurred by COVID-19 made logistical challenges more apparent to the public, but Miller …
North Georgia Peach Farmer: I am Blessed
By Clint Thompson One North Georgia peach producer experienced better-than-expected yields this yield following a late-season freeze event that could have crippled his crop. And Drew Echols couldn’t be more thankful. Echols, owner of Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia, and president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, discusses the impact that a freeze in mid-April had on his …