Mind Your Melon

Mind Your Melon Event Provides Sneak Peek of Survey Data

Dan CooperAgriculture, As Seen On Instagram, Events, Survey

Mind Your Melon recently hosted an event at Southern Hill Farms in Clermont, Florida, to share some insights on a mental health survey and to inform attendees about future plans for the program. Marshal and Taylor Sewell founded Mind Your Melon to raise awareness of mental health issues among farmers and others involved in agriculture. Marshal’s father took his life …

Insect Update in Georgia Vegetables

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Spring vegetable season is in full swing in South Georgia. Vegetable farmers are managing pests and diseases that are challenging this year’s crops. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist, highlighted pests that have been a challenge this year for producers, including one in particular. “I think thrips have been a problem this spring. …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: The Last Word

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

By Steve Troxler Spring is one of my favorite times of year as early crops begin to emerge and one of my personal favorites — strawberries — enter their peak growing season in North Carolina. Strawberry season is also a reminder of the agronomic testing services the North Carolina Department of Agriculture offers to growers. This includes soil testing, nematode …

Sneak Peek: June 2025 Specialty Crop Grower Magazine

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

The June issue of Specialty Crop Grower Magazine highlights peach production throughout the Southeast. Research plots at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida, focus on peach production in high-density orchards. The research includes increased trees per acre, higher yields and automation to handle more of the manual …

Alabama Peach Farmer Eyeing ‘Good Crop’

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Peach season is underway in Alabama. One grower has high hopes for this year’s crop, which could last into September. “It’s a heavy crop. We had to do a lot of thinning. I think we did okay with that. Peaches are on the trees, and now it’s our job to take care of them,” said Mike Reeves …

Sequencing the Genome: UF/IFAS Tomato Research Into Bacterial Spot

Clint ThompsonFlorida

This is the second in a two-part series on the disease and UF/IFAS research. By Clint Thompson A research team led by plant pathologists with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has found the pathogen that causes bacterial spot in tomatoes has multiple genetic variations. Gary Vallad, a plant pathology professor at the Gulf Coast …

Thirteen South Carolina Entrepreneurs Awarded Funding for Agribusinesses

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

 COLUMBIA – Thirteen entrepreneurs will share $200,000 in funding for their agribusiness ventures through the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE).  Finalists for ACRE’s Advanced Entrepreneurship Program were scored by a panel of judges based on their business plans, a five-minute video presentation and a demonstrated history of business success. They are: Under the leadership of …

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Large Fruit Size Could Be Problem for Cold-Hardy Citrus

Dan CooperCold Hardy, Production

Fruit in the cold-hardy citrus region is expected to be in short supply next season due to the trees’ alternate bearing cycle. The fruit also could be too large to sell, creating another concern for growers heading into next season. “Trees with a low crop load tend to have large fruit,” noted Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor …

Weather Forecasts: Warmer Temps This Summer

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Georgia

By Clint Thompson The upcoming summer months are projected to be warmer than normal. That’s the forecast shared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist, noted in the UGA Extension Climate Blog that the forecast of warmer temperatures in June through August is not a surprising prediction. She said it is …

Bacterial Spot’s Long Impact on Southeast Tomatoes

Clint ThompsonFlorida

This is the first in a two-part series on the disease and UF/IFAS research. By Clint Thompson One tomato disease has long been a thorn in the side of producers throughout the Southeast. Gary Vallad, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discussed bacterial spot …