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By Frank Giles When Ksenija Gasic interviewed for her position at Clemson University in 2007 to reboot the school’s peach breeding program, she saw an omen of things to come. A late freeze that year had wiped out the peach crop on campus and across the state. Building a Better Program Gasic was hired and joined Clemson as its peach …
By Clint Thompson A trade mission to India in April highlighting pecans was successful. But more education is needed to make exporting pecans to India a reality and not just a dream. Justin Jones, Georgia pecan grower, chairman of industry relations for the American Pecan Council and co-owner of brand Zorro Pecans, attended the trip and talked about the educational …
By Clint Thompson One Alabama strawberry grower dodged one disease that plagued many of her colleagues this year. Taylor Hatchett, who produced two acres in Chilton County, talked about Neopestalotiopsis, which was a problem across the Southeast this year. “We had not that, thankfully on the farm this year, but I do know that has been one that’s been more …
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon growers have been able to manage most disease pressure this year; except for gummy stem blight. It has been the one disease that has been extremely problematic for producers, says Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “I’d say it’s more …
By Maegan Beatty Bulimulus bonariensis, also called the peanut snail, is a non-native tree snail from the West Indies. As a detritivore, B. bonariensis was not considered an agricultural pest until around 2015 when peanut growers in the Florida Panhandle started seeing the snail in large numbers. The pest does not only affect peanuts; it can harm other southeastern crops …
By Clint Thompson Election Day is five months away. Campaigning will begin far sooner. It places an emphasis on finalizing a farm bill at an expedited timeframe. Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), talked about the importance of Congress finalizing the legislation sooner rather than later. “It’s a …
Florida tomato growers should mark their calendars for Thursday, Sept. 5. The annual Florida Tomato Conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clewiston John Boy Auditorium in Clewiston, Florida. The event attracted nearly 300 attendees last year which led to it being moved to a larger location. The venue will provide a better learning experience …
Persistent rainfall that has drenched parts of the Southeast is not expected to change anytime soon, according to one weather expert. Rains should stay consistent in the region for the foreseeable future, says Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist. “When you look at the medium-range and long-range models, I don’t see a big shift to drier conditions; …
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 11, 2024) – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) has issued the following statement following the release of a farm bill framework by Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member (John) Boozman. “The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends Sen. Boozman for his contribution to moving the 2024 farm bill process forward today. The specialty crop industry plays …
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced loan interest rates for May 2024, which became effective May 1, 2024. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) loans provide important access to capital to help agricultural producers start or expand their farming operation, purchase equipment and storage structures or meet cash flow needs.        “I encourage our lenders and borrowers alike to …
