The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Program connects farmers, ranchers and others with agriculture-related jobs to programs designed to combat stress. The University of Florida/IFAS is one of more than 50 partners joining the effort in the Southeast. Kendra Zamojski, family and consumer sciences regional specialized Extension agent, will lead the UF/IFAS team which encompasses …
What Citrus Should I Plant in the Era of HLB?
Rootstock trial results can help answer this question.
Christmas Tree Sales Up Amid Ongoing Pandemic
Christmas tree sales are booming this year, and COVID-19 may be a reason why. Both Frank Wadsworth, owner of Wadsworth Christmas Tree Farm in Wetumpka, Alabama and Jeremy Pickens, Alabama Assistant Extension Professor in Horticulture at Auburn University, agree that the recommendations that people social distance themselves and stay quarantined has left many with the longing to get outside and …
Cautious Optimism: Low Interest Rates Present Opportunities for Farmers
Interest rates are low and should remain that way for the foreseeable future. Adam Rabinowitz, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist at Auburn University, says vegetable and specialty crop producers may have an opportunity to capitalize. “Interest rates are extremely low, and they are forecast to remain low. That is certainly an opportunity to where if there’s interest on any kind …
USDA NIFA Offers Grants for Hemp Supply Chains & Rural Development
Written By Marne Coit According to N.C. State Extension, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), has announced a new round of grant funding that specifically includes support for hemp projects. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grants Program is intended to fund projects related to research, extension and education. The purpose of AFRI’s Sustainable Agricultural …
Getting to the Bottom of Blossom-End Rot
By Maria M. Lameiras for UGA CAES News Home gardeners and commercial farmers alike can attest to the disappointment of seeing a beautiful tomato ripening on a vine, only to discover that the fruit has dark, sunken pits at the blossom end of the fruit. Called blossom-end rot (BER), this physiological disorder is prevalent in fruit and vegetable crops, including …
Dr. A: Yellowmargined Leaf Beetle Likes Cool Weather
Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Professor in Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, cautions all vegetable producers one insect to be wary of right now is the yellowmargined leaf beetle. Unlike some insects that thrive only during the summer, or warm conditions, the yellowmargined leaf beetle likes cooler weather and will impact brassica crops. “It’s a small beetle that when you …
Increased Rainfall Not Helpful for South Florida Producers
The additional rainfall South Florida received earlier this week is not going to help vegetable and specialty crop producers still drying out from a wet November. Gene McAvoy, University of Florida/IFAS Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus, estimated his area in Immokalee, Florida had received almost three inches by the end of Monday. “(The rain’s) not going to help, especially …
In Story of Blueberries and Bees, Scientists Play Matchmaker
December 10, 2020 By: Samantha Murray, grenrosa@ufl.edu, 949-735-1076 GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Chew on this the next time you eat a blueberry: Every single blueberry is the result of a flower that was pollinated by a bee. In other words: no buzz, no berry. With that in mind, it’s no wonder blueberry growers bring in hives of honey bees or bumble …
Why are Sales of Real Christmas Trees Breaking Records This Year?
Sales of real Christmas trees are breaking records this season. Conversations with tree shoppers may reveal why. (Gary Crawford. Tim O’Connor with the National Christmas Tree Association and several intrepid tree hunters)