By Kristin Woods, Alabama Extension With Alabama’s production season getting into full swing, it is important to know that our growers and industry leaders are making sure that safety is not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Because COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, there is no indication that it is infectious through food or food packaging. The highly trained food system …
Florida Governor Issues Stay-At-Home order
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statewide “Safer at Home” Executive Order (EO), which will begin at 12:01 a.m. on April 3 and, unless extended, will expire on April 30. This “Safer at Home” declaration orders all people in Florida to limit their movements and personal interactions to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential …
COVID-19 Response: One Person Plants Food Gardens; Floridians Get Useful data From UF/IFAS, FAMU Extension
By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224 (office); 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu COVID-19 may take jobs away from people, but it can’t take away Tanya Murillo’s resilient spirit and her desire to grow vegetables in her yard. Murillo’s employer closed March 13 because of the coronavirus. She went home where eight people live. No self-pity for Murillo. Everyone in her household needed something to …
Farmers and Other Essential Food Production Workers will Carry Permission Letters during COVID-19 Shutdown
(U.S. Sugar) — All U.S. Sugar employees and suppliers who have been deemed essential to the nation’s food supply and national security will begin carrying authorization letters to inform authorities that they are approved to be out of their homes and working. “Our farmers, workers and other essential food production vendors will continue working around the clock to keep safe, …
Late Blight Disease Discovered at UF Research Farm
By Clint Thompson Potato and tomato producers in Florida need to be wary of the discovery of Phytophthroa infestans, the causual agent for potato and tomato late blight. Gary England, RSA/Director for the Hastings Ag Extension Center in Hastings, Florida, confirmed that samples collected from the Extension Center site tested positive. He scouted the rest of the affected portion of …
Georgia Vegetable Growers Should Plan Ahead to Prepare for Harvest in Light of COVID-19 Pandemic
By Andre Luiz Biscaia Ribeiro da Silva/UGA CAES News Most vegetable crops in Georgia — such as bell pepper, specialty peppers, tomato, eggplant, cucumber, yellow squash, and zucchini — are currently being planted and will continue to be into early April. These crops should be harvested in May and June. However, in light of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, Georgia …
Farmers, Other Essential Food Production Workers Will Carry Permission Letters During COVID-19 Shutdown
Contact: Judy Clayton Sanchez 863-902-2210 Clewiston, FL – Today, all U.S. Sugar employees and suppliers who have been deemed essential to the nation’s food supply and national security will begin carrying authorization letters to inform authorities that they are approved to be out of their homes and working. “Our farmers, workers and other essential food production vendors will continue working …
Florida’s Tomato Industry Crippled by Pandemic
By Clint Thompson With restaurants closed across the country due to coronavirus pandemic, little, if any, of Florida’s tomato crop is being harvested right now. Bob Spencer, President of West Coast Tomato in Palmetto, Florida, said his company farms between 3,500 and 4,000 acres every year but estimates that he’s losing 90% of his business right now. Since about 70% …
Hoop Houses Benefit Organic Vegetable Production
By Clint Thompson Hoop houses help protect vegetables from rain-induced diseases while providing organic growers the opportunity to produce a crop throughout the year, according to Elizabeth Little, University of Georgia associate professor and Extension plant pathologist. BETTER QUALITY, LESS SPACEHoop houses, also known as high tunnels, are types of greenhouses that help organic growers produce high-quality crops if managed …
Florida Produce Farmer: Eventually, Food Could Become Scarce
By Clint Thompson Florida fruit and vegetable farmers are being devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, and one producer is pleading with the U.S. government to intercede. Due to the virus’ spread over the last three weeks, restaurants everywhere have been forced to close their doors. This reduces the amount of produce that is sold throughout the country. For producers in …