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by Gary Cooper Roots of Algae Debate Show Political Rhetoric Trumping the Facts Politically driven actions in recent months have undeniably brought major upheaval and confusion in South Florida’s water management circles. More than eight million people who are living in and invested in South Florida are directly impacted by these decisions in one way or another. Misinformation swirls about …
Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) are exploring pomegranates as a possible cash crop for the Sunshine State. Ali Sarkhosh, assistant professor at UF, recently updated growers on some promising varieties for Florida. According to Sarkhosh, pomegranates with red or dark red skin that have red or dark red arils (the flesh inside the pomegranate) do the best in …
Florida watermelon growers will want to mark their calendars for the Enza Zaden Watermelon Field Day. The field day is set to take place May 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Enza Zaden Research Station in Myakka City, Florida. On May 7, Enza Zaden held a closed event to preview the varieties that will be shown during …
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced her appointment of Christopher Pettit as director of agricultural water policy for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Speaking outside the South Florida Water Management District, Fried highlighted Pettit’s background in water resources management in Florida and beyond. A livestream of the press conference may be viewed here. “Addressing our state’s water issues …
On May 7 the Tomato Suspension Agreement officially terminated. The Department of Commerce announced the U.S. withdrawal in the beginning of the year. The agreement, made back in 2013, was designed to prevent an anti-dumping investigation in exchange for Mexican growers agreeing to certain restrictions. Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, has been very vocal about …
By Alison DeLoach Peaches can often be a difficult crop for growers to produce in Florida. Ali Sarkhosh, an assistant professor and Extension specialist at the University of Florida (UF), dedicates his research to helping growers overcome these challenges. Recently, Sarkhosh hosted a stone fruit field day with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The speakers at this …
By Alison DeLoach Preventing outbreaks of foodborne pathogens is important to ensuring a safe food supply. Xiangyu Deng, an associate professor at the University of Georgia Food Safety Center, developed a new way to detect and subtype a foodborne pathogen more quickly than the traditional methods. When identifying a foodborne pathogen, there are two processes: the detection process and the …
A Florida strawberry grower went above and beyond to be a steward of the land, earning the 4R Advocate Award. Agricultural producers pride themselves on being stewards of the land. Dustin Grooms, farm manager of Fancy Farms, is an excellent example of that. Grooms is a 2019 recipient of the 4R Advocate Award. This national award is given to five …
A new study from the University of Georgia (UGA) breaks down the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the Southeast’s fruit and vegetable industries. Southeastern growers and industry groups have been very vocal about the negative impacts of NAFTA. With the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (the NAFTA rewrite) coming down the pipeline, the industry continues to speak …
Moving quickly after the passage of a federal law, the Florida Legislature on Friday gave final approval to a bill aimed at creating an industrial-hemp industry in the state. Senators voted 39-0 to pass the bill (SB 1020), after the House approved it in a 112-1 vote Wednesday. The bill is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The state …
