By Karla Arboleda On July 16, growers visited the University of Florida’s (UF) Plant Science Research and Education Unit to hear about the future of the muscadine grape industry in Florida. About 130 attendees listened to presentations on cultural practices, potential health benefits and production methods for muscadine grapes. The native Florida crop has been gaining more popularity among growers …
New Proposal Makes H-2A More User Friendly
The H-2A program is set to be revamped. President Trump recently announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) will start the modernization process for the H-2A guest worker program. The DOL published a formal rule change, stating “it should streamline and simplify the H-2A application process, strengthen protections for U.S. and foreign workers, and ease unnecessary burdens on employers.” DOL announced on …
Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date
Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year.
Hemp Pesticides Get Approved in South Carolina
By Karla Arboleda Hemp growers in South Carolina received a list of pesticides permitted for use on their crops. Earlier this month, the Department of Pesticide Regulation approved a list of pesticides from section 25(b) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act administered through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Steve Cole, director for regulatory public service programs for Clemson …
Florida Tomato Exchange: Mexican Growers Should Not Prejudge Antidumping Investigation
The allegation by Mexican tomato growers that Florida politicians are pressuring the Commerce Department to “prejudge” the antidumping investigation of Mexican tomatoes is a fabrication and a clear example of “the pot calling the kettle black.” In a press release last week, the Mexican growers announced that their recently submitted data to the Commerce Department confirms they are not dumping …
Everett Griner Bids Farewell to Farm Broadcasting
Imagine being so passionate about your work that you never want to retire. That’s how Everett Griner feels about broadcasting. But at age 92, he has decided to turn off his microphone and hang it up for good. BACK TO THE BEGINNINGS Griner has been all around the world, thanks to his military experience. In the 1940s, instead of going …
New Talent Key to Future Growth of Florida Citrus
Learn how 2019 Citrus Achievement Award winner Bob Behr is planning for the future and fighting for orange juice.
VSC Expo Seminar Schedule Now Available
Growers seeking the latest information and research to help make them successful need look no further than the 2019 Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo (VSC Expo) seminar program. Presented by experts from the University of Florida and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the VSC Expo seminars will explore the best production practices and upcoming threats and trends facing the industry. …
Ranch Rim Ditches Debated at South Florida Water Management Meeting
Thanks to south Florida ag news colleague Katrina Elskin at Lake Okeechobee News for this recap of this week’s South Florida Water Management District Governing Board meeting in West Palm Beach. WEST PALM BEACH — The South Florida Water Management District Governing Board once again turned their attention on the nutrient load from agricultural properties at their July 10 workshop …
UF Program Aims to Build Better Peppers
By Karla Arboleda Desirable pepper qualities for consumers include taste, color and spice. And for growers, that list includes nematode resistance. Bala “Saba” Rathinasabapathi, professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Services, is breeding seeds to give consumers the best peppers possible. His lab takes an angle toward quality improvement and working with …