By Kevin Folta The refrigerator is a wonderful invention. It’s the place we find a cold drink on a hot day and the big box where we hide the cheese. Sometimes ice and water come right out of the door. Since its inception, the refrigerator allowed homeowners to store food, save leftovers and suffer less spoilage and waste. Most of …
Putnam’s Parting Words
After eight years of service, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam will leave his office, making way for Commissioner-elect Nikki Fried. From dealing with hurricanes to fighting for Florida farmers in D.C., Putnam has been a dedicated servant to Florida’s agriculture industry. However, he says the industry has given him far more than what he has ever given it. AgNet …
Visit VSCNews at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference
VSCNews is excited to return to the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (SERFVC) on Jan. 10–13 at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center in Savannah, Georgia. Each year, SERFVC provides a great opportunity to mingle with fellow industry members and kick off the new year. SERFVC, sponsored by the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) and the …
Desantis Urged to Help Farmers on Trade Deal
Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis is being urged to use his close ties with President Donald Trump to bolster efforts to help Florida farmers fend off low-priced crop imports that weren’t addressed in the rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. During a conference call last week, several members of DeSantis’ Transition Advisory Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources & …
GFVGA Welcomes New President
The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) will welcome a new president in January. Aries Haygood — current vice president of the GFVGA, vice chair of the Vidalia Onion Committee and grower at M&T Farms — will succeed Mike Bruorton as GFVGA president. Haygood says he is excited to take his seat as GFVGA president at the start of …
Crop Insurance Survey
The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) needs your help! It sent out this recent release calling on growers: At the recent Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association Board of Directors meeting, the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) discussed interest in providing a crop insurance program for several crops, including tomato, sweet corn, bell pepper, specialty pepper, cucumber, squash …
UF Program Probing Hemp Production
Industrial hemp could be Florida’s next big specialty crop. The University of Florida (UF) Industrial Hemp Pilot Program is tasked with figuring out how to successfully grow the crop in the Sunshine State. During the 2018 Citrus Expo, Zachary Brym outlined the program objectives and how growers can get involved. Brym is an associate professor at the UF Tropical Research …
Florida Hop Production Appears Promising
Findings from the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center hop trials are helping make strides in this new frontier. By Zhanao Deng, Shinsuke Agehara, Gary Vallad, Hugh Smith and Johan Desaeger Hops are an essential ingredient of beer. Breweries use different varieties and amounts of hops during the brewing process to attain the desirable levels of bitterness and flavors associated …
FBGA President Reflects on 2018
For the Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA), 2018 was a big year legislatively. Brittany Lee, FBGA president, says the association worked hard this year to give a voice to the Florida blueberry industry. One of the association’s main focuses this year dealt with the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program. Lee says she and her colleagues worked closely with their local …
Watermelon Marketing Trends
By Breanna Kendrick Melon 1 — a grower, packer and shipper of watermelons — has been shipping Florida watermelons all along the east coast to its customers for over 25 years. Rachel Syngo, director of new business development for Melon1, recently attended the New York Produce Show in New York City. “We came to the show because … this is …