Florida Strawberry Farmer: H-2A Program Needs to be Simplified

Web AdminLabor, Top Posts

Farmers agree: H-2A is needed but it can be improved. Foreign workers are needed because of the lack of a domestic workforce. It needs improvement because it is a cumbersome and very expensive process. “It needs to be simplified. It is just the hardest, most complicated thing to do and to stay legal,” said Matt Parke, farm manager of Parkesdale …

Florida Vegetable Producer: I See it Ending

Web AdminExports/Imports, Florida, Top Posts

Another vegetable season means another chance for Mexican imports to deflate market prices. For one Florida producer, the consistent supply of imported cucumbers and squash could lead to an unexpected early retirement. “We cannot make a move without checking to see what Mexico’s doing first. It’s very disheartening for a man that was charged by God to feed the world,” …

Enterprise Planning Budgets for Growers

Web AdminAgri-business, General, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Kimberly L. Morgan and Tara Wade Wanna go fishin’? Have you ever wondered why we don’t ask who wants to go catching fish? Entrepreneurial adventures in farming may be compared to the distinction between fishing and catching any fish at all, regardless of hours spent throwing out a line, varying techniques, bait types, pole qualities and past experiences at …

More Than $7 Billion Paid in Second Round of CFAP

Web AdminCoronavirus, Top Posts

(Washington, D.C., Oct. 26, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that in the first month of the application period, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) approved more than $7 billion in payments to producers in the second round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. CFAP 2 provides agricultural producers with financial assistance to help absorb some …

Spray Program Top Factor When Considering What Pecan Varieties to Plant

Web AdminAlabama, Georgia, Pecan, Top Posts

Pecan producers will soon be planting trees throughout the Southeast. But first, growers must decide what variety they’re going to plant. Scab susceptibility is the No. 1 factor that should influence what variety producers plant this year, according to Shane Curry, University of Georgia Appling County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent. If growers are going to plant a variety …

New NIFA-Funded Research to Examine Cover Crops in Organic Vegetable Production Systems

Web AdminFlorida, Organic, Top Posts

By: Kirsten Romaguera, 352-294-3313, kromaguera@ufl.edu The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture just announced funding for a project comprising an interdisciplinary team from the University of Florida. The three-year project, “Quantifying the nitrogen cycling benefits of different cover crops across different Florida organic vegetable production systems,” received a $496,271 grant as part of USDA-NIFA’s Organic Agriculture …

Deadline Approaching for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

Web AdminCoronavirus

Application Deadline is Sept. 11 WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2020–U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers that the deadline to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is Sept. 11, 2020. This program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. “FSA offers several options for …

Additional Fruits, Vegetables Eligible for CFAP

Web AdminAlabama, Coronavirus, Florida, Fruit, Georgia, Top Posts, Vegetables

Washington, D.C., July 9, 2020 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an initial list of additional commodities that have been added to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) on Thursday, and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made other adjustments to the program based on comments received from agricultural producers and organizations and review of market data. Producers …

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FFVA President: CFAP Payment Amount Falls Short

Web AdminFlorida, Fruit, Legislative, Produce, Top Posts, Vegetables

By Clint Thompson The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will bring much-needed relief to farmers impacted by COVID-19. Unfortunately, the funds allocated per farmer is not enough, says Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) President Mike Joyner. “Florida agriculture was just crushed by the pandemic. A lot of our members have had some really, really big losses. When that direct …