fdacs

FDACS Begins Efforts to Eradicate Exotic Fruit Fly

Web AdminEnvironment, Fruit, Industry News Release, Produce, Stone Fruit, Vegetables

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has positively identified the presence of three Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in south Miami-Dade County. The initial fly was discovered during routine trapping, and additional flies were discovered during expanded trapping activities. The department, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, monitors more than 56,000 fruit fly traps statewide as an …

georgia blueberry

Georgia Blueberry Growers Suffer Second Consecutive Year of Loss

Web AdminBerries, Industry News Release

Commissioner Gary W. Black hosted a conference call to connect Georgia blueberry growers and agricultural industry representatives with U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Bill Northey to discuss recent loss assessments for the 2018 blueberry crop. According to University of Georgia Extension, overall losses of both highbush and rabbiteye varieties could exceed 60 percent. This would mark the second consecutive …

specialty crop farm bill

Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Members Visit Capitol Hill

Web AdminFarm Bill, Industry News Release

Urge Congress to Fund Key Farm Bill Programs Members of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations, will take their message to Congress on May 9, advocating for investment in specialty crops in the 2018 Farm Bill. During visits on Capitol Hill, the SCFBA members will outline their priorities, making …

Celebrate Sweet Corn Harvest Season with Local Farmers

Web AdminCorn, Industry News Release, Top Posts

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA – Sweet corn season is in full swing in Palm Beach County’s Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), with farmers projected to harvest 430 million ears of locally grown sweet corn by the end of May. Almost as many ears will be listening for the starting bell that inaugurates the International Federation of Competitive Eaters Corn Eating Contest at …

Promoting Georgia Grown Products Nationwide

Web AdminProduce, Top Posts

The Georgia Department of Agriculture is beginning a new marketing campaign to promote Georgia fruits and vegetables around the United States. Matthew Kulinski, deputy director of marketing with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, says this marketing program coincides with Georgia Grown’s new slogan: Nature’s Favorite State. According to Kulinski, the goal of the program is to have Georgia be known …

Debunking the Dirty Dozen

Web AdminProduce, Top Posts

By Brian German The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released its annual Dirty Dozen list, which according to its methodology, names the produce that has the highest levels of pesticide residue. The analysis that is performed is not designed to provide specifics about residue levels or provide the significance of that type of exposure. “For 23 years, the Environmental Working …

specialty crop farm bill

Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Announces Farm Bill Priorities

Web AdminIndustry News Release

More than 120 organizations urge Congress to support key nutrition, block grant and research programs. The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations, has announced its 2018 farm bill priorities focusing on programs for a healthier America heading into Wednesday’s U.S. House Agriculture Committee meeting on the farm bill. The SCFBA …

Using Plants to Fend Off Pests

Web AdminOrganic, Pests, Top Posts, Vegetables

Trap-cropping is an organic method to combat pests that has been tested with several different crops in Alabama. Ayanava Majumdar, an Extension entomologist for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, has recently been testing different trap crops in yellow squash. Last year, he studied sorghum and sunflower to combat leaffooted bugs and stink bugs in vegetable systems. This year, he is …

Hydrogen Cyanamide for Low-Chill Peaches in Florida

Web AdminPeaches, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Tripti Vashisth and Mercy Olmstead Interest in Florida peach production remains steady, with approximately 2,000 acres in the state. Florida peach growers have a number of advantages: 1) Early flowering and fruit set result in the ability to harvest fruit earlier in the domestic market window, yielding higher economic returns. 2) Recent surveys show that consumers prefer local produce, …

The Evolution of the Industry’s View on the Farm Bill

Web AdminLegislative, Top Posts

“We never wanted to be brought into the farm bill,” says Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for the United Fresh Produce Association. He is speaking for the fruit and vegetable industry. “We were really focused on not wanting to become a subsidized commodity back in the day. That’s evolved,” he says. So, why the change? Guenther says …