AFVGA Conference, Trade Show Scheduled for Feb. 3-5, 2027 in Gulf Shores, Alabama

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Alabama fruit and vegetable farmers and industry leaders can mark their calendars for next year’s Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) annual conference and trade show, scheduled for Feb. 3-5, 2027, in Gulf Shores, Alabama. AFVGA Executive Director Blake Thaxton discussed the event, slated for The Lodge at Gulf State Park. “It’s become the home for …

Sweet Grown Alabama Hosts Annual Farm to Table Dinner

Clint ThompsonAlabama, Uncategorized

By Clint Thompson Last week’s Farm to Table Dinner in Auburn, Alabama, hosted by Sweet Grown Alabama, included farmers and industry leaders. Approximately 150 guests attended the event on Thursday, Aug. 13 and sampled Alabama-grown foods. This included jam from Hornsby Farms in Auburn and watermelon samples, provided by the Gulf Coast Watermelon Association watermelon queen. Sweet Grown Alabama Director …

Dry Weather’s Impact in Southeast Alabama

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Most of Alabama has experienced sufficient rainfall in recent weeks. That’s provided much of the state with adequate moisture. However, one area could use some rain showers, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Abnormally dry weather conditions are being observed across most of southern Alabama. Neil Kelly, Alabama regional Extension agent in Southeast Alabama talked about the …

Alabama Tomato Producer: Rainfall Challenging This Year

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Increased rains in Alabama have provided difficult weather conditions to grow tomatoes. That’s according to Chad Smith, who grows tomatoes in St. Clair County in the central part of the state. “It’s been pretty challenging,” Smith said. “Like I would prefer for it to be dry versus too wet. It got to a point where it was …

Extension Plant Pathologist Provides Disease Update in Alabama

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Drought continues to be less of a problem for most of Alabama, as evidenced by the latest release of the U.S. Drought Monitor on July 30. However, with the recent rains comes an uptick in disease pressure for the state’s vegetable crops. Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology …

Producer Perspective: Alabama Peach Grower Discusses This Year’s Crop

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Most of Alabama’s peach farmers felt the sting of an early spring freeze event. It wiped out much of the state’s early varieties, including some on Mike Reeves’ farm in Hartselle, Alabama. “We got hurt by the freeze on our early varieties and our late varieties but most of our mid-season varieties are in pretty good shape,” …

Sweet Grown Alabama Farm to Table Dinner Scheduled for Aug. 13

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Sweet Grown Alabama’s next big event will involve specialty crop growers and industry leaders from across the state. The organization’s sixth annual Farm to Table dinner is slated for Thursday, Aug. 13 at Lazenby Farms in Auburn, Alabama. Aisling Walding, Assistant Director of Sweet Grown Alabama, discussed the event, which will be held from 6:30 p.m. to …

Sweet Grown Alabama Hosts Farmers Market in Conjunction with Tomato Sandwich Lunch

Clint ThompsonAlabama

Sweet Grown Alabama hosted a pop-up farmers market on Wednesday, June 24, in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries’ Annual Tomato Sandwich Lunch at the Ed Teague Arena in Montgomery. The market featured Sweet Grown Alabama members from across the state offering a variety of fresh, local products, including seasonal produce, value-added goods and specialty food items. …

Alabama Pumpkin Growers Need Dry Weather to Plant This Year’s Crop

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson North Alabama is one of the few areas in the Southeast not suffering through drought conditions anymore. But the increased rainfall in recent weeks has caused concern for the region’s pumpkin growers looking to plant this year’s crop. Eric Schavey, regional Extension agent in Northeast Alabama, talked about the challenge facing his area’s pumpkin farmers. “We could …

Early-Season Peaches Lacking in Central Alabama

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Like in most areas in the Southeast, Central Alabama’s peach crop was impacted by freezing temperatures in mid-March. It wiped out early peach varieties, according to David Lawrence, regional Extension agent in central Alabama. That has changed since, however. “We didn’t have a great early season or early crop. A lot of our mid-season varieties are coming. …