Alabama producers who plan to produce hemp in the future need to have a clue about what their production is intended for, says Gail Ellis, hemp program manager at the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI). “What I’ve tried to tell everybody that gets in hemp, the more you know about what you want to do in hemp is …
Sweet Grown Alabama Receives Grant to Increase Locally Grown Grocery Purchases
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Sweet Grown Alabama has been awarded a grant to track locally grown products purchased by five grocery store and distribution partners. This specialty crop block grant, awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, provides financial incentives to the stores in exchange for local procurement data. Sweet …
Chill Out: Alabama Peaches Looking Good Amid Cold Winter
Chill hours are no longer a concern for one Alabama peach farmer. The biggest worry that Jeremy Calvert has is that his trees will bloom early and be impacted by a late freeze. “We get a week of 60, 70-degree weather and then go back down in the 20s, that’s just not what you want to see,” said Calvert, whose …
Winter Weather Impact: Alabama Strawberries Progressing
Strawberries in north Alabama are progressing despite sporadic temperatures and high wind speeds. “Our cold weather hasn’t been like a constant. It’s been more of a, we’ll have three or four days, maybe seven or eight days of colder weather, and then we’re back up in the 50s and 60s,” said Eric Schavey, Alabama Regional Extension agent in Northeast Alabama. …
Chill Hours Continue to Increase for Alabama Peaches
Alabama peach trees continue to receive high chill hours to help make a crop this upcoming spring. According to the Alabama Extension, chill hours remain high at various locations throughout Alabama. As of early Friday morning, there were 678 standard chill hours at the Auburn University Turf Unit in Auburn, Alabama, compared to 617 last year. There were 860 chill hours …
Quiet Insect Activity: Alabama Producers Still Need to Take Precautions
Insect pressure is currently quiet in Alabama. But infestations could increase dramatically if producers don’t take the proper precautions, says Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Professor in Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University. “At this point, things are kind of calm and quiet, except perhaps for people who have greenhouse crops or are trying to start their seedlings or trying to …
Winter Weather Conditions Challenging for Alabama Vegetable Producers
A cold and rainy winter has been challenging so far for Alabama vegetable producers. Joe Kemble, Alabama Extension vegetable specialist, cautions growers that though it may be chillier, that does not eliminate certain diseases that can be problematic. “I will say on the vegetable side, things are a bit slow. Weather’s been not exactly ideal. The rainfall we’ve been having, …
Friday Deadline for Alabama Farmers Following Zeta
The deadline is Friday for Alabama vegetable and specialty crop farmers seeking financial assistance from Hurricane Zeta. Producers who suffered losses related to Hurricane Zeta need to submit an application to the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation for assistance from a Hurricane Relief Fund by this week. According to the alfafarmers.org, the relief fund is designed to help offset farmer losses …
Alabama Irrigation Questionnaires Due Jan. 31
The Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries (ADAI) continues to encourage producers who performed agriculture irrigation upgrades in the 2020 calendar year to complete the required irrigation questionnaire. While ADAI is responsible for collecting completed irrigation questionnaires from producers seeking a tax credit in 2020, the Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) will issue any irrigation tax credits to eligible applicants. …
Alabama Counties Designated Disaster Areas From Hurricane Zeta
Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 13 Alabama counties as primary disaster areas, due to damage and losses caused by Hurricane Zeta Oct. 28–29. USDA reviewed the Loss Assessment Reports and determined that there were sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation. In accordance with …