Alabama Blueberry Farmer Discusses Current Crop, Spring Freeze Events

Clint ThompsonAlabama, Blueberries

By Clint Thompson Two straight seasons of spring freeze events has one Alabama blueberry farmer ready to modify how he manages his blueberry crop. Jimmy Ferguson said this year’s late-season freeze impacted between 30% and 40% of his rabbiteye crop and about 20% of his highbush. That followed the freeze in 2023 that completely wiped out his 25-acre farm. “We’ve …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Statewide Jhessye Moore-Thomas Coastal Region Anna Sara Hill Zack Snipes Midlands  Rob Last Sarah Scott Pee Dee Christiana Huss Brittney King Upstate Andy Rollins Sponsored ContentNuseed Carinata Covers New GroundNovember 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners …

Blueberry Imports Decreased in 2023

Clint ThompsonBlueberries

Blueberry import volumes dropped in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service Situation and Outlook Report. Fresh blueberry import volumes decreased 15%, down to 559 million pounds in 2023 from 657 million pounds in 2022. It marks the first decline in volumes since 2017. Import volumes in the latter half of last year were down 29% …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Anna Sara Hill Zack Snipes Midlands Rob Last Pee Dee Brittney King Sponsored ContentNuseed Carinata Covers New GroundNovember 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024SECURE FUNDING NOW | USDA-Sponsored Farming …

Courtesy of UF/IFAS: Florida Blueberry Season Means Yummy Fruit for Consumers

Clint ThompsonBlueberries, Florida

Ready to pick your own blueberries or buy them at the grocery store? Florida’s blueberry season is here, so you’ll likely find a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) variety near you. When consumers travel to the supermarket, they will not find blueberries labeled as UF/IFAS varieties. Chances are, however, if you are buying Florida-grown blueberries, …

U-Pick Strawberry Seasons Kicks Off Spring Agritourism Activities in South Carolina

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina, Strawberries

COLUMBIA – U-pick strawberry farms across South Carolina are preparing to welcome visitors onto their farms to fill their buckets with sweet, sun-ripe, bright red strawberries. Strawberries are among the earliest widely available spring crops in South Carolina. Many strawberry farms are already open for U-pick activities, while others plan to open in the next week or two. As the …

UF Web-Based System Launches ‘Climate Indicators Tool’ to Help Producers

Clint ThompsonFlorida

A new University of Florida (UF)-developed web-based tool will help growers reduce risks that come with climate variability. It is called the “climate indicators tool,” the newest addition to AgroClimate, a web-based platform designed 15 years ago by Clyde Fraisse, a UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) professor of agricultural and biological engineering. Growers can use the new …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Southeast Producers Convene for Annual Conference

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

By Clint Thompson The Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference drew a large attendance in early January. The annual gathering provides a plethora of educational breakout sessions focused on key fruit and vegetable crops. Here’s a few highlights from those sessions. Peach Presentations Fungicide preservation is the key for Southeast peach producers in managing brown rot disease long term. Demethylation …

Attention Blueberry Producers: SWD Spotted on Multiple Central Florida Farms

Clint ThompsonBlueberries, Florida

Florida blueberry producers should be wary that spotted wing drosophila (SWD) has been spotted on multiple farms in central Florida, which is earlier than normal compared to previous years. The Florida Blueberry Growers Association issued an alert to its members on Monday, including recommendations from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension personnel that producers scout for …

Florida Blueberry Grower: Roller Coaster of Warm, Cold Temperatures

Clint ThompsonBlueberries, Florida

By Clint Thompson Weather challenged Florida blueberry production this year. It continues to disrupt harvest plans for growers who have already started picking this year’s crop. “It’s been a roller coaster of warm and then cold; warm and then cold. By the time it gets going, it gets shut down,” said Gary Smith, producer located in Winter Haven, Florida, who …