Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Smarter Water Use for Florida Strawberries

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Shinsuke Agehara University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research shows that intermittent sprinkler irrigation has great potential to establish Florida strawberries more efficiently — saving water while potentially boosting yield. Most Florida strawberries are established from “bare-root” transplants. They are dug out of nursery fields, often in northern California or Canada, and shipped to Florida …

Wish Farms Accelerates Berry Innovation with Raspberry, Blackberry Breeding

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Plant City, FL – Wish Farms, a Plant City-based, international grower and year-round marketer of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and pineberries, announced its proprietary breeding company, Berry Sweet Research (BSR), is advancing quickly towards commercialization of new varieties. Entering its fourth year of rigorous seedling evaluation, BSR is setting new benchmarks in innovation, flavor, and performance in its mission of …

Drought Monitor Update Across Southeast

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Last weekend’s rainfall across the Southeast should help alleviate the extreme and exceptional drought conditions that were observed in the Dec. 4 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Exceptional conditions were still being observed in South Georgia in Seminole, Decatur, Grady, Thomas and parts of Brooks, Colquitt, Mitchell and Miller counties. Exceptional drought in Florida was seen …

USMCA

Joyner Testifies on the Impact of USMCA on Florida’s Specialty Crops

Dan CooperFruits, Vegetables

Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association President Mike Joyner expressed concerns about the impact of produce imports from Mexico under the current U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during a public hearing held on Dec. 3. He reported significant losses in sales, market share and jobs within Florida’s produce industry due to unfairly priced imports from Mexico. The testimony was delivered as part of …

Chill Hour Update for Alabama Peach Producers

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson It is that time of the year when peach producers and industry leaders are keeping tabs on chilling hours. Peaches need chill hours to mature properly. Growers can largely gauge the success of the following season on how many chill hours their crop receives over the winter. According to Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist …

It’s Dry Out There: Lack of Rain a Concern for Farmers Ready to Apply Plastic Mulch

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson The current dry spell impacting the Southeast could impact upcoming preparations for vegetable production, especially in South Georgia. The area, along with a patch in North Florida, is suffering through a prolonged dry period leading to exceptional drought designations in previous releases of the U.S. Drought Monitor. If the drought continues, it will likely hinder growers’ abilities …

Lack of Tropical Activity Leads to Exceptional Drought in Southeast

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Georgia

By Clint Thompson The lack of tropical systems this summer and early fall contributed to extreme and exceptional drought designations across some areas in the Southeast. Pam Knox, University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agricultural climatologist, highlighted the current drought period that includes exceptional drought areas in South Georgia and North Florida. “It was pretty wet early in the growing season …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Cultiva, Bend But Don’t Break

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Frank Giles  When Federico Boscolo arrived in North Florida to establish and operate a new leafy greens farm, the concept of 100-year storms was not burned into his mind or vocabulary. That changed in 2017 when a nearly decade-long stretch of quiet hurricane seasons ended with Hurricane Irma.  Boscolo’s family hails from Italy, where their company, Cultiva, is a …

How Long Can We Wait? Timeliness Essential When Consuming Leftovers

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Thanksgiving Day feasts across the Southeast this week means people are consuming plenty of delicious foods like turkey, ham, fruits and vegetables. While food safety is essential Thanksgiving Day, it is also important for those leftovers and how long people can wait before consuming them. Keith Schneider, a food safety professor in the University of Florida Institute …

Thanksgiving

Food Safety a Priority This Thanksgiving Holiday

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Thanksgiving is a time for food, family and fellowship. Getting sick is never part of the equation this time of year. That is why food safety should be prioritized. More food is being prepared for more people, emphasizes Keith Schneider, a food safety professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) food …