The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries reminds producers that the 2021 Irrigation Income Tax Credit is available and covers costs for irrigation equipment, fuel conversion and reservoirs. The deadline to submit is Jan. 31, 2022. For more information, see agi.alabama.gov/irrigation. The Alabama Department of Revenue requires farmers to complete a precertification process before they can claim the Qualified Irrigation …
GFVGA Applauds Court’s Stay, Says Vaccine Mandate Brings More Uncertainty
By Clint Thompson Count the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) as one organization pleased with a federal appeals court ruling, granting an emergency stay against the new requirement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that businesses with 100 or more workers be vaccinated. The Biden Administration attempted to curtail the COVID pandemic’s impact by implementing a …
Blueberry Referendum: Voters vote in Favor of U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
U.S. highbush blueberry producers and importers approved a national referendum that will continue the national research and promotion program. The referendum was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). In the referendum, 84% of those voting, which represented 93% of the volume of highbush blueberries, voted in favor of continuing the program. “Since joining the USHBC …
Organic Corner: Managing Mites and Thrips in Strawberries
By Sriyanka Lahiri The development of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach for the various arthropod pests of organic strawberries is underway at the University of Florida’s Strawberry and Small Fruit Crops Entomology Lab. The primary arthropod pests needing management include chilli thrips, western flower thrips, two-spotted spider mite and cyclamen mite. Strawberry fruit yield losses due to feeding damage …
Look Outside the Box for New Growth in Citrus Variety Development
When we work together, we find the best solutions, says Peter Chaires in his latest installment of “Citrus Nursery Source.”
Cover Crops Provide Plethora of Benefits
By Clint Thompson Cover crops are widely used in Florida strawberries, not as much so in vegetable production, however. Johan Desaeger, Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida (UF) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, would like to see that changed. “I think it’s something that would benefit a lot of crops here in Florida. Our …
Commissioner Fried: We Need Federal Action to Level Playing Field
Tallahassee, Fla. — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday. She addressed the continued unfair foreign trade practices being employed by Mexico and other countries that are causing severe harm to the domestic seasonal produce industry. “Florida farmers and American agriculture is the best in the world, and …
Registration Ongoing for Labor Forum
By Clint Thompson Registration is still ongoing for the upcoming Georgia Agricultural Labor Relations Forum on Nov. 9-10 at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The two-day conference will feature talks specific to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, Department of Labor (DOL) wage and hour audits, being compliant with OSHA and DOL in the COVID-19 …
USDA Builds Pandemic Support for Certified Organic, Transitioning Operations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses to certified organic agricultural producers or those transitioning to organic. USDA will make $20 million available through the new Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) as part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. It provides new, broader and more equitable opportunities for farmers, ranchers and producers. OTECP funding …
Commissioner Fried, FDACS Announce New Farmer Mental Health Initiative
Tallahassee, Fla. – Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is announcing that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out a new Farm Stress Awareness and Reduction Initiative in Florida. With this grant award, FDACS will launch an outreach campaign to help raise awareness about …