Young Georgia Citrus Trees Look ‘Dicey’ Following Freeze

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

Georgia’s young citrus trees appear to have endured more impact from the recent freeze event than older, mature trees. That’s an initial assessment made by Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. “I’m still getting reports, and we’re just starting our evaluation, but we’ve got a lot of leaf drop and leaf burn. There is …

Estimate Puts Florida Freeze Damage at More Than $3 Billion

Clint ThompsonFlorida

As growers surveyed fields and groves after the freeze in late January and early February, it was clear the damage had been catastrophic in many cases. That was confirmed by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson with the first estimate of damage released on Feb 20.  Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) preliminary estimates of losses to Florida …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: A New Year With New Opportunities

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Chris Butts The new year provides us with the opportunity to reflect, reset and develop new goals and objectives for the coming months. Looking back to January of 2025, the fruit and vegetable industry has made progress on important issues like labor rates and H-2A program rules. Successful Conference Here in Georgia, we are finding reason for optimism. We …

Specialty Crop Alliance Applauds Release of Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026

Clint ThompsonFlorida

WASHINGTON — The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) issued the following statement regarding the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 released by House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson. “The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance commends Chairman Thompson and his staff for advancing the farm bill process and including key provisions that would enhance the competitiveness …

Postfreeze Recovery Recommendations for Citrus Trees

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Florida citrus growers hoping to expedite the recovery process for trees impacted by the late January/early February freeze event should pump the brakes and wait — at least until spring. That advice is from Muhammad Shahid, assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). He shared tree recovery recommendations …

Ag Wage Reform Coalition to Hold Issue Briefing/Roundtable in Washington D.C.

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) is helping host an issue briefing and roundtable in Washington D.C. on Feb. 24. Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, discussed the meeting’s importance and its message. “We’ll have growers and representatives from 39 organizations and nine states that now make up the …

Thiram Shortage in Strawberry Production

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Southeast strawberry growers should be mindful that there appears to be a shortage of Thiram this spring. This is according to a blog post made by Phil Brannen, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension fruit disease specialist. He confirmed the news after consulting with Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of …

SC School Cafeterias Serving More Locally Grown Produce with Help of New State Program

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

COLUMBIA – School children across South Carolina (SC) will see more locally grown foods on their plates this year thanks to a new state program called Certified SC Cafeteria. Participating schools and school districts will be reimbursed for buying South Carolina-grown vegetables, fruits, grains and honey, with additional incentives for those that source the highest percentage of local food. Incentivizing schools …

North Florida Extreme Drought Could Worsen

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Extreme drought conditions in North Florida have led to advisories issued for water conservation. It’s a key development for growers who are preparing to plant watermelons in the Suwanee Valley Region. But the biggest concern is the current dry conditions could only worsen over the next couple of months. “I think the biggest concern is that we’re …

Neo Should Be Lessened This Year in Alabama Strawberries

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson What a difference a year makes for Alabama strawberry producers. Expectations are that the growers’ problems with Neopestalotiopsis (Neo) disease in 2025 will not be as problematic this year, according to Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University. The key has been where growers sourced this …