By Dr. Ayanava Majumdar, Extension Professor, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University The Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Team is comprised of 27 members in the horticulture and food production industry. Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we have to remember that food production or farming doesn’t stop; therefore, we have started some educational activities that …
FDACS Agricultural and Seafood Availability Notice
(HCCGA) — FDACS has created the attached form for producers to fill out with their product availability. Once submitted, FDACS will utilize to forward to their Fresh From Florida contacts, as well as the Florida Department of Corrections, food banks and make connections with other State Departments of Agriculture in hopes of providing market opportunities to move product during the Coronavirus …
Georgia Watermelon Farmer: What’s Worrying me the Most is the Labor
By Clint Thompson Terrell Rutland is preparing for the upcoming watermelon season just like other Georgia farmers. And like his fellow producers, Rutland is uncertain as to what to expect from this year’s crop, amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Nobody knows. That’s the end of the story, nobody knows,” Rutland said. “We don’t know about labor. We don’t know about price, …
Asian Vegetable Crop Interest Increasing in Florida
By Mary Dixon, Yanlin Wang and Guodong Liu At the 2019 Florida Ag Expo, visitors gathered at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) for a trade show and field tour. Students and faculty from the University of Florida (UF) set up an Asian vegetable display that was visited by approximately 75 growers, educators, students and Extensions agents. Visitors …
United Fresh Start Foundation Starts COVID-19 Donation Program to Help Kids and Familes
Contact: Mary Coppola mcoppola@unitedfresh.org 202-303-3425 WASHINGTON, DC (April 6, 2020) – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Fresh Start Foundation is offering a new grant program — COVID-19 Rapid Response FRESH Grants — to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for children and families in need, while also creating opportunities for foodservice distributors who face the loss …
U.S. Congressman: Additional Funds Will be Ready if Needed for Paycheck Protection Program
By Clint Thompson The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), an integral part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, that will aid small businesses recover amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, may not have sufficient funds to support the $350 billion allocated for the program. One United States Congressman insists, though, that additional funds will be ready …
Alabama Extension Specialist Cautiously Optimistic About Peach Crop
By Clint Thompson Peach season is less than two months away for Alabama and Georgia growers and Edgar Vinson, assistant research professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Auburn University, is encouraged by this year’s crop despite a very mild winter. “I’m cautiously optimistic. I do think we got more chilling than the chill hour models tell …
FFBF and FDACS Host Town Hall on COVID-19 & Florida Agriculture
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick held a town hall meeting on Thursday with the state’s agriculture community on pressing issues. Some of the topics of discussion included: Ensuring agriculture and all related industries are essential at the federal, state and local levels. Promoting the continued and efficient processing of H-2A worker visas. Inter- and intra-state weight waivers for …
Crop Insurance Hurricane Endorsement Offered
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has announced a new crop insurance endorsement, Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI). HIP-WI covers a portion of the deductible of the underlying crop insurance policy when a county, or adjacent county, is within the area of sustained hurricane-force winds. HIP-WI provides coverage for 70 different crops, including all citrus, insured under …
Heroes in our Food System COVID-19 Pandemic
By Kristin Woods, Alabama Extension With Alabama’s production season getting into full swing, it is important to know that our growers and industry leaders are making sure that safety is not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Because COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, there is no indication that it is infectious through food or food packaging. The highly trained food system …