hemp

Lawmakers Try to Set Stage for Hemp Industry

Web AdminFlorida, Hemp, Industry News Release

Moving quickly after the passage of a federal law, the Florida Legislature on Friday gave final approval to a bill aimed at creating an industrial-hemp industry in the state. Senators voted 39-0 to pass the bill (SB 1020), after the House approved it in a 112-1 vote Wednesday. The bill is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The state …

hemp

Commissioner Nikki Fried on Florida Hemp Bill Passage

Web AdminFlorida, Hemp, Industry News Release

The Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 1020, establishing a state hemp program within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The historic vote comes after the 2018 federal Farm Bill removed prohibitions on industrial hemp in place since 1937 and authorized states to create hemp programs. Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, a noted advocate for hemp, cannabis, and medical marijuana, offered the following statement: “Today’s …

Turn Field Losses into Profits

Web AdminBusiness, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Lisa Johnson and Rebecca Dunning Nobody likes to be wasteful, but if it’s costlier to save something than to throw it away, a business owner is going to head for the garbage can. For fruit and vegetable growers, chemical destruction and tilling under are oft-used options near the tail end of a harvest. These practices occur even when product …

Bags Protect and Improve Peaches

Web AdminFlorida, Georgia, Organic, Peaches, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By David Campbell and Danielle Treadwell Peach growers have rediscovered a tool to add to their integrated pest and disease management toolbox — a unique paper bag. Easy to install and remove, the bag has extra durability to withstand wind and rain throughout the season. And if our data is consistent with previous observations, bagging may be affordable for many …

Growers of Organic Vidalia Onions Face Challenges

Web AdminGeorgia, Onion, Organic, Research, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Bhabesh Dutta, Carroll Johnson and Jason Schmidt Vidalia onion ranks first in terms of farmgate value among vegetables in Georgia, making it the most important vegetable crop in the state. Among the spring-grown onions in the United States, Georgia ranks first because Vidalia onions are predominantly grown in spring. Although most of the acreage is conventional, nearly 20 percent …

hemp

Lawmakers Look to Hemp as New Industry While Vegetable Gardens Head to House Floor

Web AdminFlorida, Hemp, Industry News Release, Vegetables

With supporters pointing to the potential of a new industry, a House committee Thursday approved a plan for regulating production of hemp. The bill (HB 333), approved by the House State Affairs Committee, would create a regulatory framework that would be administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which is led by Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a …

florida

Florida Ag Commissioner Fried Meets with South Florida Farmers

Web AdminFlorida, Lake Okeechobee, Water

Florida Agriculture Commissioner “Nikki” Fried joined a modest but representative group of south Florida farmers at Bedner Farms Wednesday near Boynton Beach, for an informal lunch and informational exchange about issues of concern to agriculture in the region. Water, weed, trade and the Department’s Fresh From Florida marketing campaign were among topics mentioned in her remarks after lunch, and she …

Living with Fusarium Wilt

Web AdminCucurbits, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine, Watermelon

With multiple races that are increasingly aggressive, fusarium wilt has been a challenging disease for watermelon growers and a tough nut to crack for southeastern researchers. Nicholas Dufault, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Florida, says all races of fusarium wilt occur in Florida, but each is a little different. Fusarium wilt …

Methods for Measuring Fruit Firmness

Web AdminFruit, Top Posts

By Alison DeLoach Measuring fruit firmness can tell a grower a lot about the maturity of a fruit. Patrick Abeli, a master’s student at Michigan State University in the Department of Horticulture, discussed the importance of measuring blueberry fruit firmness.   When a fruit becomes too firm, it is unpalatable, and when a fruit is too soft, it spoils. According to …

Tomato Suspension Agreement Battle May Not Be Over Yet

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Legislative, Top Posts

The termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement may be stopped in its tracks after associations representing the Mexican tomato industry have proposed changes to the agreement. The agreement was set to be terminated on May 7. The associations recently presented their proposal to the U.S. Department of Commerce. According to a report from Abasto (https://abasto.com/en/mexican-growers-tomato-imports/), the changes proposed by the …