By Frank Giles It has been busy on the ag labor front recently. There have been several announcements at the federal level amid continued deportation efforts by the Trump administration. In late June, Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Lori Chavez DeRemer gave comments regarding the agency’s H-2A program during the Western Governors Association meeting in New Mexico. She acknowledged the …
Industry Leader Provides Hope During Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo
By Clint Thompson This week’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo was again a sweet success as farmers and industry leaders flocked to Tampa, Florida, for the two-day show on Wednesday and Thursday. The Florida State Fairgrounds hosted the event for the third straight year, as more than 1,100 pre-registered. Seminar sessions were held for citrus and specialty crop growers, discussing …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: The Last Word
It’s Time to Compete -Fairly By Robert Guenther The termination of the U.S.–Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement isn’t just the end of a flawed trade deal. It’s a turning point for American tomato growers and, more broadly, for how this country chooses to defend its agricultural backbone in a global economy. For nearly 30 years, domestic producers operated under suspension agreements …
N.C. State Extension Strawberry Meeting Scheduled for Aug. 21
By Clint Thompson North Carolina (N.C.) State Extension reminds the state’s strawberry growers the Western North Carolina Strawberry Preplant Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the N.C. Extension, Wilkes County Center in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Matthew Clay, N.C. State Extension agent, talked about the importance of the meeting with planting season looming. …
Attention Fall Vegetable Farmers: Whitefly Populations Increasing Throughout Region
By Clint Thompson Georgia vegetable farmers must be aware that whitefly populations have spiked in recent weeks, according to Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist. It’s a concern for producers preparing their fall crops. “Whiteflies really jumped (recently). (This week’s rain) may slow them down. I had a patch of soybeans there on the station where …
Drought Monitor Update
By Clint Thompson Drought conditions continue to remain a problem over parts of the Southeast, even following a rainy week last week. Southwest Alabama, Southwest Georgia and most of central and southern Florida are the areas most impacted by dry conditions, according to the Aug. 7 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Alabama Abnormally dry conditions in Alabama start in …
Comment Period Open for USDA Reorganization Plan
A 30-day public comment period is currently under way for anyone interested in commenting on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s reorganization plan, as outlined in Ag Secretary Booke L. Rollins’ memorandum on July 24. All stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing reorganization@usda.gov. The comment period concludes on Aug. 26. As part of the plan, the USDA will consolidate …
Downy Mildew Confirmed on North Carolina Cucumber
By Clint Thompson North Carolina (N.C.) vegetable growers should be mindful that cucumber downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber plant samples from a research plot at the Mountain Research Station in Haywood County, North Carolina. It was detected on July 30. Inga Meadows, N.C. State Extension Associate in Vegetable and Herbaceous Ornamental Pathology, noted that water-soaked lesions on the …
South Georgia Farmer: We’ve Gone From One Extreme Weather Event to the Other
By Clint Thompson South Georgia vegetable farmers have gone from one extreme weather event to the other in recent weeks. The lack of rainfall created abnormally dry conditions for most of the latter part of July. However, weather conditions changed this week with excessive rainfall. Georgia producers like Sam Watson are having to navigate the weather challenges in preparing to …
Scientists to Share Latest Hemp Production Research During Aug. 13 Field Day
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will host a hemp field day on Wednesday, Aug. 13, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, Florida. The UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit is located at 2556 County Highway 318, Citra, Florida. UF/IFAS researchers, Extension agents …



















