July 1 Important Date Surrounding AEWR

Clint ThompsonLabor

By Clint Thompson Southeast specialty crop growers should circle July 1 on their calendars. It could serve as a pivotal date in producers’ fight against the continued spike of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR). The National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) and Michael Marsh, president and chief executive officer of the NCAE, challenged the legality of the AEWR. July …

herbicide

Learn About New Herbicide Rules and Tackling Troublesome Weeds

Dan CooperAgribusiness, Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo, Environment, Events, Herbicides, Weed Management

The Environmental Protection Agency has been updating its process for registration of pesticides to include more deference to the Endangered Species Act. The agency has recently released new guidance for herbicide applications. Changes will impact how growers use pesticides and can impact how herbicides are applied. There is a lot to digest with these changes. During the Citrus & Specialty …

Speaker

Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo to Feature Inspirational Speaker

Dan CooperCitrus, Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo, Event, Events

The 2025 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo will feature a special speaker and inspirational message from retired Battalion Commander Jack Oehm of the Fire Department of New York City (FDNY). Oehm was a battalion chief who first arrived at Ground Zero after both World Trade Center towers collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. It was a tragic day for Oehm, the …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Termination of Tomato Suspension Agreement a Victory

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson The termination of the United States-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement is a win for the domestic industry and should increase domestic production across the country. That’s the hope shared by Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange. It was announced on April 14 that the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) terminated the 2019 United States-Mexico …

Alabama Hemp Production Continues to Decline

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson The number of hemp growers continues to decline across Alabama and the country. It coincides with market prices not being what they once were, according to Zachary Barnes, with the Alabama Department of Ag and Industries hemp program. “From 2020 until now, what they were fetching for a kilogram of crude CBD oil, I’ve heard numbers were …

Saturated Alabama Impacting Fruit, Vegetable Production

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Alabama has sufficient moisture. According to the June 5 edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor, there are no dry conditions being observed throughout the state. Conditions are especially saturated in central Alabama, says David Lawrence, regional Extension agent in central Alabama. “All the ponds are full right now. It is wet. About every three or four days …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Top Concerns Stand Out in Grower Survey

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

Up Front By Frank Giles This spring, we asked specialty crop growers to take a survey touching on various topics. We published some of the highlights from the survey in last month’s issue of the magazine. One thing the survey illustrated is the huge diversity of the fruit and vegetable sector in the Southeast. There are literally hundreds of crops …

Vegetable Crop Handbook Available

Clint ThompsonAlabama

Alabama Extension reminds its specialty crop producers that the 2025 Southeast U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook is now available. This important resource is a joint effort among Extension specialists and researchers from land-grant universities and other institutions across the Southeast who specialize in vegetable production. The specialists and researchers represent various disciplines. These include agricultural engineering, entomology, vegetable production, plant pathology, …

Hurricane Season Underway: Early Storm Development More Likely in Southeast

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Hurricane season officially started this week on June 1. It will end on Nov. 30. That means tropical storm activity is possible for the next six months. Development is more likely to occur near the Southeast early in the season, explains Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension agricultural climatologist. “Early in the season, most of the development …

MAHA Report Could Have Global Impact

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Southeast fruit and vegetable producers are not the only ones that could feel the sting from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report. It’s a global concern, says Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. Butts stressed the need that growers continue to have access following the report’s potential negative impact. …