By Clint Thompson The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) cautions its specialty crop producers about participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP Program). The GFVGA wants growers to carefully consider what is required of their farming operations to participate in the grant program that will use up to $65 million …
Hurricane Michael: Five Years Later
By Clint Thompson Five years ago, Hurricane Michael devastated the Southeast and altered the agricultural landscape, especially in Georgia. Five years later, specialty crop producers are still coping with the devastation left by the Category 5 storm. “I think one of the untold stories about Hurricane Michael is how much it affected agriculture; the total amount of dollar damage from …
Looking Ahead: Peach Producers Eyeing Rebound in 2024
By Clint Thompson A couple of months have gone by since peach season concluded in Georgia. It is still difficult for farmer Drew Echols not to think about what might have been with his crop. “Hardly a day goes by that me and my dad or me and Lee Dickey or somebody doesn’t talk about, ‘What if?’ Yesterday me and …
Pawnee Pecan Productive for Producers
By Clint Thompson One of the top emerging pecan varieties provides producers with an early-season option that has desirable size and percent kernel. Pawnees are one of the first varieties to be harvested every year and possess traits that make them highly desirable, according to Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Extension pecan specialist. “The quality is usually pretty good,” Wells …
Anthracnose Disease a Growing Concern for Peach Producers
By Clint Thompson Anthracnose disease is on the rise in peaches in the Southeast. University of Georgia researchers are determined to find out why. Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension fruit disease specialist, is wary that fungicide resistance is a culprit as to why disease instances have increased in recent years. “I fear, and it’s something we need to …
Drought Update in the Southeast
The most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly all of Alabama is in a moderate drought or worse; most of northern Georgia and the southwest part of the state are at least abnormally dry; while the Florida Panhandle is mostly severely dry. Alabama’s dry conditions have worsened in recent weeks. Little to no precipitation has been observed …
Growers Hope for a Better Season in 2024
By Leonard Park The Florida blueberry season that began in the summer of 2022 culminated in one of the smallest spring harvests in years. The main culprit was Hurricane Ian. However, the lack of chill hours in December, followed by two harsh cold snaps over the holidays, affected other regions with damaged flower buds and crop delays. For most growers, …
Farmer’s Mental Health Highlighted During Press Conference at Sunbelt Ag Expo
By Clint Thompson “It’s okay not to be okay.” That’s the mantra shared by various organizations, including the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities (DBHDD), Georgia Department of Agriculture and University of Georgia Extension. The three organizations united during a press conference on Wednesday at the Sunbelt Ag Expo to discuss mental health and encourage farmers to vocalize …
Sweet Grown Alabama Under the Spotlight at Expo
By Clint Thompson Sweet Grown Alabama is under the spotlight this week at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. Alabama is the spotlight state during the three-day event, which has allowed attendees, numbering close to 50,000, the opportunity to explore the diverse agricultural landscape that is Alabama production. Marlee Jackson, publications director at Alabama Farmers Federation, described what it …
Back in the Game: China Resurfaces as Purchaser of U.S. Pecans
By Clint Thompson Harvest season is well underway for pecan producers in the Southeast. Growers of pecans are harvesting or are about to harvest the earliest varieties like Pawnee, Elliott, Oconee, Creek and Caddo. Farmers can be encouraged that market prices should not dip below the levels they are currently at. That is due in large part to a familiar …


















