A South Georgia citrus producer is upbeat after last weekend’s winter storm, which brought plunging temperatures and blistery wind conditions, threatened his grove. Jaime Patrick of Patrick Farms in Omega admitted it would still be a few days before he had a clearer view of the overall impact from the freeze. But he is optimistic. “It’s going to take us …
Drought Update: Extreme Conditions Observed in Florida, Georgia and Alabama
By Clint Thompson According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, dry areas still encompass much of the Southeast region, especially in North Florida, South and Central Georgia and Southeast Alabama. Florida Extreme conditions are seen in a couple of areas in northern Florida. One area includes all or part of Jackson, Calhoun, Liberty, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla and Jefferson counties. The area …
Budget Highlights Second Week in Georgia’s Legislative Session
By Clint Thompson Budget was the theme of the second week of the 2026 Georgia Legislative Session. Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) President Will Bentley highlighted the budgetary focus. “We just wrapped up week two of the legislative session. The second week is always budget week, joint House and Senate Appropriation Committees met where they heard from Gov. (Brian) Kemp and …
Georgia Chill Hour Update: Slow Start to 2026 But Still in Good Shape
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s chill hour accumulation is currently lagging behind last year’s totals, due to a slow start in January. The state is still in good shape, however, according to Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “We were 80 hours ahead and then after the Southeast Regional Fruit …
Chilli Thrips Update for Georgia Blueberry Producers
By Clint Thompson The fear of the unknown is what makes chilli thrips a dangerous threat to Georgia blueberries. Chilli thrips were first confirmed in Georgia four years ago and have been observed in multiple counties since then, though Ash Sial, University of Georgia (UGA) entomologist, believes the list of counties is much larger. Sial highlighted chilli thrips and their …
Georgia Ag Forecast Scheduled for Jan. 23
Georgia farmers and agricultural industry leaders should mark their calendars for Friday, Jan. 23. That is when the Georgia Ag Forecast is scheduled to take place at the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences economists use the event every year to provide an outlook of agricultural markets for …
Georgia Ag Commissioner Discusses Specialty Crops at Southeast Regional
By Clint Thompson Specialty crop industry leaders from across Georgia, Alabama, Florida and the Carolinas attended the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference last weekend in Savannah, Georgia. One of those ag leaders in attendance was Georgia Ag Commissioner Tyler Harper. He discussed specialty crops in an interview with AgNet Media. “I think when you look at agriculture as a …
Georgia Chill Hours Update
By Clint Thompson Georgia peach growers will be interested to know that current chill hours throughout the state remain on par with previous years, according to the UGA Weather Network. In Byron, Georgia, located in the central part of the state, there were 437.5 chill hours recorded from Nov. 1, 2025, to Jan. 5, compared to 420.25 last year and …
Neo Update in Georgia Strawberry Fields
Clint Thompson Neopestalotiopsis (Neo) is observed in Georgia strawberry fields. Fortunately for producers, it is not being reported at levels that were seen a year ago, according to Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension fruit disease specialist. “I don’t know how bad it is, but we do have some. Again, it depends on the source of the plants and …
GAC President Outlines Priorities Ahead of Georgia Legislative Session
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s legislative session next year is set to begin in about a month. Agricultural organizations are ready to advocate for their priorities. One of those organizations is the Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC). GAC President Will Bentley was at the Georgia Farm Bureau Convention on Dec. 8 and discussed what some of his organization’s top priorities are. Not …



















