By Clint Thompson Vidalia onion producers were fortunate that Hurricane Ian skirted the Southeast Georgia region and spared this year’s seedlings that were in the ground. Instead of heavy rains and high winds that were felt in some areas in Florida, the Vidalia onion region received some winds but dodged any major impact, says Cliff Riner, Vidalia Onion Committee chairman. …
USDA to Measure Florida, Georgia Vegetable Chemical Use
Members from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will interview almost 300 vegetable producers in Georgia and Florida to compile data for the 2022 Vegetable Chemical Use Survey this fall. The survey will gather information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, treated acres, application rates and fertilizer and pesticide applications for 22 different vegetable crops. Growers …
Georgia Pecan Growers Association Executive Director: India Market Would be Game Changer
By Clint Thompson The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) assurance of a “positive outcome” regarding international market access for Georgia’s pecan growers was an encouraging first step for Samantha McLeod. The executive director of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association discussed USTR’s Katharine Tai’s response to Senator Raphael Warnock’s bipartisan letter urging assistance to negotiate with the Indian government for lower tariff …
GFVGA Executive Vice President: Georgia Producers Dodged a Bullet
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s specialty crop producers dodged disaster when Hurricane Ian shifted eastward and headed mostly around the state this week. Chris Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), said his organization is thankful that its growers avoided the worst impact of the hurricane. But their thoughts and prayers are with their Florida …
USTR Commits to Working Toward ‘Positive Outcome’ for Georgia’s Pecan Growers
U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade, received a positive response from U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Katharine Tai, following his recent bipartisan push to the Biden Administration to work to create more favorable trade conditions for Georgia pecan growers and shellers in international markets. In her recent letter to Senator Warnock and the bipartisan …
Registration Ongoing for Upcoming Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum
By Clint Thompson Registration is ongoing for the upcoming Georgia Ag Labor Relations Forum, scheduled for Nov. 9-10 at ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture in Tifton, Georgia. The event is tailored towards agricultural employers, human resource managers and administrators. It will provide discussions with leading experts on how to navigate the challenge of finding and maintaining a consistent workforce, says …
Increased Rainfall Problematic for South Georgia’s Fall Crops
By Clint Thompson Specialty crop producers prefer dry conditions so they can be the ones applying water and not worry about disease pressure. They are not getting their wish with their fall crops, however. Increased rainfall across southern Georgia in recent weeks has led to intense disease pressure on fall vegetable crops. Ty Torrance, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable …
Georgia Department of Agriculture Announces 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Recipients
The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) funds projects that “enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.” Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture, turfgrass/sod, nursery, and greenhouse crops. “USDA …
North Georgia Peach Farmer: I am Blessed
By Clint Thompson One North Georgia peach producer experienced better-than-expected yields this yield following a late-season freeze event that could have crippled his crop. And Drew Echols couldn’t be more thankful. Echols, owner of Jaemor Farms in Alto, Georgia, and president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, discusses the impact that a freeze in mid-April had on his …
Peach Management Continues in Georgia
Clint Thompson Peach production may have just concluded in Georgia, but the work never stops for the state’s growers. Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties, highlighted what producers will be doing between now and the first frost. “One of my growers just finished picking and shipping and he’ll be …