Georgia Grape Growers Faced with Fungicide Resistance

Web AdminGrapes, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

The wine grape industry in Georgia is on the rise. While vineyards have been present in Georgia for the past four decades, the industry has been gaining significant traction in the last 10 to 15 years. Since the industry is relatively new, it is still fragile and some of the challenges, like downy mildew resistance, are unpredictable. Downy mildew is …

Pushing Georgia Grown Beyond State Lines

Web AdminProduce, Top Posts, Vegetables

2019 is set to be a year of expansion for the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Grown brand. Gary Black, Georgia commissioner of agriculture, is pleased to see his department grow this year. To stretch Georgia Grown beyond the state’s border, two department employees have been moved into different positions. Sarah Cook will serve as the domestic brand …

Georgia Blueberry Growers Focusing on Bush Health and Labor

Web AdminBerries, Business, Produce, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

After suffering from late freezes during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Georgia blueberry growers are focusing on mending bush health. Brandon Wade, grower and president of the Georgia Blueberry Growers Association (GBGA), says growers have had a tough couple seasons due to the freezes. Disease pressure has been prevalent as well. According to Wade, the freezes opened the window for …

Georgia Blueberry Growers Not Covered in Farm Bill Report

Web AdminBerries, Farm Bill, Top Posts

Text for the farm bill conference report has been released. The farm bill has been long awaited by members of the agricultural industry. Seeing it move forward offers a glimmer of hope for a speedy approval. However, Buddy Carter, the U.S. representative for Georgia’s first district, says the farm bill language is missing a piece that is crucial for Georgia …

Florida-Georgia Water War Rolls On

Web AdminTop Posts, VSCNews magazine, Water

The Florida-Georgia water war has made it to the nation’s highest court and back multiple times due to a dispute about water conservation. The water war involves the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. These rivers begin in Georgia, then join to form the Apalachicola River, which is near the Florida border and flows into the Apalachicola Bay. Florida began the war by requesting limitations on …

Georgia Vegetable Grower Discusses Hurricane Damage

Web AdminProduce, Top Posts, Vegetables, Weather

Hurricane Michael decimated multiple sectors of Georgia agriculture, ranging from cotton to pecans. One industry that was heavily impacted was vegetables. What was supposed to be a banner fall season for Georgia growers has turned into devastation. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black says that while the economic damages of vegetables are smaller than other commodities like peanuts or cotton, …

water

Florida and Georgia Renew ‘Water Wars’

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Water

Florida and Georgia have renewed their fight over the impact of Georgia’s water consumption on the Apalachicola River system. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June that Florida be given another chance to prove its case that Georgia’s overconsumption of water is damaging the Apalachicola region, the states filed a joint legal pleading this week before a federal …

Black Aphids Invade Georgia Pecans

Web AdminPecan, Pests, Top Posts

By Breanna Kendrick Black aphids are small black insects that feed on the leaves of pecan trees. The area where black aphids are feeding will turn yellow and become necrotic, killing the tissues surrounding the feeding area. Black aphids are most common later in the pecan season. Black aphids do have some populations early in the season, but are less of …

The State of Organic Vegetable Production in Southern Georgia

Web AdminOrganic, Top Posts, Vegetables, VSCNews magazine

By Timothy Coolong Southern Georgia is a powerhouse for wholesale fresh-market vegetable production. The vegetable industry in Georgia was valued at over $1 billion in 2015, with more than 170,000 acres in production, according to the University of Georgia’s 2015 Georgia Farm Gate Value Report. SIZE AND SCOPE The vegetable industry in southern Georgia is also extremely diversified, with more …