By Clint Thompson John L. Hundley, veteran farmer and newest member of the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame, produced a quick response when asked how sweet corn production has treated growers this year. “Production’s going good, the marketing isn’t,” Hundley said. “That’s the summary. Nothing else I can tell you other than that.” That’s all growers and consumers need to …
#EveryBiteCounts: New Marketing Campaign Highlights Domestically Grown Produce
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association’s new consumer-focused social media marketing campaign, #EveryBiteCounts, continues the organization’s effort to educate consumers about the importance of supporting local farmers. With the hashtag #EveryBiteCounts, the goal is to educate consumers about the impact of purchasing in-season domestically grown fruits and vegetables, says Chris Butts, executive vice president of the …
North Florida Watching for Powdery Mildew
By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon farmers and industry leaders have yet to see a widespread attack of any one disease, such as powdery mildew. But they are paying close attention to the plants that are in the ground. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) regional specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, is …
Field Day Leads to Reboot of Old Citrus Varieties
By Peter Chaires The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) field day on Dec. 3 at the A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm was a productive and memorable day. The event was well attended and provided growers, nurserymen and industry leaders with an overview of essential research taking place at the farm. The fruit display and tour drew attention to …
Water Farms Provide Multiple Benefits in Florida
By Frank Giles More than a decade ago, Doug Bournique, executive director of the Indian River Citrus League, had a thought. What if citrus growers who had groves that had become non-productive could take that land and use it for water storage to help reduce discharges into sensitive waterways like the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers? It was a novel …
Supply-Chain Disruptions, Inflation and War Are Pushing Prices up on the Farm
By Frank Giles Just when the world took somewhat of a collective breath, hoping the COVID-19 pandemic might be easing, Russia invaded Ukraine. The conflict and the highest inflation rate in 40 years in the United States have focused attention on agriculture and food security. For farmers in Florida and around the world, the confluence of events has presented challenges …
Controlled Environment Agriculture: Future Growth Expected in Industry
By Eric Butterman for CAES News Next time you partake of a crisp, green salad, think about where your leafy greens come from. Many producers of high-value crops are shifting from field production to controlled environment agriculture. That is where the University of Georgia’s Marc van Iersel comes in. Van Iersel, the Vincent J. Dooley professor of horticultural physiology in …
How to Prevent Fruit-Boring Squash Insects
By Ayanava Majumdar, Olivia Fuller, David Lawrence and Jacob Kelley Squash and related cucurbits are favorite summer vegetables in farms across the Southeast. Though cucurbits grow fast under the right conditions, numerous insect pests feeding at various crop stages can make cucurbits a messy ordeal! In Alabama, cucumber beetles, squash vine borers and squash bugs arrive routinely during the young …
Storms May Aid in Transportation of Insect Pests
By Clint Thompson Most of Alabama has received its share of rainfall this spring. But with inclement weather, especially high winds, comes the potential for certain insect pests to be moved from field to field, says Ayanava Majumdar, Extension professor in entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University. “If there’s any moth flights that have already begun, these storms will …
Nematode Control Important for Turf Producers
By Clint Thompson The booming housing market in Florida means a spike in sod sales for the turfgrass industry. But it also means increased risk for nematode damage. Billy Crow, University of Florida professor of nematology in the entomology and nematology department, discusses the importance of nematode control. “You’ll have slower growth in which increases the amount of time the …