On Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRR) are now available for Georgia produce farmers. Schedule your OFRR by clicking the button below to visit georgiaproducesafety.com or by contacting Maggie or Elizabeth. Maggie H. BrownProduce Safety Education and Outreach CoordinatorMaggie.brown@agr.georgia.gov Elizabeth S. DanforthProduce Safety Education and Outreach AssociateElizabeth.Danforth@agr.georgia.gov An OFRR is not an inspection but a method of educating before regulating. The goal of an …
Stanley Culpepper: A leading voice for growers
By Clint Thompson When University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension weed agronomist Stanley Culpepper speaks, Tift County grower Bill Brim listens. After more than two decades of Culpepper providing expertise regarding more than 20 different vegetable crops, there’s no reason for Brim not to pay attention. “He’s a great young man. He’s a hard worker and tries to get things …
South Carolina Growers Reminded About CFAP 2 Deadline
According to the South Carolina Grower, eligible growers are reminded to sign up for the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2. The deadline is Dec. 11. More than 230 fruit, vegetable, horticulture, and tree nut commodities are eligible for CFAP 2 along with honey, maple sap, floriculture and nursery crops. Check to see if the crops you grow are eligible …
Dry Conditions Helpful for Georgia Vidalia Onion Growers
Abnormally dry conditions in Southeast Georgia are only helping Vidalia onion farmers who are transplanting this year’s crop. Chris Tyson, University of Georgia Extension Area Onion Agent at the Vidalia Onion & Vegetable Research Center in Lyons, Georgia, said onion producers don’t need a lot of water right now anyway. The lack of rainfall is not a detriment at this …
Senstar Insecticide a Viable Option for Southeast Vegetable Growers
Valent U.S.A. continues to tout Senstar Insecticide as another effective tool in the toolbox for vegetable growers trying to manage whiteflies. It offers fast and long-lasting control of soft-bodied insects of vegetable and citrus crops. These pests include whiteflies, aphids, thrips and pysillids. Whiteflies were widespread this year and led to the worst outbreak for Southeast growers since 2017. They …
Storing Pecans May Not Be Best Option for Growers
A popular option that Georgia pecan producers are utilizing to combat low prices is to put them in storage in hopes of improved prices in the future. However, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells cautions growers who take this approach. “That’s most of what I hear taking place. I haven’t heard a lot (of pecans) over the …
Slug Damage a Concern for Growers Amid Rain, Heavy Soil Moisture
Rainfall this week combined with soil moisture can bring some unwanted problems for vegetable farmers and gardeners in Alabama, including slugs, according to Alabama Extension. Ayanava Majumdar, Alabama Extension Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Auburn University, said attacks from slugs can occur at various stages of vegetable crops with high intensity noticed in the late …
ADAI Offers Reimbursement Program for Organic Certified Growers
Alabama producers who get certified organic between Oct. 1 and Dec. 15 are eligible for reimbursement from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. Farmers would be eligible to receive 50% of certification costs, up to $500. Those growers interested in recouping some of those expenses need to apply by Dec. 31. “That’s what makes it a little different than …
Falling Pecan Prices Dishearten Growers Amid Bumper Crop
It’s a disheartening feeling to know you have your best pecan crop in years only to face the worst market prices in at least the last 20 years. But that’s what pecan growers in Georgia are facing this fall, according to Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist. As states like Georgia are currently harvesting a bumper crop, …
Smart Irrigation Tools for Blueberry Growers
By Vasileios Liakos One of the goals of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (UGA CAES) is to develop new irrigation methods and tools for crops. Researchers, including myself, Erick Smith, George Vellidis and Wes Porter, have been developing smart irrigation scheduling tools for blueberry growers in Georgia since 2015. Smart irrigation is a new method …