This year, the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) will be focusing on crucial legislation in Washington, D.C. Charles Hall, GFVGA executive director, says the two pieces of legislation the association will be focusing on the most are the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and disaster relief. Hall says he is worried about the USMCA and is going to spend a …
Management Methods for Flower Thrips
By Alison DeLoach Since flower thrips have been causing concerns for Georgia’s blueberry growers, the pest was a topic discussed at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. At the conference, Renee Allen, area blueberry agent with the University of Georgia (UGA), presented research on flower thrips and management recommendations for growers. According to Allen, research was conducted in New …
New Crops Proposed After Michael Devastation
Hemp and hops are being promoted among alternatives for crops wiped out by Hurricane Michael in the eastern Panhandle. Glen Aiken, director of the University of Florida’s North Florida Research and Education Center, said Monday the need for alternatives has grown as farmers in an eight-county region suffered most of the estimated $1.5 billion hit to the state’s agriculture industry …
AgNet Media Announces Florida Ag Expo Date and UF Publication Project
GAINESVILLE, FL – Vegetable and specialty crop growers have a new reason to attend the Florida Ag Expo (FAE) this year. The University of Florida’s (UF) annual grower gathering is poised for refocus and reinvention as AgNet Media takes over management of the event. It will be held at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Wimauma, Florida, …
Blueberry Fruit Size Improved with Pollination
By Juanita Popenoe Honey bee pollination increases fruit set and yields in many fruit, but not all. Blueberries are supposed to respond to increased pollinator activity with greater yields. Some fruit growers routinely bring in bee hives to increase pollination, but how many are necessary? Highbush blueberry growers in Washington usually rent 10 hives of Italian honey bees per acre …
Looking Beyond the 2018 E. coli Outbreaks
Food safety continues to be a hot topic in the vegetable and specialty crop industry, especially after the E. coli outbreaks in 2018. One of the commodity conferences offered at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference was focused on food safety. The session began with a presentation by Trevor Suslow, vice president of food safety with the Produce Marketing …
Peach Pest Forecast
By Alison DeLoach Brett Blaauw, assistant professor and Extension specialist at the University of Georgia and Clemson University, gave his peach pest forecast for the year during his presentation at the recent Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Regarding San Jose scale, Blaauw expects a tough year for growers. He said this winter has been relatively warm, creating a good …
Tickets Available for the Florida Ag Hall of Fame Banquet
The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame banquet is quickly approaching. Ray Hodge, president of the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation, is encouraging industry members to purchase tickets as he expects a big crowd at this year’s event. According to Hodge, the four inductees for 2019 have been great representations of Florida agriculture. “This year’s class is very diverse, but …
State Block Grants Needed for 2018 Hurricane Recovery
The 2018 hurricanes cost several southeastern growers millions of dollars in lost production. Now, those growers are looking for federal dollars to help them recoup their losses from hurricanes like Florence and Michael. However, according to Robert Redding, an agricultural lobbyist in Washington, D.C., grants on the state level are imperative for vegetable and specialty crop growers. Redding believes growers …
Sneak Peek: February VSCNews Magazine
Hemp has been a hot topic in the vegetable and specialty crop industry, however there is still much to figure out regarding production practices and opportunities for southeastern growers. The February issue of VSCNews magazine will discuss the hype on hemp. In an article written by AgNet Media’s Abbey Taylor and Ernie Neff, readers will learn about the crop and …