Autonomous Harvesters Key to Florida Strawberry Survival

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Autonomous harvesters are the future of Florida strawberry production. They have to be. Labor costs are too high, prohibitively so, for Florida growers to continue at the current rate. It is why industry leaders are advocating for time and resources to be devoted to the development of automatic harvesters. “To be honest, if there isn’t an autonomous …

Registration

Registration Now Open for the 2025 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo

Dan CooperAgribusiness, Citrus, Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo, Events, Specialty Crops

Registration is now open for the highly anticipated 2025 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. The event takes place Aug. 20–21at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Growers and industry professionals are invited to sign up now for complimentary registration to this two-day event filled with education, networking and innovation. Hosted by AgNet Media, the Expo is Florida’s premier event for …

florida tomato

Florida Tomato Field Day Scheduled for May 15

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Florida tomato growers should mark their calendars for the Florida Tomato Field Day, scheduled for Thursday, May 15 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida. Multiple scientists from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, including entomologist Hugh Smith, tomato breeder Jessica Chitwood-Brown, plant pathologist Gary Vallad, weed scientist Nathan Boyd, horticulturalist Shinsuke …

tree of the future

Citrus Tree of the Future Still Years Away

Dan CooperCRDF, HLB Management

Not surprisingly, the focus of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) centers on providing growers with help to overcome huanglongbing (HLB) disease. CRDF President Morgan McKenna Porter believes that help will best come with the development of the “tree of the future.” She says that tree does not have to be completely resistant to citrus greening. As long as …

Florida Blueberry Summer Grower Meetings Scheduled for July

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Florida blueberry growers can mark their calendars for this summer’s grower meetings, set for three dates and locations in July. This summer’s meetings will be held on Tuesday, July 8, at the Polk County Extension Office in Bartow, Florida; Thursday, July 10, at the Hardee County Extension Office in Wauchula, Florida; and Thursday, July 17, at the …

Plan Ahead If You Want to Grow Christmas Trees

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Christmas tree production in Alabama can be an enticing endeavor, especially for retirees looking for some form of supplemental income. But potential growers need to be wary of what they’re getting into before planting their first tree, says Jeremy Pickens, Alabama assistant Extension professor in horticulture at Auburn University. “You’ve got to be planning ahead; putting your …

Sprayer Calibration Notes for Grape Producers

Clint ThompsonAlabama, Georgia

The grape production season is underway, and Southeast producers need to ensure their vineyard sprayers are properly calibrated, according to Sarah Lowder, University of Georgia (UGA) viticulture Extension specialist. She noted in the UGA Extension Viticulture Blog that proper calibration ensures growers are applying the right amount of product to their vines, maximizing effectiveness, minimizing waste and protecting the crop …

Ag Secretary Testimony: Application Portal for Disaster Relief to Open Soon

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Southeast specialty crop farmers can expect the portal to apply for federal disaster relief assistance to open in the next couple of weeks, no later than the end of the month. That is according to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who testified before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and …

Florida Blueberry

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Up Front

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

By Frank Giles Make Estate Planning a Top Priority Sometimes when writing this column, I will scan the internet looking for topics that could be relevant for this page. Doing just that for this month’s issue, I came across a headline that had eye-catching power. It was a write-up from American Farm Bureau Federation Associate Economist Samantha Ayoub titled “Estate …