lettuce

Lettuce Lessons – An AgNet Media Commentary

Web AdminFood Safety, Leafy Vegetables, Vegetables

Florida growers of romaine lettuce are losing millions of dollars at the start of their season, even though harvest dates should clear the Florida crop in the present recall. By Gary Cooper The E. coli romaine lettuce scare coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last Tuesday effectively shut down the movement of this lettuce variety throughout …

FFVA Urges FDA to Find Source of Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Swiftly

Web AdminTop Posts, Vegetables

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are advising consumers to avoid eating romaine lettuce because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and could make people sick. No grower, supplier, distributor or brand has been identified. The FDA is conducting a traceback investigation, and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association strongly …

Lake Okeechobee Algae: A Decades-Long Debate Continues

Web AdminTop Posts, Water

As the Lake Okeechobee blue-green algae debate continues, it can be difficult to decipher the truth from misinformation. A debate that has now become a national news story has been decades in the making. The same arguments from north and south of the lake have been made throughout the debate’s history. The algae issues in the waterways on the east …

What Exactly Causes Toxic Algae?

Web AdminTop Posts, VSCNews magazine, Water

By Lisa Krimsky Florida has an algae problem, and we’re not alone. The population on this planet is growing, as is the need to feed and house 7.6 billion people. Algae blooms are naturally occurring. However, a warming climate, human activities and nutrient inputs from stormwater, agricultural and urban land use, and sewer and septic systems have significantly increased the …

What’s Causing Bacterial Spot in Transplant Houses?

Web AdminTomatoes, Top Posts

Bacterial spot infection in tomato transplant houses moves quickly and can cause serious losses. Peter Abrahamian, a post-doctoral associate at the University of Florida’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), has been studying this disease and its movement in transplant houses. The main objective of Abrahamian’s research was to find out what causes the infection and how it moves …

water

Community Surrounds Ag During Algae Debate

Web AdminTop Posts, Water

The green algae debate continues to rage on as misinformation and pointed fingers keep leading to agriculture as the culprit of the toxicity in the water. However, members of the community in the Glades area have banded behind agriculture and would like to start a different conversation: a conversation about solutions. In the midst of the ongoing algae debate, it …

A Community Celebration for Upcoming Sugar Harvest

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Top Posts

In the midst of an ongoing algae debate, it can be difficult to remember the community of people who live in the Glades area. These communities and families live and breathe agriculture. Below is a news release from Florida Crystals regarding the Pre-Harvest Celebration held this past Sunday. The account below shows the communal support for agriculture in that area. …

Political Event Falls Short on Facts

Web AdminLegislative, Top Posts

A recent southeast Florida algae rally drew a small crowd. By Gary Cooper U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (R-Palm City) hosted a campaign event in Stuart on Sunday and visited other South Florida areas in recent days. He partnered with anti-farming group BullSugar.org and featured activist Erin Brockovich to help push his recently introduced Stop Harmful Discharges Act in Congress. The …

uf study

UF Researcher to Study Migration Trends, Health of Emerging Farm Workers

Web AdminIndustry News Release, Labor

As the University of Florida IFAS Extension director for Hendry County, Gene McAvoy has seen firsthand a sea change in the types of workers now coming to the United States to work on farms. “It used to be 95 percent or more of the workers were from Mexico,” McAvoy said. “Now, it’s about 50 percent from Haiti and the Caribbean. …