Southeast Regional Coverage: One Voice Approach Benefits Specialty Crops

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson It is better for fruit and vegetable organizations to implement a “one voice” mentality in advocating for specialty crop producers to legislative leaders. One of the by-products of the recent Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference is that it allowed members from multiple organizations, like the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, to come together and formulate …

Multiple Blueberry Varieties Being Produced Throughout Florida

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Florida blueberry farmers are not placing all of their eggs in one basket when it comes to planting certain varieties. That’s encouraging news for University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry breeder Patricio Munoz. He reported at last week’s Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference that the Farthing variety comprised the most blueberry …

Specialty Crops Showcased, Celebrated at Southeast Regional Conference

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Last week’s Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference served as a celebration of what’s right with specialty crop production in the region, explains Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA). “It’s been such an eventful year, everything from the hurricane to our continued struggles with imports, this is really a chance …

Drought Update in Southeast

Clint ThompsonDrought

Drought continues to linger across certain regions of the Southeast, but it is dissipating in some areas. This is according to the most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Florida is suffering through mostly dry conditions with moderate drought remaining in the northern part of the state. An area in the Florida Panhandle, including Holmes, Washington, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, …

Southeast Regional Conference Scheduled for Jan. 9-11

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson The annual Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference is just days away in Savannah, Georgia. While regular registration ends Tuesday, Jan. 7, on-site registration will still be available from Jan. 9-11. The yearly conference caters to fruit and vegetable production in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas. The production seminars, scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, will …

Drought Monitor Update: Conditions Vary in Southeast Region

Clint ThompsonAlabama, Drought

Drought conditions continue to vary among states in the Southeast. Most of central and northern Alabama is experiencing dry conditions, while Florida is mostly dry. Georgia’s dry conditions continue to dissipate with most of the drought being observed in the southwest and southeast areas of the state. This is according to the most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Florida Blueberry Growers Gather for Annual Meeting

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Frank Giles In October, the Florida Blueberry Growers Association hosted its annual meeting in Lakeland. Educational sessions focused on a variety of topics that are top-of-mind for growers. Grower Survey Results Doug Phillips, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) blueberry Extension coordinator, shared results of his annual grower survey. There were 61 growers responding, covering …

Southeast Drought Update

Clint ThompsonDrought

Drought-like conditions continue to be prevalent over all of Florida and most of Alabama, though there is sufficient moisture in most of Georgia. This is according to the most recent release of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Alabama’s dry conditions continue to range from abnormally dry, which are prevalent throughout most of the state, to extreme drought in the northern areas …

Hurricane Milton: Florida Ag Production Losses Top $190 Million

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Hurricane Milton caused agricultural production losses with an estimated value between $190.4 million and $642.7 million in Florida, according to a preliminary report by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP). The report is based on a diverse set of baseline data and surveys UF/IFAS agricultural economists distributed to producers.  Milton …

Acreage Increase for North Florida Watermelons in 2025?

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon acreage does not figure to decrease in 2025; not after the successful seasons farmers have experienced the last two seasons, says Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. “I think if we settle that there were 1,000 more acres last year, …