(U.S. Sugar) — All U.S. Sugar employees and suppliers who have been deemed essential to the nation’s food supply and national security will begin carrying authorization letters to inform authorities that they are approved to be out of their homes and working. “Our farmers, workers and other essential food production vendors will continue working around the clock to keep safe, …
Farmers, Other Essential Food Production Workers Will Carry Permission Letters During COVID-19 Shutdown
Contact: Judy Clayton Sanchez 863-902-2210 Clewiston, FL – Today, all U.S. Sugar employees and suppliers who have been deemed essential to the nation’s food supply and national security will begin carrying authorization letters to inform authorities that they are approved to be out of their homes and working. “Our farmers, workers and other essential food production vendors will continue working …
Coronavirus Concerns Impacting U.S. Agriculture
By Ashley Robinson U.S. agriculture has always had a great responsibility on its shoulders — to keep food on the tables of consumers despite the challenges that come its way. However, the situations facing production agriculture now in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic are weighing heavily on the minds of farmers. “There is a lot of anxiety and concern …
Citrus Meeting Addresses Production Practices
By Clint Thompson Citrus was the focus of an annual meeting held in Quincy, Florida, on March 12. Growers from Florida and Georgia converged at the North Florida Research and Education Center to learn about various citrus management practices for the region. GROWER-GUIDED AGENDA Danielle Sprague, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agent in Jefferson …
FFVA Urges All Members to Attend Plant City Trade Hearing
Now is your chance to tell the administration: Unfair Mexican trade practices threaten our ability to grow fruits and vegetables. (FFVA) — Representatives from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce will hold a public hearing on April 7 to hear from Florida growers of fresh fruit and vegetables about the severe economic losses …
UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project: Successful Industry Partnership
(UF/IFAS) — The need for private funding for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Industrial Hemp Pilot Project has formed successful partnerships that benefit research and the agriculture industry. “The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) provided funding for equipment and has been a supportive partner by inspecting incoming plant material, but the hemp …
Managing Fusarium Wilt and Whiteflies in Watermelon
By Ashley Robinson Fusarium wilt is one of the most serious and difficult diseases to manage in watermelons and occurs in most production regions worldwide. The fungal disease can be seedborne and has great longevity in the soil, allowing the infested soil to also serve as a source of infection. FUSARIUM WILT Fusarium wilt has been a recurring issue for …
Grafted Watermelon Seedlings Could Benefit Growers
By Ashley Robinson Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are studying grafted watermelon seedlings because of the advantages they can provide to growers. The grafted seedlings, an intentional fusion of plant parts, are resistant to fusarium wilt and tolerant to cold temperatures. “This is kind of an additional tool to use if you do …
Pumpkin, Calabaza Breeding Program Set to Carve Out New Niche Market for Growers
(UF/IFAS) — Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Shultz yielded popularity to an almighty pumpkin in the 1966 animated TV Special “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” Today, pumpkin popularity for holiday decor, healthy snacking, and scrumptious recipes during fall and winter months has given rise to innovative research led by Geoffrey Meru, assistant professor of vegetable breeding, genetics and genomics at …
Tropical Research and Education Center to Host Open House
(UF/IFAS) — On Dec. 4, the South Florida community has an opportunity to engage in innovative, high-tech research at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) open house. The center, located at 18905 Southwest 280th Street in the heart of Homestead, is a hub of research and development that helps South Florida be one of the world’s leading agricultural and …