By Frank Giles Artificial intelligence (AI) has been around and in our collective conscious for a long time. The Steven Spielberg-directed movie by the same name is more than 20 years old. But, not until recently, has the talk of AI’s potential and dangers really ramped up. You may have played around with ChatGPT (chat.openai.com), which is a large language …
Out of Business: Gloomy Future for Florida Blueberry Farmers
By Clint Thompson Florida’s recent lack of success in profiting from its blueberry crop has prompted some farmers to leave the business altogether. “I already know of three farms for sale. I think you’re going to see a couple of people go out of business,” said Ryan Atwood, who lives in Mount Dora, Florida and farms 56 acres of blueberries, …
FFVA Applauds Proposed House Bill Addressing Immigration Reform
A new bill introduced last week by members of the U.S. House of Representatives addresses ag labor reform that will impact specialty crop producers in the Southeast. U.S. Representatives Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Maria Salazar (R-FL) introduced the Dignity Act, a bipartisan immigration reform bill that aims to fix the immigration system. It will secure the border, mandate E-Verify nationwide …
Sneak Peek: June 2023 Specialty Crop Industry Magazine
The June issue of Specialty Crop Industry Magazine puts the spotlight on Lipman Family Farms which is celebrating 75 years. It prioritizes people, which includes its large workforce and the desires of consumers it serves. The company has navigated through various economic challenges, which includes rising input costs, especially labor. Elyse Lipman, chief executive officer of Lipman Family Farms, discusses …
Protect Your Groves From Citrus Leafminer
Healthy citrus fruit in FL. The citrus leafminer is a small, hard-to-detect pest that hides during the day and comes out at night to lay its eggs. Though this pest is small, it’s been known to cause severe damage to FL citrus crops. Having a broad-spectrum insecticide at your fingertips could go a long way in protecting your crops. While …
Protecting Against ‘Wildfire’: Melon Growers Should Be Wary of Downy Mildew
By Clint Thompson Recent rainfall events in North Florida have watermelon producers on high alert from disease pressure building up. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, cautions growers against downy mildew disease as harvests continue across the region. “I expect that the weather pattern here is …
Florida Blueberry Grower: “Wasn’t a Good Year for Florida”
By Clint Thompson Blueberry season has all but ended in Florida. Growers are taking stock of the season, which was impacted by the Christmas freeze event and a couple of freezes in March. One producer believes it wasn’t a good year for Florida. “We were down on our yield. We were a little late because of some of those freezes. …
Robotic Harvesters Could Be Challenge in Vegetable Production
By Clint Thompson Precision Ag innovations are needed for specialty crop producers to remain sustainable now and into the future. The only problem with that reality may be vegetable’s sensitivity. A robotic harvester may not be feasible for some of those crops because they could get damaged during harvest, believes Jessica Kirk, director of food safety and marketing at Lewis …
Cold-Hardy Citrus Production and Challenges
By Maegan Beatty Cold-hardy citrus is grown across a few thousand acres in more than 16 counties in North Florida and South Georgia. The satsuma mandarin is a cold-hardy species that has been grown throughout North Florida since the 1800s. The fruit is typically medium sized, a reddish orange color and can produce the highest quality in cooler winters and …
Cold-Hardy Citrus Production and Challenges
By Maegan Beatty Cold-hardy citrus is grown across a few thousand acres in more than 16 counties in North Florida and South Georgia. The satsuma mandarin is a cold-hardy species that has been grown throughout North Florida since the 1800s. The fruit is typically medium sized, a reddish orange color and can produce the highest quality in cooler winters and …