By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) You’ve finished your holiday meal, including perhaps, seconds. The aroma of traditional foods still wafts from the kitchen. Lots of people will make leftovers, whether it’s turkey sandwiches or a veggie dish. But some UF/IFAS Extension agents suggest wise alternatives to prepare. From stuffed bell peppers to shepherd’s pie, here are some thoughts from …
Safety Training Program Protects Ag Workers During the Pandemic
By Kimberly L. Morgan Throughout the food supply chain, producers, processors, distributors, wholesalers and retailers seek economies of scale and scope to improve profit margins, while delivering safe, consistent, reliable and relatively low-cost foods to consumers. At the farm level, owners make decisions to minimize production and harvesting costs, relying on human resources and scientific advances to address the dynamic …
Whiteflies Still Problematic for Some Florida Farmers
According to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, whiteflies continue to be problematic for some Florida farmers. Around SW Florida, whiteflies continue to bounce up and down, as heavy rains and cool nights slowed them down a few days in most places. Population numbers and nymphs are building in a number of mature fields. Growers should increase monitoring efforts as pressure …
Asian Bean Thrip Scouting Report in Florida
Here is the weekly scouting report of the Asian Bean Thrip (ABT) in various counties in Florida. According to UF/IFAS, outside of Miami-Dade County, high population densities of ABT continue to be in isolated occurrences only. The highest instances of ABT continues to be in eastern Palm Beach County. Populations are as high as 4.0 per bloom. However, it has …
Treading the Produce Safety Rule Agricultural Water Requirements
By Taylor Langford, Matt Krug and Michelle Danyluk The Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule (PSR) highlights the need to reduce risks associated with agricultural water (e.g., irrigation, fertigation, foliar sprays, frost protection, etc.) that will contact fresh produce. The PSR requires some growers to monitor the quality of their agricultural water by analyzing generic E. coli populations through …
Foundation Applications Open for Hurricane Zeta Assistance
According to the Alabama Farmers Federation website, the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation (AFAF) is accepting applications through Jan. 15 from farmers who suffered losses related to Hurricane Zeta. The Hurricane Relief Fund was established in response to calls from farmers and businesses who wanted to help their neighbors. It was utilized earlier this year for Hurricane Sally after it made landfall …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Comments on New Coronavirus Stimulus Package
Tallahassee, Fla. – Late last night, Congressional leaders agreed upon a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues setting new case records, the bill will provide some direct assistance to families and additional funding for food production and distribution, among other priorities. On the bill, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried offered the following statement: “For more than …
Factors Behind Rebound in the Florida Citrus Market
Industry regional association leaders scan the scene and give their take on where this season is headed.
Food-Safety Concerns Sought for Produce Industry
The University of Florida (UF) and Rutgers University are teaming up to find out what food-safety issues are the biggest concerns across the produce industry. Members of the produce industry are invited to participate in an anonymous online survey that will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Michelle Danyluk said the survey …
Heat Brings Out Antioxidants, Increases Red in Tomatoes
December 17, 2020 By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) Turn up the heat, and get more nutrition from your tomato, University of Florida researchers say. Furthermore, when you buy a tomato, it will be about as red as it can be, thanks to the UF/IFAS methods deployed for the study. The findings are crucial to an industry in which Florida …