In the age of COVID-19, sanitizer applications are essential for producers to keep their workforce healthy. Laurel Dunn, Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Georgia, offers several guidelines for using sanitizers and other cleaning products in facilities where vegetable and specialty crops are cleaned and packaged. Not All Sanitizers are Appropriate The …
Deadline Looming for Financial Assistance from Zeta
The deadline is less than two weeks away for Alabama vegetable and specialty crop farmers seeking financial assistance from Hurricane Zeta. Producers who suffered losses related to Hurricane Zeta have until Jan. 15 to submit an application to the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation for assistance from a Hurricane Relief Fund. According to the alfafarmers.org, the relief fund is designed to …
Sneak Peek: January 2021 VSCNews Magazine
By Ashley Robinson The January issue of VSCNews magazine will be the blueberry grower’s handbook heading into the 2021 season. Chilli thrips are a growing threat for blueberry growers. Without proper management of the pest, overall plant vigor and yields can be affected. Oscar Liburd, a professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in …
New BMP Record-Keeping Requirements for Florida Growers
By Ajia Paolillo On July 1, 2020, new record-keeping requirements went into effect for nitrogen and phosphorus amounts applied by growers enrolled in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Best Management Practices (BMP) program. These records are required due to the passage of Senate Bill 712, the Clean Waterways Act. Growers have been asking many questions about …
Alabama Counties Designated Disaster Areas From Hurricane Zeta
Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 13 Alabama counties as primary disaster areas, due to damage and losses caused by Hurricane Zeta Oct. 28–29. USDA reviewed the Loss Assessment Reports and determined that there were sufficient production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation. In accordance with …
The Top Reasons Why We Believe in Florida Citrus
Fifteen years into the fight against HLB, growers keep learning and producing fruit and will continue to do so.Â
After Holiday Meal, It’s Time to Make Some Yummy Nutritious Leftovers
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 …