Georgia Bill Tracker: HB 223 Sent Back to House

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Georgia specialty crop producers impacted by Hurricane Helene in 2024 need legislative help to maintain their farming operations. Georgia legislators are doing their part to assist those farmers. The governor’s disaster package, also known as HB 223, passed the Senate last week and went back to the House. The bill would allow disaster payments to be state …

Blueberries: A Healthy, Tasty Snack from Florida Farmers

Clint ThompsonFlorida

As we head into the heart of Florida blueberry harvest season, which generally lasts from March through May, growers are shipping the fruit to market to meet statewide and national consumer demand. You can find Florida-grown berries in stores, farmer’s markets and U-picks from the Panhandle through South Florida. Along with vitamin C, manganese and fiber, the fruit is known …

Rye’s Benefits as Windbreak for North Florida’s Watermelons

Clint ThompsonFlorida

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) continues to spout the benefits of rye as a windbreak in watermelon fields in the Suwanee Valley. Their value has been undisputable this year, says Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida. He noted in a recent email to Florida growers that rye can protect …

Georgia Legislative Update: SB 144 Passes

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson The Georgia State Legislative Session continues in Atlanta, and a bill impacting pesticide labeling cleared its final legislative hurdle last week. Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) President Will Bentley spoke with AgNet Media about the passage of SB 144. “Most importantly, SB 144 passed out of the House, which is final passage for that bill dealing with pesticide …

Specialty Crop Grower: Can Biodegradable Mulches Save Labor, Improve Yields?

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Frank Giles Plastic mulch provides growers numerous benefits in establishing beds to grow crops. Some of those benefits include improved pest and weed management, water conservation and better yield and crop quality. But what do you do with the mulch after growing the crop? It creates an expense for growers to deploy labor to remove the plastic from the …

weed management

Pre-emergent Herbicides Preferred for Weed Management

Dan CooperWeed Management

It is best for citrus growers to implement a proactive approach to weed management. Being reactive puts producers behind the eight ball with regards to controlling certain weeds in their groves. That’s why Ramdas Kanissery, weed scientist and associate professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), is preaching the importance of pre-emergent herbicides. They …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: IR-4 Working Behind Scenes for Producers

Clint ThompsonSpecialty Crop Grower Magazine

The Last WordBy Kristen Searer-Jones Think of IR-4 as a cloaked superhero — often unseen but doing critical work for the specialty crop community. For over 60 years, IR-4 has developed the data required for registrations of safe, effective pest management products for specialty crop growers. Driven by growers’ priorities, IR-4’s research supports healthy harvests, economic growth, agricultural livelihoods, affordable …

Drought Lingers Across Southeast

Clint ThompsonDrought, Florida

The latest release of the U.S. Drought Monitor shows conditions improving in some areas across the Southeast, though dry conditions still linger across states like Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Alabama Alabama has drought-like conditions throughout the state, though most are showing abnormally dry conditions. Moderate drought is observed in a few counties in the southwest part of the state, including …

Florida Blueberry Producer Optimistic About Crop This Year

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Florida blueberry producer Ryan Atwood is a couple of weeks away from harvesting substantial volume. But he’s already feeling optimistic about this year’s crop. “I think at the beginning of the season, you always feel optimistic. But I feel good about the timing,” said Ryan Atwood, who lives in Mount Dora, Florida and farms 56 acres of …

Lettuce Downy Mildew Detected in EAA

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Downy mildew disease has been detected in lettuce (LDM) in multiple locations in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) in Florida. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) noted the disease’s observance on Saturday. This year’s detection is later than normal, since prior detections in 2023 and 2024 were reported in February. The weather forecast noted weather conditions …