TALLAHASSEE, Fla.–Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced today the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is now accepting applications for $4 million in expected federal funding for the Florida Specialty Crop Block Grant program. The deadline to submit an application to the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is Jan. 11, 2019. The grant, from the U.S. Department of …
Don’t Get Spooked by Ugly Fruit
By Breanna Kendrick Each year, up to 20 percent of the fruits and vegetables harvested in the United States go to waste because they’re not visually pleasing to consumers. Jeffrey Brecht, professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida, works in the area of post-harvest horticulture. He focuses on measuring the quality of fruits and vegetables in …
Black Aphids Invade Georgia Pecans
By Breanna Kendrick Black aphids are small black insects that feed on the leaves of pecan trees. The area where black aphids are feeding will turn yellow and become necrotic, killing the tissues surrounding the feeding area. Black aphids are most common later in the pecan season. Black aphids do have some populations early in the season, but are less of …
Improving Mechanical Harvesting of Fresh-Market Blueberries
By Fumiomi Takeda The growth of the blueberry industry in the past three decades has been remarkably robust. For the blueberry industry to remain competitive and sustainable, growers are seeking solutions to ever-increasing problems with labor shortages and rising labor costs for harvesting blueberries by hand. More growers are now using over-the-row (OTR) mechanical harvesters to pick blueberries for the …
FDACS Delivers Thousands of Pounds of Food to Hurricane Florence Victims
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has delivered thousands of servings of food to Hurricane Florence victims in North Carolina. The department coordinated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ready and deliver USDA Foods to disaster relief sites and shelters. USDA Foods include a variety of canned, fresh, …
Commissioner Putnam Announces 2019 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Honorees
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation announced the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees for 2019. The induction ceremony will be held at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on Feb. 12, 2019. More information is available FloridaAgHallofFame.org. “Agriculture is Florida’s oldest industry, and it continues to support …
UF Scientists Hope to Breed Better-Tasting Sweet Corn
University of Florida (UF) scientists plan to use a $7.3 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) to find the genetic traits that will make sweet corn taste even better, last longer and grow better across the nation. Mark Settles, a professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of …
UF/IFAS Team Hopes to Fight Prevalent Tomato Disease
A University of Florida (UF) scientist will lead a team of researchers trying to help battle Fusarium wilt, a major tomato disease around the world. In doing so, investigators hope to help farmers increase their tomato production. Sam Hutton, an associate professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), will use a new $490,000 …
Organic Certification: Navigating the Red Tape
By Abbey Taylor and Ernie Neff U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official Jennifer Tucker declares organic agriculture to be “a terrific opportunity for farmers and consumers.” “It is a growing market with a lot of great potential,” says Tucker, associate deputy administrator for the USDA’s National Organic Program. The USDA has provided guidelines for farmers and handlers interested in obtaining …
Bills Aimed at Better Review of Organic Products
By Brian German The U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives both have a bill up for consideration that is aimed at creating tighter scrutiny related to the review of organic products. The two pieces of legislation are focused on ensuring all organic products coming into the United States are truly organic, while prohibiting products that are labeled as organic …