By Denise Attaway The humble huckleberry may never rival the soybean in the number of acres planted, but there’s no reason it and other specialty crops can’t have the same technological benefits as row crops do — such as big data. The competitiveness and sustainability of the $36 billion specialty crop industry in the United States is threatened by declining …
Producers, Public Invited to April Meeting of Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to submit comments for and virtually attend the fifth public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on April 18, 2023. “The Federal Advisory Committee is a valuable source of on the ground information and recommendations for USDA,” said …
Last Chance to Preregister!
The last chance to preregister for the Florida Grower Citrus Show is Friday, April 7, at 12:00 p.m. Here is all you need to know before you go. Show Agenda Thursday, April 13 8:00 a.m. Registration begins/Breakfast served 9:00 a.m. General session begins 11:10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Lunch break 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Concurrent citrus and vegetable sessions Tailgate …
New Activities at Florida Grower Citrus Show
The 2023 Florida Grower Citrus Show, presented by AgNet Media, will be held April 13 in Fort Pierce. The show has a new venue this year — the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) and the adjacent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory. …
Don’t Miss The Florida Grower Citrus Show!
The 2023 Florida Grower Citrus Show is not your average trade show. In less than one month, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Ft. Pierce will host the show. Seminars will be packed with …
April Crop Insurance Deadline Approaches
The final date to apply for Florida citrus tree and fruit crop insurance coverage for the 2023 crop year is April 15. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the April 15 to do so. Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk …
GFVGA Leader Concerned for Growers With Complicated H-2A Program
By Clint Thompson The convoluted and sometimes perplexing nature of the H-2A program has Chris Butts concerned about the ramifications of one misstep by his producers. Butts, executive vice president of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), continues to voice his concerns with how the methodology is constructed to determine the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR); the expense …
Register Now for the Florida Grower Citrus Show
The event’s fresh format will pack plenty of education and fellowship in a single day. The Florida Grower Citrus Show, scheduled for April 13, is fast approaching. The event opens at 7:30 a.m., and breakfast will be served at 8:00 a.m. Growers and industry stakeholders are invited to sign up for complimentary preregistration. NEW LOOK AND LOCATION This year, the University of …
HCCGA Annual Meeting Addresses Disaster Relief
The Highlands Country Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) held its annual meeting in early March, celebrating 33 years of service to its membership. The event turned out a packed house in Sebring, with growers optimistic despite a challenging season. Matt Joyner, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual, spoke during the event and outlined a busy list …
Florida Citrus Forecast Sees Positive Move in Challenged Season
The Florida 2022–23 all-orange forecast inched up 1% in March to 16.1 million boxes while the grapefruit forecast rose 7% to 1.6 million boxes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) forecast for Florida tangerines and tangelos was unchanged at 500,000 boxes. The entire rise of 100,000 boxes in the orange forecast was in the …