Farm-to-School

Read the Florida Farm-to-School Winning Essay

Dan CooperEducation

Last fall, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) held an essay writing contest to support its Farm-to-School program. The program’s goal is to link Florida farmers with school districts to provide locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. The essay contest sought to engage the students who benefit from the program. More than 240 students submitted an essay. …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Anna Sara Hill Zack Snipes Midlands Sarah Scott Pee Dee Brittney King Upstate Andy Rollins Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility and Strength to …

Thrips Threat: N.C. State Studying Pest’s Challenge to State’s Small Fruits

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson North Carolina (N.C.) berry farmers should be mindful of thrips. Not normally a problem for growers in North Carolina in past years, thrips have been gaining traction as a concerning pest recently, says Lorena Lopez, N.C. State assistant Extension professor of entomology and plant pathology. “Western flower thrips are the major thrips species that we have infesting …

Sweet Grown Alabama Continues to Be Valuable Resource for State’s Farmers

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson The Sweet Grown Alabama branding program continues to be a valuable resource for the state’s agriculture industry to connect with consumers. Founded in 2019, the program allows specialty crop producers and their farming operations to be included in a database that serves consumers who want to support locally grown produce. They could be searching for strawberries, peaches, …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Updates

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Zack Snipes Midlands Rob Last Sarah Scott Pee Dee Brittney King Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility and Strength to Sweet Corn Pest ManagementJanuary …

Savor the Taste: Pack in Nutrition During Florida Strawberry Season

Clint ThompsonFlorida

You can taste them now – sweet, succulent strawberries. February and March mark the peak time for Florida strawberry production, and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts point to several reasons consumers gobble up the juicy fruit. “Strawberries are tasty because they are sweet and slightly tangy. This comes from the sugars and acids in …

Blackberry Production in Florida

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Clint Thompson Interest in blackberry production is on the rise in Florida. Zhanao Deng, professor of environmental horticulture at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is tasked with helping grow the industry throughout the state. He is doing it in two ways. “We are trying to find the (existing) varieties that we can grow here …

Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

Weekly Field Update Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Statewide Lacy Barnette, Climate-Smart Grown in South Carolina Coastal Region Zack Snipes Midlands Rob Last Sarah Scott Upstate Andy Rollins Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility …

Florida Strawberry Sales Set to Hit Peak Amid Challenging Season

Clint ThompsonFlorida

By Maegan Beatty Strawberry sales in Florida are expected to peak this month and will continue through March, though producer Dustin Grooms said they could be selling strawberries through May. The longer the better for growers like Grooms who have their share of difficulties to overcome this year. Hurricane Milton was a major obstacle for growers when it made landfall …

What’s the Latest? Clemson Extension Agents Provide Weekly Crop Updates

Clint ThompsonSouth Carolina

Clemson Extension agents provide updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state. Coastal Region Zack Snipes Midlands Rob Last Sarah Scott Sponsored ContentNew Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower SolutionsFebruary 1, 2026Attribute® II Technology Adds More Flexibility and Strength to Sweet Corn Pest ManagementJanuary 1, 2026Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundNovember 1, …