By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu With the COVID-19 shutdowns increasing people’s need for food, some consumers rely on nonprofits for a bite to eat. To help, farmers in Florida and elsewhere are donating excess produce to food banks, said a UF/IFAS expert. In fact, some food banks are helping farmers by offsetting some of their costs, thus incentivizing growers to harvest …
South Carolina Peaches Ripe for Productive Season
By Clint Thompson The country’s No. 2 state in peach production appears ripe for a productive season, pending how the market spirals over the next few months, according to Andy Rollins, Clemson Extension agent in Spartanburg, South Carolina. “It’s looking really good overall as far as the amount of crop and how clean the crop actually is right now,” Rollins …
The Day South Florida Agriculture Changed
Submitted by Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus with UF/IFAS “Up to the end of Feb our growers were having a banner year and it looked like this season would be one of those homeruns that come around every 5-6 years.” Here is a report that I prepared on the state of S Florida ag and shared with …
U-Pick Farms Feeling Impact of Coronavirus Pandemic
By Clint Thompson Agribusinesses that offer U-pick farms are not immune to the devastating impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Cassie Young and sister Allie Logan own Backyard Orchards in Eufaula, Alabama. Backyard Orchards has closed the U-pick part of its operation but continues to sell strawberries via social media, mainly Facebook. It also has a store with a commercial …
Fruits and Vegetables Next Stop on AFF’s Virtual Field Trip
By Clint Thompson Children quarantined at home because of the coronavirus pandemic have a unique opportunity to learn about fruits and vegetables via social media. Alabama farmers, including Allie Logan and sister Cassie Young, will teach about fruits and vegetables as part of an ongoing virtual field trip offered through the Alabama Farmers Federation Facebook page, on Friday, April 10. …
Produce Market Sours on Florida, Georgia Farmers
By Clint Thompson One of the largest produce farmers in Georgia is nervous about the impact the coronavirus impact is having on produce farmers in the Southeast. Bill Brim, part owner of Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, Georgia, is in the middle of harvesting some of his fruits and vegetables and has already seen a decrease in demand, amid the …
Florida Farm Values Reported at Land Conference
Reports on 2019 land sales for row crops in Central Florida and several crops in the Homestead area were released at the Feb. 27-28 Lay of the Land Florida Land Conference in Lakeland. The reports were prepared by SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate. A report declared that sales in 2019 far exceeded those of 2018 for row crop …
Florida Strawberry Festival’s Featured Fruit Comes From UF/IFAS Research
(UF/IFAS) — When you hear the words “Plant City,” what comes to mind? Strawberries, probably. As thousands of people come to Plant City for the annual Florida Strawberry Festival this month, many will eat various types of the fruit. They may be surprised to learn that University of Florida scientists toil in nearby labs and fields to develop the best …
Fried on USTR Commitments to Seasonal Produce Protections
(FDACS) — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried offered the following statement regarding formal commitments recently made by U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to protect American seasonal produce growers from unfair trade practices harming the industry: “While discouraging that the USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement) and its implementing legislation lacked protections for our seasonal producers, I thank Ambassador Lighthizer for his formal commitments to …
Seeking Profits With Hemp
By Ernie Neff The fact that growers will be able to legally grow industrial hemp in Florida doesn’t necessarily mean the crop can be grown successfully, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) official says. “There is a huge interest in industrial hemp in the state of Florida,” says Jerry Fankhauser, assistant director of the UF/IFAS …