Friday Deadline for Alabama Farmers Following Zeta

Web AdminAlabama, Top Posts, Weather

The deadline is Friday for Alabama vegetable and specialty crop farmers seeking financial assistance from Hurricane Zeta. Producers who suffered losses related to Hurricane Zeta need to submit an application to the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation for assistance from a Hurricane Relief Fund by this week. According to the alfafarmers.org, the relief fund is designed to help offset farmer losses …

Georgia Blueberry Commission to Receive Nominations

Web AdminBerries, Georgia, Top Posts

The Georgia Blueberry Commission is taking nominations for a person to fill the unexpired term of Russ Goodman. The deadline for applications is Jan. 31, 2021. If interested, a person must be a grower of blueberries in Georgia and must be willing to commit to meetings and activities of the Blueberry Commission. The term will end the Summer of 2023. …

Georgia Blueberry Disease Management Update

Web AdminBerries, Disease, Georgia, Top Posts, VSCNews magazine

By Jonathan Oliver In 2020, mild winter conditions followed by a wet spring contributed to the development of significant disease issues on Georgia blueberries. Among other issues, growers faced difficulties with preharvest and postharvest fruit rots and continuing problems with spring blueberry leaf rust epidemics. The fruit pathology program at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Tifton conducts trials to …

Winter Rains Mean Reduced Chance of Summer Drought

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Rainfall this winter should mean less potential for dry conditions in the summer for vegetable and specialty crop producers in the Southeast. That could mean less need for irrigation usage for farmers during the hot summer months of June through August. Rain has not been lacking across the Southeast, especially during the latter part of December and so far in …

Southeast Agriculture Well Represented on House Ag Committee

Web AdminAlabama, Florida, Georgia, Legislative, Top Posts

Bob Redding, who works for the Redding Firm and serves as a lobbyist for agricultural groups in Washington, D.C., believes the 117th Congress yields a positive outlook for vegetable and specialty crop producers in the Southeast. Prominent Georgians are represented on the House Ag Committee. The committee is empowered with legislative oversight relating to the U.S. agriculture industry, forestry, nutrition …

Peach Varieties Susceptible to Bacterial Spot Disease

Web AdminAlabama, Disease, Florida, Georgia, Peaches, Top Posts

Susceptible peach varieties make bacterial spot disease a problem that continues to linger for growers in the Southeast. That was a message that Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension plant pathologist, presented during last week’s Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. “A lot of the varieties that people really want the fruit from are susceptible. Unfortunately, that’s the reality. …

USDA Establishes Weekly Report to Highlight Seasonable, Perishable Product Trends

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a new data report, the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement Seasonal Perishable Products Weekly Update, prepared in close partnership with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce). The weekly report is based on data provided by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) …

2021 Southeastern Vegetable Crop Handbook Now Available!

Web AdminNorth Carolina, Top Posts, Vegetables

According to N.C. State Extension, the new Southeastern Vegetable Crop Handbook is now available online. Extension vegetable specialists across the Southeast come together annually to update this handbook. In addition to vegetables, garlic, some culinary herbs and hops are also included. There will be a limited number of hard copies available. Due to the lack of in-person vegetable grower meetings …

UGA Climatologist: This Year’s La Nina Weather Pattern is Rare

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A La Nina weather pattern is usually characterized by warmer temperatures and drier conditions. So far this winter, however, it has been a lot cooler with more rain than originally predicted in the Southeast. Pam Knox, University of Georgia Extension Agricultural Climatologist, explains why this year’s La Nina is acting abnormally. “It’s not unprecedented to have a La Nina like …

Students Awarded Campus Sustainability Grants

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By Josh Paine, UGA CAES News A University of Georgia student-led project hopes to produce fruitful results with an edible landscape near Lake Herrick. One of 13 annual Campus Sustainability Grants recently awarded to UGA students by the Office of Sustainability, the UGA Edible Landscape Project —led by College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) student Abbie Dillon  — will …