The 2016 Suwannee Valley Watermelon Institute took place on December 8 at the Straughn Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Professional Development Center at the University of Florida. Over 150 growers and vendors gathered to attend sessions that addressed issues and provided updates within the Florida watermelon industry. Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …
Fresh From Florida has begun to collect stories from Florida growers about their farms to promote the growers’ operations on social media. Jackie Moalli, with Fresh From Florida’s industry relations group, said, “Growers are encouraged to submit videos or a few paragraphs for us to share on our social media outreach.” Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube will all be utilized …
GAINESVILLE, Fla., Dec. 6, 2016 — When people shop at this year’s 20th annual poinsettia sale at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, they may be surprised that not all poinsettias are red. The sale, held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 8 and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 9, takes place at the …
Renee Allen, area blueberry agent with the University of Georgia (UGA) Extension, discussed her recent presentation at the 2016 Fall Blueberry Short Course held in Plant City, Florida. She said her main focus was to speak on the studies she’s conducted on initial identification of issues with spray coverage in south Georgia blueberries. Allen spoke on two main topics during …
On November 30, growers from the northeast Florida region attended the Cole Crop Field Day, located at the Cowpen Branch Research Farm in Hastings. University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agents and industry professionals covered several topics — from nutrient and pest management to alternative cropping. Also, research was shown on alternative vegetable crops as well …
At the recent Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) show, Fresh From Florida announced it has been working with blueberry growers to collect rudimentary data on their operations. The data will be used by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to leverage the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a blueberry crop forecasting system in …
There are a few new strawberry varieties that have recently been released, and others that are expected soon from the University of Florida. Kenneth Parker, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, discussed what new varieties are being introduced in the Florida strawberry industry. “FL-127 originally was released under the name Florida Sensation,” says Parker. He says the FL-127 …
The New York Produce Show and Conference kicks off December 5, 2016. The four day event features a one day trade show with over 400 companies. The show will also include tours of the produce industry in the surrounding region. The event is presented by the Eastern Produce Council and Produce Business and will be held in New York City. …
