Alabama producers interested in growing hemp in 2023 should be aware that permits are only available between Oct. 11 and Nov. 30. Any production or cultivation of hemp without a grower’s permit acquired from the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is deemed illegal. Hemp is a large herbaceous plant that is grown industrially for seed, fiber and flower. …
What Can Growers Do Post-Ian to Improve Groves?
LAKE ALFRED, Fla. – While Hurricane Ian’s impact on Florida’s citrus growers last week is still being assessed, producers can take action now to protect their groves from further damage. Faculty at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, and at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center …
Gov. Ron DeSantis Has the Backs of Florida’s Farmers
By Team DeSantis Editor’s Note: With the November elections fast approaching, we asked the major candidates in Florida’s governor’s race to weigh-in on why Florida farmers should support their campaigns. Here’s what Gov. Ron DeSantis team had to say. Also note, this article was written prior to Hurricane Ian making landfall. See Charlie Crist’s article here. Florida is home to …
Crist: A Healthy Florida Needs a Healthy Ag Sector
By Charlie Crist Editor’s Note: With the November elections fast approaching, we asked the major candidates in Florida’s governor’s race to weigh-in on why Florida farmers should support their campaigns. Here’s what Charlie Crist had to say. Also note, this article was written prior to Hurricane Ian making landfall. See Gov. Ron DeSantis article here. As Florida has transformed itself …
Getting the Most Mileage out of Marathon Mandarin
By Peter Chaires Based on the performance of a single mother tree, the University of Florida’s Marathon mandarin was released and licensed into a revised version of the FAST TRACK model in 2019. Having learned from the growing pains of earlier FAST TRACK variety launches, the Marathon model (Suite IV) was designed to be more user friendly and flexible. Rather …
DeSantis Activates Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program on Tuesday. This makes $50 million available. At least $10 million must go to small businesses that are agricultural producers impacted by Hurricane Ian in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, …
Whitefly Populations on Rise in Alabama Crops
By Clint Thompson Alabama cucurbit growers are already seeing increased whitefly populations in their fall crops. Whitefly-transmitted viruses are not far behind, says Ed Sikora, professor and Extension plant pathologist in the department of entomology and plant pathology at Auburn University. “My guess is with the number of whiteflies and with these crops we’ll start seeing symptoms with some of …
Georgia Pecan Growers Association Executive Director: India Market Would be Game Changer
By Clint Thompson The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) assurance of a “positive outcome” regarding international market access for Georgia’s pecan growers was an encouraging first step for Samantha McLeod. The executive director of the Georgia Pecan Growers Association discussed USTR’s Katharine Tai’s response to Senator Raphael Warnock’s bipartisan letter urging assistance to negotiate with the Indian government for lower tariff …
Florida Strawberry Growers Association: ‘We’re Just Thankful’
By Clint Thompson Timing can be everything to the success of a crop. If Hurricane Ian had arrived in Florida a week later for example, the state’s strawberry crop could have sustained considerable damage. As it stood, few, if any plants were in the ground last week when the hurricane ravaged the state. Florida producers were fortunate, says Brianne Reichenbach, …
Clemson Extension Agents Provide Crop Updates
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 reports, “What a wild week we had with the hurricane, rain and storm prep. Overall, the Lowcountry dodged most of the wind and water. While we still had wind gusts exceeding 45 miles per …