Lingering Drought Impacting Agricultural Work in North Alabama

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson The lingering drought is affecting some areas worse than others. It is especially dire in North Alabama where extreme dry conditions start as far south as Hale and Bibb counties stretch northward. Parts of Colbert, Lauderdale, Madison, Jackson and Dekalb are experiencing an exceptional drought. Eric Schavey, regional Extension agent in Northeast Alabama, discussed the impact the …

Alabama Agricultural Outlook Conference Slated for Dec. 13

Clint ThompsonAlabama

AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — Specialty crop producers need reliable information as they look toward 2024. To fill this need, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s farm and agribusiness management team — in collaboration with faculty in Auburn University’s Colleges of Agriculture and Forestry, Wildlife and Environment — is hosting the Alabama Agricultural Outlook Conference. The conference is Dec. 13 in Montgomery, Alabama …

AFVGA Tour Visits Sites in Georgia, Florida

Web AdminAlabama, Fruit, Leafy Vegetables, Vegetables

By Clint Thompson The Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) toured farming operations in Georgia and Florida last week. It allowed its attendees, young and experienced, to build camaraderie while learning from fellow growers in the Southeast. Blake Thaxton, executive director of the AFVGA, discussed the importance of the week-long tour, which included stops at Lewis Taylor Farms, a …

USDA AFRI Grant to Allow Researchers to Help Southern Blueberry Growers in States Like Alabama

Web AdminAlabama, Blueberries

A nearly half-a-million-dollar grant will allow Auburn University professors and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station researchers to help blueberry growers in states like Alabama where growing the fruit has its challenges. Funded by a $497,827 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the project is titled, “Expanding Southern highbush blueberries to underserved regions of the …

Sweet Grown Alabama Under the Spotlight at Expo

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By Clint Thompson Sweet Grown Alabama is under the spotlight this week at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. Alabama is the spotlight state during the three-day event, which has allowed attendees, numbering close to 50,000, the opportunity to explore the diverse agricultural landscape that is Alabama production. Marlee Jackson, publications director at Alabama Farmers Federation, described what it …

Alabama Pumpkin Farmer: Best Crop We’ve Ever Had

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By Clint Thompson Pumpkins are not meant to be consistently produced in the South. So, when Alabama farmer John Aplin experiences a bountiful harvest like this season, all he can do is thank the Good Lord above. “I know in bad years when we’ve got tons of rain, I know what happened and why they went south. On a good …

Alabama Extension to Host Strawberry Meeting

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Alabama strawberry producers should mark their calendars for Wednesday, Nov. 8. The Alabama Extension Commercial Horticulture Team will be hosting its annual strawberry production meeting in Chilton County. The meeting is tailored to any producer in Alabama or those that are interested in producing strawberries for the first time. It usually attracts growers from all across the state. This year’s …

AFVGA Leader: More Research Dollars Needed for Automation in Next Farm Bill

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By Clint Thompson Additional research into automation is essential for the long-term sustainability of specialty crop producers. That’s the mindset shared by Blake Thaxton, executive director of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA). He commented on the ongoing Farm Bill negotiations and what the AFVGA would like to see prioritized. “From the fruit and vegetable association side, I …

Drought Monitor: Southern Alabama in Need of Rainfall

Web AdminAlabama, Drought, Weather

By Clint Thompson Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor showed dry conditions in some areas across the Southeast. South Alabama, in particular, is in need of rainfall. From Mobile County in the southwest corner of the state, to Houston County in the southeast, the entire region is dry. Most areas are abnormally dry, though Mobile and Baldwin counties in …

Farm Bill Has Multifaceted Effects on Alabamians

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AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala.—The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 is set to expire Sept. 30. An Alabama Cooperative Extension System economist said the act, also known as the farm bill, has more than just an agricultural impact on Alabamians. Adam Rabinowitz is expecting house and senate committees to begin releasing bill drafts in late August near the end of the congressional …