On May 7 the Tomato Suspension Agreement officially terminated. The Department of Commerce announced the U.S. withdrawal in the beginning of the year. The agreement, made back in 2013, was designed to prevent an anti-dumping investigation in exchange for Mexican growers agreeing to certain restrictions. Michael Schadler, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, has been very vocal about …
Stone Fruit Field Day Provides Growers with New Research
By Alison DeLoach Peaches can often be a difficult crop for growers to produce in Florida. Ali Sarkhosh, an assistant professor and Extension specialist at the University of Florida (UF), dedicates his research to helping growers overcome these challenges. Recently, Sarkhosh hosted a stone fruit field day with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The speakers at this …
Preventing Foodborne Illness Before It Happens
By Alison DeLoach Preventing outbreaks of foodborne pathogens is important to ensuring a safe food supply. Xiangyu Deng, an associate professor at the University of Georgia Food Safety Center, developed a new way to detect and subtype a foodborne pathogen more quickly than the traditional methods. When identifying a foodborne pathogen, there are two processes: the detection process and the …
‘If I Take Care of the Land, the Land’s Going to Take Care of Me’
A Florida strawberry grower went above and beyond to be a steward of the land, earning the 4R Advocate Award. Agricultural producers pride themselves on being stewards of the land. Dustin Grooms, farm manager of Fancy Farms, is an excellent example of that. Grooms is a 2019 recipient of the 4R Advocate Award. This national award is given to five …
UGA Study Shows NAFTA Impact
A new study from the University of Georgia (UGA) breaks down the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the Southeast’s fruit and vegetable industries. Southeastern growers and industry groups have been very vocal about the negative impacts of NAFTA. With the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (the NAFTA rewrite) coming down the pipeline, the industry continues to speak …
Lawmakers Try to Set Stage for Hemp Industry
Moving quickly after the passage of a federal law, the Florida Legislature on Friday gave final approval to a bill aimed at creating an industrial-hemp industry in the state. Senators voted 39-0 to pass the bill (SB 1020), after the House approved it in a 112-1 vote Wednesday. The bill is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The state …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on Florida Hemp Bill Passage
The Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 1020, establishing a state hemp program within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The historic vote comes after the 2018 federal Farm Bill removed prohibitions on industrial hemp in place since 1937 and authorized states to create hemp programs. Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, a noted advocate for hemp, cannabis, and medical marijuana, offered the following statement: “Today’s …
Managing Nematodes in Peaches
By Alison DeLoach Nematodes are known to cause severe damage to growers’ crops in Florida. Don Dickson, a nematologist at the University of Florida (UF), has spent his career helping growers manage nematodes. At a Peach Field Day on April 30 held by the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Dickson presented nematode research. In Florida, there are four …
Teaching the Next Generation About Aquaculture
By Eric Cassiano Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors. As the need for aquaculture increases, the opportunity for several careers develops. Many K-12 schools have identified and addressed this growing need by implementing aquaculture within their curriculums. Island Coast High School (ICHS) in Lee County has one of the largest K-12 aquaculture programs in Florida. It all …
Controlling Bacterial Spot on Tomatoes and Peppers
Alabama Extension wants those growing tomatoes and peppers to be aware of bacterial spot, a common disease on the leaves of those two plants. There are several steps growers can take to control and prevent the disease, which involves using multiple management tactics. Controlling the disease with chemicals alone usually results in failure. Steps growers can take include rotating fields …