Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference Gets Underway

Gary Cooper Alabama, Field Crops, Florida, General, Georgia, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

Here’s a couple more features on this week’s Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference going on in Savannah GA into the weekend. Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA) hosts this annual regional event in Savannah each January and it draws producers, industry and political leaders from several southeastern states. In the first report, GFVGA’s Charles Hall talks about some of …

FL Rep. Poppell: Agriculture Research Critical For Many Reasons

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, General, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables

As state lawmakers wrestle to whittle some four percent from the state budget in this special session, with expectations to do much more carving on the budget in a few weeks, maintaining the integrity of important programs and services is the hope of many. In this report, comments from Rep. Ralph Poppell, a citrus grower from Legislative District 29 in …

Grass Roots Involvement In Legislative Process Encouraged

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, General, Sugar

In this report, comments from Florida Senator Carey Baker, Chairman of the Senate Committee on General Government Appropriations, who says at times like these it is important that producers themselves stay abreast of the issues and get involved in the process. There are many opportunities for farmers and ranchers to join others in Tallahassee during the Session. Also a mention …

FL Legislature Works to Cut State Budget in All Areas

Gary Cooper Citrus, Florida, Sugar

We spent some time in Tallahassee this week to catch up on the budget cutting process underway in this special session, and what may be expected in terms of further cuts later, in the general session scheduled to get underway in early March. In this series of reports, we speak with three different lawmakers about agriculture and related issues as …

Food Safety Forum at 2009 Southeast Fruit & Vegetable Conference

Randall Weiseman Florida, Georgia, Vegetables

The 2009 Southeast Regional fruit and Vegetable Conference will start Friday the 9th in Savannah, Georgia and run through Sunday the 11th. The event, will offer commodity production sessions as well as specialty workshops. Charles Hall of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association tells us a little more about the scheduled Food Safety Focus Forum.

GA Ag Commodity Commish Awards $85K for Veg Research

Gary Cooper General, Georgia, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

This in today from the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (GFVGA): The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Vegetables is pleased to announce that more than $85,000.00 has been awarded for nine 2009 research projects. These are the first research grants awarded since the new vegetable marketing order and commission was approved by vegetable growers in February of 2008. Bo …

Late Blight Showing Up in SW Florida Crops

Gary Cooper Florida, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

This just in from Gene McAvoy, County Extension Director, Regional Vegetable Agent IV, UF/IFAS Hendry County Extension, LaBelle, Florida: Over the weekend, reports indicate that late blight is showing up everywhere across Southwest Florida on both tomato and potato. Late blight is caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans, which is a pathogen of potato and tomato. This disease can spread …