Getting to the bottom of why those tomatoes aren’t growing in your garden.That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing the green fruits bursting on the vine but refusing to turn red. When you’re tomatoes aren’t ripening it’s usually not your fault. Some reasons that might be the root cause, include temperatures being too …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 08-07-2020
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended July 31, 2020, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 13,300 head compared to 16,713 last week and 16,948 year ago. Compared to one week …
New USDA Survey to Measure Areas for Improvement
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2020 – WASHINGTON, August 7, 2020 –The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today a new annual survey of farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners. The survey will help USDA understand what it is doing well and where improvements are needed, specifically at the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency …
USDA Announces Changes to Emergency Haying and Grazing Provisions
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced today changes for emergency haying and grazing of acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This includes changes outlined in the 2018 Farm Bill that streamlines the authorization process for farmers and ranchers. “FSA authorizes emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program …
Peanut Pre-Harvest Meeting Next Week
The 2020 Summer Conference & Pre-Harvest Event, sponsored by the American Peanut Shellers Association (APSA) and the National Peanut Buying Points Association (NPBPA), will be held August 10-13. Tyron Spearman reports this year will be a virtual event. There is no charge for members to participate in the NPBPA/APSA Summer Conference & Pre-Harvest Event, but registration is required. To learn …
Cattlemen Discuss Trade Issues
During the recent Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in Denver, one topic that was discussed was trade. When it comes to the U.S. beef industry, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Director of International Trade and Market Access Kent Bacus says once we are able to come out from under this cloud of COVID-19, we’re going to be in a much …
Pork Exports Trend Lower in June but Remain on Record Pace
June exports of U.S. pork fell below year-ago levels for the first time this year, but exports remain on a record pace in 2020, according to data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Beef exports were down sharply from a year ago in June. This reflected a lingering impact of a temporary slowdown in …
Rainy Forecast to Help Alleviate Dry Conditions
Farmers in Alabama, Georgia and most of Florida can expect to receive substantial amount of rainfall over the next few weeks, said Pam Knox, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agricultural Climatologist. It should help alleviate some of the drought-like conditions that are being experienced in all three states. “I looked at the forecast for the next two weeks and it …
Best Late Season Tomato Varieties to Grow
The best late season tomato varieties to grow in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Growing tomatoes later in the season ensures you still have something to look forward to at the end of the summer. Late season varieties are those that produce a harvest 80 to 100 days after planting. They provide a nice bit …
New Online Reporting Tool for Unsolicited Seed Packages
Given the large quantity of inquiries regarding unsolicited packages containing seeds that appear to have originated from China, the Georgia Department of Agriculture has developed an online resource for reporting and instructing on proper disposal of the seeds.  “Thankfully, our seed lab has not found anything nefarious in the mysterious packets so far, but that does not mean we …