Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture on Irma Impact

While Hurricane Irma’s effects were felt in parts of Georgia, it was downgraded to tropical storm status as it moved across the Florida-Georgia line. But in a phone call with Southeast Agnet’s Randall Weiseman, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black says early reports indicate the hurricane has affected many aspects of agriculture in the state. 09-11-17 Georgia Commissioner of Ag …

Hurricane Irma Affects Southeast Agriculture

While Hurricane Irma released its fury on agricultural areas throughout the peninsula of Florida, it continues to work its way through Georgia and parts of Alabama with strong tropical force winds and rain today. Needless to say agriculture, no matter what the crop, has been and will be affected. Here is U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue. 09-11-17 Hurricane Irma Affects …

Citrus Growers Dealing with Aftermath of Hurricane Irma

Dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane can seem daunting, but it’s something many of us in Florida have had to do in the past, and that includes those in the citrus industry. While growers did what they could do ahead of time to prepare, there are a variety of things afterward to obviously deal with. Here’s Mongi Zekri, the …

Getting Started With Aquaponics

Cathy Isom has some tips about getting started with an aquaculture or aquaponics system. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.     An aquaculture or aquaponics system can be a beautiful addition to any backyard or farm. But you’ll need to know the best place or places to source fish species to stock it. Forget about the local …

Trump Renewed Call for Full Repeal of Estate Tax

President Trump’s renewed call on a North Dakota visit for full repeal of the estate tax is being praised by the American Farm Bureau. But ‘death tax’ repeal faces more hurdles as tax reform advances this fall. AFBF tax adviser Pat Wolff suggests the President’s comments that the estate tax is a “tremendous burden” on family farmers can only help …

NAFTA Renegotiation Could Send Avocado Prices Soaring

Avocado prices have reached a record high and a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could have U.S. consumers paying even more for the fruit. A group of avocado companies recently wrote the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office predicting prices could rise, depending on whether the Trump administration, in renegotiating NAFTA, changes rules on anti-dumping and countervailing duties. The letter …

Vilsack says Clovis Lacks Experience for USDA Post

Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says Sam Clovis doesn’t have credibility for the post-Clovis is nominated to serve at the Department of Agriculture. Clovis is the nominee for the undersecretary for research, education, and economics, commonly known as USDA’s chief scientist position. Vilsack said recently that Clovis’ positions on things like climate change “create a barrier for him that will …

GMO-Free Labeling Fear Based

The National Milk Producers Federation says manufacturers are raising consumer fears with GMO-free labeling, along with fears over synthetic animal-growth hormones and high fructose corn syrup. The federation has launched a “Peel Back the Label” campaign as 70 percent of American consumers look at food labels when making purchasing decisions, and says some labels are misleading. For instance, one company …

USDA Restructuring Efforts Move Forward

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue last week announced further Department of Agriculture restructuring under his plan announced in May. Perdue says the work streamlines bureaucracy, improves efficiency and makes the federal agency more customer friendly. The actions involve innovation, consolidation and the rearrangement of certain offices into more “logical organizational reporting structures,” according to USDA. The most notable change is the …