By Clint Thompson The dawn of another Sunbelt Ag Expo means a new Swisher Sweets Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year will soon be named. The annual Willie B. Withers Luncheon and 30th annual farmer of the year announcement is still scheduled for noon on Tuesday, Oct. 19, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, says Chip Blalock, Sunbelt Ag …
Immunity Still a Consumer Priority
Consumers are continuing to seek out foods and beverages that provide immune support during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Jackie Hopkins with Edible told the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) at its Sept. 22 meeting. That search for immunity is a benefit to the orange juice (OJ) industry, since numerous reports indicate consumers link OJ to immunity. Edible is a marketing agency …
Hanging Baskets for Vertical Vegetable Farming?
Crops that grow well in hanging baskets. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Hanging baskets are a great solution when growing gardens vertically. Not only are they are a space saver, but you could practically grow everything you’d want in a salad. Or, just some of your favorite flowers. While any tomato plant can work in a hanging …
Weather Causing Delays with Peanut Harvest
Peanut harvest has been moving along in most areas, but according to a story from Tyron Spearman, weather conditions have caused some delays. Sponsored ContentFL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application of Herbicides or Beneficials through SharpShooter™June 16, 2026Florida Cattle …
FBC Pleased with Return of “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” 300
It was announced this week that the Federation of State Beef Councils, on behalf of the Beef Checkoff, will again sponsor a NASCAR race at the Daytona International Speedway. The “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner 300” race will be held February 19, 2022. Florida Beef Council (FBC) Director of Beef Marketing and Promotion, DeAnne Maples, says they are thrilled. The 2022 Beef. It’s What’s …
2021 Variety Trial Results Available for Alabama Producers
While harvest is underway in Alabama, believe it or not variety trial results are already in, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) notes it is time for producers to begin making crop variety decisions for the 2022 planting season. ACES researchers, in partnership with the Auburn University College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES), have spent much of …
New Report Indicates Government Interference in Beef & Cattle Markets has Unintended Consequences
In response to a bipartisan request from the House Agriculture Committee, Texas A&M University has completed a comprehensive report on the U.S. cattle and beef markets written by leading economists across the country. Among its key findings is that proposals increasing government intervention and mandates will cost livestock producers billions of dollars. “Thursday the House Agriculture Committee will hold the …
September Ag Economy Barometer Reveals Decline
Sentiment among agricultural producers weakened in September as the Ag Economy Barometer declined 14 points to a reading of 124. This is the weakest farmer sentiment reading since July 2020, when the index stood at 118. Producers were less optimistic about current and future conditions on their farms and the agricultural sector than a month earlier. There was a sharp …
ERS Study Shows Meatpackers Role in COVID Spread
A study from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) shows the role meatpacking plants played in the spread of COVID-19. In what ERS describes as a working paper, the study outlined 49 U.S. non-metro counties in which 20 percent or more of employment is in meatpacking, defined as meatpacking-dependent counties. This represents 41 percent of all nonmetro counties with employment in …
Fungus Suppresses Asian Citrus Psyllids
The citrus disease HLB, also known as citrus greening, has a formidable enemy in a fungal pathogen, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers reported. The fungus is Cordyceps javanica, strain Apopka, discovered by research scientist Lance Osborne in the mid-1980s. The fungus was isolated from dead insects on plants in a greenhouse at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research …