Citrus Commissioner Bob Behr is with Florida’s Natural, but formerly spent years as a top market research executive at the Florida Department of Citrus. Now a member of the Florida Citrus Commission, Behr says market fundamentals have changed so much over the past four years that earlier studies indicating ‘generic’ marketing was good for Florida may no longer have merit. …
FDOC Citrus Expo Exhibit Geared for Grower Info
The Florida Dept of Citrus will be among 141 exhibitors at Citrus Expo 2007 in Ft Myers, FL, and FDOC In-State Marketing Manager Amy Carpenter says key FDOC team members will be on hand to answer grower questions and discuss marketing plans of all kinds going into the coming season. FDOC will be in exhibit “I” at the Citrus Expo …
More on Windbreaks for Citrus Groves
Bill Castle at University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred is doing a lot of study on windbreaks in citrus groves to help prevent the spread of canker. In this report, Castle comments on why growers of fruit for the fresh market should be considering windbreaks into their grove designs. Report (2:00 mp3) Sponsoring this news …
Citrus Growers Invited to Another CHRP Mtg in Lake County
Another CHRP Meeting has been scheduled, this one for growers in Florida’s Lake County region. RSVP’s are requested for the meeting that begins at 10 a. m. Tuesday August 21st, at the Lake County Extension Service in Tavares. To RSVP, contact Ryan Atwood or Maggie Jarrell at (352) 343-4101. Report (2:00 mp3) Pre-register for Seminars and Trade Show attendance at …
H2A-USA Helps Growers Simplify Access to Foreign Labor
One of the bigger issues still looming over citrus and vegetable industries is the availability of sufficient farm labor when farmers need it the most. Regardless of what Congress may or may not do about immigration laws, H2A programs will continue to allow farmers to access foreign labor. Although the program is complex, H2A-USA is a company set up to …
FL Growers Seek More FL Targeted Promotion
As more growers become involved in discussions about ‘free riders’ getting generic orange juice promotions from Florida grower investments, there seems to be another push toward doing something with the promotional dollars that will more specifically benefit Florida product values over the rest. In these reports, Florida grower and Citrus Mutual board member Marty McKenna comments on these issues. Report …
Greening on the River Among Many Citrus Stories This Week
Indian River County is now on the “greening” list. Click here for a link to one news story about it. Also, more talk is brewing about the ‘free rider’ issue and a more targeted marketing approach to better benefit Florida growers who are alone in funding the marketing efforts. In the second report, Citrus Commissioner Bob Behr, formerly with the …
FCPRAC Leader: “Greening is Different, it CAN Take Us Out…”
All Florida citrus growers should hear comments in these reports from grower Peter McClure, who heads up the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council (FCPRAC). He says many Florida growers who remain apathetic to greening control may be out of business in the not-too-distant future. In one of these reports McClure also makes an interesting comparison between hard-fought-for dollars for …
Clearing Up H2A Ag Labor Program Confusion
An expert in H2A Labor access for agricultural producers says lots of farmers are confused about how H2A workers CAN in fact work in the same fields as traditional workers without equal pay requirements. Mike Nobles is President and CEO of H2A-USA, a firm that cuts through the confusion of H2A rules to help farmers get the labor they need, …
Popular FL Congressman With Strong Caution on Farm Bill Draft
Congressman Adam Putnam says while yes, there are some good things for Florida citrus and other agriculture segments in the recently passed House version of the Farm Bill, there are also some very negative aspects to the bill that could outweigh the positives. In this report, hear Putnam’s pointed comments about a severe loss of conservation funding if the bill …