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. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester …
Late Blight Showing Up in SW Florida Crops
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 …
Citrus Economist: “We Gotta Have the Prices…to Survive…”
HLB Conference Coverage Sponsored by: While many in the citrus industry are elated that so much money has been made available by the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and other sources to support HLB, or “citrus greening” research, many also remain concerned about the market overburdened with juice in the pipeline and cash prices to growers depressed as a result. …
Why Are Food Prices Not Coming Down Too?
One example among many could be orange juice. While cash prices to growers for oranges are way down from a year ago, consumer prices at the supermarket remain higher than market forces seem to justify. A number of people in farm country are asking this question, and this report from USDA tries to provide at least some general answers to …
USDA Hort Lab Director Arnold re HLB Research Progress
HLB Conference Coverage Sponsored by: In this report hear Dr Calvin Arnold, director of USDA’s Horticulture Research Lab in Ft Pierce FL, discuss his views on the progress of HLB research over the past three years or so since the tree disease known to many growers as “Greening” was discovered in Florida. Among other things, Arnold says there are three …
NCBA Names New CEO
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Associaton, in a press release, has named the person who will take over for CEO Terry Stokes…. DENVER (January 3, 2009) – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced today Forrest L. Roberts (photo) will be its next chief executive officer. Roberts, 42, will start January 20, 2009. “We are thrilled Forrest will be joining us as …
Captain Gloyice Ard, 1928-2008 “A Unique And Special Man”
2008 was a tough year on many AgNet family and friends it seems, all the way through. AgNet regrets to report the loss on New Year’s Eve of Gloyice Elmore Ard, whose son, Sam Ard, Florida cattle industry legislative representative, says was “a unique and special man”. Friends may offer condolences on-line by clicking here. Gloyice Elmore Ard, March 8, …
Special Session in Tallahassee – Important Budget Issues Loom
Lawmakers in Florida are set for a special Legislative Session in Tallahassee for the next couple weeks, and as we look toward the rest of winter and spring we see a busy crystal ball full of ag news coverage from state and national circles. Also in this report, some dates and travel hints for those planning to attend Florida Farm …
SW Florida Newspaper Wows Growers with Citrus Features
Our hats are off to any mainstream news outlet in Florida that takes time to report on one of the state’s most important industries, that of agriculture, once in a while. As a daily agriculture news reporter and farm broadcaster in Florida for 30 years now, it has always amazed me that more major news outlets don’t invest a little …
Grower re Citrus H L B Research: “Still Saying the Same Things”
HLB Conference Coverage Sponsored by: In our continuing series on the recent HLB Research Conference, AgNet’s Ernie Neff catches up to Southern Gardens Citrus VP of Grove Operations, Jim Snively for comments. Southern Gardens, a division of U S Sugar Corp., has been a leader in citrus “greening” research since the start of the problem in Florida. As far as …