If you want to grow your own tasty fruit, Cathy Isom has picked the one for you. In today’s program she has tips on how to grow your own blackberries. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Blackberries are insanely tasty, are pretty trouble-free, and are totally worth your time. They are a native plant in the United States, …
Growers Should Manage Tomato Bacterial Spot While Seedlings are in Transplant Facilities
BALM, FL (UF/IFAS-oct. 17, 2019) — New findings from University of Florida scientists could help tomato growers nationwide in their battle against a damaging disease. With 37,000 acres, Florida’s tomato industry is a $520 million-a-year crop, so it’s critical to find sources of diseases so growers can avoid or treat them to sustain their yields. But a bacterium called Xanthomonas …
Crop Insurance Deadlines Near in Florida
Avocado, Blueberry, and Pasture, Rangeland, Forage and Apiculture Producers Need to Make Insurance Decisions Soon The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (USDA RMA) are reminding Florida avocado, blueberry, pasture, rangeland, and forage (PRF) and apiculture producers that deadlines to apply for crop insurance coverage for the 2020 crop …
Producers Invited to Attend Education Meetings
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agricultural economists and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) will jointly hold producer meetings throughout Georgia October 8-11. The meetings will address three major government support programs including disaster assistance, trade assistance and farm safety-net programs. Tyron Spearman has more details. Below are the meeting dates, times and locations: Oct. …
USDA Invests $11M In Research That Will Support Specialty Crop Farmers
WASHINGTON (USDA-Oct. 3, 2019) — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary Scott Hutchins announced that the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has invested $11 million in research that will support specialty crop farmers. “This collaborative public-private research effort will focus on applying innovative solutions to pest management problems that often are otherwise not available to specialty …
Storing Fruits and Vegetables Properly for Winter
With winter rapidly approaching, it is time to think about stocking up the food cellar. What better way than with fruits and vegetables from the garden. Cathy Isom has some tips for you about storing fruits and vegetables properly for winter. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Some fruits and vegetables, when stowed away properly, can last for …
New Suspension Agreement is Step in Right Direction
Washington, D.C. (FTE-September 19, 2019) — The Florida Tomato Exchange (FTE) welcomes the signing by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mexican tomato exporters of a new agreement suspending the antidumping investigation of fresh tomatoes from Mexico. The new suspension agreement includes strong monitoring, enforcement and anti-circumvention provisions, including border inspections, that should help eliminate the injury to American tomato …
Popular Tropical Fruit to Grow at Home
Cathy Isom gives you a few of the particulars about a popular tropical fruit you can grow at home. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Growing heat loving or tropical plants is possible in containers. And one plant that works best is the Banana Tree. Bananas technically aren’t trees, but herbaceous perennials. They come in a number of …
Why, When, and How to Prune Your Blueberries
If you have blueberries planted in your yard, or garden, then you probably ask yourself about pruning. Cathy Isom gives you a few tips about why, when, and how to prune blueberries. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Pruning is an essential part of growing any fruit crop. Pruning encourages the healthy growth of the blueberry bush. It …
Holmes County, Florida Designated as a Primary Natural Disaster Area
Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border State Also Available WASHINGTON (USDA/FSA-Sept. 10, 2019) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated Holmes County, Florida, as a primary natural disaster area. Producers who suffered losses due to recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend …