Common Pests that Pose a Threat to Your Strawberry Crop

Dan Fruits, Pest/Pest Control, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

Some common pests that pose a threat to your Strawberry crop.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Strawberry plants are one of the easiest fruit plants to add to your garden, but that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter common strawberry pests and diseases. The pests that love to feast on your berries are aphids, army worms, Japanese Beetles, …

Bitter Melon is a Prolific Vining Plant in Many Varieties

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

Some of the best bitter melon varieties.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Bitter melon is often called bitter gourd or balsam pear. White Pearl is a hybrid variety and a slightly bitter type.  It’s great for salad, stir fry, stuffing, and soups. Beauty Winner is another hybrid that is almost completely white. It has a mellower taste compared …

More Environmentally Friendly Way to Control Strawberry Pests

Dan Fruits, Pest/Pest Control, Specialty Crops

There is good news for strawberry farmers as we head into a new year. University of Florida scientists have found a way to better control the chilli thrips that can make strawberries virtually unmarketable. Research efforts have discovered a more environmentally friendly way to control these pests, meaning the use of less pesticides. While pesticides do kill the thrips, they …

Growing One of the Sweetest Fruits that’s Almost Like Candy

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Growing one of the sweetest fruits that is almost like candy.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Even if you don’t love the fruits, the trees are beautiful in the garden thanks to the dark green leaves and pungent flowers. Although they’re amazing fresh off the tree, persimmons make for cookies that are out of this world. Once …

A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer

Dan Alabama, Aquaculture, Beef, Beef, Cannabis, Cattle, Citrus, Corn, Cotton, Cover Crops, Dairy, Equine, Field Crops, Florida, Forestry, Fruits, General, Georgia, Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC), Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC), Grapefruit, Hemp, Herbs, Industry, Labor and Immigration, Lemons, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Orange Juice, Organic, Peanuts, Pecans, Pollinators, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Seeds, Sheep-Goats, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables, Wheat

As we celebrate Christmas this year, Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman brings back an old favorite, “A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer” written by S. Omar Barker. A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PRAYERby S. Omar Barker (1895-1985) I ain’t much good at prayin’,and You may not know me, Lord —For I ain’t much seen in churches,where they preach Thy Holy Word.But you may have observed …

New H-2A Labor Wages Effective Dec. 29

Dan Beef, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Dairy, Equine, Field Crops, Forestry, Fruits, Hemp, Herbs, Industry, Labor and Immigration, Legislative, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Regulation, Sheep-Goats, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

A recent issue of the Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter provided information about the wage that growers must pay H-2A labor, effective Dec. 29. H-2A workers are foreign agricultural workers who are allowed to work in the United States temporarily. In recent years, the vast majority of Florida citrus has been harvested by H-2A workers. The Employment and Training Administration …

Port Problems Plague Producers

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Equine, Exports/Imports, Field Crops, Fruits, Hemp, Herbs, Livestock, Marketing, Nursery Crops, Organic, Peanuts, Pecans, Pollinators, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Seeds, Sheep-Goats, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables, Wheat

The ongoing supply-chain crisis is a big headache to businesses and consumers alike, with no end in sight for the immediate future. Perishable products are particularly at risk, as even a week or two delay can affect product quality. The port delays that caused the supply-chain crisis began on the West Coast with labor shortages due to the pandemic. These …

Thanksgiving Dinner Costing More

Dan Economy, Fruits, Pecans, Poultry, Research, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables

While last year’s cost of a Thanksgiving Day dinner was the lowest it had been since 2010, this year is a bit different. Americans, for the most part, are spending a bit more at the grocery store this year on turkeys and all the sides. According to a survey conducted earlier this month by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), Thanksgiving dinner costs …