Harvesting Homegrown Christmas Trees

Dan Forestry, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Cathy Isom has taken us through each step of raising Christmas trees. In this program she gives us a few great pointers on how to harvest a Christmas tree. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Most people opts for a six to seven-foot Christmas tree. Growing a tree to this height can take approximately six to nine years to …

Planting Christmas Trees for Yearly Harvest

Dan Forestry, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Cathy Isom began her Christmas tree series telling you abou8t the different types of trees, and some of their good qualities. Today, Cathy is letting you know how to get started planting your own Christmas tree. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Planting Christmas Trees for Yearly Harvest The first step is picking your Christmas tree variety. Step …

ADAI Announces Cost-Share Program for Specialty Crop Producers

Dan Alabama, Industry News Release, Specialty Crops

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is pleased to announce a cost-share program for specialty crop growers to alleviate the cost associated with GAP/GHP certification. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) audits are voluntary inspections that evaluate how fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored. The goal is to ensure that food is …

Register Now for Georgia Produce Safety Rule Training

Dan Fruits, Georgia, Vegetables

The Georgia Department of Agriculture wants to make sure produce growers know November 30th is the deadline to sign-up for a free one-day workshop designed to cover the standardized curriculum designed by the Produce Safety Alliance, which meets the regulatory requirements of the Produce Safety Rule under FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act). The course, which will be held December 4 …

Florida Romaine Gets Cleared, New Labeling Approaches

Randall Weiseman Florida, Vegetables

Florida-grown romaine lettuce has been cleared as safe to eat according to a release from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) sent out earlier this morning. The clearing came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after concluding the outbreak came from a region in California. The …

Florida-Grown Romaine Cleared as FDA Continues E. coli Outbreak Investigation

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Vegetables

Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have cleared Florida-grown romaine lettuce. Their ongoing investigation into the multi-state E. coli outbreak has determined that the implicated romaine comes from areas of California. On Nov. 20, the CDC advised the public not to eat any romaine …

Lettuce Lessons – An AgNet Media Commentary

Dan Specialty Crops, Vegetables

Florida growers of romaine lettuce are losing millions of dollars at the start of their season, even though harvest dates should clear the Florida crop in the present recall. By Gary Cooper The E. coli romaine lettuce scare coming out of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) last Tuesday effectively shut down the movement of this lettuce variety throughout nearly the …

Growing Alfalfa in the Southeast

Dan Field Crops, Specialty Crops

During the recent Sunbelt Ag Expo, growing alfalfa in the Southeast was one of the topics discussed during sessions held in the cattle pavilion. Jennifer Tucker, assistant professor with the University of Georgia Animal and Dairy Sciences Department, and Kim Mullenix, beef cattle Extension specialist with Auburn University, teamed up to provide information on research efforts related to growing alfalfa. …