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 …

Technologies for Improved Nutrient Analysis

Dan Citrus, Field Crops, Fruits, Herbs, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Technology, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

Nutrient management is important for citrus production. Regular nutrient assessments should be conducted to optimize nutrient balance and prevent deficiencies or over-fertilization. Optimizing nutrition is important for tree health and can improve tolerance to stresses and diseases. Good nutrient management requires regular field monitoring to identify problems and examine crop responses. Leaves need to be collected and sent to a …

Protect Against the COVID-19 Delta Variant

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Coronavirus, Dairy, Field Crops, Forestry, Fruits, General, Hemp, Herbs, Industry, Labor and Immigration, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

If you would have asked us last September if there would still be a need to write a tip about COVID-19 a year later, our answer would have been, “We sure hope not.” So, what’s changed? The simplest explanation is the emergence of the Delta variant. When you hear us talk about food safety, we don’t often talk about variants. …

National Farmers Market Week Underway

Dan Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Dairy, Field Crops, Fruits, Herbs, Livestock, Marketing, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Pollinators, Pork, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep-Goats, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture proclaimed this first week of August as National Farmers Market Week. It is a way to champion the direct-to-consumer producers, market managers, and customers that make their communities come alive during market days. According to a story from Rod Bain, highlights of the week are not only the markets themselves, but the innovations that allow these institutions to …

Avoiding Heat-Related Deaths

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Dairy, Field Crops, Fruits, General, Hemp, Herbs, Labor and Immigration, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Research, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables, Weather

A new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) report showed 215 people in Florida died from heat-related causes in the last 10 years. The fact that heat-related deaths happen throughout the year surprised the researchers who wrote the report. Serap Gorucu, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, helped write the report. She and …

Estimating Crop Yield With Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Dan Agri-Business, Citrus, Field Crops, Fruits, Hemp, Herbs, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

A researcher at the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) in Greece is using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to estimate crop yield. “Crop yield is the most important piece of information for crop management in precision agriculture. Early crop yield estimations allow farmers to optimize farm operation scheduling, field management and product marketing decisions,” said AUA associate professor Spyros Fountas. Fountas …

Florida Right to Farm Bill Awaits Governor’s Signature

Dan Cattle, Citrus, Cover Crops, Field Crops, Florida, Fruits, Hemp, Herbs, Legislative, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Pollinators, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

Just hours after the Florida House gave final approval Thursday, a bill that would expand legal protections for farmers was sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis. According to the News Service of Florida, the House voted 110-7 to support expanding the state’s “Right to Farm” law, a top priority of Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby. The Senate passed the bill (SB …