Register Now for Citrus, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo

Dan Citrus, Fruits, Vegetables

Preregistration is underway for the 2021 Citrus, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo. The event will take place August 18-19 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. One of the purposes of the Expo is to bring together industry members, and this includes Florida FFA officers. They’ve been a big part of the Expo for the past few years, …

Produce Industry Returning to In-Person to Washington Conference

Dan Field Crops, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

Members of the produce industry will come together face-to-face at the 2021 Annual Washington Conference on September 20-22 in Washington, D.C. “After a year of virtual events, we’re thrilled to bring our industry back together in person for one of the most important events of the year,” says United Fresh Chairman Danny Dumas. “It’s our opportunity to explain our challenges …

Companion Plants Which Should Be Grown Next to Tomatoes

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

Some companion plants you should grow next to Tomatoes. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Companion gardening is a technique for expanding your garden and helping your plants thrive. It involves growing plants together that complement one another. For example, some the best tomato companion plants to boost your garden’s success include Borage. Many gardeners believe this herb …

NRCS Providing Support for Urban Farming

Dan Economy, Field Crops, Hemp, Herbs, Nursery Crops, Organic, Soil, Specialty Crops, USDA-NRCS, Vegetables

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been assisting urban farmers for over 10 years. Since 2010, NRCS state offices have provided more than $18 million to 130 entities in the form of grants and agreements to support urban agriculture and conservation projects. From 2014 to 2019, NRCS completed more than 18,000 conservation practices totaling $41 million on urban farms …

Plant Things That Keep Bees Coming Back for More

Dan Fruits, Herbs, Nursery Crops, Pollinators, Pollinators, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

How to plant things that will keep bees coming back for more.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Bees are one of our most valuable pollinators, responsible for pollinating 80 percent of the world’s plants! That means 1 out of every 4 bites of food we eat is due to the hard work of bees. Its up to us …

Collard Greens are Incredibly Agreeable Plants to Grow

Dan Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

Growing great collard greens. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Collards are incredibly agreeable plants to grow. And, they work well in hot southern climates as well as chilly northern states. Dark, leafy greens are the mainstay in stuff-that’s-good-for-you lists, and collards are just that. They’re in the same family as other well-established health food powerhouses like broccoli and kale. Collards are …

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, 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 …

Tomato Plant Disease that Can Stick Around for Years

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

A tomato plant disease that has the capability of sticking around for years. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Early blight is caused by the soil-borne pathogen Alternaria solani, and this fungus can stick around for years because it overwinters in the soil, even in cold climates. Most early blight cases won’t kill your plants, but it causes bulls-eye-shaped …