Container gardening is an excellent way to grow your vegetables. Cathy Isom gives has some tips about growing your own food in small spaces. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. When it comes to growing your own food, you really don’t need a backyard or green space to do it. You can still raise …
USDA Calls for Nominations for the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations to fill vacancies expiring in 2017 on the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC). FVIAC, administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, was established by USDA in 2001. Members of the committee meet up to two times a year to develop recommendations on issues affecting the U.S. produce industry. Committee members represent …
UF Scientists Work on the ‘Essence’ of Better-Tasting Tomato Juice
If you’re yearning for a better-tasting tomato juice, University of Florida scientists in their labs, working on satisfying your palette. Essence, usually extracted from a plant to add flavor or provide a scent, according to a new UF/IFAS study, can be used to improve juice flavor. Using volatile capture, UF/IFAS scientists obtained the essence from the tomatoes, said Paul Sarnoski, …
Easy Fruits and Veggies to Grow in Pots
Cathy Isom has some easy fruits and veggies we can grow in pots. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Let’s face it, we all want to be green thumbs. And why wouldn’t we want to grow our own food? It really is a lot easier than we think. Container gardening can be done with little fuss, …
Pick and Store Your Green Beans
Cathy Isom has some tips about how to pick and store one of the top 10 favorite vegetables in America. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. A lot of people love to eat Green Beans. They’re in the top 10 most consumed vegetables in the United States. And they also have many aliases. String Beans, Pole Beans, …
Agricultural Chemical Use Survey Results Released
The 2016 Agricultural Chemical Use Survey collected data about pesticide use and pest management practices on acres planted to 28 different vegetable crops. NASS conducted the survey among producers in 19 states, focusing on the states that were major producers of the surveyed crops. (Fig. 1) In California, NASS collected data for 23 crops, the most number of crops selected …
FFVA Announces Class 7 of Emerging Leader Development Program
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) has selected 10 up-and-coming agriculture industry leaders to participate in its Emerging Leader Development Program for the coming year. The 2017-2018 Class 7 members are Myles Basore, TKM Bengard; Maria Cavazos, R.C. Hatton; Catherine Cellon, Duda Farm Fresh Foods; Philip Grigsby, Premier Ag Finance; Brent Johnson, DuPont; Frankie Montalvo, Glades Formulating Corp.; Justin …
FDA Grants to Help States Comply with FSMA Produce Rule
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing $30.9 million in funding to support 43 states in their continued efforts to help implement the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) produce safety rule. The funds represent the largest total of grants made available by the FDA to support compliance with the rule, which seeks to update and strengthen the FDA’s …
Researchers Hope to Help Find Sites to Grow Tomorrow’s Produce
by Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida researchers are sounding a warning bell that fresh produce may be hard to come by in the future. Scientists with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences cite changes in our climate, loss of fresh water and competition for resources as major threats to farmers’ …
Chlorine Dioxide Pouches Can Make Produce Safer and Reduce Spoilage
A small plastic pouch, half the size of a credit card, could soon make the nation’s produce safer by killing off pathogens that make people sick. The pouch, developed with help from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, releases chlorine dioxide gas, which eliminates E. coli and other pathogens from the surfaces of fruits and vegetables. Worrell Water Technologies of Delray Beach, Florida, hopes …