By Clint Thompson The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) is partnering with Georgia Public Broadcasting to educate students about agriculture and peanuts, the official state crop of Georgia. The two organizations are producing a Live event on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. at the Georgia Peanut Commission office in Tifton, Georgia. It is called Georgia Peanuts: Live Exploration in partnership …
Excitement Surrounds Return of Sunbelt Expo
By Clint Thompson The Sunbelt Ag Expo is less than a month away. After last year’s cancellation amid the onset of COVID-19, growers, industry leaders and vendors are excited to return to the event, scheduled for Oct. 19-21. According to Becca Turner, vice president, marketing and public relations at Sunbelt, the number of registered individual exhibitors scheduled to come to …
Ag Disasters Funding Included in House Stop-Gap Funding Bill Facing Senate GOP Filibuster
House Democrats included billions for Ag disaster aid in their stop-gap government funding bill that passed on a party-line vote, but that now faces a Senate GOP filibuster over its debt limit hike. The stop-gap spending bill to avert a government shutdown October first passed on a partisan 220-211 vote, despite Democrats including billions for Ag and other disasters. Here …
Technologies for Improved Nutrient Analysis
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 …
U.S. Cotton Production Forecast Up 27 Percent from Last Year
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released their September crop reports today, and Becky Sommer with NASS in Washington D.C. says the U.S. cotton production estimate is up 27 percent from last year’s crop. All cotton production is forecast at 18.5 million 480-pound bales, up 7 percent from the previous estimate and up 27 percent from 2020. Acreage updates were made in several States based …
Florida Producers Encouraged to Apply for USDA Pandemic Assistance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced updates to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program-2 (CFAP-2), which includes expanded eligibility and increased flexibility. But a deadline of October 12, 2021 was set for eligible producers to apply or modify CFAP-2 applications. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) encourages eligible producers in Florida to review the program modifications and to apply via …
USDA to Survey Farm Chemical Use and Production Costs
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has announced they will be gathering information about production practices from producers across Alabama and Georgia, as part of the 2021 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). This year, NASS is reaching out to survey cotton and corn producers across the region. Starting in October, NASS representatives will call producers to set up an …
Safety Tips for Flying Drones Offered by UF/IFAS Researchers
Some people view drones as toys, but they can be dangerous. In fact, about 1,000 people per year are injured from using drones incorrectly. To address the potential peril, two University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are offering ways to keep people from getting hurt while using drones. For legal advice on personal injury related to …
USDA Investing in Cooperative Agreements for Racial Justice and Equity
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced they will be investing up to $50 million in cooperative agreements to support historically underserved farmers and ranchers with climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The Racial Justice and Equity Conservation Cooperative Agreements are available to entities for two year projects that expand the delivery of conservation assistance to farmers who are beginning, limited …
Survey Shows Increase in Farms with Internet Access
We told you last week that usage of computers on the farm was up, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Their 2021 Farm Computer Usage and Ownership report is conducted every other year and it shows numbers have risen compared to 2019. Adam Peters with NASS discusses some of the trends indicated in the latest survey. Peters talks about the history, intent …