Eleven cotton producers from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas will see cotton operations in Georgia on July 30-August 4 as part of the National Cotton Council’s 2017 Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) program. Sponsored by Bayer via a grant to The Cotton Foundation, the P.I.E. program is now in its 29th year of helping its U.S. cotton producer participants improve yields and …
Stabenow States Concern with Clovis Nomination
Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Democrat Debbie Stabenow is concerned that Sam Clovis is not qualified to be an Agriculture Department Undersecretary. In a statement last week, Stabenow said: “This nominee seems to lack the necessary agricultural science and research qualifications that are required by the Farm Bill.” President Trump announced he would nominate Clovis to serve as the USDA Under …
China Approves More GMO Crops
China’s Ministry of Agriculture announced it has approved two more genetically modified crops for import into the country. A Reuters article says it’s the second move in the past month to expand access to biotech seeds as a part of Beijing’s 100-day trade talks with Washington. The Ministry approved Syngenta’s 5307 insecticide-resistant corn sold under the Agrisure Duricade brand. It …
Cary Lightsey to Judge 2017 Farmer of the Year Awards
Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Cary Lightsey of Lake Wales, Fla., has been selected as the newest judge of the prestigious Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year awards. This year as a judge, he will join farmer Thomas Porter, Jr., from Concord, N.C., and Charles Snipes of Greenville, Miss., in visiting the farms of the …
From the Family farm to UF/IFAS: The New Chair of Environmental Horticulture
by Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences When he was 4, Dean Kopsell moved with his family to a 200-acre nursery in northern Illinois. He spent days roaming the farm, wading in the creek that ran through the property and playing in the barns. In high school and college, Kopsell worked summers with his dad, selling …
NAFTA Boosted Canada’s Corn Syrup Consumption
A new study claims the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has drastically changed the Canadian diet by boosting consumption of high-fructose corn syrup. The peer-reviewed study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that as tariffs on high-fructose corn syrup dropped over a four-year period, consumption grew from 21.2 calories of corn syrup per day in 1994 to …
Do You Love Watermelon in the Hot Summer? University of Florida scientists are on the case
by Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Some people love to eat a juicy, seedless watermelon for a tasty, refreshing snack during a hot, Florida summer day. University of Florida scientists have found a way to stave off potential diseases while retaining that flavor. Consumers increasingly savor the convenience and taste of seedless watermelons, said Xin …
Natural Resource Meeting Explains Farm Bill Programs, Seeks Recommendations
Meeting Date Changed to Aug. 15 In an effort to assist agricultural producers in meeting their land management goals while protecting our natural resources, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will conduct a State Technical Advisory Committee meeting Aug. 15, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Doyle Conner Agriculture Building Auditorium. Located at …
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Two Counties in Georgia Designated as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
In response to a request from Dianne Westmoreland, Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Acting State Executive Director in Georgia, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Burke and Wilcox counties in Georgia as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by freeze that occurred from March 15, 2017, through March 17, 2017. Farmers and ranchers in the …