Florida FFA State Officers Help with Citrus Expo

Will Jordan General

by Will Jordan The Florida FFA State Officers were hard at work last week during the Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo in Tampa. Growers supported the Florida FFA officers through a raffle held during the two-day event. To discuss more about the officer team’s time at Citrus Expo, we visited with Kayelee Ehrisman, Florida FFA State President.

Miss Florida Citrus Visits Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo

Will Jordan General

by Will Jordan Last week The Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo in Tampa drew big crowds and offered excellent seminars for growers and those interested in the industry. One of those in attendance was the crowned representative of the Florida citrus industry, Miss Florida Citrus, Casana Fink. Once known as the Florida Citrus Queen, serving as an ambassador for Florida’s …

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Deadline Nearing for Block Grant Program Applications in Alabama

Dan Alabama, Nursery Crops, Specialty Crops

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) wants to remind producers that the grant application deadline for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets is April 18th. These block grants, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are for specialty crops like fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery …

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USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Applications Being Accepted

Dan Alabama, Industry News Release, Specialty Crops

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is accepting grant applications for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets. The application deadline for these specialty crop block grants through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is April 18, 2019, 5 p.m. CST. Specialty crops are defined by USDA as fruits and …

usda-nifa

USDA-NIFA to Invest in Specialty Crop Research

Dan Industry News Release, Specialty Crops

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the Fiscal Year 2018 funding for research and extension activities to enhance productivity, safety, and innovation in the specialty crop industry. Funding is made through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “To be competitive in a global market, U.S. specialty crop …

specialty crop

Perdue Welcomes Specialty Crop Producers’ Ideas on NAFTA

Dan Specialty Crops, Trade

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue met with the Mexican secretary of agriculture last week, where discussions about various issues for producers in both countries took place. Of course, this is all leading up to talks concerning the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During a teleconference, Perdue said he knows certain sectors of agriculture, like fruit and vegetable growers across the …

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NAFTA is a Problem for U.S. Specialty Crop Industry

Dan Specialty Crops, Trade

The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing Wednesday to highlight opportunities for agriculture in the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Chairman Michael Conaway and members of the committee heard from various stakeholder groups on opportunities to achieve the best deal possible for American agriculture. One of those providing testimony was Executive Vice President of the …

specialty crop

Specialty Crop Farmers Weigh in on NAFTA

Dan Industry News Release, Specialty Crops

The House Ag Committee held a 2018 Farm Bill hearing last weekend in Florida. Farm groups and producers attended the session hoping to influence legislators as they put the new bill together. A Pork Network Dot Com article says the top of mind concerns included the farm safety net, agricultural research, and marketing. The upcoming renegotiation of the North American …

A Healthy Impact: Fruits and Vegetables Boost Alabama’s Economy

Dan Alabama, Fruits, Industry News Release, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

While fruits and vegetables are undeniably good for the body, they’re also a major boost for Alabama’s economy, Auburn University and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station economists found in a recently completed analysis of the industry. “Specialty crops is definitely a potential growth area for Alabama,” said Deacue Fields, chair of the College of Agriculture’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural …

Funding to Support Specialty Crop Pest Management

Dan Industry News Release, Specialty Crops

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $11 million in available funding through the Minor Crop Pest Management Program (also known as Interregional Research Project or IR-4). “The IR-4 funding allows NIFA to ensure that new, robust crop protection products are created,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “These investments will lead to improved …