Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Tuesday, once again asking the USDA to expand eligibility for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to include additional agricultural commodities.
Nikki Fried Florida Agriculture Commissioner
On July 9, the USDA announced expanded CFAP eligibility that included many impacted Florida crops, but aquaculture and horticulture commodities were not included at that time. With the August 28 CFAP enrollment deadline approaching, Commissioner Fried again asked Secretary Perdue to include aquaculturists and nursery growers in CFAP, and to extend the enrollment deadline for these additional industries.
Florida ranks second in the U.S. for nursery crops, valued at $574 million, and is among the top U.S. states for seafood production at $730 million in value, with over 400 commercial aquaculture operations. Both industries faced significant losses due to COVID-19 market disruptions.
Commissioner Fried has been a vocal advocate of USDA assistance during COVID-19 for Florida’s agriculture industry, which has suffered over $522 million in losses since March for seasonal crops alone. In March, she asked the USDA to speed up billions in assistance to farmers and purchase additional crops through federal programs, and has encouraged producers to sign up for USDA purchase programs including CFAP.
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Farmers impacted by COVID-19 and hoping to take advantage of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program have a little more than three weeks left before the Aug. 28 deadline. That is when the United States Department of Agriculture will stop accepting applications from producers.
Runge
Through CFAP, USDA made available $16 billion in financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a 5%-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.
Max Runge, Extension specialist in agricultural economics at Auburn University, believes CFAP has been a success for growers.
“Overall, I think it has been a success. It provided some much-needed funding and hopefully some cash flow for some producers that needed it. It wasn’t a perfect program. I know some people feel like they were left out or they didn’t get enough, or it should have been done differently. But overall, I think it was very helpful to our producers.”
In mid-July, the USDA, amended the original crop list covered under CFAP to include additional commodities, including the addition of blueberries to Category 1.
UGA photo/UGA horticulture researcher Esther van de Knaap is part of a research group that sequenced and compared the genomes of 100 different varieties of tomato to detect and study how gene variants affect crop traits.
By Maria M. Lameiras for CAES News
New technology has led to a greater understanding of how gene placement within the tomato genome influences gene expression and, therefore, the characteristics of the resulting plant’s fruit, a discovery that is important for breeders and producers.
University of Georgia horticulture researcher Esther van der Knaap provided vital information for an expansive new analysis of genetic variation among tomatoes that uncovered 230,000 previously hidden large-scale differences in DNA between varieties.
As tomato plants evolved, segments of DNA were deleted, duplicated or rearranged. These structural variations in genomes underpin the vast diversity among tomatoes, changing flavors, altering yield and shaping other important traits, according to a release on the research from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
Part of the UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, van der Knaap has been studying the genes that determine tomato shape and size for decades, finding that the genetic sequences that control the size of tomatoes do so by controlling cell division or cell size. Her team also found similar sets of shape-control genes in plants other than tomato.
Research Group
A research group comprising members of van der Knaap’s lab and investigators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University and other institutions sequenced and compared the genomes of 100 different varieties of tomato, including robust varieties suitable for industrial agriculture, heirloom varieties and wild relatives of cultivated tomatoes. Within those genomes, the team identified more than 230,000 structural variants. New DNA sequencing technology, along with powerful new genome editing technology, has recently made structural variants easier to detect and study how they affect crop traits.
The partnership has allowed van der Knaap’s lab to address research questions on genome evolution more effectively than they have been able to on their own in the past.
“The premise of the study was based on evidence from our lab on the importance of genome structural variation and how they change fruit appearance,” van der Knaap said. “We have been creating resources and knowledge in my lab that has recently expanded the knowledge in other vegetables as well.”
To gain a better understanding of structural variants’ role in diversity, the team showed that thousands of genes were changed by the structural variants. Then they used CRISPR — the genome editing tool that can make targeted changes in DNA — to show that duplication of a particular gene causes a plant’s tomatoes to increase in size by about 30%.
Gene Identification
Because the tomato genome is made up of 900 million base pairs making up the approximately 35,000 genes, identifying which genes control certain traits is important to van der Knaap’s research. This study and the extensive resource it provides has made gene discovery more easily achievable.
“One base pair is one nucleotide. A kilobase pair (KB) is 1000 base pairs. We’re not talking about changes to one or two nucleotides. We are talking about changes to sometimes 6,000 to 30,000 nucleotides,” van der Knaap said. “That can lead to effects on the phenotype — how the plant looks, how it grows and the type of fruit it creates.”
A trained molecular biologist and geneticist, van der Knaap is interested in using the structural variations discovered in the study to determine whether they may cause trait variation in fruit shape, weight and flavor. Much of the research in the lab is to genetically map a trait such as weight in the genome. Once the genomic region is found and the researchers know one of the remaining 10 to 20 candidate genes, they examine the region carefully for any variation that could contribute to that trait. Some of the apparent causes are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), but thus far most have been caused by a structural variant. Knowing all the structural variants in the genome facilitates the discovery of novel genes controlling the trait such as weight, shape and flavor.
“I want to know exactly where these variants occur and then take it one step further to figure out what the change is,” she said. “The genome is linear in higher organisms. The genes are in a certain order in most tomato plants. In other tomatoes, there is a region of about 300KB that is inverted. We don’t know how that happened, but it is inverted. The result of this inversion changed the regulation of the gene that is important for fruit width, making a very flat tomato. It is as if a one-way road suddenly turned around.”
Tomato Industry
A $190 billion global industry, understanding how structural variants influence tomatoes gives breeders new power to improve the properties of tomatoes. It also shows how structural variants that can enhance breeding are likely hidden in the complex genomes of many other important vegetables like potatoes, melons and peppers.
Looking at the whole genomes of many different varieties of tomato equips scientists with the information geneticists need to develop new tomato varieties and producers need to choose what varieties to grow for the traits they desire in a crop.
“We cross tomato varieties all the time. One pairing might make bigger fruit while another might make more fruit, but there are hundreds of populations and we would need 10 times the greenhouse space to evaluate them all. We have to be smart about it and choose which crosses are going to be the most informative, which ones are going to give us new genes we don’t know about yet,” van der Knaap said. “With the knowledge we create, we can select traits at the genome level that we know, as breeders, will result in a variety with much superior qualities.”
A tour of the research vineyard at the Clanton Research and Extension Center in Chilton County at the Alabama WIneries and Grape Growers Association meeting in September 2019. Grapes are grown by Elina Coneva and the staff at the CREC. Grape varieties are developed by Dr. Andy Walker, a grape breeder at UC Davis.
Pierce’s Disease is wreaking havoc in grape vineyards in the Southeast. It is such a problem that University of Georgia Cooperative Extension plant pathologist Phil Brannen is concerned about the sustainability of some farming operations, especially as winter temperatures continue to get warmer.
“Once you get above 2,000 feet in elevation, I have only rarely seen a single plant come down with this (disease) and that’s still the case. But the areas that are around 1,700 feet in elevation where we used to not see that much of it, when we have two or three warm winters in a row, we really start to see a lot of it. Some of those vineyards, they’re losing 400 to 500 vines a year. That’s not sustainable,” Brannen said. “A lot of vineyards right now that are in north Georgia, they’re suffering a lot of loss from Pierce’s Disease now. If the temperatures get continuously warmer in the wintertime, I don’t know where we’re going to grow this grape.”
What is Pierce’s Disease?
Pierce’s Disease is caused by a bacterium that is transmitted by numerous sharpshooter insects, such as the glassy-winged sharpshooters. The bacterium clogs the grape xylem and cuts off nutrient and water flow to the vines. Once infected with Pierce’s disease, vines will die within one to two years.
“You’ve got the xylem that carries that water and nutrients and if it’s clogged a little bit, you may get by if you have plenty of moisture, but if you get less and less of it, then the water will collapse in that vessel and then you don’t get any,” Brannen said. “When it’s real dry conditions, that is when the symptoms really start to show up. It’s a scorch around the leaf is what you’ll initially see. The berries actually dry up. They form raisins on the vine. You’ll see all of that occurring when it gets really dry in late summer.”
Brannen said right now is when grape producers will start seeing Pierce’s Disease symptoms.
Most Effective Management Tactic
He said the best management tactic that growers potentially have is with disease resistant plants, bred by scientists at UC Davis and are being researched at a couple of sites in Georgia and in Alabama.
According to Elina Coneva, an Extension specialist in the Horticulture Department at Auburn University, three red wine grape selections were planted at the Chilton Research and Extension Center (CREC) in Clanton in 2010 and are showing promising results. One white wine selection was planted in 2017. So far, the research team has not lost one plant to Pierce’s Disease.
The only other option is try to apply a soil-based Imidacloprid insecticide in the spring to kill the sharpshooter insects.
“If it goes into the root system and gets into the soil, it will last a long time in the plant. That will kill the sharpshooters and that cuts back on transmission a lot,” Brannen said.
Clemson Extension agents provided updates in The South Carolina Grower this week about the status of various crops being produced throughout the state.
Statewide
Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “Hurricanes or tropical storms can lead to increased seed dispersal from seeds that can be transported by wind and water. Two notorious weeds that come to mind when planning for hurricanes are Horseweed (Conyza canadenis), which due to lightweight seeds and plant architecture, can be dispersed for miles during wind storms. A troublesome weed that can be dispersed through water (overflowing irrigation ditches, river surges etc.) is curly dock (Rumex crispus) due to the bladder-like structure of the seed. If you have access to a flame weeder or maybe Gramoxone it might be a good idea to get out to any fallow fields right now and start torching weeds with seed heads prior to this incoming storm to prevent unwanted widespread dispersal of weed seed.
Coastal
Zack Snipes reports, “We are anxiously awaiting to see what Hurricane Isaias will do today and tonight. Hopefully, we will be spared of heavy rains and winds. Some rain from the storm would not be a bad thing as many fields are dry. I have been finding some leaf spots in rabbiteye blueberry, which is common for this time of year. What is unique about the leaf spots is that they have caused the variety Tifblue to shed its leaves and then attempt to grow out more leaves. The plant is weak and nutrient-starved so the new leaves are very small and red. You will see red shoot flagging symptoms on Tifblue but no other varieties. The other varieties will have the same leaf spot but they will still hold onto their leaves. Increased fungicide applications between bloom and harvest should help with management of this disease and increase yields on Tifblue and other cultivars.”
Midlands
Justin Ballew reports, “Some of the midlands got some heavy rain this past week, while others remain dry as a bone. Parts of Lexington had a strong storm come through Wednesday night that washed out areas in some fields and left ponds in others. We will have to replant some areas where fall crops had just been planted. The weather has cooled of slightly since. Aside from that, folks are still prepping fields and planting fall tomatoes, peppers, and brassicas. We’re still thinning pecans also. For anyone planting strawberries this fall, now is a good time to start taking soil samples.”
Pee Dee
Damage from powdery mildew is starting to show up on muscadines. Photo from Bruce McLean.
Bruce McLean reports, “Most vegetable and fruit crops look surprisingly good for the amount of heat we have had recently. Sweet potatoes are growing very well. Peas, squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, watermelons, okra, and cucumbers are all looking good and harvesting good quantities. Downy mildew is still showing up on cucumbers, and powdery mildew on squash and zucchini. Sweet corn and butterbeans are wrapping up. The blueberry crop is finished. Muscadine grapes are looking very good. Wine/juice muscadines are just starting to color (maybe around 2-3%) and should be ready to begin harvest in about three weeks. Fresh market varieties should be just getting ready to harvest now on the earliest varieties. Grape root borer (GRB) activity was high this past week, with some traps capturing 50+ moths. Too late for any type of treatment for GRB. Just monitor and plan for control next year. Powdery mildew damage is starting to show up in the vineyard. No signs of fruit rot yet. Stink bug damage has been very light in vineyards with a strong spray program.”
Tony Melton reports, “All processing peas are harvested for the spring crop, but we have some cowpea curculio because of uneven crop due to excessive rain. Fall cowpea crop is planted or is rapidly being planted. If they found seed, farmers have already planted fall butterbean crop. Getting ready to plant fall brassica crops. Hopefully, all vegetable growers sprayed potassium phosphide on all vegetable crops before all the rain comes for root rot control.”
Upstate
Kerrie Roach reports, “Rain has still been spotty around the Upstate, so irrigation has been extremely important for vegetable production. Storm tracks are showing that the Isaias will bring some relief for the entire area. Early apple varieties are beginning to ripen, but sugar levels are still a little low. Blueberries are about finished for the season, and peaches are hitting mid-stride. Cover sprays on tree fruits will be necessary as soon as the rain event passes. Insect pressure is increasing on vegetable crops as we move later into the season and into early parts of fall cropping, so scouting is extremely important.
Two hearings on Aug. 13 and Aug. 20 with the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office will provide growers from Georgia and Florida the chance to voice their concerns over unfair trade.
Rabinowitz
However, one economist is skeptical about the potential impact these hearings will have.
Adam Rabinowitz, Associate Professor and Extension Economist at Auburn University, points to the lack of coverage for specialty crop growers in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for his lack of confidence in the upcoming hearings.
“It’s certainly important for the farmers to be able to voice their concerns about some of the trade issues that are at hand. It’s going to be interesting to see I guess, to what extent there is actual impact from that,” Rabinowitz said. “When you talk about some of the challenges with trade in the Southeast, Mexico is a big issue there. The fact that nothing was addressed for this region in the USMCA, I’m not sure what the opportunities will be to resolve some of those outstanding issues.”
The hearings will take place virtually. They will provide the U.S. Department of Commerce and Trump Administration an opportunity to hear from seasonal produce growers on the urgent need for federal action on unfair foreign trade.
Even more so this year, Mexican imports into the U.S. were troubling for growers who were struggling to sell produce during the coronavirus pandemic. Florida farmers Sam Accursio said Mexico imported 2 to 3 million pounds of squash per day while he struggled to find buyers, if any at all. Florida farmer Ryan Atwood said the influx of blueberry imports from Mexico contributed to a sharp decline in market prices this year.
“Certainly, the blueberries are a concern, cucumbers and bellpeppers as well. We’ve seen some data there, and of course, tomatoes, even with the tomato suspension agreement; certainly is highly competitive coming out of Mexico,” Rabinowitz said. “Those I’d say are the commodities we’ve seen evidence of that have been impacted pretty significantly. But some of my hesitation in being optimistic comes from the challenge of why nothing was addressed in USMCA.”
Additional information on USTR field hearing dates, deadlines, and submission instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice.
July 31, 2020, Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution designating July 2020 as National Blueberry Month, recognizing the contributions of the U.S. blueberry industry and acknowledging that purchasing blueberries supports farmers, jobs and the economy. The resolution echoes a proclamation from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in March.
Senate resolution (S.Res. 656) was sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and co-sponsored by senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), David Perdue (R-GA) Angus King Jr. (I-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). The resolution recognizes that highbush and wild blueberries have an annual economic impact of $4,700,000,000; a harvested area estimated at over 140,000 acres; are produced in 48 states by more than 15,000 farms and their families; and that highbush blueberry production in the U.S. has continually increased, with particular growth in the past two decades, to reach a harvest of 700,000,000 pounds in 2019. It also points to the research-based health benefits of blueberries.
NABC members met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., in March.
Last spring, members of the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) traveled to Washington, D.C., to encourage lawmakers to support blueberries by signing onto the resolution that reflects the incredible growth, value and impact the blueberry industry has on the economy and communities.
Over 130 participants met with their senators and representatives to share NABC’s policy priorities and help raise the profile of the health benefits blueberries provide, as well as the economic impact blueberry growers have in their communities and the U.S. economy. These efforts influenced the Senate resolution passed yesterday .
“Blueberry growers and others connected to the industry are very appreciative to have their life’s work recognized and celebrated during National Blueberry Month,” said NABC Chair Ken Patterson. “July continues to be our peak season, and this resolution helps draw attention to the important economic and health benefits of blueberries. We’re grateful to the senators who are helping us highlight our industry with this timely resolution.”
Cosmetic damage of western flower thrips on tomatoes by (A) oviposition and (B) feeding (flecking).
By Xavier Martini and Joe Funderburk
Thrips are important pests of tomatoes for two reasons. First, they damage fruit directly by egg-laying or feeding (Figure 1). More importantly, some species also vector tospoviruses that include tomato spotted wilt virus, groundnut ringspot virus and tomato chlorotic spot virus.
These tospoviruses can considerably decrease the crop yield if thrips are not controlled. Thrips acquire tospoviruses during the nymphal stage only, but once acquired they can transmit them to plants throughout their lifetime.
IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFICATION Two thrips species are of concern to tomatoes in the Southeast: western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and tomato thrips (Frankliniella schultzei). Both are particularly good vectors of tospoviruses.
However, other thrips with less economic impact on tomato, such as Florida flower thrips (Frankliniella bispinosa) and flower thrips (Frankliniella tritici),are often found in tomato flowers, sometimes at a higher density than the more damaging thrips. In fact, F. bispinosa and F. tritici compete against the other thrips species that transmit tospoviruses and therefore prevent the spread of tospovirus-associated diseases.
If insecticides are applied when these undamaging species are dominant, the insecticides will eliminate them, and they will be replaced by the invasive species, such as western flower thrips. Therefore, it is of critical importance to identify thrips before applying an insecticide to tomato crops.
Thrips identification is based on specific characteristics only visible under a microscope. For most growers, the best method is to collect tomato flowers in ethanol and send them to a scout, an Extension agent or a state specialist for identification.
CHEMICAL TREATMENTS Different insecticide treatments are available against thrips. Neonicotinoids applied at transplant might be an option in areas where tospovirus-related diseases occur every year. Spinosyns offer some of the best control for thrips. They have the advantage of being compatible with biological control and sometimes with organic agriculture.
It is important to rotate insecticide modes of action during a season to avoid the development of insecticide resistance in thrips populations. The mode of action of each insecticide can be found on the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee website (https://irac-online.org/).
NON-INSECTICIDAL CONTROLS Because identification of thrips is highly recommended before applying an insecticide, it is better to manage thrips using non-insecticidal methods. The addition of companion flowers (such as bidens or coreopsis) on the border of tomato crops increases the density of natural enemies.
Orius species minute pirate bugs are very efficient thrips predators, and they use pollen in companion flowers as a nutritional supplement. Under field conditions, about one predator to 180 thrips is enough for suppression of thrips populations. When the ratio reaches about one predator to 40 thrips, thrips populations are controlled.
It is important that the companion plants flower prior to the tomato crops to ensure the buildup of the natural enemies’ population before they are needed to control the thrips population. Natural enemies are available commercially for thrips control in greenhouses and other protected-culture systems.
The use of UV-reflective mulch instead of the regular black or white mulch is also recommended. UV-reflective mulch disrupts thrips’ host location and reduces significantly the settling of thrips on tomatoes. UV-reflecting mulch is particularly efficient at the earlier stages of the tomato crop (Figure 2). However, as the crop grows, leaves will cover the UV-mulch, and the benefits of the UV-mulch will decrease. At this point, kaolin clay can be applied on tomato crops. Kaolin clay has a repellent effect on thrips and works better on expended leaves.
The combined use of minute pirate bugs, companion plants, UV-reflective mulch and kaolin (Figure 3) has been shown to be highly effective in controlling thrips in field trials conducted at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center. If the timing of these different elements is correct, the need for insecticide to control thrips will be sporadic.
Xavier Martini (xmartini@ufl.edu) is an assistant professor and Joe Funderburk is a professor, both at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy.
Anthracnose lesions can occur on leaves and stems, but infections on the fruit have the largest economic impact.
By Pam Roberts
Anthracnose is a serious disease problem that can occur throughout pepper-growing regions worldwide. Extensive outbreaks of the disease have developed on bell and other specialty peppers types, such as hot peppers.
The disease is more common when both the inoculum and warm weather combined with frequent rains occur. Fruit infections cause significant losses of either mature (red, yellow or orange) or immature (green) fruit due to non-marketability.
The causal agents of anthracnose are fungi within the genus Colletotrichum. Species of Colletotrichum cause many common plant diseases on a wide variety of different hosts worldwide. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum acutatum are the two species found on pepper in Florida, but they have a host range beyond pepper.
SYMPTOMS AND SPREAD C. gloeosporioides is mainly associated with infecting ripe fruit, whereas C. acutatum produces lesions on immature fruit. Anthracnose lesions can occur on leaves and stems, but infections on the fruit have the largest economic impact.
Fruit symptoms begin as water-soaked lesions that are soft and slightly sunken. As the lesions age, they appear concentric and become covered with a wet, gelatinous spore mass. Fruit infected with C. acutatum will have lesions that are salmon-colored from their spore mass. C. gloeosporioides lesions will generally be darker in appearance.
Peppers that are grown in fields with a history of anthracnose are at higher risk. Rainy weather, occurring with temperatures around 80°F or higher, enhances disease spread and increases disease severity due to the spread of spores via splashing onto fruit. In addition to rain splashing, spores may be moved mechanically by workers or equipment that come into contact with infected plants.
The pathogen is seedborne. Anthracnose may be introduced into the field on infected transplants or it can survive between growing seasons in plant debris or on alternate weed hosts.
MANAGEMENT MEASURES An integrated approach to disease management is required to control anthracnose.
Select seed sources that are certified or known to be pathogen-free.
Transplants should be protected from the disease by eliminating weeds and solanaceous volunteers around the transplant facility.
Fields should have good drainage and be free from infected plant debris. If the disease was previously present, crops should be rotated away from solanaceous plants for at least two years. Field sanitation practices include control of weeds and volunteer peppers plants.
Resistance is available in some varieties of specialty peppers, such as chile, but not in bell peppers. For bell pepper production, a cultivar that bears fruit with a shorter ripening period may allow the fruit to escape infection by the fungus through an earlier harvest.
Wounds are sites of entry for the fungus, so any measures that reduce wounding fruit, such as managing insects and mechanical damage, should help decrease fruit infections. Wounds that can be entry points for Colletotrichum spp. also make the fruit susceptible to other pathogens, such as bacterial soft rot. All crop debris should be destroyed at the end of the season to reduce inoculum survival for infecting subsequent crops.
Organic growers will need to consider crop rotation, scouting to detect and remove infected fruits, and applications of copper and/or biopesticides approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute.
For conventional farms, fungicides are effective in managing anthracnose on pepper, but applications need to begin as soon as fruit is set and continue a weekly schedule thereafter. According to several studies, fungicides that are labeled for anthracnose on pepper were effective when used in rotation with chlorothalonil or mancozeb.
Pam Roberts is a professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee.
The Alabama Pecan Co. was represented as part of Sweet Grown Alabama Day last week on July 22.
More than 150 farmers are part of the Sweet Grown Alabama database. Director Ellie Watson believes the sweetgrownalabama website is an integral part of connecting the state’s producers with its consumers.
“We have a pretty great representation across all counties and all areas of the state. Of course, we’re still looking to grow that database,” Watson said. “We know that 150 folks is just a drop in the bucket of great farmers in the state of Alabama. We’re still looking for great farmers to join our network and become part of this family.”
Watson and other Alabama agricultural leaders continue to promote the “buy local” initiative which focuses on consumers supporting farmers in their state. This new website allows consumers to access information relevant to the commodity they’re searching for as well as determine where growers are located.
“It’s been really tough for consumers to connect with farmers directly up until now. Now consumers have a one-stop shop where they can find all of the local farmers in their area. It may even connect them with farmers who are right down the road,” Watson said.
“One of my growers told me (the other) week that he had a lady who lived not three miles down the road who didn’t even know he existed. Through Sweet Grown Alabama she was able to connect with him. He said she purchased about $250 worth of his product. To find those local farmers and allow consumers to make those connections with folks right in their neighborhood is an invaluable resource.”
Variety of Options
The website is also not limited to traditional fruits and vegetables, either.
“Not only do we have a great listing of produce growers, but we also have farmers who are producing things like beef and pecans and other non-traditional produce products. It really is a network you can find any product that is grown in Alabama,” Watson said. “We don’t grow everything in the state of Alabama, but we encourage consumers, when they have the option and when it’s in season, to purchase from Alabama farmers first.”
