AgNet DEMO

Category: Florida

  • Produce Market Sours on Florida, Georgia Farmers

    covid
    Vegetables on sale at a market.

    By Clint Thompson

    One of the largest produce farmers in Georgia is nervous about the impact the coronavirus impact is having on produce farmers in the Southeast.

    Bill Brim, part owner of Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, Georgia, is in the middle of harvesting some of his fruits and vegetables and has already seen a decrease in demand, amid the virus leading to closures of restaurants nationwide.

    “Our greens and broccoli season, it’s way down. We’ve lost thousands of boxes of orders because of this coronavirus,” Brim said. “We’re not harvesting right now unless we have an order on greens, (otherwise) we’d just have to dump it. We’re just not able to sell it. Food service has just dropped down where, we were doing two or three loads per week for food service, just on kale, and it’s gone to nothing.

    “It’s way down from what it normally is.”

    Brim said his produce is divided 60% food service to 40% retail. Like his brethren in Florida, Brim has been impacted by the orders of self-quarantine.

    “When it first started with the coronavirus down in Florida, prices were real high. Cucumbers went from $42 per box to $10 per box and then to no sales at all down in Florida,” Brim said. “They’re harrowing up cucumber fields and squash fields. Anything that’s on bare ground they’re harrowing it up and getting rid of snap beans and sweet corn. It’s not good.”

    Lewis Taylor Farms grows more than 6,500 acres of produce each year. Brim produces strawberries, turnips, mustard, kale, collards and broccoli as part of his farming operation. A once hopeful outlook for the 2020 season has soured quickly.

    “Crop’s coming on, looks good, I just hope we’ll have a market to send it,” Brim said.

    Brim established himself as an industry leader when he, along with Ed Walker, purchased Lewis Taylor Farms in 1985. Over the next five years, Brim helped transform Lewis Taylor Farms into a diversified transplant and vegetable production farm operation.

    When Brim became a co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms, it had only 87,000 square feet of greenhouse production space. The farm now boasts 81 greenhouses with more than 649,000 square feet of production space.

  • Fried, Ag Associations Urge USDA to Act Quickly on COVID-19 aid

    commissioner
    Nikki Fried
    Florida Agriculture Commissioner


    The CARES Act, a $2 trillion federal stimulus bill, was signed into law March 27 to aid American businesses and citizens who have been severely affected by COVID-19. A $9.5 billion allocation was set aside for American farmers, and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried is asking the USDA to act immediately in getting them their distribution.

    Fried sent a letter this week to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging the USDA to act as quickly as possible, especially on a Section 32 purchase, which gives USDA the authority to buy surplus crops and distribute them to child nutrition programs and food banks.

    “I applaud our farmers and producers who have shown unbelievable resilience as they continue to work day in and day out to feed our communities during this trying time,” Fried said in the letter. “Now, we must make sure our farmers, who are also struggling in the current market even as they continue to provide for others, are not left behind and food is not left to waste.”

    FFVA is working closely with FDACS and other organizations to press USDA to aid growers in three areas:
    •        An expedited Section 32 purchase
    •        Direct payment to growers based on losses  
    •        A request for USDA to cover losses when PACA claims are filed and the buyer is no longer in business

  • Citrus Farmer: Crop not a Cure-All but Definitely Money-Making Opportunity

    By Clint Thompson

    Pictured is Georgia citrus.

    A farmer in north Florida is excited about the potential of citrus in the South Georgia-North Florida region.

    Kim Jones, who owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida and is part-owner of a similar facility that will soon open in Tifton, Georgia, believes citrus will be the alternative crop producers are looking for to stabilize their farming operations.

    “Right now, the row crops are in terrible situation, (with) prices of course. Citrus has been on the radar for several years. We’ve had several friends doing it for several years in the panhandle,” said Jones, who also produces 30 acres of citrus. “We studied their program pretty close and sort of followed suit. It looks good. It’s definitely not a cure-all, but it’s definitely an opportunity for us to make additional money for our farms.”

    According to Danielle Sprague, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) FAS Extension agent in Jefferson County, Florida, there is approximately 1,000 citrus acres across north Florida. There is also an estimated 1,000 acres in South Georgia, though that number is expected to double by the end of 2020.

    While production has skyrocketed recently, there is a concern of how all of the fruit will be sold once it’s ready to be harvested. Savelle estimates by the end of 2023, there will be 50 million pounds of citrus coming out of Georgia. Jones, who is one of eight part-owners of the Tifton facility, believes the packing houses will be key in getting fruit sent out to consumers.

    “The key is marketing. Our facility, we’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot go into schools out of Monticello. We’ve just this past year developed a retail business through Genuine Georgia out of Fort Valley (Georgia), and they’re helping us get into the retail side; mostly with small packages, two and three-pound packages of satsumas. That will be expanded greatly this year,” Jones said.

    He added that the facility in Monticello is designed to try to pull the fruit from North Florida and extreme South Georgia areas and can accommodate a couple million pounds of production in a year. The Tifton facility will be much bigger and can handle a million pounds per day of certain citrus. Jones estimates Tifton will open this upcoming season with an open house later this summer.

    “It started out with a small, small farmer with a few acres; here, I’ve got five acres I’m not utilizing, what can I do? Look at blueberries, look at blackberries, look at other produce, and all of a sudden it’s zeroed in on the citrus,” Jones said. “Now we’re seeing large-acreage farmers take corners of a pivot or a field here that’s isolated from their normal row cropping operation…acreage numbers are increasing quickly.”

  • FFBF and FDACS Host Town Hall on COVID-19 & Florida Agriculture

    florida

    Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick held a town hall meeting on Thursday with the state’s agriculture community on pressing issues. Some of the topics of discussion included:

    • Ensuring agriculture and all related industries are essential at the federal, state and local levels.
    • Promoting the continued and efficient processing of H-2A worker visas.
    • Inter- and intra-state weight waivers for farm commodities.
    • Buybacks for Florida commodities (federal, school districts and grocery chains).
    • Risk Management Agency waivers and flexibility for producers.
    • Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) emergency rules and marketing efforts.
    • Food-supply chain worker-safety protocols.

    Hoblick’s opening comments:

    Fried’s opening comments:

    Hoblick has participation questions for Fried:

    Closing comments from Hoblick and Fried:

    FDACS is working closely with the Florida Farm Bureau to provide crucial information to producers and coordinate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure Florida’s agricultural industry is supported in keeping the state’s food supply strong.

    Commissioner Fried recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting flexibility to help move Florida’s perishable crops quickly to food banks, school meal programs and other federal food purchase programs. Commissioner Fried also sent a letter to congressional leadership requesting that additional federal stimulus packages include support for ag, including direct USDA assistance for farmers.

  • Florida Farmer: It’s a Very Tough Situation

    By Clint Thompson

    Yellow squash

    Every day the coronavirus lingers in the United States means more business that is not coming the way of Florida farmers, including Sam Accursio.

    Restaurants remain closed. So many citizens are unemployed. Fruit and vegetables are not being consumed as much like they were.

    Accursio produces pickle and cucumber, green beans and yellow and green squash on 4,400 acres in the Homestead, Florida area. Up until approximately 11 or 12 days ago, business was peaking. That’s not the case anymore, however.

    “They just stopped buying. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, we had orders on the books from the previous week, and we came into work Monday and they gave them all back to us. They didn’t take what they had ordered,” Accursio said. “It’s a very tough situation, and to top it all off, the cherry on top of the whipped cream, you look at the USDA Market Report; while I’m dumping squash down here in the field and stopping harvest, Mexico shipped 3 million pounds of squash per day across the border into Texas to ship into the United States. Why does our federal government allow this?”

    It’s similar frustration to what Florida farmer Kim Jamerson voiced to VSC News as she recalled how she reached out to the office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (Fla.) and spoke to one of his aides about the government helping out its farmers by purchasing their crops and distributing the food to its citizens since many are unemployed. It would help the American farmer stay in business, while keeping its citizens fed.

    To make matters worse for Accursio, he said this season has been a bumper crop due to the warm, summertime conditions Florida has experienced this year. Crops that are normally ready for harvest around April 15 are currently being picked. Accursio estimates that he has already picked 50% of April’s crop but is losing about 75%. It’s been like this for almost two weeks.

    Cucumbers

    “I think what happened, everybody who was out of work ran out of money and the chain stores never lowered their price to help the situation out. Right here in Homestead, beans are selling for $3 per pound in Publix and the growers are only getting 30 cents,” Accursio said. “It’s pathetic that the chain stores won’t help the situation with the consumer, help the growers and things will get back to normal again. We’re in a real funk right now.”

    Accursio said he likes to pick, pack and load his crops on trucks. He noted that consumers can buy squash and store in their refrigerator, and it’s still edible for 21 days. But he sees it from a different vantage point, in that if his crops have to be stored in coolers before being sold, he starts getting “nervous” at the four-day mark.

    “When you take a squash that’s been in the cooler for a week, you take it out, load it on a tractor trailer, bounce it around to New Hampshire for two and a half days, take it out of the truck and put it on a grocery shelf. Being handled and bounced around, it just doesn’t last as long.”

  • Florida Governor Issues Stay-At-Home order

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statewide “Safer at Home” Executive Order (EO), which will begin at 12:01 a.m. on April 3 and, unless extended, will expire on April 30.

    DeSantis

    This “Safer at Home” declaration orders all people in Florida to limit their movements and personal interactions to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.

    Gov. DeSantis’ order states “Essential Services” includes the list detailed by the US Department of Homeland Security in its Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, which includes a FOOD AND AGRICULTURE section. This includes farmers, farm workers, support service workers, and their supplier employees to include those engaged in producing and harvesting field crops.

    For more information, see the State of Florida release.

  • COVID-19 Response: One Person Plants Food Gardens; Floridians Get Useful data From UF/IFAS, FAMU Extension

    University of Florida’s Ed Jennings talks with homeowners.

    By: Brad Buck, 813-757-2224 (office); 352-875-2641 (cell); bradbuck@ufl.edu

    COVID-19 may take jobs away from people, but it can’t take away Tanya Murillo’s resilient spirit and her desire to grow vegetables in her yard.

    Murillo’s employer closed March 13 because of the coronavirus. She went home where eight people live. No self-pity for Murillo. Everyone in her household needed something to fill vacant time.

    “I’m going to do something positive and productive,” said Murillo. “My husband is really good at planting. I don’t know much about growing. So, I was trying to get some ideas on how to grow some food.”

    The week after she lost her job, Murillo called University of Florida/IFAS Extension Levy County and talked to program assistant Barbara Edmonds about what to try to grow in sandy soils. Murillo wants to start planting vegetables at her home in Bronson. She’s got multiple allergies and can’t tolerate gluten, so fresh food is the order of the day.

    Her project stems partly from trying to find activities to get her through the days, from needing to grow fresh food and to keep the four children in her home busy.

    “This is a challenging point in my life,” Murillo said. “I figure it’s better to get my children involved.”

    Edmonds, the UF/IFAS Extension Levy County horticulture program assistant, said she’s seen an increase in gardening and landscape calls since the coronavirus started.

    “She (Murillo) has time to grow plants now,” Edmonds said.

    Edmonds sent Murillo the UF/IFAS vegetable gardening guide, which provides an overview of site selection, preparing the soil, growing season, plant spacing, row spacing and much more.

    UF/IFAS Extension works with its statewide partner, Florida A&M University, to deliver science-based information to residents and businesses across Florida.

    “As we get used to our ‘new normal’ with the coronavirus and its ramifications, UF/IFAS Extension faculty and staff work tirelessly to continue providing the best science-based information and other services to the people of Florida,” said Nick Place, dean of UF/IFAS Extension and director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. “Whether we get questions about gardening, farming, nutrition, natural resources, family or consumer issues, UF/IFAS Extension will continue to collaborate with FAMU Cooperative Extension to answer questions and educate Floridians, using all means available.”

    FAMU Cooperative Extension is maintaining connections with Florida residents, utilizing non-face-to-face venues, said Vonda Richardson, director of Extension programs at FAMU. Agents and educators are connecting via email, phone and social media. Educational programming will be delivered via Zoom and Facebook Live.

    “We are encouraging the public to connect to us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @FAMUEXT for information and resources,” Richardson said.

  • Farmers and Other Essential Food Production Workers will Carry Permission Letters during COVID-19 Shutdown

    essential

    (U.S. Sugar) — All U.S. Sugar employees and suppliers who have been deemed essential to the nation’s food supply and national security will begin carrying authorization letters to inform authorities that they are approved to be out of their homes and working.

    “Our farmers, workers and other essential food production vendors will continue working around the clock to keep safe, locally grown food on America’s grocery store shelves and American families’ tables,” said Judy Sanchez, Senior Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs.

    U.S. Sugar’s farms in South Florida provide a significant amount of the sugar, citrus, sweet corn, green bean and other fresh fruits and vegetables that keep grocery stores and food markets supplied around the state and the country.

    According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, farming and processing is considered “critical infrastructure” to continue the American food supply chain. As more and more shutdowns of entire counties continue, our family of farmers has not stopped working in the fields and factories to produce food for families.

    In addition, residents of South Florida, including Palm Beach County where many of our people reside, have been ordered to stay at home unless they work for an essential business like ours.

    U.S. Sugar employees, our farmers, contractors, suppliers, drivers and business partners which are essential to the American food supply chain all will carry letters stating this information so they can show it to local and State law enforcement if they are questioned or stopped while traveling in areas that have implemented a stay at home order from the Governor.

    The Company also owns and operates an independent short-line railroad, the South Central Florida Express, which serves essential food and other agricultural producers that must remain in operation as part of the nation’s critical transportation infrastructure.

    These essential services also follow all directives by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Centers for Disease Control and the federal government to keep our workers and our food supply as safe as possible during this pandemic.  What’s even more important is that these measures enable all of our people to continue working and earning a paycheck at a time when many other workers have been furloughed or laid off as a result of COVID-19.

    Authorization Letters:

    Source: U.S. Sugar

  • Late Blight Disease Discovered at UF Research Farm

    potato
    Potato infected with late blight.
    Photo by Scott Bauer

    By Clint Thompson

    Potato and tomato producers in Florida need to be wary of the discovery of Phytophthroa infestans, the causual agent for potato and tomato late blight. Gary England, RSA/Director for the Hastings Ag Extension Center in Hastings, Florida, confirmed that samples collected from the Extension Center site tested positive.

    He scouted the rest of the affected portion of the farm on Saturday but did not see further spread of the disease. Still, England wants to make other farmers aware to be on the lookout.

    “It’s nothing bad right now, but anytime it gets in the area, we always let everybody know. With the weather we had with rain and cooler temperatures (this week) it is more capable for late blight. Hot and dry (temperatures), it’s not all that favorable for development,” England said. “The growers definitely need to be looking for late blight.”

    He said farmers in the Live Oak, Florida area need to be made aware since a bulk of potatoes are produced there. Producers need to be proactive in preparing for and managing this disease, considering the destruction it can have on a potato field.

    “It’ll totally destroy the potato vines before potatoes mature. That disease, you’ve heard of the Great Irish Potato Famine, it’s the same disease,” England said. “Back in those days, they didn’t have any fungicides to put on them.

    “Hopefully, it doesn’t show up on any of the local farms but if we see it in the area, we definitely get the word out so everybody can step up their scouting.”

    According to University of Florida, symptoms of late blight may begin as dark green water soaking that may be associated with chlorosis or necrosis, depending upon the age of the lesion and the weather conditions. Under relative humidity in excess of 80%, lesions may appear purple to black with white sporangial growth. Under hotter and drier conditions, the lesions turn brown, dry out, and appear papery.

    To learn more about the disease, see Late Blight’s Impact on Potatoes and Tomatoes.

  • Farmers, Other Essential Food Production Workers Will Carry Permission Letters During COVID-19 Shutdown

    Contact: Judy Clayton Sanchez

    863-902-2210

    Clewiston, FL – Today, all U.S. Sugar employees and suppliers who have been deemed essential to the nation’s food supply and national security will begin carrying authorization letters to inform authorities that they are approved to be out of their homes and working.

    Aerial picture of sugarcane/beet fields in Florida.

    “Our farmers, workers and other essential food production vendors will continue working around the clock to keep safe, locally grown food on America’s grocery store shelves and American families’ tables,” said Judy Sanchez, Senior Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs.

    U.S. Sugar’s farms in South Florida provide a significant amount of the sugar, citrus, sweet corn, green bean and other fresh fruits and vegetables that keep grocery stores and food markets supplied around the state and the country.

    According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, farming and processing is considered “critical infrastructure” to continue the American food supply chain. As more and more shutdowns of entire counties continue, our family of farmers has not stopped working in the fields and factories to produce food for families.

    In addition, residents of South Florida, including Palm Beach County where many of our people reside, have been ordered to stay at home unless they work for an essential business like ours.

    U.S. Sugar employees, our farmers, contractors, suppliers, drivers and business partners which are essential to the American food supply chain all will carry letters stating this information so they can show it to local and State law enforcement if they are questioned or stopped while traveling in areas that have implemented a stay at home order from the Governor.

    The Company also owns and operates an independent short-line railroad, the South Central Florida Express, which serves essential food and other agricultural producers that must remain in operation as part of the nation’s critical transportation infrastructure.

    These essential services also follow all directives by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Centers for Disease Control and the federal government to keep our workers and our food supply as safe as possible during this pandemic.  What’s even more important is that these measures enable all of our people to continue working and earning a paycheck at a time when many other workers have been furloughed or laid off as a result of COVID-19.

    About U.S. Sugar

    U.S. Sugar is a farming company that grows and processes sugarcane, citrus, green beans, sweet corn and other vegetables. The company was founded in 1931 by Charles Stewart Mott, a visionary leader who hailed from a long line of farmers. Since the beginning, our company’s success has been rooted in traditional farming values and respect for the land.