AgNet DEMO

Category: Vegetables

  • Produce Industry Responds to Accusations

    Workers pull weeds in a vegetable field.

    Several produce organizations, including the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Florida Tomato Exchange, issued a letter to legislative leaders in defense of accusations regarding the treatment of farm workers, amid COVID-19.

    The letter was sent to Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader; Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House; Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader; and Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader.

    The joint letter reads as follows:  

    May 1, 2020

    Dear Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, and Leader McCarthy:

    The fresh produce industry is committed to the safety of our workers, whether harvest crews in the field or employees in packing facilities, all while keeping the food supply chain moving.  We are an essential part of feeding American consumers and the world at a time when our healthy fruits and vegetables are more in need than ever.

    Recent accusations regarding the employee protections in agriculture are unfounded.  With every stage of the emerging COVID-19 crisis, our industry has worked hard to embrace all public health advice for social distancing, personal and facility hygiene, face coverings and more. While there is no specific guidance for farms from the CDC, OSHA or FDA as of yet, producers have implemented protocols based on general guidance from these agencies, as well as USDA and state and local public health and agriculture officials. Some of these recommendations that have been implemented include but are not limited to those referenced here:

    • Centers for Disease Control[1],[2],
    • Occupational Safety and Health Administration[3],[4],
    • Department of Labor[5],
    • Department of Homeland Security[6] ,
    • Food and Drug Administration[7]
    • U.S. Department of Agriculture[8]

    These efforts have resulted in changes to operations across the country in order to keep our workers safe while bringing food to the American people.

    Furthermore, beyond the government guidance mentioned above, the produce industry has enhanced these government recommendations and provided our strongest commitment to workforce safety:

    • Produce employers have partnered with hospitals and health care officials to create a program where doctors and nurses visit worksites to discuss COVID-19 risks and provide educational services. 
    • Grower organizations have sponsored Public Service Announcements in English, Spanish and other languages in communities with a high density of agricultural workers advising them about the proper safety steps to take not only on the job but in their communities.
    • Industry organizations have partnered with state extension service to produce educational videos and material in English and Spanish for workers to educate them about proper sanitation and healthcare practices.
    • Grower groups have partnered with worker advocates to develop guidelines for strong state enforcement of workplace and housing standards.
    • Beyond our farms and our own employee housing, companies are providing workers advice on in-home sanitation, social distancing, and recuperative services.

    These steps reflect our continued commitment to the safety and well-being of our employees, the safety of the products they harvest, and the health of all Americans who must continue to consume healthy foods as part of our public health fight back against this virus.  Without a safe and healthy work force, we could not continue to meet that challenge.

    Going forward, we will continually update our safety protocols in accordance with all government guidance. We also look forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of aisle and with the administration to ensure a safe workplace for our employees and a safe and abundant food supply for our country. In that regard, we note that we need to secure additional personal protective equipment – farmers have some reserves of these supplies but as this crisis lingers, we are concerned about the ability to secure supplies in the future.

    Sincerely

    United Fresh Produce Association, Western Growers Association, National Potato Council, National Watermelon Association, US Apple Association, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Florida Tomato Exchange, Northwest Horticultural Society, California Farm Bureau, National Council of Agricultural Employers

    [1] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/critical-workers/implementing-safety-practices.html

    [2] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/shared-housing/index.html

    [3] https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

    [4] https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/standards.html

    [5] https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2020/03/19/usda-and-dol-announce-information-sharing-assist-h-2a-employers

    [6]https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Version_3.0_CISA_Guidance_on_Essential_Critical_Infrastructure_Workers_4.pdf

    [7] https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/food-safety-and-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

    [8] https://www.rd.usda.gov/coronavirus (multifamily housing FAQ)

  • USDA Announces Additional Food Purchase Plans

    Perdue

    (Washington, D.C., May 4, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today details of $470 million in Section 32 food purchases to occur in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, in addition to purchases previously announced, which will enable USDA to purchase surplus food for distribution to communities nationwide. These Section 32 purchases will provide additional support for producers and Americans in need, in response to changing market conditions caused by the COVID-19 national emergency.

    “President Trump has authorized USDA to support our farmers affected by this national emergency and this action to purchase food and deliver to those in need further demonstrates his unwavering support for the American people during these unprecedented times,” said Secretary Perdue. “America’s farmers and ranchers have experienced a dislocated supply chain caused by the Coronavirus. USDA is in the unique position to purchase these foods and deliver them to the hungry Americans who need it most.”

    Background:

    The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will purchase a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and seafood products. Specific purchase amounts for each commodity are included in the chart below. Purchases are determined by industry requests, market analysis and food bank needs. AMS will begin issuing solicitations in June and intends to begin deliveries in July. Details on how vendors may participate are available on the Selling Food to USDA page on the AMS website. Solicitations will be posted to the AMS Open Purchases Request website once available. Industry requests for future purchases using Section 32 funds, including potential plans for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020, will be assessed on an ongoing basis.

    CommodityPurchase Amount
    Asparagus$5,000,000
    Catfish Products$30,000,000
    Chicken$30,000,000
    Dairy Products$120,000,000
    Haddock, Pollock, Redfish (Atlantic)$20,000,000
    Orange Juice$25,000,000
    Pears$5,000,000
    Pollock (Alaska)$20,000,000
    Pork$30,000,000
    Potatoes$50,000,000
    Prunes$5,000,000
    Raisins$15,000,000
    Strawberries$35,000,000
    Sweet Potatoes$10,000,000
    Tart Cherries$20,000,000
    Turkey Products$50,000,000
    Total$470,000,000

    On an ongoing basis, AMS purchases a variety of domestically produced and processed agricultural products as authorized by Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935. These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.

    In addition to Section 32 purchases, USDA will use other available funds to purchase food in support of American agriculture and families on an ongoing basis and in response to recent disruptions in the food-supply chains. The U.S. food industry is experiencing high inventories due to a decrease in demand as foodservice establishments, restaurants and schools have closed and prices producers typically receive have declined. Meanwhile, food banks, food pantries and other organizations supporting communities across the country have experienced an increase in demand.

    Using these available funds, USDA plans to purchase 100% American-grown and produced agricultural products totaling $4.89 billion for the remainder of this fiscal year in support of American agriculture and people in need:

    Farmers to Families Food Box Program- $3 billion

    • USDA is exercising authority under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) to partner with regional and local distributors, whose workforce has been significantly impacted by the closure of many restaurants, hotels and other food service entities, to purchase and distribute $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat products. The purchases will be distributed through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
    • AMS will procure an estimated $100 million per month in fresh fruits and vegetables, $100 million per month in a variety of dairy products and $100 million per month in meat products to provide a pre-approved box of fresh produce, dairy and meat products to food banks and other non-profits serving Americans in need.

    TEFAP – Additional $850 million

    • On an ongoing basis, USDA supports low-income families through the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which provides emergency food assistance to states. USDA purchases a variety of nutritious, high-quality foods using Section 32 and other funds and makes those foods available for distribution to states to operate TEFAP.
    • USDA plans to utilize an additional $400 million provided by the FFCRA and $450 million provided by the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act to make additional purchases for TEFAP program recipients. The commodities and products procured for this program will be determined by food bank need and product availability.

    Support Program for Farmers- $573.6 million

    • Through the Food Purchase and Distribution Program (FPDP), AMS is continuing its plans to purchase $1.4 billion in agricultural products produced by U.S. farmers, ranchers and producers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations.
    • A total of $573.6 million remains for these purchases this fiscal year. These food purchases are provided to states for distribution to the network of food banks and food pantries that participate in TEFAP.

    Additional information on these purchase and distribution programs is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service website and the Food and Nutrition Service website.  

    United States Department of Agriculture

  • Clemson Extension, SCDA Schedule Two Remote Grower Trainings

    Clemson Extension and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) have scheduled two Produce Safety Rule Grower Trainings. They will be provided remotely for growers in May. They will be held over two days; May 19 and 20, and during May 27 and 28.

    Produce on sale at a grocery store.

    The in-person training in Sumter on June 23 has been canceled. If these trainings are successful, more online trainings will be offered in the future. The Produce Safety Alliance has made this option available until July 31.

    Per the registration page: “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this training is being offered temporarily via remote delivery. In order to participate, individuals must have a webcam and audio capability, and will be required to have both operating during the full course of the training (May 19th 1PM – 5PM & May 20th 1PM-5PM). It is a Produce Safety Alliance requirement that participants are monitored in order to verify participants’ attendance and engagement. Participants will only be eligible for the PSA/AFDO Certificate of Course Completion if they are present for all modules of the course. The training will take place via Zoom, which does not require special software. Zoom does have system requirements, which can be found here:

    https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362023-System-Requirements-for-PC-Mac-and-Linux.

    Please make sure that your system meets the requirements for Zoom meetings.

    In order to assure a smooth-running training, there is limited space available. Preference will be given to South Carolina growers. If space is available, the training will be open to out of state participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. Out of state participants, please email Brooke Horton to be placed on the waiting list – BHorton@scda.sc.gov.

    The Produce Safety Rule Grower Training Manual v1.2 will be mailed to registrants prior to the training – please be sure that the address you provide at the time of registration is capable of receiving packages. Evaluations and a Zoom link for the training will be sent in a confirmation email prior to the training date.”

    Registration can be found at links below:

    May 19 & 20: https://bit.ly/19May-COVID19SCPSR

    May 27 & 28: https://bit.ly/May27-COVID19SCPSR

  • Florida Produce Farmer Concerned Over Lack of Fair Trade

    Canada, U.S. and Mexico are part of the USMCA.

    By Clint Thompson

    A Florida produce farmer is the latest to voice his concern over the impact Mexican imports are having on American farmers.

    Will Hyatt, who farms bell peppers and cantaloupes in Lake Wales, Florida, said there are multiple reasons consumers should buy domestic. He also believes the idea of fair trade is a fantasy and not reality.

    “I farmed in Mexico, and I know what it’s like. I know what the labor is like, and I know what the regulations are like; know Mexican government regulators are open to bribes to overlook or even assist violators,” Hyatt said. “To tell me, we have to compete against that, it’s not really fair. I think we can out-compete Mexico and Central America in a fair market if we have a fair regulatory market.

    “If we could trade labor and trade resources, this wouldn’t be a problem.”

    Florida blueberry farmer Ryan Atwood confirmed that just last week, Mexico exported 5 million pounds of blueberries into the U.S. last week. This happened despite it being the peak harvest season for Georgia, one of the country’s leading producers of blueberries.

    According to the USDA, U.S. agricultural imports from Mexico equaled $25.9 billion in 2018.

    What can change?

    Hyatt believes nothing will change until voters make their voices known.

    “Farmers are conservative as a rule, politically. The vast majority of us are conservative. But we are the first one to scream, please help us government when Mexico ships out a bunch of products. When the answer to me is to educate our fellow countrymen,” Hyatt said. “At the end of the day, our fellow countrymen vote with their dollars to purchase products that are produced internationally above purchasing domestically produced products. The farmers are a very small percentage of the community that will pay a price for that. At some point the greater population will pay a much steeper price, in my opinion.”

  • Still Time to Get Boxed Produce

    Workers get boxed produce available to deliver to customers last Wednesday, April 29.

    By Clint Thompson

    There’s still time for fruit and vegetable lovers in South Georgia to order their boxed produce from Lewis Taylor Farms.

    There are still boxes available for purchase, according to the Lewis Taylor Farms Facebook page,

    The boxes are $20 each and include sweet potatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, cantaloupe, green beans and collards. Boxes can be picked up on Wednesday, May 6 from 8:30 a.m. to noon or from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Quality Produce Packing shed on 217 TyTy Omega Road.

    Order forms for next week’s boxed produce can be found here.

    Bill Brim, a Tifton, Georgia fruit and vegetable farmer, was overwhelmed with the positive response his produce boxes generated last week. The co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms said between 1,300 and 1,400 produce boxes were sold.

    Like his brethren in Florida, Bill Brim’s farming operation has been impacted by the orders of self-quarantine amid the current coronavirus pandemic. The lack of a foodservice market led to a decrease in demand for fresh produce. This includes those grown at Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, Georgia.

    Brim decided to offer boxed fruit to consumers in the South Georgia area.

    Lewis Taylor Farms grows more than 6,500 acres of produce each year.

  • Whiteflies Already a Concern for Georgia Farmers

    By Clint Thompson

    University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable entomologist Stormy Sparks said whiteflies are present in Georgia vegetables. This is not good since cotton farmers have begun planting their crop, and whiteflies like to feed on cotton plants as well.

    “There’s some. I don’t know if it’s worse or better or whatever compared to other years. Apurba’s been running those traps and checking some fields and he’s finding whiteflies,” said Sparks, referring to Apurba Barman, a postdoctoral researcher under UGA entomologist Michael Toews.

    “Apparently, they’ve always been here. But yeah, noticeable numbers in April is early, particularly in any fields. Where he’s finding most of them is kale which is not a good sign. That’s one of the crops they overwinter in. This time of year, having numbers is not good in any crop.”

    Why So Early?

    While colder temperatures don’t eliminate whiteflies, they do kill many of their wild hosts. They also slow population development in cultivated hosts. Warmer temperatures this winter allowed for larger whitefly populations to overwinter and become mobile earlier.

    “They’re able to carry through on crops a little easier. It never really gets cold enough here to really kill them, it just slows them down. Hopefully, the crops we have out there in the winter are not as good of hosts as some of our spring, summer or fall crops. You’re always hoping they’ll crash during the winter. But yeah, the mild winter undoubtedly plays a role in them overwintering a little better.”

    Whiteflies cause feeding injury issues in vegetables and transmit two viruses: cucurbit leaf crumple virus and cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus. Vegetables like squash, zucchini, cucumber, cantaloupe and snap beans are highly susceptible to these viruses. Commercial cultivars that have resistance or tolerance to these pathogens are not available.

    Will They Get Worse?

    The weather patterns over the next couple of months will determine if the whiteflies continue to worsen. How much rain will there be? How heavy are the rains and when will they occur? This is especially important as farmers move from winter crops to spring crops and then to cotton. Freezes in the winter and a tropical storm-type of weather system really impact populations.

    “You never want a tropical storm but a good tropical storm at the right time really knocks them back,” Sparks said.

    Sparks and other specialists continue to preach sanitation with whitefly management. He said farmers have done better in recent years in getting rid of winter vegetables once they’re done harvesting. That needs to continue with the spring crops once they’re done.

    “If you’ve got crops where you know you’ve got them, if you’re done with the crop, get rid of that crop,” Sparks said. “I think overall we’ve been doing a better job with sanitation. That’s something we always need to hammer on and remind them that sanitation is critical.”

  • Boxed Produce Leads to Sweet Results

    Picture by Clint Thompson/Workers bring boxes of produce to customers on Wednesday.

    By Clint Thompson

    Thinking inside the box helped Brill Brim sell fruit and vegetables while providing an outlet for consumers to buy local produce.

    Brim, a Tifton, Georgia farmer, was overwhelmed with the positive response his produce boxes generated in the South Georgia area this week. The co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms said they sold between 1,300 and 1,400 produce boxes. Each were stocked with turnips, broccoli, onion, cabbage, blueberries, kale and zucchini. Cars lined the road leading into Lewis Taylor Farms on Wednesday.

    “The response was great. We were overwhelmed and very surprised,” Brim said. “We were very surprised but very thankful for all of the gracious people.”

    Those interested in making a purchase next week, order forms can be found here.

    Next week’s box will have sweet potatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, cantaloupe, green beans and collards. All boxes are $20 each. Boxes can be picked up next Wednesday, May 6 from 8:30 a.m. to noon or from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Quality Produce Packing shed on 217 TyTy Omega Road.

    Brim’s farming operation has been impacted by the orders of self-quarantine amid the current coronavirus pandemic. It’s much like what happened to his brethren in Florida. The lack of a foodservice market led to a sharp decline in demand for fresh produce including those grown at Lewis Taylor Farms in Tifton, Georgia.

    With excess fruit and vegetables, Brim decided to offer boxed fruit to consumers in the South Georgia area. It’s been a sweet success.

    Lewis Taylor Farms grows more than 6,500 acres of produce each year.

  • Timing is Everything for Florida Farmer

    By Clint Thompson

    Timing is everything, and for Florida produce farmer Will Hyatt, it might be the key to a successful season.

    File photo shows picture of cantaloupes in a field. Will Hyatt has been harvesting his cantaloupes for more than a week.

    Hyatt, who farms bell peppers and cantaloupes in Lake Wales, Florida, has been picking melons for more than a week. He was fortunate not to have to deal with the challenge of marketing produce during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

    “I think it was our good fortune to be far north to not have to deal with the front side of it. Our crops are typically planned for mid-to-late April, early May. We weren’t faced with tackling the upfront panic,” Hyatt said. “Really, because of the products that we’re growing and the sales outlets that we have, so far our season has been fairly good to us. I know a lot of people aren’t in the same boat. We’ve been very fortunate to align ourselves with the right labor providers and the right clients. It’s not been too bad for us.”

    Not All Are As Fortunate

    Unfortunately, not all Florida farmers were as lucky. Paul Allen, president of R.C. Hatton Farms in Belle Glade, Florida and chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, said he had to leave 2 million pounds of green beans and about 5 million pounds of cabbage in the field in this April 7 VSCNews story. All because of the lack of a foodservice market due to restaurants closing in mid-March amid COVID-19.  

    Hyatt’s harvest window for cantaloupes will last until the first week of June. High temperatures in Florida helped ripen his cantaloupes but also impacted the pepper’s production.

    “The temperatures have helped bring the cantaloupes on a little quicker but it’s also made the pepper a little more challenging from a fruit set standpoint,” Hyatt said.

    “We can be glad or mad at any kind of weather,” Hyatt joked.

  • Freezing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Extends Shelf Life

    University of Georgia pic/Label your food prior to freezing and include the date it was packaged.

    By Clint Thompson

    Not all freshly picked fruits and vegetables are meant to be eaten right away. Freezing them will extend their shelf life.

    If fresh produce is properly frozen, much of the flavor that consumers savor and nutritional value that is constantly promoted will be retained.

    Elizabeth Andress, a faculty member in the University of Georgia College of Family Consumer Sciences, wrote in a news story that extreme cold temperatures stop the growth of microorganisms. It also slows changes that lead to spoilage. But it will not sterilize the food.

    “It’s important to use good sanitary practices when preparing and packaging food for the freezer,” said Andress, director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation. “When thawing the food, it’s important to use good temperature control to prevent the surviving bacteria and molds from becoming a problem on warming food. Fortunately, most vegetables can be cooked right from the frozen state. If you need to thaw foods before using them, inside the cold refrigerator is the safest way to do so.”  

    For additional tips on thawing and using frozen foods, visit nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/thawing.html.

    Package the Food for Best Protection in the Freezer

    Before placing food directly in the freezer, there is an important step to consider. Plastic bags are the most frequently used packaging material for freezing food items. Although plastic freezer containers or glass canning/freezing jars will work as well.

    No matter what you use, the packaging materials must be durable, leakproof and easy to seal with airtight sealing surfaces.

    “Don’t use paper cartons, like milk boxes,” Andress said. “Many plastic containers foods are packaged in for purchase, like yogurt, dips and sour cream. They do not provide characteristics for preserving quality in the freezer. Some materials may let air and moisture through them which is not good. Freezer-weight plastic bags, freezer foil and coated freezer paper are good for odd shaped foods.”

    To read the full story, see news story.

  • Statement by Commissioner Nikki Fried on USDA’s Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement

    Tallahassee, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced it would temporarily suspend enforcement of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for fresh fruit and vegetables in response to COVID-19, allowing products sold to foodservice businesses to be redistributed to grocery stores, markets, and other retail businesses.

    commissioner
    Nikki Fried
    Florida Agriculture Commissioner

    COOL food package labeling clearly identifies in what country a covered food product originated, such as the “Product of USA” label. Suspending enforcement of this labeling could seriously disadvantage American agriculture producers, especially Florida’s seasonal produce growers harmed for decades by the dumping of produce by Mexico.

    Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried raised industry concerns about unintended consequences of COOL enforcement suspension with USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. The USDA AMS has now clarified that this COOL suspension only applies to fruit and vegetable products imported and in inventory before April 20, 2020 and previously packaged and shipped for foodservice industries. The suspension does not apply to food products imported since April 20, 2020, which will be enforced as normal.

    In response to this clarification, Commissioner Fried offered the following statement:

    “I thank the USDA for clarifying their decision on produce Country of Origin Labeling. American agriculture is already facing tremendous challenges, with a devastating influx of foreign competition and plummeting demand from foodservice businesses during COVID-19. Florida’s seasonal produce growers supply 150 million Americans with fresh fruit and vegetables, yet are facing over $522 million in projected losses from COVID-19. Anything that opens the door to more potential foreign competition is a threat to the domestic growers who feed our families. I thank USDA Deputy Secretary Censky for a positive, productive conversation on Country of Origin Labeling and helping Florida’s farmers.”

    To learn more about Country of Origin Labeling requirements, visit the USDA AMS COOL COVID-19 enforcement page.

    Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services