Southeast

Southeast ag industry compliance hike sought by DOL

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is continuing its multi-year education and enforcement initiative to increase compliance with federal labor laws in the Southeast’s agricultural industry. In addition to enforcement activity, the initiative provides... more »

Florida tomato growers bolstered by decision on imported product

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement March 11 after the U.S Department of Commerce rejected a request by importers of Mexican tomatoes to exempt certain greenhouse-grown specialty tomatoes from the 2019 U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement,... more »

Farm labor contractor to pay $249,000 in back wages, penalties

A federal judge approved a settlement with a Frostproof farm labor contractor – Jose M. Gracia Harvesting Inc. – who the U.S. Department of Labor found shortchanged workers and failed to provide them with safe... more »

Louisiana strawberries hit by new plant disease

A new disease called Pestalotia leaf spot and fruit rot caused by the Neopestalotiopsis fungus species has been detected on strawberries in Tangipahoa Parish. Louisiana State University AgCenter plant doctor Raj Singh said an aggressive form... more »

Precision Ag Researcher of the Year weighs in on the future of agriculture

Asked what his day looks like on a regular basis, Simer Virk laughed out loud. “There are no average days in research and Extension work — every day is different and every season is different,”... more »

Back wages, penalties paid by Florida employer for shorting H-2A workers

After long days spent toiling in fields under a hot Missouri sun, immigrant workers returned to what was once a county jail where their employer housed them in unsanitary living conditions and added to their... more »

UGA-sponsored precision agriculture workshops’ registration open

Registration is open through March 18 for the upcoming Utilizing Precision Ag Technology Workshop being presented by the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural Environmental Sciences (CAES) and UGA Cooperative Extension on March 29... more »

Workshop focused on growing specialty crops set in Tennessee

The University of Tennessee (UT) Center for Profitable Agriculture along with UT Extension state and area specialists will conduct an outreach program on specialty crops in Tennessee. The workshop series, “Considerations for Growing and Marketing... more »