Deep freeze saddles Florida vegetable growers with hundreds of millions in crop damage
Florida commissioner of agriculture Wilton Simpson shared a startling fact in the aftermath of the recent deep freeze that hit the southeast: total estimated crop losses from the storm eclipsed $3 billion across the state’s... more »
Winter blast prompts Florida officials to push for USDA disaster assistance
The ongoing winter blast hitting the southeast has prompted Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson to request a disaster declaration and assistance for specialty crop growers throughout the state. Simpson wrote a letter to USDA... more »
North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission elects 2026 officers, honors Dr. Craig Yencho
The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission (NCSC) elected a new slate of officers during its Annual Meeting held in Goldsboro and recognized outstanding contributions to the state’s sweet potato industry, according to a press release. A... more »
Agritourism to value-added: 5 takeaways from the 2026 Southeast Fruit and Vegetable Conference
Growers, extension agents, researchers and allied industry professionals from across the southeast descended upon the historic Georgia river town of Savannah in early January for the 2026 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Conference organizers... more »
Bravo! G&R Farms brings national sustainability award home to Georgia
G&R Farms, a third-generation Vidalia and Peruvian sweet onion grower in southeast Georgia, was named a 2025 Sustainability in the Food Industry Award winner by The Shelby Report. The farm was recognized for its leadership in precision agriculture,... more »
Produce leader bemoans Mexican import impacts, requests seasonal safeguards
Mike Joyner, president, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA), has expressed concerns about the impact of produce imports from Mexico under the current U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Joyner reports significant losses in sales, market share and... more »
Lipman’s national Days of Good November charitable efforts
Lipman Family Farms is putting its values into action nationwide during the company’s sixth annual Days of Good charitable effort. What began as a single day of service has grown into a month-long tradition of... more »
Southern growers to benefit from Helene recovery funding
Georgia will receive more than $531 million in federal assistance through a block grant agreement to help producers recover from Hurricane Helene, while South Carolina will receive more than $38.3 million. USDA announced the grants,... more »
UF new host for major plant breeding accelerator program
The University of Florida (UF) is the new home for a plant breeding improvement program. Breeding Insight (BI) is a USDA Agricultural Research Service-funded program that supports public breeding efforts via more than 61 USDA... more »
BASF introduces new short-day onion varieties
BASF’s vegetable seeds business, operating in the market under the Nunhems brand, has introduced three short-day onion varieties. The varieties – Adhora, Rosefire and Isidea – address many of the needs of onion and sweet... more »
