1st Quarter 2024 Weather Summary & Planting Season Outlook
How did El Niño effect the Cool-Season of 2023-24? At the end of 2023, there was much discussion of a strong El Niño and the affect it might have on the climate this cool-season (November-March) in Florida. We certainly had more rain than last winter, but it was...
Weekly Watermelon Update #6 – April 22
Welcome to this week’s issue of our 2024 season UF/IFAS Extension Suwannee Valley Watermelon Crop Update. These updates will be summarized by Bob Hochmuth, Regional Specialized Extension Agent- Vegetable Crops, with input from Suwannee Valley Extension Agents: Mark...
Friday Feature: Peanut Season Kicks Off at McArthur Farms
This week's featured video was published on the Field Rows YouTube Channel to share the highlights of the opening day of peanut planting season at McArthur Farms, near Malone, Florida (Jackson County). Jim McArthur has regular content on this channel to share the...
Improve Your Pasture Management this Spring
Below is a pared down version of an article I wrote for the January issue of the Florida Cattleman and Livestock Journal. I also addressed these topics in a presentation I gave along the same lines at the NW FL Beef Cattle Conference in February. Both the writing of...
Fusarium Wilt: A Recurring Concern for Watermelon Farmers
The 2024 watermelon growing season is underway. This year, an uptick in cases of Fusarium wilt in watermelons has caught many by surprise. While there is little that can be done now to manage the disease, it is still important to understand and monitor the prevalence...
Weekly Watermelon Update #5 – April 15
Welcome to this week’s issue of our 2024 season UF/IFAS Extension Suwannee Valley Watermelon Crop Update. These updates will be summarized by Bob Hochmuth, Regional Specialized Extension Agent- Vegetable Crops, with input from Suwannee Valley Extension Agents: Mark...
Cotton Marketing News: Cotton’s Suddenly Bearish Tone is Concerning
Don Shurley, UGA Professor Emeritus of Cotton Economics Things sure have changed quickly. New crop December 24 futures broke through “support” at 82¢ and have continued the downfall. December 24 has declined over 5¢ in the last 12 trading days—closing down 1.43¢ on...
Friday Feature: Artificial Intelligence in a Weed Control Machine
This week's featured video was published by NBC news to highlight new technology being utilized in farming. Large-scale vegetable farming is huge business in California, Arizona, and South Florida. This industry has been very reliant on migrant labor to be...
Adding Soft Mast Trees to Your Wildlife Food Plots
I haven’t yet met a hunter that didn’t want to improve his/her hunting situation and attract more deer. Over the last couple of years, I have written about several strategies Panhandle hunters can adopt to accomplish just that – namely planting warm season forages...
Economic Impact Study Indicates the Florida Equine Industry Remains Strong
The American Horse Council Economic Impact Study was conducted in 2023 with the intention of quantifying the value of the equine industry in national and state economies by considering direct, indirect, and induced spending related to horse ownership, recreation, and...