Growers Seek to Protect the Industry from Mexican Competition and Innovate through Good, Old Fashioned Ingenuity

Florida blueberry growers are battling Mexican farmers for their lucrative spring marketing window.  With the Mexican blueberry crop up 70 percent, supplying more than double the estimated Florida crop of 18 to 20 million pounds in 2017, the Florida Blueberry Growers Association is supporting an update of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Make Sure the Farm is Up-to-Date on All Crop Insurance Dates and Coverage

Blueberry crop insurance has been available in Florida for over 15 years.  It started as a pilot program in Alachua and Highlands counties and is now available in 14 counties.  There have been improvements in the traditional crop insurance as well as the introduction of the newer Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP).  There are many Florida blueberry growers protecting their investments with crop insurance.  There are still many new farmers who are unfamiliar with it.  From time to time, it is always a good idea to review the basics.  Crop insurance is no exception.

Successful farmers are the most innovative bunch you’ll ever meet.  On the flipside of those successful farmers, however, are the people formerly known as “farmers”— the ones who didn’t innovate, change with the times, and try new things.  The failure to innovate comes down to a handful of excuses:

Blueberry Crop Insurance Coverage Reminders

Reports on the extent of damage in the blueberry industry from Hurricane Irma varies across the state— from plants being pulled out of the ground to leaves blown off, and really depends on the location of the farm in Irma’s path.  We will not know the full extent of the damage until the blueberry harvest concludes next spring.

Preview of Speakers’ Presentations at the Upcoming FBGA Fall Meeting and Trade Show

Over the past 30 years, blueberry production has grown by leaps and bounds.  However, current methods of hand-picking berries for the fresh market have resulted in bottlenecks in terms of sustainable production.  More growers are looking at the benefits of mechanical harvesting in order to increase their yields throughout the season.  Historically, one of the main problems with machine harvesting is the bruising of the fruit caused by the berries falling into the collecting trays.  Another issue has been ground loss of berries due to them not falling into the trays.  Researchers are taking these problems into consideration and devising new harvesting techniques to help reduce bruising and loss.

HURRICANE IRMA AGRICULTURE RELIEF PROGRAMS

The damage from Hurricane Irma has caused significant financial loss to Florida growers in sales revenue from crops lost or delayed and clean up expense.  This article is a compilation of disaster programs and resources to assist the agriculture industry.  Most importantly, be sure to document all of your damages and expenses associated with the hurricane— save receipts, take photos and videos, and make notes for applying for assistance programs.  Scan the QR codes with your smart device for additional information.

Initiative Seeks to Build Mutually Beneficial Relationship Between Local Farms and Schools

Bob Wilhelm packed the blueberries in five-pound boxes.  The schools served them in fruit cups and used them to teach math.  “They [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"][the children] loved it.  They sent some great pictures of the kids eating them for snacks,” says Wilhelm, owner of the Boca Raton-based Bova Fresh.  “They seemed to make it very interactive with the kids.  It was nice to see.”

ENSO affects surface water temperatures in the southern Pacific Ocean and the track of upper-level wind currents (jet stream) within North America. The location of the jet stream affects the tracks of weather systems as they move across the continent.