Tag "organic"
Organic agriculture offers additional economic opportunities
THE ORGANIC agriculture industry is booming in the U.S. and around the globe, despite the fact that conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are as safe and as healthy as their
Expert lending advice for diversification or alternative farming
FLORIDA’S FARMERS, growers, and ranchers increasingly are changing up and adding to the mix of the crops they produce, the livestock they raise and the forage they provide. Some call
Soil life challenges: Beneficial minerals in organic humus-composted soil amendment
HUMUS, when used as a soil amendment, is very beneficial in bringing life to your nearly dead sandy Central Florida soils. The beneficial microbial life (i.e., bacteria, fungi, and protozoa)
Growers grapple with unique encounters amidst a good harvest
In the business realm of blueberries, experiences vary THIS WAS A PRETTY GOOD YEAR to be in the Florida blueberry business, industry insiders say, with fairly cooperative weather, a long
Soil life challenges
OUR SANDY SOILS in Florida are a constant challenge to all growers of all crops. We have an inadequate amount of organic matter to give us the platform we need
The pesticide ‘calculator’
THE AGRICULTURE industry is steeped in history and tradition, but it is also constantly on the cutting edge of technology and everchanging. As the world population grows, issues like environmentalism
Harvest time: Organic blueberry growers battle odds in niche market
Seventy-one-year-old Benny McLean Jr.’s family used to grow citrus organically before anybody cared about organics. Before herbicides and chemical fertilizers were introduced in the mid-1960s, they sprayed with sulphur and
Annual Blueberry Roundup: Florida growers expanding markets for blue gold
WHEN LIFE gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or so the saying goes. But what do you do when you have blemished blueberries, or your pickers leave with lots of berries
