Tag "Plant City"
Strawberry-harvesting robots, more of the sweeter varieties, and new U-picks
A ROBOT THAT CAN PICK strawberries may ease the industry’s labor problem and revolutionize the way crops are harvested. “This machine itself is being designed specifically for the strawberry,” says
Harvest time: Double cropping — a watermelon season preview
THE END OF APRIL marks the beginning of watermelon harvest season in Central Florida, and for growers like Andy McDonald, it’s especially sweet. That’s because McDonald double crops, planting the
Preserving the present to protect the future
How one recipient of the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award is conserving our state’s resources THOSE IN AGRICULTURE have long been stewards of the lands that they utilize to raise a crop
More agritourism for educational recreation
Farm-time fun for all with crop mazes, pumpkin patches, hayrides, and more RANCHERS TED AND DONNA SMITH have operated their 450-acre farm in North Lakeland for decades, and are proud
Inviting the public to come out and have fun on the farm
POSITIVE PUBLIC AWARENESS is a significant aspect of agriculture today. In fact, I would say that the issue of public awareness is almost as important today as repairing our soils’
Venturing into the pampered world of blackberries
Frontier farmers take a step back to black with this alternative crop TOO MUCH HANDLING will ruin them, they are time-consuming to harvest, and sometimes they have thorns — but
Recipe Spotlight: Berries — from the crop to the kitchen
IN THE GAME OF GROWING BERRIES in Central Florida, Jorge Salmeron is a switch hitter. The Plant City part-time farmer, full-time teacher, had 10 acres of blueberries in production. Now,
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
Recipe Spotlight: Sharing the red, juicy strawberry bounty
WE HARVEST STRAWBERRIES in spring and pull off the road to buy them at farm stands or, if we have to, in stores. Folks up north have to shovel their
High-tech alerts and the quest for a better berry
| Strawberry growers look to technology to help save money and increase production | Sixty-five-year-old Carl Grooms has been growing strawberries for more than four decades, but it’s not routine,
