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Articles by Shannon Ross Shepp
Do Your Best To Stay Ahead of Watermelon Vine Decline
By Frank Giles|December 25, 2021 A team of researchers from the University of Florida, Florida Department of Citrus, and the USDA-ARS discovered that watermelon vine decline was caused by a whitefly-transmitted virus, which they called squash vein yellowing virus. Photo by Dr. Scott Adkins Since it was first observed in 2003, watermelon vine decline has caused severe monetary losses to growers in Florida.
How Florida Citrus Mutual Is Laying the Groundwork for Future Growth
By Mike Sparks|December 24, 2021 Legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson could not have been more on point when he said, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” In the team that is the Florida citrus industry, we all have our positions to fill and roles to play. The growers continue to adapt and adopt new practices and strategies to continue providing top quality, healthy, and delicious Florida citrus to consumers.
7 Appointed To Lead Next Term for the Florida Citrus Commission
By Florida Department of Citrus|October 19, 2021 Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed three new members to the Florida Citrus Commission and reappointed four others. The appointments of John Smoak and Daniel Sutton fill two vacant seats and the appointment of Christopher Groom fills a seat held by a commissioner serving a previously expired term. Commissioners Carlos Martinez, Martin “Marty” McKenna, Steve Johnson, and William “Bill” Poulton were reappointed.
Shakeup in the Juice World: PepsiCo to Sell Tropicana Among Other Brands
Posted by Paul Rusnak|August 5, 2021 PepsiCo, Inc. has entered into an agreement with PAI Partners to sell Tropicana, Naked, and other select juice brands across North America, as well as an irrevocable option to sell certain juice businesses in Europe, which will result in combined pre-tax cash proceeds of approximately $3.3 billion while retaining a 39% non-controlling interest in a newly formed joint venture.
New Utility Vehicles Step It up Down on the Farm
By Frank Giles|May 21, 2021 Utility vehicles have become increasingly important in agricultural operations. They come in handy when completing various jobs around the farm. And they are fun to play on in downtime. Here’s a look at the latest utility vehicles (UTVs) from John Deere and Kubota. John Deere XUV835R Gator This crossover utility vehicle comes with a three-person cab with heating and air conditioning.
We Believe in Florida Citrus Podcast: Mandarin Hybrid Goes From Zero to Hero?
By Frank Giles|May 17, 2021 Learn how an underperforming citrus variety from the 1970s might find new life in the HLB-era on a new rootstock. And find out how breeders and industry are managing the thousands of potential new varieties in development.
Beware of Bean Leafroller in Your Legume Crops
By Gene McAvoy|March 18, 2021 The bean leafroller is a common pest of beans in Florida. Telltale signs of the pest include rolled leaves or ragged leaf edges. Photo by Russ Ottens The bean leafroller (Urbanus proteus L) is found from South Carolina to Texas and throughout Florida. It cannot tolerate freezing temperatures and overwinters mainly in South Florida. First instar larvae are yellowish with a brownish-black head.
How the 'Dirty Dozen' Produce List Stacks up in 2021
Posted by Paul Rusnak|Updated: March 18, 2021 Spring time signals a fresh start. It also is about the same time when the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases its “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.” The annual report, which showcases a “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and vegetables reported to contain the most pesticide residues, is quick to make rounds in mainstream media.
Factors Behind Rebound in the Florida Citrus Market
By Frank Giles|December 21, 2020 Florida Grower reached out to the state’s regional citrus association leaders to get their take on how the 2020-2021 season is shaping up and what their organization is doing to pivot around shifting market forces. Here are some of their responses. Steve Smith – Gulf Citrus Growers Association Younger trees that are less than 15 years old look OK in our area. But the older trees, especially early season varieties, are declining.
Cheers! Robust Revenue Growth for Florida OJ Producer
By The Ledger|November 30, 2020 Buoyed by the boom in grocery sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, orange juice producer Florida’s Natural Growers saw a 12% increase in total sales revenue for its 2019-2020 fiscal year. But the surge in grocery sales came at the expense foodservice sales, which plunged 25% after the pandemic hit as schools, hotels, and other foodservice customers shut down, the Lake Wales juice processing cooperative reported in its annual financial report.
Why You Should Re-Check Your Citrus Fertility Recommendations
By Frank Giles|November 21, 2020 In an effort to bolster citrus nutrition, some Florida growers are using cover crops to encourage soil biology in groves. Photo by Frank Giles The thinking on citrus nutrition has evolved over the years, especially with the onset of HLB. Keeping infected trees properly fed, whether through ground or foliar applications, has kept some trees more productive as the disease has spread to every grove.
Airtec Sprayers Keeps the Pressure on During Pandemic Original
By Frank Giles|November 20, 2020 The Airtec Air Boom Tower Sprayer targets the plant canopies with air nozzles rather than blasting from the ground upward like other air blast sprayers, saving on inputs. Photo courtesy of Airtec Sprayers As Florida and the nation adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida Grower magazine is recognizing the important role businesses play in serving specialty crop producers in the state. This month, we are featuring Tim Schaal, CEO of Airtec Sprayers, Inc.
Shaky Florida Citrus Season Skids to Stop | Growing Produce
When USDA released its initial 2016-2017 Florida citrus forecast, the 70 million all orange box count was a dose of reality as to where the industry currently stands. Fast forward to the end of the year, and the tepid projection wasn’t too far from reality. The final count settled at 68.7 million boxes (33 million boxes of early, midseason, Navel, and Temple varieties; plus 35.7 million boxes of Valencias) — a 200,000 box bump from June’s outlook.
Help Consumers Read past Negative Headlines About Orange Juice | Growing Produce
Like many in this industry, my life revolves around Florida citrus. I start my day with a glass of orange juice and I spend my night fretting over the continued challenges our growers face. So, it’s no wonder we are all especially attuned to the negative headlines 100% fruit juice continues to receive. At times, the attack on fruit juice can feel personal. Many articles feature an image of orange juice, even when we’re not the focus of the story.
Telling The Story Of Florida Citrus More Important Now Than Ever | Growing Produce
In October, the Florida Citrus Commission unanimously approved a Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) budget that reflects a decrease of nearly 30% over last year, and an estimated $12 million tax cut for growers. Commissioners also approved using carryover from last year’s budget to provide more temporary tax relief to growers for one season. At the end of the day, the rates were set at 5 cents for fresh oranges and 7 cents for every other variety, fresh and processed.
Millennial Moms, Florida Orange Juice A Good Mix | Growing Produce
Inside the walls of our Bartow headquarters, two words have been on repeat lately: millennial moms. The words themselves are not new. We’ve been focusing on the shopping habits of mothers born between 1980 and the early 2000s since we selected the group as our target audience two years ago. What’s new is our approach. Moms today are part of the most socially and digitally active consumer group ever. That means they’re probably not turning to a book for advice, like I did as a young mother.
Repeat After Me: I Believe In Florida Citrus
When several new tools to combat citrus greening were approved for use in March, the Florida citrus industry rejoiced. These long-awaited tools — foliar treatments aimed at slowing the growth of bacteria in the trees — offer a chance for growers to survive another year and buy researchers time to develop longer, more permanent solutions. As we wrap up another season of decreased production, these tools offer hope that next year won’t be the same. However, tools are only part of the equation.
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