Climate and Ag in the news
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Since I manage the University of Georgia Weather Network, I am always interested in stories about other mesonets around the country and how they are getting funding to keep their networks operating. Some mesonets are state funded but many are not, and finding continuing sources of support can be difficult. Many people think that weather…
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Hurricane Ian caused an estimated $1 billion in agricultural-production losses, with the biggest hits to the citrus industry, along with growers of vegetables and melons, according to a new University of Florida report that was discussed in Southeast Ag Net last week. This does not include damage to buildings or to downed trees, since it…
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In the past I have written on this blog about olive as a new crop in the Southeast. I know that there have been several test sites planted in Georgia. This article for Growing Produce describes how researchers in Florida are planting olive groves in several locations to test how they handle the varied climate…
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According to NBC News and reposted by Yahoo News, “natural disasters forced an estimated 3.4 million people in the U.S. to leave their homes in 2022, according to Census Bureau data collected earlier this year, underscoring how climate-related weather events are already changing American communities.” Storms like Hurricane Ian displaced the most people, with floods,…
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Farmers are continuing to identify more impacts of the freeze in late December as plants struggle to survive. It will likely be months before all of the damage is known, especially on citrus and other fruit trees. Here are some recent stories from Specialty Crop Industry on how the freeze affected several crops. South Georgia…
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Georgia Public Broadcasting posted a 26-minute video highlighting some of the fruits of Georgia in their series “A Fork in the Road”. It originally ran on January 13, 2023, so some of you may have already seen it. I enjoyed learning about Georgia watermelon and blueberry production. Mixon Farms, the featured blueberry farm, is host…
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While the string of atmospheric river events that hit California a few weeks ago is gone now, the impacts of the flooding rain is still affecting farmers there. In addition to the immediate damage the flood water caused to crops in the field, growers are waiting to see how their plants have survived the rains…