Southeast

Why are the grocery store shelves empty?

While all industries have been seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, food and agriculture have been among the hardest hit segments of the U.S. economy. The primary reason lies in the composition of household food expenditures.... more »

Ag commissioner Nikki Fried launches Keep Florida Growing webpage

Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried launched the Keep Florida Growing webpage, a one-stop online portal with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ COVID-19 food and agriculture-related information for Florida’s farmers and ranchers, consumers and news media. Fried first announced the... more »

Will the coronavirus pandemic impact the US food supply chain?

Much has been recently written about our nation’s food supply and consumer hoarding. I will not repeat what has been said, but rather offer additional perspectives during this trying time. This subject could be examined from... more »

UF/IFAS Extension helps get food directly from farmers to customers during pandemic

As the novel coronavirus disrupts the usual methods to deliver food from farms to consumers, University of Florida UF/IFAS Extension agents are helping connect growers with customers. Two such specialists are Sarah Bostick, an agriculture... more »

US Sugar provides fresh, locally-grown green beens to south Florida entities

As part of its ongoing local response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Sugar announced April 8 it is contributing nearly 1,000 crates, or the equivalent of 120,000 servings of fresh, locally and American-grown green... more »

Florida Extension’s Gene McAvoy shares pandemic’s impact on specialty crop markets

Gene McAvoy, regional vegetable Extension agent IV emeritus with University of Florida UF/IFAS, shared the following synopsis of conditions in south Florida for specialty crop growers impacted by the coronavirus challenges. “Up to the end... more »

Buyers, sellers connect during COVID-19 disruptions to Florida food markets

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions to Florida food markets. Sales of food products to restaurants and schools have fallen drastically. Some farmers' markets have closed. Sales through grocery stores spiked upward initially, but... more »

How to operate a strawberry U-pick during the COVID-19 pandemic

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has issued a stay-at-home order, which went into effect on Mar 30. COVID-19 has rapidly changed the individual freedoms that many of us took for granted, to ensure the greater... more »