Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Grower's Association

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Specialty Crop Alliance Asks for Action on Farm Bill

February 27, 2012 – 6:06 am |  Filed Under: 
A letter sent February 10 to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees urged the passage of a comprehensive Farm Bill this year. The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, for which Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association serves on the steering Committee, signed the letter along with more than 80 other organizations with interests in the Farm Bill. The letter stated that a new comprehensive bill would increase the effectiveness of the safety net for farmers, protect natural resources, help prevent hunger, create jobs and spur investments in agricultural research. “There’s been quite a bit
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2012 Georgia Pest Management Handbook Now Available

February 20, 2012 – 10:14 am |  Filed Under: 
The 2012 Georgia Pest Management Handbook is now available. Published by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the 33rd commercial edition provides more than 800 pages of current information on selection, application and safe use of pest control chemicals around farms, homes, urban areas, recreational areas and other environments where pests may occur. Special attention is given to cultural, biological, physical and other types of control for insects, diseases and weeds in agronomic crops such as grains, cotton and tobacco as well as for commercial operations specializing in fruits, vegetables and ornamental horticulture production. Recommendations are
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Local Labor Brings in the Harvest

June 5, 2011 – 7:43 am |  Filed Under: 
By Mark Davis The Atlanta Journal-Constitution PELHAM — The big engine growled as the tractor-trailer pulled away into the twilight. The truck held cantaloupes, harvested in a hurry that hot day.  In his air-conditioned office at Weybrenee Farms in Mitchell County, Brent Brinkley totaled the daily take and looked pleased. Thirty-seven crates, 10 tons of sweetness.  His inexperienced work force was getting the job done.  “We’re blessed,” he said.  He felt otherwise six weeks ago. A migrant labor crew that harvested his cantaloupes last year didn’t come to Georgia this picking season. The workers, Brinkley said, stayed away because they
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Farm owners, workers worry about immigration law’s impact on crops

June 3, 2011 – 5:39 am |  Filed Under: 
By Craig Schneider The Atlanta Journal-Constitution DOUGLAS -- One hundred degrees worth of heat beats down upon the blackberry field, but Ismael Rodriguez plucks berry after berry with the speed of a veteran fruit picker. Not far away, however, berries are shriveling on the vine on this South Georgia farm. The farm owners say they don't have enough workers during this peak harvest season, namely Hispanic pickers such as Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a migrant worker. He is also an illegal immigrant. And, like many of his fellow pickers, he fears a new state law aimed at illegal immigration. Many migrants
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WE NEED YOUR HELP!!

May 26, 2011 – 10:53 am |  Filed Under: 
TO ALL FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS in Georgia,  WE NEED YOUR HELP!!  Please help!!!  GFVGA needs you to support our industry and place some harvester and/or packing facility job orders with the Department of Labor.  GFVGA will do all the paperwork in filling out the orders, etc.  We have developed two generic job orders - for HARVESTER and PACKING FACILITY WORKER.   Click on either HARVESTER or PACKING FACILITY WORKER - you can fill them out and fax (706-883-8215) or email them back to us (info@gfvga.org).  GFVGA will do all of the work in filing out and submitting the forms for
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Fresh Produce GAPs and GMPs

January 31, 2011 – 7:56 am |  Filed Under: 
Title: Fresh Produce GAPs and GMPs Location: Athens, GALink out: Click hereDescription: This hands-on workshop will teach participants how to develop and document Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Sanitary Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and Good Management Practices (GMPs) for farm and field operations, packing facilities, cold storage operations and produce shippers. Specific break-out sessions will use HACCP principles to teach participants to identify and prevent food safety hazards, set preventive/control measures and control limits, develop control and monitoring procedures, document and verify the results of their efforts, as established by the International HACCP Alliance.Start Date: 2011-02-15End Date:
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