Meeting Stakeholder Needs of Tri-State Area Growers through Production Agriculture Programs
Horticulture & Turfgrass
Abigail Smith
Commercial & Environmental Horticulture
University of Florida
Sneads
Abstract
The Florida Panhandle is an area largely known for commercial vegetable production, specifically cucurbit vegetable crops such as squash, watermelon, zucchini, and cucumbers. Many growers in Northwest Florida cross state-lines into Georgia and Alabama to obtain fertilizer and other materials. To provide Northwest Florida growers, as well as South Georgia and South Alabama, the best information for a successful growing season, I created a one-day production meeting titled the “Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference” was created. The objective of this annual meeting is to educate fruit and vegetable growers of Northwest Florida, Southern Georgia, and Southern Alabama on new plant varieties, insect and disease management, and vegetable nutrient management. Additionally, growers will gain knowledge of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Best Management Practices and pesticide regulation changes. A needs assessment of vegetable growers was conducted in 2023 and 2024 in Jackson County, Florida to gain insight on what research would be most impactful to help benefit them during the growing season. The most common answers were knowledge of new vegetable varieties, different methods for disease and insect management, and nutrient management. The needs assessment resulted in a collaborative program agenda where specialists from UF/IFAS Extension, UGA Cooperative Extension, and Alabama Cooperative Extension were asked to present on the requested topics and an organized tradeshow with industry representatives to connect with growers. Results in 2024 and 2025 indicated that150 growers attended the Tri-State Fruit & Vegetable Conference where 97 gained knowledge on the presented topics, and 33 growers that attended in 2024 made practice changes in their farming operations. In conclusion, tailoring programmatic education for growers increased attendance and allowed for knowledge gains pertaining to farming practices and allowed for interaction with industry clientele. Utilizing other Extension Services from different states helps growers get the best information possible to further outreach in the production agriculture community.
Authors: Abigail Smith
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Abigail Smith Commercial & Environmental Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, Florida, 32460