Cooperative Extension Service
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia
George Boyhan, Extension Horticulturist-Vegetables
East Georgia Extension Center
Rosenwald Building, Third Floor
PO Box 8112
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460
912-681-5639 | 912-681-0376, Fax | 912-682-3481, mobile
The 2000 farmgate survey is complete and has been sent out. It is also available on the web at http://www.agecon.uga.edu/~caed/frames/pub_frame.html. Look under Annual Reports on this web page for both the 2000 Georgia Farmgate Value Survey and the Vegetable Acreage and Value Estimates 2000.
I had asked for several questions to be asked on the survey, specifically the number of organic acres in each county, the square feet of greenhouse devoted to transplant production, and the number of square feet of greenhouse devoted to vegetable production. These figures did not get into the Vegetable Acreage and Value Estimates 2000 report because they didn't really fit any category. I thought this information should be collected, and last year's survey should act as a baseline to see how these industries develop.
Currently, there are 240,850 square feet of greenhouse space devoted to vegetable production. Of this, 200,000 square feet were also listed under transplant production for the particular county, so I'm not sure if there is truly this amount of greenhouse vegetable production going on in Georgia.
The amount of greenhouse space devoted to transplant production is 2,204,200 square feet. This production is located in 22 counties with more than 80 percent in just 4 counties.
Finally, the number of acres in organic production statewide is 314 acres. This is probably an overstatement of the acres actually in production. Most of the farms I've visited have only 1-5 acres in actual vegetable production. Organic production is very labor-intensive precluding a large number of acres in vegetables.
The University of Georgia, specifically the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, was to make recommendations about new varieties to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The dean had charged a committee to evaluate the onions and come up with the recommendations. This committee met on June 7 and went over the data; the members came up with five varieties that did not differ significantly from the standard Granex 33:
DPS 1032, D. Palmer Seed Co.
PS 7092, Petoseed Co.
Sweet Advantage (1058), D. Palmer Seed Co.
WI-3115, Wannamaker International
WI-609, Wannamaker International
The Commissioner of Agriculture has decided to accept only two new varieties, DPS 1032 and PS 7092, and exclude the other three based on one year's taste panel analysis. This analysis was of bitterness, which is one criterian from a total of 18 criteria evaluated. A hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 27, at the Toombs County courthouse beginning at 11 a.m. to determine if the addition of two varieties is warranted.
From My Desk
We're in the process of moving at the East Georgia Extension Center. We're moving from the third floor of the Rosenwald Building to the first floor. This is only temporary for the next 60-90 days until they complete our new offices at the Continuing Education Center on the other side of campus. Needless to say, this week is in disarray and things won't be settling down until we're on the other side of campus. Talk to you next month.