LABOR TOPS LIST OF FLORIDA AG INDUSTRY'S CHALLENGES

Farm labor was on the minds of FFVA's board of directors as they met last Friday and Saturday in Sarasota. Having already experienced a tight labor market last season, and with fall planting just weeks away, growers are closely watching what Congress does on the embattled immigration reform legislation. Senate and House leaders have yet to schedule a conference committee to negotiate a compromise measure from two very different bills.

Sally Tibbetts, a staffer for Sen. Mel Martinez, provided a labor legislation update to growers at the board meeting. "Sen. Martinez is meeting with as many House members as he can to explain the Senate bill," she said. Tibbetts added that the recent announcement by House leaders that they would conduct hearings on the Senate bill "isn't necessarily a bad thing" because it will help House lawmakers understand the Senate bill provisions.

In the meantime, Tibbetts urged growers to contact lawmakers in Waschington, D.C. to express support for the Senate bill, which contains the so-called AgJobs provisions so important for agricultural employers. Many at the board meeting speculated that the prospects of lawmakers passing a final version of the immigration bill may be better after the November election.

"Labor is the most important challenge facing Florida producers today," said Tony DiMare, FFVA Chairman.

STUDY: VEGETABLES MAY HELP PROTECT ARTERIES

A new study concludes that eating vegetables can significantly protect your arteries from the accumulation of fatty deposits. Results of the study, carried out on mice at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, appears in the Journal of Nutrition.

Researchers fed half the mice a diet rich in vegetables, including peas, corn, carrots, green beans and broccoli. The rest of the mice did not have any vegetables at all. The vegetable-fed mice had 38% less plaques than the vegetable-free mice. The vegetable-fed mice also had a reduction of 37% in serum amyloid levels - serum amyloid is an indicator of inflammation.

-Source: Medical News Today

BOX TAX VOTE DELAYED

State citrus officials on Wednesday (June 21) delayed voting on a controversial tax hike citrus growers would have had to pay to fund advertising for juice oranges and fresh and to-be-processed grapefruit. The delay was caused by grower opposition and uncertainty over crop yields and future sales.

The group may vote next month when updated crop estimates become available. In May, the state had proposed taxes on a 90-pound box of oranges for processing to rise from 18.5 cents to 25 cents. The tax on a box of fresh grapefruit would go from 25 cents to 40 cents and processed grapefruit taxes would be lifted from 24 cents to 40 cents.

LOOP WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION TO FARM BUREAU PRESIDENCY

Carl B. Loop Jr., the Jacksonville nurseryman who has served as president of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation since 1983, announced Tuesday (June 21) that he will not seek re-election to the position.

His current term will end in October. Loop made the announcement at the June meeting of the Federation's board of directors.

DIAMOND TOMATO’S JOE BRESCIA PASSES AWAY

Joe Brescia, long-time farm manager for Fort Pierce-based Diamond Tomato, passed away unexpectedly early last week (June 19). He was 53 years old. Mr. Brescia is survived by his wife, Joy, and three children.

We at FFVA would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the family of Mr. Brescia.