Whats New

A number of new, online outreach materials to help our industry are available, making it easier than ever to learn something new every day.
UFL Online Greenhouse Training
University of Florida Extension launched a new YouTube channel featuring short videos to aid greenhouse producer...

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the modernization of regulations that govern plant biotechnology advancements. The final rule, titled Sustainable, Ecological, Consistent, Uniform, Responsible, Efficient (SECURE), marks the first major amendment to plant biotech regulations in over thirty years.
The SECURE rule touts an end to duplicative and antiquated processes and ...

On May 15, AmericanHort and our Horticultural Research Institute foundation submitted official comments to USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service urging that Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2 be removed from the federal “select agent” list. The list includes biological agents...

On Friday, May 15, AmericanHort and the H-2B Workforce Coalition sent the attached letter to President Trump outlining the important benefits that the H-2B program provides to seasonal businesses and their American workers. It also stresses the role of seasonal businesses ...

On May 15, the House of Representatives passed a massive $3 trillion dollar coronavirus relief bill along a party line vote. This fourth piece of pandemic response legislation is a Democratic marker bill for further negotiations with the Administration and Senate Republicans over another coronavirus spending package.
House Republicans object to the bill’s costs and a host of measur...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a final rule last week providing flexibility measures for Hours of Service (HOS) rules. The agency ultimately chose to modify four areas of need that had previously been identified. The HOS changes are as follows:

• Increase safety and flexibilit...

On May 19, USDA announced its rule implementing the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. The rule should officially appear in the May 20 Federal Register. A link to the rule language is available here.
The rule lays out USDA’s first step in providing direct payments to livestock, dairy, and specialty c...

In the face of rising politicization of immigrants and immigration resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, a new coalition known as #AllOfUS has launched. #AllOfUS seeks to make the case that immigrants are critical to COVID-19 recovery efforts. Coalition leadership ranges from the National Association of Evangelicals and the Southern Baptist Convention, to the National I...

The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor is hosting a national online forum where employers and workers can share ideas about the challenges they face as the nation moves toward reopening business and positioning the economy for a strong rebound. Topics include:

1. reopening businesses
2. commuting safely
3. working safely
4. accommodating members o...

Ralstonia solancearum race 3 biovar 2 (RSr3b2), a federal quarantine pest, was recently confirmed in a single geranium variety in a greenhouse in Michigan. This is the first confirmed case in the U.S. since 2004, after which it was eradicated. Diseased geraniums planted in the landscape can potentially infect other plants, including tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant, and must be de...