HS1481/HS1481by Jeffrey G. Williamson and Douglas A. PhillipsMay 1, 2024Blueberries are grown commercially in Florida for the early-season fresh fruit market. The majority of Florida’s blueberry crop is currently harvested by hand to ensure high quality standards for fresh fruit production. However, hand harvesting is the single greatest annual production cost for Florida blueberry growers, and mechanization of berry harvests could greatly reduce production costs. This is particularly important when considering the volume of fruit imported into the United States from countries where labor rates are significantly lower. Also, at times the availability of harvest labor when needed may be an issue for Florida growers; mechanization could help address that issue. This publication provides information for commercial blueberry growers interested in adopting machine harvesting.Critical Issue: 1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises

4H345/4H345 by Matthew Olson and Andrew ToelleApril 25, 2024The Extension Services-237 (ES-237) is a report of University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension that consists of statistics for youth ages 5–18 participating in UF/IFAS Extension youth programs and the volunteers providing service to these programs. Family Nutrition Programs (FNP) are the only youth Extension programs that are exempt from ES-237 reporting. In Florida, an annual ES-237 report is completed for each UF/IFAS Extension County office based off total 4-H enrollments entered into 4-H Online. County reports are compiled into a single state report and submitted to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).Critical Issue: 7. 4-H Youth Development

FE1143/FE1143by Tara Wade, Kelvin Amon, Zhengfei Guan, and Wael ElwakilApril 23, 2024This publication provides information on conventional fresh strawberry acreage, volume, and pricing for California and Florida from 2010 through 2022. It is one of a series of EDIS publications that illustrate trends in Florida’s five most economically important specialty crops, excluding citrus: strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, watermelons, and sweet corn. The information in this publication will be useful to producers, Extension agents, and others interested in trends concerning specialty crop commodities. It serves as a single location where valuable information about the specialty crop market and production trends can be found.Critical Issue: 1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises

IN1418/ENY-2107by Yuexun Tian, Phillip E. Kaufman, and Cynthia C. LordApril 22, 2024The genus Rickettsia contains species that are important in human health as they cause several serious diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. This publication summarizes the human-disease-causing pathogens in the genus Rickettsia in the United States and delivers general knowledge of their vectors and the diseases they cause. Prevention and management of disease-causing Rickettsia species, mainly for vector control agencies and entities, are also discussed. This publication is written for audiences of all ages and with any educational background and serves as a resource for public education.Critical Issue: 3. Natural Resources and Environmental Quality

4H387/4HFSV376 by Written by Paula Davis, Dale Pracht, Janet Psikogios, Marilyn N. Norman, Kate Fogarty, and Jean Hink. Revised by Kathy Hartman and Candi DierenfieldApril 22, 2024This is one part of the series Risk Management for 4-H Youth Development Work.Critical Issue: 7. 4-H Youth Development