The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) is accepting grant applications for projects that enhance the competitiveness of U.S. specialty crops in foreign and domestic markets. The application deadline for these specialty crop block grants through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is May 4, 2012, 5:00 P.M. Central Standard Time (CST).

Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture (including maple syrup and honey) and nursery crops (including floriculture).

Commodity groups, agricultural organizations, colleges and universities, producers, municipalities, state agencies and agricultural nonprofits are all eligible for this grant program, provided their proposals meet all the specifications. The USDA has final approval for projects submitted. The ADAI and a review committee of industry representatives will evaluate and review the applications.

Grab your running shoes and hit the trails for the second annual Alabama Nature Center Critter Crawl!

The Critter Crawl is a 5K TRAIL RUN beginning at 9 a.m. benefiting the ANC education programs. There will be an additional 1-mile race beginning at 10 a.m.

Enjoy Alabama's forests and fields with your family and come do the critter crawl!

There will be prizes for male and female overall, Masters (40+) and Grand Masters (50+). Also, three deep in the following age groups: 8 and under, 9-12, 13-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-69, 70+.

Contact Elizabeth Johnson at ejohnson@alabamawildlife.org for more information.

Source:  Alabama Nature Center

This year is starting out to be another new experience for us here at Barber Berry Farm in the wonderful world of fruit farming. Because of all the warm weather this winter, some of our earlier varieties of Rabbiteye blueberries think it's time to wake-up.  For the past 5 seasons, they usually didn't start blooming until around the end of February. Now that sounds pretty good, blueberries in April. However, for those same past 5 seasons, we have also experienced either a freeze or frost sometime around Easter, not to mention various times in February, which is a killing event for the tender blossoms. Hopefully, that won't be the case this year, but then again, this is Alabama where you can never tell what the weather is going to be like the next day!  Now, you can protect your blooming plants by covering them if you know there is going to be a frost or freeze that night.